The role of Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in staging and restaging of patients with osteosarcoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quartuccio, Natale; Treglia, Giorgio; Salsano, Marco; Mattoli, Maria Vittoria; Muoio, Barbara; Piccardo, Arnoldo; Lopci, Egesta; Cistaro, Angelina

2013-01-01

The objective of this study is to systematically review the role of positron emission tomography (PET) and PET/computed tomography (PET/CT) with Fluorine-18-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) in patients with osteosarcoma (OS). A comprehensive literature search of published studies through October 10 th , 2012 in PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases regarding whole-body FDG-PET and FDG-PET/CT in patients with OS was performed. We identified 13 studies including 289 patients with OS. With regard to the staging and restaging of OS, the diagnostic performance of FDG-PET and PET/CT seem to be high; FDG-PET and PET/CT seem to be superior to bone scintigraphy and conventional imaging methods in detecting bone metastases; conversely, spiral CT seems to be superior to FDG-PET in detecting pulmonary metastases from OS Metabolic imaging may provide additional information in the evaluation of OS patients. The combination of FDG-PET or FDG-PET/CT with conventional imaging methods seems to be a valuable tool in the staging and restaging of OS and may have a relevant impact on the treatment planning

New modalities (setting, fractionation) of radioimmunotherapy by 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (90Y zevalin) in first line treatment of follicular type non Hodgkin malignant lymphomas: efficiency, toxicity and personalized dosimetry approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morschhauser, F.

2008-12-01

Rationale: radioimmunotherapy (R.I.T.) with 90 Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan ([ 90 Y] Zevalin ) is a new treatment option for patients with relapsed/refractory non Hodgkin follicular lymphoma (F.L.). Efficacy increases when Zevalin is used earlier in the disease course. Currently, Zevalin dosage is based on weight and not dosimetry. This most likely results in a wide range of absorbed dose to critical organs and tumor, which in turn translates in unpredictable efficacy and toxicity. Optimizing R.I.T. with [ 90 Y] Zevalin will require its use as part of first-line therapy and implementation of patient-specific dosimetry methods in clinical trials. Objectives and methods: we have consecutively studied 2 new modalities of using Zevalin in first line therapy of F.L.. First, we conducted an international, randomized, phase 3 trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of consolidation with Zevalin(15 MBq/Kg) in patients with advanced-stage F.L. achieving at least a partial response after induction immuno chemotherapy. A second approach consisted of evaluating a fractionated schedule with 2 doses of Zevalin (11.1 MBq/kg each), 9 to 13 weeks apart, as front line therapy in F.L. patients with high tumor burden. As part of this second approach, we designed a refined imaging-based (planar and 3-dimensional) dosimetry protocol to improve prediction of dose efficacy and toxicity after each dose of zevalin. Data acquisition was performed in 3 centers (Lille, Nantes and Manchester) while data treatment and specific dose calculations for major organ, tumor masses and bone marrow were centralized. Conclusion: Consolidation of first remission with 90 Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan in advanced-stage follicular lymphoma is highly effective with no unexpected toxicities, prolonging P.F.S. by 2 years and resulting in high P.R.-to-C.R. conversion rates regardless of type of first-line induction treatment. Preliminary data show the feasibility of front line fractionated R.I.T. with Zevalin in patient

First-Line First? Trends in Thiazide Prescribing for Hypertensive Seniors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morgan Steve

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Background Evidence of reduced cardiovascular morbidity and mortality as well as cost support thiazide diuretics as the first-line choice for treatment of hypertension. The purpose of this study was to determine the proportion of senior hypertensives that received thiazide diuretics as first-line treatment, and to determine if cardiovascular and other potentially relevant comorbidities predict the choice of first-line therapy. Methods and Findings British Columbia PharmaCare data were used to determine the cohort of seniors (residents aged 65 or older who received their first reimbursed hypertension drug during the period 1993 to 2000. These individual records were linked to medical and hospital claims data using the British Columbia Linked Health Database to find the subset that had diagnoses indicating the presence of hypertension as well as cardiovascular and other relevant comorbidities. Rates of first-line thiazide prescribing as proportion of all first-line treatment were analysed, accounting for patient age, sex, overall clinical complexity, and potentially relevant comorbidities. For the period 1993 to 2000, 82,824 seniors who had diagnoses of hypertension were identified as new users of hypertension drugs. The overall rate at which thiazides were used as first-line treatment varied from 38% among senior hypertensives without any potentially relevant comorbidity to 9% among hypertensives with previous acute myocardial infarction. The rate of first-line thiazide diuretic prescribing for patients with and without potentially relevant comorbidities increased over the study period. Women were more likely than men, and older patients were more likely than younger, to receive first-line thiazide therapy. Conclusions Findings indicate that first-line prescribing practices for hypertension are not consistent with the evidence from randomized control trials measuring morbidity and mortality. The health and financial cost of not selecting the most

Managing first-line failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooper, David A

2014-01-01

WHO standard of care for failure of a first regimen, usually 2N(t)RTI's and an NNRTI, consists of a ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitor with a change in N(t)RTI's. Until recently, there was no evidence to support these recommendations which were based on expert opinion. Two large randomized clinical trials, SECOND LINE and EARNEST both showed excellent response rates (>80%) for the WHO standard of care and indicated that a novel regimen of a boosted protease inhibitor with an integrase inhibitor had equal efficacy with no difference in toxicity. In EARNEST, a third arm consisting of induction with the combined protease and integrase inhibitor followed by protease inhibitor monotherapy maintenance was inferior and led to substantial (20%) protease inhibitor resistance. These studies confirm the validity of the current recommendations of WHO and point to a novel public health approach of using two new classes for second line when standard first-line therapy has failed, which avoids resistance genotyping. Notwithstanding, adherence must be stressed in those failing first-line treatments. Protease inhibitor monotherapy is not suitable for a public health approach in low- and middle-income countries.

Empirical gradient threshold technique for automated segmentation across image modalities and cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalfoun, J; Majurski, M; Peskin, A; Breen, C; Bajcsy, P; Brady, M

2015-10-01

New microscopy technologies are enabling image acquisition of terabyte-sized data sets consisting of hundreds of thousands of images. In order to retrieve and analyze the biological information in these large data sets, segmentation is needed to detect the regions containing cells or cell colonies. Our work with hundreds of large images (each 21,000×21,000 pixels) requires a segmentation method that: (1) yields high segmentation accuracy, (2) is applicable to multiple cell lines with various densities of cells and cell colonies, and several imaging modalities, (3) can process large data sets in a timely manner, (4) has a low memory footprint and (5) has a small number of user-set parameters that do not require adjustment during the segmentation of large image sets. None of the currently available segmentation methods meet all these requirements. Segmentation based on image gradient thresholding is fast and has a low memory footprint. However, existing techniques that automate the selection of the gradient image threshold do not work across image modalities, multiple cell lines, and a wide range of foreground/background densities (requirement 2) and all failed the requirement for robust parameters that do not require re-adjustment with time (requirement 5). We present a novel and empirically derived image gradient threshold selection method for separating foreground and background pixels in an image that meets all the requirements listed above. We quantify the difference between our approach and existing ones in terms of accuracy, execution speed, memory usage and number of adjustable parameters on a reference data set. This reference data set consists of 501 validation images with manually determined segmentations and image sizes ranging from 0.36 Megapixels to 850 Megapixels. It includes four different cell lines and two image modalities: phase contrast and fluorescent. Our new technique, called Empirical Gradient Threshold (EGT), is derived from this reference

Preferential semantics for action specification in first-order modal action logic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Broersen, Jan; Wieringa, Roelf J.

In this paper we investigate preferential semantics for declarative specifications in a First Order Modal Action Logic. We address some well known problems: the frame problem, the qualification problem and the ramification problem. We incorporate the assumptions that are inherent to both the frame

Determinants of durability of first-line antiretroviral therapy regimen and time from first-line failure to second-line antiretroviral therapy initiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Desmonde, Sophie; Eboua, François T; Malateste, Karen

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: We described reasons for switching to second-line antiretroviral treatment (ART) and time to switch in HIV-infected children failing first-line ART in West Africa. METHODS: We included all children aged 15 years or less, starting ART (at least three drugs) in the paediatric Ie...... post-ART initiation, 188 (7%) had switched to second-line. The most frequent reasons were drug stock outs (20%), toxicity (18%), treatment failure (16%) and poor adherence (8%). Over the 24-month follow-up period, 322 (12%) children failed first-line ART after a median time of 7 months...... rare and switches after an immunological failure were insufficient. These gaps reveal that it is crucial to advocate for both sustainable access to first-line and alternative regimens to provide adequate roll-out of paediatric ART programmes....

First-line drugs for hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Wright, James M; Musini, Vijaya M; Gill, Rupam

2018-04-18

This is the first update of a review published in 2009. Sustained moderate to severe elevations in resting blood pressure leads to a critically important clinical question: What class of drug to use first-line? This review attempted to answer that question. To quantify the mortality and morbidity effects from different first-line antihypertensive drug classes: thiazides (low-dose and high-dose), beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, ACE inhibitors, angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB), and alpha-blockers, compared to placebo or no treatment.Secondary objectives: when different antihypertensive drug classes are used as the first-line drug, to quantify the blood pressure lowering effect and the rate of withdrawal due to adverse drug effects, compared to placebo or no treatment. The Cochrane Hypertension Information Specialist searched the following databases for randomized controlled trials up to November 2017: the Cochrane Hypertension Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE (from 1946), Embase (from 1974), the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, and ClinicalTrials.gov. We contacted authors of relevant papers regarding further published and unpublished work. Randomized trials (RCT) of at least one year duration, comparing one of six major drug classes with a placebo or no treatment, in adult patients with blood pressure over 140/90 mmHg at baseline. The majority (over 70%) of the patients in the treatment group were taking the drug class of interest after one year. We included trials with both hypertensive and normotensive patients in this review if the majority (over 70%) of patients had elevated blood pressure, or the trial separately reported outcome data on patients with elevated blood pressure. The outcomes assessed were mortality, stroke, coronary heart disease (CHD), total cardiovascular events (CVS), decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and

First-order modal logic theorem proving and standard PROLOG

OpenAIRE

Nonnengart, A.

1992-01-01

Many attempts have been started to combine logic programming and modal logics. Most of them however, do not use classical PROLOG, but extend the PROLOG idea in order to cope with modal logic formulae directly. These approaches have the disadvantage that for each logic new logic programming systems are to be developed and the knowledge and experience gathered from PROLOG can hardly be utilized. Modal logics based on Kripke-style relational semantics, however, allow a direct translation from mo...

Metaphysical Modality, Modality of Predicate and the Theory of

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

l nabavi

2010-05-01

This paper discusses the historical overview of the metaphysical modality firstly and then shows that the theory of "Decisive Necessity” is true and justified in a model of modal logic with equivalent accessibility relation and homogeneous possible world view (fixed domain.

On-line control of a liquid-liquid extraction column by the modal control method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonnefoi, P.; Poujol, A.; Zwingelstein, G.; Dargier, C.; Rouyer, H.

1977-02-01

The application of modal analysis to the on-line control of a liquid-liquid extraction column is presented. This process is used in reprocessing for U purification. U in the aqueous acid phase is extracted by a solvent flowing at counter-current. The process is described by 4 nonlinear equations and gives the U and acid concentrations in the two phases. An approximative model is established adapted to the control of the column. Some results of a numerical simulation are given when a single mode is controled. They show that a single sensor allows a good control [fr

Incremental Cancer Detection of Locoregional Restaging with Diagnostic Mammography Combined with Whole-Breast and Regional Nodal Ultrasound in Women with Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Candelaria, Rosalind P; Huang, Monica L; Adrada, Beatriz E; Bassett, Roland; Hunt, Kelly K; Kuerer, Henry M; Smith, Benjamin D; Chavez-MacGregor, Mariana; Yang, Wei Tse

2017-02-01

This study aims to determine if locoregional restaging with diagnostic mammography and ultrasound (US) of the whole breast and regional nodes performed for quality assurance in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who were referred to a tertiary care center yields incremental cancer detection. An institutional review board-approved retrospective, single-institution database review was performed on the first 1000 women referred to our center in 2010 with a provisional breast cancer diagnosis. Locoregional restaging consisted of diagnostic full-field digital mammography combined with US of the whole breast and regional nodal basins. Bilateral whole-breast US was performed in women with contralateral mammographic abnormality or had heterogeneously or extremely dense parenchyma. Demographic, clinical, and pathologic factors were analyzed. Final analyses included 401 women. Of the 401 women, 138 (34%) did not have their outside images available for review upon referral. The median age was 54 years (range 21-92); the median tumor size was 2.9 cm (range 0.6-18.0) for women whose disease was upstaged and 2.2 cm (range 0.4-15.0) for women whose disease was not upstaged. Incremental cancer detection rates were 15.5% (62 of 401) in the ipsilateral breast and 3.9% (6 of 154) in the contralateral breast (P breast and regional nodal US that is performed for standardization of the imaging workup for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients can reduce underestimation of disease burden and impact therapeutic planning. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

NIF Periscope Wall Modal Study Comparison of Results for 2 FEA Models with 2 Modal Tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eli, M W; Gerhard, M A; Lee, C L; Sommer, S C; Woehrle, T G

2000-01-01

This report summarizes experimentally and numerically determined modal properties for one of the reinforced concrete end walls of the NIF Periscope Support Structure in Laser Bay 1. Two methods were used to determine these modal properties: (1) Computational finite-element analyses (modal extraction process); and (2) Experimental modal analysis based on measured test data. This report also includes experimentally determined modal properties for a prototype LM3/Polarizer line-replaceable unit (LRU) and a prototype PEPC LRU. Two important parameters, used during the design phase, are validated through testing [ref 1]. These parameters are the natural frequencies and modal damping (of the system in question) for the first several global modes of vibration. Experimental modal testing provides these modal values, along with the corresponding mode shapes. Another important parameter, the input excitation (expected during normal operation of the NIF laser system) [ref 1], can be verified by performing a series of ambient vibration measurements in the vicinity of the particular system (or subsystem) of interest. The topic of ambient input excitation will be covered in a separate report. Due to the large mass of the Periscope Pedestal, it is difficult to excite the entire series of Periscope Pedestal Walls all at once. It was decided that the experimental modal tests would be performed on just one Periscope End Wall in Laser Bay 1. Experimental modal properties for the Periscope End Wall have been used to validate and update the FE analyses. Results from the analyses and modal tests support the conclusion that the Periscope Pedestal will not exceed the stability budget, which is described in reference 1. The results of the modal tests for the Periscope End Wall in Laser Bay 1 have provided examples of modal properties that can be derived from future modal tests of the entire Periscope Assembly (excluding the LRU's). This next series of larger modal tests can be performed

On modal cross-coupling in the asymptotic modal limit

Science.gov (United States)

Culver, Dean; Dowell, Earl

2018-03-01

The conditions under which significant modal cross-coupling occurs in dynamical systems responding to high-frequency, broadband forcing that excites many modes is studied. The modal overlap factor plays a key role in the analysis of these systems as the modal density (the ratio of number of modes to the frequency bandwidth) becomes large. The modal overlap factor is effectively the ratio of the width of a resonant peak (the damping ratio times the resonant frequency) to the average frequency interval between resonant peaks (or rather, the inverse of the modal density). It is shown that this parameter largely determines whether substantial modal cross-coupling occurs in a given system's response. Here, two prototypical systems are considered. The first is a simple rectangular plate whose significant modal cross-coupling is the exception rather than the norm. The second is a pair of rectangular plates attached at a point where significant modal cross-coupling is more likely to occur. We show that, for certain cases of modal density and damping, non-negligible cross coupling occurs in both systems. Under similar circumstances, the constraint force between the two plates in the latter system becomes broadband. The implications of this for using Asymptotic Modal Analysis (AMA) in multi-component systems are discussed.

Metaphysical Modality, Modality of Predicate and the Theory of "Decisive Necessity”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Nabavi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Aristotle in the Organon (1949: 9,30 a ,15-19 explicitly states that in a categorical syllogism when the minor premise is absolute (without modality operator and the major is necessary, the conclusion will be necessary too. This Aristotle's view has been the source of many conflicts and disputes in the history of logic. The famous logicians and historians of logic in the twentieth century as "Nicholas Rescher" and "Becker" believe that Aristotle's view is justifiable and defensible (at least compared to the first figure only if, the modality of major premise is considered as the property of predicate (modality de re. Today, we know very well that the modality of predicate is closely linked to Metaphysical and philosophical Modality. “Shihab al-Din al- Suhrawardi” in the theory of "Decisive (Battateh Necessity” by accepting this base, explicitly states that, in the beginning, the modality must be mentioned as a part of the predicate and then the modality of relation or copula is summarized and reduced to necessity. The modern formalization of the most important part of this theory is as follows: ("x (àAx É à Bx º ("x □ (àAx É à BxThis paper discusses the historical overview of the metaphysical modality firstly and then shows that the theory of "Decisive Necessity” is true and justified in a model of modal logic with equivalent accessibility relation and homogeneous possible world view (fixed domain.

First line management in the public sector

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Voxted, Søren

The paper will examines and discusses the results from a structured observational study, wherein 50 first-line managers from the public sector in Denmark in five areas of employment where observed. These observational studies are a key contribution in the ‘greenhouse for management’ project...... in first-line managers’ practice. Answering this question helps to illustrate and understand the degree of professionalism in terms of managers' usage of time....

A Comparison between 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging and Biological and Radiological Findings in Restaging of Hepatoblastoma Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angelina Cistaro

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. In this study we retrospectively evaluated if 18F-FDG-PET/CT provided incremental diagnostic information over CI in a group of hepatoblastoma patients performing restaging. Procedure. Nine patients (mean age: 5.9 years; range: 3.1–12 years surgically treated for hepatoblastoma were followed up by clinical examination, serum α-FP monitoring, and US. CI (CT or MRI and PET/CT were performed in case of suspicion of relapse. Fine-needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB were carried out for final confirmation if the results of CI, PET/CT, and/or α-FP levels were suggestive of relapse. PET/CT and CI findings were analyzed for comparison purposes, using FNAB as reference standard. Results. α-FP level was suggestive of disease recurrence in 8/9 patients. Biopsy was performed in 8/9 cases. CI and PET/CT resulted to be concordant in 5/9 patients (CI identified recurrence of disease, but 18F-FDG-PET/CT provided a better definition of disease extent; in 4/9 cases, CI diagnostic information resulted in negative findings, whereas PET/CT correctly detected recurrence of disease. 18F-FDG-PET/CT showed an agreement of 100% (8/8 with FNAB results. Conclusions. 18F-FDG-PET/CT scan seems to better assess HB patients with respect to CI and may provide incremental diagnostic value in the restaging of this group of patients.

Predictive value of {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT in restaging patients affected by ovarian carcinoma: a multicentre study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caobelli, Federico [Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Klinik fuer Nuklearmedizin, Hanover (Germany); Alongi, Pierpaolo [University of Milano-Bicocca, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Milan (Italy); IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Nuclear Medicine Department, Milan (Italy); Evangelista, Laura; Saladini, Giorgio [Veneto Institute of Oncology IOV - IRCCS, Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine Unit, Padua (Italy); Picchio, Maria [IRCSS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Nuclear Medicine Department, Milan (Italy); Rensi, Marco; Geatti, Onelio [Hospital of Udine, Nuclear Medicine Department, Udine (Italy); Castello, Angelo; Laghai, Iashar [University of Florence, Nuclear Medicine Department, Florence (Italy); Popescu, Cristina E. [Niguarda Ca' Granda Hospital, Nuclear Medicine Department, Milan (Italy); Dolci, Carlotta; Crivellaro, Cinzia [University of Milan-Bicocca, Nuclear Medicine Department, San Gerardo Hospital, Tecnomed Foundation, Milan (Italy); Seghezzi, Silvia [Hospital of Treviglio, Nuclear Medicine Department, Treviglio, Bergamo (Italy); Kirienko, Margarita [University of Milano-Bicocca, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Milan (Italy); De Biasi, Vincenzo [Nuclear Medicine Department, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia (Italy); Cocciolillo, Fabrizio [Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Nuclear Medicine Department, Rome (Italy); Quartuccio, Natale [University of Messina, Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, Messina (Italy); Collaboration: Young AIMN Working Group

2016-03-15

Ovarian cancer is the eighth most common malignancy among women and has a high mortality rate. Prognostic factors able to drive an effective therapy are essential. {sup 18}F-Fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ({sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT) has been investigated in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer and showed promise in diagnosing, staging, detecting recurrent lesions and monitoring treatment response. Conversely, its prognostic role remains unclear. We aimed at assessing the prognostic value of {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT performed in the restaging process in a multicentre study. We evaluated 168 patients affected by ovarian carcinoma, who underwent a restaging {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT. The presence of local recurrences, lymph node involvement and distant metastasis was recorded as well as lesion dimensions, maximum and mean standardized uptake values (SUV{sub max} and SUV{sub mean}, respectively). Progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) at 3 and 4 years were computed by using Kaplan-Meier curves. Increased odds ratio was assessed using Cox regression analysis testing all lesion parameters measured by PET/CT. PFS was significantly longer in patients with a negative than a positive restaging PET/CT study (3- and 4-year PFS 64 and 53 % vs 23 and 12 %, respectively; p < 0.001). Similarly, a negative study was associated with a significantly higher OS rate after 4 years of follow-up (67 vs 25 % in negative and positive groups, respectively; p < 0.001). Lymph node or distant involvement were also independently associated with an increased risk of disease progression [hazard ratio (HR) 1.6 and 2.2, respectively; p = 0.003]. Moreover, PET/CT showed an incremental prognostic value compared to the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system. In the analysis of patient subsets, individuals with the same FIGO stage I-II but with negative PET had a significantly better 4-year OS than patients with low

Fluorine F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) for restaging of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): analysis of management change and survival in 63 consecutive patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, R.J.; Binns, D.J.; Kalff, V.; Ware, R.E.; Hogg, A.; MacManus, M.P.; Ball, D.L.; Suter, M.E.; Matthews, J.

2000-01-01

Full text: Following treatment with curative intent for non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), assessment of disease status using conventional techniques is often difficult. We evaluated management impact and prognostic value of FDG PET in 63 consecutive patients undergoing restaging of NSCLC between 11/96 and 12/98. All patients were >6 months from primary treatment with curative intent. Salvage therapy with curative intent was being contemplated in 18 patients. Conventional imaging was abnormal 61/63 patients, two others had recurrent symptoms only. Compared to conventional restaging, 33% of patients were down-staged, and 35% were upstaged by PET. PET led to more aggressive treatment than planned in 7 patients (11%), a change from planned curative to palliative treatment in 8 patients (13%) and 17 patients (27%) thought to have recurrent disease had no further investigation or treatment after negative PET studies. Cox proportional hazards analysis indicated that a positive PET scan had a hazard ratio of 2.95 (95% CI 1.038.50, p = 0.012) compared to negative PET. Extent of active disease on PET was also prognostically significant with each incremental extent category (no disease, local recurrence, limited locoregional, extensive locoregional and systemic) having an estimated 60% increase in the rate of death (95% Cl 24% to 107%, p<0.0001). Stage of disease at initial diagnosis, primary treatment used and disease extent on conventional restaging were not predictive of survival. Thus, PET provided a high impact on management for NSCLC patients with suspected recurrence and more accurate prognostic stratification than conventional staging. Copyright (2000) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

Noninvasive nodal restaging in clinically node positive breast cancer patients after neoadjuvant systemic therapy: A systematic review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schipper, R.J.; Moossdorff, M.; Beets-Tan, R.G.H.; Smidt, M.L.; Lobbes, M.B.I.

2015-01-01

Objective: To provide a systematic review of studies comparing the diagnostic performance of noninvasive techniques and axillary lymph node dissection in the identification of initially node positive patients with pathological complete response of axillary lymph nodes to neoadjuvant systemic therapy. Methods: PubMed and Embase databases were searched until May 21st, 2014. First, duplicate studies were eliminated. Next, study abstracts were read by two readers to assess eligibility. Studies were selected based on predefined inclusion criteria. Of these, data extraction was performed by two readers independently. Results: Of the 987 abstracts that were considered for inclusion, four were eligible for final analysis, which included a total of 572 patients. The diagnostic performance of clinical examination, axillary ultrasound, breast MRI, whole body 18 F-FDG PET-CT, and a prediction model to identify patients with pathological complete response were investigated. Studies were often limited by small sample size. Furthermore, systemic therapy regimens and definitions of clinical and pathological complete response were variable, refraining further pooling of data. The reported positive predictive value of different techniques to identify patients with axillary pathological complete response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy varied between 40% and 100%. Conclusion: At present, there is no accurate noninvasive restaging technique able to identify patients with complete axillary response after neoadjuvant systemic therapy

Performance of the first ANTARES detector line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bruijn, R.; Kooijman, P.; Lim, G.; De Wolf, E. [Univ Amsterdam, Inst Hoge Energiefys, NL-1098 XG Amsterdam, (Netherlands); Ageron, M.; Aubert, J.J.; Bertin, V.; Brunner, J.; Busto, J.; Carr, J.; Coyle, P.; Dornic, D.; Escoffier, S.; Hallewell, G.; Lambard, G.; Lavalle, J.; Lelaizant, G.; Louis, F.; Melissas, M.; Payre, P.; Reed, C. [CPPM, CNRS, IN2P3, F-13288 Marseille 9, (France); Ageron, M.; Aubert, J.J.; Bertin, V.; Brunner, J.; Busto, J.; Carr, J.; Coyle, P.; Dornic, D.; Escoffier, S.; Hallewell, G.; Lambard, G.; Lavalle, J.; Lelaizant, G.; Louis, F.; Melissas, M.; Payre, P.; Reed, C. [Univ Aix Marseille 2, F-13288 Marseille 9, (France); Aguilar, J.A.; Bigongiari, C.; Hernandez-Rey, J.J.; Salesa, F.; Toscano, S.; Zornoza, J.D.; Zuniga, J. [Univ Valencia, CSIC, IFIC Inst Fis Corpuscular, Edificios Invest Paterna, Valencia 46071, (Spain); Albert, A.; Castel, D.; Drouhin, D.; Ernenwein, J.P.; Guillard, G. [Univ Houte Alsace, GRPHE, F-68093 Mulhouse, (France); Anton, G.; Auer, R.; Eberl, T.; Fehr, F.; Graf, K.; Hossl, J.; Kalekin, O.; Kappes, A.; Katz, U.; Kopper, C.; Kretschmer, W.; Kuch, S.; Lahmann, R.; Laschinsky, H.; Loucatos, S.; Motz, H.; Naumann, C.; Ostasch, R.; Richardt, C.; Schoeck, F.; Shanidze, R. [Univ Erlangen Nurnberg, Inst Phys, D-91058 Erlangen, (Germany); Anvar, S.; Druillole, F.; Lamare, P.; Le Provost, H. [CEA Saclay, Direct Sci Mat, Inst Rech Fondamentales Univers, Serv Elect Detecteurs et Informat, F-91191 Gif Sur Yvette, (France)

2009-07-01

In this paper we report on the data recorded with the first Antares detector line. The line was deployed on 14 February 2006 and was connected to the readout 2 weeks later. Environmental data for one and a half years of running are shown. Measurements of atmospheric muons from data taken from selected runs during the first 6 months of operation are presented. Performance figures in terms of time residuals and angular resolution are given. Finally the angular distribution of atmospheric muons is presented and from this the depth profile of the muon intensity is derived. (authors)

Factors that facilitate registered nurses in their first-line nurse manager role.

Science.gov (United States)

Cziraki, Karen; McKey, Colleen; Peachey, Gladys; Baxter, Pamela; Flaherty, Brenda

2014-11-01

To determine the factors that attract and retain Registered Nurses in the first-line nurse manager role. The first-line nurse manger role is pivotal in health-care organisations. National demographics suggest that Canada will face a first-line nurse manager shortage because of retirement in the next decade. Determination of factors that attract and retain Registered Nurses will assist organisations and policy makers to employ strategies to address this shortage. The study used an exploratory, descriptive qualitative approach, consisting of semi-structured individual interviews with 11 Registered Nurses in first-line nurse manager roles. The findings revealed a discrepancy between the factors that attract and retain Registered Nurses in the first-line nurse manager role, underscored the importance of the mentor role and confirmed the challenges encountered by first-line nurse managers practicing in the current health-care environment. The first-line nurse manager role has been under studied. Further research is warranted to understand which strategies are most effective in supporting first-line nurse managers. Strategies to support nurses in the first-line nurse manager role are discussed for the individual, programme, organisation and health-care system/policy levels. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Forced diuresis and dual-phase 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/CT scan for restaging of urinary bladder cancers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harkirat, S; Anand, SS; Jacob, MJ

2010-01-01

The results of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET imaging carried out with the current standard techniques for assessment of urinary tract cancers have been reported to be less than satisfactory because of the urinary excretion of the tracer. To investigate the role of dual-phase FDG-PET/CT in the restaging of invasive cancers of the urinary bladder, with delayed imaging after forced diuresis and oral hydration as the scanning protocol. FDG-PET has been considered to be of limited value for the detection of urinary tract cancers because of interference by the FDG excreted in urine. We investigated the efficacy of delayed FDG-PET/CT in the restaging of invasive bladder cancer, with imaging performed after intravenous (IV) administration of a potent diuretic and oral hydration. Twenty-nine patients with invasive cancer of the urinary bladder were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (22 patients) included cases with invasive bladder cancer who had not undergone cystectomy and group II (seven patients) included cases with invasive bladder cancer who had undergone cystectomy and urinary diversion procedure. All patients underwent FDG-PET/CT scan from the skull base to the mid-thighs 60 min after IV injection of 370 mega-Becquerel (MBq) of FDG. Additional delayed images were acquired 60-90 min after IV furosemide and oral hydration. PET/CT data were analyzed as PET and CT images studied separately as well as fused PET/CT images and the findings were recorded. The imaging findings were confirmed by cystoscopy, biopsy or follow-up PET/CT. The technique was successful in achieving adequate washout of urinary FDG and overcame the problems posed by the excess FDG in the urinary tract. Hypermetabolic lesions could be easily detected by PET and precisely localized to the bladder wall, perivesical region and pelvic lymph nodes. PET/CT delayed images were able to demonstrate 16 intravesical lesions (in 13 patients), with excellent clarity. Lymph

Forced diuresis and dual-phase 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-PET/CT scan for restaging of urinary bladder cancers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harkirat S

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Context: The results of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET imaging carried out with the current standard techniques for assessment of urinary tract cancers have been reported to be less than satisfactory because of the urinary excretion of the tracer. Aims: To investigate the role of dual-phase FDG-PET/CT in the restaging of invasive cancers of the urinary bladder, with delayed imaging after forced diuresis and oral hydration as the scanning protocol. Settings and Design: FDG-PET has been considered to be of limited value for the detection of urinary tract cancers because of interference by the FDG excreted in urine. We investigated the efficacy of delayed FDG-PET/CT in the restaging of invasive bladder cancer, with imaging performed after intravenous (IV administration of a potent diuretic and oral hydration. Materials and Methods: Twenty-nine patients with invasive cancer of the urinary bladder were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (22 patients included cases with invasive bladder cancer who had not undergone cystectomy and group II (seven patients included cases with invasive bladder cancer who had undergone cystectomy and urinary diversion procedure. All patients underwent FDG-PET/CT scan from the skull base to the mid-thighs 60 min after IV injection of 370 mega-Becquerel (MBq of FDG. Additional delayed images were acquired 60-90 min after IV furosemide and oral hydration. PET/CT data were analyzed as PET and CT images studied separately as well as fused PET/CT images and the findings were recorded. The imaging findings were confirmed by cystoscopy, biopsy or follow-up PET/CT. Results: The technique was successful in achieving adequate washout of urinary FDG and overcame the problems posed by the excess FDG in the urinary tract. Hypermetabolic lesions could be easily detected by PET and precisely localized to the bladder wall, perivesical region and pelvic lymph nodes. PET/CT delayed images were able to

Caring behaviour perceptions from nurses of their first-line nurse managers.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Xiao; Liu, Yilan; Zeng, Qingsong

2015-12-01

Nursing is acknowledged as being the art and science of caring. According to the theory of nursing as caring, all persons are caring but not every behaviour of a person is caring. Caring behaviours in the relationship between first-line nurse managers and Registered Nurses have been studied to a lesser extent than those that exist between patients and nurses. Caring behaviour of first-line nurse managers from the perspective of Registered Nurses is as of yet unknown. Identifying caring behaviours may be useful as a reference for first-line nurse managers caring for nurses in a way that nurses prefer. To explore first-line nurse managers' caring behaviours from the perspective of Registered Nurses in mainland China. Qualitative study, using descriptive phenomenological approach. Fifteen Registered Nurses recruited by purposive sampling method took part in in-depth interviews. Data were analysed according to Colaizzi's technique. Three themes of first-line nurse managers' caring behaviours emerged: promoting professional growth, exhibiting democratic leadership and supporting work-life balance. A better understanding of the first-line nurse managers' caring behaviours is recognised. The three kinds of behaviours have significant meaning to nurse managers. Future research is needed to describe what first-line nurse managers can do to promote nurses' professional growth, increase the influence of democratic leadership, as well as support their work-life balance. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science.

On Modal Refinement and Consistency

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nyman, Ulrik; Larsen, Kim Guldstrand; Wasowski, Andrzej

2007-01-01

Almost 20 years after the original conception, we revisit several fundamental question about modal transition systems. First, we demonstrate the incompleteness of the standard modal refinement using a counterexample due to Hüttel. Deciding any refinement, complete with respect to the standard...

Evaluation of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma patients with 64-slice multidetector computed tomography versus 18FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography in initial staging and restaging after treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez León, Nieves; Vega, Gema; Rodríguez-Vigil Junco, Beatriz; Suevos Ballesteros, Carlos

2018-04-25

To prospectively compare the accuracy in initial staging and end-of-treatment restaging of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) between 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (64MDCT) and 18FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18FGD PET/CT) with intravenous contrast injection. Randomised and blind controlled clinical multicentric trial that included biopsy-proven DLBCL patients. Seventy-two patients from five different hospitals in the region of Madrid, Spain, were enrolled in the study between January 2012 and June 2015. Thirty-six were randomly allocated to 18FDG PET/TC and the other 36 to 64MDCT for initial staging and end-of-treatment restaging. A nuclear medicine physician and a radiologist independently analysed 18FDG PET/TC images and reached an agreement post-hoc. 64MDCT images were separately evaluated by a different radiologist. Every set of images was compared to the reference standard that included clinical data, complementary tests and follow-up. The study was approved by participating centres' ethics committees and written informed consent was obtained from all the participants. A good agreement was observed between both diagnostic techniques and the reference standard in initial staging [18FDG PET/CT (k=0.5) and 64MDCT (k=0.6)], although only the 18FDG PET/TC showed a good agreement with the reference standard for the end-of-treatment restaging (k=0.7). In DLBCL, both 18FDG PET/TC and 64MDCT have shown good agreement with the reference standard in initial staging. Nevertheless, 18FDG PET/CT has shown to be superior to 64MDCT in end-of-treatment response assessment. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

2-[F-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) PET in the clinical decision making of esophageal carcinoma: Initial staging and re-staging, evaluating treatment response and residual disease and detecting relapse

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basu, S.; Nair, N.; Joseph, J.K.; Sharma, S.; Kanhere, H.

2004-01-01

, while that for the purpose of residual disease evaluation following neoadjuvant therapy was 3 and 2 cases were investigated for the definitive diagnosis of suspected relapse following curative treatment in the form of transthoracic esophagectomy and/or radiotherapy. A. Initial Staging: In 7 cases assessed for initial staging, PET demonstrated excellent visualization of primary tumour in all cases, with a sensitivity of 100% in our series. When compared with EUS and CT, PET was not found useful in the evaluation of locoregional invasion and discrimination of T staging owing to its limited resolution. In one case, the locoregional lymph node metastasis could not be reliably differentiated from the primary due to primary and adjacent nodal uptake merging together. In two cases the results of PET, CT and US was congruent, demonstrating only the primary lesion. In the remaining four cases PET detected 11 additional metastatic sites with up gradation of M staging from M0 to M1b in 3 cases. In one case, PET detected additional mediastinal nodes without any change in staging. In this small series, PET changed M staging and management strategy in 42.85% of cases. B. Disease Evaluation/ Re-staging Following Neo-adjuvant Chemotherapy: In 3 cases studied so far, PET down staged disease from N1 to N0 in one case, where EUS showed persistent paraesophageal lymphadenopathy. In another case, PET helped in determining tumour viability in the primary where CT was inconclusive. However, PET demonstrated unsuspected pulmonary and pleural metastatic disease in the same case. In the third case PET revealed pulmonary metastasis and superior mediastinal lymphadenopathy not detected by other modalities and upstaged disease from M0 to M1b. The change in re-staging (upstaging and down-staging) in this group was 66.66%. C. Detecting Disease Relapse: In 2 cases studied for suspected disease relapse, PET helped in characterization of a right mid zone lesion in one case, where CT guided FNAC was

Underreporting of side effects of standard first-line ART in the routine ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Malawi Medical Journal; 23(4): 116-118 December 2011. Side effects of standard first line in ART 116. Underreporting of side effects of standard first-line. ART in the routine setting in Blantyre, Malawi. Abstract. Introduction. In the Malawi ART programme, 92% of 250,000 patients are using the standard first-line regime of ...

Combined Modality Treatment for PET-Positive Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma: Favorable Outcomes of Combined Modality Treatment for Patients With Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and Positive Interim or Postchemotherapy FDG-PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halasz, Lia M. [Harvard Radiation Oncology Program, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Jacene, Heather A. [Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Catalano, Paul J. [Department of Biostatistics and Computational Biology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Van den Abbeele, Annick D. [Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); LaCasce, Ann [Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Mauch, Peter M. [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States); Ng, Andrea K., E-mail: ang@lroc.harvard.edu [Department of Radiation Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts (United States)

2012-08-01

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes of patients treated for aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with combined modality therapy based on [{sup 18}F]fluoro-2-deoxy-2-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) response. Methods and Materials: We studied 59 patients with aggressive NHL, who received chemotherapy and radiation therapy (RT) from 2001 to 2008. Among them, 83% of patients had stage I/II disease. Patients with B-cell lymphoma received R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone)-based chemotherapy, and 1 patient with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-negative anaplastic T-cell lymphoma received CHOP therapy. Interim and postchemotherapy FDG-PET or FDG-PET/computed tomography (CT) scans were performed for restaging. All patients received consolidated involved-field RT. Median RT dose was 36 Gy (range, 28.8-50 Gy). Progression-free survival (PFS) and local control (LC) rates were calculated with and without a negative interim or postchemotherapy FDG-PET scan. Results: Median follow-up was 46.5 months. Thirty-nine patients had negative FDG-PET results by the end of chemotherapy, including 12 patients who had a negative interim FDG-PET scan and no postchemotherapy PET. Twenty patients were FDG-PET-positive, including 7 patients with positive interim FDG-PET and no postchemotherapy FDG-PET scans. The 3-year actuarial PFS rates for patients with negative versus positive FDG-PET scans were 97% and 90%, respectively. The 3-year actuarial LC rates for patients with negative versus positive FDG-PET scans were 100% and 90%, respectively. Conclusions: Patients who had a positive interim or postchemotherapy FDG-PET had a PFS rate of 90% at 3 years after combined modality treatment, suggesting that a large proportion of these patients can be cured with consolidated RT.

Multi-Modality Imaging in the Evaluation and Treatment of Mitral Regurgitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Bouchard, Marc-André; Côté-Laroche, Claudia; Beaudoin, Jonathan

2017-10-13

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is frequent and associated with increased mortality and morbidity when severe. It may be caused by intrinsic valvular disease (primary MR) or ventricular deformation (secondary MR). Imaging has a critical role to document the severity, mechanism, and impact of MR on heart function as selected patients with MR may benefit from surgery whereas other will not. In patients planned for a surgical intervention, imaging is also important to select candidates for mitral valve (MV) repair over replacement and to predict surgical success. Although standard transthoracic echocardiography is the first-line modality to evaluate MR, newer imaging modalities like three-dimensional (3D) transesophageal echocardiography, stress echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), and computed tomography (CT) are emerging and complementary tools for MR assessment. While some of these modalities can provide insight into MR severity, others will help to determine its mechanism. Understanding the advantages and limitations of each imaging modality is important to appreciate their respective role for MR assessment and help to resolve eventual discrepancies between different diagnostic methods. With the increasing use of transcatheter mitral procedures (repair or replacement) for high-surgical-risk patients, multimodality imaging has now become even more important to determine eligibility, preinterventional planning, and periprocedural guidance.

Modal Ring Method for the Scattering of Electromagnetic Waves

Science.gov (United States)

Baumeister, Kenneth J.; Kreider, Kevin L.

1993-01-01

The modal ring method for electromagnetic scattering from perfectly electric conducting (PEC) symmetrical bodies is presented. The scattering body is represented by a line of finite elements (triangular) on its outer surface. The infinite computational region surrounding the body is represented analytically by an eigenfunction expansion. The modal ring method effectively reduces the two dimensional scattering problem to a one-dimensional problem similar to the method of moments. The modal element method is capable of handling very high frequency scattering because it has a highly banded solution matrix.

A first-line antiretroviral therapy-resistant HIV patient with rhinoentomophthoromycosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rachita Dhurat

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The Conidiobolus coronatus-related rhinoentomophthoromycosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised (HIV negative individuals has been treated successfully with antifungal drugs. However, C. coronatus infections in first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART-resistant (HIV infected individuals particularly with rhinoentomophthoromycosis have not been reported previously. Here, we describe a case of itraconazole non-responding rhinoentomophthoromycosis in an HIV-infected patient with first-line antiretroviral (ART drug resistance which was successfully managed through systematic diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in dermatologic setting. A 32-year-old HIV-1-infected man presented with painless swelling, nasal redness and respiratory difficulty. The patient was receiving first-line ART and had a history of traumatic injury before the onset of nasopharyngeal manifestations. The patient's previous history included oral candidiasis and pulmonary tuberculosis.

The efficacy of levofloxacin-based triple therapy for first-line Helicobacter pylori eradication

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusuf Aydın

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Standard triple therapy composed of a proton pump inhibitor, clarithromycin and amoxicillin has been widely preferred for H. pylori eradication in Turkey and World. Alternative therapies are currently under investigation because of an increase in clarithromycin resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a levoflox-acin-containing triple therapy.Materials and methods: The study was carried out in 81 H. pylori-infected patients (52 female, 29 male with nonul-cer dyspepsia. The mean age was found 46.3 ± 13.9. Treatment was indicated with lansoprazol 30 mg b.d., amoxicil-lin 1 g b.d., and levofloxacin 500 mg daily for 7 days. H. pylori status was rechecked by (14C urea breath test 6-8 weeks after the end of therapy.Results: Totally 81 patients could complete the treatment and follow-up protocol. Effectiveness was 68%. The distrib-tions of age, gender and smoking were similar between eradicated and non-eradicated groups (p > 0.05.Conclusion: Seven-day levofloxacin based triple therapy is not very effective in the first-line treatment of H. pylori in-fection. The new treatment modalities should be investigated.

The Japanese and the American First-Line Supervisor.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryan, Leslie A., Jr.

1982-01-01

Compares the American and Japanese first-line supervisor: production statistics, supervisory style, company loyalty, management style, and communication. Also suggests what Americans might learn from the Japanese methods. (CT)

Different patterns of modality dominance across development.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnhart, Wesley R; Rivera, Samuel; Robinson, Christopher W

2018-01-01

The present study sought to better understand how children, young adults, and older adults attend and respond to multisensory information. In Experiment 1, young adults were presented with two spoken words, two pictures, or two word-picture pairings and they had to determine if the two stimuli/pairings were exactly the same or different. Pairing the words and pictures together slowed down visual but not auditory response times and delayed the latency of first fixations, both of which are consistent with a proposed mechanism underlying auditory dominance. Experiment 2 examined the development of modality dominance in children, young adults, and older adults. Cross-modal presentation attenuated visual accuracy and slowed down visual response times in children, whereas older adults showed the opposite pattern, with cross-modal presentation attenuating auditory accuracy and slowing down auditory response times. Cross-modal presentation also delayed first fixations in children and young adults. Mechanisms underlying modality dominance and multisensory processing are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modality-specific effects on crosstalk in task switching: evidence from modality compatibility using bimodal stimulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stephan, Denise Nadine; Koch, Iring

2016-11-01

The present study was aimed at examining modality-specific influences in task switching. To this end, participants switched either between modality compatible tasks (auditory-vocal and visual-manual) or incompatible spatial discrimination tasks (auditory-manual and visual-vocal). In addition, auditory and visual stimuli were presented simultaneously (i.e., bimodally) in each trial, so that selective attention was required to process the task-relevant stimulus. The inclusion of bimodal stimuli enabled us to assess congruence effects as a converging measure of increased between-task interference. The tasks followed a pre-instructed sequence of double alternations (AABB), so that no explicit task cues were required. The results show that switching between two modality incompatible tasks increases both switch costs and congruence effects compared to switching between two modality compatible tasks. The finding of increased congruence effects in modality incompatible tasks supports our explanation in terms of ideomotor "backward" linkages between anticipated response effects and the stimuli that called for this response in the first place. According to this generalized ideomotor idea, the modality match between response effects and stimuli would prime selection of a response in the compatible modality. This priming would cause increased difficulties to ignore the competing stimulus and hence increases the congruence effect. Moreover, performance would be hindered when switching between modality incompatible tasks and facilitated when switching between modality compatible tasks.

Three-valued logics in modal logic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kooi, Barteld; Tamminga, Allard

2013-01-01

Every truth-functional three-valued propositional logic can be conservatively translated into the modal logic S5. We prove this claim constructively in two steps. First, we define a Translation Manual that converts any propositional formula of any three-valued logic into a modal formula. Second, we

Resilience and Work-life Balance in First-line Nurse Manager

OpenAIRE

Kim, Miyoung; Windsor, Carol

2015-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore how first-line nurse managers constructed the meaning of resilience and its relationship to work-life balance for nurses in Korea. Methods: Participants were 20 first-line nurse managers working in six university hospitals. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from December 2011 to August 2012, and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method. Results: Analysis revealed that participants perceived work-life balance a...

Multi-modal Virtual Scenario Enhances Neurofeedback Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avihay Cohen

2016-08-01

Full Text Available In the past decade neurofeedback has become the focus of a growing body of research. With real-time fMRI enabling on-line monitoring of emotion related areas such as the amygdala, many have begun testing its therapeutic benefits. However most existing neurofeedback procedures still use monotonic uni-modal interfaces, thus possibly limiting user engagement and weakening learning efficiency. The current study tested a novel multi-sensory neurofeedback animated scenario aimed at enhancing user experience and improving learning. We examined whether relative to a simple uni-modal 2D interface, learning via an interface of complex multi-modal 3D scenario will result in improved neurofeedback learning. As a neural-probe, we used the recently developed fMRI-inspired EEG model of amygdala activity (amygdala-EEG finger print; amygdala-EFP, enabling low-cost and mobile limbic neurofeedback training. Amygdala-EFP was reflected in the animated scenario by the unrest level of a hospital waiting-room in which virtual characters become impatient, approach the admission-desk and complain loudly. Successful down-regulation was reflected as an ease in the room unrest-level. We tested whether relative to a standard uni-modal 2D graphic thermometer interface, this animated scenario could facilitate more effective learning and improve the training experience. Thirty participants underwent two separated neurofeedback sessions (one-week apart practicing down-regulation of the amygdala-EFP signal. In the first session, half trained via the animated scenario and half via a thermometer interface. Learning efficiency was tested by three parameters: (a effect-size of the change in amygdala-EFP following training, (b sustainability of the learned down-regulation in the absence of online feedback, and (c transferability to an unfamiliar context. Comparing amygdala-EFP signal amplitude between the last and the first neurofeedback trials revealed that the animated scenario

Cross-modal perceptual load: the impact of modality and individual differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandhu, Rajwant; Dyson, Benjamin James

2016-05-01

Visual distractor processing tends to be more pronounced when the perceptual load (PL) of a task is low compared to when it is high [perpetual load theory (PLT); Lavie in J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 21(3):451-468, 1995]. While PLT is well established in the visual domain, application to cross-modal processing has produced mixed results, and the current study was designed in an attempt to improve previous methodologies. First, we assessed PLT using response competition, a typical metric from the uni-modal domain. Second, we looked at the impact of auditory load on visual distractors, and of visual load on auditory distractors, within the same individual. Third, we compared individual uni- and cross-modal selective attention abilities, by correlating performance with the visual Attentional Network Test (ANT). Fourth, we obtained a measure of the relative processing efficiency between vision and audition, to investigate whether processing ease influences the extent of distractor processing. Although distractor processing was evident during both attend auditory and attend visual conditions, we found that PL did not modulate processing of either visual or auditory distractors. We also found support for a correlation between the uni-modal (visual) ANT and our cross-modal task but only when the distractors were visual. Finally, although auditory processing was more impacted by visual distractors, our measure of processing efficiency only accounted for this asymmetry in the auditory high-load condition. The results are discussed with respect to the continued debate regarding the shared or separate nature of processing resources across modalities.

First-line antiretroviral drug discontinuations in children.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melony Fortuin-de Smidt

Full Text Available There are a limited number of paediatric antiretroviral drug options. Characterising the long term safety and durability of different antiretrovirals in children is important to optimise management of HIV infected children and to determine the estimated need for alternative drugs in paediatric regimens. We describe first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART durability and reasons for discontinuations in children at two South African ART programmes, where lopinavir/ritonavir has been recommended for children <3 years old since 2004, and abacavir replaced stavudine as the preferred nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor in 2010.We included children (<16 years at ART initiation who initiated ≥3 antiretrovirals between 2004-2014 with ≥1 follow-up visit on ART. We estimated the incidence of first antiretroviral discontinuation using Kaplan-Meier analysis. We determined the reasons for antiretroviral discontinuations using competing risks analysis. We used Cox regression to identify factors associated with treatment-limiting toxicity.We included 3579 children with median follow-up duration of 41 months (IQR 14-72. At ART initiation, median age was 44 months (IQR 13-89 and median CD4 percent was 15% (IQR 9-21%. At three and five years on ART, 72% and 26% of children respectively remained on their initial regimen. By five years on ART, the most common reasons for discontinuations were toxicity (32%, treatment failure (18%, treatment simplification (5%, drug interactions (3%, and other or unspecified reasons (18%. The incidences of treatment limiting toxicity were 50.6 (95% CI 46.2-55.4, 1.6 (0.5-4.8, 2.0 (1.2-3.3, and 1.3 (0.6-2.8 per 1000 patient years for stavudine, abacavir, efavirenz and lopinavir/ritonavir respectively.While stavudine was associated with a high risk of treatment-limiting toxicity, abacavir, lopinavir/ritonavir and efavirenz were well-tolerated. This supports the World Health Organization recommendation to replace stavudine with

Resilience and work-life balance in first-line nurse manager.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Miyoung; Windsor, Carol

2015-03-01

The aim of this study was to explore how first-line nurse managers constructed the meaning of resilience and its relationship to work-life balance for nurses in Korea. Participants were 20 first-line nurse managers working in six university hospitals. Data were collected through in-depth interviews from December 2011 to August 2012, and analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method. Analysis revealed that participants perceived work-life balance and resilience to be shaped by dynamic, reflective processes. The features consisting resilience included "positive thinking", "flexibility", "assuming responsibility", and "separating work and life". This perception of resilience has the potential to facilitate a shift in focus from negative to positive experiences, from rigidity to flexibility, from task-centered to person-centered thinking, and from the organization to life. Recognizing the importance of work-life balance in producing and sustaining resilience in first-line nurse managers could increase retention in the Korean nursing workforce. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Clinical studies on the use of PET in radiotherapy planning in Germany. An update; Klinische Studien zum Einsatz der PET in der Bestrahlungsplanung in Deutschland. Ein Update

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nestle, U.; Mix, M.; Weber, W.; Grosu, A.L. [Universitaetsklinikum Freiburg (Germany). Kliniken fuer Strahlenheilkunde und Nuklearmedizin

2011-07-15

In recent years, PET and PET/CT have well been established for staging and restaging of various malignancies. Increasingly, the modality is also used for radiotherapy treatment planning. However, clinical studies investigating the patients benefit by the inclusion of those modalities into RT treatment planning are mandatory, simultaneously defining standards for future care. Chances and problems of such studies are discussed using the examples of the PET-Plan and GLIAA trials. (orig.)

The modality effect and echoic persistence.

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, O C; Watkins, M J

1980-09-01

The modality effect refers to the higher level of recall of the last few items of a list when presentation is auditory as opposed to visual. It is usually attributed to echoic memory. The effect may be sharply reduced by an ostensibly irrelevant auditory item appended to the end of the list. Previous research suggests that this "suffix effect" arises only when the suffix item occurs within 2 sec of the last list item. This finding strengthens the widely held assumption that echoic information decays within 2 sec, and has led to the assumption that if echoic information is to be useful in serial recall it must first be encoded into a more durable modality-independent form. Both assumptions conflict with the research reported here. The first two experiments demonstrate substantial suffix effects with suffix delays of 2 and 4 sec, indicating that echoic information lasts at least 4 sec. This finding implies that echoic information may aid recall directly, an implication that was supported in Experiments 3 and 4. In Experiment 3 serial recall was interrupted with a brief distractor task. The modality effect was smaller when this task was auditory than when it was visual, suggesting that echoic information was still available immediately prior to recency recall. In Experiment 4 list presentation was broken by a 4-sec pause; the modalities of the list halves were combined factorially. Interest focused on the recency positions of the first half. A modality effect was found at these positions when the second half was visual but not when it was auditory. This is contrary to the hypothesis that echoic information is encoded before recall, but is consistent with the hypothesis that echoic information is encoded before recall, but is consistent with the alternative hypothesis that echoic information is used directly at recall. The final two experiments concern the modality effect found when a delay is interpolated between list presentation and recall. Experiment 5 showed that

First line chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

First line chemotherapy plus trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer HER2 positive - Observational institutional study. ... The progression free survival was estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method, from the date of first cycle to the date of progression or at the last consultation, and the median was 12.8 months. Trastuzumab ...

Assessing cross-modal target transition effects with a visual-auditory oddball.

Science.gov (United States)

Kiat, John E

2018-04-30

Prior research has shown contextual manipulations involving temporal and sequence related factors significantly moderate attention-related responses, as indexed by the P3b event-related-potential, towards infrequent (i.e., deviant) target oddball stimuli. However, significantly less research has looked at the influence of cross-modal switching on P3b responding, with the impact of target-to-target cross-modal transitions being virtually unstudied. To address this gap, this study recorded high-density (256 electrodes) EEG data from twenty-five participants as they completed a cross-modal visual-auditory oddball task. This task was comprised of unimodal visual (70% Nontargets: 30% Deviant-targets) and auditory (70% Nontargets: 30% Deviant-targets) oddballs presented in fixed alternating order (i.e., visual-auditory-visual-auditory, etc.) with participants being tasked with detecting deviant-targets in both modalities. Differences in the P3b response towards deviant-targets as a function of preceding deviant-target's presentation modality was analyzed using temporal-spatial PCA decomposition. In line with predictions, the results indicate that the ERP response to auditory deviant-targets preceded by visual deviant-targets exhibits an elevated P3b, relative to the processing of auditory deviant-targets preceded by auditory deviant-targets. However, the processing of visual deviant-targets preceded by auditory deviant-targets exhibited a reduced P3b response, relative to the P3b response towards visual deviant-targets preceded by visual deviant-targets. These findings provide the first demonstration of temporally and perceptually decoupled target-to-target cross-modal transitions moderating P3b responses on the oddball paradigm, generally providing support for the context-updating interpretation of the P3b response. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Role of First-Line Noninvasive Ventilation in Non-COPD Subjects With Pneumonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rialp, Gemma; Forteza, Catalina; Muñiz, Daniel; Romero, Maria

2017-09-01

The use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV) in non-COPD patients with pneumonia is controversial due to its high rate of failure and the potentially harmful effects when NIV fails. The purpose of the study was to evaluate outcomes of the first ventilatory treatment applied, NIV or invasive mechanical ventilation (MV), and to identify predictors of NIV failure. Historical cohort study of 159 non-COPD patients with pneumonia admitted to the ICU with ventilatory support. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: invasive MV or NIV. Univariate and multivariate analyses with demographic and clinical data were performed. Analysis of mortality was adjusted for the propensity of receiving first-line invasive MV. One hundred and thirteen subjects received first-line invasive MV and 46 received first-line NIV, of which 27 needed intubation. Hospital mortality was 35, 37 and 56%, respectively, with no significant differences among groups. In the propensity-adjusted analysis (expressed as OR [95% CI]), hospital mortality was associated with age (1.05 [1.02-1.08]), SAPS3 (1.03 [1.00-1.07]), immunosuppression (2.52 [1.02-6.27]) and NIV failure compared to first-line invasive MV (4.3 [1.33-13.94]). Compared with invasive MV, NIV failure delayed intubation (p=.004), and prolonged the length of invasive MV (p=.007) and ICU stay (p=.001). NIV failure was associated with need for vasoactive drugs (OR 7.8 [95% CI, 1.8-33.2], p=.006). In non-COPD subjects with pneumonia, first-line NIV was not associated with better outcome compared with first-line invasive MV. NIV failure was associated with longer duration of MV and hospital stay, and with increased hospital mortality. The use of vasoactive drugs predicted NIV failure. Copyright © 2016 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Accurate line intensities of methane from first-principles calculations

Science.gov (United States)

Nikitin, Andrei V.; Rey, Michael; Tyuterev, Vladimir G.

2017-10-01

In this work, we report first-principle theoretical predictions of methane spectral line intensities that are competitive with (and complementary to) the best laboratory measurements. A detailed comparison with the most accurate data shows that discrepancies in integrated polyad intensities are in the range of 0.4%-2.3%. This corresponds to estimations of the best available accuracy in laboratory Fourier Transform spectra measurements for this quantity. For relatively isolated strong lines the individual intensity deviations are in the same range. A comparison with the most precise laser measurements of the multiplet intensities in the 2ν3 band gives an agreement within the experimental error margins (about 1%). This is achieved for the first time for five-atomic molecules. In the Supplementary Material we provide the lists of theoretical intensities at 269 K for over 5000 strongest transitions in the range below 6166 cm-1. The advantage of the described method is that this offers a possibility to generate fully assigned exhaustive line lists at various temperature conditions. Extensive calculations up to 12,000 cm-1 including high-T predictions will be made freely available through the TheoReTS information system (http://theorets.univ-reims.fr, http://theorets.tsu.ru) that contains ab initio born line lists and provides a user-friendly graphical interface for a fast simulation of the absorption cross-sections and radiance.

The generalized algebraic modal combination (GAC) rule validation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mertens, P.G.; Culot, M.V.; Sahgal, S.; Tinic, S.

1991-01-01

With R.G. 1.92 the NRC imposes to use the absolute values of the modal responses when performing Response Spectra modal combination with coupling factors derived from the current heuristic, stationary or pseudo-stationary random vibration models. This results in overly conservative calculations in the case of closely spaced modes of opposite signs, a case frequently encountered in dynamic analyses in particular when systems with close modal frequencies have a small mass ratio. A new generalised algebraic combination (GAC) formula and its associated coupling factor have been theoretically derived by the first author. It is based on a non-stationary, non-white noise random vibration model which fully accounts for all the time and frequency dependent aspects of the time histories. This should allow the conservative use of algebraic signs in the modal combination over the whole frequency range, and allow a derogation to the current NRC R.G. 1.92 practice to use absolute signs. The use of the industry wide accepted RS method with the GAC rule will result in more economical and safer NPPs through the reduction of an excessive and unrealistic number of seismic restraints and avoidance of prematurely fatigued plants. It is envisaged to use the GAC seismic response combination method for the evaluation of the seismic response of auxiliary class one lines attached to the primary coolant loop piping of the Beznau 1 and 2 nuclear power plants. Since the plant is in operation, it is imperative to use a methodology which is conservative but still as realistic as possible. The paper presents an introduction to the GAC rule and some aspects of the validation program, which will jointly be undertaken by WESI and NOK for obtaining acceptance by the Swiss Safety Authorities for a seismic qualification program. (author)

The Perceptual Basis of the Modality Effect in Multimedia Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Rummer, Ralf; Schweppe, Judith; Furstenberg, Anne; Scheiter, Katharina; Zindler, Antje

2011-01-01

Various studies have demonstrated an advantage of auditory over visual text modality when learning with texts and pictures. To explain this modality effect, two complementary assumptions are proposed by cognitive theories of multimedia learning: first, the visuospatial load hypothesis, which explains the modality effect in terms of visuospatial…

HIGH-n HYDROGEN RECOMBINATION LINES FROM THE FIRST GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rule, E.; Loeb, A.; Strelnitski, V. S.

2013-01-01

We investigate the prospects of blind and targeted searches in the radio domain (10 MHz to 1 THz) for high-n hydrogen recombination lines from the first generation of galaxies, at z ∼ 4 km s –1 , allow us to assess the blind search time necessary for detection by a given facility. We show that the chances for detection are the highest in the millimeter and submillimeter domains, but finding spontaneous emission in a blind search, especially from redshifts z >> 1, is a challenge even with powerful facilities, such as the Actama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array and Square Kilometre Array. The probability of success is higher for a targeted search of lines with principal quantum number n ∼ 10 in Lyman-break galaxies amplified by gravitational lensing. Detection of more than one hydrogen line in such a galaxy will allow for line identification and a precise determination of the galaxy's redshift

Multi-modal RGB–Depth–Thermal Human Body Segmentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Palmero, Cristina; Clapés, Albert; Bahnsen, Chris

2016-01-01

This work addresses the problem of human body segmentation from multi-modal visual cues as a first stage of automatic human behavior analysis. We propose a novel RGB-Depth-Thermal dataset along with a multi-modal seg- mentation baseline. The several modalities are registered us- ing a calibration...... to other state-of-the-art meth- ods, obtaining an overlap above 75% on the novel dataset when compared to the manually annotated ground-truth of human segmentations....

Managerial competence of first-line nurse managers: A concept analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunawan, Joko; Aungsuroch, Yupin

2017-02-01

A variety of terms are used interchangeably to define managerial competence of first-line nurse managers. This has resulted in a degree of ambiguity in the way managerial competence is described. The aim of this concept analysis is to clarify what is meant by managerial competence of first-line nurse managers internationally, what attributes signify it, and what its antecedents and consequences are. The Walker and Avant concept analysis approach was applied. The attributes of managerial competence include developing self, planning, organizing, leading, managing legal and ethical issues, and delivering health care. Antecedents to managerial competence include internal and external factors. Consequences include nurse performances, nurse and patient outcomes, intention to stay of nurses, and nurse and patient satisfaction. This analysis helps first-line nurse managers to understand the concept and determine where the responsibility lies in establishing a definition of managerial competence. It is recommended that middle and top managers should be aware of the internal and external factors as antecedents of the concept. Further research is needed to illuminate the attributes of managerial competence in relation to antecedents and the potential effect upon the consequences, and the need to establish managerial competence evaluation. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Current status of first-line therapy for elderly patients with proatate cancer in Kyushu and Okinawa areas. A questionnaire study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Kenryu; Nakagawa, Masayuki; Koga, Hirofumi

2005-01-01

A survey based on a questionnaire to urologists in Kyushu and Okinawa areas was carried out to assess the current status of first-line therapy for elderly patients with prostate cancer. Ninety-three urologists from 93 institutes answered the questionnaire. Endocrine therapy is widely performed as first-line therapy for elderly patients with prostate cancer. They mostly receive immediate-continuous therapy regardless of their clinical factors. Only 8 (9%) and 7 (8%) institutes have the options of deferred and intermittent therapy, respectively. LH-RH analogue and non-steroidal anti-androgens are commonly used. Chemoendocrine therapy is performed in 33 (35%) institutes for selected patients. Estramustine and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivatives are commonly used as chemotherapeutic agents. Sixty (65%) institutes do not have this modality as a treatment option. Risks arising from the treatment and quality of life (QOL) disturbance are the main reasons for this. Radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy are performed in 53 (57%) and 47 (51%) institutes, respectively, for selected patients with loco-regional disease. However, 22 (24%) institutes do not have these definitive therapies as treatment options. QOL and risks arising from the treatments are the main factors for selecting definitive or non-definitive therapy. In elderly patients with prostate cancer, cancer control is not always the goal of treatment. QOL within a relatively shorter life expectancy is an important factor for decision making in the management of these patients. (authors)

Les théories de la prise en charge au prisme des particules modales de l'allemand

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Modicom, Pierre-Yves

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The contribution begins with a quick overview of the ongoing debates about the relation between epistemicity, commitment and intersubjectivity. After this, three lines of thought are confronted with data from German : Neo-Gricean approaches, the theory of Enunciative Common Ground (Paillard 2009 and Foreign Conscience Alignment (FCA, Abraham/Leiss 2012. First, I show that the semantics of modal particles, at least in German, cannot be thoroughly studied within a framework involving the speech act participants as the bearers of propositional attitudes. The content of the utterance must first be endorsed by an epistemic agent, who is instantiated as a speech act participant only later on. Meanwhile, the intersubjective evaluation of the content occurs at this epistemic stage and not at the level of speech acts. Then, the semantics of modal particles schon and doch is compared with the meaning of doch when used for strict purposes of clause-linkage. The comparison between modal particles and connectives is used to discuss the merits of FCA as opposed to other accounts focused on the relation between different propositions, or between the asserted propositions and their alternatives. I show that it is necessary to make a grammatical difference between propositional contents and those representations that have already been endorsed by an epistemic agent. Whereas connectives link propositional contents and thus can be accounted for in terms of Common Ground, for modal particles, it is preferable to use a framework centered on the propositional attitudes of epistemic agents.

Efficacy of S-1 plus nedaplatin compared to standard second-line chemotherapy in EGFR-negative lung adenocarcinoma after failure of first-line chemotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yu; Wang, Wei; Teng, Xiu-Zhi; Shi, Lin

2014-09-01

For patients with advanced non-small cell lung adenocarcinoma that fail to respond to first-line chemotherapy and that do not involve epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations, previous empirical analysis showed that a single second-line chemotherapy agent may be inadequate for the control of further tumor development. This study examines the combination of S-1 drugs and nedaplatin that has no cross-resistance to first-line treatments; 179 cases of IIIb-IV stage non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma that failed to respond to first-line chemotherapy were included, and these subjects did not have mutated EGFRs. In the present study, S-1 plus nedaplatin chemotherapy was better than standard second-line chemotherapy options in the treatment of advanced lung adenocarcinoma that did not involve EGFR mutations and that failed to respond to first-line chemotherapy. Additionally, the combination of S-1 and nedaplatin seemed to be well tolerated, making this chemotherapy technique a potentially strong candidate for the treatment of advanced non-small-cell lung adenocarcinoma.

Pharmacokinetics of first-line tuberculosis drugs in tanzanian patients

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tostmann, A.; Mtabho, C.M.; Semvua, H.H.; Boogaard, J. van den; Kibiki, G.S.; Boeree, M.J.; Aarnoutse, R.E.

2013-01-01

East Africa has a high tuberculosis (TB) incidence and mortality, yet there are very limited data on exposure to TB drugs in patients from this region. We therefore determined the pharmacokinetic characteristics of first-line TB drugs in Tanzanian patients using intensive pharmacokinetic sampling.

Factors contributing to managerial competence of first-line nurse managers: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gunawan, Joko; Aungsuroch, Yupin; Fisher, Mary L

2018-02-01

To determine the factors contributing to managerial competence of first-line nurse managers. Understanding factors affecting managerial competence of nurse managers remains important to increase the performance of organizations; however, there is sparse research examining factors that influence managerial competence of first-line nurse managers. Systematic review. The search strategy was conducted from April to July 2017 that included 6 electronic databases: Science Direct, PROQUEST Dissertations and Theses, MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for the years 2000 to 2017 with full text in English. Quantitative and qualitative research papers that examined relationships among managerial competence and antecedent factors were included. Quality assessment, data extractions, and analysis were completed on all included studies. Content analysis was used to categorize factors into themes. Eighteen influencing factors were examined and categorized into 3 themes-organizational factors, characteristics and personality traits of individual managers, and role factors. Findings suggest that managerial competence of first-line nurse managers is multifactorial. Further research is needed to develop strategies to develop managerial competence of first-line nurse managers. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Modality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Klinge, Alex; Müller, Henrik Høeg

Modality: Studies in Form and Function reflects the diversity of theoretical frameworks and the heterogeneity of linguistic phenomena under the general heading of modality. Researchers in the fields of logic, philosophy and linguistics have for many years been pondering the elusive nature...... of modality and grappled with ways of capturing it. The 11 studies included here cover the span from contributions that seek to clarify controversial theoretical constructs to studies which take an empirical approach to linguistic categories and cross-linguistic typological issues. The key concepts addressed...

Helicobacter pylori first-line and rescue treatments in the presence of penicillin allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Gisbert, Javier P; Barrio, Jesús; Modolell, Inés; Molina-Infante, Javier; Aisa, Angeles Perez; Castro-Fernández, Manuel; Rodrigo, Luis; Cosme, Angel; Gisbert, Jose Luis; Fernández-Bermejo, Miguel; Marcos, Santiago; Marín, Alicia C; McNicholl, Adrián G

2015-02-01

Helicobacter pylori eradication is a challenge in penicillin allergy. To assess the efficacy and safety of first-line and rescue treatments in patients allergic to penicillin. Prospective multicenter study. Patients allergic to penicillin were given a first-line treatment comprising (a) 7-day omeprazole-clarithromycin-metronidazole and (b) 10-day omeprazole-bismuth-tetracycline-metronidazole. Rescue treatments were as follows: (a) bismuth quadruple therapy; (b) 10-day PPI-clarithromycin-levofloxacin; and (c) 10-day PPI-clarithromycin-rifabutin. Eradication was confirmed by (13)C-urea breath test. Compliance was determined through questioning and recovery of empty medication envelopes. Adverse effects were evaluated by questionnaires. In total, 267 consecutive treatments were included. (1) First-line treatment: Per-protocol and intention-to-treat eradication rates with omeprazole-clarithromycin-metronidazole were 59 % (62/105; 95 % CI 49-62 %) and 57 % (64/112; 95 % CI 47-67 %). Respective figures for PPI-bismuth-tetracycline-metronidazole were 75 % (37/49; 95 % CI 62-89 %) and 74 % (37/50; 95 % CI (61-87 %) (p failure; compliance was 88-100 %, with 23-29 % adverse effects (all mild). (3) Third-/fourth-line treatment: Intention-to-treat eradication rate with PPI-clarithromycin-rifabutin was 22 %. In allergic to penicillin patients, a first-line treatment with a bismuth-containing quadruple therapy (PPI-bismuth-tetracycline-metronidazole) seems to be a better option than the triple PPI-clarithromycin-metronidazole regimen. A levofloxacin-based regimen (together with a PPI and clarithromycin) represents a second-line rescue option in the presence of penicillin allergy.

Modal density of rectangular structures in a wide frequency range

Science.gov (United States)

Parrinello, A.; Ghiringhelli, G. L.

2018-04-01

A novel approach to investigate the modal density of a rectangular structure in a wide frequency range is presented. First, the modal density is derived, in the whole frequency range of interest, on the basis of sound transmission through the infinite counterpart of the structure; then, it is corrected by means of the low-frequency modal behavior of the structure, taking into account actual size and boundary conditions. A statistical analysis reveals the connection between the modal density of the structure and the transmission of sound through its thickness. A transfer matrix approach is used to compute the required acoustic parameters, making it possible to deal with structures having arbitrary stratifications of different layers. A finite element method is applied on coarse grids to derive the first few eigenfrequencies required to correct the modal density. Both the transfer matrix approach and the coarse grids involved in the finite element analysis grant high efficiency. Comparison with alternative formulations demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.

Automatic modal identification of cable-supported bridges instrumented with a long-term monitoring system

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Y. Q.; Fan, K. Q.; Zheng, G.; Chan, T. H. T.; Ko, J. M.

2003-08-01

An automatic modal identification program is developed for continuous extraction of modal parameters of three cable-supported bridges in Hong Kong which are instrumented with a long-term monitoring system. The program employs the Complex Modal Indication Function (CMIF) algorithm to identify modal properties from continuous ambient vibration measurements in an on-line manner. By using the LabVIEW graphical programming language, the software realizes the algorithm in Virtual Instrument (VI) style. The applicability and implementation issues of the developed software are demonstrated by using one-year measurement data acquired from 67 channels of accelerometers deployed on the cable-stayed Ting Kau Bridge. With the continuously identified results, normal variability of modal vectors caused by varying environmental and operational conditions is observed. Such observation is very helpful for selection of appropriate measured modal vectors for structural health monitoring applications.

First-Line Nursing Home Managers in Sweden and their Views on Leadership and Palliative Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Håkanson, Cecilia; Cronfalk, Berit Seiger; Henriksen, Eva; Norberg, Astrid; Ternestedt, Britt-Marie; Sandberg, Jonas

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate first-line nursing home managers' views on their leadership and related to that, palliative care. Previous research reveals insufficient palliation, and a number of barriers towards implementation of palliative care in nursing homes. Among those barriers are issues related to leadership quality. First-line managers play a pivotal role, as they influence working conditions and quality of care. Nine first-line managers, from different nursing homes in Sweden participated in the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysed using qualitative descriptive content analysis. In the results, two categories were identified: embracing the role of leader and being a victim of circumstances, illuminating how the first-line managers handle expectations and challenges linked to the leadership role and responsibility for palliative care. The results reveal views corresponding to committed leaders, acting upon demands and expectations, but also to leaders appearing to have resigned from the leadership role, and who express powerlessness with little possibility to influence care. The first line managers reported their own limited knowledge about palliative care to limit their possibilities of taking full leadership responsibility for implementing palliative care principles in their nursing homes. The study stresses that for the provision of high quality palliative care in nursing homes, first-line managers need to be knowledgeable about palliative care, and they need supportive organizations with clear expectations and goals about palliative care. Future action and learning oriented research projects for the implementation of palliative care principles, in which first line managers actively participate, are suggested.

Recursive subspace identification for in flight modal analysis of airplanes

OpenAIRE

De Cock , Katrien; Mercère , Guillaume; De Moor , Bart

2006-01-01

International audience; In this paper recursive subspace identification algorithms are applied to track the modal parameters of airplanes on-line during test flights. The ability to track changes in the damping ratios and the influence of the forgetting factor are studied through simulations.

MOSFET dosimetry on modern radiation oncology modalities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosenfeld, A.B.

2002-01-01

The development of MOSFET dosimetry is presented with an emphasis on the development of a scanning MOSFET dosimetry system for modern radiation oncology modalities. Fundamental aspects of MOSFETs in relation to their use as dosemeters are briefly discussed. The performance of MOSFET dosemeters in conformal radiotherapy, hadron therapy, intensity-modulated radiotherapy and microbeam radiation therapy is compared with other dosimetric techniques. In particular the application of MOSFET dosemeters in the characterisation and quality assurance of the steep dose gradients associated with the penumbra of some modern radiation oncology modalities is investigated. A new in vivo, on-line, scanning MOSFET read out system is also presented. The system has the ability to read out multiple MOSFET dosemeters with excellent spatial resolution and temperature stability and minimal slow border trapping effects. (author)

First-line tracheal resection and primary anastomosis for postintubation tracheal stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Elsayed, H; Mostafa, A M; Soliman, S; Shoukry, T; El-Nori, A A; El-Bawab, H Y

2016-07-01

Introduction Tracheal stenosis following intubation is the most common indication for tracheal resection and reconstruction. Endoscopic dilation is almost always associated with recurrence. This study investigated first-line surgical resection and anastomosis performed in fit patients presenting with postintubation tracheal stenosis. Methods Between February 2011 and November 2014, a prospective study was performed involving patients who underwent first-line tracheal resection and primary anastomosis after presenting with postintubation tracheal stenosis. Results A total of 30 patients (20 male) were operated on. The median age was 23.5 years (range: 13-77 years). Seventeen patients (56.7%) had had previous endoscopic tracheal dilation, four (13.3%) had had tracheal stents inserted prior to surgery and one (3.3%) had undergone previous tracheal resection. Nineteen patients (63.3%) had had a tracheostomy. Eight patients (26.7%) had had no previous tracheal interventions. The median time of intubation in those developing tracheal stenosis was 20.5 days (range: 0-45 days). The median length of hospital stay was 10.5 days (range: 7-21 days). The success rate for anastomoses was 96.7% (29/30). One patient needed a permanent tracheostomy. The in-hospital mortality rate was 3.3%: 1 patient died from a chest infection 21 days after surgery. There was no mortality or morbidity in the group undergoing first-line surgery for de novo tracheal lesions. Conclusions First-line tracheal resection with primary anastomosis is a safe option for the treatment of tracheal stenosis following intubation and obviates the need for repeated dilations. Endoscopic dilation should be reserved for those patients with significant co-morbidities or as a temporary measure in non-equipped centres.

Vinorelbine as first-line or second-line therapy for advanced breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langkjer, Sven T; Ejlertsen, Bent; Mouridsen, Henning

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION: This study was conducted to establish the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of intravenous vinorelbine and on the determined dose to assess efficacy and safety in patients with metastatic breast cancer previously treated with epirubicin. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients had histologically...... proven breast cancer and had received a prior epirubicin based regimen either adjuvant or as first line therapy for advanced disease. Vinorelbine was administered intravenously day 1 and 8 in a 3 weeks' schedule. Subsequently 48 additional patients were treated at one dose-level below MTD. RESULTS: Fifty...

[Clinical observation of icotinib hydrochloride in first-line therapy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Xinjie; Zhang, Hui; Qin, Na; Li, Xi; Nong, Jingying; Lv, Jialin; Wu, Yuhua; Zhang, Quan; Zhang, Shucai

2013-07-01

It has been proven that icotinib hydrochloride, as a molecule targeted drug, can be safely and efficiently used to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for second-line or third-line. This research was aimed to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of icotinib hydrochloride as the first-line therapy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Among the 56 patients, the tumor objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) was 46.4% (26/56) and 78.6% (46/56), respectively. Among the 20 patients with EGFR analyses, 18 patients were positive for a mutation, ORR was 66.7% (12/18), DCR was 94.4% (17/18) respectively. The ORR with no history of smoke. EGFR positive mutation and appearance of rash were significantly higher than those with smoker, wild type EGFR, no information about EGFR and no appearance of rash (Picotinib hydrochloride is effective and tolerable in first-line therapy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma, especially with EGFR mutation.

Efficient formalism for treating tapered structures using the Fourier modal method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Østerkryger, Andreas Dyhl; Gregersen, Niels

2016-01-01

We investigate the development of the mode occupations in tapered structures using the Fourier modal method. In order to use the Fourier modal method, tapered structures are divided into layers of uniform refractive index in the propagation direction and the optical modes are found within each...... layer. This is not very efficient and in this proceeding we take the first steps towards a more efficient formalism for treating tapered structures using the Fourier modal method. We show that the coupling coefficients through the structure are slowly varying and that only the first few modes...

Cetuximab in first line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Barone

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The present health technology assessment report evaluates the clinical and economic profile of cetuximab in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC in Italy. The first part of the report addresses the epidemiological, clinical, social and economic impact of mCRC. In the second part, evidence of efficacy, safety and cost-effectiveness of cetuximab and its available alternatives is shown. Finally, a model-based economic evaluation aimed at comparing cetuximab-based re­gimens vs. alternative therapeutic strategies indicated in mCRC in Italy is presented. The model estimates the incremental cost-effectiveness of adding cetuximab to FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI based on KRAS status, vs. adding bevacizumab to FOLFOX-4 or vs. FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI alone. A theoretical analysis vs. panitumumab has also been performed, despite panitumumab is not yet reimbursed in Italy in first-line mCRC. Survival outcomes, quality of life and costs of patient ma­nagement are estimated through a Markov model, using the Italian National Healthcare Service (NHS perspective, over a 10 year period, taking into account KRAS status of patients. The results of the pharmaco-economic analysis show that cetuximab + FOLFOX-4 and cetuximab + FOLFIRI are associated with increased survival, increased cost and increased quality adjusted survival, compared to all other treatments currently indicated and reimbursed in Italy. Adding cetuximab to FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI, based on KRAS status shows favorable incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER vs. adding bevacizumab to FOLFIRI or vs. FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI alone. ICER of cetuximab (in combination with FOLFOX-4 or FOLFIRI, compared to currently reimbursed alternatives, is estimated between 6 and 13 thousand Euros per QALY gai­ned, depending on alternative treatment. These estimates are robust in extensive sensitivity analyses. As a final result, both clinical and economic evidence analyzed in this health technology assessment leads to

Commissioning of the first Manicouagan--Montreal 735 line

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baril, G A; Cahill, K; Dupont, A; Roberge, G

1966-01-01

In order to meet increasing demand, Hydro-Quebec will develop seven hydro power sites on the Manicouagan and Outardes Rivers to generate a total of 5,700 MW and an additional 30 billion kWh by 1973. On August 22, 1962, it was decided that the power would be transmitted over a 650-km network, using three 735-kV lines and six stations. The wet switching surge withstand level was set at 1,350 kV, based on the results obtained with a transient network analyser. The main 735-kV equipment was purchased from several manufacturers to insure prompt delivery and continuity of service. On September 21st, 1965, the Manicouagan-Levis section of the first line was energized at 735 kV, transmitting 300 MW. A month later, the second section of the line was energized and the power generated at the Manicouagan 2 plant was thus transmitted to Montreal. So far, only two pieces of equipment have shown signs of failure without causing, however, any serious shutdown. Results of tests carried out show that operation of a 735-kV network is safe and economical.

Multilayer modal actuator-based piezoelectric transformers.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yao-Tien; Wu, Wen-Jong; Wang, Yen-Chieh; Lee, Chih-Kung

2007-02-01

An innovative, multilayer piezoelectric transformer equipped with a full modal filtering input electrode is reported herein. This modal-shaped electrode, based on the orthogonal property of structural vibration modes, is characterized by full modal filtering to ensure that only the desired vibration mode is excited during operation. The newly developed piezoelectric transformer is comprised of three layers: a multilayered input layer, an insulation layer, and a single output layer. The electrode shape of the input layer is derived from its structural vibration modal shape, which takes advantage of the orthogonal property of the vibration modes to achieve a full modal filtering effect. The insulation layer possesses two functions: first, to couple the mechanical vibration energy between the input and output, and second, to provide electrical insulation between the two layers. To meet the two functions, a low temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) was used to provide the high mechanical rigidity and high electrical insulation. It can be shown that this newly developed piezoelectric transformer has the advantage of possessing a more efficient energy transfer and a wider optimal working frequency range when compared to traditional piezoelectric transformers. A multilayer piezoelectric, transformer-based inverter applicable for use in LCD monitors or portable displays is presented as well.

Effects of modality and repetition in a continuous recognition memory task: Repetition has no effect on auditory recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Amir Kassim, Azlina; Rehman, Rehan; Price, Jessica M

2018-04-01

Previous research has shown that auditory recognition memory is poorer compared to visual and cross-modal (visual and auditory) recognition memory. The effect of repetition on memory has been robust in showing improved performance. It is not clear, however, how auditory recognition memory compares to visual and cross-modal recognition memory following repetition. Participants performed a recognition memory task, making old/new discriminations to new stimuli, stimuli repeated for the first time after 4-7 intervening items (R1), or repeated for the second time after 36-39 intervening items (R2). Depending on the condition, participants were either exposed to visual stimuli (2D line drawings), auditory stimuli (spoken words), or cross-modal stimuli (pairs of images and associated spoken words). Results showed that unlike participants in the visual and cross-modal conditions, participants in the auditory recognition did not show improvements in performance on R2 trials compared to R1 trials. These findings have implications for pedagogical techniques in education, as well as for interventions and exercises aimed at boosting memory performance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Clinical value of FDG hybrid-PET in staging and restaging of malignant lymphoma. Compared with conventional diagnostic methods; Klinische Wertigkeit der Befunde von FDG-PET mittels Koinzidenz-Gammakamera beim Staging und Restaging maligner Lymphome. Ein Vergleich zu konventioneller Diagnostik

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pichler, R.; Maschek, W.; Hatzl-Griesenhofer, M.; Huber, H. [Allgemeines Krankenhaus Linz (Austria). Inst. fuer Nuklearmedizin; Wimmer, G.; Wahl, G.; Fridrik, M. [Allgemeines Krankenhaus Linz (Austria). I. Medizinische Abt.

2000-09-01

Aim of the present retrospective study was to validate the clinical value of F-18-FDG PET imaging in lymphoma patients with a dual head camera modified for coincidence detection. Staging before and after oncological treatment was compared with a conservative diagnostic approach. Methods: 48 patients (28 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 20 Hodgkin's disease) received FDG-Hybrid-PET scans. Pretherapeutic staging was realized in 28 patients, 9 of them had control studies after they had completed therapy. Totally 29 persons were examined for posttherapeutic restaging. Computed tomography imaging and lymph node sonography was performed in all cases. Results were validated by clinical follow-up, in three cases a recidive was proven by biopsy. Results: CT and ultrasound detected 77 lesions in 28 patients compared with 100 visualized by PET, but this difference in pretherapeutic staging did not reach significance at p>0.05 by Fisher's t-test. Hybrid-PET obtained a sensitivity of 93%, a specifity of 79%, a positive of 82% and a negative predictive value of 92% for detection of residual disease. The values for CT+US were 87%, 64%, 72% and 88% respectively. Conclusion: FDG Hybrid-PET is as or even more accurate than standard morphologic diagnostic methods for prestaging in malignant lymphoma. Additionally, there is a substancial benefit for therapy monitoring of residual disease using coincidence detection PET with a 3/4-inch crystal gamma camera. (orig.) [German] Ziel der vorliegenden retrospektiven Studie war die Validierung der klinischen Wertigkeit von F-18-FDG-PET mittels Doppelkopf-Koinzidenz-Gammakamera bei Lymphompatienten. Die Ergebnisse von prae- und post-therapeutischem Staging wurden mit dem konservativ bildgebender Verfahren verglichen. Methoden: 48 Patienten (28 NHL, 20 Morbus Hodgkin) erhielten FDG-DK-PET-Untersuchungen. Ein praetherapeutisches Staging wurde bei 28 Patienten durchgefuehrt, 9 von diesen hatten weitere Kontrollstudien nach abgeschlossenem

Modality and Task Switching Interactions using Bi-Modal and Bivalent Stimuli

Science.gov (United States)

Sandhu, Rajwant; Dyson, Benjamin J.

2013-01-01

Investigations of concurrent task and modality switching effects have to date been studied under conditions of uni-modal stimulus presentation. As such, it is difficult to directly compare resultant task and modality switching effects, as the stimuli afford both tasks on each trial, but only one modality. The current study investigated task and…

First-line intra-arterial versus intravenous chemotherapy in unilateral sporadic group D retinoblastoma: evidence of better visual outcomes, ocular survival and shorter time to success with intra-arterial delivery from retrospective review of 20 years of treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Munier, Francis L; Mosimann, Pascal; Puccinelli, Francesco; Gaillard, Marie-Claire; Stathopoulos, Christina; Houghton, Susan; Bergin, Ciara; Beck-Popovic, Maja

2017-08-01

The introduction of intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) as salvage treatment has improved the prognosis for eye conservation in group D retinoblastoma. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes of consecutive patients with advanced unilateral disease treated with either first-line intravenous chemotherapy (IVC) or first-line IAC. This is a retrospective mono-centric comparative review of consecutive patients. Sporadic unilateral retinoblastoma group D cases treated conservatively at Jules-Gonin Eye Hospital and CHUV between 1997 and 2014. From January 1997 to August 2008, IVC, combined with focal treatments, was the primary treatment approach. From September 2008 to October 2014, IAC replaced IVC as first-line therapy. 48 patients met the inclusion criteria, receiving only either IAC or IVC as primary treatment modality. Outcomes of 23 patients treated by IVC were compared with those of 25 treated by IAC; mean follow-up was 105.3 months (range 29.2-218.6) and 41.7 months (range 19.6-89.5), respectively. Treatment duration was significantly shorter in the IAC group (pchemotherapy treatment. Despite this, the results reported here imply that eyes treated with first-line IAC will have shorter treatment period, better ocular survival and visual acuity than first-line IVC. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Free Modal Algebras Revisited: The Step-by-Step Method

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bezhanishvili, N.; Ghilardi, Silvio; Jibladze, Mamuka

2012-01-01

We review the step-by-step method of constructing finitely generated free modal algebras. First we discuss the global step-by-step method, which works well for rank one modal logics. Next we refine the global step-by-step method to obtain the local step-by-step method, which is applicable beyond

The Modal Dimension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giluano Torrengo

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Space and time are two obvious candidates as dimensions of reality. Yet, are they the only two dimensions of reality? Famously, David Lewis maintained the doctrine of ―modal realism‖, the thesis that possible worlds exist and are entities as concrete as the actual world that we live in. In this paper, I will explore the idea that modality can be construed as a dimension along with space and time. However, although Lewis‘ modal realism is the main source of inspiration for this construal of modality, I will argue that something else is required for having a modal dimension.

HIV multi-drug resistance at first-line antiretroviral failure and subsequent virological response in Asia

OpenAIRE

Jiamsakul, Awachana; Sungkanuparph, Somnuek; Law, Matthew; Kantor, Rami; Praparattanapan, Jutarat; Li, Patrick CK; Phanuphak, Praphan; Merati, Tuti; Ratanasuwan, Winai; Lee, Christopher KC; Ditangco, Rossana; Mustafa, Mahiran; Singtoroj, Thida; Kiertiburanakul, Sasisopin

2014-01-01

Introduction: First-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure often results from the development of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs). Three patterns, including thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs), 69 Insertion (69Ins) and the Q151M complex, are associated with resistance to multiple-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and may compromise treatment options for second-line ART. Methods: We investigated patterns and factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failu...

Is there a progression-free survival benefit of first-line crizotinib versus standard chemotherapy and second-line crizotinib in ALK-positive advanced lung adenocarcinoma? A retrospective study of Chinese patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Shaohua; Zhao, Yizhuo; Dong, Lili; Gu, Aiqin; Xiong, Liwen; Qian, Jialin; Zhang, Wei; Niu, Yanjie; Pan, Feng; Jiang, Liyan

2016-06-01

Although crizotinib has demonstrated promising efficacy and acceptable toxicity in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the available evidence in Chinese populations is currently limited. This study compared the progression-free survival (PFS) of Chinese patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, advanced lung adenocarcinoma who received first-line crizotinib therapy with that of patients who received first-line standard chemotherapy, and also the PFS benefit of first-line versus second-line crizotinib treatment. Data on 80 patients with ALK-positive, advanced lung adenocarcinoma who received crizotinib or standard chemotherapy as first-line treatments between June 2013 and December 2014 were retrospectively collected; 26 of the patients received crizotinib as second-line therapy after progressive disease (PD) occurred on first-line chemotherapy. Tumor responses were assessed using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), version 1.1. The median PFS was 13.3 months (95% CI: 6.5-20.0 months) in patients who received first-line crizotinib as compared with 5.4 months (95% CI: 4.4-6.5 months) in patients who received first-line standard chemotherapy (adjusted hazard ratio for progression or death with crizotinib, 0.20; 95% CI: 0.11-0.36; P benefit of first-line crizotinib versus first-line standard chemotherapy in Chinese patients with ALK-positive lung adenocarcinoma. Additionally, crizotinib showed promising efficacy in patients who received it as second-line therapy after PD had occurred on first-line chemotherapy. © 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Dorsal and ventral streams across sensory modalities

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Anna Sedda; Federica Scarpina

2012-01-01

In this review,we describe the current models of dorsal and ventral streams in vision,audition and touch.Available theories take their first steps from the model of Milner and Goodale,which was developed to explain how human actions can be efficiently carried out using visual information.Since then,similar concepts have also been applied to other sensory modalities.We propose that advances in the knowledge of brain functioning can be achieved through models explaining action and perception patterns independently from sensory modalities.

Experimental modal analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ibsen, Lars Bo; Liingaard, M.

2006-12-15

This technical report concerns the basic theory and principles for experimental modal analysis. The sections within the report are: Output-only modal analysis software, general digital analysis, basics of structural dynamics and modal analysis and system identification. (au)

Early restaging whole-body 18F-FDG PET during induction chemotherapy predicts clinical outcome in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yen, Ruoh-Fang; Chen, Tony Hsiu-Hsi; Ting, Lai-Lei; Tzen, Kai-Yuan; Pan, Mei-Hsiu; Hong, Ruey-Long

2005-01-01

This study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of whole-body 18 F-FDG PET in monitoring therapeutic effect during induction chemotherapy (IC) and in predicting prognosis in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Fifty patients who had histologically proven, locoregionally advanced NPC without distant metastasis and had received IC were recruited in this study. The study cohort consisted of 19 females and 31 males (age 17-72 years, mean 45.9±11.9). Whole-body 18 F-FDG PET was performed in each patient after completion of one (33 patients) or two (17 patients) courses of IC. Each patient was restaged on the basis of the 18 F-FDG PET results. Patients who were downstaged to stage I or II were classified as major responders; the rest were classified as non-major responders. Only 1 of the 23 major responders subsequently developed local recurrence. At the time of data analysis, all major responders were alive; by contrast, of the 27 non-major responders, 15 had locoregional recurrence or distant metastasis and nine had died (seven of NPC and two of treatment-related complications). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed significantly longer recurrence-free survival and overall survival in major responders (56.4±9.2 and 58.1±2.2 months) as compared with non-major responders (33.7±23.2 and 44.7±20.0 months), with p 18 F-FDG PET scan after the first or second course of IC is useful for predicting therapeutic response and outcome in patients with locoregionally advanced NPC. (orig.)

Kajian Eksperimental Parameter Modal Bangunan Dua Lantai dengan Metode Modal Analisis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Islahuddin Islahuddin

2016-12-01

transformedin a FRF graph. FRF will then be processed in order to get structure mode shape. From the shape mode, analysis of themachine damage by looking at save amplitude value may be done. The purpose of this research is analyzing thedynamic character of vibration behavior on the structure model of two floor building. The testing is carried out byimplementing excitation force by using impact hammer. Accelerometer is used to measure structure vibrate signal. Theposition of accelerometer is variety for every eight different testing area. Meanwhile, the position of excitation force isthe same for all area of testing. This research applied experimental analysis modal method in order to identify dynamiccharacteristic of the structure model of two floor building. The aims of analysis modal technique are getting the modalparameter such as frequency, damping ratio, and mode shapes. The result of this research is the first natural frequencyon the maximum amplitude is the same of 2,313 Hz. While, for the second natural frequency on the maximum amplitudeis different on area 3 and area 7. This happened as the effect of the differences of excitation force in the testing area.Keywords: Dynamic characteristic, experimental modal analysis, natural frequency, FRF

To increase controllability of a large flexible antenna by modal optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Feng; Wang, Pengpeng; Jiang, Wenjian

2017-12-01

Large deployable antennas are widely used in aerospace engineering to meet the envelop limit of rocket fairing. The high flexibility and low damping of antenna has proposed critical requirement not only for stability control of the antenna itself, but also for attitude control of the satellite. This paper aims to increase controllability of a large flexible antenna by modal optimization. Firstly, Sensitivity analysis of antenna modal frequencies to stiffness of support structure and stiffness of scanning mechanism are conducted respectively. Secondly, Modal simulation results of antenna frequencies are given, influences of scanning angles on moment of inertia and modal frequencies are evaluated, and modal test is carried out to validate the simulation results. All the simulation and test results show that, after modal optimization the modal characteristic of the large deployable antenna meets the controllability requirement well.

Task-Modality and L1 Use in EFL Oral Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Azkarai, Agurtzane; del Pilar García Mayo, María

2015-01-01

This study examines whether task-modality (speaking vs. speaking+writing) influences first language (L1) use in task-based English as a foreign language (EFL) learner-learner interaction. Research on the topic has shown that different task-modality triggers different learning opportunities with collaborative speaking tasks drawing learners'…

Cross-modal versus within-modal recall: differences in behavioral and brain responses.

Science.gov (United States)

Butler, Andrew J; James, Karin H

2011-10-31

Although human experience is multisensory in nature, previous research has focused predominantly on memory for unisensory as opposed to multisensory information. In this work, we sought to investigate behavioral and neural differences between the cued recall of cross-modal audiovisual associations versus within-modal visual or auditory associations. Participants were presented with cue-target associations comprised of pairs of nonsense objects, pairs of nonsense sounds, objects paired with sounds, and sounds paired with objects. Subsequently, they were required to recall the modality of the target given the cue while behavioral accuracy, reaction time, and blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) activation were measured. Successful within-modal recall was associated with modality-specific reactivation in primary perceptual regions, and was more accurate than cross-modal retrieval. When auditory targets were correctly or incorrectly recalled using a cross-modal visual cue, there was re-activation in auditory association cortex, and recall of information from cross-modal associations activated the hippocampus to a greater degree than within-modal associations. Findings support theories that propose an overlap between regions active during perception and memory, and show that behavioral and neural differences exist between within- and cross-modal associations. Overall the current study highlights the importance of the role of multisensory information in memory. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Systematic Verification of the Modal Logic Cube in Isabelle/HOL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Benzmüller

2015-07-01

Full Text Available We present an automated verification of the well-known modal logic cube in Isabelle/HOL, in which we prove the inclusion relations between the cube's logics using automated reasoning tools. Prior work addresses this problem but without restriction to the modal logic cube, and using encodings in first-order logic in combination with first-order automated theorem provers. In contrast, our solution is more elegant, transparent and effective. It employs an embedding of quantified modal logic in classical higher-order logic. Automated reasoning tools, such as Sledgehammer with LEO-II, Satallax and CVC4, Metis and Nitpick, are employed to achieve full automation. Though successful, the experiments also motivate some technical improvements in the Isabelle/HOL tool.

Cost-effectiveness of tenofovir instead of zidovudine for use in first-line antiretroviral therapy in settings without virological monitoring.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Viktor von Wyl

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The most recent World Health Organization (WHO antiretroviral treatment guidelines recommend the inclusion of zidovudine (ZDV or tenofovir (TDF in first-line therapy. We conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis with emphasis on emerging patterns of drug resistance upon treatment failure and their impact on second-line therapy. METHODS: We used a stochastic simulation of a generalized HIV-1 epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa to compare two strategies for first-line combination antiretroviral treatment including lamivudine, nevirapine and either ZDV or TDF. Model input parameters were derived from literature and, for the simulation of resistance pathways, estimated from drug resistance data obtained after first-line treatment failure in settings without virological monitoring. Treatment failure and cost effectiveness were determined based on WHO definitions. Two scenarios with optimistic (no emergence; base and pessimistic (extensive emergence assumptions regarding occurrence of multidrug resistance patterns were tested. RESULTS: In the base scenario, cumulative proportions of treatment failure according to WHO criteria were higher among first-line ZDV users (median after six years 36% [95% simulation interval 32%; 39%] compared with first-line TDF users (31% [29%; 33%]. Consequently, a higher proportion initiated second-line therapy (including lamivudine, boosted protease inhibitors and either ZDV or TDF in the first-line ZDV user group 34% [31%; 37%] relative to first-line TDF users (30% [27%; 32%]. At the time of second-line initiation, a higher proportion (16% of first-line ZDV users harboured TDF-resistant HIV compared with ZDV-resistant viruses among first-line TDF users (0% and 6% in base and pessimistic scenarios, respectively. In the base scenario, the incremental cost effectiveness ratio with respect to quality adjusted life years (QALY was US$83 when TDF instead of ZDV was used in first-line therapy (pessimistic scenario: US$ 315

Operational Modal Analysis Tutorial

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brincker, Rune; Andersen, Palle

of modal parameters of practical interest - including the mode shape scaling factor - with a high degree of accuracy. It is also argued that the operational technology offers the user a number of advantages over traditional modal testing. The operational modal technology allows the user to perform a modal......In this paper the basic principles in operational modal testing and analysis are presented and discussed. A brief review of the techniques for operational modal testing and identification is presented, and it is argued, that there is now a wide range of techniques for effective identification...

Multi-modal Social Networks: A MRF Learning Approach

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-20

Network forensics: random infection vs spreading epidemic , Proceedings of ACM Sigmetrics. 11-JUN-12, London, UK. : , TOTAL: 4 06/09/2016 Received Paper...Multi-modal Social Networks A MRF Learning Approach The work primarily focused on two lines of research. 1. We propose new greedy algorithms...Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 social networks , learning and inference REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT

Review of first line supervisory positions in nuclear power plants - Phase II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mackenzie, C W; Huntley, M [Hickling Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

1995-10-01

This report provides an overview of first line supervisory activities at Ontario Hydro nuclear generating stations (Pickering `A` and Bruce `B`) and the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station in New Brunswick. Activity profiles describing the range of first line supervisory roles and responsibilities for nuclear operators have been developed from survey data and flowcharting methods. These activity profiles have then been compared with formal job responsibilities as identified in job descriptions, supervisory training provided and assessment criteria used to evaluate supervisors. Finally, this report relates the findings of supervisory practices in the group under study with the findings in the current literature relating to supervisory functioning. (author). 32 tabs., 2 figs.

Review of first line supervisory positions in nuclear power plants - Phase II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mackenzie, C.W.; Huntley, M.

1995-10-01

This report provides an overview of first line supervisory activities at Ontario Hydro nuclear generating stations (Pickering 'A' and Bruce 'B') and the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station in New Brunswick. Activity profiles describing the range of first line supervisory roles and responsibilities for nuclear operators have been developed from survey data and flowcharting methods. These activity profiles have then been compared with formal job responsibilities as identified in job descriptions, supervisory training provided and assessment criteria used to evaluate supervisors. Finally, this report relates the findings of supervisory practices in the group under study with the findings in the current literature relating to supervisory functioning. (author). 32 tabs., 2 figs

Cetuximab plus gemcitabine/oxaliplatin (GEMOXCET) in first-line metastatic pancreatic cancer: a multicentre phase II study

Science.gov (United States)

Kullmann, F; Hollerbach, S; Dollinger, M M; Harder, J; Fuchs, M; Messmann, H; Trojan, J; Gäbele, E; Hinke, A; Hollerbach, C; Endlicher, E

2009-01-01

Targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor pathway in pancreatic cancer seems to be an attractive therapeutic approach. This study assessed the efficacy of cetuximab plus the combination of gemcitabine/oxaliplatin in metastatic pancreatic cancer. Eligible subjects had histological or cytological diagnosis of metastatic pancreatic adenocarcinoma. The primary end point was response according to RECIST. Patients received cetuximab 400 mg m−2 at first infusion followed by weekly 250 mg m−2 combined with gemcitabine 1000 mg m−2 as a 100 min infusion on day 1 and oxaliplatin 100 mg m−2 as a 2-h infusion on day 2 every 2 weeks. Between January 2005 and August 2006, a total of 64 patients (22 women (34%), 42 men (66%); median age 64 years (range 31–78)) were enrolled at seven study centres. On October 2007, a total of 17 patients were alive. Sixty-two patients were evaluable for baseline and 61 for assessment of response to treatment in an intention-to-treat analysis. Six patients had an incomplete drug combination within the first cycle of the treatment plan (n=4 hypersensitivity reactions to the first cetuximab infusion, n=2 refused to continue therapy). Reported grade 3/4 toxicities (% of patients) were leukopaenia 15%, anaemia 8%, thrombocytopaenia 10%, diarrhoea 7%, nausea 18%, infection 18% and allergy 7%. Cetuximab-attributable skin reactions occurred as follows: grade 0: 20%, grade 1: 41%, grade 2: 30% and grade 3: 10%. The intention-to-treat analysis of 61 evaluable patients showed an overall response rate of 33%, including 1 (2%) complete and 19 (31%) partial remissions. There were 31% patients with stable and 36% with progressive disease or discontinuation of the therapy before re-staging. The presence of a grade 2 or higher skin rash was associated with a higher likelihood of achieving objective response. Median time to progression was 118 days, with a median overall survival of 213 days. A clinical benefit response was noted in

Meditations on Metaphysical Modality

OpenAIRE

Willis, Edmund Lindsay James

2011-01-01

Although metaphysical modality has been much discussed and exploited by philosophers, its precise nature is often left unanalysed and obscure. This dissertation marks an attempt to understand it better. After examining modality in general, the specific topic is introduced through consideration of the views of Kripke and Lewis. Comparisons are then made with logical, scientific and conceptual modalities. Finally, it is argued that metaphysical modality is that variety of modality which is alet...

Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Physical Therapy Modalities in Women With Provoked Vestibulodynia.

Science.gov (United States)

Morin, Mélanie; Carroll, Marie-Soleil; Bergeron, Sophie

2017-07-01

Pelvic floor muscle physical therapy is recommended in clinical guidelines for women with provoked vestibulodynia (PVD). Including isolated or combined treatment modalities, physical therapy is viewed as an effective first-line intervention, yet no systematic review concerning the effectiveness of physical therapy has been conducted. To systematically appraise the current literature on the effectiveness of physical therapy modalities for decreasing pain during intercourse and improving sexual function in women with PVD. A systematic literature search using PubMed, Scopus, CINHAL, and PEDro was conducted until October 2016. Moreover, a manual search from reference lists of included articles was performed. Ongoing trials also were reviewed using clinicaltrial.gov and ISRCTNregistry. Randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohorts, and case reports evaluating the effect of isolated or combined physical therapy modalities in women with PVD were included in the review. Main outcome measures were pain during intercourse, sexual function, and patient's perceived improvement. The literature search resulted in 43 eligible studies including 7 randomized controlled trials, 20 prospective studies, 5 retrospective studies, 6 case reports, and 6 study protocols. Most studies had a high risk of bias mainly associated with the lack of a comparison group. Another common bias was related to insufficient sample size, non-validated outcomes, non-standardized intervention, and use of other ongoing treatment. The vast majority of studies showed that physical therapy modalities such as biofeedback, dilators, electrical stimulation, education, multimodal physical therapy, and multidisciplinary approaches were effective for decreasing pain during intercourse and improving sexual function. The positive findings for the effectiveness of physical therapy modalities in women with PVD should be investigated further in robust and well-designed randomized controlled trials

Power in health care organizations: contemplations from the first-line management perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Isosaari, Ulla

2011-01-01

The aim of this paper is to examine health care organizations' power structures from the first-line management perspective. What liable power structures derive from the theoretical bases of bureaucratic, professional and result based organizations, and what power type do health care organizations represent, according to the empirical data? The paper seeks to perform an analysis using Mintzberg's power configurations of instrument, closed system, meritocracy and political arena. The empirical study was executed at the end of 2005 through a survey in ten Finnish hospital districts in both specialized and primary care. Respondents were all first-line managers in the area and a sample of staff members from internal disease, surgical and psychiatric units, as well as out-patient and primary care units. The number of respondents was 1,197 and the response percentage was 38. The data were analyzed statistically. As a result, it can be seen that a certain kind of organization structure supports the generation of a certain power type. A bureaucratic organization generates an instrument or closed system organization, a professional organization generates meritocracy and also political arena, and a result-based organization has a connection to political arena and meritocracy. First line managers regarded health care organizations as instruments when staff regarded them mainly as meritocracies having features of political arena. Managers felt their position to be limited by rules, whereas staff members regarded their position as having lots of space and influence potential. If the organizations seek innovative and active managers at the unit level, they should change the organizational structure and redistribute the work so that there could be more space for meaningful management. This research adds to the literature and gives helpful suggestions that will be of interest to those in the position of first-line management in health care.

Modal Vibration Control in Periodic Time-Varying Structures with Focus on Rotor Blade Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Rene Hardam; Santos, Ilmar

2004-01-01

of active modal controllers. The main aim is to reduce vibrations in periodic time-varying structures. Special emphasis is given to vibration control of coupled bladed rotor systems. A state feedback modal control law is developed based on modal analysis in periodic time-varying structures. The first step...... in the procedure is a transformation of the model into a time-invariant modal form by applying the modal matrices, which are also periodic time-variant. Due to coupled rotor and blade motions complex vibration modes occur in the modal transformed state space model. This implies that the modal transformed model...

adverse events to first line anti-tuberculosis drugs in patients co

African Journals Online (AJOL)

status on the risk of developing adverse events to first line anti-TB therapy. Method: The ... with TB-HIV infection were allocated to a second group. ... and negative responses were entered into individual .... Extra-pulmonary TB (yes versus no).

First observation of the Λ(1405) line shape in electroproduction

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, H. Y.; Schumacher, R. A.; Adhikari, K. P.; Adikaram, D.; Aghasyan, M.; Amaryan, M. J.; Pereira, S. Anefalos; Ball, J.; Battaglieri, M.; Batourine, V.; Bedlinskiy, I.; Biselli, A. S.; Boiarinov, S.; Briscoe, W. J.; Brooks, W. K.; Burkert, V. D.; Carman, D. S.; Celentano, A.; Chandavar, S.; Cole, P. L.; Collins, P.; Contalbrigo, M.; Cortes, O.; Crede, V.; D'Angelo, A.; Dashyan, N.; De Vita, R.; De Sanctis, E.; Deur, A.; Djalali, C.; Doughty, D.; Dupre, R.; Egiyan, H.; Alaoui, A. El; Fassi, L. El; Eugenio, P.; Fedotov, G.; Fegan, S.; Fleming, J. A.; Gabrielyan, M.; Gevorgyan, N.; Gilfoyle, G. P.; Giovanetti, K. L.; Girod, F. X.; Goetz, J. T.; Gohn, W.; Golovatch, E.; Gothe, R. W.; Griffioen, K. A.; Guidal, M.; Guo, L.; Hafidi, K.; Hakobyan, H.; Harrison, N.; Heddle, D.; Hicks, K.; Ho, D.; Holtrop, M.; Hyde, C. E.; Ilieva, Y.; Ireland, D. G.; Ishkhanov, B. S.; Isupov, E. L.; Jo, H. S.; Joo, K.; Keller, D.; Khandaker, M.; Kim, W.; Klein, A.; Klein, F. J.; Koirala, S.; Kubarovsky, A.; Kubarovsky, V.; Kuleshov, S. V.; Lewis, S.; Livingston, K.; MacGregor, I. J. D.; Martinez, D.; Mayer, M.; McKinnon, B.; Meyer, C. A.; Mineeva, T.; Mirazita, M.; Mokeev, V.; Montgomery, R. A.; Moriya, K.; Moutarde, H.; Munevar, E.; Camacho, C. Munoz; Nadel-Turonski, P.; Nepali, C. S.; Niccolai, S.; Niculescu, G.; Niculescu, I.; Osipenko, M.; Ostrovidov, A. I.; Pappalardo, L. L.; Paremuzyan, R.; Park, K.; Park, S.; Pasyuk, E.; Peng, P.; Phelps, E.; Phillips, J. J.; Pisano, S.; Pogorelko, O.; Pozdniakov, S.; Price, J. W.; Procureur, S.; Prok, Y.; Protopopescu, D.; Puckett, A. J. R.; Raue, B. A.; Rimal, D.; Ripani, M.; Rosner, G.; Rossi, P.; Sabatié, F.; Saini, M. S.; Salgado, C.; Schott, D.; Seder, E.; Seraydaryan, H.; Sharabian, Y. G.; Smith, G. D.; Sober, D. I.; Sokhan, D.; Stepanyan, S. S.; Stoler, P.; Strauch, S.; Taiuti, M.; Tang, W.; Tian, Ye; Tkachenko, S.; Torayev, B.; Vernarsky, B.; Voskanyan, H.; Voutier, E.; Walford, N. K.; Weygand, D. P.; Wood, M. H.; Zachariou, N.; Zana, L.; Zhang, J.; Zhao, Z. W.

2013-10-01

We report the first observation of the line shape of the Λ(1405) from electroproduction, and show that it is not a simple Breit-Wigner resonance. Electroproduction of K+Λ(1405) off the proton was studied by using data from CLAS at Jefferson Lab in the range 1.0line shape. In our fits, the line shape corresponds approximately to predictions of a two-pole meson-baryon picture of the Λ(1405), with a lower mass pole near 1368 MeV/c2 and a higher mass pole near 1423 MeV/c2. Furthermore, with increasing photon virtuality the mass distribution shifts toward the higher mass pole.

Toward predicate approaches to modality

CERN Document Server

Stern, Johannes

2016-01-01

In this volume, the author investigates and argues for, a particular answer to the question: What is the right way to logically analyze modalities from natural language within formal languages? The answer is: by formalizing modal expressions in terms of predicates. But, as in the case of truth, the most intuitive modal principles lead to paradox once the modal notions are conceived as predicates. The book discusses the philosophical interpretation of these modal paradoxes and argues that any satisfactory approach to modality will have to face the paradoxes independently of the grammatical category of the modal notion. By systematizing modal principles with respect to their joint consistency and inconsistency, Stern provides an overview of the options and limitations of the predicate approach to modality that may serve as a useful starting point for future work on predicate approaches to modality. Stern also develops a general strategy for constructing philosophically attractive theories of modal notions conce...

First-in-human evaluation of a hybrid modality that allows combined radio- and (near-infrared) fluorescence tracing during surgery

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berg, Nynke S. van den [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Urology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Simon, Herve [Eurorad S.A., Eckbolsheim (France); Kleinjan, Gijs H. [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Engelen, Thijs [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Bunschoten, Anton; Welling, Mick M. [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); Tijink, Bernard M. [The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Horenblas, Simon [The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Urology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Chambron, Jacques [The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Leeuwen, Fijs W.B. van [Leiden University Medical Center, Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Urology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

2015-10-15

The clinical introduction of the hybrid tracer indocyanine green (ICG)-{sup 99m}Tc-nanocolloid, composed of a radioactive and a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence component, has created the need for surgical (imaging) modalities that allow for simultaneous detection of both signals. This study describes the first-in-human use of a prototype opto-nuclear probe during sentinel node (SN) biopsy using ICG-{sup 99m}Tc-nanocolloid. To allow for fluorescence tracing, a derivative of the conventional gamma probe technology was generated in which two optical fibers were integrated to allow for excitation (785 nm) and emission signal collection (> 810 nm). The ability of this opto-nuclear probe to detect the fluorescence signal of the hybrid tracer ICG-{sup 99m}Tc-nanocolloid was firstly determined ex vivo in (non)SNs samples obtained from 41 patients who underwent hybrid tracer-based SN biopsy in the head and neck or urogenital area. In an in vivo proof-of-concept study in nine of these 41 patients, SNs were localized using combined gamma and fluorescence tracing with the opto-nuclear probe. Fluorescence tracing was performed in a similar manner as gamma tracing and under ambient light conditions. Ex vivo, the gamma tracing option of the opto-nuclear probe correctly identified the SN in all 150 evaluated (non)SN samples. Ex vivo fluorescence tracing in the low-sensitivity mode correctly identified 71.7 % of the samples. This increased to 98.9 % when fluorescence tracing was performed in the high-sensitivity mode. In vivo fluorescence tracing (high-sensitivity mode) accurately identified the SNs in all nine patients (20 SNs evaluated; 100 %). This study demonstrates the first-in-human evaluation of a hybrid modality capable of detecting both gamma and fluorescence signals during a surgical procedure. Fluorescence tracing could be performed in ambient light. (orig.)

THE FIRST EXPERIENCE OF USING LOCAL HYPERTHERMIA IN COMBINED MODALITY TREATMENT OF OPERABLE NON-SMALL CELL LUNG CANCER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Yu. Dobrodeev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the first experience in treating 5 patients with stage II–III non-small cell lung cancer using combined modality treatment including 40 Gy preoperative hyperfractionated radiotherapy with concurrent 2 cycles of paclitaxel/carboplatin chemotherapy and local hyperthermia (10 sessions followed by radical surgery. The overal response rate to preoperative treatment was 80 %. Chemotherapy was well tolerated and hyperthermia resulted no in adverse effects. All patients underwent surgery (4 lobectomies and 1 pneumonectomy. No complications were observed in the postoperative period. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 20 months. No evidence of disease progression and radiation-induced damages were observed.

Inhaled Steroids: First Line Treatment of Adult Asthma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

André Cartier

1995-01-01

Full Text Available Corticosteroids are the most potent inhaled anti-inflammatory drugs for asthma treatment. This paper reviews the clinical evidence supporting the early use of inhaled steroids in asthma as a first line treatment. Inhaled steroids can probably alter the course of asthma, especially in mild asthmatics. Once they have been shown to improve control of asthma and even if the need for beta2-agonists is virtually nil, their use should be continued at low doses (ie, equivalent to 400 to 500 μg of budesonide or beclomethasone for at least one year before attempting to reduce the dosage.

Slim by design: serving healthy foods first in buffet lines improves overall meal selection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brian Wansink

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Each day, tens of millions of restaurant goers, conference attendees, college students, military personnel, and school children serve themselves at buffets--many being all-you-can-eat buffets. Knowing how the food order at a buffet triggers what a person selects could be useful in guiding diners to make healthier selections. METHOD: The breakfast food selections of 124 health conference attendees were tallied at two separate seven-item buffet lines (which included cheesy eggs, potatoes, bacon, cinnamon rolls, low-fat granola, low-fat yogurt, and fruit. The food order between the two lines was reversed (least healthy to most healthy, and vise-versa. Participants were randomly assigned to choose their meal from one line or the other, and researchers recorded what participants selected. RESULTS: With buffet foods, the first ones seen are the ones most selected. Over 75% of diners selected the first food they saw, and the first three foods a person encountered in the buffet comprised 66% of all the foods they took. Serving the less healthy foods first led diners to take 31% more total food items (p<0.001. Indeed, diners in this line more frequently chose less healthy foods in combinations, such as cheesy eggs and bacon (r = 0.47; p<0.001 or cheesy eggs and fried potatoes (r= 0.37; p<0.001. This co-selection of healthier foods was less common. CONCLUSIONS: Three words summarize these results: First foods most. What ends up on a buffet diner's plate is dramatically determined by the presentation order of food. Rearranging food order from healthiest to least healthy can nudge unknowing or even resistant diners toward a healthier meal, helping make them slim by design. Health-conscious diners, can proactively start at the healthier end of the line, and this same basic principle of "first foods most" may be relevant in other contexts - such as when serving or passing food at family dinners.

Comparison of modal spectral and non-linear time history analysis of a piping system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerard, R.; Aelbrecht, D.; Lafaille, J.P.

1987-01-01

A typical piping system of the discharge line of the chemical and volumetric control system, outside the containment, between the penetration and the heat exchanger, an operating power plant was analyzed using four different methods: Modal spectral analysis with 2% constant damping, modal spectral analysis using ASME Code Case N411 (PVRC damping), linear time history analysis, non-linear time history analysis. This paper presents an estimation of the conservatism of the linear methods compared to the non-linear analysis. (orig./HP)

Supervised Cross-Modal Factor Analysis for Multiple Modal Data Classification

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jingbin

2015-10-09

In this paper we study the problem of learning from multiple modal data for purpose of document classification. In this problem, each document is composed two different modals of data, i.e., An image and a text. Cross-modal factor analysis (CFA) has been proposed to project the two different modals of data to a shared data space, so that the classification of a image or a text can be performed directly in this space. A disadvantage of CFA is that it has ignored the supervision information. In this paper, we improve CFA by incorporating the supervision information to represent and classify both image and text modals of documents. We project both image and text data to a shared data space by factor analysis, and then train a class label predictor in the shared space to use the class label information. The factor analysis parameter and the predictor parameter are learned jointly by solving one single objective function. With this objective function, we minimize the distance between the projections of image and text of the same document, and the classification error of the projection measured by hinge loss function. The objective function is optimized by an alternate optimization strategy in an iterative algorithm. Experiments in two different multiple modal document data sets show the advantage of the proposed algorithm over other CFA methods.

Should laparoscopy and dye test be a first line evaluation for infertile women in southeast Nigeria?

Science.gov (United States)

Ikechebelu, J I; Mbamara, S U

2011-01-01

Laparoscopy and dye test is an important investigation in the evaluation of infertile women which has been underutilised in our practice. This review is aimed at determining whether the findings of this procedure are substantial enough to make it a first line evaluation for infertile women. A review of the laparoscopic findings in infertile women who presented for evaluation and treatment at a private fertility centre was carried out. A total of 253 day-case laparoscopy and dye test procedures were reviewed, 115 (45.0%) were done for primary infertility, 137 (54.5%) for secondary infertility and 1 (0.4%) for primary amenorrhoea and infertility. The mean period of infertility was 4.5 years with a range of 2-10 years and the women were aged between 19 and 52 years. Analysis of the result showed that 100 (39.5%) women had normal patent tubes while 153 (60.4%) had tubal pathologies like bilateral tubal occlusion in 97 (38.3%) and unilateral tubal occlusion in 56 (22.1%) women. Pelvic adhesion of varying degrees of severity was present in 108 (42.7%) women. Bilateral tubal occlusion was more common in nulliparous women and those aged between 30-39 years. One or both ovaries were normal (functional) in 189 (74.7%) women. Altogether, only 43 (17.0%) women were "normal" (had patent tubes, functional ovary and no pelvic adhesion). Additional pelvic pathology was present in 142 (56.1%) women. The commonest was uterine fibroid (leiomyomata) of various sizes in 100 (39.5%) of the women, followed by ovarian cyst in 56 (22.2%) and endometriosis in 11 (4.4%) women. Other pathologies observed include uterine abnormalities and unruptured ectopic pregnancy. Only 16 (37.2%) of the 43 "normal" women had no additional pelvic pathology. The high prevalence o tuboperitoneal factor and additional pelvic pathology in these infertile women reveal the importance of laparoscopic evaluation. We recommend the use of laparoscopy and dye test as a first line investigation in our environment to

Modal analysis of a grid-connected direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator wind turbine system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Jin; Wang, Xiao Ru; Chen, Zhe

2013-01-01

In order to study the stability of a grid-connected direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbine systems, this paper presents the modal analysis of a PMSG wind turbine system. A PMSG model suitable for small signal stability analysis is presented. The modal properties...... of a grid-connected PMSG wind turbine system are studied. Then the comprehensive impacts of the shaft model, shaft parameters, operation points and lengths of the transmission line on the modal characteristic of the system are investigated by the eigenvalue analysis method. Meanwhile, the corresponding...... analysis. It offers a better understanding about the essence of the stability of grid-connected PMSG wind turbine system....

Slim by design: serving healthy foods first in buffet lines improves overall meal selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Wansink, Brian; Hanks, Andrew S

2013-01-01

Each day, tens of millions of restaurant goers, conference attendees, college students, military personnel, and school children serve themselves at buffets--many being all-you-can-eat buffets. Knowing how the food order at a buffet triggers what a person selects could be useful in guiding diners to make healthier selections. The breakfast food selections of 124 health conference attendees were tallied at two separate seven-item buffet lines (which included cheesy eggs, potatoes, bacon, cinnamon rolls, low-fat granola, low-fat yogurt, and fruit). The food order between the two lines was reversed (least healthy to most healthy, and vise-versa). Participants were randomly assigned to choose their meal from one line or the other, and researchers recorded what participants selected. With buffet foods, the first ones seen are the ones most selected. Over 75% of diners selected the first food they saw, and the first three foods a person encountered in the buffet comprised 66% of all the foods they took. Serving the less healthy foods first led diners to take 31% more total food items (pselection of healthier foods was less common. Three words summarize these results: First foods most. What ends up on a buffet diner's plate is dramatically determined by the presentation order of food. Rearranging food order from healthiest to least healthy can nudge unknowing or even resistant diners toward a healthier meal, helping make them slim by design. Health-conscious diners, can proactively start at the healthier end of the line, and this same basic principle of "first foods most" may be relevant in other contexts - such as when serving or passing food at family dinners.

Modal and Mixed Specifications: Key Decision Problems and their Complexities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Antonik, Adam; Huth, Michael; Larsen, Kim Guldstrand

2010-01-01

, and whether all implementations of one specification are implementations of another one. For each of these decision problems we investigate the worst-case computational complexity for the modal and mixed case. We show that the first decision problem is EXPTIME-complete for modal as well as for mixed......Modal and mixed transition systems are specification formalisms that allow mixing of over- and under-approximation. We discuss three fundamental decision problems for such specifications: whether a set of specifications has a common implementation, whether a sole specification has an implementation...... specifications. We prove that the second decision problem is EXPTIME-complete for mixed specifications (while it is known to be trivial for modal ones). The third decision problem is furthermore demonstrated to be EXPTIME-complete for mixed specifications....

HIV multi-drug resistance at first-line antiretroviral failure and subsequent virological response in Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Jiamsakul, Awachana; Sungkanuparph, Somnuek; Law, Matthew; Kantor, Rami; Praparattanapan, Jutarat; Li, Patrick CK; Phanuphak, Praphan; Merati, Tuti; Ratanasuwan, Winai; Lee, Christopher KC; Ditangco, Rossana; Mustafa, Mahiran; Singtoroj, Thida; Kiertiburanakul, Sasisopin

2014-01-01

Introduction First-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure often results from the development of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs). Three patterns, including thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs), 69 Insertion (69Ins) and the Q151M complex, are associated with resistance to multiple-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and may compromise treatment options for second-line ART. Methods We investigated patterns and factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure in patients from The TREAT Asia Studies to Evaluate Resistance – Monitoring study (TASER-M), and evaluated their impact on virological responses at 12 months after switching to second-line ART. RAMs were compared with the IAS-USA 2013 mutations list. We defined multi-NRTI RAMs as the presence of either Q151M; 69Ins; ≥2 TAMs; or M184V+≥1 TAM. Virological suppression was defined as viral load (VL) Malaysia and Philippines were included. There were 97/105 (92%) patients harbouring ≥1 RAMs at first-line failure, 39/105 with multi-NRTI RAMs: six with Q151M; 24 with ≥2 TAMs; and 32 with M184V+≥1 TAM. Factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs were CD4 ≤200 cells/µL at genotyping (OR=4.43, 95% CI [1.59–12.37], p=0.004) and ART duration >2 years (OR=6.25, 95% CI [2.39–16.36], p<0.001). Among 87/105 patients with available VL at 12 months after switch to second-line ART, virological suppression was achieved in 85%. The median genotypic susceptibility score (GSS) for the second-line regimen was 2.00. Patients with ART adherence ≥95% were more likely to be virologically suppressed (OR=9.33, 95% CI (2.43–35.81), p=0.001). Measures of patient resistance to second-line ART, including the GSS, were not significantly associated with virological outcome. Conclusions Multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure were associated with low CD4 level and longer duration of ART. With many patients switching to highly susceptible regimens, good adherence was still crucial in achieving

Retrospective analysis of first-line treatment for follicular lymphoma based on outcomes and medical economics.

Science.gov (United States)

Muneishi, Manaka; Nakamura, Ayaka; Tachibana, Katsumi; Suemitsu, Junko; Hasebe, Shinji; Takeuchi, Kazuto; Yakushijin, Yoshihiro

2018-04-01

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), with indolent progression. Several treatment options are selected, based not only on disease status, quality of life (QOL), and age of patient, but also on recent increasing medical costs. We retrospectively analysed the first-line treatment of FL with regard to treatment outcomes and medical economics, and discuss the appropriate strategies for FL. Data on a total of 69 newly-diagnosed patients with FL was retrospectively collected from 2001 to 2015. The median age of the patients was 60 years and the median follow-up was 58 months. A total of 25 cases with FL were treated with R monotherapy, and 28 cases were treated with R-CHOP as first-line treatment. The factors affecting the decision of physicians to use R or R-CHOP treatment were serum level of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and disease stage. The first-line treatment-associated survival did not show any statistical differences between R and R-CHOP. The average hospitalization and average of all medical costs during the first-line treatment were 4.1 days (R) versus 55.7 days (R-CHOP), and JPY 1,707,693 (USD 15,324) (R) versus JPY 2,136,117 (USD 19,170) (R-CHOP), respectively. R monotherapy for patients whose diseases show low tumor burden and who are not candidates for local treatment has benefits as a first-line treatment compared to R-CHOP, based on the patients' QOL and medical economics.

A study on identification of nonlinear structure by experimental modal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sone, Akira; Suzuki, Kohei; Nakamura, Hajime.

1990-01-01

In this paper, identification techniques based on the experimental modal analysis for the equivalent modal parameters of nonlinear structures are examined from a practical viewpoint. First, using a simple cantilever model with gap or friction at the supported end, the gain characteristics of transfer function are evaluated through the sinusoidal sweep test and random wave test. Second, the equivalent modal parameters such as natural frequency and damping ratio are estimated by two types of identification techniques: ARMA (autoregressive/moving average) model fitting and curve fitting with iterative calculations. From the comparison of the response of the model obtained by the random excitation test and numerical calculation using the equivalent modal parameters, it has been clarified that the ARMA model fitting can be applied to linearized modal parameter identification for nonlinear structures. (author)

Comparative analysis of success of psoriasis treatment with standard therapeutic modalities and balneotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Baros, Duka Ninković; Gajanin, Vesna S; Gajanin, Radoslav B; Zrnić, Bogdan

2014-01-01

Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory, immune-mediated skin disease. In addition to standard therapeutic modalities (antibiotics, cytostatics, phototherapy, photochemotherapy and retinoids), nonstandard methods can be used in the treatment of psoriasis. This includes balneotherapy which is most commonly used in combination with therapeutic resources. The aim of this research was to determine the length of remission of psoriasis in patients treated with standard therapeutic modalities, balneotherapy, and combined treatment (standard therapeutic modalities and balneotherapy). The study analyzed 60 adult patients, of both sexes, with different clinical forms of psoriasis, who were divided into three groups according to the applied therapeutic modalities: the first group (treated with standard therapeutic modalities), the second group (treated with balneotherapy) and the third group (treated with combined therapy-standard methods therapy and balneotherapy). The Psoriasis Area and Severity Index was determined in first, third and sixth week of treatment for all patients. The following laboratory analysis were performed and monitored: C reactive protein, iron with total iron binding capacity, unsaturated iron binding capacity and ferritin, uric acid, rheumatoid factors and antibodies to streptolysin O in the first and sixth week of treatment. The average length of remission in patients treated with standard therapeutic modalities and in those treated with balneotherapy was 1.77 +/- 0.951 months and 1.79 +/- 0.918 months, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in the duration of remission between the patients treated with combination therapy and patients treated with standard therapeutic modalities (p = 0.019) and balneotherapy (p = 0.032). The best results have been achieved when the combination therapy was administered.

Detecting Pedestrian Flocks by Fusion of Multi-Modal Sensors in Mobile Phones

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjærgaard, Mikkel Baun; Wirz, Martin; Roggen, Daniel

2012-01-01

derived from multiple sensor modalities of modern smartphones. Automatic detection of flocks has several important applications, including evacuation management and socially aware computing. The novelty of this paper is, firstly, to use data fusion techniques to combine several sensor modalities (WiFi...

First-line managers' experiences of alternative modes of funding in elderly care in Sweden.

Science.gov (United States)

Antonsson, Helen; Korjonen, Susanne Eriksson; Rosengren, Kristina

2012-09-01

The aim of this study was to describe first-line managers' experiences of alternative modes of funding elderly care in two communities in western Sweden. A growing elderly population demands alternative modes of funding elderly care for better outcomes for patients and better efficiency as it is publicly funded through taxation. The study comprised a total of eight semi-structured interviews with first-line managers working within elderly care. The interviews were analysed using manifest qualitative content analysis. Respect for the individuals was a main concern in the study. One category, quality improvement, and four subcategories freedom of choice, organisational structure, quality awareness and market forces effects were identified to describe first-line managers' experiences of the operation of elderly care. Quality improvement was an important factor to deal with when elderly care was operated in different organisational perspectives, either private or public. The first-line manager is a key person for developing a learning organisation that encourages both staff, clients and their relatives to improve the organisation. Moreover, person-centred care strengthens the client's role in the organisation, which is in line with the government's goal for the quality improvement of elderly care. However, further research is needed on how quality improvement could be developed when different caregivers operate in the same market in order to improve care from the elderly perspective. This study highlights alternative modes of funding elderly care. The economical perspectives should not dominate without taking care of quality improvement when the operation of elderly care is planned and implemented. Strategies such as a learning organisational structure built on person-centred care could create quality improvement in elderly care. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Clinical Observation of Icotinib Hydrochloride in First-line Therapy 
for Pulmonary Adenocarcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinjie YANG

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Background and objective It has been proven that icotinib hydrochloride, as a molecule targeted drug, can be safely and efficiently used to treat advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC for second-line or third-line. This research was aimed to investigate the efficacy and toxicity of icotinib hydrochloride as the first-line therapy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma. Results Among the 56 patients, the tumor objective response rate (ORR and disease control rate (DCR was 46.4% (26/56 and 78.6% (46/56, respectively. Among the 20 patients with EGFR analyses, 18 patients were positive for a mutation, ORR was 66.7% (12/18, DCR was 94.4% (17/18 respectively. The ORR with no history of smoke. EGFR positive mutation and appearance of rash were significantly higher than those with smoker, wild type EGFR, no information about EGFR and no appearance of rash (P<0.05. The most common drug-related adverse events were mild skin rash (28.5% and diarrhea (12%. Conclusion Single agent treatment with icotinib hydrochloride is effective and tolerable in first-line therapy for pulmonary adenocarcinoma, especially with EGFR mutation.

Responsibilities and commitment of top management and first line management in organizational-level interventions - what difference does it make?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gish, Liv; Ipsen, Christine; Poulsen, Signe

Researchers advocate that interventions should apply a participatory approach i.e. employee participation. It is also widely recognized that top management’s support is an important part of a successful intervention implementation. Lately there has been a request for multi-level intervention...... momentum and increase chances of successful implementation. Four SMEs participated in the study. The typical intervention construct was that top management initiated the intervention and first line managers had to manage the intervention on a daily basis together with two selected employees who acted as in...... between top management and first line management. The top manager’s most important responsibilities were to ensure that the first line manager understood the purpose of the intervention, and to support the first line manager’s dispositions through the intervention. The first line manager’s most important...

First-in-human study of PET and optical dual-modality image-guided surgery in glioblastoma using 68Ga-IRDye800CW-BBN.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Deling; Zhang, Jingjing; Chi, Chongwei; Xiao, Xiong; Wang, Junmei; Lang, Lixin; Ali, Iqbal; Niu, Gang; Zhang, Liwei; Tian, Jie; Ji, Nan; Zhu, Zhaohui; Chen, Xiaoyuan

2018-01-01

Purpose : Despite the use of fluorescence-guided surgery (FGS), maximum safe resection of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains a major challenge. It has restricted surgeons between preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative treatment. Currently, an integrated approach combining preoperative assessment with intraoperative guidance would be a significant step in this direction. Experimental design : We developed a novel 68 Ga-IRDye800CW-BBN PET/near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dual-modality imaging probe targeting gastrin-releasing peptide receptor (GRPR) in GBM. The preclinical in vivo tumor imaging and FGS were first evaluated using an orthotopic U87MG glioma xenograft model. Subsequently, the first-in-human prospective cohort study (NCT 02910804) of GBM patients were conducted with preoperative PET assessment and intraoperative FGS. Results : The orthotopic tumors in mice could be precisely resected using the near-infrared intraoperative system. Translational cohort research in 14 GBM patients demonstrated an excellent correlation between preoperative positive PET uptake and intraoperative NIRF signal. The tumor fluorescence signals were significantly higher than those from adjacent brain tissue in vivo and ex vivo (p dual-modality imaging technique is feasible for integrated pre- and intraoperative targeted imaging via the same molecular receptor and improved intraoperative GBM visualization and maximum safe resection.

PENGARUH GOOD CORPORATE GOVERNANCE, KINERJA KEUANGAN, MODAL INTELEKTUAL TERHADAP PENGUNGKAPAN MODAL INTELEKTUAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gilang Anies Saendy

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Dampak perkembangan globalisasi membutuhkan informasi lebih lanjut, terutama informasi tentang modal intelektual perusahaan. Tapi, dalam kondisi nyata informasi modal intelektual masih rendah, yakni sekitar 27-35%. Objek penelitian ini adalah perbankan yang terdapat dalam direktori Pasar Modal Indonesia (ICMD 2010-2013. Jumlah populasi adalah 36 perbankan dan 17 sampel dengan menggunakan purposive sampling. Metode yang digunakan adalah analisis jalur. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa tidak pengaruh antara pelaksanaan GCG untuk pengungkapan modal intelektual dan kinerja keuangan. Selain itu, ada pengaruh positif antara kinerja modal intelektual terhadap kinerja keuangan dan kinerja keuangan untuk pengungkapan modal intelektual. Selanjutnya, hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa tidak efek mediasi melalui kinerja keuangan perusahaan antara implementasi GCG dalam pengungkapan modal intelektual. Hasilnya juga mengatakan ada efek mediasi antara pelaksanaan GCG untuk pengungkapan modal intelektual pikir kinerja modal intelektual. The development due to the increase of globalization gives impact to the need of having more information. One of them is the need to have information on company’s intellectual capital. But, in real condition, intellectual capital information is still low. It is about 27-35%. The objects of this research are banks organized in Indonesian Capital Market Directory (ICMD from 2010-2013. Total populations were 36 banks, and finally 17 samples were selected by using purposive sampling. The method used is path analysis. The results of this research show that there is no influence between GCG’s implementation on intellectual capital disclosure and financial performance. However, there are  positive influences of intellectual capital performance on the financial performance, and financial performance on the disclosure of intellectual capital. Besides, this research said that there is no effect of mediation through the company

A modal specification theory for components with data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauer, Sebastian S.; Larsen, Kim G.; Legay, Axel

2014-01-01

of transitions allows for developing a unique approach for both logical and structural compositions, and eases the step-wise refine- ment process for building implementations. We propose Modal Specifications with Data (MSDs), the first modal specification theory with explicit representation of data. Our new...... theory includes the most commonly seen ingredients of a specification the- ory; that is parallel composition, conjunction and quotient. As MSDs are by nature potentially infinite-state systems, we propose symbolic representations based on effec- tive predicates. Our theory serves as a new abstraction...

{sup 11}C-Choline PET/CT for restaging prostate cancer. Results from 4,426 scans in a single-centre patient series

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graziani, Tiziano; Ceci, Francesco; Polverari, Giulia; Lima, Giacomo Maria; Lodi, Filippo; Fanti, Stefano [S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Service of Nuclear Medicine, Bologna (Italy); Castellucci, Paolo [S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Service of Nuclear Medicine, Bologna (Italy); Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Policlinico S. Orsola-Malpighi, UO Medicina Nucleare, Bologna (Italy); Morganti, Alessio Giuseppe [S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Department of Radiotherapy, Bologna (Italy); Ardizzoni, Andrea [S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Department of Oncology, Bologna (Italy); Schiavina, Riccardo [S. Orsola-Malpighi Hospital, University of Bologna, Department of Urology, Bologna (Italy)

2016-10-15

To evaluate {sup 11}C-choline PET/CT as a diagnostic tool for restaging prostate cancer (PCa), in a large, homogeneous and clinically relevant population of patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) of PCa after primary therapy. The secondary aim was to assess the best timing for performing {sup 11}C-choline PET/CT during BCR. We retrospectively analysed 9,632 {sup 11}C-choline PET/CT scans performed in our institution for restaging PCa from January 2007 to June 2015. The inclusion criteria were: (1) proven PCa radically treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) or with primary external beam radiotherapy (EBRT); (2) PSA serum values available; (3) proven BCR (PSA >0.2 ng/mL after RP or PSA >2 ng/mL above the nadir after primary EBRT with rising PSA levels). Finally, 3,203 patients with recurrent PCa matching all the inclusion criteria were retrospectively enrolled and 4,426 scans were analysed. Overall, 52.8 % of the {sup 11}C-choline PET/CT scans (2,337/4,426) and 54.8 % of the patients (1,755/3,203) were positive. In 29.4 % of the scans, at least one distant finding was observed. The mean and median PSA values were, respectively, 4.9 and 2.1 ng/mL at the time of the scan (range 0.2 - 50 ng/mL). In our series, 995 scans were performed in patients with PSA levels between 1 and 2 ng/mL. In this subpopulation the positivity rate in the 995 scans was 44.7 %, with an incidence of distant findings of 19.2 % and an incidence of oligometastatic disease (one to three lesions) of 37.7 %. The absolute PSA value at the time of the scan and ongoing androgen deprivation therapy were associated with an increased probability of a positive {sup 11}C-choline PET/CT scan (p < 0.0001). In the ROC analysis, a PSA value of 1.16 ng/mL was the optimal cut-off value. In patients with a PSA value <1.16 ng/mL, 26.8 % of 1,426 {sup 11}C-choline PET/CT scans were positive, with oligometastatic disease in 84.7 % of positive scans. In a large cohort of patients, the feasibility of {sup 11}C

The Ceremonial Side of Training--Of What Value to First-Line Supervisors?

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Fred P.

1976-01-01

A case study to determine whether the recognition of being selected for a training program and the satisfactory completion of it result in increased job satisfaction using 56 first-line supervisors from a textile company. (WL)

Evaluation of PET and MR datasets in integrated 18F-FDG PET/MRI: A comparison of different MR sequences for whole-body restaging of breast cancer patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grueneisen, Johannes; Sawicki, Lino Morris; Wetter, Axel; Kirchner, Julian; Kinner, Sonja; Aktas, Bahriye; Forsting, Michael; Ruhlmann, Verena; Umutlu, Lale

2017-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of different MR sequences and 18F-FDG PET data for whole-body restaging of breast cancer patients utilizing PET/MRI. Methods: A total of 36 patients with suspected tumor recurrence of breast cancer based on clinical follow-up or abnormal findings in follow-up examinations (e.g. CT, MRI) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent a PET/CT and subsequently an additional PET/MR scan. Two readers were instructed to identify the occurrence of a tumor relapse in subsequent MR and PET/MR readings, utilizing different MR sequence constellations for each session. The diagnostic confidence for the determination of a malignant or benign lesion was qualitatively rated (3-point ordinal scale) for each lesion in the different reading sessions and the lesion conspicuity (4-point ordinal scale) for the three different MR sequences was additionally evaluated. Results: Tumor recurrence was present in 25/36 (69%) patients. All three PET/MRI readings showed a significantly higher accuracy as well as higher confidence levels for the detection of recurrent breast cancer lesions when compared to MRI alone (p < 0.05). Furthermore, all three PET/MR sequence constellations showed comparable diagnostic accuracy for the identification of a breast cancer recurrence (p > 0.05), yet the highest confidence levels were obtained, when all three MR sequences were used for image interpretation. Moreover, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted VIBE imaging showed significantly higher values for the delineation of malignant and benign lesions when compared to T2 w HASTE and diffusion-weighted imaging. Conclusion: Integrated PET/MRI provides superior restaging of breast cancer patients over MRI alone. Facing the need for appropriate and efficient whole-body PET/MR protocols, our results show the feasibility of fast and morphologically adequate PET/MR protocols. However, considering an equivalent accuracy for the detection of breast cancer

Evaluation of PET and MR datasets in integrated 18F-FDG PET/MRI: A comparison of different MR sequences for whole-body restaging of breast cancer patients

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grueneisen, Johannes, E-mail: Johannes.grueneisen@uk-essen.de [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany); Sawicki, Lino Morris [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Dusseldorf, University of Dusseldorf, D-40225 Dusseldorf (Germany); Wetter, Axel [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany); Kirchner, Julian [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University Hospital, Dusseldorf, University of Dusseldorf, D-40225 Dusseldorf (Germany); Kinner, Sonja [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany); Aktas, Bahriye [Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany); Forsting, Michael [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany); Ruhlmann, Verena [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany); Umutlu, Lale [Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, D-45147 Essen (Germany)

2017-04-15

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic value of different MR sequences and 18F-FDG PET data for whole-body restaging of breast cancer patients utilizing PET/MRI. Methods: A total of 36 patients with suspected tumor recurrence of breast cancer based on clinical follow-up or abnormal findings in follow-up examinations (e.g. CT, MRI) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent a PET/CT and subsequently an additional PET/MR scan. Two readers were instructed to identify the occurrence of a tumor relapse in subsequent MR and PET/MR readings, utilizing different MR sequence constellations for each session. The diagnostic confidence for the determination of a malignant or benign lesion was qualitatively rated (3-point ordinal scale) for each lesion in the different reading sessions and the lesion conspicuity (4-point ordinal scale) for the three different MR sequences was additionally evaluated. Results: Tumor recurrence was present in 25/36 (69%) patients. All three PET/MRI readings showed a significantly higher accuracy as well as higher confidence levels for the detection of recurrent breast cancer lesions when compared to MRI alone (p < 0.05). Furthermore, all three PET/MR sequence constellations showed comparable diagnostic accuracy for the identification of a breast cancer recurrence (p > 0.05), yet the highest confidence levels were obtained, when all three MR sequences were used for image interpretation. Moreover, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted VIBE imaging showed significantly higher values for the delineation of malignant and benign lesions when compared to T2 w HASTE and diffusion-weighted imaging. Conclusion: Integrated PET/MRI provides superior restaging of breast cancer patients over MRI alone. Facing the need for appropriate and efficient whole-body PET/MR protocols, our results show the feasibility of fast and morphologically adequate PET/MR protocols. However, considering an equivalent accuracy for the detection of breast cancer

Evaluation of PET and MR datasets in integrated 18F-FDG PET/MRI: A comparison of different MR sequences for whole-body restaging of breast cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Grueneisen, Johannes; Sawicki, Lino Morris; Wetter, Axel; Kirchner, Julian; Kinner, Sonja; Aktas, Bahriye; Forsting, Michael; Ruhlmann, Verena; Umutlu, Lale

2017-04-01

To investigate the diagnostic value of different MR sequences and 18F-FDG PET data for whole-body restaging of breast cancer patients utilizing PET/MRI. A total of 36 patients with suspected tumor recurrence of breast cancer based on clinical follow-up or abnormal findings in follow-up examinations (e.g. CT, MRI) were prospectively enrolled in this study. All patients underwent a PET/CT and subsequently an additional PET/MR scan. Two readers were instructed to identify the occurrence of a tumor relapse in subsequent MR and PET/MR readings, utilizing different MR sequence constellations for each session. The diagnostic confidence for the determination of a malignant or benign lesion was qualitatively rated (3-point ordinal scale) for each lesion in the different reading sessions and the lesion conspicuity (4-point ordinal scale) for the three different MR sequences was additionally evaluated. Tumor recurrence was present in 25/36 (69%) patients. All three PET/MRI readings showed a significantly higher accuracy as well as higher confidence levels for the detection of recurrent breast cancer lesions when compared to MRI alone (psequence constellations showed comparable diagnostic accuracy for the identification of a breast cancer recurrence (p>0.05), yet the highest confidence levels were obtained, when all three MR sequences were used for image interpretation. Moreover, contrast-enhanced T1-weighted VIBE imaging showed significantly higher values for the delineation of malignant and benign lesions when compared to T2w HASTE and diffusion-weighted imaging. Integrated PET/MRI provides superior restaging of breast cancer patients over MRI alone. Facing the need for appropriate and efficient whole-body PET/MR protocols, our results show the feasibility of fast and morphologically adequate PET/MR protocols. However, considering an equivalent accuracy for the detection of breast cancer recurrences in the three PET/MR readings, the application of contrast-agent and the

The use of super-selective mesenteric embolisation as a first-line management of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bryan Soh, MBBS, BBiomedSci, PGDipSurgAnat

2017-05-01

Conclusion: Super-selective mesenteric embolisation is a viable, safe and effective first line management for localised LGIB. Our results overall compare favourably with the published experiences of other institutions. It is now accepted first-line practice at our institution to manage localised LGIB with embolisation.

Diagnostic accuracy and prognostic impact of restaging by magnetic resonance imaging after preoperative chemoradiotherapy in patients with rectal cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huh, Jung Wook; Kim, Hee Cheol; Lee, Soon Jin; Yun, Seong Hyeon; Lee, Woo Yong; Park, Yoon Ah; Cho, Yong Beom; Chun, Ho-Kyung

2014-01-01

Background: The prognostic role of restaging rectal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with preoperative CRT has not been established. The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic role of radiological staging by rectal MRI after preoperative chemoradiation (CRT) in patients with rectal cancer. Methods: A total of 231 consecutive patients with rectal cancer who underwent preoperative CRT and radical resection from January 2008 to December 2009 were prospectively enrolled. The diagnostic accuracy and prognostic significance of post-CRT radiological staging by MRI was evaluated. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of radiological diagnosis of good responders (ypTNM stage 0–I) were 32%, 90%, 65%, and 69%, respectively. The overall accuracy of MRI restating for good responders was 68%. The 5-year disease-free survival rates of patients with radiological and pathological TNM stage 0, stage I, and stage II–III were 100%, 94%, and 76%, respectively (P = 0.037), and 97%, 87%, and 73%, respectively (P = 0.007). On multivariate analysis, post-CRT radiological staging by MRI was an independent prognostic factor for disease-free survival. Conclusion: Radiological staging by MRI after preoperative CRT may be an independent predictor of survival in patients with rectal cancer

Effect of center practices on the choice of the first dialysis modality for children and young adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hogan, Julien; Ranchin, Bruno; Fila, Marc; Harambat, Jérome; Krid, Saoussen; Vrillon, Isabelle; Roussey, Gwenaelle; Fischbach, Michel; Couchoud, Cécile

2017-04-01

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) remains the modality of choice in children, but there is no clear evidence to support a better outcome in children treated with PD. We aimed to assess factors that have an impact on the choice of dialysis modality in children and young adults in France and sought to determine the roles of medical factors and center practices. We included all patients aged dialysis modality. We included 806 patients starting RRT in 177 centers, 23 of which were specialized pediatric centers. Six hundred and one patients (74.6 %) started with hemodialysis (HD), whereas 205 (25.4 %) started with PD. A greater probability of PD was found in younger children, whereas starting the treatment in an emergency setting was associated with a low use of PD. We found a significant variability among centers that accounted for 43 % of the total variability. The probability of PD was higher in adult centers and was proportional to the rate of PD in the center. Center practices are a major factor in the choice of dialysis modality. This raises concerns about patient and family choices and to what extent doctors may influence the final decision. Further pediatric studies focusing on children's and parents' wishes are needed to provide care as close as possible to patients' and families' expectations.

The Association between Peritoneal Dialysis Modality and Peritonitis

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, David W.; McDonald, Stephen P.; Boudville, Neil; Borlace, Monique; Badve, Sunil V.; Sud, Kamal; Clayton, Philip A.

2014-01-01

Background and objectives There is conflicting evidence comparing peritonitis rates among patients treated with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or automated peritoneal dialysis (APD). This study aims to clarify the relationship between peritoneal dialysis (PD) modality (APD versus CAPD) and the risk of developing PD-associated peritonitis. Design, setting, participants, & measurements This study examined the association between PD modality (APD versus CAPD) and the risks, microbiology, and clinical outcomes of PD-associated peritonitis in 6959 incident Australian PD patients between October 1, 2003, and December 31, 2011, using data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry. Median follow-up time was 1.9 years. Results Patients receiving APD were younger (60 versus 64 years) and had fewer comorbidities. There was no association between PD modality and time to first peritonitis episode (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] for APD versus CAPD, 0.98; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.91 to 1.07; P=0.71). However, there was a lower hazard of developing Gram-positive peritonitis with APD than CAPD, which reached borderline significance (HR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.80 to 1.00; P=0.05). No statistically significant difference was found in the risk of hospitalizations (odds ratio, 1.12; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.35; P=0.22), but there was a nonsignificant higher likelihood of 30-day mortality (odds ratio, 1.33; 95% CI, 0.93 to 1.88; P=0.11) at the time of the first episode of peritonitis for patients receiving APD. For all peritonitis episodes (including subsequent episodes of peritonitis), APD was associated with lower rates of culture-negative peritonitis (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.81; 95% CI, 0.69 to 0.94; P=0.002) and higher rates of gram-negative peritonitis (IRR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.13 to 1.46; P=0.01). Conclusions PD modality was not associated with a higher likelihood of developing peritonitis. However, APD was associated with a borderline

Advances of operational modal identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, L.

2001-01-01

Operational modal analysis has shown many advantages compared to the traditional one. In this paper, the development of ambient modal identification in time domain is summarized. The mathematical models for modal identification have been presented as unified framework for time domain (TD) System realization algorithms, such as polyrefence (PRCE), extended Ibrahim time domain (EITD) and eigensystem realization algorithm (ERA), etc., and recently developed Stochastic subspace technique (SST). The latest technique named as frequency domain decomposition (FDD) is introduced for operational modal identification, which has many advantages as a frequency domain (FD) technique. Applications of the operational modal analysis in civil and mechanical engineering have shown the success and accuracy of the advanced operational modal identification algorithms- FDD and SST techniques. The major issues of TD and FD operational modal identification are also discussed. (author)

Mixed-Modality Stimulation to Evoke Two Modalities Simultaneously in One Channel for Electrocutaneous Sensory Feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Kyunghwan; Kim, Pyungkang; Kim, Kyung-Soo; Kim, Soohyun

2017-12-01

One of the long-standing challenges in upper limb prosthetics is restoring the sensory feedback that is missing due to amputation. Two approaches have previously been presented to provide various types of sensory information to users, namely, multi-modality sensory feedback and using an array of single-modality stimulators. However, the feedback systems used in these approaches were too bulky to be embedded in prosthesis sockets. In this paper, we propose an electrocutaneous sensory feedback method that is capable of conveying two modalities simultaneously with only one electrode. The stimulation method, which we call mixed-modality stimulation, utilizes the phenomenon in which the superposition of two electric pulse trains of different frequencies is able to evoke two different modalities (i.e., pressure and tapping) at the same time. We conducted psychophysical experiments in which healthy subjects were required to recognize the intensity of pressure or the frequency of tapping from mixed-modality or two-channel stimulations. The results demonstrated that the subjects were able to discriminate the features of the two modalities in one electrode during mixed-modality stimulation and that the accuracies of successful recognitions (mean ± standard deviation) for the two feedback variables were 84.3 ± 7% for mixed-modality stimulation and 89.5 ± 6% for two-channel dual-modality stimulation, showing no statistically significant difference. Therefore, mixed-modality stimulation is an attractive method for modulating two modalities independently with only one electrode, and it could be used for implementing a compact sensory feedback system that is able to provide two different types of sensory information from prosthetics.

Clinical value of FDG hybrid-PET in staging and restaging of malignant lymphoma. Compared with conventional diagnostic methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pichler, R.; Maschek, W.; Hatzl-Griesenhofer, M.; Huber, H.; Wimmer, G.; Wahl, G.; Fridrik, M.

2000-01-01

Aim of the present retrospective study was to validate the clinical value of F-18-FDG PET imaging in lymphoma patients with a dual head camera modified for coincidence detection. Staging before and after oncological treatment was compared with a conservative diagnostic approach. Methods: 48 patients (28 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 20 Hodgkin's disease) received FDG-Hybrid-PET scans. Pretherapeutic staging was realized in 28 patients, 9 of them had control studies after they had completed therapy. Totally 29 persons were examined for posttherapeutic restaging. Computed tomography imaging and lymph node sonography was performed in all cases. Results were validated by clinical follow-up, in three cases a recidive was proven by biopsy. Results: CT and ultrasound detected 77 lesions in 28 patients compared with 100 visualized by PET, but this difference in pretherapeutic staging did not reach significance at p>0.05 by Fisher's t-test. Hybrid-PET obtained a sensitivity of 93%, a specifity of 79%, a positive of 82% and a negative predictive value of 92% for detection of residual disease. The values for CT+US were 87%, 64%, 72% and 88% respectively. Conclusion: FDG Hybrid-PET is as or even more accurate than standard morphologic diagnostic methods for prestaging in malignant lymphoma. Additionally, there is a substancial benefit for therapy monitoring of residual disease using coincidence detection PET with a 3/4-inch crystal gamma camera. (orig.) [de

Adenocarcinoma Prostate With Neuroendocrine Differentiation: Potential Utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT Over 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT.

Science.gov (United States)

Parida, Girish Kumar; Tripathy, Sarthak; Datta Gupta, Shreya; Singhal, Abhinav; Kumar, Rakesh; Bal, Chandrasekhar; Shamim, Shamim Ahmed

2018-04-01

Ga-PSMA PET/CT is the upcoming imaging modality for staging, restaging and response assessment of prostate cancer. However, due to neuroendocrine differentiation in some of patients with prostate cancer, they express somatostatin receptors instead of prostate specific membrane antigen. This can be exploited and other modalities like Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT and F-FDG PET/CT should be used in such cases for guiding management. We hereby discuss a similar case of 67-year-old man of adenocarcinoma prostate with neuroendocrine differentiation, which shows the potential pitfall of Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging and benefit of Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT and F-FDG PET/CT in such cases.

First on-line positron experiments en route to pair-plasma creation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stanja, Juliane; Hergenhahn, Uwe; Stenson, Eve V. [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik (Germany); Niemann, Holger; Sunn Pedersen, Thomas [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik (Germany); Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universitaet Greifswald (Germany); Saitoh, Haruhiko [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Plasmaphysik (Germany); The University of Tokyo (Japan); Stoneking, Matthew R. [Lawrence University (United States); Hugenschmidt, Christoph; Piochacz, Christian [Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Schweikhard, Lutz [Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universitaet Greifswald (Germany)

2016-07-01

Electron-positron plasmas are predicted to show a fundamentally different behavior from traditional ion-electron plasmas, because of the equal masses of the two species. Using up to 10{sup 9} positrons per second provided by the NEPOMUC (Neutron-Induced Positron Source Munich) facility, the APEX/PAX team aims to create the first such plasma confined in a toroidal magnetic trap. Positron beam parameters as well as efficient injection and confinement schemes for both species in toroidal geometries are fundamental to the project. In this contribution we present results from first on-line positron experiments. Besides characterizing the NEPOMUC beam we conducted positron injection experiments into a dipole magnetic field configuration. Using static electric fields, a 5-eV positron beam was transported across magnetic field lines into the confinement region. With this method, up to 38% of the incoming particles reach the confinement region and make at least a 180 revolution around the magnet. Under dedicated experimental conditions confinement on the order of 1 ms was realized.

Hypoxic cell turnover in different solid tumor lines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ljungkvist, Anna S.E.; Bussink, Johan; Kaanders, Johannes H.A.M.; Rijken, Paulus F.J.W.; Begg, Adrian C.; Raleigh, James A.; Kogel, Albert J. van der

2005-01-01

Purpose: Most solid tumors contain hypoxic cells, and the amount of tumor hypoxia has been shown to have a negative impact on the outcome of radiotherapy. The efficacy of combined modality treatments depends both on the sequence and timing of the treatments. Hypoxic cell turnover in tumors may be important for optimal scheduling of combined modality treatments, especially when hypoxic cell targeting is involved. Methods and Materials: Previously we have shown that a double bioreductive hypoxic marker assay could be used to detect changes of tumor hypoxia in relation to the tumor vasculature after carbogen and hydralazine treatments. This assay was used in the current study to establish the turnover rate of hypoxic cells in three different tumor models. The first hypoxic marker, pimonidazole, was administered at variable times before tumor harvest, and the second hypoxic marker, CCI-103F, was injected at a fixed time before harvest. Hypoxic cell turnover was defined as loss of pimonidazole (first marker) relative to CCI-103F (second marker). Results: The half-life of hypoxic cell turnover was 17 h in the murine C38 colon carcinoma line, 23 h and 49 h in the human xenograft lines MEC82 and SCCNij3, respectively. Within 24 h, loss of pimonidazole-stained areas in C38 and MEC82 occurred concurrent with the appearance of pimonidazole positive cell debris in necrotic regions. In C38 and MEC82, most of the hypoxic cells had disappeared after 48 h, whereas in SCCNij3, viable cells that had been labeled with pimonidazole were still observed after 5 days. Conclusions: The present study demonstrates that the double hypoxia marker assay can be used to study changes in both the proportion of hypoxic tumor cells and their lifespan at the same time. The present study shows that large differences in hypoxic cell turnover rates may exist among tumor lines, with half-lives ranging from 17-49 h

First- and Second-Line Targeted Systemic Therapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma—An Update on Patient Selection and Response Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Johann von Felden

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC with vascular invasion and/or extrahepatic spread and preserved liver function, according to stage C of the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC classification, has a dismal prognosis. The multi-targeted tyrosine-kinase receptor inhibitor (TKI sorafenib is the only proven active substance in systemic HCC therapy for first-line treatment. In this review, we summarize current aspects in patient selection and management of side effects, and provide an update on response evaluation during first-line sorafenib therapy. Since second-line treatment options have been improved with the successful completion of the RESORCE trial, demonstrating a survival benefit for second-line treatment with the TKI regorafenib, response monitoring during first-line therapy will be critical to deliver optimal systemic therapy in HCC. To this regard, specific side effects, in particular worsening of arterial hypertension and diarrhea, might suggest treatment response during first-line sorafenib therapy; however, clear predictive clinical markers, as well as laboratory test or serum markers, are not established. Assessment of radiologic response according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST is helpful to identify patients who do not benefit from sorafenib treatment.

Metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer: consensus on pathology and molecular tests, first-line, second-line, and third-line therapy: 1st ESMO Consensus Conference in Lung Cancer; Lugano 2010

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Felip, E; Gridelli, C; Baas, P

2011-01-01

the conference, the expert panel prepared clinically relevant questions concerning five areas: early and locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), first-line metastatic NSCLC, second-/third-line NSCLC, NSCLC pathology and molecular testing, and small-cell lung cancer to be addressed through discussion......The 1st ESMO Consensus Conference on lung cancer was held in Lugano, Switzerland on 21 and 22 May 2010 with the participation of a multidisciplinary panel of leading professionals in pathology and molecular diagnostics, medical oncology, surgical oncology and radiation oncology. Before...... at the Consensus Conference. All relevant scientific literature for each question was reviewed in advance. During the Consensus Conference, the panel developed recommendations for each specific question. The consensus agreement on three of these areas: NSCLC pathology and molecular testing, the treatment of first-line...

HIV multi-drug resistance at first-line antiretroviral failure and subsequent virological response in Asia.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiamsakul, Awachana; Sungkanuparph, Somnuek; Law, Matthew; Kantor, Rami; Praparattanapan, Jutarat; Li, Patrick C K; Phanuphak, Praphan; Merati, Tuti; Ratanasuwan, Winai; Lee, Christopher K C; Ditangco, Rossana; Mustafa, Mahiran; Singtoroj, Thida; Kiertiburanakul, Sasisopin

2014-01-01

First-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure often results from the development of resistance-associated mutations (RAMs). Three patterns, including thymidine analogue mutations (TAMs), 69 Insertion (69Ins) and the Q151M complex, are associated with resistance to multiple-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and may compromise treatment options for second-line ART. We investigated patterns and factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs at first-line failure in patients from The TREAT Asia Studies to Evaluate Resistance - Monitoring study (TASER-M), and evaluated their impact on virological responses at 12 months after switching to second-line ART. RAMs were compared with the IAS-USA 2013 mutations list. We defined multi-NRTI RAMs as the presence of either Q151M; 69Ins; ≥ 2 TAMs; or M184V+≥ 1 TAM. Virological suppression was defined as viral load (VL) failure and (2) factors associated with virological suppression after 12 months on second-line. A total of 105 patients from 10 sites in Thailand, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines were included. There were 97/105 (92%) patients harbouring ≥ 1 RAMs at first-line failure, 39/105 with multi-NRTI RAMs: six with Q151M; 24 with ≥ 2 TAMs; and 32 with M184V+≥ 1 TAM. Factors associated with multi-NRTI RAMs were CD4 ≤ 200 cells/µL at genotyping (OR=4.43, 95% CI [1.59-12.37], p=0.004) and ART duration >2 years (OR=6.25, 95% CI [2.39-16.36], pfailure were associated with low CD4 level and longer duration of ART. With many patients switching to highly susceptible regimens, good adherence was still crucial in achieving virological response. This emphasizes the importance of continued adherence counselling well into second-line therapy.

Kinetic Study of Curcumin on Modal Fabric

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Abu Naser Md. Ahsanul Haque

2018-03-01

Full Text Available A kinetic study of curcumin on modal fabric was carried out using an initial dye concentration of 1 g/L at three different temperatures, 70 °C, 85 °C and 100 °C, at pH 7 and an material to liquor ratio of 1:20. Pseudo first-order and pseudo second-order kinetics were applied, and it was found that the adsorption kinetics of curcumin on modal fabric matched the pseudo second-order kinetic model. The activation energy was found to be equal to 71.14 kJ/mol, while the enthalpy and entropy of activation were 68.16 kJ/mol and –66.02 J/molK respectively.

Experimental and Computational Modal Analyses for Launch Vehicle Models considering Liquid Propellant and Flange Joints

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Chang-Hoon Sim

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In this research, modal tests and analyses are performed for a simplified and scaled first-stage model of a space launch vehicle using liquid propellant. This study aims to establish finite element modeling techniques for computational modal analyses by considering the liquid propellant and flange joints of launch vehicles. The modal tests measure the natural frequencies and mode shapes in the first and second lateral bending modes. As the liquid filling ratio increases, the measured frequencies decrease. In addition, as the number of flange joints increases, the measured natural frequencies increase. Computational modal analyses using the finite element method are conducted. The liquid is modeled by the virtual mass method, and the flange joints are modeled using one-dimensional spring elements along with the node-to-node connection. Comparison of the modal test results and predicted natural frequencies shows good or moderate agreement. The correlation between the modal tests and analyses establishes finite element modeling techniques for modeling the liquid propellant and flange joints of space launch vehicles.

Pharmacoeconomic analysis of the use of first- and second-line drugs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. R. Mkrtchyan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: to make a pharmacoeconomic comparison of the administration of first- and second-line drugs in the treatment of multiple sclerosis through cost, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact analyses using the 2015 state prices.Material and methods. A pharmacoeconomic analysis was carried out on the basis of the data available in the literature on trials of the effects of the drugs on the rates of exacerbations and disability. On calculating, the authors took into account the current standards for the out- and inpatient management of patients with this nosological entity in accordance with the compulsory health insurance (CHI program; prices for state drug purchases in March 2015; prices for medical services in compliance with the CHI standards in Moscow in 2015; the average sizes of minimum wage, salary, and disability grants with consideration for a discount rate of 3%. The cost-effectiveness and budget impact analyses were performed for intramuscular interferon (INF-β1a (avonex, 30 μg, subcutaneous INF-β1a (rebif, 44 μg, subcutaneous INF-β1b (ronbetal, 8,000,000 IU, subcutaneous INF-β1b (betaferon, 9,600,000 IU, subcutaneous glatiramer acetate (copaxone, 20 mg, intravenous natalizumab (tyzabri, 300 mg, and oral fingolimod (gilenya, 0.5 mg.Results and discussion. The second-line drug tyzabri outperforms the first-line agents for cost-effectiveness. The first-line drugs betaferon and copaxone is slightly exceeded in this indicator by tyzabri; the other both first- and second-line agents compared are all the more inferior in this indicator. The budget impact analysis has shown that the cost of the second-line drugs was higher than that of the first-line ones.

Qualitative study of patients’ decision-making when accepting second-line treatment after failure of first-line chemotherapy

Science.gov (United States)

Roch, Benoît; Roth, Caroline; Mérel, Jean-Pierre

2018-01-01

Objective Treatment failures in advanced lung cancer are frequent events affecting patients during or after first-line chemotherapy. International guidelines recommend second-line chemotherapy. However, around one half of patients who experience disease progression enter a systemic second-line therapy. In the herein qualitative study, we investigated patients' thoughts and attitudes determining the decision to undergo a second-line chemotherapy. Methods Thirty-three purposively selected patients who recently accepted second-line or palliative chemotherapy were invited to participate in this survey consisting of semi-structured in-depth interviews. Grounded theory was applied to investigate participants’ perceptions of the context that have surrounded their decision to undergo palliative chemotherapy. Results For most patients, tumor burden and reduced quality of life in relation with lung cancer itself were major drivers of the decision-making process. There was a balance between two different attitudes: making a decision to undergo a new line of chemotherapy or starting a psychological process in order to accept end of life. Choosing between these two attitudes allowed the patient to keep the matter of palliative care at a distance. Even in case of low chance of success, many patients who worried about their life partner's future would accept a new chemotherapy line. Some patients experienced ambivalent thoughts regarding social network, particularly about their family as daily function impairment required an increased need for relative's support. The initial "Worrying about others" thoughts left place to in an increasing self-need of care as those provided by relatives; this phenomenon might increase patients' self- perception of being a burden for others. Confidence previously established with formal caregiver support was another major decision driver: some patients with sustained confidence in their medical staff may have privileged this formal support rather

Modal Logics and Definability

OpenAIRE

Kuusisto, Antti

2013-01-01

In recent years, research into the mathematical foundations of modal logic has become increasingly popular. One of the main reasons for this is the fact that modal logic seems to adapt well to the requirements of a wide range of different fields of application. This paper is a summary of some of the author’s contributions to the understanding of modal definability theory.

Use of yttrium-90 hydroxyapatite radiosynovectomy as a primary modality of treatment in diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis of the knee joint: A first case report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamaleshwaran, Koramadai Karuppusamy; Rajan, David; Krishnan, Boopathi; Gounder, Thirumalaisamy Subbaih; Chakraborty, Sudipta; Kalarickal, Radhakrishnan; Mohanan, Vyshakh; Shinto, Ajit Sugunan

2015-01-01

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) is a rare, relatively benign, intra-articular lesion characterized by a slowly progressive proliferation of synovial tissue. Knee is the most frequently involved joint. Localized and diffuse forms of synovial involvement were reported. In extensive diffuse cases, total synovectomy is needed, almost impossible to achieve. Hence, other treatment modalities such as intra-articular injection of yttrium-90 have been tried and shown to be effective in reducing the rate of local recurrence with “acceptable” joint damage. Radiosynovectomy is based on the irradiation of the joint synovium by the intra-articular administration of various β-emitting radiopharmaceuticals. We describe the first case report of use of yttrium-90 hydroxyapatite particulates in a 33-year-old male who presented with diffuse PVNS of knee joint as a primary modality of treatment

Advances in Modal Logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Modal logic is a subject with ancient roots in the western logical tradition. Up until the last few generations, it was pursued mainly as a branch of philosophy. But in recent years, the subject has taken new directions with connections to topics in computer science and mathematics. This volume...... is the proceedings of the conference of record in its fi eld, Advances in Modal Logic. Its contributions are state-of-the-art papers. The topics include decidability and complexity results for specifi c modal logics, proof theory of modal logic, logics for reasoning about time and space, provability logic, dynamic...... epistemic logic, and the logic of evidence....

Ground-Wave Propagation Effects on Transmission Lines through Error Images

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Uribe-Campos Felipe Alejandro

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Electromagnetic transient calculation of overhead transmission lines is strongly influenced by the natural resistivity of the ground. This varies from 1-10K (Ω·m depending on several media factors and on the physical composition of the ground. The accuracy on the calculation of a system transient response depends in part in the ground return model, which should consider the line geometry, the electrical resistivity and the frequency dependence of the power source. Up to date, there are only a few reports on the specialized literature about analyzing the effects produced by the presence of an imperfectly conducting ground of transmission lines in a transient state. A broad range analysis of three of the most often used ground-return models for calculating electromagnetic transients of overhead transmission lines is performed in this paper. The behavior of modal propagation in ground is analyzed here into effects of first and second order. Finally, a numerical tool based on relative error images is proposed in this paper as an aid for the analyst engineer to estimate the incurred error by using approximate ground-return models when calculating transients of overhead transmission lines.

Evidence for a supra-modal representation of emotion from cross-modal adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pye, Annie; Bestelmeyer, Patricia E G

2015-01-01

Successful social interaction hinges on accurate perception of emotional signals. These signals are typically conveyed multi-modally by the face and voice. Previous research has demonstrated uni-modal contrastive aftereffects for emotionally expressive faces or voices. Here we were interested in whether these aftereffects transfer across modality as theoretical models predict. We show that adaptation to facial expressions elicits significant auditory aftereffects. Adaptation to angry facial expressions caused ambiguous vocal stimuli drawn from an anger-fear morphed continuum to be perceived as less angry and more fearful relative to adaptation to fearful faces. In a second experiment, we demonstrate that these aftereffects are not dependent on learned face-voice congruence, i.e. adaptation to one facial identity transferred to an unmatched voice identity. Taken together, our findings provide support for a supra-modal representation of emotion and suggest further that identity and emotion may be processed independently from one another, at least at the supra-modal level of the processing hierarchy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated Modal Parameter Estimation for Operational Modal Analysis of Large Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Palle; Brincker, Rune; Goursat, Maurice

2007-01-01

In this paper the problems of doing automatic modal parameter extraction and how to account for large number of data to process are considered. Two different approaches for obtaining the modal parameters automatically using OMA are presented: The Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) technique and...

Graphical representation of covariant-contravariant modal formulae

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Miguel Palomino

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Covariant-contravariant simulation is a combination of standard (covariant simulation, its contravariant counterpart and bisimulation. We have previously studied its logical characterization by means of the covariant-contravariant modal logic. Moreover, we have investigated the relationships between this model and that of modal transition systems, where two kinds of transitions (the so-called may and must transitions were combined in order to obtain a simple framework to express a notion of refinement over state-transition models. In a classic paper, Boudol and Larsen established a precise connection between the graphical approach, by means of modal transition systems, and the logical approach, based on Hennessy-Milner logic without negation, to system specification. They obtained a (graphical representation theorem proving that a formula can be represented by a term if, and only if, it is consistent and prime. We show in this paper that the formulae from the covariant-contravariant modal logic that admit a "graphical" representation by means of processes, modulo the covariant-contravariant simulation preorder, are also the consistent and prime ones. In order to obtain the desired graphical representation result, we first restrict ourselves to the case of covariant-contravariant systems without bivariant actions. Bivariant actions can be incorporated later by means of an encoding that splits each bivariant action into its covariant and its contravariant parts.

An Adequate First Order Logic of Intervals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaochen, Zhou; Hansen, Michael Reichhardt

1998-01-01

This paper introduces left and right neighbourhoods as primitive interval modalities to define other unary and binary modalities of intervals in a first order logic with interval length. A complete first order logic for the neighbourhood modalities is presented. It is demonstrated how the logic can...... support formal specification and verification of liveness and fairness, and also of various notions of real analysis....

Physical modalities in chronic pain management.

Science.gov (United States)

Rakel, Barbara; Barr, John O

2003-09-01

The following conclusions can be made based on review of the evidence: There is limited but positive evidence that select physical modalities are effective in managing chronic pain associated with specific conditions experienced by adults and older individuals. Overall, studies have provided the most support for the modality of therapeutic exercise. Different physical modalities have similar magnitudes of effects on chronic pain. Therefore, selection of the most appropriate physical modality may depend on the desired functional outcome for the patient, the underlying impairment, and the patient's preference or prior experience with the modality. Certain patient characteristics may decrease the effectiveness of physical modalities, as has been seen with TENS. These characteristics include depression, high trait anxiety, a powerful others locus of control, obesity, narcotic use, and neuroticism. The effect on pain by various modalities is generally strongest in the short-term period immediately after the intervention series, but effects can last as long as 1 year after treatment (e.g., with massage). Most research has tested the effect of physical modalities on chronic low back pain and knee OA. The effectiveness of physical modalities for other chronic pain conditions needs to be evaluated more completely. Older and younger adults often experience similar effects on their perception of pain from treatment with physical modalities. Therefore, use of these modalities for chronic pain in older adults is appropriate, but special precautions need to be taken. Practitioners applying physical modalities need formal training that includes the risks and precautions for these modalities. If practitioners lack formal training in the use of physical modalities, or if modality use is not within their scope of practice, it is important to consult with and refer patients to members of the team who have this specialized training. Use of a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pain

Sensorimotor simulations underlie conceptual representations: modality-specific effects of prior activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pecher, Diane; Zeelenberg, René; Barsalou, Lawrence W

2004-02-01

According to the perceptual symbols theory (Barsalou, 1999), sensorimotor simulations underlie the representation of concepts. Simulations are componential in the sense that they vary with the context in which the concept is presented. In the present study, we investigated whether representations are affected by recent experiences with a concept. Concept names (e.g., APPLE) were presented twice in a property verification task with a different property on each occasion. The two properties were either from the same perceptual modality (e.g., green, shiny) or from different modalities (e.g., tart, shiny). All stimuli were words. There was a lag of several intervening trials between the first and second presentation. Verification times and error rates for the second presentation of the concept were higher if the properties were from different modalities than if they were from the same modality.

Second-line failure and first experience with third-line antiretroviral therapy in Mumbai, India

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Samsuddin Khan

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Background: There are limited data on the failure of second-line antiretroviral therapy (ART and the use of third-line ART in people living with HIV in resource-limited settings. Since 2011, the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF HIV/tuberculosis programme in Mumbai, India, has been providing third-line ART to patients in care. Objective: To describe the experiences and programmatic challenges during management of suspected second-line ART failure and third-line ART therapy for patients living with HIV, including the use of HIV viral load (VL testing. Design: This was a retrospective, observational cohort study of patients with suspected second-line ART treatment failure, who were followed for at least 12 months between January 2011 and March 2014. Results: A total of 47 patients with suspected second-line failure met the inclusion criteria during the study period. Twenty-nine of them (62% responded to enhanced adherence support, had a subsequent undetectable VL after a median duration of 3 months and remained on second-line ART. The other 18 patients had to be initiated on a third-line ART regimen, which consisted of darunavir–ritonavir, raltegravir, and one or more appropriate nucleoside or nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors, based on the results of HIV genotype testing. Of the 13 patients for whom follow-up VL results were available, 11 achieved virological suppression after a median duration of 3 months on third-line ART (interquartile range: 2.5–3.0. No serious treatment-related adverse events were recorded. Conclusions: With intensive counselling and adherence support in those suspected of failing second-line ART, unnecessary switching to more expensive third-line ART can be averted in the majority of cases. However, there is an increasing need for access to third-line ART medications such as darunavir and raltegravir, for which national ART programmes should be prepared. The cost of such medications and inadequate access to VL

Fault Classification and Location in Transmission Lines Using Traveling Waves Modal Components and Continuous Wavelet Transform (CWT

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Farhad Namdari

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Accurate fault classification and localization are the bases of protection for transmission systems. This paper presents a new method for classifying and showing location of faults by travelling waves and modal analysis. In the proposed method, characteristics of different faults are investigated using Clarke transformation and initial current traveling wave; then, appropriate indices are introduced to identify different types of faults. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT is employed to extract information of current and voltage travelling waves. Fault location and classification algorithm is being designed according to wavelet transform coefficients relating to current and voltage modal components. The performance of the proposed method is tested for different fault conditions (different fault distance, different fault resistances, and different fault inception angles by using PSCAD and MATLAB with satisfactory results

18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in restaging of colorectal cancer. Evidence-based recommendations and cost-effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietlein, M.; Schicha, H.; Weber, W.; Schwaiger, M.

2003-01-01

Aim, method: Recommendations for the use of FDG-PET in relapsed colorectal cancer and the decision of reimbursement should base on published studies and on their level of evidence. Therefore, the PET-studies published between 1997 and 2002 were graded by the bias-criteria, by two rating-systems and by two classification-systems for the level of evidence according to AHCPR (Agency for Health Care Policy and Research) and VHA (Veterans Health Administration). Results: The recommendation for the use of PET in relapsed colorectal cancer reached the level IIa according to the AHCPR, corresponding to level B according to the VHA. The sensitivity and specificity of FDG-PET were 94% (95% CI: 91-96%) and 78% (95% CI: 69-86%), respectively. Staging was changed correctly in 27% of patients (95% CI: 24-30%). Staging by FDG-PET was incorrect in 4% of the patients (95% CI: 2-5%) compared with the conventionel methods. The additional use of PET changed the prospectively defined management plan for 34% of patients (95% CI: 31-38%). Either potentially curative operations were initiated in case of resectable tumour or futile operations were cancelled in case of multiple metastases. Conclusion: The 3-years-survival-rate following surgery would have exceeded 70% if the selection of patients had included an additional PET-examination. The correct selection of patients is requested in the daily routine as well as in the clinical implementation of neoadjuvant therapies to prevent a selection-bias from a suboptimal restaging without PET. (orig.) [de

First-line treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia with pegasparaginase

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Riccardo Masetti

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Riccardo Masetti, Andrea PessionPediatric Oncology and Hematology Unit “Lalla Seràgnoli”, University of Bologna, Bologna, ItalyAbstract: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL accounts for almost 4000 cases annually in the United States, approximately two thirds of which are in children and adolescents. Treatment results of ALL have improved considerably in the past decade, due to an optimal stratification of patients and a rational use of different antileukemic agents among which L-asparaginase (L-ASNase plays a fundamental role. This drug has been used in pediatric ALL chemotherapy protocols for almost 3 decades. In the 1970s and 1980s a chemically modified form of this enzyme called pegasparaginase (PEG-ASNase was rationally synthesized to decrease immunogenicity of the enzyme and prolong its half-life. The different advantages of PEG-ASNase have been demonstrated in many clinical studies, the last of which underline the utility of this drug in front-line therapy of ALL. In this review, we discuss the pharmacological advantages and clinical potential of PEG-ASNase and its important use in first-line treatment of ALL.Keywords: pegasparaginase, acute, lymphoblastic leukemia, pegylation

First and second line mechanisms of cadmium detoxification in the lichen photobiont Trebouxia impressa (Chlorophyta)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanita di Toppi, L.; Pawlik-Skowronska, B.; Vurro, E.; Vattuone, Z.; Kalinowska, R.; Restivo, F.M.; Musetti, R.; Skowronski, T.

2008-01-01

'First line' defence mechanisms, such as phytochelatin biosynthesis, and 'second line' mechanisms, such as stress protein induction, were investigated in cadmium-exposed cells of Trebouxia impressa Ahmadjian, a green microalgal species that is a common photobiont of the lichen Physcia adscendens (Fr.) H. Olivier. When T. impressa cells were exposed to 0, 9 and 18 μM Cd for 6, 18 and 48 h, glutathione and phytochelatins efficiently protected the cells against Cd damage. By contrast, the highest Cd concentration (36 μM) at the longest exposure-time (48 h) caused marked drops in glutathione and phytochelatin content, several types of ultrastructural damage, and decreases in cell density and total chlorophyll concentration. In this case, induction of stress proteins was observed, but only long after the induction of phytochelatins. Thus, stress proteins could represent a 'second line' mechanism to counteract Cd stress, activated when there is a decline in the 'first line' mechanism of Cd detoxification given by phytochelatins. - Trebouxia impressa photobionts protect themselves against cadmium stress by means of phytochelatins and stress proteins

First and second line mechanisms of cadmium detoxification in the lichen photobiont Trebouxia impressa (Chlorophyta)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanita di Toppi, L. [Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, Universita di Parma, 43100 Parma (Italy)], E-mail: luigi.sanitaditoppi@unipr.it; Pawlik-Skowronska, B. [Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Experimental Station, Niecala 18/3, 20080 Lublin (Poland); Vurro, E. [Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, Universita di Parma, 43100 Parma (Italy); Vattuone, Z. [Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, Universita di Parma, 43100 Parma (Italy); Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Experimental Station, Niecala 18/3, 20080 Lublin (Poland); Kalinowska, R. [Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Experimental Station, Niecala 18/3, 20080 Lublin (Poland); Restivo, F.M. [Dipartimento di Genetica, Biologia dei Microrganismi, Antropologia, Evoluzione, viale G.P. Usberti 11/A, Universita di Parma, 43100 Parma (Italy); Musetti, R. [Dipartimento di Biologia Applicata alla Difesa delle Piante, via delle Scienze 208, Universita di Udine, 33100 Udine (Italy); Skowronski, T. [Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Experimental Station, Niecala 18/3, 20080 Lublin (Poland)

2008-01-15

'First line' defence mechanisms, such as phytochelatin biosynthesis, and 'second line' mechanisms, such as stress protein induction, were investigated in cadmium-exposed cells of Trebouxia impressa Ahmadjian, a green microalgal species that is a common photobiont of the lichen Physcia adscendens (Fr.) H. Olivier. When T. impressa cells were exposed to 0, 9 and 18 {mu}M Cd for 6, 18 and 48 h, glutathione and phytochelatins efficiently protected the cells against Cd damage. By contrast, the highest Cd concentration (36 {mu}M) at the longest exposure-time (48 h) caused marked drops in glutathione and phytochelatin content, several types of ultrastructural damage, and decreases in cell density and total chlorophyll concentration. In this case, induction of stress proteins was observed, but only long after the induction of phytochelatins. Thus, stress proteins could represent a 'second line' mechanism to counteract Cd stress, activated when there is a decline in the 'first line' mechanism of Cd detoxification given by phytochelatins. - Trebouxia impressa photobionts protect themselves against cadmium stress by means of phytochelatins and stress proteins.

First on-line $\\beta$-NMR on oriented nuclei magnetic dipole moments of the $\

CERN Document Server

Giles, T; Stone, N J; Van Esbroeck, K; White, G; Wöhr, A; Veskovic, M; Towner, I S; Mantica, P F; Prisciandaro, J I; Morrissey, D J; Fedosseev, V; Mishin, V I; Köster, U; Walters, W B

2000-01-01

The first fully on-line use of the angular distribution of $\\beta$ - emission in detection of NMR of nuclei oriented at low temperatures is reported. The magnetic moments of the single valence particle, intermediate mass, isotopes $^{67}$Ni($\

An overview of modal-based damage identification methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farrar, C.R.; Doebling, S.W. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States). Engineering Analysis Group

1997-09-01

This paper provides an overview of methods that examine changes in measured vibration response to detect, locate, and characterize damage in structural and mechanical systems. The basic idea behind this technology is that modal parameters (notably frequencies, mode shapes, and modal damping) are functions of the physical properties of the structure (mass, damping, and stiffness). Therefore, changes in the physical properties will cause detectable changes in the modal properties. The motivation for the development of this technology is first provided. The methods are then categorized according to various criteria such as the level of damage detection provided, model-based vs. non-model-based methods and linear vs. nonlinear methods. This overview is limited to methods that can be adapted to a wide range of structures (i.e., are not dependent on a particular assumed model form for the system such as beam-bending behavior and methods and that are not based on updating finite element models). Next, the methods are described in general terms including difficulties associated with their implementation and their fidelity. Past, current and future-planned applications of this technology to actual engineering systems are summarized. The paper concludes with a discussion of critical issues for future research in the area of modal-based damage identification.

Review of the first line supervisory positions in nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mullin, D; Mackenzie, C W [Hickling Corp. (Canada)

1995-10-01

The authors review the nature of the tasks performed by first line maintenance supervisors in three nuclear power plants. They compare these tasks to core supervisory training curriculum, supervisory job descriptions, and both the process related to performance appraisals, and the criteria applied in carrying out these performance evaluations. Recommendations have been made concerning methods of increasing the relevancy of training and improving the performance appraisal process. ( author). 5 figs.

Review of the first line supervisory positions in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullin, D.; Mackenzie, C.W.

1995-10-01

The authors review the nature of the tasks performed by first line maintenance supervisors in three nuclear power plants. They compare these tasks to core supervisory training curriculum, supervisory job descriptions, and both the process related to performance appraisals, and the criteria applied in carrying out these performance evaluations. Recommendations have been made concerning methods of increasing the relevancy of training and improving the performance appraisal process. ( author). 5 figs

Modality shift effects mimic multisensory interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gondan, Matthias; Vorberg, D.; Greenlee, M.W.

2007-01-01

be avoided using an additional tactile stimulus (T) and evaluating the ERP difference (T + TAV) - (TA + TV). A second possible confound is the modality shift effect (MSE): for example, the auditory N1 is increased if an auditory stimulus follows a visual stimulus, whereas it is smaller if the modality......A frequent approach to study interactions of the auditory and the visual system is to measure event-related potentials (ERPs) to auditory, visual, and auditory-visual stimuli (A, V, AV). A nonzero result of the AV - (A + V) comparison indicates that the sensory systems interact at a specific...... processing stage. Two possible biases weaken the conclusions drawn by this approach: first, subtracting two ERPs from one requires that A, V, and AV do not share any common activity. We have shown before (Gondan and Röder in Brain Res 1073-1074:389-397, 2006) that the problem of common activity can...

Modification of First-line Antiretroviral Therapy in Treatment-naive, HIV Positive Patients

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Smita Shenoy

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Modification of initial Antiretroviral Therapy (ART program is an important issue in HIV infected patients as the number of ART regimens available is limited. Hence, there is a need to understand the factors that affect modification and therefore, the durability of the initial antiretroviral regimen. Aim: To study the type of modification of first line ART in treatment-naive HIV positive patients and factors influencing it. Materials and Methods: A retrospective observational study was carried out in the HIV clinic of a tertiary care hospital, using data obtained from the case records of the subjects who were initiated on ART between January 2012 to December 2014. Data on patient baseline characteristics, proportion of patients who required modification, type and time of modification was collected. The determinants of time to modification were analysed using Chi-square test. Binomial logistic regression was utilized to assess independent risk factors for change in regimen. Results: Out of 200 case records analysed, 54 patients had to undergo a modification in their initial regimen. The mean age of patients was 44.68 ± 11.31 years. Majority of the patients were males. The most common reason for modification was Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs (79.63% followed by treatment failure (9.25%. In 85.18% cases, modification involved substitution. Occurrence of ADRs and non-tenofovir based first-line regimens were associated with higher likelihood of substitution in regimen (p<0.05. The median time (IQR to modification was 173 (152.25, 293.50 days. Conclusion: ADRs and the use of non-tenofovir based regimens resulted in significantly higher rates of modification of antiretroviral therapy. There should be monitoring of patients on ART to detect ADRs at the earliest and to obtain increased use of single tablet containing tenofovir based regimen to improve durability of first line regimens.

Modal sensing and control of paraboloidal shell structronic system

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Honghao; Lu, Yifan; Deng, Zongquan; Tzou, Hornsen

2018-02-01

Paraboloidal shells of revolution are commonly used as important components in the field of advanced aerospace structures and aviation mechanical systems. This study is to investigate the modal sensing behavior and the modal vibration control effect of distributed PVDF patches laminated on the paraboloidal shell. A paraboloidal shell sensing and control testing platform is set up first. Frequencies of lower order modes of the shell are obtained with the PVDF sensor and compared with the previous testing results to prove its accuracy. Then sensor patches are laminated on different positions (or different sides) of the shell and tested to reveal the relation between the sensing behaviors and their locations. Finally, a mathematical model of the structronic system is built by parameter identifications and the transfer function is derived. Independent and coupled modal controllers are designed based on the pole placement method and modal vibration control experiments are performed. The amplitude suppression ratio of each mode controlled by the pole placement controller is calculated and compared with the results obtained by using a PPF controller. Advantages of both methods are concluded and suggestions are given on how to choose control algorithm for different purpose.

An empirical evaluation of competency requirements for first-line managers to deal with resistance to change.

OpenAIRE

2007-01-01

The point of departure of this study is that first-line managers play a pivotal role in the facilitation of change initiatives in organisations world-wide. Resistance to change is one of the primary reasons why change interventions fail or why success is not achieved in the change process. More specific, the inability of first-line managers to deal with resistance to change has been cited as a primary cause for change projects to fail. There is no evidence that any research has been conducted...

First-Line Nivolumab in Stage IV or Recurrent Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carbone, D.P.; Reck, M.; Paz-Ares, L.; Creelan, B.; Horn, L.; Steins, M.; Felip, E.; Heuvel, M. van den; Ciuleanu, T.E.; Badin, F.; Ready, N.; Hiltermann, T.J.N.; Nair, S.; Juergens, R.; Peters, S.; Minenza, E.; Wrangle, J.M.; Rodriguez-Abreu, D.; Borghaei, H.; umenschein GR, J.r. Bl; Villaruz, L.C.; Havel, L.; Krejci, J.; rral Jaime, J. Co; Chang, H.; Geese, W.J.; Bhagavatheeswaran, P.; Chen, A.C.; Socinski, M.A.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Nivolumab has been associated with longer overall survival than docetaxel among patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In an open-label phase 3 trial, we compared first-line nivolumab with chemotherapy in patients with programmed death ligand 1

First-Line Nivolumab in Stage IV or Recurrent Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carbone, D. P.; Reck, M.; Paz-Ares, L.; Creelan, B.; Horn, L.; Steins, M.; Felip, E.; van den Heuvel, M. M.; Ciuleanu, T. -E.; Badin, F.; Ready, N.; Hiltermann, T. J. N.; Nair, S; Juergens, R.; Peters, S.; Minenza, E.; Wrangle, J. M.; Rodriguez-Abreu, D.; Borghaei, H.; Blumenschein, G. R.; Villaruz, L. C.; Havel, L.; Krejci, J.; Corral Jaime, J.; Chang, C. -H.; Geese, W. J.; Bhagavatheeswaran, P.; Chen, Alexander C.; Socinski, M. A.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Nivolumab has been associated with longer overall survival than docetaxel among patients with previously treated non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In an open-label phase 3 trial, we compared first-line nivolumab with chemotherapy in patients with programmed death ligand 1

Water as an Independent Taste Modality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew M Rosen

2010-10-01

Full Text Available To qualify as a basic taste quality or modality, defined as a group of chemicals that taste alike, three empirical benchmarks have commonly been used. The first is that a candidate group of tastants must have a dedicated transduction mechanism in the peripheral nervous system. The second is that the tastants evoke physiological responses in dedicated afferent taste nerves innervating the oropharyngeal cavity. Last, the taste stimuli evoke activity in central gustatory neurons, some of which may respond only to that group of tastants. Here we argue that water may also be an independent taste modality. This argument is based on the identification of a water dedicated transduction mechanism in the peripheral nervous system, water responsive fibers of the peripheral taste nerves and the observation of water responsive neurons in all gustatory regions within the central nervous system. We have described electrophysiological responses from single neurons in nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS and parabrachial nucleus of the pons (PbN, respectively the first two central relay nuclei in the rodent brainstem, to water presented as a taste stimulus in anesthetized rats. Responses to water were in some cases as robust as responses to other taste qualities and sometimes occurred in the absence of responses to other tastants. Both excitatory and inhibitory responses were observed. Also, the temporal features of the water response resembled those of other taste responses. We argue that water may constitute an independent taste modality that is processed by dedicated neural channels at all levels of the gustatory neuraxis. Water-dedicated neurons in the brainstem may constitute key elements in the regulatory system for fluid in the body, i.e. thirst, and as part of the swallowing reflex circuitry.

"And first he drew a line"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graham, Brian Russell

At the end of “Night the Seventh” of Blake’s The Four Zoas, Blake’s Los, against a background of “furious war”, takes a stance and then performs an act which might seem powerless and quaint against such a backdrop: he draws a line, beginning work consisting of lines which Enitharmon, his companion......, tinctures, as it emerges. Placing this moment in the context of the poem’s epic struggle, this paper explores the reasons for Blake’s choice of image at this juncture in the “history”, thereby making a contribution to our understanding of the opposition between form and formlessness in the narrative....

Are Modal Auxiliaries in Malaysian English Language Textbooks in Line with Their Usage in Real Language?

Science.gov (United States)

Khojasteh, Laleh; Kafipour, Reza

2012-01-01

Based on the discrepancies found in many Malaysian English language textbooks, a detailed analysis on the way modal auxiliary verb forms and their semantic functions were introduced and presented in texts and exercises in five Malaysian textbooks was done. For that to be achieved, a qualitative page-by-page content analysis was applied. From the…

Optimization of modal filters based on arrays of piezoelectric sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pagani, Carlos C Jr; Trindade, Marcelo A

2009-01-01

Modal filters may be obtained by a properly designed weighted sum of the output signals of an array of sensors distributed on the host structure. Although several research groups have been interested in techniques for designing and implementing modal filters based on a given array of sensors, the effect of the array topology on the effectiveness of the modal filter has received much less attention. In particular, it is known that some parameters, such as size, shape and location of a sensor, are very important in determining the observability of a vibration mode. Hence, this paper presents a methodology for the topological optimization of an array of sensors in order to maximize the effectiveness of a set of selected modal filters. This is done using a genetic algorithm optimization technique for the selection of 12 piezoceramic sensors from an array of 36 piezoceramic sensors regularly distributed on an aluminum plate, which maximize the filtering performance, over a given frequency range, of a set of modal filters, each one aiming to isolate one of the first vibration modes. The vectors of the weighting coefficients for each modal filter are evaluated using QR decomposition of the complex frequency response function matrix. Results show that the array topology is not very important for lower frequencies but it greatly affects the filter effectiveness for higher frequencies. Therefore, it is possible to improve the effectiveness and frequency range of a set of modal filters by optimizing the topology of an array of sensors. Indeed, using 12 properly located piezoceramic sensors bonded on an aluminum plate it is shown that the frequency range of a set of modal filters may be enlarged by 25–50%

Modality independence of order coding in working memory: Evidence from cross-modal order interference at recall.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandierendonck, André

2016-01-01

Working memory researchers do not agree on whether order in serial recall is encoded by dedicated modality-specific systems or by a more general modality-independent system. Although previous research supports the existence of autonomous modality-specific systems, it has been shown that serial recognition memory is prone to cross-modal order interference by concurrent tasks. The present study used a serial recall task, which was performed in a single-task condition and in a dual-task condition with an embedded memory task in the retention interval. The modality of the serial task was either verbal or visuospatial, and the embedded tasks were in the other modality and required either serial or item recall. Care was taken to avoid modality overlaps during presentation and recall. In Experiment 1, visuospatial but not verbal serial recall was more impaired when the embedded task was an order than when it was an item task. Using a more difficult verbal serial recall task, verbal serial recall was also more impaired by another order recall task in Experiment 2. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis of modality-independent order coding. The implications for views on short-term recall and the multicomponent view of working memory are discussed.

Predictors of treatment failure and time to detection and switching in HIV-infected Ethiopian children receiving first line anti-retroviral therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bacha Tigist

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The emergence of resistance to first line antiretroviral therapy (ART regimen leads to the need for more expensive and less tolerable second line drugs. Hence, it is essential to identify and address factors associated with an increased probability of first line ART regimen failure. The objective of this article is to report on the predictors of first line ART regimen failure, the detection rate of ART regime failure, and the delay in switching to second line ART drugs. Methods A retrospective cohort study was conducted from 2005 to 2011. All HIV infected children under the age of 15 who took first line ART for at least six months at the four major hospitals of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia were included. Data were collected, entered and analyzed using Epi info/ENA version 3.5.1 and SPSS version 16. The Cox proportional-hazard model was used to assess the predictors of first line ART failure. Results Data of 1186 children were analyzed. Five hundred seventy seven (48.8% were males with a mean age of 6.22 (SD = 3.10 years. Of the 167(14.1% children who had treatment failure, 70 (5.9% had only clinical failure, 79 (6.7% had only immunologic failure, and 18 (1.5% had both clinical and immunologic failure. Patients who had height for age in the third percentile or less at initiation of ART were found to have higher probability of ART treatment failure [Adjusted Hazard Ratio (AHR, 3.25 95% CI, 1.00-10.58]. Patients who were less than three years old [AHR, 1.85 95% CI, 1.24-2.76], chronic diarrhea after initiation of antiretroviral treatment [AHR, 3.44 95% CI, 1.37-8.62], ART drug substitution [AHR, 1.70 95% CI, 1.05-2.73] and base line CD4 count below 50 cells/mm3 [AHR, 2.30 95% CI, 1.28-4.14] were also found to be at higher risk of treatment failure. Of all the 167 first line ART failure cases, only 24 (14.4% were switched to second line ART with a mean delay of 24 (SD = 11.67 months. The remaining 143 (85.6% cases were diagnosed

Advanced Design of the First Quasi-optical Transmission Line for ECRH at TJ-II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandez, A.; Likin, K.; Martin, R.

1999-01-01

TJ-II plasma start-up and heating are made by electron cyclotron resonance waves at the second harmonic of the electron cyclotron frequency. The microwave power of the gyrotrons is transmitted by two quasi-optical transmission lines. The first line launches the microwave power under fixed injection geometry, i. e. there is no a possibility to change the launching angle the wave polarization. Due to the long distance between the last focusing mirror and the center TJ-II vessel the beam is quite wide at plasma border. The second line has a moveable mirror installed inside the TJ-II vessel. To get high absorption efficiency and a narrow energy deposition profile the internal mirror focuses the wave beam at plasma center. The beam width is about 2 cm. To get more flexibility in experiments on heating and current drive the first transmission line needs to be upgraded. The designs is presented in this report. It includes and internal mirror to focus the beam and to change the injection angle. A polarizer consisting in two corrugated mirrors will be incorporated to get any wave polarization. Two mirrors with an array of coupling holes and calorimetric measurements of the energy absorbed in the barrier window will permit the estimation of the microwave power launched the TJ-II. (Author) 13 refs

TESS Lens-Bezel Assembly Modal Testing

Science.gov (United States)

Dilworth, Brandon J.; Karlicek, Alexandra

2017-01-01

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) program, led by the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will be the first-ever spaceborne all-sky transit survey. MIT Lincoln Laboratory is responsible for the cameras, including the lens assemblies, detector assemblies, lens hoods, and camera mounts. TESS is scheduled to be launched in August of 2017 with the primary goal to detect small planets with bright host starts in the solar neighborhood, so that detailed characterizations of the planets and their atmospheres can be performed. The TESS payload consists of four identical cameras and a data handling unit. Each camera consists of a lens assembly with seven optical elements and a detector assembly with four charge-coupled devices (CCDs) including their associated electronics. The optical prescription requires that several of the lenses are in close proximity to a neighboring element. A finite element model (FEM) was developed to estimate the relative deflections between each lens-bezel assembly under launch loads to predict that there are adequate clearances preventing the lenses from making contact. Modal tests using non-contact response measurements were conducted to experimentally estimate the modal parameters of the lens-bezel assembly, and used to validate the initial FEM assumptions. Key Words Non-contact measurements, modal analysis, model validation

The efficacy of modified docetaxel-cisplatin-5-fluorouracil regimen as first-line treatment in patients with alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric carcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Bozkaya, Yakup; Doğan, Mutlu; Yazıcı, Ozan; Erdem, Gökmen Umut; Demirci, Nebi Serkan; Zengin, Nurullah

2017-01-01

Alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric carcinoma (AFP-PGC) is a rare cancer for which limited data on the clinicopathological features and treatment modalities exist. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of modified docetaxel-cisplatin-5-fluorouracil (mDCF) as the first-line chemotherapy regimen in metastatic AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC. The patients diagnosed with metastatic gastric cancer who were given mDCF as first-line therapy were retrospectively reviewed. The patients with a basal serum AFP level over 9 ng/ml were defined as AFP-PGC patients. In total, 169 patients (34 with AFP-PGC and 135 with non-AFP-PGC) were included in this study. AFP-PGC patients had more liver metastases than non-AFP-PGC patients (p < 0.001). A decrease in basal AFP levels after three cycles of chemotherapy was significantly different in AFP-PGC group (p = 0.001). Overall disease control rate was 79.4% (partial response [PR] - 44.1%, stable disease [SD] - 35.3%), and 82.2% (complete response - 3%, PR - 36.2%, SD - 43%) in AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC patients, respectively. There was no difference between AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC groups in overall and progression-free survival rates (11.3 versus 11.4 months and 7.7 versus 7.1 months, respectively). Rates of grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity were 8.8% and 6.7% for neutropenia in AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC group, respectively and 5.9% and 7.4% for anemia. In conclusion, mDCF regimen is well-tolerated with acceptable toxicity outcomes in both AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC patients. A statistically significant decrease in AFP levels after mDCF regimen indicate that AFP might be considered as a supplemental marker of response to mDCF chemotherapy in AFP-PGC patients. However, further prospective clinical trials are required in this area. PMID:28273032

The efficacy of modified docetaxel-cisplatin-5-fluorouracil regimen as first-line treatment in patients with alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yakup Bozkaya

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Alpha-fetoprotein producing gastric carcinoma (AFP-PGC is a rare cancer for which limited data on the clinicopathological features and treatment modalities exist. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of modified docetaxel-cisplatin-5-fluorouracil (mDCF as the first-line chemotherapy regimen in metastatic AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC. The patients diagnosed with metastatic gastric cancer who were given mDCF as first-line therapy were retrospectively reviewed. The patients with a basal serum AFP level over 9 ng/ml were defined as AFP-PGC patients. In total, 169 patients (34 with AFP-PGC and 135 with non-AFP-PGC were included in this study. AFP-PGC patients had more liver metastases than non-AFP-PGC patients (p < 0.001. A decrease in basal AFP levels after three cycles of chemotherapy was significantly different in AFP-PGC group (p = 0.001.Overall disease control rate was 79.4% (partial response [PR] - 44.1%, stable disease [SD] - 35.3%, and 82.2% (complete response - 3%, PR - 36.2%, SD - 43% in AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC patients, respectively. There was no difference between AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC groups in overall and progression-free survival rates (11.3 versus 11.4 months and 7.7 versus 7.1 months, respectively. Rates of grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity were 8.8% and 6.7% for neutropenia in AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC group, respectively and 5.9% and 7.4% for anemia. In conclusion, mDCF regimen is well-tolerated with acceptable toxicity outcomes in both AFP-PGC and non-AFP-PGC patients. A statistically significant decrease in AFP levels after mDCF regimen indicate that AFP might be considered as a supplemental marker of response to mDCF chemotherapy in AFP-PGC patients. However, further prospective clinical trials are required in this area.

Fidaxomicin versus Vancomycin as a First-Line Treatment for Clostridium difficile-Associated Diarrhea in Specific Patient Populations: A Pharmacoeconomic Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Reveles, Kelly R; Backo, Jennifer L; Corvino, Frank A; Zivkovic, Marko; Broderick, Kelly C

2017-12-01

The reduction in recurrent Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) with fidaxomicin therapy may reduce hospital readmissions and lead to lower overall CDAD costs. However, studies assessing the cost-effectiveness of fidaxomicin as first-line therapy from the U.S. hospital perspective are lacking. This study evaluated the costs associated with utilizing fidaxomicin or vancomycin as a first-line therapy for CDAD in specific patient populations from a U.S. hospital perspective. A decision-analytic model was developed to estimate total costs (hospitalization and drug costs) associated with using fidaxomicin or vancomycin as first-line therapy for a first episode and up to two recurrences of CDAD in five patient populations: general population, elderly, patients receiving concomitant antibiotics, and patients with renal impairment or cancer. The total cost of CDAD treatment using fidaxomicin first line in the general population was $14,442 per patient versus $14,179 per patient with vancomycin first line. In subgroup analyses, fidaxomicin use resulted in total hospital cost savings of $616 per patient in patients with cancer and $312 in patients with concomitant antibiotic use; vancomycin use was associated with total hospital cost savings of $243 per patient in the elderly and $371 in patients with renal impairment. Fidaxomicin as first-line CDAD therapy is associated with similar total costs as compounded vancomycin oral solution in the general population. In elderly and renally impaired patients, slight increases in hospital cost were observed with fidaxomicin therapy, and in patients with cancer or concomitant antibiotic use, hospital cost savings were observed. © 2017 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Bimodal extinction without cross-modal extinction.

OpenAIRE

Inhoff, A W; Rafal, R D; Posner, M J

1992-01-01

Three patients with unilateral neurological injury were clinically examined. All showed consistent unilateral extinction in the tactile and visual modalities on simultaneous intramodal stimulation. There was virtually no evidence for cross-modal extinction, however, so that contralateral stimulation of one modality would have extinguished perception of ipsilateral stimuli in the other modality. It is concluded that the attentional system controlling the encoding of tactile and visual stimuli ...

Biofeedback as a first-line treatment for overactive bladder syndrome refractory to standard urotherapy in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ebiloglu, Turgay; Kaya, Engin; Köprü, Burak; Topuz, Bahadır; Irkilata, Hasan Cem; Kibar, Yusuf

2016-10-01

Overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) and dysfunctional voiding (DV) are subgroups of lower urinary tract dysfunction (LUTD). Standard urotherapy is the first-line treatment option of OAB in children. The aim was to investigate the use of biofeedback as a first-line treatment option in OAB refractory to standard urotherapy, and determine the factors affecting efficacy. Between 2005 and 2015, we retrospectively analyzed a total of 136 hospital records of children with OAB who had not previously used any anticholinergics and were refractory to standard urotherapy. Patients with urgency and/or urge incontinence and/or making holding maneuvers to suppress urgency were defined as having OAB symptoms, and resolution of these complaints was defined as successful biofeedback therapy. Seventy-three of 136 OAB patients' urgency recovered by biofeedback therapy with the success rate of 53% (p biofeedback therapies, respectively (p Biofeedback can be thought of as the first-line treatment option when standard urotherapy fails in children with OAB. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modal logics are coalgebraic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cirstea, C.; Kurz, A.; Pattinson, D.; Schröder, L.; Venema, Y.

2011-01-01

Applications of modal logics are abundant in computer science, and a large number of structurally different modal logics have been successfully employed in a diverse spectrum of application contexts. Coalgebraic semantics, on the other hand, provides a uniform and encompassing view on the large

The modal study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, J.R.

1988-01-01

The term ''Modal Study'' refers to a research program conducted for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on the level of protection provided by NRC-certified packages during the shipment of spent nuclear fuel form U.S. power reactors. The objective of the study was to examine the response of the packages to actual highway and railway accident conditions. The Modal Study results show that NRC-certified spent fuel casks would perform their safety functions under severe, actual accident conditions. The study also explains how NRC's cask design conditions, which are expressed in engineering terms, relate to actual accident conditions, with which the public is more familiar. The Modal Study, along with other transportation studies, physical testing of casks, and the spent fuel shipment safety record confirm the view that casks provide a high level of public safety during spent fuel transport

PENGARUH PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT, EMPOWERING LEADERSHIP, SISTEM PENGUKURAN KINERJA PADA MOTIVASI INTRINSIK FIRST-LINE EMPLOYEES PERBANKAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Gusti Ayu Purnamawati

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh Psychological Empowerment, Empowering Leadership, dan Sistem Pengukuran Kinerja Pada Motivasi Intrinsik First-Line Employees Perbankan. Penelitian ini adalah penelitian kuantitatif. Data yang digunakan adalah data primer berupa kuesioner yang menggunakan skala likert 1-5 dan terdiri atas 36 item pertanyaan. Responden pada penelitian ini adalah manajemen lini garis pertama pada sektor perbankan yaitu sejumlah 35 orang yang berasal dari 7 BPR yang ada di Kabupaten Buleleng. Metode analisis data menggunakan model regresi linear berganda dengan bantuan alat statistik SPSS. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa  Psychological Empowerment, Empowering Leadership, dan Sistem Pengukuran Kinerja berpengaruh positif dan signifikan pada Motivasi Intrinsik First-Line Employees Perbankan dengan menggunakan taraf signifikansi 5%.

Perception of Scenes in Different Sensory Modalities: A Result of Modal Completion.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, Ronald R; Block, Richard A

2017-01-01

Dynamic perception includes amodal and modal completion, along with apparent movement. It fills temporal gaps for single objects. In 2 experiments, using 6 stimulus presentation conditions involving 3 sensory modalities, participants experienced 8-10 sequential stimuli (200 ms each) with interstimulus intervals (ISIs) of 0.25-7.0 s. Experiments focused on spatiotemporal completion (walking), featural completion (object changing), auditory, completion (falling bomb), and haptic changes (insect crawling). After each trial, participants judged whether they experienced the process of "happening " or whether they simply knew that the process must have occurred. The phenomenon was frequency independent, being reported at short ISIs but not at long ISIs. The phenomenon involves dynamic modal completion and possibly also conceptual processes.

The modality-switch effect: Visually and aurally presented prime sentences activate our senses

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Elisa eScerrati

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Verifying different sensory modality properties for concepts results in a processing cost known as the Modality-Switch Effect. It has been argued that this cognitive cost is the result of a perceptual simulation. This paper extends this argument and reports an experiment investigating whether the effect is the result of an activation of sensory information which can also be triggered by perceptual linguistically described stimuli. Participants were first exposed to a prime sentence describing a light or a sound’s perceptual property (e.g. The light is flickering, The sound is echoing, then required to perform a property-verification task on a target sentence (e.g. Butter is yellowish, Leaves rustle. The content modalities of the prime and target sentences could be compatible (i.e. in the same modality: e.g. visual-visual or not (i.e. in different modalities. Crucially, we manipulated the stimuli’s presentation modality such that half of the participants was faced with written sentences while the other half was faced with aurally presented sentences. Results show a cost when two different modalities alternate, compared to when the same modality is repeated with both visual and aural stimuli presentations. This result supports the embodied and grounded cognition view which claims that conceptual knowledge is grounded into the perceptual system. Specifically, this evidence suggests that sensory modalities can be pre-activated through the simulation of either read or listened linguistic stimuli describing visual or acoustic perceptual properties.

Pitch-verticality and pitch-size cross-modal interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bonetti, Leonardo; Costa, Marco

2017-01-01

Two studies were conducted on cross-modal matching between pitch and sound source localization on the vertical axis, and pitch and size. In the first study 100 Hz, 200 Hz, 600 Hz, and 800 Hz tones were emitted by a loudspeaker positioned 60 cm above or below to the participant’s ear level. Using...

Multi-Modal Inference in Animacy Perception for Artificial Object

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Kohske Takahashi

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Sometimes we feel animacy for artificial objects and their motion. Animals usually interact with environments through multiple sensory modalities. Here we investigated how the sensory responsiveness of artificial objects to the environment would contribute to animacy judgment for them. In a 90-s trial, observers freely viewed four objects moving in a virtual 3D space. The objects, whose position and motion were determined following Perlin-noise series, kept drifting independently in the space. Visual flashes, auditory bursts, or synchronous flashes and bursts appeared with 1–2 s intervals. The first object abruptly accelerated their motion just after visual flashes, giving an impression of responding to the flash. The second object responded to bursts. The third object responded to synchronous flashes and bursts. The forth object accelerated at a random timing independent of flashes and bursts. The observers rated how strongly they felt animacy for each object. The results showed that the object responding to the auditory bursts was rated as having weaker animacy compared to the other objects. This implies that sensory modality through which an object interacts with the environment may be a factor for animacy perception in the object and may serve as the basis of multi-modal and cross-modal inference of animacy.

Musical Sight-Reading Expertise: Cross Modality Investigations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Drai-Zerbib Veronique

2011-05-01

Full Text Available It is often said that expert musicians are capable of hearing what they read and vice versa. This suggests that they are able to process and to integrate multimodal information. The study investigates this issue with an eye-tracking technique. Two groups of musicians chosen on the basis of their level of expertise (expert and non-experts had to read excerpts of classical piano music and play them on a keyboard. In half the conditions, the participants heard the music before the reading phases. The excerpts contained suggested fingering of variable difficulty (difficult, easy, or no fingering. Analyses of first-pass fixation duration, second-pass fixation duration, probability of refixations, and playing mistakes validated the hypothesized modal independence of information among expert musicians as compared to non-experts. The results are discussed in terms of amodal memory for expert musicians, and they extend clearly our previous findings (Drai-Zerbib & Baccino, 2005. The talk will demonstrate that more experienced performers are better able to transfer learning from one modality to another, which can be in support of theoretical work by Ericsson and Kintsch (1995: more experienced performers better integrate knowledge across modalities. This view relies on the general flexibility shown in the experts' behaviour.

A robust methodology for modal parameters estimation applied to SHM

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso, Rharã; Cury, Alexandre; Barbosa, Flávio

2017-10-01

The subject of structural health monitoring is drawing more and more attention over the last years. Many vibration-based techniques aiming at detecting small structural changes or even damage have been developed or enhanced through successive researches. Lately, several studies have focused on the use of raw dynamic data to assess information about structural condition. Despite this trend and much skepticism, many methods still rely on the use of modal parameters as fundamental data for damage detection. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that modal identification procedures are performed with a sufficient level of precision and automation. To fulfill these requirements, this paper presents a novel automated time-domain methodology to identify modal parameters based on a two-step clustering analysis. The first step consists in clustering modes estimates from parametric models of different orders, usually presented in stabilization diagrams. In an automated manner, the first clustering analysis indicates which estimates correspond to physical modes. To circumvent the detection of spurious modes or the loss of physical ones, a second clustering step is then performed. The second step consists in the data mining of information gathered from the first step. To attest the robustness and efficiency of the proposed methodology, numerically generated signals as well as experimental data obtained from a simply supported beam tested in laboratory and from a railway bridge are utilized. The results appeared to be more robust and accurate comparing to those obtained from methods based on one-step clustering analysis.

Prune-belly syndrome detected by ultrasound in the first trimester and the usefulness of vesicocentesis as a modality of treatment.

Science.gov (United States)

Byon, Mina; Kim, Gwang Jun

2013-07-01

Prune-belly syndrome may be related to lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO). LUTO in the early gestational age exacerbates fetal renal function and may require intrauterine intervention. If early developed LUTO causes bladder distension and abdominal musculature deficiency, it will result in prune belly syndrome. Therefore, early detection of the disease and proper treatment before the renal impairment is important. However, there are few literatures concerning the treatment of prune belly syndrome in the first trimester. We report a case of prune belly syndrome diagnosed at 11+6 weeks of gestation and the value of vesicocentesis as a modality of treatment. Ultrasound showed dilated fetal bladder and vesicocentesis was successful in reducing the volume of the bladder. However, the pregnancy was terminated upon request.

A Causal Theory of Modality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Tomás Alvarado

2009-08-01

Full Text Available This work presents a causal conception of metaphysical modality in which a state of affairs is metaphysically possible if and only if it can be caused (in the past, the present or the future by current entities. The conception is contrasted with what is called the “combinatorial” conception of modality, in which everything can co-exist with anything else. This work explains how the notion of ‘causality’ should be construed in the causal theory, what difference exists between modalities thus defined from nomological modality, how accessibility relations between possible worlds should be interpreted, and what is the relation between the causal conception and the necessity of origin.

Polysemous Verbs and Modality in Native and Non-Native Argumentative Writing: A Corpus-Based Study

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, Danica; Verdaguer, Isabel

2009-01-01

The present study is a corpus-based analysis of a selection of polysemous lexical verbs used to express modality in student argumentative writing. Twenty-three lexical verbs were searched for in three 100,000-word corpora of argumentative essays written in English by American, Filipino and Spanish university students. Concordance lines were…

Enunciative analysis of modals in libras-portuguese simultaneous interpretation's corpus

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Anderson Almeida-Silva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on the work of the sign Language interpreter in the condition of a second speaker within the speech production. These professionals, when interpreting, they look for re-create [actualize] the emanated concepts from the source language into the target language, creating, then, a second enunciative instance. The theoretical basis is situated in the perspective of the theory of enunciation (BENVENISTE, 1989; FLORES, 2008, 2009a, 2009b, 2010 and in the study of the modals in spoken languages and LIBRAS. We aim to find what are the marks left in the discourse by the second speaker of the text, in this case, the interpreter, regarding specifically to the use of modals, and additionally, to analyze their choices for using one or other type of modal (in the target text, which might have been made explicit or implicit in the first enunciative context (source text. In order to reach these goals, sampling was composed by a transcription of a video-recorded speech of a deaf person with the length of 40’ (forty minutes that was being simultaneously interpreted into spoken Portuguese. Six excerpts from the total speech, in which modal’s occurrences were attested within the source or target language, were submitted to the analysis. The main findings are: 1. the tendency of the deontic modality being almost always interpreted in the same way of the source language; 2. the interpreting choices are always guided by enunciative clues that are left in the speech of the first speaker, to which the interpreters must to demonstrate expertise in recognizing these language-specific aspects; 3. in the absence of explicit modals in the speech, the interpreters appears to be sensible to the modal’s notions spread by the whole text’s surface; 4. the temporal omission of epistemic modals with a high degree of certainty is understood as an interpretative strategy and not as an infidelity with the original information; 5. the term “tempo de

Noise elimination algorithm for modal analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao, X. X., E-mail: baoxingxian@upc.edu.cn [Department of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao 266580 (China); Li, C. L. [Key Laboratory of Marine Geology and Environment, Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Qingdao 266071 (China); Xiong, C. B. [The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Qingdao 266061 (China)

2015-07-27

Modal analysis is an ongoing interdisciplinary physical issue. Modal parameters estimation is applied to determine the dynamic characteristics of structures under vibration excitation. Modal analysis is more challenging for the measured vibration response signals are contaminated with noise. This study develops a mathematical algorithm of structured low rank approximation combined with the complex exponential method to estimate the modal parameters. Physical experiments using a steel cantilever beam with ten accelerometers mounted, excited by an impulse load, demonstrate that this method can significantly eliminate noise from measured signals and accurately identify the modal frequencies and damping ratios. This study provides a fundamental mechanism of noise elimination using structured low rank approximation in physical fields.

Cross-modal decoupling in temporal attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Mühlberg, Stefanie; Oriolo, Giovanni; Soto-Faraco, Salvador

2014-06-01

Prior studies have repeatedly reported behavioural benefits to events occurring at attended, compared to unattended, points in time. It has been suggested that, as for spatial orienting, temporal orienting of attention spreads across sensory modalities in a synergistic fashion. However, the consequences of cross-modal temporal orienting of attention remain poorly understood. One challenge is that the passage of time leads to an increase in event predictability throughout a trial, thus making it difficult to interpret possible effects (or lack thereof). Here we used a design that avoids complete temporal predictability to investigate whether attending to a sensory modality (vision or touch) at a point in time confers beneficial access to events in the other, non-attended, sensory modality (touch or vision, respectively). In contrast to previous studies and to what happens with spatial attention, we found that events in one (unattended) modality do not automatically benefit from happening at the time point when another modality is expected. Instead, it seems that attention can be deployed in time with relative independence for different sensory modalities. Based on these findings, we argue that temporal orienting of attention can be cross-modally decoupled in order to flexibly react according to the environmental demands, and that the efficiency of this selective decoupling unfolds in time. © 2014 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Efficient Cross-Modal Transfer of Shape Information in Visual and Haptic Object Categorization

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Nina Gaissert

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Categorization has traditionally been studied in the visual domain with only a few studies focusing on the abilities of the haptic system in object categorization. During the first years of development, however, touch and vision are closely coupled in the exploratory procedures used by the infant to gather information about objects. Here, we investigate how well shape information can be transferred between those two modalities in a categorization task. Our stimuli consisted of amoeba-like objects that were parametrically morphed in well-defined steps. Participants explored the objects in a categorization task either visually or haptically. Interestingly, both modalities led to similar categorization behavior suggesting that similar shape processing might occur in vision and haptics. Next, participants received training on specific categories in one of the two modalities. As would be expected, training increased performance in the trained modality; however, we also found significant transfer of training to the other, untrained modality after only relatively few training trials. Taken together, our results demonstrate that complex shape information can be transferred efficiently across the two modalities, which speaks in favor of multisensory, higher-level representations of shape.

Model Design of Piezoelectric Micromachined Modal Gyroscope

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Xiaojun Hu

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This paper reports a novel kind of solid-state microgyroscope, which is called piezoelectric micromachined modal gyroscope (PMMG. PMMG has large stiffness and robust resistance to shake and strike because there is no evident mass-spring component in its structure. This work focused on quantitative optimization of the gyroscope, which is still blank for such gyroscope. The modal analysis by the finite element method (FEM was firstly conducted. A set of quantitative indicators were developed to optimize the operation mode. By FEM, the harmonic analysis was conducted to find the way to efficiently actuate the operational mode needed. The optimal configuration of driving electrodes was obtained. At last, the Coriolis analysis was conducted to show the relation between angular velocity and differential output voltage by the Coriolis force under working condition. The results obtained in this paper provide theoretical basis for realizing this novel kind of micromachined gyroscope.

Deception Detection, Transmission, & Modality in Age & Sex

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Charlotte Dorothy Sweeney

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This study is the first to create and use spontaneous (i.e. unrehearsed pro-social lies in an ecological setting. Creation of the stimuli involved fifty-one older adult and forty-four college student senders who lied authentically in that their lies were spontaneous in the service of protecting a research assistant. In the main study, seventy-seven older adult and eighty-four college raters attempted to detect lies in the older adult and college senders in three modalities: audio, visual, and audiovisual. Raters of both age groups were best at detecting lies in the audiovisual and worst in the visual modalities. Overall, college students were better detectors than older adults. There was an age-matching effect for college students but not for older adults. Older adult males were the hardest to detect. The older the adult was the worse the ability to detect deception.

Multistability in perception: binding sensory modalities, an overview

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Jean-Luc; Grimault, Nicolas; Hupé, Jean-Michel; Moore, Brian C. J.; Pressnitzer, Daniel

2012-01-01

This special issue presents research concerning multistable perception in different sensory modalities. Multistability occurs when a single physical stimulus produces alternations between different subjective percepts. Multistability was first described for vision, where it occurs, for example, when different stimuli are presented to the two eyes or for certain ambiguous figures. It has since been described for other sensory modalities, including audition, touch and olfaction. The key features of multistability are: (i) stimuli have more than one plausible perceptual organization; (ii) these organizations are not compatible with each other. We argue here that most if not all cases of multistability are based on competition in selecting and binding stimulus information. Binding refers to the process whereby the different attributes of objects in the environment, as represented in the sensory array, are bound together within our perceptual systems, to provide a coherent interpretation of the world around us. We argue that multistability can be used as a method for studying binding processes within and across sensory modalities. We emphasize this theme while presenting an outline of the papers in this issue. We end with some thoughts about open directions and avenues for further research. PMID:22371612

Multistability in perception: binding sensory modalities, an overview.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Jean-Luc; Grimault, Nicolas; Hupé, Jean-Michel; Moore, Brian C J; Pressnitzer, Daniel

2012-04-05

This special issue presents research concerning multistable perception in different sensory modalities. Multistability occurs when a single physical stimulus produces alternations between different subjective percepts. Multistability was first described for vision, where it occurs, for example, when different stimuli are presented to the two eyes or for certain ambiguous figures. It has since been described for other sensory modalities, including audition, touch and olfaction. The key features of multistability are: (i) stimuli have more than one plausible perceptual organization; (ii) these organizations are not compatible with each other. We argue here that most if not all cases of multistability are based on competition in selecting and binding stimulus information. Binding refers to the process whereby the different attributes of objects in the environment, as represented in the sensory array, are bound together within our perceptual systems, to provide a coherent interpretation of the world around us. We argue that multistability can be used as a method for studying binding processes within and across sensory modalities. We emphasize this theme while presenting an outline of the papers in this issue. We end with some thoughts about open directions and avenues for further research.

Sequential treatment of icotinib after first-line pemetrexed in advanced lung adenocarcinoma with unknown EGFR gene status.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Yulong; Fang, Weijia; Deng, Jing; Zhao, Peng; Xu, Nong; Zhou, Jianying

2014-07-01

In non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the well-developed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is an important therapeutic target. EGFR activating gene mutations have been proved strongly predictive of response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) in NSCLC. However, both in daily clinical practice and clinical trials, patients with unknown EGFR gene status (UN-EGFR-GS) are very common. In this study, we assessed efficacy and tolerability of sequential treatment of first-line pemetrexed followed by icotinib in Chinese advanced lung adenocarcinoma with UN-EGFR-GS. We analyzed 38 patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma with UN-EGFR-GS treated with first-line pemetrexed-based chemotherapy followed by icotinib as maintenance or second-line therapy. The response rates to pemetrexed and icotinib were 21.1% and 42.1%, respectively. The median overall survival was 27.0 months (95% CI, 19.7-34.2 months). The 12-month overall survival probability was 68.4%. The most common toxicities observed in icotinib phase were rashes, diarrheas, and elevated aminotransferase. Subgroup analysis indicated that the overall survival is correlated with response to icotinib. The sequence of first-line pemetrexed-based chemotherapy followed by icotinib treatment is a promising option for advanced lung adenocarcinoma with UN-EGFR-GS in China.

A Modal Logic for Termgraph Rewriting

OpenAIRE

Balbiani, Ph.; Echahed, R.; Herzig, A.

2010-01-01

We propose a modal logic tailored to describe graph transformations and discuss some of its properties. We focus on a particular class of graphs called termgraphs. They are first-order terms augmented with sharing and cycles. Termgraphs allow one to describe classical data-structures (possibly with pointers) such as doubly-linked lists, circular lists etc. We show how the proposed logic can faithfully describe (i) termgraphs as well as (ii) the application of a termgraph rewrite rule (i.e. ma...

Musical Sight-Reading Expertise: Cross-Modality Investigations

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Veronique Drai-Zerbib

2011-10-01

Full Text Available It is often said that experienced musicians are capable of hearing what they read (and vice versa. This suggests that they are able to process and to integrate multimodal information. The study investigates this issue with an eye-tracking technique. Two groups of musicians chosen on the basis of their level of expertise (experts, non-experts had to read excerpts of poorly-known classical piano music and play them on a keyboard. The experiment was run in two consecutive phases during which each excerpt was (1 read without playing and (2 sight-read (read and played. In half the conditions, the participants heard the music before the reading phases. The excerpts contained suggested fingering of variable difficulty (difficult, easy, or no fingering. Analyses of first-pass fixation duration, second-pass fixation duration, probability of refixations, and playing mistakes validated the hypothesized modal independence of information among expert musicians as compared to non-experts. The results are discussed in terms of amodal memory for expert musicians, and they extend clearly our previous findings (Drai-Zerbib & Baccino, 2005. The paper will demonstrate that more experienced performers are better able to transfer learning from one modality to another, which can be in support of theoretical work by Ericsson and Kintsch (1995: more experienced performers better integrate knowledge across modalities. This view relies on the general flexibility shown in the experts' behaviour. The paper will show the correspondence between our results and issues recently obtained in ERPs researches and brain imaging studies (fMRI, MEG, where cerebral structures generally associated with different perceptual modalities were shown to be interconnected or overlap.

Successful Treatment of Liver Aspergilloma by Caspofungin Acetate First-Line Therapy in a Non-Immunocompromised Patient

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Hong-Juan Dong

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Aspergillosis remains to be a life-threatening complication in immunocompromised patients. However, Aspergillus infection can be observed in non-immunocompromised individuals in rare cases. We report a case of liver aspergilloma in a chronic aplastic anemia patient under relatively intact immune status. Therapeutic strategy for this rare condition was extensively discussed and caspofungin acetate single agent first-line therapy was applied after careful consideration. Encouraging clinical and radiologic improvements were achieved in response to the antifungal salvage. Our long-term follow-up study also revealed a favorable prognosis. Based on this experience, we suggest caspofungin acetate as first-line therapy for treatment plans of liver aspergilloma.

Modal testing and analysis of NOVA laser structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burdick, R.B.; Weaver, H.J.; Pastrnak, J.W.

1984-09-01

NOVA, currently the world's most powerful laser system, is an ongoing project at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. The project seeks to develop a feasible method of achieving controlled fusion reaction, initiated by multiple laser beams targeted on a tiny fuel pellet. The NOVA system consists of several large steel framed structures, the largest of which is the Target Chamber Tower. In conjunction with design engineers, the tower was first modelled and analyzed by sophisticated finite element techniques. A modal test was then conducted on the tower structure to evaluate its vibrational characteristics and seismic integrity as well as for general comparison to the finite element results. This paper will discuss the procedure used in the experimental modal analysis and the results obtained from that test

The thermospheric auroral red line polarization: confirmation of detection and first quantitative analysis

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Moen Joran

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The thermospheric atomic oxygen red line is among the brightest in the auroral spectrum. Previous observations in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, indicated that it may be intrinsically polarized, but a possible contamination by light pollution could not be ruled out. During the winter 2010/2011, the polarization of the red line was measured for the first time at the Polish Hornsund polar base without contamination. Two methods of data analysis are presented to compute the degree of linear polarization (DoLP and angle of linear polarization (AoLP: one is based on averaging and the other one on filtering. Results are compared and are in qualitative agreement. For solar zenith angles (SZA larger than 108° (with no contribution from Rayleigh scattering, the DoLP ranges between 2 and 7%. The AoLP is more or less aligned with the direction of the magnetic field line, in agreement with the theoretical predictions of Bommier et al. (2010. However, the AoLP values range between ±20° around this direction, depending on the auroral conditions. Correlations between the polarization parameters and the red line intensity I were considered. The DoLP decreases when I increases, confirming a trend observed during the observations in Longyearbyen. However, for small values of I, DoLP varies within a large range of values, while for large values of I, DoLP is always small. The AoLP also varies with the red line intensity, slightly rotating around the magnetic field line.

Conceptual structure within and between modalities

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Katia eDilkina

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Current views of semantic memory share the assumption that conceptual representations are based on multi-modal experience, which activates distinct modality-specific brain regions. This proposition is widely accepted, yet little is known about how each modality contributes to conceptual knowledge and how the structure of this contribution varies across these multiple information sources. We used verbal feature lists, features from drawings and verbal co-occurrence statistics from latent semantic analysis to examine the informational structure in four domains of knowledge: perceptual, functional, encyclopedic and verbal. The goals of the analysis were three-fold: (1 to assess the structure within individual modalities; (2 to compare structures between modalities; and (3 to assess the degree to which concepts organize categorically or randomly.Our results indicated significant and unique structure in all four modalities: perceptually, concepts organize based on prominent features such as shape, size, color and parts; functionally, they group based on use and interaction; encyclopedically, they arrange based on commonality in location or behavior; and verbally, they group associatively or relationally. Visual/perceptual knowledge gives rise to the strongest hierarchical organization and is closest to classic taxonomic structure. Information is organized somewhat similarly in the perceptual and encyclopedic domains, which differs significantly from the structure in the functional and verbal domains. Notably, the verbal modality has the most unique organization, which is not at all categorical but also not random. The idiosyncrasy and complexity of conceptual structure across modalities begs the question of how all of these modality-specific experiences are fused together into coherent, multi-faceted yet unified concepts. Accordingly, both methodological and theoretical implications of the present findings are discussed.

High-dose chemotherapy and auto-SCT for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma patients refractory to first-line salvage chemotherapy but responsive to second-line salvage chemotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Rauf, Muhammad Shahzad; Maghfoor, Irfan; Elhassan, Tusneem Ahmed M; Akhtar, Saad

2015-01-01

Relapsed or primary refractory Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) patients refractory to first-line salvage chemotherapy (first salvage) and unable to undergo high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous stem cell transplant (auto-SCT) have very poor outcome. Some patients are offered second-line salvage chemotherapy (second salvage), if they are responsive and may receive HDC auto-SCT. We identified 31 patients (18 males, 13 females) from 1996-2012 who received second salvage prior to auto-SCT. Median age at auto-SCT is 22 years. Patients were grouped as (1) relapsed-refractory (Rel:Ref): patients with prior complete response (CR) and on relapse found refractory to first salvage and received second salvage and (2) refractory-refractory (Ref:Ref): patients refractory to both primary treatment and first salvage and received second salvage. Median follow-up is 63 months (18-170). Disease status after second salvage prior to HDC was CR 16 %, partial response (PR) 71 % and stable disease 13 %. After HDC auto-SCT, CR:PR: progressive disease was observed in 18 (58 %): four (12 %): nine (29 %) patients, respectively. Five-year overall survival (OS) for whole group is 57 % (Rel:Ref vs. Ref:Ref, 73 % vs. 48 %, p = 0.48). Progression-free survival (PFS) for whole group is 52 % (Rel:Ref vs. Ref:Ref, 73 % vs. 40 % respectively, p = 0.11). Second-line salvage is a valid approach with no long-term side effects for those HL patients who do not respond to first-line salvage chemotherapy and they can be candidate of HDC and stem cell transplant with a high ORR, the PFS and OS in relapse-refractory and refractory-refractory group of patients.

The Modality-Match Effect in Recognition Memory

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Mulligan, Neil W.; Osborn, Katherine

2009-01-01

The modality-match effect in recognition refers to superior memory for words presented in the same modality at study and test. Prior research on this effect is ambiguous and inconsistent. The present study demonstrates that the modality-match effect is found when modality is rendered salient at either encoding or retrieval. Specifically, in…

Vocabulary acquisition in aphasia: Modality can matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Tuomiranta, Leena; Grönroos, Ann-Mari; Martin, Nadine; Laine, Matti

2014-11-01

The present case study investigated modality-specific aspects of novel word acquisition in aphasia. It was prompted by recent aphasia case studies indicating great interindividual variability in the ability to learn and maintain novel words in aphasia. Moreover, two previous case studies revealed a striking effect of input modality by showing effective word learning and re-learning via visual input only (Kohen, Sola, Tuomiranta, Laine, & Martin, 2012; Tuomiranta et al., 2014). The present participant TS with chronic nonfluent aphasia and post-semantic anomia was administered novel word-referent learning tasks. In the first experiment, the learning phase included simultaneous phonological and orthographic input, while the follow-up was probed separately for spoken and written responses. In the second experiment, we studied the effect of four different input and output modality combinations on her ability to learn to name the novel items. In the first experiment, TS's spoken naming performance during the learning phase was just within the range of healthy controls. Maintenance declined and remained outside that range during the whole 6-month follow-up. However, TS maintained the learned words better in written than in spoken naming throughout the follow-up, and in written naming, her maintenance stayed within the control's range up to 8 weeks post-training. The second experiment indicated that the best learning outcome was achieved with orthographic input. Orthographic input combined with orthographic output resulted in fast and accurate learning of the novel words. Interestingly, TS's test profile was opposite to her learning profile, as she repeated better than she read aloud in the linguistic background assessment. The results from the present case highlight the importance of multiple learning channels for word acquisition in individuals with aphasia. Probing the functionality of different input and output channels for learning may also prove valuable in tailoring

STRUKTUR MODAL DAN MODAL KERJA PT XYZ SERTA PENGARUHNYA TERHADAP KINERJA PERUSAHAAN

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Untung Setiono

2017-01-01

Full Text Available n 2012, the electronic payment system transactions reached IDR 104.830 trillion or increase 46,52% from the previous year.  PT. XYZ is the  pioneer in the electronic payment system Indonesia  and still one of the leading companies in electronic payment system interbank, through ATM (Automatic Teller Machine and EDC (Electronic Data Capture in Indonesia.  In 2012 the company spent USD 3,4 million on software tandem from a foreign vendor.  Therefore it is important to study (1 policy on the modal structure of the company, (2 the working capital policy of the company, (3 the monetary performance relationship of the company based on the 2 policies.  The method used to analyze the data is multiple linear regression analysis; this method is used to calculate the relationship between the structure variable of the capital and working capital.  The result is; 1 the structure policy on the capital of the company is in accordance with the Pecking Order theory where the company uses their own capital before applying the long term debt to the others, 2 the inefficient policy on the company’s working capital is because most of the active asset is in monthly deposit bonds and even extended  the active debt, 3 the relationship between short term debt and liquidity ratio is negative while the total debt (short and long term has a positive correlation with the solvability/leverage ratio of the company.  The research recommends the management to decrease the active asset and uses it for long term investment not only for timed deposit.Keywords:  ATM, EDC, capital structure, financial performance     AbstrakVoulme transaksi dalam menggunakan sistem pembayaran elektronis pada tahun 2012 mencapai Rp104.830 triliun atau meningkat sekitar 46,52% dari tahun sebelumnya. PT XYZ adalah salah satu perusahaan pionir dalam sistem bidang pembayaran elektronis di Indonesia dan tetap menjadi pemain utama dalam sistem pembayaran elektronis antar bank, ATM

Lower LINE-1 methylation in first-episode schizophrenia patients with the history of childhood trauma.

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Misiak, Błażej; Szmida, Elżbieta; Karpiński, Paweł; Loska, Olga; Sąsiadek, Maria M; Frydecka, Dorota

2015-01-01

We investigated methylation of DNA repetitive sequences (LINE-1 and BAGE) in peripheral blood leukocytes from first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and healthy controls (HCs) with respect to childhood adversities. Patients were divided into two subgroups based on the history of childhood trauma - FES(+) and FES(-) subjects. The majority of HCs had a negative history of childhood trauma - HCs(-) subjects. FES(+) patients had significantly lower LINE-1 methylation in comparison with FES(-) patients or HC(-) subjects. Emotional abuse and total trauma score predicted lower LINE-1 methylation in FES patients, while general trauma score was associated with lower BAGE methylation in HCs. Childhood adversities might be associated with global DNA hypomethylation in adult FES patients.

First Detections of the [NII] 122 Micrometer Line at High Redshift: Demonstrating the Utility of the Line for Studying Galaxies in the Early Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Ferkinhoff, Carl; Brisbin, Drew; Nikola, Thomas; Parshley, Stephen C.; Stacey, Gordon J.; Phillips, Thomas G.; Falgarone, Edith; Benford, Dominic J.; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Tucker, Carol E.

2011-01-01

We report the first detections of the [NIl] 122 {\\mu} m line from a high redshift galaxy. The line was strongly (> 6{\\sigma}) detected from SMMJ02399-0136, and HI413+ 117 (the Cloverleaf QSO) using the Redshift(z) and Early Universe Spectrometer (ZEUS) on the CSO. The lines from both sources are quite bright with line-to-FIR continuum luminosity ratios that are approx.7.0x10(exp -4) (Cloverleaf) and 2.1x10(exp -3) (SMMJ02399). With ratios 2-10 times larger than the average value for nearby galaxies, neither source exhibits the line-to-continuum deficits seen in nearby sources. The line strengths also indicate large ionized gas fractions, approx.8 to 17% of the molecular gas mass. The [OIII]/[NII] line ratio is very sensitive to the effective temperature of ionizing stars and the ionization parameter for emission arising in the narrow-line region (NLR) of an AGN. Using our previous detection of the [01II] 88 {\\mu}m line, the [OIII]/ [NIl] line ratio for SMMJ02399-0136 indicates the dominant source of the line emission is either stellar HII regions ionized by 09.5 stars, or the NLR of the AGN with ionization parameter 10g(U) = -3.3 to -4.0. A composite system, where 30 to 50% of the FIR lines arise in the NLR also matches the data. The Cloverleaf is best modeled by a superposition of approx.200 M82like starbursts accounting for all of the FIR emission and 43% of the [NIl] line. The remainder may come from the NLR. This work demonstrates the utility of the [NIl] and [OIII] lines in constraining properties of the ionized medium.

First-Order Hybrid Logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Braüner, Torben

2011-01-01

Hybrid logic is an extension of modal logic which allows us to refer explicitly to points of the model in the syntax of formulas. It is easy to justify interest in hybrid logic on applied grounds, with the usefulness of the additional expressive power. For example, when reasoning about time one...... often wants to build up a series of assertions about what happens at a particular instant, and standard modal formalisms do not allow this. What is less obvious is that the route hybrid logic takes to overcome this problem often actually improves the behaviour of the underlying modal formalism....... For example, it becomes far simpler to formulate proof-systems for hybrid logic, and completeness results can be proved of a generality that is simply not available in modal logic. That is, hybridization is a systematic way of remedying a number of known deficiencies of modal logic. First-order hybrid logic...

Mutational Correlates of Virological Failure in Individuals Receiving a WHO-Recommended Tenofovir-Containing First-Line Regimen: An International Collaboration

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Soo-Yon Rhee

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF genotypic resistance defined by K65R/N and/or K70E/Q/G occurs in 20% to 60% of individuals with virological failure (VF on a WHO-recommended TDF-containing first-line regimen. However, the full spectrum of reverse transcriptase (RT mutations selected in individuals with VF on such a regimen is not known. To identify TDF regimen-associated mutations (TRAMs, we compared the proportion of each RT mutation in 2873 individuals with VF on a WHO-recommended first-line TDF-containing regimen to its proportion in a cohort of 50,803 antiretroviral-naïve individuals. To identify TRAMs specifically associated with TDF-selection pressure, we compared the proportion of each TRAM to its proportion in a cohort of 5805 individuals with VF on a first-line thymidine analog-containing regimen. We identified 83 TRAMs including 33 NRTI-associated, 40 NNRTI-associated, and 10 uncommon mutations of uncertain provenance. Of the 33 NRTI-associated TRAMs, 12 – A62V, K65R/N, S68G/N/D, K70E/Q/T, L74I, V75L, and Y115F – were more common among individuals receiving a first-line TDF-containing compared to a first-line thymidine analog-containing regimen. These 12 TDF-selected TRAMs will be important for monitoring TDF-associated transmitted drug-resistance and for determining the extent of reduced TDF susceptibility in individuals with VF on a TDF-containing regimen.

Sustained Spatial Attention in Touch: Modality-Specific and Multimodal Mechanisms

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Chiara F. Sambo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Sustained attention to a body location results in enhanced processing of tactile stimuli presented at that location compared to another unattended location. In this paper, we review studies investigating the neural correlates of sustained spatial attention in touch. These studies consistently show that activity within modality-specific somatosensory areas (SI and SII is modulated by sustained tactile-spatial attention. Recent evidence suggests that these somatosensory areas may be recruited as part of a larger cortical network,also including higher-level multimodal regions involved in spatial selection across modalities. We discuss, in turn, the following multimodal effects in sustained tactile-spatial attention tasks. First, cross-modal attentional links between touch and vision, reflected in enhanced processing of task-irrelevant visual stimuli at tactuallyattended locations, are mediated by common (multimodal representations of external space. Second, vision of the body modulates activity underlying sustained tactile-spatial attention, facilitating attentional modulation of tactile processing in between-hand (when hands are sufficiently far apart and impairing attentional modulation in within-hand selection tasks. Finally, body posture influences mechanisms of sustained tactile-spatial attention, relying, at least partly, on remapping of tactile stimuli in external, visuallydefined, spatial coordinates. Taken together, the findings reviewed in this paper indicate that sustained spatial attention in touch is subserved by both modality-specific and multimodal mechanisms. The interplay between these mechanisms allows flexible and efficient spatial selection within and across sensory modalities.

Preferential reasoning for modal logics

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Britz, K

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Modal logic is the foundation for a versatile and well-established class of knowledge representation formalisms in artificial intelligence. Enriching modal logics with non-monotonic reasoning capabilities such as preferential reasoning as developed...

Diagnostic Challenges in Prostate Cancer and 68Ga-PSMA PET Imaging: A Game Changer?

Science.gov (United States)

Zaman, Maseeh uz; Fatima, Nosheen; Zaman, Areeba; Sajid, Mahwsih; Zaman, Unaiza; Zaman, Sidra

2017-10-26

Prostate cancer (PC) is the most frequent solid tumor in men and the third most common cause of cancer mortality among men in developed countries. Current imaging modalities like ultrasound (US), computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and choline based positron emission (PET) tracing have disappointing sensitivity for detection of nodal metastasis and small tumor recurrence. This poses a diagnostic challenge in staging of intermediate to high risk PC and restaging of patients with biochemical recurrence (PSA >0.2 ng/ml). Gallium-68 labeled prostate specific membrane antigen (68Ga-PSMA) PET imaging has now emerged with a higher diagnostic yield. 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT or PET/MRI can be expected to offer a one-stop-shop for staging and restaging of PC. PSMA ligands labeled with alpha and beta emitters have also shown promising therapeutic efficacy for nodal, bone and visceral metastasis. Therefore a PSMA based theranostics approach for detection, staging, treatment, and follow-up of PC would appear to be highly valuable to achieve personalized PC treatment. Creative Commons Attribution License

The modality effect of ego depletion: Auditory task modality reduces ego depletion.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiong; Wang, Zhenhong

2016-08-01

An initial act of self-control that impairs subsequent acts of self-control is called ego depletion. The ego depletion phenomenon has been observed consistently. The modality effect refers to the effect of the presentation modality on the processing of stimuli. The modality effect was also robustly found in a large body of research. However, no study to date has examined the modality effects of ego depletion. This issue was addressed in the current study. In Experiment 1, after all participants completed a handgrip task, one group's participants completed a visual attention regulation task and the other group's participants completed an auditory attention regulation task, and then all participants again completed a handgrip task. The ego depletion phenomenon was observed in both the visual and the auditory attention regulation task. Moreover, participants who completed the visual task performed worse on the handgrip task than participants who completed the auditory task, which indicated that there was high ego depletion in the visual task condition. In Experiment 2, participants completed an initial task that either did or did not deplete self-control resources, and then they completed a second visual or auditory attention control task. The results indicated that depleted participants performed better on the auditory attention control task than the visual attention control task. These findings suggest that altering task modality may reduce ego depletion. © 2016 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Completeness for flat modal fixpoint logics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Santocanale, L.; Venema, Y.

2010-01-01

This paper exhibits a general and uniform method to prove axiomatic completeness for certain modal fixpoint logics. Given a set Γ of modal formulas of the form γ(x,p1,…,pn), where x occurs only positively in γ, we obtain the flat modal fixpoint language L♯(Γ) by adding to the language of polymodal

Rocuronium Versus Suxamethonium: A Survey of First-line Muscle Relaxant Use in UK Prehospital Rapid Sequence Induction.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartley, Emma L; Alcock, Roger

2015-04-01

Prehospital anaesthesia in the United Kingdom (UK) is provided by Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS), a road-based service. Muscle relaxation in rapid sequence induction (RSI) has been traditionally undertaken with the use of suxamethonium; however, rocuronium at higher doses has comparable intubating conditions with fewer side effects. The aim of this survey was to establish how many prehospital services in the UK are now using rocuronium as first line in RSI. An online survey was constructed identifying choice of first-line muscle relaxant for RSI and emailed to lead clinicians for BASICS and HEMS services across the UK. If rocuronium was used, further questions regarding optimal dose, sugammadex, contraindications, and difference in intubating conditions were asked. A total of 29 full responses (93.5%) were obtained from 31 services contacted. Suxamethonium was used first line by 17 prehospital services (58.6%) and rocuronium by 12 (41.4%). In 11 services (91.7%), a dose of 1 mg/kg of rocuronium was used, and in one service, 1.2 mg/kg (8.3%) was used. No services using rocuronium carried sugammadex. In five services, slower relaxation time was found using rocuronium (41.7%), and in seven services, no difference in intubation conditions were noted (58.3%). Contraindications to rocuronium use included high probability of difficult airway and anaphylaxis. Use of rocuronium as first-line muscle relaxant in prehospital RSI is increasing. Continued auditing of practice will ascertain which services have adopted change and identify if complications of failed intubation increase as a result.

Sensory modality of smoking cues modulates neural cue reactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yalachkov, Yavor; Kaiser, Jochen; Görres, Andreas; Seehaus, Arne; Naumer, Marcus J

2013-01-01

Behavioral experiments have demonstrated that the sensory modality of presentation modulates drug cue reactivity. The present study on nicotine addiction tested whether neural responses to smoking cues are modulated by the sensory modality of stimulus presentation. We measured brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 15 smokers and 15 nonsmokers while they viewed images of smoking paraphernalia and control objects and while they touched the same objects without seeing them. Haptically presented, smoking-related stimuli induced more pronounced neural cue reactivity than visual cues in the left dorsal striatum in smokers compared to nonsmokers. The severity of nicotine dependence correlated positively with the preference for haptically explored smoking cues in the left inferior parietal lobule/somatosensory cortex, right fusiform gyrus/inferior temporal cortex/cerebellum, hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and supplementary motor area. These observations are in line with the hypothesized role of the dorsal striatum for the expression of drug habits and the well-established concept of drug-related automatized schemata, since haptic perception is more closely linked to the corresponding object-specific action pattern than visual perception. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that with the growing severity of nicotine dependence, brain regions involved in object perception, memory, self-processing, and motor control exhibit an increasing preference for haptic over visual smoking cues. This difference was not found for control stimuli. Considering the sensory modality of the presented cues could serve to develop more reliable fMRI-specific biomarkers, more ecologically valid experimental designs, and more effective cue-exposure therapies of addiction.

Deep Multimodal Pain Recognition: A Database and Comparison of Spatio-Temporal Visual Modalities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haque, Mohammad Ahsanul; Nasrollahi, Kamal; Moeslund, Thomas B.

2018-01-01

, exploiting both spatial and temporal information of the face to assess pain level, and second, incorporating multiple visual modalities to capture complementary face information related to pain. Most works in the literature focus on merely exploiting spatial information on chromatic (RGB) video data......PAIN)' database, for RGBDT pain level recognition in sequences. We provide a first baseline results including 5 pain levels recognition by analyzing independent visual modalities and their fusion with CNN and LSTM models. From the experimental evaluation we observe that fusion of modalities helps to enhance...... recognition performance of pain levels in comparison to isolated ones. In particular, the combination of RGB, D, and T in an early fusion fashion achieved the best recognition rate....

Modal parameters identification and monitoring of two arches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Belloli Marco

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper presents the results of the modal parameters identification and of the continuous monitoring of two arches built in the new area of Expo 2015 in Milan. The activities on the arches were performed during the erection stage and they were planned as a consequence of preliminary studies performed at Politecnico di Milano wind tunnel, that highlighted dynamic instability due to the wind. In particular, the first two bending modes of the structures showed a critical behaviour and for this reason a TMD (Tuned Mass Damping system was designed in order to control these modes. At first, frequencies, damping and modal deflected shapes were evaluated in order to check the numerical FEM model, to tune the TMD system and to check its correct functioning. The two arches were then monitored for several months to observe their dynamic behaviour under different wind conditions. A good database about the strongest and the most frequent winds in the site was obtained. The accelerations registered under strong wind conditions did not reach dangerous levels for the structures, moreover these results showed a good agreement with the wind tunnel ones.

Improvement of transmission loss of a double panel by using active control with a virtual modal mass

OpenAIRE

Lhuillier , Vincent; Chesné , Simon; Gaudiller , Luc; Pezerat , Charles

2013-01-01

International audience; In this article, modal feedback control is proposed to reduce the sound transmission through finite double panels using lead zirconate titanate ceramic sensors and actuators bonded to the structure. Active control allows adding virtual modal damping and mass to the structure by the use of modal velocities and accelerations. In a first step, the equations describing the structure, the actuators, the acoustic excitation, and the acoustic radiation are detailed. Next, the...

Operational modal analysis modeling, Bayesian inference, uncertainty laws

CERN Document Server

Au, Siu-Kui

2017-01-01

This book presents operational modal analysis (OMA), employing a coherent and comprehensive Bayesian framework for modal identification and covering stochastic modeling, theoretical formulations, computational algorithms, and practical applications. Mathematical similarities and philosophical differences between Bayesian and classical statistical approaches to system identification are discussed, allowing their mathematical tools to be shared and their results correctly interpreted. Many chapters can be used as lecture notes for the general topic they cover beyond the OMA context. After an introductory chapter (1), Chapters 2–7 present the general theory of stochastic modeling and analysis of ambient vibrations. Readers are first introduced to the spectral analysis of deterministic time series (2) and structural dynamics (3), which do not require the use of probability concepts. The concepts and techniques in these chapters are subsequently extended to a probabilistic context in Chapter 4 (on stochastic pro...

Modality-specificity of Selective Attention Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Stewart, Hannah J; Amitay, Sygal

2015-01-01

To establish the modality specificity and generality of selective attention networks. Forty-eight young adults completed a battery of four auditory and visual selective attention tests based upon the Attention Network framework: the visual and auditory Attention Network Tests (vANT, aANT), the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA), and the Test of Attention in Listening (TAiL). These provided independent measures for auditory and visual alerting, orienting, and conflict resolution networks. The measures were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis to assess underlying attention constructs. The analysis yielded a four-component solution. The first component comprised of a range of measures from the TEA and was labeled "general attention." The third component was labeled "auditory attention," as it only contained measures from the TAiL using pitch as the attended stimulus feature. The second and fourth components were labeled as "spatial orienting" and "spatial conflict," respectively-they were comprised of orienting and conflict resolution measures from the vANT, aANT, and TAiL attend-location task-all tasks based upon spatial judgments (e.g., the direction of a target arrow or sound location). These results do not support our a-priori hypothesis that attention networks are either modality specific or supramodal. Auditory attention separated into selectively attending to spatial and non-spatial features, with the auditory spatial attention loading onto the same factor as visual spatial attention, suggesting spatial attention is supramodal. However, since our study did not include a non-spatial measure of visual attention, further research will be required to ascertain whether non-spatial attention is modality-specific.

Load Estimation from Natural input Modal Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aenlle, Manuel López; Brincker, Rune; Canteli, Alfonso Fernández

2005-01-01

One application of Natural Input Modal Analysis consists in estimating the unknown load acting on structures such as wind loads, wave loads, traffic loads, etc. In this paper, a procedure to determine loading from a truncated modal model, as well as the results of an experimental testing programme...... estimation. In the experimental program a small structure subjected to vibration was used to estimate the loading from the measurements and the experimental modal space. The modal parameters were estimated by Natural Input Modal Analysis and the scaling factors of the mode shapes obtained by the mass change...

Music-to-Color Associations of Single-Line Piano Melodies in Non-synesthetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Palmer, Stephen E; Langlois, Thomas A; Schloss, Karen B

2016-01-01

Prior research has shown that non-synesthetes' color associations to classical orchestral music are strongly mediated by emotion. The present study examines similar cross-modal music-to-color associations for much better controlled musical stimuli: 64 single-line piano melodies that were generated from four basic melodies by Mozart, whose global musical parameters were manipulated in tempo(slow/fast), note-density (sparse/dense), mode (major/minor) and pitch-height (low/high). Participants first chose the three colors (from 37) that they judged to be most consistent with (and, later, the three that were most inconsistent with) the music they were hearing. They later rated each melody and each color for the strength of its association along four emotional dimensions: happy/sad, agitated/calm, angry/not-angry and strong/weak. The cross-modal choices showed that faster music in the major mode was associated with lighter, more saturated, yellower (warmer) colors than slower music in the minor mode. These results replicate and extend those of Palmer et al. (2013, Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. 110, 8836-8841) with more precisely controlled musical stimuli. Further results replicated strong evidence for emotional mediation of these cross-modal associations, in that the emotional ratings of the melodies were very highly correlated with the emotional associations of the colors chosen as going best/worst with the melodies (r = 0.92, 0.85, 0.82 and 0.70 for happy/sad, strong/weak,angry/not-angry and agitated/calm, respectively). The results are discussed in terms of common emotional associations forming a cross-modal bridge between highly disparate sensory inputs.

MODAL TRACKING of A Structural Device: A Subspace Identification Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Candy, J. V. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Franco, S. N. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Ruggiero, E. L. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Emmons, M. C. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Lopez, I. M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Stoops, L. M. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-03-20

Mechanical devices operating in an environment contaminated by noise, uncertainties, and extraneous disturbances lead to low signal-to-noise-ratios creating an extremely challenging processing problem. To detect/classify a device subsystem from noisy data, it is necessary to identify unique signatures or particular features. An obvious feature would be resonant (modal) frequencies emitted during its normal operation. In this report, we discuss a model-based approach to incorporate these physical features into a dynamic structure that can be used for such an identification. The approach we take after pre-processing the raw vibration data and removing any extraneous disturbances is to obtain a representation of the structurally unknown device along with its subsystems that capture these salient features. One approach is to recognize that unique modal frequencies (sinusoidal lines) appear in the estimated power spectrum that are solely characteristic of the device under investigation. Therefore, the objective of this effort is based on constructing a black box model of the device that captures these physical features that can be exploited to “diagnose” whether or not the particular device subsystem (track/detect/classify) is operating normally from noisy vibrational data. Here we discuss the application of a modern system identification approach based on stochastic subspace realization techniques capable of both (1) identifying the underlying black-box structure thereby enabling the extraction of structural modes that can be used for analysis and modal tracking as well as (2) indicators of condition and possible changes from normal operation.

Treatment modalities for burning mouth syndrome: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

de Souza, Isadora Follak; Mármora, Belkiss Câmara; Rados, Pantelis Varvaki; Visioli, Fernanda

2018-06-01

In the burning mouth syndrome (BMS), patients experience a burning sensation in the oral cavity with no associated injury or clinical manifestation. The etiology of this condition is still poorly understood, and therefore, treatment is challenging. The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of treatment possibilities described in the literature for BMS. PubMed, Embase, and SciELO databases were searched for randomized clinical trials published between 1996 and 2016. Following application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 29 papers were analyzed and divided into five subcategories according to the type of treatment described: antidepressants, alpha-lipoic acid, phytotherapeutic agents, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents, and non-pharmacological therapies. In each category, the results found were compared with regard to the methodology employed, sample size, assessment method, presence or absence of adverse effects, and treatment outcomes. The analysis revealed that the use of antidepressants and alpha-lipoic acid has been showing promising results; however, more studies are necessary before we can have a first-line treatment strategy for patients with BMS. To review systematically the literature about Burning Mouth Syndrome treatment may aid the clinicians to choose the treatment modality to improve patients symptoms based on the best evidence.

The cost-effectiveness of radiofrequency catheter ablation as first-line treatment for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aronsson, Mattias; Walfridsson, Håkan; Janzon, Magnus

2014-01-01

AIM: The aim of this prospective substudy was to estimate the cost-effectiveness of treating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) with radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFA) compared with antiarrhythmic drugs (AADs) as first-line treatment. METHODS AND RESULTS: A decision-analytic Markov model......, based on MANTRA-PAF (Medical Antiarrhythmic Treatment or Radiofrequency Ablation in Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation) study data, was developed to study long-term effects and costs of RFA compared with AADs as first-line treatment. Positive clinical effects were found in the overall population, a gain...... of an average 0.06 quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) to an incremental cost of €3033, resulting in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of €50 570/QALY. However, the result of the subgroup analyses showed that RFA was less costly and more effective in younger patients. This implied an incremental cost-effectiveness...

Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease: Immune Biomarkers, Audiovestibular Aspects, and Therapeutic Modalities of Cogan’s Syndrome

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Oded Shamriz

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Cogan’s syndrome (CS is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by audiovestibular dysfunction and ocular inflammation. Currently, there is no specific serum autoantibody used in the diagnostic workup of CS. Treatment is based on immunosuppressive agents, mainly corticosteroids as first-line choice. Recently, novel therapeutic modalities in CS have emerged. These include tumor necrosis factor-α inhibitors and other biologicals. Despite medical treatment, hearing loss may progress to irreversible bilateral profound SNHL in approximately half of CS patients resulting in candidacy for cochlear implantation (CI. Due to the inflammatory nature of the disease that is causing endosteal reaction with partial obliteration or complete neoossification of the intracochlear ducts, early CI is recommended. CI provides excellent and stable hearing rehabilitation with high score of word and sentence recognition. In this review, we will discuss different aspects of CS including clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment, and future directives.

Focused labeled proof systems for modal logic

OpenAIRE

Miller , Dale; Volpe , Marco

2015-01-01

International audience; Focused proofs are sequent calculus proofs that group inference rules into alternating positive and negative phases. These phases can then be used to define macro-level inference rules from Gentzen's original and tiny introduction and structural rules. We show here that the inference rules of labeled proof systems for modal logics can similarly be described as pairs of such phases within the LKF focused proof system for first-order classical logic. We consider the syst...

Efficacy and safety of icotinib as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer

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Shen YW

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Yan-Wei Shen,* Xiao-Man Zhang,* Shu-Ting Li, Meng Lv, Jiao Yang, Fan Wang, Zhe-Ling Chen, Bi-Yuan Wang, Pan Li, Ling Chen, Jin Yang Department of Medical Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Background and objective: Several clinical trials have proven that icotinib hydrochloride, a novel epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR–tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibits encouraging efficacy and tolerability in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC who failed previous chemotherapy. This study was performed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of icotinib as first-line therapy for patients with advanced pulmonary adenocarcinoma with EGFR-sensitive mutation.Patients and methods: Thirty-five patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR-sensitive mutation who were sequentially admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University from March 2012 to March 2014 were enrolled into our retrospective research. All patients were administered icotinib as first-line treatment. The tumor responses were evaluated using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST, version 1.1.Results: Among the 35 patients, the tumor objective response rate (ORR and disease control rate were 62.9% (22/35 and 88.6% (31/35, respectively. The median progression-free survival was 11.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.2–11.8 months, and median overall survival was 21.0 months (95% CI: 20.1–21.9 months. The most common drug-related toxicities were rashes (eleven patients and diarrhea (nine patients, but these were generally manageable and reversible.Conclusion: Icotinib monotherapy is effective and tolerable as first-line treatment for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-sensitive mutation. Keywords: lung neoplasms, icotinib hydrochloride, first-line treatment

Trans-catheter arterial chemoembolization as first-line treatment for hepatic metastases from endocrine tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, Alain; Girish, Baragur V.; de Baere, Thierry; Baudin, Eric; Schlumberger, Martin; Boige, Valerie; Ducreux, Michel; Elias, Dominique; Lasser, Philippe

2003-01-01

Our objective was to report the outcome in patients with liver metastasis from endocrine tumors who underwent transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) as first-line non-surgical treatment. From January 1990 to December 2000, 14 patients with progressive unresectable liver metastases from digestive neuroendocrine tumor were treated with TACE (mean of 3.6 sessions) before any non-surgical treatment (somatostatin analogue, chemotherapy or interferon). Liver involvement was less than 50% in 11 patients. Size of the largest lesion ranged from 1.5 to 10 cm. Ten patients presented with carcinoid symptoms. The TACE was performed with Doxorubicin emulsified in Lipiodol and gelatin sponge particles. Symptomatic response upon flushes and/or diarrhea was complete in 7 of 10 cases and partial in 2 of 10 cases. An objective morphologic response was noted in 12 of 14 cases. The 5- and 10-year survival rate from diagnosis was 83 and 56%, respectively. Six patients were alive at the end of the study after 27-100 months from first TACE and 38-142 months from diagnosis. Three of them were successfully palliated for 55, 69, and 100 months with only TACE as treatment. Long-term palliation is possible in unresectable liver metastases from digestive neuroendocrine tumors with a few sessions of TACE as first-line and eventually exclusive treatment. (orig.)

SU-E-I-83: Error Analysis of Multi-Modality Image-Based Volumes of Rodent Solid Tumors Using a Preclinical Multi-Modality QA Phantom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Y [University of Kansas Hospital, Kansas City, KS (United States); Fullerton, G; Goins, B [University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: In our previous study a preclinical multi-modality quality assurance (QA) phantom that contains five tumor-simulating test objects with 2, 4, 7, 10 and 14 mm diameters was developed for accurate tumor size measurement by researchers during cancer drug development and testing. This study analyzed the errors during tumor volume measurement from preclinical magnetic resonance (MR), micro-computed tomography (micro- CT) and ultrasound (US) images acquired in a rodent tumor model using the preclinical multi-modality QA phantom. Methods: Using preclinical 7-Tesla MR, US and micro-CT scanners, images were acquired of subcutaneous SCC4 tumor xenografts in nude rats (3–4 rats per group; 5 groups) along with the QA phantom using the same imaging protocols. After tumors were excised, in-air micro-CT imaging was performed to determine reference tumor volume. Volumes measured for the rat tumors and phantom test objects were calculated using formula V = (π/6)*a*b*c where a, b and c are the maximum diameters in three perpendicular dimensions determined by the three imaging modalities. Then linear regression analysis was performed to compare image-based tumor volumes with the reference tumor volume and known test object volume for the rats and the phantom respectively. Results: The slopes of regression lines for in-vivo tumor volumes measured by three imaging modalities were 1.021, 1.101 and 0.862 for MRI, micro-CT and US respectively. For phantom, the slopes were 0.9485, 0.9971 and 0.9734 for MRI, micro-CT and US respectively. Conclusion: For both animal and phantom studies, random and systematic errors were observed. Random errors were observer-dependent and systematic errors were mainly due to selected imaging protocols and/or measurement method. In the animal study, there were additional systematic errors attributed to ellipsoidal assumption for tumor shape. The systematic errors measured using the QA phantom need to be taken into account to reduce measurement

Proceedings of the 1st International Operational Modal Analysis Conference, April 26-27, 2005, Copenhagen, Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

These proceedings contain approximately 100 papers presented at the 1st International Operational Modal Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 26 - 27, 2005. The conference is jointly organised by Structural Vibration Systems (SVS), Aalborg, Brüel & Kjær Sound and Vibration Measurement A/S and th......These proceedings contain approximately 100 papers presented at the 1st International Operational Modal Conference, Copenhagen, Denmark, April 26 - 27, 2005. The conference is jointly organised by Structural Vibration Systems (SVS), Aalborg, Brüel & Kjær Sound and Vibration Measurement A....../S and the Department of Building Technology and Structural Engineering at Aalborg University. It is the first conference ever to focus solely on experimental modal analysis for cases where only the responses are measured. It was decided to hold the conference to generate interest in operational modal analysis (also...... effort and higher versatility. However, because the mathematical background was initially weak, computer power was insufficient and the equipment not sensitive enough for this kind of testing, the technology has only become popular during the last 3 - 4 years. For this reason, the first conference...

First Detections of the [N II] 122 micron Line at High Redshift: Demonstrating the Utility of the Line for Studying Galaxies in the Early Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Ferkinhoff, Carl; Brisbin, Drew; Nikola, Thomas; Parshley, Stephen C.; Stacey, Gordon J.; Phillips, Thomas G.; Falgarone, Edith; Benford, Dominic J.; Staguhn, Johannes G.; Tucker, Carol E.

2011-01-01

We report the first detections of the [N II] 122 micron line from a high-redshift galaxy. The line was strongly (>6(sigma)) detected from SMMJ02399-0136, and H1413 + 117 (the Cloverleaf QSO) using the Redshift (zeta) and Early Universe Spectrometer on the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory. The lines from both sources are quite bright with line to far-infrared (FIR) continuum luminosity ratios that are approx.7.0 x 10(exp -4) (Cloverleaf) and 2.1 x 10(exo -3) (SMMJ02399). With ratios 2-10 times larger than the average value for nearby galaxies, neither source exhibits the line to continuum deficits seen in nearby sources. The line strengths also indicate large ionized gas fractions, approx.8%-17% of the molecUlar gas mass. The [O III]/[N II] line ratio is very sensitive to the effective temperature of ionizing stars and the ionization parameter for emission arising in the narrow-line region (NLR) of an active galactic nucleus (AGN). Using Our previous detection of the [O III] 88 micron line, the [O III]/[N II]line ratio for SMMJ02399-0136 indicates that the dominant source of the line emission is either stellar H II regions ionized by O9.5 stars, or the NLR of the AGN with ionization parameter log(U) = -3.3 to -4.0. A composite system, where 30%-50% of the FIR lines arise in the NLR also matches the data. The Cloverleaf is best modeled by a superposition of approx.200 M82-like starbursts accounting for all of the FIR emission and 43% of the [N II]line. The remainder may come from the NLR. This war!< demonstrates the utility of the [N II] and [O III] lines in constraining properties of the ionized medium.

Experienced Sensory Modalities in Dream Recall

OpenAIRE

岡田, 斉

2000-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to survey the frequency of visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, cutaneous, organic, gustatory, and olfactory experience in dream recall. A total of 1267 undergraduate students completed a dream recall frequency questionnaire, which contained a question about dream recall frequency and about recall frequency of seven sensory modalities. Results showed that seven sensory modalities were divided into two groups; normally perceived sensory modalities in dreaming, wh...

Cross-market cost-effectiveness analysis of erlotinib as first-line maintenance treatment for patients with stable non-small cell lung cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vergnenègre A

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Alain Vergnenègre1, Joshua A Ray2, Christos Chouaid3, Francesco Grossi4, Helge G Bischoff5, David F Heigener6, Stefan Walzer21Department of Pneumology, Hôpital du Cluzeau, Limoges, France; 2Global Health Economics and Strategic Pricing, F Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd, Basel, Switzerland; 3Respiratory Service, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Paris, France; 4Lung Cancer Unit, National Institute for Cancer Research, Genoa, Italy; 5Thoracic Oncology, Onkologie Thoraxklinik Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 6Department of Thoracic Oncology, Krankenhaus Großhansdorf, Großhansdorf, GermanyBackground: Platinum-doublet, first-line treatment of locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC is limited to 4–6 cycles. An alternative strategy used to prolong the duration of first-line treatment and extend survival in metastatic NSCLC is first-line maintenance therapy. Erlotinib was approved for first-line maintenance in a stable disease population following results from a randomized, controlled Phase III trial comparing erlotinib with best supportive care. We aimed to estimate the incremental cost-effectiveness of erlotinib 150 mg/day versus best supportive care when used as first-line maintenance therapy for patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC and stable disease.Methods: An economic decision model was developed using patient-level data for progression-free survival and overall survival from the SATURN (SequentiAl Tarceva in UnResectable NSCLC study. An area under the curve model was developed; all patients entered the model in the progression-free survival health state and, after each month, moved to progression or death. A time horizon of 5 years was used. The model was conducted from the perspective of national health care payers in France, Germany, and Italy. Probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed.Results: Treatment with erlotinib in first-line maintenance resulted in a mean life expectancy of 1.39 years in all countries

Short-Term Memory in Mathematics-Proficient and Mathematics-Disabled Students as a Function of Input-Modality/Output-Modality Pairings.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Raymond E.

1980-01-01

A significant two-way input modality by output modality interaction suggested that short term memory capacity among the groups differed as a function of the modality used to present the items in combination with the output response required. (Author/CL)

Impact of Primary Tumor Location on First-line Bevacizumab or Cetuximab in Metastatic Colorectal Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Snyder, Matthew; Bottiglieri, Sal; Almhanna, Khaldoun

2018-01-01

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the United States, with a large proportion of patients presenting with metastatic disease or developing a recurrence. Systemic chemotherapy is the mainstay of therapy in this setting. There is a clear benefit in the addition of bevacizumab or cetuximab (for rat sarcoma [RAS] wild type tumors) to oxaliplatin- and irinotecan-based regimens which can be considered for first-line therapy. However, many significant questions remain as to which agent reflects best practice. Our review aimed to elucidate the benefit of adding bevacizumab and cetuximab to initial therapy for metastatic colorectal cancer based on primary tumor location and a variety of other disease- and patient-related factors, addressing the paucity of evidence that currently exists in this area and contributing to current literature and clinical practices. The primary endpoints of the study were first Progression-Free Survival (PFS) and Overall Survival (OS). Secondary endpoints included best response to first- and second-line therapies, Treatment- Related Adverse Events (TRAEs), second PFS, cost of therapy, and an assessment of other patient- and disease-related factors affecting PFS and OS. While there were trends towards improved OS in patients with left-sided primary tumors (n=57) compared to those with right-sided disease (n=23), there were no significant differences between the two groups in either primary endpoint. While no differences were found for patients with left- or right- sided tumors stratified by add-on agent, these analyses were limited by the small number of patients receiving cetuximab with first-line therapy (n=4). However, the bevacizumab cohort (n=76) was sizable enough to provide ample data and produce clinically relevant results. Add-on therapy with bevacizumab in our study achieved impressive survival outcomes in both left-sided (median first PFS = 13 months, 95% CI 11-15 months; median OS = 37 months, 95% CI 21

[Prospect and Current Situation of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors 
in First-line Treatment in Advanced Non-small Cell Lung Cancer Patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Haiyang; Yu, Xiaoqing; Fan, Yun

2017-06-20

With the breakthroughs achieved of programmed death-1 (PD-1)/PD-L1 inhibitors monotherapy as first-line and second-line treatment in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the treatment strategy is gradually evolving and optimizing. Immune combination therapy expands the benefit population and improves the curative effect. A series of randomized phase III trials are ongoing. In this review, we discuss the prospect and current situation of immune checkpoint inhibitors in first-line treatment in advanced NSCLC patients.

Krull dimension in modal logic

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bezhanishvili, G.; Bezhanishvili, N.; Lucero-Bryan, J.; van Mill, J.

2017-01-01

We develop the theory of Krull dimension for S4-algebras and Heyting algebras. This leads to the concept of modal Krull dimension for topological spaces. We compare modal Krull dimension to other well-known dimension functions, and show that it can detect differences between topological spaces that

Modal Logics for Cryptographic Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Frendrup, U.; Huttel, Hans; Jensen, N. J.

2002-01-01

We present three modal logics for the spi-calculus and show that they capture strong versions of the environment sensitive bisimulation introduced by Boreale et al. Our logics differ from conventional modal logics for process calculi in that they allow us to describe the knowledge of an attacker ...

Load Estimation from Modal Parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aenlle, Manuel López; Brincker, Rune; Fernández, Pelayo Fernández

2007-01-01

In Natural Input Modal Analysis the modal parameters are estimated just from the responses while the loading is not recorded. However, engineers are sometimes interested in knowing some features of the loading acting on a structure. In this paper, a procedure to determine the loading from a FRF m...

Rates and factors associated with major modifications to first-line combination antiretroviral therapy: results from the Asia-Pacific region.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen Wright

Full Text Available In the Asia-Pacific region many countries have adopted the WHO's public health approach to HIV care and treatment. We performed exploratory analyses of the factors associated with first major modification to first-line combination antiretroviral therapy (ART in resource-rich and resource-limited countries in the region.We selected treatment naive HIV-positive adults from the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD and the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD. We dichotomised each country's per capita income into high/upper-middle (T-H and lower-middle/low (T-L. Survival methods stratified by income were used to explore time to first major modification of first-line ART and associated factors. We defined a treatment modification as either initiation of a new class of antiretroviral (ARV or a substitution of two or more ARV agents from within the same ARV class.A total of 4250 patients had 961 major modifications to first-line ART in the first five years of therapy. The cumulative incidence (95% CI of treatment modification was 0.48 (0.44-0.52, 0.33 (0.30-0.36 and 0.21 (0.18-0.23 for AHOD, T-H and T-L respectively. We found no strong associations between typical patient characteristic factors and rates of treatment modification. In AHOD, relative to sites that monitor twice-yearly (both CD4 and HIV RNA-VL, quarterly monitoring corresponded with a doubling of the rate of treatment modifications. In T-H, relative to sites that monitor once-yearly (both CD4 and HIV RNA-VL, monitoring twice-yearly corresponded to a 1.8 factor increase in treatment modifications. In T-L, no sites on average monitored both CD4 & HIV RNA-VL concurrently once-yearly. We found no differences in rates of modifications for once- or twice-yearly CD4 count monitoring.Low-income countries tended to have lower rates of major modifications made to first-line ART compared to higher-income countries. In higher-income countries, an increased rate of RNA-VL monitoring was

Emerging Biometric Modalities: Challenges and Opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Gafurov, Davrondzhon

Recent advances in sensor technology and wide spread use of various electronics (computers, PDA, mobile phones etc.) provide new opportunities for capturing and analyses of novel physiological and behavioural traits of human beings for biometric authentication. This paper presents an overview of several such types of human characteristics that have been proposed as alternatives to traditional types of biometrics. We refer to these characteristics as emerging biometrics. We survey various types of emerging modalities and techniques, and discuss their pros and cons. Emerging biometrics faces several limitations and challenges which include subject population coverage (focusing mostly on adults); unavailability of benchmark databases; little research with respect to vulnerability/robustness against attacks; and some privacy concerns they may arise. In addition, recognition performance of emerging modalities are generally less accurate compared to the traditional biometrics. Despite all of these emerging biometrics posses their own benefits and advantages compared to traditional biometrics which makes them still attractive for research. First of all, emerging biometrics can always serve as a complementary source for identity information; they can be suitable in applications where traditional biometrics are difficult or impossible to adapt such as continuous or periodic re-verification of the user's identity etc.

Numerical and Experimental Modal Control of Flexible Rotor Using Electromagnetic Actuator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edson Hideki Koroishi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The present work is dedicated to active modal control applied to flexible rotors. The effectiveness of the corresponding techniques for controlling a flexible rotor is tested numerically and experimentally. Two different approaches are used to determine the appropriate controllers. The first uses the linear quadratic regulator and the second approach is the fuzzy modal control. This paper is focused on the electromagnetic actuator, which in this case is part of a hybrid bearing. Due to numerical reasons it was necessary to reduce the size of the model of the rotating system so that the design of the controllers and estimator could be performed. The role of the Kalman estimator in the present contribution is to estimate the modal states of the system and to determine the displacement of the rotor at the position of the hybrid bearing. Finally, numerical and experimental results demonstrate the success of the methodology conveyed.

Drug-related webpages classification based on multi-modal local decision fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Ruiguang; Su, Xiaojing; Liu, Yanxin

2018-03-01

In this paper, multi-modal local decision fusion is used for drug-related webpages classification. First, meaningful text are extracted through HTML parsing, and effective images are chosen by the FOCARSS algorithm. Second, six SVM classifiers are trained for six kinds of drug-taking instruments, which are represented by PHOG. One SVM classifier is trained for the cannabis, which is represented by the mid-feature of BOW model. For each instance in a webpage, seven SVMs give seven labels for its image, and other seven labels are given by searching the names of drug-taking instruments and cannabis in its related text. Concatenating seven labels of image and seven labels of text, the representation of those instances in webpages are generated. Last, Multi-Instance Learning is used to classify those drugrelated webpages. Experimental results demonstrate that the classification accuracy of multi-instance learning with multi-modal local decision fusion is much higher than those of single-modal classification.

Man versus machine: the preferred modality.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanko, Jill; Shekhter, Ilya; Rosen, Lisa; Arheart, Kristopher; Birnbach, David

2012-12-01

When learning objectives do not specifically dictate the use of one simulation modality over another, we sought to answer the question of which modality is preferred. We also assessed the impact of debriefing, and the frequency of participants asserting their leadership, as well as self-reported comfort and competence, and the ability to generate differential diagnoses when either a standardised patient (SP) or high-technology simulator (HTS) was used. One hundred and forty medical students participated in a simulation-based activity focusing on teamwork, task delegation, role clarity and effective communication. Two similar clinical scenarios were presented, and either an HTS or an SP was used. Following each scenario, participants were surveyed on the realism of the simulation and the patient, and also on their self-assessed comfort and competence. They were also asked to indicate which role they played, to list possible differential diagnoses for the case and, following the second scenario, which modality they preferred. The surveys indicated that 91 per cent (127) of students preferred the SP. The perceived realism of the simulation was higher for the second scenario than for the first. Scenarios with an SP were found to be significantly more realistic than the scenarios where the HTS was used. Comfort and competence scores were higher following the second scenario. No differences in the ability of participants to generate a list of differentials were found, and nearly twice as many participants reported taking the leadership role during their second simulation. We have found low and high technology to have similar effectiveness for achieving learning objectives and for the demonstration of skills; however, students clearly preferred the SPs. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

Modality-specificity of selective attention networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hannah Jamieson Stewart

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Objective: To establish the modality specificity and generality of selective attention networks. Method: Forty-eight young adults completed a battery of four auditory and visual selective attention tests based upon the Attention Network framework: the visual and auditory Attention Network Tests (vANT, aANT, the Test of Everyday Attention (TEA, and the Test of Attention in Listening (TAiL. These provided independent measures for auditory and visual alerting, orienting, and conflict resolution networks. The measures were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis to assess underlying attention constructs. Results: The analysis yielded a four-component solution. The first component comprised of a range of measures from the TEA and was labeled ‘general attention’. The third component was labeled ‘auditory attention’, as it only contained measures from the TAiL using pitch as the attended stimulus feature. The second and fourth components were labeled as ‘spatial orienting’ and ‘spatial conflict’, respectively – they were comprised of orienting and conflict resolution measures from the vANT, aANT and TAiL attend-location task – all tasks based upon spatial judgments (e.g., the direction of a target arrow or sound location. Conclusions: These results do not support our a-priori hypothesis that attention networks are either modality specific or supramodal. Auditory attention separated into selectively attending to spatial and non-spatial features, with the auditory spatial attention loading onto the same factor as visual spatial attention, suggesting spatial attention is supramodal. However, since our study did not include a non-spatial measure of visual attention, further research will be required to ascertain whether non-spatial attention is modality-specific.

Learning curve for the management of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as the first line of treatment for patients with metastatic renal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lendínez-Cano, G; Osman García, I; Congregado Ruiz, C B; Conde Sánchez, J M; Medina López, R A

2018-03-07

To analyse the learning curve for the management of tyrosine kinase inhibitors as the first line of treatment for patients with metastatic renal cancer. We evaluated 32 consecutive patients treated in our department for metastatic renal cancer with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (pazopanib or sunitinib) as first-line treatment between September 2012 and November 2015. We retrospectively analysed this sample. We measured the time to the withdrawal of the first-line treatment, the time to progression and overall survival using Kaplan-Meier curves. The learning curve was analysed with the cumulative sum (CUSUM) methodology. In our series, the median time to the withdrawal of the first-line treatment was 11 months (95% CI 4.9-17.1). The mean time to progression was 30.4 months (95% CI 22.7-38.1), and the mean overall survival was 34.9 months (95% CI 27.8-42). By applying the CUSUM methodology, we obtained a graph for the CUSUM value of the time to withdrawal of the first-line treatment (CUSUM TW), observing 3 well-differentiated phases: phase 1 or initial learning phase (1-15), phase 2 (16-26) in which the management of the drug progressively improved and phase 3 (27-32) of maximum experience or mastery of the management of these drugs. The number of treated patients needed to achieve the proper management of these patients was estimated at 15. Despite the limitations of the sample size and follow-up time, we estimated (in 15 patients) the number needed to reach the necessary experience in the management of these patients with tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We observed no relationship between the time to the withdrawal of the first-line treatment for any cause and progression. Copyright © 2018 AEU. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Balancing of highly flexible shaft lines on their critical bending speeds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, R.

1990-01-01

The balancing of EDF shaft lines has been performed for a decade with the help of the multiplane balancing method, using coefficients of influence at nominal speed. The method makes it possible to seek the minimum level of vibrations with the smallest possible corrective weights, using the least squares pseudo-inverse optimization technique. Due to the flexibility of the large shaft lines placed into service in the last few years, it is necessary to balance not only at nominal speed but also at critical bending speeds. Accordingly, we have developed a new method which combines the efficiency of modal balancing with the simplicity of balancing with coefficients of influence and which finds an optimum balancing for nominal and critical speeds thanks to its weightings option (for machines with low modal damping). The data analysis and balancing programs can run on of desk computers such as the HP 200, 300 and 500 series and allow the corrective weights to be determined immediately, on-site, from the data provided by EDF line shaft monitoring systems [fr

Does the modality principle for multimedia learning apply to science classrooms?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Harskamp, Egbert G.; Mayer, Richard E.; Suhre, Cor

2007-01-01

This study demonstrated that the modality principle applies to multimedia learning of regular science lessons in school settings. In the first field experiment, 27 Dutch secondary school students (age 16-17) received a self-paced, web-based multimedia lesson in biology. Students who received lessons

Modular sequent calculi for classical modal logics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gilbert, David; Maffezioli, Paolo

This paper develops sequent calculi for several classical modal logics. Utilizing a polymodal translation of the standard modal language, we are able to establish a base system for the minimal classical modal logic E from which we generate extensions (to include M, C, and N) in a modular manner. Our

First-line managers' descriptions and reflections regarding their staff's access to empowering structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Skytt, Bernice; Hagerman, Heidi; Strömberg, Annika; Engström, Maria

2015-11-01

To elucidate first-line managers' descriptions and reflections regarding their staff's access to empowering structures using Kanter's theory of structural empowerment. Good structural conditions within workplaces are essential to employees' wellbeing, and their ability to access empowerment structures is largely dependent on the management. Twenty-eight first-line managers in elderly care were interviewed. Deductive qualitative content analysis was used to analyse data. Managers perceived that staff had varying degrees of access to the empowering structures described in Kanter's theory - and that they possessed formal power in their roles as contact persons and representatives. The descriptions mostly started from the managers' own actions, although some started from the needs of staff members. All managers described their staff's access to the empowering structures in Kanter's theory as important, yet it seemed as though this was not always reflected on and discussed as a strategic issue. Managers could make use of performance and appraisal dialogues to keep up to date on staff's access to empowering structures. Recurrent discussions in the management group based on such current information could promote staff's access to power through empowering structures and make job definitions a strategic issue in the organisation. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Modal Analysis and Model Correlation of the Mir Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hyoung M.; Kaouk, Mohamed

2000-01-01

This paper will discuss on-orbit dynamic tests, modal analysis, and model refinement studies performed as part of the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MiSDE). Mir is the Russian permanently manned Space Station whose construction first started in 1986. The MiSDE was sponsored by the NASA International Space Station (ISS) Phase 1 Office and was part of the Shuttle-Mir Risk Mitigation Experiment (RME). One of the main objectives for MiSDE is to demonstrate the feasibility of performing on-orbit modal testing on large space structures to extract modal parameters that will be used to correlate mathematical models. The experiment was performed over a one-year span on the Mir-alone and Mir with a Shuttle docked. A total of 45 test sessions were performed including: Shuttle and Mir thruster firings, Shuttle-Mir and Progress-Mir dockings, crew exercise and pushoffs, and ambient noise during night-to-day and day-to-night orbital transitions. Test data were recorded with a variety of existing and new instrumentation systems that included: the MiSDE Mir Auxiliary Sensor Unit (MASU), the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), the Russian Mir Structural Dynamic Measurement System (SDMS), the Mir and Shuttle Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), and the Shuttle payload bay video cameras. Modal analysis was performed on the collected test data to extract modal parameters, i.e. frequencies, damping factors, and mode shapes. A special time-domain modal identification procedure was used on free-decay structural responses. The results from this study show that modal testing and analysis of large space structures is feasible within operational constraints. Model refinements were performed on both the Mir alone and the Shuttle-Mir mated configurations. The design sensitivity approach was used for refinement, which adjusts structural properties in order to match analytical and test modal parameters. To verify the refinement results, the analytical responses calculated using

Does Modality Matter? The Effects of Reading, Listening, and Dual Modality on Comprehension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beth A. Rogowsky

2016-09-01

Full Text Available With advancing technology, there is increasing interest in differences between listening versus reading comprehension or doing both simultaneously. Ninety-one participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups that received the same instructional material (the preface and a chapter from a non-fiction book, but each in a different input modality (digital audiobook, e-text, dual modality. After completing the material, participants took the same comprehension test in written form to establish both immediate comprehension (Time 1 and 2-week retention (Time 2. No statistically significant differences were found for any analyses pertaining to effects of the three different instructional conditions on comprehension at Time 1 or Time 2. Additional analyses showed that both males and females in each condition recalled an equal amount of information, regardless of whether they listened to an audiobook, read from an electronic tablet, or both listened and read simultaneously (dual modality.

Parametric modal transition systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Beneš, Nikola; Křetínský, Jan; Larsen, Kim Guldstrand

2011-01-01

Modal transition systems (MTS) is a well-studied specification formalism of reactive systems supporting a step-wise refinement methodology. Despite its many advantages, the formalism as well as its currently known extensions are incapable of expressing some practically needed aspects in the refin......Modal transition systems (MTS) is a well-studied specification formalism of reactive systems supporting a step-wise refinement methodology. Despite its many advantages, the formalism as well as its currently known extensions are incapable of expressing some practically needed aspects...

Combined modalities: chemotherapy/radiotherapy. Meeting summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, T.L.

1979-01-01

The effects of combined modalities, the standardization of terminology, the mechanisms of chemotherapeutic interactions with radiation and responses of normal and tumor systems are summarized from information presented at the Conference on Combined Modalities

FIRST-LINE TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH INOPERABLE METASTATIC COLON CANCER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Yu. Fedyanin

2014-01-01

Full Text Available First-line therapy for metastatic colon cancer is most important for a patient. Its median time to progression constitutes the bulk of the patient’s survival. Clearly, it is necessary to choose the most effective combinations of targeted drugs and chemotherapy regimens. The choice of therapy for patients with colon cancer is governed by both the clinical characteristics of the disease and the molecular changes of a tumor. In recent literature, there has been a great deal of evidence for the use of targeted drugs in different clinical situations; the results of comparative trials of different treatment combinations have been published. This all determines the reconsideration of the choice of a treatment regimen in patients with metastatic colon cancer; it is the topic of the present review.

Regimen durability in HIV-infected children and adolescents initiating first-line ART in a large public sector HIV cohort in South Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonawitz, Rachael; Brennan, Alana T; Long, Lawrence; Heeren, Timothy; Maskew, Mhairi; Sanne, Ian; Fox, Matthew P

2018-04-15

In April 2010 tenofovir and abacavir replaced stavudine in public-sector first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) for children under 20 years old in South Africa. The association of both abacavir and tenofovir with fewer side-effects and toxicities compared to stavudine could translate to increased durability of tenofovir or abacavir-based regimens. We evaluated changes over time in regimen durability for pediatric patients 3 to 19 years of age at 8 public sector clinics in Johannesburg, South Africa. Cohort analysis of treatment naïve, non-pregnant pediatric patients from 3 to 19 years old initiated on ART between April 2004-December 2013. First-line ART regimens before April 2010 consisted of stavudine or zidovudine with lamivudine and either efavirenz or nevirapine. Tenofovir and/or abacavir was substituted for stavudine after April 2010 in first-line ART. We evaluated the frequency and type of single-drug substitutions, treatment interruptions, and switches to second-line therapy. Fine and Gray competing risk regression models were used to evaluate the association of antiretroviral drug type with single-drug substitutions, treatment interruptions, and second-line switches in the first 24-months on treatment. 398 (15.3%) single-drug substitutions, 187 (7.2%) treatment interruptions and 86 (3.3%) switches to second-line therapy occurred among 2602 pediatric patients over 24-months on ART. Overall, the rate of single-drug substitutions started to increase in 2009, peaked in 2011 at 25%, then declined to 10% in 2013, well after the integration of tenofovir into pediatric regimens; no patients over the age of 3 were initiated on abacavir for first-line therapy. Competing risk regression models showed patients on zidovudine or stavudine had upwards of a 5-fold increase in single-drug substitution vs. patients initiated on tenofovir in the first 24-months on ART. Older adolescents also had a 2-3-fold increase in treatment interruptions and switches to second-line

Sensory modality specificity of neural activity related to memory in visual cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, J R; Maunsell, J H

1997-09-01

Previous studies have shown that when monkeys perform a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task, some neurons in inferotemporal visual cortex are activated selectively during the delay period when the animal must remember particular visual stimuli. This selective delay activity may be involved in short-term memory. It does not depend on visual stimulation: both auditory and tactile stimuli can trigger selective delay activity in inferotemporal cortex when animals expect to respond to visual stimuli in a DMS task. We have examined the overall modality specificity of delay period activity using a variety of auditory/visual cross-modal and unimodal DMS tasks. The cross-modal DMS tasks involved making specific long-term memory associations between visual and auditory stimuli, whereas the unimodal DMS tasks were standard identity matching tasks. Delay activity existed in auditory/visual cross-modal DMS tasks whether the animal anticipated responding to visual or auditory stimuli. No evidence of selective delay period activation was seen in a purely auditory DMS task. Delay-selective cells were relatively common in one animal where they constituted up to 53% neurons tested with a given task. This was only the case for up to 9% of cells in a second animal. In the first animal, a specific long-term memory representation for learned cross-modal associations was observed in delay activity, indicating that this type of representation need not be purely visual. Furthermore, in this same animal, delay activity in one cross-modal task, an auditory-to-visual task, predicted correct and incorrect responses. These results suggest that neurons in inferotemporal cortex contribute to abstract memory representations that can be activated by input from other sensory modalities, but these representations are specific to visual behaviors.

A modal characterization of Peirce algebras

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M. de Rijke (Maarten)

1995-01-01

textabstractPeirce algebras combine sets, relations and various operations linking the two in a unifying setting.This note offers a modal perspective on Peirce algebras.It uses modal logic to characterize the full Peirce algebras.

Efficacies of various diagnostic modalities in acute trauma of the cervical spine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tani, Ichiro (St. Marianna Univ., Kawasaki (Japan). School of Medicine)

1993-12-01

The author reviewed 71 consecutive cases of acute trauma of the cervical spine to define efficacies of various modalities such as plain film, CT and MRI. Pathologies on CT and/or MRI additionally found to plain films were analyzed and correlated to three groups divided according to neurological deficit. The following conclusions were obtained. The usefulness of plain films as the first modality of choice was confirmed. Both CT and MRI are necessary in addition to abnormal plain films in this group if patients have neurological deficit. MRI may be a modality of choice following plain films if they are negative. In the group of brachial plexus palsy MRI should be performed before CT to demonstrate traumatic meningocele. CT myelography is also useful although it is invasive. It is warranted to say that in the asymptomatic group CT and MRI are not indicated, because additionally found abnormalities are clinically insignificant. (author).

The taste-visual cross-modal Stroop effect: An event-related brain potential study.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, X; Dupuis-Roy, N; Yang, X L; Qiu, J F; Zhang, Q L

2014-03-28

Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to explore, for the first time, the electrophysiological correlates of the taste-visual cross-modal Stroop effect. Eighteen healthy participants were presented with a taste stimulus and a food image, and asked to categorize the image as "sweet" or "sour" by pressing the relevant button as quickly as possible. Accurate categorization of the image was faster when it was presented with a congruent taste stimulus (e.g., sour taste/image of lemon) than with an incongruent one (e.g., sour taste/image of ice cream). ERP analyses revealed a negative difference component (ND430-620) between 430 and 620ms in the taste-visual cross-modal Stroop interference. Dipole source analysis of the difference wave (incongruent minus congruent) indicated that two generators localized in the prefrontal cortex and the parahippocampal gyrus contributed to this taste-visual cross-modal Stroop effect. This result suggests that the prefrontal cortex is associated with the process of conflict control in the taste-visual cross-modal Stroop effect. Also, we speculate that the parahippocampal gyrus is associated with the process of discordant information in the taste-visual cross-modal Stroop effect. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preliminary results on the role of PET/CT in initial staging, restaging, and management of lung cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Malamitsi, J. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece): Department of Medical Physics, Medical School, University of Athens (Greece)]. E-mail: j.malamitsi@yahoo.gr; Valotassiou, B. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Iliadis, K. [Thoracic Surgical Department, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Kosmidis, P. [2nd Medical Oncology Department, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Laspas, F. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Vasilaki, M. [Oncologist, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Pipini, E. [Thoracic Medicine Clinic, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Petounis, A. [1st Internal Medicine and Oncology Department, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Gogou, L. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Pagou, M. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Dalianis, K. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Efthimiadou, R. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece); Andreou, J. [Department of PET/CT, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Center of Athens, Hygeia, Athens (Greece)

2006-12-20

Aim: To determine true-positive and true-negative rates of PET/CT studies in the staging of lung cancer as compared with conventional imaging (CT and bone scan and occasionally MRI) and the impact of PET/CT on the treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and method: Twenty patients (21 studies) with known or suspected lung cancer (14 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), three patients with solitary pulmonary nodule underwent initial staging (seven studies) or restaging (14 studies) with combined FDG PET and CT scans on a PET/CT tomograph. PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two nuclear medicine physicians and two radiologists specialized on PET, CT, and MRI. Histology results and a more than 6 months follow-up served as the reference standards. Results: Accurate diagnosis was achieved on 16 studies. Site-by-site analysis gave the following results: 16 true-positive sites (seven on histology, nine on >6 months follow-up), six true-negative sites (two on histology, four on >6 months follow-up). On PET/CT, six patients were correctly down-staged, three patients were correctly upstaged and seven patients were diagnosed correctly as being on the same stage (2/7 with increase of extent of disease, 5/7 with the same extent of disease). One patient was falsely upstaged and three patients were falsely down-staged. On the basis of PET/CT results, change of management was induced in six patients, while in 14 patients there was no change induced. In five cases PET/CT was partially accurate: on site-by-site analysis, four sites proved true positive (on histology), one site false positive (on histology), and four sites false negative (one on histology, three on >6 months follow-up). Conclusion: In our early experience, PET/CT contributed significantly to correct staging and management of patients with lung cancer.

Preliminary results on the role of PET/CT in initial staging, restaging, and management of lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malamitsi, J.; Valotassiou, B.; Iliadis, K.; Kosmidis, P.; Laspas, F.; Vasilaki, M.; Pipini, E.; Petounis, A.; Gogou, L.; Pagou, M.; Dalianis, K.; Efthimiadou, R.; Andreou, J.

2006-01-01

Aim: To determine true-positive and true-negative rates of PET/CT studies in the staging of lung cancer as compared with conventional imaging (CT and bone scan and occasionally MRI) and the impact of PET/CT on the treatment strategy in patients with lung cancer. Materials and method: Twenty patients (21 studies) with known or suspected lung cancer (14 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), three patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC), three patients with solitary pulmonary nodule underwent initial staging (seven studies) or restaging (14 studies) with combined FDG PET and CT scans on a PET/CT tomograph. PET/CT images were evaluated separately by two nuclear medicine physicians and two radiologists specialized on PET, CT, and MRI. Histology results and a more than 6 months follow-up served as the reference standards. Results: Accurate diagnosis was achieved on 16 studies. Site-by-site analysis gave the following results: 16 true-positive sites (seven on histology, nine on >6 months follow-up), six true-negative sites (two on histology, four on >6 months follow-up). On PET/CT, six patients were correctly down-staged, three patients were correctly upstaged and seven patients were diagnosed correctly as being on the same stage (2/7 with increase of extent of disease, 5/7 with the same extent of disease). One patient was falsely upstaged and three patients were falsely down-staged. On the basis of PET/CT results, change of management was induced in six patients, while in 14 patients there was no change induced. In five cases PET/CT was partially accurate: on site-by-site analysis, four sites proved true positive (on histology), one site false positive (on histology), and four sites false negative (one on histology, three on >6 months follow-up). Conclusion: In our early experience, PET/CT contributed significantly to correct staging and management of patients with lung cancer

Vinorelbine and paclitaxel as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero Acuña, L; Langhi, M; Pérez, J; Romero Acuña, J; Machiavelli, M; Lacava, J; Vallejo, C; Romero, A; Fasce, H; Ortiz, E; Grasso, S; Amato, S; Rodríguez, R; Barbieri, M; Leone, B

1999-01-01

To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of a combination of vinorelbine (VNB) and paclitaxel (PTX) as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic breast carcinoma (MBC). Between August 1995 and August 1997, 49 patients with untreated MBC received a regimen that consisted of VNB 30 mg/m2 in a 20-minute intravenous (IV) infusion on days 1 and 8 and PTX 135 mg/m2 in a 3-hour IV infusion (starting 1 hour after VNB) on day 1. Cycles were repeated every 28 days. The median age of the patients was 52 years, and 59% of patients were postmenopausal. Median performance status was 1. Dominant sites of disease were soft tissue in 6%, bone in 29%, and viscera in 65%. Objective responses were recorded in 27 of 45 assessable patients (60%; 95% confidence interval, 46% to 74%). Complete remissions occurred in three patients (7%), and partial remissions occurred in 24 patients (53%). No change was recorded in 12 patients (27%), and progressive disease occurred in six patients (13%). The median time to treatment failure was 7 months, and median survival duration was 17 months. The limiting toxicity was myelosuppression, mainly leukopenia in 49 patients (100%) (grade 1 to grade 2, four patients; grade 3, 30 patients; and grade 4, 15 patients). Neutropenia was observed in 100% of patients (grade 1 to grade 2, three patients; grade 3, 11 patients; grade 4, 35 patients). Two treatment-related deaths due to febrile neutropenia were observed in patients with massive liver involvement. Peripheral neurotoxicity developed in 33 patients (67%) (grade 1, 25 patients; grade 2, eight patients); there were no grade 3 or grade 4 episodes. The combination of VNB-PTX showed significant activity as first-line chemotherapy for patients with MBC. Myelosuppression was the dose-limiting side effect, whereas neurotoxicity was mild to moderate.

Modal bifurcation in a high-Tc superconducting levitation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taguchi, D; Fujiwara, S; Sugiura, T

2011-01-01

This paper deals with modal bifurcation of a multi-degree-of-freedom high-T c superconducting levitation system. As modeling of large-scale high-T c superconducting levitation applications, where plural superconducting bulks are often used, it can be helpful to consider a system constituting of multiple oscillators magnetically coupled with each other. This paper investigates nonlinear dynamics of two permanent magnets levitated above high-T c superconducting bulks and placed between two fixed permanent magnets without contact. First, the nonlinear equations of motion of the levitated magnets were derived. Then the method of averaging was applied to them. It can be found from the obtained solutions that this nonlinear two degree-of-freedom system can have two asymmetric modes, in addition to a symmetric mode and an antisymmetric mode both of which also exist in the linearized system. One of the backbone curves in the frequency response shows a modal bifurcation where the two stable asymmetric modes mentioned above appear with destabilization of the antisymmetric mode, thus leading to modal localization. These analytical predictions have been confirmed in our numerical analysis and experiments of free vibration and forced vibration. These results, never predicted by linear analysis, can be important for application of high-T c superconducting levitation systems.

A comparison of paper-and-pencil and computerized forms of Line Orientation and Enhanced Cued Recall Tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Aşkar, Petek; Altun, Arif; Cangöz, Banu; Cevik, Vildan; Kaya, Galip; Türksoy, Hasan

2012-04-01

The purpose of this study was to assess whether a computerized battery of neuropsychological tests could produce similar results as the conventional forms. Comparisons on 77 volunteer undergraduates were carried out with two neuropsychological tests: Line Orientation Test and Enhanced Cued Recall Test. Firstly, students were assigned randomly across the test medium (paper-and-pencil versus computerized). Secondly, the groups were given the same test in the other medium after a 30-day interval between tests. Results showed that the Enhanced Cued Recall Test-Computer-based did not correlate with the Enhanced Cued Recall Test-Paper-and-pencil results. Line Orientation Test-Computer-based scores, on the other hand, did correlate significantly with the Line Orientation Test-Paper-and-pencil version. In both tests, scores were higher on paper-and-pencil tests compared to computer-based tests. Total score difference between modalities was statistically significant for both Enhanced Cued Recall Tests and for the Line Orientation Test. In both computer-based tests, it took less time for participants to complete the tests.

Effect of Temperature Variation on Modal Frequency of Reinforced Concrete Slab and Beam in Cold Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanbing Liu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Changes of modal frequencies induced by temperature variation can be more obvious than those caused by structural damage, which will lead to the false damage identification results. Therefore, quantifying the temperature effect on modal frequencies is a critical step to eliminate its interference in damage detection. Due to the nonuniform and time-dependent characteristics of temperature distribution, it is insufficient to obtain the reliable relationships between temperatures and modal frequencies using temperatures in air or at surface. In this paper, correlations between measured temperatures (air temperature, surface temperature, mean temperature, etc. and modal frequencies for the slab and beam are comparatively analyzed. And the quantitative models are constructed considering nonuniform temperature distribution. Firstly, the reinforced concrete slab and beam were constructed and placed outside the laboratory to be monitored. Secondly, the correlation coefficients between modal frequencies and three kinds of temperatures are calculated, respectively. Thirdly, simple linear regression models between mean temperature and modal frequencies are established for the slab and beam. Finally, five temperature variables are selected to construct the multiple linear regression models. Prediction results reveal that the proposed multiple linear regression models possess favorable accuracy to quantify the temperature effect on modal frequencies considering nonuniform temperature distribution.

The First Scube3 Mutant Mouse Line with Pleiotropic Phenotypic Alterations.

Science.gov (United States)

Fuchs, Helmut; Sabrautzki, Sibylle; Przemeck, Gerhard K H; Leuchtenberger, Stefanie; Lorenz-Depiereux, Bettina; Becker, Lore; Rathkolb, Birgit; Horsch, Marion; Garrett, Lillian; Östereicher, Manuela A; Hans, Wolfgang; Abe, Koichiro; Sagawa, Nobuho; Rozman, Jan; Vargas-Panesso, Ingrid L; Sandholzer, Michael; Lisse, Thomas S; Adler, Thure; Aguilar-Pimentel, Juan Antonio; Calzada-Wack, Julia; Ehrhard, Nicole; Elvert, Ralf; Gau, Christine; Hölter, Sabine M; Micklich, Katja; Moreth, Kristin; Prehn, Cornelia; Puk, Oliver; Racz, Ildiko; Stoeger, Claudia; Vernaleken, Alexandra; Michel, Dian; Diener, Susanne; Wieland, Thomas; Adamski, Jerzy; Bekeredjian, Raffi; Busch, Dirk H; Favor, John; Graw, Jochen; Klingenspor, Martin; Lengger, Christoph; Maier, Holger; Neff, Frauke; Ollert, Markus; Stoeger, Tobias; Yildirim, Ali Önder; Strom, Tim M; Zimmer, Andreas; Wolf, Eckhard; Wurst, Wolfgang; Klopstock, Thomas; Beckers, Johannes; Gailus-Durner, Valerie; Hrabé de Angelis, Martin

2016-12-07

The vertebrate Scube (Signal peptide, CUB, and EGF-like domain-containing protein) family consists of three independent members, Scube1-3, which encode secreted cell surface-associated membrane glycoproteins. Limited information about the general function of this gene family is available, and their roles during adulthood. Here, we present the first Scube3 mutant mouse line (Scube3 N294K/N294K ), which clearly shows phenotypic alterations by carrying a missense mutation in exon 8, and thus contributes to our understanding of SCUBE3 functions. We performed a detailed phenotypic characterization in the German Mouse Clinic (GMC). Scube3 N294K/N294K mutants showed morphological abnormalities of the skeleton, alterations of parameters relevant for bone metabolism, changes in renal function, and hearing impairments. These findings correlate with characteristics of the rare metabolic bone disorder Paget disease of bone (PDB), associated with the chromosomal region of human SCUBE3 In addition, alterations in energy metabolism, behavior, and neurological functions were detected in Scube3 N294K/N294K mice. The Scube3 N294K/N294K mutant mouse line may serve as a new model for further studying the effect of impaired SCUBE3 gene function. Copyright © 2016 Fuchs et al.

The First Scube3 Mutant Mouse Line with Pleiotropic Phenotypic Alterations

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Helmut Fuchs

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The vertebrate Scube (Signal peptide, CUB, and EGF-like domain-containing protein family consists of three independent members, Scube1–3, which encode secreted cell surface-associated membrane glycoproteins. Limited information about the general function of this gene family is available, and their roles during adulthood. Here, we present the first Scube3 mutant mouse line (Scube3N294K/N294K, which clearly shows phenotypic alterations by carrying a missense mutation in exon 8, and thus contributes to our understanding of SCUBE3 functions. We performed a detailed phenotypic characterization in the German Mouse Clinic (GMC. Scube3N294K/N294K mutants showed morphological abnormalities of the skeleton, alterations of parameters relevant for bone metabolism, changes in renal function, and hearing impairments. These findings correlate with characteristics of the rare metabolic bone disorder Paget disease of bone (PDB, associated with the chromosomal region of human SCUBE3. In addition, alterations in energy metabolism, behavior, and neurological functions were detected in Scube3N294K/N294K mice. The Scube3N294K/N294K mutant mouse line may serve as a new model for further studying the effect of impaired SCUBE3 gene function.

Establishment of the first humpback whale fibroblast cell lines and their application in chemical risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burkard, Michael; Whitworth, Deanne; Schirmer, Kristin; Nash, Susan Bengtson

2015-01-01

Highlights: • We established and characterised the first humpback whale fibroblast cell lines. • Cell lines have a stable karyotype with 2n = 44. • Exposure to p,p′-DDE resulted in a concentration-dependent loss of cell viability. • p,p′-DDE sensitivity differed considerably from human fibroblasts. • Exposure to a whale blubber extract showed higher sensitivity than to p,p′-DDE alone. - Abstract: This paper reports the first successful derivation and characterization of humpback whale fibroblast cell lines. Primary fibroblasts were isolated from the dermal connective tissue of skin biopsies, cultured at 37 °C and 5% CO_2 in the standard mammalian medium DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Of nine initial biopsies, two cell lines were established from two different animals and designated HuWa1 and HuWa2. The cells have a stable karyotype with 2n = 44, which has commonly been observed in other baleen whale species. Cells were verified as being fibroblasts based on their spindle-shaped morphology, adherence to plastic and positive immunoreaction to vimentin. Population doubling time was determined to be ∼41 h and cells were successfully cryopreserved and thawed. To date, HuWa1 cells have been propagated 30 times. Cells proliferate at the tested temperatures, 30, 33.5 and 37 °C, but show the highest rate of proliferation at 37 °C. Short-term exposure to para,para′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE), a priority compound accumulating in southern hemisphere humpback whales, resulted in a concentration-dependent loss of cell viability. The effective concentration which caused a 50% reduction in HuWa1 cell viability (EC_5_0 value) was approximately six times greater than the EC_5_0 value for the same chemical measured with human dermal fibroblasts. HuWa1 exposed to a natural, p,p′-DDE-containing, chemical mixture extracted from whale blubber showed distinctively higher sensitivity than to p,p′-DDE alone. Thus, we

Establishment of the first humpback whale fibroblast cell lines and their application in chemical risk assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burkard, Michael, E-mail: Michael.burkard@eawag.ch [Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Brisbane, QLD (Australia); Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Dübendorf (Switzerland); Whitworth, Deanne [The University of Queensland, School of Veterinary Science, Gatton, QLD (Australia); Schirmer, Kristin [Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Dübendorf (Switzerland); ETH Zürich, Institute of Biogechemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, Zürich (Switzerland); EPF Lausanne, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Lausanne (Switzerland); Nash, Susan Bengtson [Griffith University, Environmental Futures Research Institute, Southern Ocean Persistent Organic Pollutants Program, Brisbane, QLD (Australia)

2015-10-15

Highlights: • We established and characterised the first humpback whale fibroblast cell lines. • Cell lines have a stable karyotype with 2n = 44. • Exposure to p,p′-DDE resulted in a concentration-dependent loss of cell viability. • p,p′-DDE sensitivity differed considerably from human fibroblasts. • Exposure to a whale blubber extract showed higher sensitivity than to p,p′-DDE alone. - Abstract: This paper reports the first successful derivation and characterization of humpback whale fibroblast cell lines. Primary fibroblasts were isolated from the dermal connective tissue of skin biopsies, cultured at 37 °C and 5% CO{sub 2} in the standard mammalian medium DMEM/F12 supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Of nine initial biopsies, two cell lines were established from two different animals and designated HuWa1 and HuWa2. The cells have a stable karyotype with 2n = 44, which has commonly been observed in other baleen whale species. Cells were verified as being fibroblasts based on their spindle-shaped morphology, adherence to plastic and positive immunoreaction to vimentin. Population doubling time was determined to be ∼41 h and cells were successfully cryopreserved and thawed. To date, HuWa1 cells have been propagated 30 times. Cells proliferate at the tested temperatures, 30, 33.5 and 37 °C, but show the highest rate of proliferation at 37 °C. Short-term exposure to para,para′-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p′-DDE), a priority compound accumulating in southern hemisphere humpback whales, resulted in a concentration-dependent loss of cell viability. The effective concentration which caused a 50% reduction in HuWa1 cell viability (EC{sub 50} value) was approximately six times greater than the EC{sub 50} value for the same chemical measured with human dermal fibroblasts. HuWa1 exposed to a natural, p,p′-DDE-containing, chemical mixture extracted from whale blubber showed distinctively higher sensitivity than to p,p′-DDE alone

Eigenvectors phase correction in inverse modal problem

Science.gov (United States)

Qiao, Guandong; Rahmatalla, Salam

2017-12-01

The solution of the inverse modal problem for the spatial parameters of mechanical and structural systems is heavily dependent on the quality of the modal parameters obtained from the experiments. While experimental and environmental noises will always exist during modal testing, the resulting modal parameters are expected to be corrupted with different levels of noise. A novel methodology is presented in this work to mitigate the errors in the eigenvectors when solving the inverse modal problem for the spatial parameters. The phases of the eigenvector component were utilized as design variables within an optimization problem that minimizes the difference between the calculated and experimental transfer functions. The equation of motion in terms of the modal and spatial parameters was used as a constraint in the optimization problem. Constraints that reserve the positive and semi-positive definiteness and the inter-connectivity of the spatial matrices were implemented using semi-definite programming. Numerical examples utilizing noisy eigenvectors with augmented Gaussian white noise of 1%, 5%, and 10% were used to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed method. The results showed that the proposed method is superior when compared with a known method in the literature.

Efficacy and safety of icotinib as first-line therapy in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yan-Wei; Zhang, Xiao-Man; Li, Shu-Ting; Lv, Meng; Yang, Jiao; Wang, Fan; Chen, Zhe-Ling; Wang, Bi-Yuan; Li, Pan; Chen, Ling; Yang, Jin

2016-01-01

Several clinical trials have proven that icotinib hydrochloride, a novel epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, exhibits encouraging efficacy and tolerability in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who failed previous chemotherapy. This study was performed to assess the efficacy and toxicity of icotinib as first-line therapy for patients with advanced pulmonary adenocarcinoma with EGFR-sensitive mutation. Thirty-five patients with advanced NSCLC with EGFR-sensitive mutation who were sequentially admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University from March 2012 to March 2014 were enrolled into our retrospective research. All patients were administered icotinib as first-line treatment. The tumor responses were evaluated using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST, version 1.1). Among the 35 patients, the tumor objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate were 62.9% (22/35) and 88.6% (31/35), respectively. The median progression-free survival was 11.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 10.2-11.8 months), and median overall survival was 21.0 months (95% CI: 20.1-21.9 months). The most common drug-related toxicities were rashes (eleven patients) and diarrhea (nine patients), but these were generally manageable and reversible. Icotinib monotherapy is effective and tolerable as first-line treatment for patients with advanced lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR-sensitive mutation.

A multi-modal approach to soft systems methodology

OpenAIRE

Bergvall-Kåreborn, Birgitta

2002-01-01

The main aim of my research is to explore ways of enriching Soft Systems Methodology by developing intellectual tools that can help designers to conceptualise, create and evaluate different design alternatives. This directs the focus on the methodology’s modelling phase even though some ideas related to analysis also will be presented. In order to realize this objective the study proposes the following supplements. Firstly, a framework of 15 modalities (knowledge areas) is suggested as a supp...

Patterns of HIV-1 Drug Resistance After First-Line Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Failure in 6 Sub-Saharan African Countries: Implications for Second-Line ART Strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hamers, Raph L.; Sigaloff, Kim C. E.; Wensing, Annemarie M.; Wallis, Carole L.; Kityo, Cissy; Siwale, Margaret; Mandaliya, Kishor; Ive, Prudence; Botes, Mariette E.; Wellington, Maureen; Osibogun, Akin; Stevens, Wendy S.; Rinke de Wit, Tobias F.; Schuurman, Rob; Siwale, M.; Njovu, C.; Labib, M.; Menke, J.; Botes, M. E.; Conradie, F.; Ive, P.; Sanne, I.; Wallis, C. L.; Letsoalo, E.; Stevens, W. S.; Hardman, M.; Wellington, M.; Luthy, R.; Mandaliya, K.; Abdallah, S.; Jao, I.; Dolan, M.; Namayanja, G.; Nakatudde, L.; Nankya, I.; Kiconco, M.; Abwola, M.; Mugyenyi, P.; Osibogun, A.; Akanmu, S.; Schuurman, R.; Wensing, A. M.; Straatsma, E.; Wit, F. W.; Dekker, J.; van Vugt, M.; Lange, J. M.

2012-01-01

Background. Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) drug resistance may limit the benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). This cohort study examined patterns of drug-resistance mutations (DRMs) in individuals with virological failure on first-line ART at 13 clinical sites in 6 African

Optically Defined Modal Sensors Incorporating Spiropyran-Doped Liquid Crystals with Piezoelectric Sensors

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Hui-Lung Kuo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We integrated a piezoelectric sensing layer lamina containing liquid crystals (LC and spiropyran (SP in a LC/SP mixture to create an optically reconfigurable modal sensor for a cantilever beam. The impedance of this LC/SP lamina was decreased by UV irradiation which constituted the underlying mechanism to modulate the voltage externally applied to the piezoelectric actuating layer. Illuminating a specific pattern onto the LC/SP lamina provided us with a way to spatially modulate the piezoelectric vibration signal. We showed that if an UV illuminated pattern matches the strain distribution of a specific mode, a piezoelectric modal sensor can be created. Since UV illumination can be changed in situ in real-time, our results confirm for the first time since the inception of smart sensors, that an optically tailored modal sensor can be created. Some potential applications of this type of sensor include energy harvesting devices, bio-chips, vibration sensing and actuating devices.

Photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-modality contrast agent and its application to thermotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yu-Hsin; Liao, Ai-Ho; Chen, Jui-Hao; Wang, Churng-Ren Chris; Li, Pai-Chi

2012-04-01

This study investigates a photoacoustic/ultrasound dual-modality contrast agent, including extending its applications from image-contrast enhancement to combined diagnosis and therapy with site-specific targeting. The contrast agent comprises albumin-shelled microbubbles with encapsulated gold nanorods (AuMBs). The gas-filled microbubbles, whose diameters range from submicrometer to several micrometers, are not only echogenic but also can serve as drug-delivery vehicles. The gold nanorods are used to enhance the generation of both photoacoustic and photothermal signals. The optical absorption peak of the gold nanorods is tuned to 760 nm and is invariant after microbubble encapsulation. Dual-modality contrast enhancement is first described here, and the applications to cellular targeting and laser-induced thermotherapy in a phantom are demonstrated. Photoacoustic imaging can be used to monitor temperature increases during the treatment. The targeting capability of AuMBs was verified, and the temperature increased by 26°C for a laser power of 980 mW, demonstrating the potential of combined diagnosis and therapy with the dual-modality agent. Targeted photo- or acoustic-mediated delivery is also possible.

Cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li-Zhen; Zhang, Shao-Wu; Wang, Zi-Long; Yan, Wei-Yu; Zeng, Zhi-Jiang

2014-10-01

The power of the small honeybee brain carrying out behavioral and cognitive tasks has been shown repeatedly to be highly impressive. The present study investigates, for the first time, the cross-modal interaction between visual and olfactory learning in Apis cerana. To explore the role and molecular mechanisms of cross-modal learning in A. cerana, the honeybees were trained and tested in a modified Y-maze with seven visual and five olfactory stimulus, where a robust visual threshold for black/white grating (period of 2.8°-3.8°) and relatively olfactory threshold (concentration of 50-25%) was obtained. Meanwhile, the expression levels of five genes (AcCREB, Acdop1, Acdop2, Acdop3, Actyr1) related to learning and memory were analyzed under different training conditions by real-time RT-PCR. The experimental results indicate that A. cerana could exhibit cross-modal interactions between visual and olfactory learning by reducing the threshold level of the conditioning stimuli, and that these genes may play important roles in the learning process of honeybees.

Modality-specific processing precedes amodal linguistic processing during L2 sign language acquisition: A longitudinal study.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Joshua T; Darcy, Isabelle; Newman, Sharlene D

2016-02-01

The present study tracked activation pattern differences in response to sign language processing by late hearing second language learners of American Sign Language. Learners were scanned before the start of their language courses. They were scanned again after their first semester of instruction and their second, for a total of 10 months of instruction. The study aimed to characterize modality-specific to modality-general processing throughout the acquisition of sign language. Results indicated that before the acquisition of sign language, neural substrates related to modality-specific processing were present. After approximately 45 h of instruction, the learners transitioned into processing signs on a phonological basis (e.g., supramarginal gyrus, putamen). After one more semester of input, learners transitioned once more to a lexico-semantic processing stage (e.g., left inferior frontal gyrus) at which language control mechanisms (e.g., left caudate, cingulate gyrus) were activated. During these transitional steps right hemispheric recruitment was observed, with increasing left-lateralization, which is similar to other native signers and L2 learners of spoken language; however, specialization for sign language processing with activation in the inferior parietal lobule (i.e., angular gyrus), even for late learners, was observed. As such, the present study is the first to track L2 acquisition of sign language learners in order to characterize modality-independent and modality-specific mechanisms for bilingual language processing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response Modality Variations Affect Determinations of Children's Learning Styles.

Science.gov (United States)

Janowitz, Jeffrey M.

The Swassing-Barbe Modality Index (SBMI) uses visual, auditory, and tactile inputs, but only reconstructed output, to measure children's modality strengths. In this experiment, the SBMI's three input modalities were crossed with two output modalities (spoken and drawn) in addition to the reconstructed standard to result in nine treatment…

First-line treatment with cephalosporins in spontaneous bacterial peritonitis provides poor antibiotic coverage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Novovic, Srdan; Semb, Synne; Olsen, Henrik

2012-01-01

Abstract Objective. Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis is a common infection in cirrhosis, associated with a high mortality. Third-generation cephalosporins are recommended as first-line treatment. The aim was to evaluate the epidemiology of microbiological ascitic fluid findings and antimicrobial...... resistance in Denmark. Material and Methods. All patients with cirrhosis and a positive ascitic fluid culture, at three university hospitals in the Copenhagen area during a 7-year period, were retrospectively evaluated. Patients with apparent secondary peritonitis were excluded from the study. Results. One...

History of Civil Engineering Modal Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brincker, Rune

2008-01-01

techniques are available for civil engineering modal analysis. The testing of civil structures defers from the traditional modal testing in the sense, that very often it is difficult, or sometimes impossible, to artificially excite a large civil engineering structure. Also, many times, even though...

First-line targeted therapies in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer – role of cetuximab

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Tonini

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Giuseppe Tonini, Alice Calvieri, Bruno Vincenzi, Daniele SantiniMedical Oncology, University Campus Bio-Medico, Rome, ItalyAbstract: Worldwide, colorectal cancer (CRC is the fourth most commonly diagnosed malignant disease and the second leading cause of cancer-related death in Western nations. In 2008 there were an estimated 148,810 new cases and 49,960 deaths in the US. For several years different chemotherapeutic regimens, based on floropyrimidines, irinotecan and oxaliplatin, have been used in advanced CRC, but survival is still unsatisfactory. New targeted therapies, including drugs and monoclonal antibodies (MoABs , show great promise in the fight against CRC and have shown activity in different disease settings. Cetuximab, a chimeric IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to the extracellular domain of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, is active in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC. As an IgG1 antibody, cetuximab may exert its antitumor efficacy through both EGFR antagonism and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity. The combination of this drug with classical chemotherapies has shown better clinical profiles reflected in an improvement in overall and progression-free survival. Clinical trials established the role of cetuximab, particularly with irinotecan, in irinotecan-refractory/heavily pretreated patients. Whereas cetuximab has a clear indication in the salvage setting, its role in first-line therapy remains investigational. It is particularly encouraging that cetuximab may enhance curative opportunities in patients with early metastatic disease, suggesting that adding cetuximab in first-line therapy may downstage disease in some patients, and, as a result, allow potentially curative resection of previously unresectable metastases. In this review we will focus on the main epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors demonstrating clinical benefit, and the role of cetuximab in first-line treatment of metastatic CRC

Uni-, bi- and tri-modal warning signals: effects of temporal parameters and sensory modality on perceived urgency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Erp, Johannes Bernardus Fransiscus; Toet, Alexander; Janssen, Joris B.

Multi-sensory warnings can potentially enhance risk communication. Hereto we investigated how temporal signal parameters affect perceived urgency within and across modalities. In an experiment, 78 observers rated the perceived urgency of uni-, bi-, and/or tri-modal stimuli as function of 25

Uni-, bi- and tri-modal warning signals : Effects of temporal parameters and sensory modality on perceived urgency

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Erp, J.B.F. van; Toet, A.; Janssen, J.B.

2015-01-01

Multi-sensory warnings can potentially enhance risk communication. Hereto we investigated how temporal signal parameters affect perceived urgency within and across modalities. In an experiment, 78 observers rated the perceived urgency of uni-, bi-, and/or tri-modal stimuli as function of 25

Complete and sustained response of adult medulloblastoma to first-line sonic hedgehog inhibition with vismodegib.

Science.gov (United States)

Lou, Emil; Schomaker, Matthew; Wilson, Jon D; Ahrens, Mary; Dolan, Michelle; Nelson, Andrew C

2016-08-12

Medulloblastoma is an aggressive primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the cerebellum that is rare in adults. Medulloblastomas fall into 4 prognostically significant molecular subgroups that are best defined by experimental gene expression profiles: the WNT pathway, sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway, and subgroups 3 and 4 (non-SHH/WNT). Medulloblastoma of adults belong primarily to the SHH category. Vismodegib, an SHH-pathway inhibitor FDA-approved in 2012 for treatment of basal cell carcinoma, has been used successfully in the setting of chemorefractory medulloblastoma, but not as a first-line therapy. In this report, we describe a sustained response of an unresectable multifocal form of adult medulloblastoma to vismodegib. Molecular analysis in this case revealed mutations in TP53 and a cytogenetic abnormality, i17q, that is prevalent and most often associated with subgroup 4 rather than the SHH-activated form of medulloblastoma. Our findings indicate that vismodegib may also block alternate, non-canonical forms of downstream SHH pathway activation. These findings provide strong impetus for further investigation of vismodegib in clinical trials in the first-line setting for pediatric and adult forms of medulloblastoma.

Case Report of First Angiography-Based On-Line FFR Assessment during Coronary Catheterization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kornowski, Ran; Vaknin-Assa, Hana

2017-01-01

Fractional flow reserve (FFR), an index of the hemodynamic severity of coronary stenoses, is derived from hyperemic pressure measurements and requires a pressure-monitoring guide wire and hyperemic stimulus. Although it has become the standard of reference for decision-making regarding coronary revascularization, the procedure remains underutilized due to its invasive nature. FFR angio is a novel technology that uses the patient's hemodynamic data and routine angiograms to generate a complete three-dimensional coronary tree, with color-coded display of the FFR values at each point along the vessels. After being proven to be as accurate as invasive FFR measurements in an off-line study, this case report presents the first on-line application of the system in the catheterization lab. Here too, a high concordance between FFR angio and invasive FFR was observed. In light of the demonstrated capabilities of the FFR angio system, it should emerge as an important tool for clinical decision-making regarding revascularization in patients with coronary artery disease.

Case Report of First Angiography-Based On-Line FFR Assessment during Coronary Catheterization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ran Kornowski

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fractional flow reserve (FFR, an index of the hemodynamic severity of coronary stenoses, is derived from hyperemic pressure measurements and requires a pressure-monitoring guide wire and hyperemic stimulus. Although it has become the standard of reference for decision-making regarding coronary revascularization, the procedure remains underutilized due to its invasive nature. FFRangio is a novel technology that uses the patient’s hemodynamic data and routine angiograms to generate a complete three-dimensional coronary tree, with color-coded display of the FFR values at each point along the vessels. After being proven to be as accurate as invasive FFR measurements in an off-line study, this case report presents the first on-line application of the system in the catheterization lab. Here too, a high concordance between FFRangio and invasive FFR was observed. In light of the demonstrated capabilities of the FFRangio system, it should emerge as an important tool for clinical decision-making regarding revascularization in patients with coronary artery disease.

First-line sonographic diagnosis of pneumothorax in major trauma: accuracy of e-FAST and comparison with multidetector computed tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Ianniello, Stefania; Di Giacomo, Vincenza; Sessa, Barbara; Miele, Vittorio

2014-09-01

Combined clinical examination and supine chest radiography have shown low accuracy in the assessment of pneumothorax in unstable patients with major chest trauma during the primary survey in the emergency room. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of extended-focused assessment with sonography in trauma (e-FAST), in the diagnosis of pneumothorax, compared with the results of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) and of invasive interventions (thoracostomy tube placement). This was a retrospective case series involving 368 consecutive unstable adult patients (273 men and 95 women; average age, 25 years; range, 16-68 years) admitted to our hospital's emergency department between January 2011 and December 2012 for major trauma (Injury Severity Score ≥ 15). We evaluated the accuracy of thoracic ultrasound in the detection of pneumothorax compared with the results of MDCT and invasive interventions (thoracostomy tube placement). Institutional review board approval was obtained prior to commencement of this study. Among the 736 lung fields included in the study, 87 pneumothoraces were detected with thoracic CT scans (23.6%). e-FAST detected 67/87 and missed 20 pneumothoraces (17 mild, 3 moderate). The diagnostic performance of ultrasound was: sensitivity 77% (74% in 2011 and 80% in 2012), specificity 99.8%, positive predictive value 98.5%, negative predictive value 97%, accuracy 97.2% (67 true positive; 668 true negative; 1 false positive; 20 false negative); 17 missed mild pneumothoraces were not immediately life-threatening (thickness less than 5 mm). Thoracic ultrasound (e-FAST) is a rapid and accurate first-line, bedside diagnostic modality for the diagnosis of pneumothorax in unstable patients with major chest trauma during the primary survey in the emergency room.

Penilaian Kinerja Badan Arbitrase Pasar Modal Indonesia Dengan Metode Total Quality Management (TQM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuke Rahmawati

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract: The existence and development of the capital markets can not be separated from the tidal existing problems, both managerial and management of transactions related to capital market investment. Infringement cases and disputes that occur are oftenresolved, either through Bapepam LK and through the Indonesian Capital Market Arbitration Board. Fraud risk, interest rate, breach of contract, misappropriation or embezzlement of funds is a problem that often arises in capital market transactions. FSAprovides two authorities on BAPMI, the first; authority is a consumer protection and public capital markets and, secondly; receipt of the notification to the implementation of the Arbitration Award. TQM is used in measuring the performance of BAPMI provide a preliminary picture that its existence can encourage security level of capital market transactions to be better for the development of capital markets in Indonesia.  Abstrak: Keberadaan dan perkembangan pasar modal tidak terlepas dari pasang surut permasalahan yang ada, baik yang bersifat pengelolaan secara manajerial maupun yang terkait dengan berbagai transaksi investasi pasar modal. Kasus pelanggaran dan sengketa yang terjadi seringkali terselesaikan, baik melalui Bapepam LK maupun melalui Badan Arbitrase Pasar Modal Indonesia. Risiko kecurangan, tingkat suku bunga, wanprestasi, penyelewengan dan atau penggelapan dana adalah diantara permasalahan yang sering muncul di dalam transaksi pasar modal. OJK memberikan dua kewenangan pada BAPMI, yakni pertama; kewenangan adalah perlindungan terhadap konsumen pasar modal dan masyarakat dan, kedua; adalah penerimaan notifikasi jika ada pihak dalam sengketa tidak melaksanakan Putusan Arbitrase. TQM yang digunakan peneliti dalam mengukur kinerja BAPMI memberikan gambaran awal bahwa eksistensinya dapat mendorong tingkat keamanan transaksi pasar modal menjadi lebih baik untuk perkembangan pasar modal itu sendiri di Indonesia. DOI : 10.15408/jch.v4i2.3671

An Incidental Renal Oncocytoma: 18F-Choline PET/MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Mallia

2016-04-01

Full Text Available PET/MRI is a new hybrid imaging modality and has the potential to become a powerful imaging tool. It is currently one of the most active areas of research in diagnostic imaging. The characterisation of an incidental renal lesion can be difficult. In particular, the differentiation of an oncocytoma from other solid renal lesions such as renal cell carcinoma (RCC represents a diagnostic challenge. We describe the detection of an incidental renal oncocytoma in a 79-year gentleman who underwent a re-staging 18F-Choline PET/MRI following a rise in PSA values (4.07, nadir 1.3.

Algorithmic Correspondence and Completeness in Modal Logic. III. Extensions of the Algorithm SQEMA with Substitutions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conradie, W.; Goranko, Valentin; Vakarelov, D.

2009-01-01

In earlier papers we have introduced an algorithm, SQEMA, for computing first-order equivalents and proving canonicity of modal formulae. However, SQEMA is not complete with respect to the so called complex Sahlqvist formulae. In this paper we, first, introduce the class of complex inductive form...

40 CFR 1033.520 - Alternative ramped modal cycles.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Alternative ramped modal cycles. 1033... cycles. (a) Locomotive testing over a ramped modal cycle is intended to improve measurement accuracy at... locomotive notch settings. Ramped modal cycles combine multiple test modes of a discrete-mode steady-state...

Three-Dimensional Velocity Field De-Noising using Modal Projection

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Sarah; Ameli, Siavash; Szeri, Andrew; Shadden, Shawn

2017-11-01

PCMRI and Doppler ultrasound are common modalities for imaging velocity fields inside the body (e.g. blood, air, etc) and PCMRI is increasingly being used for other fluid mechanics applications where optical imaging is difficult. This type of imaging is typically applied to internal flows, which are strongly influenced by domain geometry. While these technologies are evolving, it remains that measured data is noisy and boundary layers are poorly resolved. We have developed a boundary modal analysis method to de-noise 3D velocity fields such that the resulting field is divergence-free and satisfies no-slip/no-penetration boundary conditions. First, two sets of divergence-free modes are computed based on domain geometry. The first set accounts for flow through ``truncation boundaries'', and the second set of modes has no-slip/no-penetration conditions imposed on all boundaries. The modes are calculated by minimizing the velocity gradient throughout the domain while enforcing a divergence-free condition. The measured velocity field is then projected onto these modes using a least squares algorithm. This method is demonstrated on CFD simulations with artificial noise. Different degrees of noise and different numbers of modes are tested to reveal the capabilities of the approach. American Heart Association Award 17PRE33660202.

Targeted erlotinib for first-line treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a budget impact analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Bajaj, Preeti S; Veenstra, David L; Goertz, Hans-Peter; Carlson, Josh J

2014-08-01

A recent phase III trial showed that patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors harbor specific EGFR mutations significantly benefit from first-line treatment with erlotinib compared to chemotherapy. This study sought to estimate the budget impact if coverage for EGFR testing and erlotinib as first-line therapy were provided in a hypothetical 500,000-member managed care plan. The budget impact model was developed from a US health plan perspective to evaluate administration of the EGFR test and treatment with erlotinib for EGFR-positive patients, compared to non-targeted treatment with chemotherapy. The eligible patient population was estimated from age-stratified SEER incidence data. Clinical data were derived from key randomized controlled trials. Costs related to drug, administration, and adverse events were included. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess uncertainty. In a plan of 500,000 members, it was estimated there would be 91 newly diagnosed advanced NSCLC patients annually; 11 are expected to be EGFR-positive. Based on the testing and treatment assumptions, it was estimated that 3 patients in Scenario 1 and 6 patients in Scenario 2 receive erlotinib. Overall health plan expenditures would increase by $0.013 per member per month (PMPM). This increase is largely attributable to erlotinib drug costs, in part due to lengthened progression-free survival and treatment periods experienced in erlotinib-treated patients. EGFR testing contributes slightly, whereas adverse event costs mitigate the budget impact. The budget impact did not exceed $0.019 PMPM in sensitivity analyses. Coverage for targeted first-line erlotinib therapy in NSCLC likely results in a small budget impact for US health plans. The estimated impact may vary by plan, or if second-line or maintenance therapy, dose changes/interruptions, or impact on patients' quality-of-life were included.

Incidence and predictors of severe anemia in Asian HIV-infected children using first-line antiretroviral therapy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bunupuradah, Torsak; Kariminia, Azar; Chan, Kwai-Cheng; Ramautarsing, Reshmie; Huy, Bui Vu; Han, Ning; Nallusamy, Revathy; Hansudewechakul, Rawiwan; Saphonn, Vonthanak; Sirisanthana, Virat; Chokephaibulkit, Kulkanya; Kurniati, Nia; Kumarasamy, Nagalingeswaran; Yusoff, Nik Khairulddin Nik; Razali, Kamarul; Fong, Siew Moy; Sohn, Annette H.; Lumbiganon, Pagakrong

2013-01-01

There are limited data on treatment-related anemia in Asian HIV-infected children. Data from Asian HIV-infected children aged <18 years on first-line highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) were used. Children who had pre-existing severe anemia at baseline were excluded. Anemia was graded using

Direct calculation of modal contributions to thermal conductivity via Green–Kubo modal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lv, Wei; Henry, Asegun

2016-01-01

We derived a new method for direct calculation of the modal contributions to thermal conductivity, which is termed Green–Kubo modal analysis (GKMA). The GKMA method combines the lattice dynamics formalism with the Green–Kubo formula for thermal conductivity, such that the thermal conductivity becomes a direct summation of modal contributions, where one need not define the phonon velocity. As a result, the GKMA method can be applied to any material/group of atoms, where the atoms vibrate around stable equilibrium positions, which includes non-stoichiometric compounds, random alloys, amorphous materials and even rigid molecules. By using molecular dynamics simulations to obtain the time history of each mode’s contribution to the heat current, one naturally includes anharmonicity to full order and can obtain insight into the interactions between different modes through the cross-correlations. As an example, we applied the GMKA method to crystalline and amorphous silicon. The modal contributions at each frequency result from the analysis and thereby allow one to apply a quantum correction to the mode heat capacity to determine the temperature dependence of thermal conductivity. The predicted temperature dependent thermal conductivity for amorphous silicon shows the best agreement with experiments to date. The GKMA method provides new insight into the nature of phonon transport, as it casts the problem in terms of mode–mode correlation instead of scattering, and provides a general unified formalism that can be used to understand phonon–phonon interactions in essentially any class of materials or structures where the atoms vibrate around stable equilibrium sites. (paper)

Modal-space reference-model-tracking fuzzy control of earthquake excited structures

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Kwan-Soon; Ok, Seung-Yong

2015-01-01

This paper describes an adaptive modal-space reference-model-tracking fuzzy control technique for the vibration control of earthquake-excited structures. In the proposed approach, the fuzzy logic is introduced to update optimal control force so that the controlled structural response can track the desired response of a reference model. For easy and practical implementation, the reference model is constructed by assigning the target damping ratios to the first few dominant modes in modal space. The numerical simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach successfully achieves not only the adaptive fault-tolerant control system against partial actuator failures but also the robust performance against the variations of the uncertain system properties by redistributing the feedback control forces to the available actuators.

Experimental modal analysis of fractal-inspired multi-frequency structures for piezoelectric energy converters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castagnetti, D

2012-01-01

An important issue in the field of energy harvesting through piezoelectric materials is the design of simple and efficient structures which are multi-frequency in the ambient vibration range. This paper deals with the experimental assessment of four fractal-inspired multi-frequency structures for piezoelectric energy harvesting. These structures, thin plates of square shape, were proposed in a previous work by the author and their modal response numerically analysed. The present work has two aims. First, to assess the modal response of these structures through an experimental investigation. Second, to evaluate, through computational simulation, the performance of a piezoelectric converter relying on one of these fractal-inspired structures. The four fractal-inspired structures are examined in the range between 0 and 100 Hz, with regard to both eigenfrequencies and eigenmodes. In the same frequency range, the modal response and power output of the piezoelectric converter are investigated. (paper)

Clinical outcome and evidence of high rate post-surgical anterior hypopituitarism in a cohort of TSH-secreting adenoma patients: Might somatostatin analogs have a role as first-line therapy?

Science.gov (United States)

Gatto, Federico; Grasso, Ludovica F; Nazzari, Elena; Cuny, Thomas; Anania, Pasquale; Di Somma, Carolina; Colao, Annamaria; Zona, Gianluigi; Weryha, Georges; Pivonello, Rosario; Ferone, Diego

2015-10-01

Thyrotropin-secreting pituitary adenomas (TSHomas) represent a rare subtype of pituitary tumors. Neurosurgery (NCH) is still considered the first-line therapy. In this study we aimed to investigate the outcome of different treatment modalities, including first line somatostatin analogs (SSA) treatment, with a specific focus on neurosurgery-related complications. We retrospectively evaluated thirteen patients diagnosed for TSHomas (9 M; age range 27-61). Ten patients had a magnetic resonance evidence of macroadenoma, three with slight visual field impairment. In the majority of patients, thyroid ultrasonography showed the presence of goiter and/or increased gland vascularization. Median TSH value at diagnosis was 3.29 mU/L (normal ranges 0.2-4.2 mIU/L), with median fT4 2.52 ng/dL (0.9-1.7 ng/dL). Three patients (two microadenoma) were primarily treated with NCH and achieved disease remission, whereas ten patients (nine macroadenomas) were initially treated with SSA. Despite the optimal biochemical response observed during medical treatment in most patients (mean TSH decrease -72%), only two stayed on medical therapy alone, achieving stable biochemical control at the end of the follow-up. The remaining patients (n = 7) underwent NCH later on during their clinical history, followed by radiotherapy or adjuvant SSA treatment in two cases. Noteworthy, five of them developed hypopituitarism. All patients reached a biochemical control, after a multimodal therapeutic approach. Neurosurgery ultimately led to complete disease remission or to biochemical control in majority of patients, whereas resulting in a considerable percentage of post-operative complications (mainly hypopituitarism, 50%). In the light of the optimal results unanimously reported for medical treatment with SSA, our experience suggests that a careful evaluation of risk/benefit ratio should be taken into consideration when directing the treatment approach in patients with TSHoma.

Combination chemotherapy versus single-agent therapy as first- and second-line treatment in metastatic breast cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Joensuu, H; Holli, K; Heikkinen, M

1998-01-01

PURPOSE: We report results of a randomized prospective study that compared single agents of low toxicity given both as the first-line and second-line chemotherapy with combination chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer with distant metastases. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients in the single-agent arm...... (n = 153) received weekly epirubicin (E) 20 mg/m2 until progression or until the cumulative dose of 1,000 mg/m2, followed by mitomycin (M) 8 mg/m2 every 4 weeks, and those in the combination chemotherapy arm (n = 150) were first given cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m2, E 60 mg/m2, and fluorouracil 500 mg/m2...... younger than 50. RESULTS: An objective response (complete [CR] or partial [PR]) was obtained in 55%, 48%, 16%, and 7% of patients treated with CEF, E, M, and MV, respectively. A response to CEF tended to last longer than a response to E (median, 12 v 10.5 months; P = .07). Treatment-related toxicity...

Status for NEXIM New X-ray Imaging Modalities for safe and high quality food

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Einarsdottir, Hildur; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Larsen, Rasmus

2014-01-01

. The main focuses are determined to be threefold: 1)Improving the detectability of low density foreign bodies incidentally present in food products. 2)Development of new modalities for assessment of quality traits in food production, for instance connective tissue and fatty acid composition. 3)Develop...... to developing laboratory-based setups further towards an in-line scanning system. Additionally, close co-operation with industrial partners has further emphasized the need for new techniques for quality control, product development and foreign object detection....

FIRST DETECTION OF NEAR-INFRARED LINE EMISSION FROM ORGANICS IN YOUNG CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandell, Avi M.; Mumma, Michael J.; Villanueva, Geronimo [Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Bast, Jeanette; Van Dishoeck, Ewine F. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Blake, Geoffrey A. [California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, MS 150-21, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Salyk, Colette, E-mail: Avi.Mandell@nasa.gov [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2012-03-10

We present an analysis of high-resolution spectroscopy of several bright T Tauri stars using the CRIRES spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope and NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck Telescope, revealing the first detections of emission from HCN and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} in circumstellar disks at near-infrared wavelengths. Using advanced data reduction techniques, we achieve a dynamic range with respect to the disk continuum of {approx}500 at 3 {mu}m, revealing multiple emission features of H{sub 2}O, OH, HCN, and C{sub 2}H{sub 2}. We also present stringent upper limits for two other molecules thought to be abundant in the inner disk, CH{sub 4} and NH{sub 3}. Line profiles for the different detected molecules are broad but centrally peaked in most cases, even for disks with previously determined inclinations of greater than 20 Degree-Sign , suggesting that the emission has both a Keplerian and non-Keplerian component as observed previously for CO emission. We apply two different modeling strategies to constrain the molecular abundances and temperatures: we use a simplified single-temperature local thermal equilibrium (LTE) slab model with a Gaussian line profile to make line identifications and determine a best-fit temperature and initial abundance ratios, and we compare these values with constraints derived from a detailed disk radiative transfer model assuming LTE excitation but utilizing a realistic temperature and density structure. Abundance ratios from both sets of models are consistent with each other and consistent with expected values from theoretical chemical models, and analysis of the line shapes suggests that the molecular emission originates from within a narrow region in the inner disk (R < 1 AU).

Using Response Surface Methods to Correlate the Modal Test of an Inflatable Test Article

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Anju

2013-01-01

This paper presents a practical application of response surface methods (RSM) to correlate a finite element model of a structural modal test. The test article is a quasi-cylindrical inflatable structure which primarily consists of a fabric weave, with an internal bladder and metallic bulkheads on either end. To mitigate model size, the fabric weave was simplified by representing it with shell elements. The task at hand is to represent the material behavior of the weave. The success of the model correlation is measured by comparing the four major modal frequencies of the analysis model to the four major modal frequencies of the test article. Given that only individual strap material properties were provided and material properties of the overall weave were not available, defining the material properties of the finite element model became very complex. First it was necessary to determine which material properties (modulus of elasticity in the hoop and longitudinal directions, shear modulus, Poisson's ratio, etc.) affected the modal frequencies. Then a Latin Hypercube of the parameter space was created to form an efficiently distributed finite case set. Each case was then analyzed with the results input into RSM. In the resulting response surface it was possible to see how each material parameter affected the modal frequencies of the analysis model. If the modal frequencies of the analysis model and its corresponding parameters match the test with acceptable accuracy, it can be said that the model correlation is successful.

Verbal markers of epistemic modality and their role in the development of communicative competences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Pihler Ciglič

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Modality in language, one of the characteristic phenomena of the process of communication, has to do with, in the broad sense, the mindset that the speaker indicates in his words while describing, questioning, or wanting to draw attention to what he is saying. Traditionally there is a tendency to gather, under the broad label of linguistic modality, a variety of different forms: verbal mode, auxiliary verbs, certain adverbs and particles, intonation, etc. The aim of this study is to analyze the Spanish verbal markers and their possibilities to express epistemic modality, which is defined as the linguistic expression of the degree of commitment that the speaker assumes about the factuality of his statement (Lyons 1977, Palmer 1986. The study focuses, first, on modal verbal periphrases and some of the tenses which can indicate the epistemic modality and/or evidentiality in certain contexts through the so-called »quotative« or »polyphonic« uses. The second part of this study consists of an analysis of the systematization of these resources in six selected manuals of Spanish as a Second Language (SSL; levels B1, B2 and C1 according to CEFR, with special attention to its contribution to the development of communicative competences (linguistic, sociolinguistic and pragmatic competence, again according to CEFR. We believe that the explicit study of epistemic modality in the SSL classroom effectively contributes to a good command of Spanish, and therefore deserves more attention.

Modality effects in implicit artificial grammar learning: An EEG study.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Susana; Folia, Vasiliki; Inácio, Filomena; Castro, São Luís; Petersson, Karl Magnus

2018-05-15

Recently, it has been proposed that sequence learning engages a combination of modality-specific operating networks and modality-independent computational principles. In the present study, we compared the behavioural and EEG outcomes of implicit artificial grammar learning in the visual vs. auditory modality. We controlled for the influence of surface characteristics of sequences (Associative Chunk Strength), thus focusing on the strictly structural aspects of sequence learning, and we adapted the paradigms to compensate for known frailties of the visual modality compared to audition (temporal presentation, fast presentation rate). The behavioural outcomes were similar across modalities. Favouring the idea of modality-specificity, ERPs in response to grammar violations differed in topography and latency (earlier and more anterior component in the visual modality), and ERPs in response to surface features emerged only in the auditory modality. In favour of modality-independence, we observed three common functional properties in the late ERPs of the two grammars: both were free of interactions between structural and surface influences, both were more extended in a grammaticality classification test than in a preference classification test, and both correlated positively and strongly with theta event-related-synchronization during baseline testing. Our findings support the idea of modality-specificity combined with modality-independence, and suggest that memory for visual vs. auditory sequences may largely contribute to cross-modal differences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

First light - II. Emission line extinction, population III stars, and X-ray binaries

Science.gov (United States)

Barrow, Kirk S. S.; Wise, John H.; Aykutalp, Aycin; O'Shea, Brian W.; Norman, Michael L.; Xu, Hao

2018-02-01

We produce synthetic spectra and observations for metal-free stellar populations and high-mass X-ray binaries in the Renaissance Simulations at a redshift of 15. We extend our methodology from the first paper in the series by modelling the production and extinction of emission lines throughout a dusty and metal-enriched interstellar and circum-galactic media extracted from the simulation, using a Monte Carlo calculation. To capture the impact of high-energy photons, we include all frequencies from hard X-ray to far-infrared with enough frequency resolution to discern line emission and absorption profiles. The most common lines in our sample in order of their rate of occurrence are Ly α, the C IV λλ1548, 1551 doublet, H α, and the Ca II λλλ8498, 8542, 8662 triplet. The best scenario for a direct observation of a metal-free stellar population is a merger between two Population III Galaxies. In mergers between metal-enriched and metal-free stellar populations, some characteristics may be inferred indirectly. Single Population III galaxies are too dim to be observed photometrically at z = 15. Ly α emission is discernible by JWST as an increase in J200w - J277w colour off the intrinsic stellar tracks. Observations of metal-free stars will be difficult, though not impossible, with the next generation of space telescopes.

Supervised Cross-Modal Factor Analysis for Multiple Modal Data Classification

KAUST Repository

Wang, Jingbin; Zhou, Yihua; Duan, Kanghong; Wang, Jim Jing-Yan; Bensmail, Halima

2015-01-01

. In this paper, we improve CFA by incorporating the supervision information to represent and classify both image and text modals of documents. We project both image and text data to a shared data space by factor analysis, and then train a class label predictor

The metaphysics of quantum mechanics: Modal interpretations

Science.gov (United States)

Gluck, Stuart Murray

2004-11-01

This dissertation begins with the argument that a preferred way of doing metaphysics is through philosophy of physics. An understanding of quantum physics is vital to answering questions such as: What counts as an individual object in physical ontology? Is the universe fundamentally indeterministic? Are indiscernibles identical? This study explores how the various modal interpretations of quantum mechanics answer these sorts of questions; modal accounts are one of the two classes of interpretations along with so-called collapse accounts. This study suggests a new alternative within the class of modal views that yields a more plausible ontology, one in which the Principle of the Identity of Indisceribles is necessarily true. Next, it shows that modal interpretations can consistently deny that the universe must be fundamentally indeterministic so long as they accept certain other metaphysical commitments: either a perfect initial distribution of states in the universe or some form of primitive dispositional properties. Finally, the study sketches out a future research project for modal interpretations based on developing quantified quantum logic.

Anticipation by multi-modal association through an artificial mental imagery process

Science.gov (United States)

Gaona, Wilmer; Escobar, Esaú; Hermosillo, Jorge; Lara, Bruno

2015-01-01

Mental imagery has become a central issue in research laboratories seeking to emulate basic cognitive abilities in artificial agents. In this work, we propose a computational model to produce an anticipatory behaviour by means of a multi-modal off-line hebbian association. Unlike the current state of the art, we propose to apply hebbian learning during an internal sensorimotor simulation, emulating a process of mental imagery. We associate visual and tactile stimuli re-enacted by a long-term predictive simulation chain motivated by covert actions. As a result, we obtain a neural network which provides a robot with a mechanism to produce a visually conditioned obstacle avoidance behaviour. We developed our system in a physical Pioneer 3-DX robot and realised two experiments. In the first experiment we test our model on one individual navigating in two different mazes. In the second experiment we assess the robustness of the model by testing in a single environment five individuals trained under different conditions. We believe that our work offers an underpinning mechanism in cognitive robotics for the study of motor control strategies based on internal simulations. These strategies can be seen analogous to the mental imagery process known in humans, opening thus interesting pathways to the construction of upper-level grounded cognitive abilities.

Modal Testing of the NPSAT1 Engineering Development Unit

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-01

erkläre ich, dass die vorliegende Master Arbeit von mir selbstständig und nur unter Verwendung der angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel angefertigt...logarithmic scale . As 5 Figure 2 shows, natural frequencies are indicated by large values of the first CMIF (peaks), and multiple modes can be detected by...structure’s behavior. Ewins even states, “that no large- scale modal test should be permitted to proceed until some preliminary SDOF analyses have

'Bi-modal' isoscalar giant dipole strength in 58Ni

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nayak, B.K.; Garg, U.; Hedden, M.; Koss, M.; Li, T.; Liu, Y.; Madhusudhana Rao, P.V.; Zhu, S.; Itoh, M.; Sakaguchi, H.; Takeda, H.; Uchida, M.; Yasuda, Y.; Yosoi, M.; Fujimura, H.; Fujiwara, M.; Hara, K.; Kawabata, T.; Akimune, H.; Harakeh, M.N.

2006-01-01

The strength distribution of the isoscalar giant dipole resonance (ISGDR) in 58 Ni has been obtained over the energy range 10.5-49.5 MeV via extreme forward angle scattering (including 0 deg.) of 386 MeV α particles. We observe a 'bi-modal' E1 strength distribution for the first time in an A<90 nucleus. The observed ISGDR strength distribution is in reasonable agreement with the predictions of a recent RPA calculation

The research progress of dual-modality probes for molecular imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Feng; Chen Yue

2010-01-01

Various imaging modalities have been exploited to investigate the anatomic or functional dissemination of tissues in the body. However, no single imaging modality allows overall structural, functional, and molecular information as each imaging modality has its own unique strengths and weaknesses. The combination of two imaging modalities that investigates the strengths of different methods might offer the prospect of improved diagnostic abilities. As more and more dual-modality imaging system have become clinically adopted, significant progress has been made toward the creation of dual-modality imaging probes, which can be used as novel tools for future multimodality systems. These all-in-one probes take full advantage of two different imaging modalities and could provide comprehensive information for clinical diagnostics. This review discusses the advantages and challenges in developing dual-modality imaging probes. (authors)

Treatment failure and drug resistance in HIV-positive patients on tenofovir-based first-line antiretroviral therapy in western Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, Katherine; Diero, Lameck; DeLong, Allison; Balamane, Maya; Reitsma, Marissa; Kemboi, Emmanuel; Orido, Millicent; Emonyi, Wilfred; Coetzer, Mia; Hogan, Joseph; Kantor, Rami

2016-01-01

Tenofovir-based first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) is recommended globally. To evaluate the impact of its incorporation into the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, we examined treatment failure and drug resistance among a cohort of patients on tenofovir-based first-line ART at the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare, a large HIV treatment programme in western Kenya. We determined viral load (VL), drug resistance and their correlates in patients on ≥six months of tenofovir-based first-line ART. Based on enrolled patients' characteristics, we described these measures in those with (prior ART group) and without (tenofovir-only group) prior non-tenofovir-based first-line ART using Wilcoxon rank sum and Fisher's exact tests. Among 333 participants (55% female; median age 41 years; median CD4 336 cells/µL), detectable (>40 copies/mL) VL was found in 18%, and VL>1000 copies/mL (WHO threshold) in 10%. Virologic failure at both thresholds was significantly higher in 217 participants in the tenofovir-only group compared with 116 in the prior ART group using both cut-offs (24% vs. 7% with VL>40 copies/mL; 15% vs. 1% with VL>1000 copies/mL). Failure in the tenofovir-only group was associated with lower CD4 values and advanced WHO stage. In 35 available genotypes from 51 participants in the tenofovir-only group with VL>40 copies/mL (69% subtype A), any resistance was found in 89% and dual-class resistance in 83%. Tenofovir signature mutation K65R occurred in 71% (17/24) of the patients infected with subtype A. Patients with K65R had significantly lower CD4 values, higher WHO stage and more resistance mutations. In this Kenyan cohort, tenofovir-based first-line ART resulted in good (90%) virologic suppression including high suppression (99%) after switch from non-tenofovir-based ART. Lower virologic suppression (85%) and high observed resistance levels (89%) in the tenofovir-only group impact future treatment options, support recommendations for

LINE-BASED REGISTRATION OF DSM AND HYPERSPECTRAL IMAGES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Avbelj

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Data fusion techniques require a good registration of all the used datasets. In remote sensing, images are usually geo-referenced using the GPS and IMU data. However, if more precise registration is required, image processing techniques can be employed. We propose a method for multi-modal image coregistration between hyperspectral images (HSI and digital surface models (DSM. The method is divided in three parts: object and line detection of the same object in HSI and DSM, line matching and determination of transformation parameters. Homogeneous coordinates are used to implement matching and adjustment of transformation parameters. The common object in HSI and DSM are building boundaries. They have apparent change in height and material, that can be detected in DSM and HSI, respectively. Thus, before the matching and transformation parameter computation, building outlines are detected and adjusted in HSI and DSM. We test the method on a HSI and two DSM, using extracted building outbounds and for comparison also extracted lines with a line detector. The results show that estimated building boundaries provide more line assignments, than using line detector.

Verifying different-modality properties for concepts produces switching costs.

Science.gov (United States)

Pecher, Diane; Zeelenberg, René; Barsalou, Lawrence W

2003-03-01

According to perceptual symbol systems, sensorimotor simulations underlie the representation of concepts. It follows that sensorimotor phenomena should arise in conceptual processing. Previous studies have shown that switching from one modality to another during perceptual processing incurs a processing cost. If perceptual simulation underlies conceptual processing, then verifying the properties of concepts should exhibit a switching cost as well. For example, verifying a property in the auditory modality (e.g., BLENDER-loud) should be slower after verifying a property in a different modality (e.g., CRANBERRIES-tart) than after verifying a property in the same modality (e.g., LEAVES-rustling). Only words were presented to subjects, and there were no instructions to use imagery. Nevertheless, switching modalities incurred a cost, analogous to the cost of switching modalities in perception. A second experiment showed that this effect was not due to associative priming between properties in the same modality. These results support the hypothesis that perceptual simulation underlies conceptual processing.

Smartphone spectroscopy: three unique modalities for point-of-care testing

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Kenneth D.; Yu, Hojeong; Cunningham, Brian T.

2015-06-01

Here we demonstrate three principle modalities for a smartphone-based spectrometer: absorption, fluorescence, and photonic crystal (PC)-based label-free detection. When combined with some simple optical components, the rear-facing CMOS camera in a mobile device can provide spectrometric data that rivals that of laboratory instruments, but at a fraction of the cost. The use of a smartphone-based platform poses significant advantages based upon the rise of smartphone apps, which allow for user-interface and data-processing algorithms to be packaged and distributed within environments that are externally maintained with potential for integration with services such as cloud storage, GIS-tagging, and remote expert analysis. We demonstrate the absorption modality of our device by performing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on both a cancer biomarker and a peanut allergen, demonstrating clinically relevant limits of detection (LOD). Second, we demonstrate the success of a molecular beacon (MB)-based assay on the smartphone platform, achieving an LOD of 1.3 pM for a specific RNA sequence, less than that of a commercial benchtop instrument. Finally, we use a PC biosensor to perform label-free detection of a representative biological interaction: Protein A and human immunoglobulin G (IgG) in the nanomolar regime. Our work represents the first demonstration of smartphone-based spectroscopy for biological assays, and the first mobile-device-enabled detection instrument that serves to measure three distinct sensing modalities (label-free biosensing, absorption spectroscopy, and fluorescence spectroscopy). The smartphone platform has the potential to expand the use of spectrometric analysis to environments assay from the laboratory, which may include rural or remote locations, low-resource settings, and consumer markets.

Efficacy and Safety of First-line Avelumab Treatment in Patients With Stage IV Metastatic Merkel Cell Carcinoma

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Jeffery; Lebbé, Céleste; Chmielowski, Bartosz; Gambichler, Thilo; Grob, Jean-Jacques; Kiecker, Felix; Rabinowits, Guilherme; Terheyden, Patrick; Zwiener, Isabella; Bajars, Marcis; Hennessy, Meliessa; Kaufman, Howard L.

2018-01-01

Importance Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an aggressive skin cancer that is associated with poor survival outcomes in patients with distant metastatic disease. Results of part A of the JAVELIN Merkel 200 trial (avelumab in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma) showed that avelumab, an anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) antibody, demonstrated efficacy in second-line or later treatment of patients with metastatic MCC (mMCC). Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of avelumab as first-line treatment for patients with distant mMCC. Design, Setting, and Participants JAVELIN Merkel 200 part B is an international, multicenter, single-arm, open-label clinical trial of first-line avelumab monotherapy. Eligible patients were adults with mMCC who had not received prior systemic treatment for metastatic disease. Patients were not selected for PD-L1 expression or Merkel cell polyomavirus status. Data were collected from April 15, 2016, to March 24, 2017, and enrollment is ongoing. Interventions Patients received avelumab, 10 mg/kg, by 1-hour intravenous infusion every 2 weeks until confirmed disease progression, unacceptable toxic effects, or withdrawal occurred. Main Outcomes and Measures Tumor status was assessed every 6 weeks and evaluated by independent review committee per Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. The primary end point was durable response, defined as an objective response with a duration of at least 6 months. Secondary end points include best overall response, duration of response, progression-free survival, safety, and tolerability. Results As of March 24, 2017, 39 patients were enrolled (30 men and 9 women; median age, 75 years [range, 47-88 years]), with a median follow-up of 5.1 months (range, 0.3-11.3 months). In a preplanned analysis, efficacy was assessed in 29 patients with at least 3 months of follow-up; the confirmed objective response rate was 62.1% (95% CI, 42.3%-79.3%), with 14 of 18 responses (77.8%) ongoing

Modal Testing of Mechanical Structures subject to Operational Excitation Forces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, N.; Brincker, Rune; Herlufsen, H.

2001-01-01

Operational Modal Analysis also known as Output Only Modal Analysis has in the recent years been used for extracting modal parameters of civil engineering structures and is now becoming popular for mechanical structures. The advantage of the method is that no artificial excitation need to be appl......Operational Modal Analysis also known as Output Only Modal Analysis has in the recent years been used for extracting modal parameters of civil engineering structures and is now becoming popular for mechanical structures. The advantage of the method is that no artificial excitation need...

COMPARISON OF PRODUCTION PARAMETERS BETWEEN THE FIRST GENERATION OF A-LINE IMPORTED AND BRED GILTS ON THE NUCLEUS FARM VELIKA BRANJEVINA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragica Dubravac

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Comparison of productive parameters of two analyzed groups (the first generation of imported gilts and the gilts born on the domestic farm was conducted on a nucleus farm that imported the gilt lines from the TOPIGS breeding program. For the purposes of the nucleus pig farm, TOPIGS gilts were imported from Netherlands. The nucleus farm where the analysis of the two groups’ productive parameters was conducted imported the ancestral and grandfather lines to produce the parenting generation TOPIGS 40 sows which are bred with a Pietrain line of boars. The TOPIGS 40 sow is an animal based on A-line and B-line characterized by high fertility rate, excellent maternal characteristics, good capacity for growth, and quality meaty body. The analysis of productive parameters of the two observed groups of gilts (the first generation of 105 imported gilts and 88 gilts born on the domestic farm resulted in significantly higher number of total born, born alive and weaned piglets after the first farrowing (P<0.001 as well as significantly higher number of total born and born alive piglets at third farrowing (P<0.05. The results of the observed qualities confirm the fact that, apart from the unquestionable genetic potential, other factors such as adaptation, accommodation conditions, microclimate, nutrition, and management have a significant effect on the increase of production results.

Application of 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of cervical cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Wenlan; Wu Hubing; Wang Quanshi; Ye Xianghua

2008-01-01

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical value of 18 F-fluorode-oxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT for staging and re-staging cervical cancer cases. Methods: This retrospective study included 88 patients. Of the 88 patients, 19 were primary cervical cancer, 11 were benign cervical tumor and 58 were cervical cancer patients with post-treatment surveillance. All had either whole body or abdominal-pelvic FDG PET/CT imaging. The diagnosis was established according to the pathologic results of surgery or biopsy, and(or) multi-modality imaging and clinical follow-up for at least six months. Results: For initial diagnosis of cervical cancer, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG PET/CT were 17/19 (89.5%), 10/11 (90.9%) and 27/30(90.0%) respectively. For re-staging cervical cancer, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG PET/CT were 10/11 (90. 9%), 47/47 (100. 0%) and 57/58 (98.3%) respectively. In all, 41 had metastases. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of FDG PET/ CT detecting metastases were 92.7%, 88.9% and 90.9% respectively. Of the metastatic sites, 66.3% were abdominal-pelvic lymph nodes, 26.8% of the metastatic lymph nodes were detected with diameters less than 1.0 cm. Twenty-two of twenty seven (28.6%) patients were identified to have extra-pelvic lesions after PET/CT and were then changed their treatment plans. Conclusions: 18 F-FDG PET/CT is useful in staging and re-staging cervical cancer patients. PET/CT is of great value in identifying small lesions and also in detecting extra-pelvic lesions. (authors)

Extending Modal Transition Systems with Structured Labels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bauer, Sebastian S.; Juhl, Line; Larsen, Kim Guldstrand

2012-01-01

We introduce a novel formalism of label-structured modal transition systems that combines the classical may/must modalities on transitions with structured labels that represent quantitative aspects of the model. On the one hand, the specification formalism is general enough to include models like...... weighted modal transition systems and allows the system developers to employ more complex label refinement than in the previously studied theories. On the other hand, the formalism maintains the desirable properties required by any specification theory supporting compositional reasoning. In particular, we...

Exploring the role of daily ‘modality styles’ and urban structure in holidays and longer weekend trips

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Große, Juliane; Olafsson, Anton Stahl; Carstensen, Trine Agervig

2018-01-01

comprehensively researched. However, other travel domains (e.g., occasional weekend trips or holidays) have only recently received more attention, despite their environmental impact. The paper investigates whether and how daily travel patterns (‘modality styles’) correspond with non-daily travel behaviour...... in the commuter belt of Greater Copenhagen in spring 2016. First, we identify ‘modality styles’ by grouping the sample based on the respondents’ daily mode choices. Second, we relate the identified modality styles to socio-economic and socio-demographic factors, frequency and mode choice of longer weekend trips...... and holidays, and travel-related attitudes. The results reveal that the urban structure of a residential location (e.g., urban vs. peri-urban) exerts to some extent influence on the constitution of daily modality styles. We found, furthermore, a tendency for more weekend trips and holidays among the urban...

Methotrexate as a first-line corticosteroid-sparing therapy in a cohort of uveitis and scleritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplan-Messas, Audrey; Barkana, Yaniv; Avni, Isaac; Neumann, Ron

2003-06-01

To evaluate the clinical experience with methotrexate as a first-line corticosteroid-sparing drug in patients with resistant ocular inflammation. We retrospectively studied 39 consecutive patients with uveitis (n = 36) or scleritis (n = 3) who were treated with methotrexate following inadequate control with corticosteroids lasting five years. Criteria for initiating treatment with methotrexate and defining outcome were strictly defined. The cohort included 21 females and 18 males, all Caucasians, with a mean age of 26.6 years (range: 3-73 years). Patients were followed up for 21.5 +/- 12.6 months. Treatment was discontinued due to side effects in 10 patients (26%). Of the remaining 29 patients, full or partial control of inflammation was achieved in 23 (79%). Response to treatment was observed after a mean of 2.4 +/- 0.8 months. Ten patients were fully controlled and discontinued methotrexate therapy after a mean of 20.9 +/- 9.2 months, with no recurrence of inflammation. Use of topical and systemic corticosteroids was markedly reduced in responsive patients. Methotrexate is recommended as a first-line adjunct to or replacement of systemic corticosteroids in the treatment of ocular inflammation.

HYDROGEN PERMITTED LINES IN THE FIRST NEAR-IR SPECTRA OF Th 28 MICROJET: ACCRETION OR EJECTION TRACERS?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coffey, Deirdre; Podio, Linda; Bacciotti, Francesca; Nisini, Brunella

2010-01-01

We report the first near-infrared detection of the bipolar microjet from T Tauri star ThA 15-28 (hereafter Th 28). Spectra were obtained with Very Large Telescope (VLT)/ISAAC for the slit both perpendicular and parallel to the flow to examine jet kinematics and gas physics within the first arcsecond from the star. The jet was successfully detected in both molecular and atomic lines. The H 2 component was found to be entirely blueshifted around the base of the bipolar jet. It shows that only the blue lobe is emitting in H 2 while light is scattered in the direction of the red lobe, highlighting an asymmetric extinction and/or excitation between the two lobes. Consistent with this view, the red lobe is brighter in all atomic lines. Interestingly, the jet was detected not only in [Fe II], but also in Brγ and Paβ lines. Though considered tracers mainly of accretion, we find that these high excitation hydrogen permitted lines trace the jet as far as 150 AU from the star. This is confirmed in a number of ways: the presence of the [Fe II] 2.13 μm line which is of similarly high excitation; H I velocities which match the jet [Fe II] velocities in both the blue and red lobe; and high electron density close to the source of >6 x 10 4 cm -3 derived from the [Fe II] 1.64, 1.60 μm ratio. These near-infrared data complement Hubble Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (HST/STIS) optical and near-ultraviolet data for the same target which were used in a jet rotation study, although no rotation signature could be identified here due to insufficient angular resolution. The unpublished HST/STIS Hα emission is included here alongside the other H I lines. Identifying Brγ and Paβ as tracers of ejection is significant because of the importance of finding strong near-infrared probes close to the star, where forbidden lines are quenched, which will help understand accretion ejection when observed with high spatial resolution instruments such as VLTI/AMBER.

Aspirin is first-line treatment for migraine and episodic tension-type headache regardless of headache intensity.

Science.gov (United States)

Lampl, Christian; Voelker, Michael; Steiner, Timothy J

2012-01-01

(1) To establish whether pre-treatment headache intensity in migraine or episodic tension-type headache (ETTH) predicts success or failure of treatment with aspirin; and (2) to reflect, accordingly, on the place of aspirin in the management of these disorders. Stepped care in migraine management uses symptomatic treatments as first-line, reserving triptans for those in whom this proves ineffective. Stratified care chooses between symptomatic therapy and triptans as first-line on an individual basis according to perceived illness severity. We questioned the 2 assumptions underpinning stratified care in migraine that greater illness severity: (1) reflects greater need; and (2) is a risk factor for failure of symptomatic treatment but not of triptans. With regard to the first assumption, we developed a rhetorical argument that need for treatment is underpinned by expectation of benefit, not by illness severity. To address the second, we reviewed individual patient data from 6 clinical trials of aspirin 1000 mg in migraine (N = 2079; 1165 moderate headache, 914 severe) and one of aspirin 500 and 1000 mg in ETTH (N = 325; 180 moderate, 145 severe), relating outcome to pre-treatment headache intensity. In migraine, for headache relief at 2 hours, a small (4.7%) and non-significant risk difference (RD) in therapeutic gain favored moderate pain; for pain freedom at 2 hours, therapeutic gains were almost identical (RD: -0.2%). In ETTH, for headache relief at 2 hours, RDs for both aspirin 500 mg (-4.2%) and aspirin 1000 mg (-9.7%) favored severe pain, although neither significantly; for pain freedom at 2 hours, RDs (-14.2 and -3.6) again favored severe pain. In neither migraine nor ETTH does pre-treatment headache intensity predict success or failure of aspirin. This is not an arguable basis for stratified care in migraine. In both disorders, aspirin is first-line treatment regardless of headache intensity. © 2011 American Headache Society.

Six versus fewer planned cycles of first-line platinum-based chemotherapy for non-small-cell lung cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rossi, Antonio; Chiodini, Paolo; Sun, Jong-Mu

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND: Platinum-based chemotherapy is the standard first-line treatment for patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer. However, the optimum number of treatment cycles remains controversial. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data to compare ...

A Hybrid FPGA/Coarse Parallel Processing Architecture for Multi-modal Visual Feature Descriptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Lars Baunegaard With; Kjær-Nielsen, Anders; Alonso, Javier Díaz

2008-01-01

This paper describes the hybrid architecture developed for speeding up the processing of so-called multi-modal visual primitives which are sparse image descriptors extracted along contours. In the system, the first stages of visual processing are implemented on FPGAs due to their highly parallel...

Economic impact of simplified de Gramont regimen in first-line therapy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Limat, Samuel; Bracco-Nolin, Claire-Hélène; Legat-Fagnoni, Christine; Chaigneau, Loic; Stein, Ulrich; Huchet, Bernard; Pivot, Xavier; Woronoff-Lemsi, Marie-Christine

2006-06-01

The cost of chemotherapy has dramatically increased in advanced colorectal cancer patients, and the schedule of fluorouracil administration appears to be a determining factor. This retrospective study compared direct medical costs related to two different de Gramont schedules (standard vs. simplified) given in first-line chemotherapy with oxaliplatin or irinotecan. This cost-minimization analysis was performed from the French Health System perspective. Consecutive unselected patients treated in first-line therapy by LV5FU2 de Gramont with oxaliplatin (Folfox regimen) or with irinotecan (Folfiri regimen) were enrolled. Hospital and outpatient resources related to chemotherapy and adverse events were collected from 1999 to 2004 in 87 patients. Overall cost was reduced in the simplified regimen. The major factor which explained cost saving was the lower need for admissions for chemotherapy. Amount of cost saving depended on the method for assessing hospital stay. In patients treated by the Folfox regimen the per diem and DRG methods found cost savings of Euro 1,997 and Euro 5,982 according to studied schedules; in patients treated by Folfiri regimen cost savings of Euro 4,773 and Euro 7,274 were observed, respectively. In addition, travel costs were also reduced by simplified regimens. The robustness of our results was showed by one-way sensitivity analyses. These findings demonstrate that the simplified de Gramont schedule reduces costs of current first-line chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer. Interestingly, our study showed several differences in costs between two costing approaches of hospital stay: average per diem and DRG costs. These results suggested that standard regimen may be considered a profitable strategy from the hospital perspective. The opposition between health system perspective and hospital perspective is worth examining and may affect daily practices. In conclusion, our study shows that the simplified de Gramont schedule in combination with

First-line treatment disruption among post-menopausal women with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer: a retrospective US claims study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Derek H; Li, Nanxin; Du, Ella X; Peeples, Miranda; Chu, Lihao; Xie, Jipan; Barghout, Victoria

2017-12-01

This study assessed disruption of first-line treatments initiated after the approval of the first CDK 4/6 inhibitor, palbociclib, among post-menopausal women with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (mBC) in the US. Post-menopausal women with HR+/HER2- mBC who initiated first-line endocrine therapy or chemotherapy (index therapy) between February 3, 2015 (palbociclib approval date) and February 29, 2016 (end of data) were identified from the Symphony Source Lx database. Patients were required to have continuous quarterly activity (defined as ≥1 pharmacy or medical claim) for 12 months prior to and 1 month after the initiation of the index therapy (index date). Treatment disruption was defined as a treatment gap of ≥60 days or adding an agent after the original therapy. Kaplan-Meier analyses were conducted to estimate treatment disruption rates during the 6 months following the index date. Patients without treatment disruption were censored at the end of continuous quarterly activity or end of data. A total of 8,160 and 2,153 eligible patients initiated endocrine therapy or chemotherapy as their first-line mBC treatment, with a median follow-up of 6.7 and 7.6 months, respectively. The three most prevalent metastatic sites were bone (28.1-42.2%), liver (8.8-17.3%), and lung (8.6-9.5%). Overall, 37.7% (n = 3,074) of patients receiving endocrine therapy and 86.1% (n = 1,852) of patients receiving chemotherapy encountered treatment disruption at 6 months (log-rank test p disruption rates of first-line therapies were sub-optimal among post-menopausal women with HR+/HER2- mBC, primarily driven by chemotherapy users. New therapies or interventions are needed to reduce treatment disruption in this patient population.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Bendamustine Plus Rituximab as a First-Line Treatment for Patients with Follicular Lymphoma in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabater, Eliazar; López-Guillermo, Armando; Rueda, Antonio; Salar, Antonio; Oyagüez, Itziar; Collar, Juan Manuel

2016-08-01

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the second most common type of lymphoid cancer in Western Europe. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost utility of rituximab-bendamustine treatment compared with R-CHOP (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone) treatment as a first-line therapy for patients with advanced FL in Spain. A Markov model was developed to estimate the cost effectiveness of rituximab-bendamustine compared with R-CHOP as first-line treatment for patients with advanced FL in the Spanish National Health System (NHS). Transitions between health states (progression-free, including induction and maintenance; first relapse; second relapse; and death) were allowed for the patient cohort in 4-week-long cycles. Clinical data for the extrapolation of progression-free survival curves were obtained from randomized trials. Mortality rates and utilities were obtained from the literature. Outcomes were measured as quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs). The total costs (€, 2013) included drug costs (ex-factory prices with mandatory deductions), disease management costs and adverse event-associated costs. Costs and outcomes were discounted at a 3 % annual rate. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was performed using 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations to assess the model robustness. Treatment and administration costs during the induction phase were higher for rituximab-bendamustine (€17,671) than for R-CHOP (€11,850). At the end of the 25-year period, the rituximab-bendamustine first-line strategy had a total cost of €68,357 compared with €69,528 for R-CHOP. Health benefits were higher for rituximab-bendamustine treatment (10.31 QALYs) than for R-CHOP treatment (9.82 QALYs). In the probabilistic analysis, rituximab-bendamustine was the dominant strategy over treatment with R-CHOP in 53.4 % of the simulations. First-line therapy with rituximab-bendamustine in FL patients was the dominant strategy over treatment with R-CHOP; it showed cost

Modal Logics with Counting

Science.gov (United States)

Areces, Carlos; Hoffmann, Guillaume; Denis, Alexandre

We present a modal language that includes explicit operators to count the number of elements that a model might include in the extension of a formula, and we discuss how this logic has been previously investigated under different guises. We show that the language is related to graded modalities and to hybrid logics. We illustrate a possible application of the language to the treatment of plural objects and queries in natural language. We investigate the expressive power of this logic via bisimulations, discuss the complexity of its satisfiability problem, define a new reasoning task that retrieves the cardinality bound of the extension of a given input formula, and provide an algorithm to solve it.

Modalities in homotopy type theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rijke, Egbert; Shulman, Michael; Spitters, Bas

2017-01-01

Univalent homotopy type theory (HoTT) may be seen as a language for the category of ∞-groupoids. It is being developed as a new foundation for mathematics and as an internal language for (elementary) higher toposes. We develop the theory of factorization systems, reflective subuniverses......, and modalities in homotopy type theory, including their construction using a "localization" higher inductive type. This produces in particular the (n-connected, n-truncated) factorization system as well as internal presentations of subtoposes, through lex modalities. We also develop the semantics...

Linear contextual modal type theory

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schack-Nielsen, Anders; Schürmann, Carsten

Abstract. When one implements a logical framework based on linear type theory, for example the Celf system [?], one is immediately con- fronted with questions about their equational theory and how to deal with logic variables. In this paper, we propose linear contextual modal type theory that gives...... a mathematical account of the nature of logic variables. Our type theory is conservative over intuitionistic contextual modal type theory proposed by Nanevski, Pfenning, and Pientka. Our main contributions include a mechanically checked proof of soundness and a working implementation....

Integrating Conceptual Knowledge Within and Across Representational Modalities

OpenAIRE

McNorgan, Chris; Reid, Jackie; McRae, Ken

2010-01-01

Research suggests that concepts are distributed across brain regions specialized for processing information from different sensorimotor modalities. Multimodal semantic models fall into one of two broad classes differentiated by the assumed hierarchy of convergence zones over which information is integrated. In shallow models, communication within- and between-modality is accomplished using either direct connectivity, or a central semantic hub. In deep models, modalities are connected via casc...

The optimal hormonal replacement modality selection for multiple organ procurement from brain-dead organ donors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mi, Zhibao; Novitzky, Dimitri; Collins, Joseph F; Cooper, David Kc

2015-01-01

The management of brain-dead organ donors is complex. The use of inotropic agents and replacement of depleted hormones (hormonal replacement therapy) is crucial for successful multiple organ procurement, yet the optimal hormonal replacement has not been identified, and the statistical adjustment to determine the best selection is not trivial. Traditional pair-wise comparisons between every pair of treatments, and multiple comparisons to all (MCA), are statistically conservative. Hsu's multiple comparisons with the best (MCB) - adapted from the Dunnett's multiple comparisons with control (MCC) - has been used for selecting the best treatment based on continuous variables. We selected the best hormonal replacement modality for successful multiple organ procurement using a two-step approach. First, we estimated the predicted margins by constructing generalized linear models (GLM) or generalized linear mixed models (GLMM), and then we applied the multiple comparison methods to identify the best hormonal replacement modality given that the testing of hormonal replacement modalities is independent. Based on 10-year data from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), among 16 hormonal replacement modalities, and using the 95% simultaneous confidence intervals, we found that the combination of thyroid hormone, a corticosteroid, antidiuretic hormone, and insulin was the best modality for multiple organ procurement for transplantation.

The Title and Three Core Values from the First Three Lines of The Declaration of Independence

Science.gov (United States)

White, Kenneth Michael

2013-01-01

Teaching the Declaration of Independence can be a challenge. This article presents a lesson plan based on an explication of the title and the first three lines of the Declaration intended to make the American founding era relevant to today's college students. Assuming civic education is a major goal of teaching American Government, assuming…

Aeroelastic modal dynamics of wind turbines including anisotropic effects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skjoldan, Peter Fisker

frequency is thus identified as the dominant frequency in the response of a pure excitation of the mode observed in the inertial frame. A modal analysis tool based directly on the complex aeroelastic wind turbine code BHawC is presented. It uses the Coleman approach in isotropic conditions......Several methods for aeroelastic modal analysis of a rotating wind turbine are developed and used to analyse the modal dynamics of two simplified models and a complex model in isotropic and anisotropic conditions. The Coleman transformation is used to enable extraction of the modal frequencies...... of Floquet analysis or Hill's method which do not provide a unique reference frame for observing the modal frequency, to which any multiple of the rotor speed can be added. This indeterminacy is resolved by requiring that the periodic mode shape be as constant as possible in the inertial frame. The modal...

PET/CT for diagnostics and therapy stratification of lung cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kratochwil, C.; Haberkorn, U.; Giesel, F.L.

2010-01-01

With the introduction of positron emission tomography (PET) and more recently the hybrid systems PET/CT, the management of cancer patients in the treatment strategy has changed tremendously. The combination of PET with multidetector CT scanning enables the integration of metabolic and high resolution morphological image information. PET/CT is nowadays an established modality for tumor detection, characterization, staging and response monitoring. The increased installation of PET/CT systems worldwide and also the increased scientific publications underline the importance of this imaging modality. PET/CT is particular the imaging modality of choice in lung cancer staging and re-staging (T, N and M staging). The possible increased success of surgery in lung cancer patients and also the expected reduction in additional invasive diagnostics lead to benefits for both the individual patient and the healthcare system. In this review article PET and PET/CT is presented for diagnostic and therapeutic stratification in lung cancer. The fundamentals of glucose metabolism, staging, tumor recurrence and therapeutic monitoring are presented. (orig.) [de

Statistically generated weighted curve fit of residual functions for modal analysis of structures

Science.gov (United States)

Bookout, P. S.

1995-01-01

A statistically generated weighting function for a second-order polynomial curve fit of residual functions has been developed. The residual flexibility test method, from which a residual function is generated, is a procedure for modal testing large structures in an external constraint-free environment to measure the effects of higher order modes and interface stiffness. This test method is applicable to structures with distinct degree-of-freedom interfaces to other system components. A theoretical residual function in the displacement/force domain has the characteristics of a relatively flat line in the lower frequencies and a slight upward curvature in the higher frequency range. In the test residual function, the above-mentioned characteristics can be seen in the data, but due to the present limitations in the modal parameter evaluation (natural frequencies and mode shapes) of test data, the residual function has regions of ragged data. A second order polynomial curve fit is required to obtain the residual flexibility term. A weighting function of the data is generated by examining the variances between neighboring data points. From a weighted second-order polynomial curve fit, an accurate residual flexibility value can be obtained. The residual flexibility value and free-free modes from testing are used to improve a mathematical model of the structure. The residual flexibility modal test method is applied to a straight beam with a trunnion appendage and a space shuttle payload pallet simulator.

Mobilizing First-Line Managers as Organizational Strategy Makers: The Case of Environmentally Sustainable Operations

OpenAIRE

Gjøsæter, Åge

2013-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to investigate how first-line managers are mobilized as organizational strategy makers. The research case is a campaign launched by a Norwegian shipping company servicing the petroleum industry. The strategic idea on which the campaign was based was to operate the company`s fleet of offshore service vessels in an environmentally sustainable way, to be realized by carrying out fuel-saving operations on board the vessels. A strategic idea is supposed to set out a vie...

Immunotherapy “Shock” a case series of PD-L1 100% and pembrolizumab first-line treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Zarogoulidis

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In this decade a “bloom” of novel therapies has been observed for non-small cell lung cancer. We have new tools for the diagnosis of lung cancer and also we can re-biospy easier than before in different lesions and obtain tissue samples in order to investigate whether a patient can receive new targeted therapies. Immunotherapy has been well established previously for other forms of cancer, and nowadays it is also available for lung cancer. There are two immunotherapies for now nivolumab and pembrolizumab which can be administered as second line treatment, the second can also be administered as first-line if there is a programmed death-ligand 1 ≥50% expression.

Clinical Relevance of Alternative Endpoints in Colorectal Cancer First-Line Therapy With Bevacizumab: A Retrospective Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Turpin, Anthony; Paget-Bailly, Sophie; Ploquin, Anne; Hollebecque, Antoine; Peugniez, Charlotte; El-Hajbi, Farid; Bonnetain, Franck; Hebbar, Mohamed

2018-03-01

We studied the relationship between intermediate criteria and overall survival (OS) in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients who received first-line chemotherapy with bevacizumab. We assessed OS, progression-free survival (PFS), duration of disease control (DDC), the sum of the periods in which the disease did not progress, and the time to failure of strategy (TFS), which was defined as the entire period before the introduction of a second-line treatment. Linear correlation and regression models were used, and Prentice criteria were investigated. With a median follow-up of 57.6 months for 216 patients, the median OS was 24.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 21.3-29.7). The median PFS, DDC, and TFS were 8.9 (95% CI, 8.4-9.7), 11.0 (95% CI, 9.8-12.4), and 11.1 (95% CI, 10.0-13.0) months, respectively. The correlations between OS and DDC (Pearson coefficient, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.73-0.83], determination coefficient, 0.62) and OS and TFS (Pearson coefficient, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.73-0.84], determination coefficient, 0.63) were satisfactory. Linear regression analysis showed a significant association between OS and DDC, and between OS and TFS. Prentice criteria were verified for TFS as well as DDC. DDC and TFS correlated with OS and are relevant as intermediate criteria in the setting of patients with mCRC treated with a first-line bevacizumab-based regimen. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robust independent modal space control of a coupled nano-positioning piezo-stage

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Wei; Yang, Fufeng; Rui, Xiaoting

2018-06-01

In order to accurately control a coupled 3-DOF nano-positioning piezo-stage, this paper designs a hybrid controller. In this controller, a hysteresis observer based on a Bouc-Wen model is established to compensate the hysteresis nonlinearity of the piezoelectric actuator first. Compared to hysteresis compensations using Preisach model and Prandt-Ishlinskii model, the compensation method using the hysteresis observer is computationally lighter. Then, based on the proposed dynamics model, by constructing the modal filter, a robust H∞ independent modal space controller is designed and utilized to decouple the piezo-stage and deal with the unmodeled dynamics, disturbance, and hysteresis compensation error. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is demonstrated experimentally. The experimental results show that the proposed controller can significantly achieve the high-precision positioning.

Artificial Vision, New Visual Modalities and Neuroadaptation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilmi Or

2012-01-01

Full Text Available To study the descriptions from which artificial vision derives, to explore the new visual modalities resulting from eye surgeries and diseases, and to gain awareness of the use of machine vision systems for both enhancement of visual perception and better understanding of neuroadaptation. Science could not define until today what vision is. However, some optical-based systems and definitions have been established considering some factors for the formation of seeing. The best known system includes Gabor filter and Gabor patch which work on edge perception, describing the visual perception in the best known way. These systems are used today in industry and technology of machines, robots and computers to provide their "seeing". These definitions are used beyond the machinery in humans for neuroadaptation in new visual modalities after some eye surgeries or to improve the quality of some already known visual modalities. Beside this, “the blindsight” -which was not known to exist until 35 years ago - can be stimulated with visual exercises. Gabor system is a description of visual perception definable in machine vision as well as in human visual perception. This system is used today in robotic vision. There are new visual modalities which arise after some eye surgeries or with the use of some visual optical devices. Also, blindsight is a different visual modality starting to be defined even though the exact etiology is not known. In all the new visual modalities, new vision stimulating therapies using the Gabor systems can be applied. (Turk J Oph thal mol 2012; 42: 61-5

On sine dwell or broadband methods for modal testing

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jay-Chung; Wada, Ben K.

1987-01-01

For large, complex spacecraft structural systems, the objectives of the modal test are outlined. Based on these objectives, the comparison criteria for the modal test methods, namely, the broadband excitation and the sine dwell methods are established. Using the Galileo spacecraft modal test and the Centaur G Prime upper stage vehicle modal test as examples, the relative advantages or disadvantages of each method are examined. The usefulness or shortcoming of the methods are given from a practicing engineer's view point.

Converging modalities ground abstract categories: the case of politics.

Science.gov (United States)

Farias, Ana Rita; Garrido, Margarida V; Semin, Gün R

2013-01-01

Three studies are reported examining the grounding of abstract concepts across two modalities (visual and auditory) and their symbolic representation. A comparison of the outcomes across these studies reveals that the symbolic representation of political concepts and their visual and auditory modalities is convergent. In other words, the spatial relationships between specific instances of the political categories are highly overlapping across the symbolic, visual and auditory modalities. These findings suggest that abstract categories display redundancy across modal and amodal representations, and are multimodal.

A single CD4 test with 250 cells/mm3 threshold predicts viral suppression in HIV-infected adults failing first-line therapy by clinical criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilks, Charles F; Walker, A Sarah; Munderi, Paula; Kityo, Cissy; Reid, Andrew; Katabira, Elly; Goodall, Ruth L; Grosskurth, Heiner; Mugyenyi, Peter; Hakim, James; Gibb, Diana M

2013-01-01

In low-income countries, viral load (VL) monitoring of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is rarely available in the public sector for HIV-infected adults or children. Using clinical failure alone to identify first-line ART failure and trigger regimen switch may result in unnecessary use of costly second-line therapy. Our objective was to identify CD4 threshold values to confirm clinically-determined ART failure when VL is unavailable. 3316 HIV-infected Ugandan/Zimbabwean adults were randomised to first-line ART with Clinically-Driven (CDM, CD4s measured but blinded) or routine Laboratory and Clinical Monitoring (LCM, 12-weekly CD4s) in the DART trial. CD4 at switch and ART failure criteria (new/recurrent WHO 4, single/multiple WHO 3 event; LCM: CD4tiebreaker' of ≥250 cells/mm(3) for clinically-monitored patients failing first-line could identify ∼80% with VL<400 copies/ml, who are unlikely to benefit from second-line. Targeting CD4s to single WHO stage 3 'clinical failures' would particularly avoid premature, costly switch to second-line ART.

Models of galaxies - The modal approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, C.C.; Lowe, S.A.

1990-01-01

The general viability of the modal approach to the spiral structure in normal spirals and the barlike structure in certain barred spirals is discussed. The usefulness of the modal approach in the construction of models of such galaxies is examined, emphasizing the adoption of a model appropriate to observational data for both the spiral structure of a galaxy and its basic mass distribution. 44 refs

Modal Based Fatigue Monitoring of Steel Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Graugaard-Jensen, J.; Brincker, Rune; Hjelm, H. P.

2005-01-01

In this paper it is shown how the accumulated fatigue in steel structures can be estimated with high accuracy by continuously measuring the accelerations in a few points of the structure. First step is to obtain a good estimate of the mode shapes by performing a natural input modal analysis. The so...... by applying the mode shapes of the calibrated Finite Element model and strains are obtained using the shape functions for the actual elements. The technique has been applied on a model frame structure in the laboratory and on a wind loaded lattice pylon structure. In both cases the estimated stresses has been...

HIV-1 drug resistance genotyping from antiretroviral therapy (ART naïve and first-line treatment failures in Djiboutian patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elmi Abar Aden

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract In this study we report the prevalence of antiretroviral drug resistant HIV-1 genotypes of virus isolated from Djiboutian patients who failed first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART and from ART naïve patients. Patients and methods A total of 35 blood samples from 16 patients who showed first-line ART failure (>1000 viral genome copies/ml and 19 ART-naïve patients were collected in Djibouti from October 2009 to December 2009. Both the protease (PR and reverse transcriptase (RT genes were amplified and sequenced using National Agency for AIDS Research (ANRS protocols. The Stanford HIV database algorithm was used for interpretation of resistance data and genotyping. Results Among the 16 patients with first-line ART failure, nine (56.2% showed reverse transcriptase inhibitor-resistant HIV-1 strains: two (12.5% were resistant to nucleoside (NRTI, one (6.25% to non-nucleoside (NNRTI reverse transcriptase inhibitors, and six (37.5% to both. Analysis of the DNA sequencing data indicated that the most common mutations conferring drug resistance were M184V (38% for NRTI and K103N (25% for NNRTI. Only NRTI primary mutations K101Q, K103N and the PI minor mutation L10V were found in ART naïve individuals. No protease inhibitor resistant strains were detected. In our study, we found no detectable resistance in ∼ 44% of all patients who experienced therapeutic failure which was explained by low compliance, co-infection with tuberculosis and malnutrition. Genotyping revealed that 65.7% of samples were infected with subtype C, 20% with CRF02_AG, 8.5% with B, 2.9% with CRF02_AG/C and 2.9% with K/C. Conclusion The results of this first study about drug resistance mutations in first-line ART failures show the importance of performing drug resistance mutation test which guides the choice of a second-line regimen. This will improve the management of HIV-infected Djiboutian patients. Virtual slides The virtual slide(s for this article can be found

Efficacy and safety of endocrine monotherapy as first-line treatment for hormone-sensitive advanced breast cancer: A network meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jingwen; Huang, Yanhong; Wang, Changyi; He, Yuanfang; Zheng, Shukai; Wu, Kusheng

2017-08-01

Endocrine therapy was recommended as the preferred first-line treatment for hormone receptor-positive (HR+, i.e., ER+ and/or PgR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2-) postmenopausal advanced breast cancer (ABC), but which endocrine monotherapy is optimal lacks consensus. We aimed to identify the optimal endocrine monotherapy with a network meta-analysis. We performed a network meta-analysis for a comprehensive analysis of 6 first-line endocrine monotherapies (letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane, tamoxifen, fulvestrant 250 mg and 500 mg) for HR+ HER2- metastatic or locally advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal patients. The main outcomes were objective response rate (ORR), time to progression (TTP), and progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary outcomes were adverse events. We identified 27 articles of 8 randomized controlled trials including 3492 patients in the network meta-analysis. For ORR, the treatments ranked in descending order of effectiveness were letrozole > exemestane > anastrozole > fulvestrant 500 mg > tamoxifen > fulvestrant 250 mg. For TTP/PFS, the order was fulvestrant 500 mg > letrozole > anastrozole > exemestane > tamoxifen > fulvestrant 250 mg. We directly compared adverse events and found that tamoxifen produced more hot flash events than fulvestrant 250 mg. Fulvestrant 500 mg and letrozole might be optimal first-line endocrine monotherapy choices for HR+ HER2- ABC because of efficacious ORR and TTP/PFS, with a favorable tolerability profile. However, direct comparisons among endocrine monotherapies in the first-line therapy setting are still required to robustly demonstrate any differences among these endocrine agents. Clinical choices should also depend on the specific disease situation and duration of endocrine therapy.

Converging modalities ground abstract categories: the case of politics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Rita Farias

Full Text Available Three studies are reported examining the grounding of abstract concepts across two modalities (visual and auditory and their symbolic representation. A comparison of the outcomes across these studies reveals that the symbolic representation of political concepts and their visual and auditory modalities is convergent. In other words, the spatial relationships between specific instances of the political categories are highly overlapping across the symbolic, visual and auditory modalities. These findings suggest that abstract categories display redundancy across modal and amodal representations, and are multimodal.

Improvements of ModalMax High-Fidelity Piezoelectric Audio Device

Science.gov (United States)

Woodard, Stanley E.

2005-01-01

ModalMax audio speakers have been enhanced by innovative means of tailoring the vibration response of thin piezoelectric plates to produce a high-fidelity audio response. The ModalMax audio speakers are 1 mm in thickness. The device completely supplants the need to have a separate driver and speaker cone. ModalMax speakers can perform the same applications of cone speakers, but unlike cone speakers, ModalMax speakers can function in harsh environments such as high humidity or extreme wetness. New design features allow the speakers to be completely submersed in salt water, making them well suited for maritime applications. The sound produced from the ModalMax audio speakers has sound spatial resolution that is readily discernable for headset users.

Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography: benefits of using the time-resolved modality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ducros, Nicolas

2009-01-01

Fluorescence diffuse optical tomography enables the three-dimensional reconstruction of fluorescence markers injected within a biological tissue, with light in the near infrared range. The simple continuous modality uses steady excitation light and operates from the measurements at different positions of the attenuation of the incident beam. This technique is low-cost, non-ionizing, and easy to handle, but subject to low resolution for thick tissues due to diffusion. Hopefully, the time-resolved modality, which provides the time of flight of any detected photon, could overcome this limitation and pave the way to clinical applications. This thesis aims at determining the best way to exploit the time resolved information and at quantifying the advantages of this modality over the standard continuous wave one. Model deviations must be carefully limited when ill-posed problems as fluorescence diffuse optical tomography are considered. As a result, we have first addressed the modelling part of the problem. We have shown that the photons density models to good approximation the measurable quantity that is the quantity measured by an actual acquisition set-up. Then, the moment-based reconstruction scheme has been thoroughly evaluated by means of a theoretical analysis of the moments properties. It was found that the moment-based approach requires high photon counts to be profitable compared to the continuous wave modality. Last, a novel wavelet-based approach, which enables an improved reconstruction quality, has been introduced. This approach has shown good ability to exploit the temporal information at lower photon counts. (author) [fr

Musical minds: attentional blink reveals modality-specific restrictions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sander Martens

Full Text Available Formal musical training is known to have positive effects on attentional and executive functioning, processing speed, and working memory. Consequently, one may expect to find differences in the dynamics of temporal attention between musicians and non-musicians. Here we address the question whether that is indeed the case, and whether any beneficial effects of musical training on temporal attention are modality specific or generalize across sensory modalities.When two targets are presented in close temporal succession, most people fail to report the second target, a phenomenon known as the attentional blink (AB. We measured and compared AB magnitude for musicians and non-musicians using auditory or visually presented letters and digits. Relative to non-musicians, the auditory AB was both attenuated and delayed in musicians, whereas the visual AB was larger. Non-musicians with a large auditory AB tended to show a large visual AB. However, neither a positive nor negative correlation was found in musicians, suggesting that at least in musicians, attentional restrictions within each modality are completely separate.AB magnitude within one modality can generalize to another modality, but this turns out not to be the case for every individual. Formal musical training seems to have a domain-general, but modality-specific beneficial effect on selective attention. The results fit with the idea that a major source of attentional restriction as reflected in the AB lies in modality-specific, independent sensory systems rather than a central amodal system. The findings demonstrate that individual differences in AB magnitude can provide important information about the modular structure of human cognition.

Linear Subspace Ranking Hashing for Cross-Modal Retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Kai; Qi, Guo-Jun; Ye, Jun; Hua, Kien A

2017-09-01

Hashing has attracted a great deal of research in recent years due to its effectiveness for the retrieval and indexing of large-scale high-dimensional multimedia data. In this paper, we propose a novel ranking-based hashing framework that maps data from different modalities into a common Hamming space where the cross-modal similarity can be measured using Hamming distance. Unlike existing cross-modal hashing algorithms where the learned hash functions are binary space partitioning functions, such as the sign and threshold function, the proposed hashing scheme takes advantage of a new class of hash functions closely related to rank correlation measures which are known to be scale-invariant, numerically stable, and highly nonlinear. Specifically, we jointly learn two groups of linear subspaces, one for each modality, so that features' ranking orders in different linear subspaces maximally preserve the cross-modal similarities. We show that the ranking-based hash function has a natural probabilistic approximation which transforms the original highly discontinuous optimization problem into one that can be efficiently solved using simple gradient descent algorithms. The proposed hashing framework is also flexible in the sense that the optimization procedures are not tied up to any specific form of loss function, which is typical for existing cross-modal hashing methods, but rather we can flexibly accommodate different loss functions with minimal changes to the learning steps. We demonstrate through extensive experiments on four widely-used real-world multimodal datasets that the proposed cross-modal hashing method can achieve competitive performance against several state-of-the-arts with only moderate training and testing time.

Musical minds: attentional blink reveals modality-specific restrictions.

Science.gov (United States)

Martens, Sander; Wierda, Stefan M; Dun, Mathijs; de Vries, Michal; Smid, Henderikus G O M

2015-01-01

Formal musical training is known to have positive effects on attentional and executive functioning, processing speed, and working memory. Consequently, one may expect to find differences in the dynamics of temporal attention between musicians and non-musicians. Here we address the question whether that is indeed the case, and whether any beneficial effects of musical training on temporal attention are modality specific or generalize across sensory modalities. When two targets are presented in close temporal succession, most people fail to report the second target, a phenomenon known as the attentional blink (AB). We measured and compared AB magnitude for musicians and non-musicians using auditory or visually presented letters and digits. Relative to non-musicians, the auditory AB was both attenuated and delayed in musicians, whereas the visual AB was larger. Non-musicians with a large auditory AB tended to show a large visual AB. However, neither a positive nor negative correlation was found in musicians, suggesting that at least in musicians, attentional restrictions within each modality are completely separate. AB magnitude within one modality can generalize to another modality, but this turns out not to be the case for every individual. Formal musical training seems to have a domain-general, but modality-specific beneficial effect on selective attention. The results fit with the idea that a major source of attentional restriction as reflected in the AB lies in modality-specific, independent sensory systems rather than a central amodal system. The findings demonstrate that individual differences in AB magnitude can provide important information about the modular structure of human cognition.

Efficacy and safety of combinations of first-line topical treatments in chronic plaque psoriasis: a systematic literature review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, A.G.M.; Keijsers, R.R.M.C.; Jong, E.M.G.J. de; Seyger, M.M.B.; Kerkhof, P.C.M. van de

2013-01-01

Background Most psoriasis patients suffering from mild to moderate disease are treated with first-line topical treatments, including corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, topical retinoids and calcineurin inhibitors. Although evidence-based guidelines on combinations are lacking, the majority of

Characterization of identification errors and uses in localization of poor modal correlation

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Guillaume; Balmes, Etienne; Chancelier, Thierry

2017-05-01

While modal identification is a mature subject, very few studies address the characterization of errors associated with components of a mode shape. This is particularly important in test/analysis correlation procedures, where the Modal Assurance Criterion is used to pair modes and to localize at which sensors discrepancies occur. Poor correlation is usually attributed to modeling errors, but clearly identification errors also occur. In particular with 3D Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometer measurement, many transfer functions are measured. As a result individual validation of each measurement cannot be performed manually in a reasonable time frame and a notable fraction of measurements is expected to be fairly noisy leading to poor identification of the associated mode shape components. The paper first addresses measurements and introduces multiple criteria. The error measures the difference between test and synthesized transfer functions around each resonance and can be used to localize poorly identified modal components. For intermediate error values, diagnostic of the origin of the error is needed. The level evaluates the transfer function amplitude in the vicinity of a given mode and can be used to eliminate sensors with low responses. A Noise Over Signal indicator, product of error and level, is then shown to be relevant to detect poorly excited modes and errors due to modal property shifts between test batches. Finally, a contribution is introduced to evaluate the visibility of a mode in each transfer. Using tests on a drum brake component, these indicators are shown to provide relevant insight into the quality of measurements. In a second part, test/analysis correlation is addressed with a focus on the localization of sources of poor mode shape correlation. The MACCo algorithm, which sorts sensors by the impact of their removal on a MAC computation, is shown to be particularly relevant. Combined with the error it avoids keeping erroneous modal components

Modal Testing of Mechanical Structures Subject to Operational Excitation Forces

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, N.; Brincker, Rune; Herlufsen, H.

2000-01-01

to the Operational Modal Analysis. For Operational Modal Analysis two different estimation techniques are used: a non-parametric technique based on Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD), and a parametric technique working on the raw data in time domain, a data driven Stochastic Subspace Identification (SSI) algorithm......Operational Modal Analysis also known as Output Only Modal Analysis has in the recent years been used for extracting modal parameters of civil engineering structures and is now becoming popular for mechanical structures. The advantage of the method is that no artificial excitation need...

Second-Line Hormonal Therapy for Men With Chemotherapy-Naïve, Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer: American Society of Clinical Oncology Provisional Clinical Opinion.

Science.gov (United States)

Virgo, Katherine S; Basch, Ethan; Loblaw, D Andrew; Oliver, Thomas K; Rumble, R Bryan; Carducci, Michael A; Nordquist, Luke; Taplin, Mary-Ellen; Winquist, Eric; Singer, Eric A

2017-06-10

Purpose ASCO provisional clinical opinions (PCOs) offer direction to the ASCO membership after publication or presentation of potential practice-changing data. This PCO addresses second-line hormonal therapy for chemotherapy-naïve men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) who range from being asymptomatic with only biochemical evidence of CRPC to having documented metastases but minimal symptoms. Clinical Context The treatment goal for CRPC is palliation. Despite resistance to initial androgen deprivation therapy, most men respond to second-line hormonal therapies. However, guidelines have neither addressed second-line hormonal therapy for nonmetastatic CRPC nor provided specific guidance with regard to the chemotherapy-naïve population. Recent Data Six phase III randomized controlled trials and expert consensus opinion inform this PCO. Provisional Clinical Opinion For men with CRPC, a castrate state should be maintained indefinitely. Second-line hormonal therapy (eg, antiandrogens, CYP17 inhibitors) may be considered in patients with nonmetastatic CRPC at high risk for metastatic disease (rapid prostate-specific antigen doubling time or velocity) but otherwise is not suggested. In patients with radiographic evidence of metastases and minimal symptoms, enzalutamide or abiraterone plus prednisone should be offered after discussion with patients about potential harms, benefits, costs, and patient preferences. Radium-223 and sipuleucel-T also are options. No evidence provides guidance about the optimal order of hormonal therapies for CRPC beyond second-line treatment. Prostate-specific antigen testing every 4 to 6 months is reasonable for men without metastases. Routine radiographic restaging generally is not suggested but can be considered for patients at risk for metastases or who exhibit symptoms or other evidence of progression. Additional information is available at www.asco.org/genitourinary-cancer-guidelines and www.asco.org/guidelineswiki .

Modal properties of the flexural vibrating package of rods linked by spacer grids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zeman V.

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with the modelling and modal analysis of the large package of identical parallel rods linked by transverse springs (spacer grids placed on several level spacings. The rod discretization by finite element method is based on Rayleigh beam theory. For the cyclic and central symmetric package of rods (such as fuel rods in nuclear fuel assembly the system decomposition on the identical revolved rod segments was applied. A modal synthesis method with condensation is used for modelling of the whole system. The presented method is the first step for modelling the nuclear fuel assembly vibration caused by excitation determined by the support plate motion of the reactor core.

Modal-pushover-based ground-motion scaling procedure

Science.gov (United States)

Kalkan, Erol; Chopra, Anil K.

2011-01-01

Earthquake engineering is increasingly using nonlinear response history analysis (RHA) to demonstrate the performance of structures. This rigorous method of analysis requires selection and scaling of ground motions appropriate to design hazard levels. This paper presents a modal-pushover-based scaling (MPS) procedure to scale ground motions for use in a nonlinear RHA of buildings. In the MPS method, the ground motions are scaled to match to a specified tolerance, a target value of the inelastic deformation of the first-mode inelastic single-degree-of-freedom (SDF) system whose properties are determined by the first-mode pushover analysis. Appropriate for first-mode dominated structures, this approach is extended for structures with significant contributions of higher modes by considering elastic deformation of second-mode SDF systems in selecting a subset of the scaled ground motions. Based on results presented for three actual buildings-4, 6, and 13-story-the accuracy and efficiency of the MPS procedure are established and its superiority over the ASCE/SEI 7-05 scaling procedure is demonstrated.

Cross-modal illusory conjunctions between vision and touch.

Science.gov (United States)

Cinel, Caterina; Humphreys, Glyn W; Poli, Riccardo

2002-10-01

Cross-modal illusory conjunctions (ICs) happen when, under conditions of divided attention, felt textures are reported as being seen or vice versa. Experiments provided evidence for these errors, demonstrated that ICs are more frequent if tactile and visual stimuli are in the same hemispace, and showed that ICs still occur under forced-choice conditions but do not occur when attention to the felt texture is increased. Cross-modal ICs were also found in a patient with parietal damage even with relatively long presentations of visual stimuli. The data are consistent with there being cross-modal integration of sensory information, with the modality of origin sometimes being misattributed when attention is constrained. The empirical conclusions from the experiments are supported by formal models.

Associative learning changes cross-modal representations in the gustatory cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Vincis, Roberto; Fontanini, Alfredo

2016-08-30

A growing body of literature has demonstrated that primary sensory cortices are not exclusively unimodal, but can respond to stimuli of different sensory modalities. However, several questions concerning the neural representation of cross-modal stimuli remain open. Indeed, it is poorly understood if cross-modal stimuli evoke unique or overlapping representations in a primary sensory cortex and whether learning can modulate these representations. Here we recorded single unit responses to auditory, visual, somatosensory, and olfactory stimuli in the gustatory cortex (GC) of alert rats before and after associative learning. We found that, in untrained rats, the majority of GC neurons were modulated by a single modality. Upon learning, both prevalence of cross-modal responsive neurons and their breadth of tuning increased, leading to a greater overlap of representations. Altogether, our results show that the gustatory cortex represents cross-modal stimuli according to their sensory identity, and that learning changes the overlap of cross-modal representations.

Naturalizing aesthetics: brain areas for aesthetic appraisal across sensory modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Steven; Gao, Xiaoqing; Tisdelle, Loren; Eickhoff, Simon B; Liotti, Mario

2011-09-01

We present here the most comprehensive analysis to date of neuroaesthetic processing by reporting the results of voxel-based meta-analyses of 93 neuroimaging studies of positive-valence aesthetic appraisal across four sensory modalities. The results demonstrate that the most concordant area of activation across all four modalities is the right anterior insula, an area typically associated with visceral perception, especially of negative valence (disgust, pain, etc.). We argue that aesthetic processing is, at its core, the appraisal of the valence of perceived objects. This appraisal is in no way limited to artworks but is instead applicable to all types of perceived objects. Therefore, one way to naturalize aesthetics is to argue that such a system evolved first for the appraisal of objects of survival advantage, such as food sources, and was later co-opted in humans for the experience of artworks for the satisfaction of social needs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Spatial Analysis of Case-Mix and Dialysis Modality Associations.

Science.gov (United States)

Phirtskhalaishvili, Tamar; Bayer, Florian; Edet, Stephane; Bongiovanni, Isabelle; Hogan, Julien; Couchoud, Cécile

2016-01-01

♦ Health-care systems must attempt to provide appropriate, high-quality, and economically sustainable care that meets the needs and choices of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). France offers 9 different modalities of dialysis, each characterized by dialysis technique, the extent of professional assistance, and the treatment site. The aim of this study was 1) to describe the various dialysis modalities in France and the patient characteristics associated with each of them, and 2) to analyze their regional patterns to identify possible unexpected associations between case-mixes and dialysis modalities. ♦ The clinical characteristics of the 37,421 adult patients treated by dialysis were described according to their treatment modality. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis was used to aggregate the regions into clusters according to their use of these modalities and the characteristics of their patients. ♦ The gradient of patient characteristics was similar from home hemodialyis (HD) to in-center HD and from non-assisted automated peritoneal dialysis (APD) to assisted continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). Analyzing their spatial distribution, we found differences in the patient case-mix on dialysis across regions but also differences in the health-care provided for them. The classification of the regions into 6 different clusters allowed us to detect some unexpected associations between case-mixes and treatment modalities. ♦ The 9 modalities of treatment available make it theoretically possible to adapt treatment to patients' clinical characteristics and abilities. However, although we found an overall appropriate association of dialysis modalities to the case-mix, major inter-region heterogeneity and the low rate of peritoneal dialysis (PD) and home HD suggest that factors besides patients' clinical conditions impact the choice of dialysis modality. The French organization should now be evaluated in terms of patients' quality of

Modal bifurcation in a high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taguchi, D; Fujiwara, S; Sugiura, T, E-mail: sugiura@mech.keio.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan)

2011-05-15

This paper deals with modal bifurcation of a multi-degree-of-freedom high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation system. As modeling of large-scale high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation applications, where plural superconducting bulks are often used, it can be helpful to consider a system constituting of multiple oscillators magnetically coupled with each other. This paper investigates nonlinear dynamics of two permanent magnets levitated above high-T{sub c} superconducting bulks and placed between two fixed permanent magnets without contact. First, the nonlinear equations of motion of the levitated magnets were derived. Then the method of averaging was applied to them. It can be found from the obtained solutions that this nonlinear two degree-of-freedom system can have two asymmetric modes, in addition to a symmetric mode and an antisymmetric mode both of which also exist in the linearized system. One of the backbone curves in the frequency response shows a modal bifurcation where the two stable asymmetric modes mentioned above appear with destabilization of the antisymmetric mode, thus leading to modal localization. These analytical predictions have been confirmed in our numerical analysis and experiments of free vibration and forced vibration. These results, never predicted by linear analysis, can be important for application of high-T{sub c} superconducting levitation systems.

A prime determinant in selecting dialysis modality: peritoneal dialysis patient survival

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyunwook Kim

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The number of patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD has rapidly increased, as has the cost of dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis (PD is an established treatment for ESRD patients worldwide; it has a variety of advantages, including autonomy and flexibility, as well as economic benefits in many countries compared to hemodialysis (HD. However, the long-term survival rate of PD remains poor. Although direct comparison of survival rate between the dialysis modalities by randomized controlled trials is difficult due to the ethical issues, it has always been a crucial point when deciding which dialysis modality should be recommended to patients. Recently, in many countries, including the United States, Brazil, Spain, Australia, and New Zealand, the survival rate in PD patients has significantly improved. PD patient survival in Korea has also improved, but Korean PD patients are known to have higher risk of mortality and major adverse cardiovascular, cerebrovascular events than HD patients. Herein, we further evaluate why Korean PD patients had worse outcomes; we suggest that special attention should be paid to patients with diabetes, coronary artery disease, or congestive heart failure when they choose PD as the first dialysis modality in order to reduce mortality risk.

Polarization dependence of the optical modal gain in ZnO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Bumjin; Kyhm, Kwangseuk; Cho, Chaeryong

2010-01-01

The modal gain spectrum due to the electron-hole plasma in ZnO was measured using a variable stripe length method. A modal gain contour map for energy and stripe length allowed the modal gain saturation to be analyzed in terms of the spectral and the stripe length dependences. The modal gain was observed to be more significant in the TE mode than in the TM mode due to the polarization asymmetry of the wurtzite structure. We also found that the degree of polarization are enhanced as the stripe length increased, despite of modal gain saturation.

A Prospective Comparative Study of Parathyroid Dual-Phase Scintigraphy, Dual-Isotope Subtraction Scintigraphy, 4D-CT, and Ultrasonography in Primary Hyperparathyroidism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krakauer, Martin; Wieslander, Bente; Myschetzky, Peter Sand

2016-01-01

PURPOSE: Preoperative localization of the diseased parathyroid gland(s) in primary hyperparathyroidism allows for minimally invasive surgery. This study was designed to establish the optimal first-line preoperative imaging modality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-one patients were studied consecuti......PURPOSE: Preoperative localization of the diseased parathyroid gland(s) in primary hyperparathyroidism allows for minimally invasive surgery. This study was designed to establish the optimal first-line preoperative imaging modality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety-one patients were studied...... hyperparathyroidism. In case of a negative scintigraphy or suspicion of multiglandular disease, 4D-CT and/or US is recommended as a second-line modality. However, diagnostic algorithms should be adapted in accordance with local availability and expertise....

Effects of auditory and visual modalities in recall of words.

Science.gov (United States)

Gadzella, B M; Whitehead, D A

1975-02-01

Ten experimental conditions were used to study the effects of auditory and visual (printed words, uncolored and colored pictures) modalities and their various combinations with college students. A recall paradigm was employed in which subjects responded in a written test. Analysis of data showed the auditory modality was superior to visual (pictures) ones but was not significantly different from visual (printed words) modality. In visual modalities, printed words were superior to colored pictures. Generally, conditions with multiple modes of representation of stimuli were significantly higher than for conditions with single modes. Multiple modalities, consisting of two or three modes, did not differ significantly from each other. It was concluded that any two modalities of the stimuli presented simultaneously were just as effective as three in recall of stimulus words.

Effectiveness of Modal Decomposition for Tapping Atomic Force Microscopy Microcantilevers in Liquid Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Il Kwang; Lee, Soo Il

2016-05-01

The modal decomposition of tapping mode atomic force microscopy microcantilevers in liquid environments was studied experimentally. Microcantilevers with different lengths and stiffnesses and two sample surfaces with different elastic moduli were used in the experiment. The response modes of the microcantilevers were extracted as proper orthogonal modes through proper orthogonal decomposition. Smooth orthogonal decomposition was used to estimate the resonance frequency directly. The effects of the tapping setpoint and the elastic modulus of the sample under test were examined in terms of their multi-mode responses with proper orthogonal modes, proper orthogonal values, smooth orthogonal modes and smooth orthogonal values. Regardless of the stiffness of the microcantilever under test, the first mode was dominant in tapping mode atomic force microscopy under normal operating conditions. However, at lower tapping setpoints, the flexible microcantilever showed modal distortion and noise near the tip when tapping on a hard sample. The stiff microcantilever had a higher mode effect on a soft sample at lower tapping setpoints. Modal decomposition for tapping mode atomic force microscopy can thus be used to estimate the characteristics of samples in liquid environments.

Does first line antiretroviral therapy increase the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in Indian patients?: A cross sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Carey, R A B; Rupali, P; Abraham, O C; Kattula, D

2013-01-01

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is associated with a myriad of metabolic complications which are potential cardiovascular risk factors. Early detection of these risk factors could help in alleviating morbidity and mortality in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients on ART. To study the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients on a combination of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-NRTIs (NNRTIs) - the standard combination first line ART regimen used in tertiary referral center. The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in HIV infected subjects with stage 1t disease on standard first line ART for at least 1 year, HIV infected subjects with stage 1 disease and not on ART and HIV negative subjects was assessed. The study was a cross-sectional study design. Basic demographic data was collected and patients were examined for anthropometric data and blood was collected for analysis of blood glucose, serum lipids, and fasting insulin levels. Chi-square test was used to calculate significance. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 16.0 was used for data analysis. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia and hypertriglyceridemia was higher in the patients on ART when compared to patients not on ART (PART and those not on ART. First line ART is associated with increased prevalence of dyslipidemia. Early detection and treatment of dyslipidemia should help in reducing the cardiovascular morbidity in patients on ART.

Everolimus plus exemestane as first-line therapy in HR⁺, HER2⁻ advanced breast cancer in BOLERO-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, J Thaddeus; Hortobagyi, Gabriel N; Campone, Mario; Lebrun, Fabienne; Deleu, Ines; Rugo, Hope S; Pistilli, Barbara; Masuda, Norikazu; Hart, Lowell; Melichar, Bohuslav; Dakhil, Shaker; Geberth, Matthias; Nunzi, Martina; Heng, Daniel Y C; Brechenmacher, Thomas; El-Hashimy, Mona; Douma, Shyanne; Ringeisen, Francois; Piccart, Martine

2014-02-01

The present exploratory analysis examined the efficacy, safety, and quality-of-life effects of everolimus (EVE) + exemestane (EXE) in the subgroup of patients in BOLERO-2 whose last treatment before study entry was in the (neo)adjuvant setting. In BOLERO-2, patients with hormone-receptor-positive (HR(+)), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2-negative (HER2(-)) advanced breast cancer recurring/progressing after a nonsteroidal aromatase inhibitor (NSAI) were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive EVE (10 mg/day) + EXE (25 mg/day) or placebo (PBO) + EXE. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS) by local assessment. Overall, 137 patients received first-line EVE + EXE (n = 100) or PBO + EXE (n = 37). Median PFS by local investigator assessment nearly tripled to 11.5 months with EVE + EXE from 4.1 months with PBO + EXE (hazard ratio = 0.39; 95 % CI 0.25-0.62), while maintaining quality of life. This was confirmed by central assessment (15.2 vs 4.2 months; hazard ratio = 0.32; 95 % CI 0.18-0.57). The marked PFS improvement in patients receiving EVE + EXE as first-line therapy for disease recurrence during or after (neo)adjuvant NSAI therapy supports the efficacy of this combination in the first-line setting. Furthermore, the results highlight the potential benefit of early introduction of EVE + EXE in the management of HR(+), HER2(-) advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal patients.

First-order and tricritical wetting transitions in the two-dimensional Ising model caused by interfacial pinning at a defect line.

Science.gov (United States)

Trobo, Marta L; Albano, Ezequiel V; Binder, Kurt

2014-08-01

We present a study of the critical behavior of the Blume-Capel model with three spin states (S=±1,0) confined between parallel walls separated by a distance L where competitive surface magnetic fields act. By properly choosing the crystal field (D), which regulates the density of nonmagnetic species (S=0), such that those impurities are excluded from the bulk (where D=-∞) except in the middle of the sample [where D(M)(L/2)≠-∞], we are able to control the presence of a defect line in the middle of the sample and study its influence on the interface between domains of different spin orientations. So essentially we study an Ising model with a defect line but, unlike previous work where defect lines in Ising models were defined via weakened bonds, in the present case the defect line is due to mobile vacancies and hence involves additional entropy. In this way, by drawing phase diagrams, i.e., plots of the wetting critical temperature (T(w)) versus the magnitude of the crystal field at the middle of the sample (D(M)), we observe curves of (first-) second-order wetting transitions for (small) high values of D(M). Theses lines meet in tricritical wetting points, i.e., (T(w)(tc),D(M)(tc)), which also depend on the magnitude of the surface magnetic fields. It is found that second-order wetting transitions satisfy the scaling theory for short-range interactions, while first-order ones do not exhibit hysteresis, provided that small samples are used, since fluctuations wash out hysteretic effects. Since hysteresis is observed in large samples, we performed extensive thermodynamic integrations in order to accurately locate the first-order transition points, and a rather good agreement is found by comparing such results with those obtained just by observing the jump of the order parameter in small samples.

Modalization in the Political Column of Tempo Magazine

OpenAIRE

Rahmah, Maria Betti Sinaga and

2017-01-01

The study focuses on analyzing the use of modalization in the Political Column of Tempo Magazine. The objectives were to find out the type of modalization and to describe the use of modalization in the Political Column of Tempo magazine. The data were taken from Political Column of Tempo magazine published in June and July 2017. The source of data was Political Column in Tempo magazine. The data analysis applied descriptive qualitative research. There were 135 clauses which contained Modaliza...

Multimodal Image Alignment via Linear Mapping between Feature Modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yanyun; Zheng, Yuanjie; Hou, Sujuan; Chang, Yuchou; Gee, James

2017-01-01

We propose a novel landmark matching based method for aligning multimodal images, which is accomplished uniquely by resolving a linear mapping between different feature modalities. This linear mapping results in a new measurement on similarity of images captured from different modalities. In addition, our method simultaneously solves this linear mapping and the landmark correspondences by minimizing a convex quadratic function. Our method can estimate complex image relationship between different modalities and nonlinear nonrigid spatial transformations even in the presence of heavy noise, as shown in our experiments carried out by using a variety of image modalities.

Real-world Direct Health Care Costs for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Patients Treated With Cetuximab or Bevacizumab-containing Regimens in First-line or First-line Through Second-line Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Stephen; Wilson, Kathleen; Varker, Helen; Malangone-Monaco, Elisabetta; Juneau, Paul; Riehle, Ellen; Satram-Hoang, Sacha; Sommer, Nicolas; Ogale, Sarika

2017-12-01

The present study examined real-world direct health care costs for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients initiating first-line (1L) bevacizumab (BEV)- or cetuximab (CET)-containing regimen in 1L or 1L-through-second-line (1L-2L) therapy. Using a large US insurance claims database, patients with mCRC initiating 1L BEV- or 1L CET-containing regimen from January 1, 2008 to September 30, 2014 were identified. The per-patient per-month (PPPM) all-cause health care costs (2014 US dollars) were measured during 1L therapy and, for patients continuing to a 2L biologic-containing regimen, 1L-2L therapy. Multivariable regression analyses were used to compare PPPM total health care costs between patients initiating a 1L BEV- versus 1L CET-containing regimen. A total of 6095 patients initiating a 1L BEV- and 453 initiating a 1L CET-containing regimen were evaluated for 1L costs; 2218 patients initiating a 1L BEV- and 134 initiating a 1L CET-containing regimen were evaluated for 1L-2L costs. In 1L therapy, 1L CET had adjusted PPPM costs that were $3135 (95% confidence interval [CI], $1174-$5040; P < .001) greater on average than 1L BEV. In 1L-2L therapy, 1L BEV-2L CET had adjusted PPPM costs that were $1402 (95% CI, $1365-$1442; P = .010) greater than those for 1L BEV-2L BEV, and 1L CET-2L BEV had adjusted PPPM costs that were $4279 (95% CI, $4167-$4400; P = .001) greater on average than those for 1L BEV-2L BEV. The adjusted PPPM cost differences for 1L BEV-2L other biologic or 1L CET-2L other biologic agent were numerically greater but statistically insignificant. PPPM total health care costs for 1L and 2L therapy tended to be greater for patients treated with 1L CET-containing regimens than for 1L BEV-containing regimens. Also, continuing treatment with BEV-containing regimens 1L-2L was less costly than switching between BEV and CET. The cost differences between BEV and CET hold important implications for treatment decisions of mCRC patients in real-world clinical

Analysis of modal frequency optimization of railway vehicle car body

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wenjing Sun

2016-04-01

Full Text Available High structural modal frequencies of car body are beneficial as they ensure better vibration control and enhance ride quality of railway vehicles. Modal sensitivity optimization and elastic suspension parameters used in the design of equipment beneath the chassis of the car body are proposed in order to improve the modal frequencies of car bodies under service conditions. Modal sensitivity optimization is based on sensitivity analysis theory which considers the thickness of the body frame at various positions as variables in order to achieve optimization. Equipment suspension design analyzes the influence of suspension parameters on the modal frequencies of the car body through the use of an equipment-car body coupled model. Results indicate that both methods can effectively improve the modal parameters of the car body. Modal sensitivity optimization increases vertical bending frequency from 9.70 to 10.60 Hz, while optimization of elastic suspension parameters increases the vertical bending frequency to 10.51 Hz. The suspension design can be used without alteration to the structure of the car body while ensuring better ride quality.

Paclitaxel/carboplatin with or without belinostat as empiric first-line treatment for patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hainsworth, John D; Daugaard, Gedske; Lesimple, Thierry

2015-01-01

: The addition of belinostat to paclitaxel/carboplatin did not improve the PFS of patients with CUP who were receiving first-line therapy, although the patients who received belinostat had a higher investigator-assessed response rate. Future trials in CUP should focus on specific subsets, defined either......BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of belinostat, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, when added to paclitaxel/carboplatin in the empiric first-line treatment of patients with carcinoma of unknown primary site (CUP). METHODS: In this randomized phase 2 trial......, previously untreated patients with CUP were randomized to receive belinostat plus paclitaxel/carboplatin (group A) or paclitaxel/carboplatin alone (group B) repeated every 21 days. Patients were re-evaluated every 2 cycles, and those without disease progression continued treatment for 6 cycles. Patients...

Comparison of sine dwell and broadband methods for modal testing

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jay-Chung

1989-01-01

The objectives of modal tests for large complex spacecraft structural systems are outlined. The comparison criteria for the modal test methods, namely, the broadband excitation and the sine dwell methods, are established. Using the Galileo spacecraft modal test and the Centaur G Prime upper stage vehicle modal test as examples, the relative advantage or disadvantage of each method is examined. The usefulness or shortcomings of the methods are given from a practical engineering viewpoint.

Risk Factors for Incident Diabetes in a Cohort Taking First-Line Nonnucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitor-Based Antiretroviral Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Karamchand, Sumanth; Leisegang, Rory; Schomaker, Michael; Maartens, Gary; Walters, Lourens; Hislop, Michael; Dave, Joel A; Levitt, Naomi S; Cohen, Karen

2016-03-01

Efavirenz is the preferred nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) in first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens in low- and middle-income countries, where the prevalence of diabetes is increasing. Randomized control trials have shown mild increases in plasma glucose in participants in the efavirenz arms, but no association has been reported with overt diabetes. We explored the association between efavirenz exposure and incident diabetes in a large Southern African cohort commencing NNRTI-based first-line ART. Our cohort included HIV-infected adults starting NNRTI-based ART in a private sector HIV disease management program from January 2002 to December 2011. Incident diabetes was identified by the initiation of diabetes treatment. Patients with prevalent diabetes were excluded. We included 56,298 patients with 113,297 patient-years of follow-up (PYFU) on first-line ART. The crude incidence of diabetes was 13.24 per 1000 PYFU. Treatment with efavirenz rather than nevirapine was associated with increased risk of developing diabetes (hazard ratio 1.27 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.10-1.46)) in a multivariate analysis adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, baseline CD4 count, viral load, NRTI backbone, and exposure to other diabetogenic medicines. Zidovudine and stavudine exposure were also associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. We found that treatment with efavirenz, as well as stavudine and zidovudine, increased the risk of incident diabetes. Interventions to detect and prevent diabetes should be implemented in ART programs, and use of antiretrovirals with lower risk of metabolic complications should be encouraged.

Affirmation Modality in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcin Grygiel

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Affirmation Modality in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian In the case of affirmation modality the speakers transform their utterances by stressing or attributing a positive value as an additional component added to the semantic structure of a proposition. This type of affirmative polarization is triggered in opposition to negation or hypothetically negative contexts. The goal of the present paper is twofold: on the one hand to compare and contrast affirmative periphrastic constructions in Bulgarian, Macedonian and Serbian and, on the other hand, to ascertain what these constructions reveal regarding the organization of grammatical categories in general and the status of affirmation modality as a coherent and homogenous category with a linguistic validity.

Coupling between Theta Oscillations and Cognitive Control Network during Cross-Modal Visual and Auditory Attention: Supramodal vs Modality-Specific Mechanisms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Wuyi; Viswanathan, Shivakumar; Lee, Taraz; Grafton, Scott T

2016-01-01

Cortical theta band oscillations (4-8 Hz) in EEG signals have been shown to be important for a variety of different cognitive control operations in visual attention paradigms. However the synchronization source of these signals as defined by fMRI BOLD activity and the extent to which theta oscillations play a role in multimodal attention remains unknown. Here we investigated the extent to which cross-modal visual and auditory attention impacts theta oscillations. Using a simultaneous EEG-fMRI paradigm, healthy human participants performed an attentional vigilance task with six cross-modal conditions using naturalistic stimuli. To assess supramodal mechanisms, modulation of theta oscillation amplitude for attention to either visual or auditory stimuli was correlated with BOLD activity by conjunction analysis. Negative correlation was localized to cortical regions associated with the default mode network and positively with ventral premotor areas. Modality-associated attention to visual stimuli was marked by a positive correlation of theta and BOLD activity in fronto-parietal area that was not observed in the auditory condition. A positive correlation of theta and BOLD activity was observed in auditory cortex, while a negative correlation of theta and BOLD activity was observed in visual cortex during auditory attention. The data support a supramodal interaction of theta activity with of DMN function, and modality-associated processes within fronto-parietal networks related to top-down theta related cognitive control in cross-modal visual attention. On the other hand, in sensory cortices there are opposing effects of theta activity during cross-modal auditory attention.

Tri-modal Person Re-identification with RGB, Depth and Thermal Features

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møgelmose, Andreas; Bahnsen, Chris; Moeslund, Thomas B.

2013-01-01

Person re-identification is about recognizing people who have passed by a sensor earlier. Previous work is mainly based on RGB data, but in this work we for the first time present a system where we combine RGB, depth, and thermal data for re-identification purposes. First, from each of the three...... modalities, we obtain some particular features: from RGB data, we model color information from different regions of the body, from depth data, we compute different soft body biometrics, and from thermal data, we extract local structural information. Then, the three information types are combined in a joined...

Effectiveness of Psychotherapy in Personality Disorders Not Otherwise Specified: A Comparison of Different Treatment Modalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Horn, Eva K; Bartak, Anna; Meerman, Anke M M A; Rossum, Bert V; Ziegler, Uli M; Thunnissen, Moniek; Soons, Mirjam; Andrea, Helene; Hamers, Elisabeth F M; Emmelkamp, Paul M G; Stijnen, Theo; Busschbach, Jan J V; Verheul, Roel

2015-01-01

Although personality disorder not otherwise specified (PDNOS) is highly prevalent and associated with a high burden of disease, only a few treatment studies in this patient group exist. This study is the first to investigate the effectiveness of different modalities of psychotherapy in patients with PDNOS, i.e., short-term (up to 6 months) and long-term (more than 6 months) outpatient, day hospital, and inpatient psychotherapy. A total of 205 patients with PDNOS were assigned to one of six treatment modalities. Effectiveness was assessed over 60 months after baseline. The primary outcome measure was symptom severity, and the secondary outcome measures included psychosocial functioning and quality of life. The study design was quasi-experimental, and the multiple propensity score was used to control for initial differences between treatment groups. All treatment modalities showed positive outcomes, especially in terms of improvements of symptom severity and social role functioning. At 12-month follow-up, after adjustment for initial differences between the treatment groups, short-term outpatient psychotherapy and short-term inpatient psychotherapy showed most improvement and generally outperformed the other modalities concerning symptom severity. At 60 months after baseline, effectiveness remained but observed differences between modalities mostly diminished. Patients with PDNOS benefit from psychotherapy both at short-term and long-term follow-up. Short-term outpatient psychotherapy and short-term inpatient psychotherapy seem to be superior to the other treatment modalities at 12-month follow-up. At 60-month follow-up, treatments showed mostly comparable effectiveness. The effectiveness of different modalities of psychotherapy in patients with PDNOS (i.e., short-term vs long-term; outpatient versus day hospital versus inpatient psychotherapy) has not yet been compared. Different modalities of psychotherapy are effective for patients with PDNOS, and positive

Dynamic behaviour studies of a vertical axis wind turbine blade using Operational Modal Analysis (OMA) and Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Najafi, Nadia; Schmidt Paulsen, Uwe; Belloni, F.

2014-01-01

Dynamic behavior of a modified blade fitted onto a small 1 kW vertical-axis wind turbine is studied by two different approaches: Classical modal analysis (EMA) is carried out to validate the results of Operational Modal Analysis (OMA). In traditional modal analysis (EMA) one axis accelerometers...... it is excited by random and wind forces. The cameras are programmed in LabView to take pictures at the same time with 180 fps and store them on a high speed hard disk. The output deflection will be investigated in frequency domain by peak picking method, and then AR (Autoregressive) model is applied to describe...

Effectiveness of carboplatin and paclitaxel as first- and second-line treatment in 61 patients with metastatic melanoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annette Pflugfelder

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Patients with metastatic melanoma have a very unfavorable prognosis with few therapeutic options. Based on previous promising experiences within a clinical trial involving carboplatin and paclitaxel a series of advanced metastatic melanoma patients were treated with this combination. METHODS: Data of all patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel (CP at our institution between October 2005 and December 2007 were retrospectively evaluated. For all patients a once-every-3-weeks dose-intensified regimen was used. Overall and progression free survival were calculated using the method of Kaplan and Meier. Tumour response was evaluated according to RECIST criteria. RESULTS: 61 patients with cutaneous metastatic melanoma were treated with CP. 20 patients (85% M1c received CP as first-line treatment, 41 patients (90.2% M1c had received at least one prior systemic therapy for metastatic disease. Main toxicities were myelosuppression, fatigue and peripheral neuropathy. Partial responses were noted in 4.9% of patients, stable disease in 23% of patients. No complete response was observed. Median progression free survival was 10 weeks. Median overall survival was 31 weeks. Response, progression-free and overall survival were equivalent in first- and second-line patients. 60 patients of 61 died after a median follow up of 7 months. Median overall survival differed for patients with controlled disease (PR+SD (49 weeks compared to patients with progressive disease (18 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with metastatic melanoma a subgroup achieved disease control under CP therapy which may be associated with a survival benefit. This potential advantage has to be weighed against considerable toxicity. Since response rates and survival were not improved in previously untreated patients compared to pretreated patients, CP should thus not be applied as first-line treatment.

Librarian instruction-delivery modality preferences for professional continuing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Lynn, Valerie A; Bose, Arpita; Boehmer, Susan J

2010-01-01

Attending professional continuing education (CE) is an important component of librarianship. This research study identified librarians' preferences in delivery modalities of instruction for professional CE. The study also identified influential factors associated with attending CE classes. Five instruction-delivery modalities and six influential factors were identified for inclusion in an online survey. The survey completed by members of the American Library Association (ALA), Special Libraries Association (SLA), and Medical Library Association (MLA) provided the data for analysis of librarian preferences and influential factors. The majority of respondents were MLA members, followed by ALA and SLA members. Librarians from all three library associations preferred the face-to-face instructional modality. The most influential factor associated with the decision to attend a professional CE class was cost. All five instruction-delivery modalities present useful structures for imparting professional CE. As librarians' experience with different modalities increases and as technology improves, preferences in instruction delivery may shift. But at present, face-to-face remains the most preferred modality. Based on the results of this study, cost was the most influential factor associated with attending a CE class. This may change as additional influential factors are identified and analyzed in future studies.

MINERVA - a multi-modal radiation treatment planning system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wemple, C.A. E-mail: cew@enel.gov; Wessol, D.E.; Nigg, D.W.; Cogliati, J.J.; Milvich, M.L.; Frederickson, C.; Perkins, M.; Harkin, G.J

2004-11-01

Researchers at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory and Montana State University have undertaken development of MINERVA, a patient-centric, multi-modal, radiation treatment planning system. This system can be used for planning and analyzing several radiotherapy modalities, either singly or combined, using common modality independent image and geometry construction and dose reporting and guiding. It employs an integrated, lightweight plugin architecture to accommodate multi-modal treatment planning using standard interface components. The MINERVA design also facilitates the future integration of improved planning technologies. The code is being developed with the Java Virtual Machine for interoperability. A full computation path has been established for molecular targeted radiotherapy treatment planning, with the associated transport plugin developed by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Development of the neutron transport plugin module is proceeding rapidly, with completion expected later this year. Future development efforts will include development of deformable registration methods, improved segmentation methods for patient model definition, and three-dimensional visualization of the patient images, geometry, and dose data. Transport and source plugins will be created for additional treatment modalities, including brachytherapy, external beam proton radiotherapy, and the EGSnrc/BEAMnrc codes for external beam photon and electron radiotherapy.

The contribution to the modal analysis using an infrared camera

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dekys Vladimír

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with modal analysis using an infrared camera. The test objects were excited by the modal exciter with narrowband noise and the response was registered as a frame sequence by the high speed infrared camera FLIR SC7500. The resonant frequencies and the modal shapes were determined from the infrared spectrum recordings. Lock-in technology has also been used. The experimental results were compared with calculated natural frequencies and modal shapes.

First line shape analysis and spectroscopic parameters for the ν11 band of 12C2H4

KAUST Repository

Es-sebbar, Et-touhami

2016-08-11

An accurate knowledge of line intensities, collisional broadening coefficients and narrowing parameters is necessary for the interpretation of high-resolution infrared spectra of the Earth and other planetary atmospheres. One of the most promising spectral domains for (C2H4)-C-12 monitoring in such environments is located near the 336 gm window, through its v(11) C-H stretching mode. In this paper, we report an extensive study in which we precisely determine spectroscopic parameters of (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band at 297 +/- 1 K, using a narrow Difference-Frequency-Generation (DFG) laser with 10(-4) cm(-1) resolution. Absorption measurements were performed in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) spectral window to investigate 32 lines corresponding to where, J\\'ka\\',kc\\'<- Jka,kc, 5 <= J <= 7; 0.5 <= K-a <= 6 and 1 <= K-c <= 14. Spectroscopic parameters are retrieved using either Voigt or appropriate Galatry profile to simulate the measured (C2H4)-C-12 line shape. Line intensities along with self-broadening coefficients are reported for all lines. Narrowing coefficients for each isolated line are also derived. To our knowledge, the current study reports the first extensive spectroscopic parameter measurements of the (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) range. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

First line shape analysis and spectroscopic parameters for the ν11 band of 12C2H4

KAUST Repository

Es-sebbar, Et-touhami; Mantzaras, John; Benilan, Yves; Farooq, Aamir

2016-01-01

An accurate knowledge of line intensities, collisional broadening coefficients and narrowing parameters is necessary for the interpretation of high-resolution infrared spectra of the Earth and other planetary atmospheres. One of the most promising spectral domains for (C2H4)-C-12 monitoring in such environments is located near the 336 gm window, through its v(11) C-H stretching mode. In this paper, we report an extensive study in which we precisely determine spectroscopic parameters of (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band at 297 +/- 1 K, using a narrow Difference-Frequency-Generation (DFG) laser with 10(-4) cm(-1) resolution. Absorption measurements were performed in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) spectral window to investigate 32 lines corresponding to where, J'ka',kc'<- Jka,kc, 5 <= J <= 7; 0.5 <= K-a <= 6 and 1 <= K-c <= 14. Spectroscopic parameters are retrieved using either Voigt or appropriate Galatry profile to simulate the measured (C2H4)-C-12 line shape. Line intensities along with self-broadening coefficients are reported for all lines. Narrowing coefficients for each isolated line are also derived. To our knowledge, the current study reports the first extensive spectroscopic parameter measurements of the (C2H4)-C-12 v(11) band in the 2975-2980 cm(-1) range. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated Modal Parameter Estimation of Civil Engineering Structures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Palle; Brincker, Rune; Goursat, Maurice

In this paper the problems of doing automatic modal parameter extraction of ambient excited civil engineering structures is considered. Two different approaches for obtaining the modal parameters automatically are presented: The Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD) technique and a correlation...

Normal modal preferential consequence

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Britz, K

2012-12-01

Full Text Available beyond the basic (propositional) KLM postulates, thereby making use of the additional expressivity provided by modal logic. In particular, we show that the additional constraints we impose on the preferential semantics ensure that the rule...

Cervical porcupine quill foreign body involving the spinal cord of a dog: A description of various imaging modality findings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christelle le Roux

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Although porcupine quill injuries are common in dogs, the detailed appearance of the quill on diagnostic ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging has not been sufficiently described. A 4-year-old, intact, female Jack Russel terrier presented with severe neck pain and ataxia after an altercation with a porcupine 2 weeks earlier. Radiology, diagnostic ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were all utilised to identify a quill imbedded in the cervical vertebral canal and cervical musculature and were compared to each other. Surgical removal of the quill, guided by imaging findings, led to the resolution of the clinical signs in the patient. Previous ultrasound imaging reports have just stated that the quill consists of paralell hyperechoic lines, and do not mention the finer hyperechoic lines inbetween and do not try to provide a reason for the appearance. Previous computed tomography (CT reports just mention identifying the quill on CT images (whether or not CT could identify the fragments, but do not go into detail about the attenuating appearance of the quill nor try to relate this to the composition of the quill. This is to the authors’ knowledge the first report with detailed imaging descriptions of a case of cranial cervical vertebral canal porcupine quill foreign body in a dog. This is also the first report to allude to a possible difference in imaging findings related to quill structure because of keratin orientation and melanin content. The ideal imaging modality to use remains elusive, but ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging could all identify the quill.

Size-Induced Depression of First-Order Transition Lines and Entropy Jump in Extremely Layered Nanocrystalline Vortex Matter.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolz, M I; Fasano, Y; Cejas Bolecek, N R; Pastoriza, H; Mosser, V; Li, M; Konczykowski, M

2015-09-25

We detect the persistence of the solidification and order-disorder first-order transition lines in the phase diagram of nanocrystalline Bi_{2}Sr_{2}CaCu_{2}O_{8} vortex matter down to a system size of less than one hundred vortices. The temperature location of the vortex solidification transition line is not altered by decreasing the sample size although there is a depletion of the entropy jump at the transition with respect to macroscopic vortex matter. The solid order-disorder phase transition field moves upward on decreasing the system size due to the increase of the surface-to-volume ratio of vortices entailing a decrease on the average vortex binding energy.

Established rheumatoid arthritis - new imaging modalities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McQueen, Fiona M; Østergaard, Mikkel

2007-01-01

in real-time and facilitates diagnostic and therapeutic interventions such as joint aspiration and injection. Exciting experimental modalities are also being developed with the potential to provide not just morphological but functional imaging. Techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET......) and high-resolution computerized tomography. Erosions are very clearly depicted using these modalities and MRI also allows imaging of soft tissues with assessment of joint inflammation. High-resolution ultrasound is a convenient clinical technique for the assessment of erosions, synovitis and tenosynovitis...

Constraint programming for modelling and solving modal satisfiability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brand, S.; Gennari, R.; de Rijke, M.

2003-01-01

We explore to what extent and how efficiently constraint programmingcan be used in the context of automated reasoning for modal logics. We encode modal satisfiability problems as constraint satisfactionproblems with non-boolean domains, together with suitable constraints.Experiments show that the

First-Line Cetuximab Monotherapy in KRAS/NRAS/BRAF Mutation-Negative Colorectal Cancer Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Moiseyenko, Vladimir M; Moiseyenko, Fedor V; Yanus, Grigoriy A; Kuligina, Ekatherina Sh; Sokolenko, Anna P; Bizin, Ilya V; Kudriavtsev, Alexey A; Aleksakhina, Svetlana N; Volkov, Nikita M; Chubenko, Vyacheslav A; Kozyreva, Kseniya S; Kramchaninov, Mikhail M; Zhuravlev, Alexandr S; Shelekhova, Kseniya V; Pashkov, Denis V; Ivantsov, Alexandr O; Venina, Aigul R; Sokolova, Tatyana N; Preobrazhenskaya, Elena V; Mitiushkina, Natalia V; Togo, Alexandr V; Iyevleva, Aglaya G; Imyanitov, Evgeny N

2018-06-01

Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) are sensitive to treatment by anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibodies only if they do not carry activating mutations in down-stream EGFR targets (KRAS/NRAS/BRAF). Most clinical trials for chemo-naive CRC patients involved combination of targeted agents and chemotherapy, while single-agent cetuximab or panitumumab studies included either heavily pretreated patients or subjects who were not selected on the basis of molecular tests. We hypothesized that anti-EGFR therapy would have significant efficacy in chemo-naive patients with KRAS/NRAS/BRAF mutation-negative CRC. Nineteen patients were prospectively included in the study. Two (11%) patients experienced partial response (PR) and 11 (58%) subjects showed stable disease (SD). Median time to progression approached 6.1 months (range 1.6-15.0 months). Cetuximab efficacy did not correlate with RNA expression of EGFR and insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2). Only one tumor carried PIK3CA mutation, and this CRC responded to cetuximab. Exome analysis of patients with progressive disease (PD) revealed 1 CRC with high-level microsatellite instability and 1 instance of HER2 oncogene amplification; 3 of 4 remaining patients with PD had allergic reactions to cetuximab, while none of the subjects with PR or SD had this complication. Comparison with 19 retrospective KRAS/NRAS/BRAF mutation-negative patients receiving first-line fluoropyrimidines revealed no advantages or disadvantages of cetuximab therapy. Cetuximab demonstrates only modest efficacy when given as a first-line monotherapy to KRAS/NRAS/BRAF mutation-negative CRC patients. It is of question, why meticulous patient selection, which was undertaken in the current study, did not result in the improvement of outcomes of single-agent cetuximab treatment.

SELECTIVE MODAL ANALYSIS OF POWER FLOW OSCILLATION IN LARGE SCALE LONGITUDINAL POWER SYSTEMS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wirindi -

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Novel selective modal analysis for the determination of low frequency power flow oscillation behaviour based on eigenvalues with corresponding damping ratio, cumulative damping index, and participation factors is proposed. The power system being investigated consists of three large longitudinally interconnected areas with some weak tie lines. Different modes, such as exciter modes, inter area modes, and local modes of the dominant poles are fully studied to find out the significant level of system damping and other factors producing power flow instability. The nature of the energy exchange between area is determined and strategic power flow stability improvement is developed and tested.

The picture superiority effect in a cross-modality recognition task.

Science.gov (United States)

Stenbert, G; Radeborg, K; Hedman, L R

1995-07-01

Words and pictures were studied and recognition tests given in which each studied object was to be recognized in both word and picture format. The main dependent variable was the latency of the recognition decision. The purpose was to investigate the effects of study modality (word or picture), of congruence between study and test modalities, and of priming resulting from repeated testing. Experiments 1 and 2 used the same basic design, but the latter also varied retention interval. Experiment 3 added a manipulation of instructions to name studied objects, and Experiment 4 deviated from the others by presenting both picture and word referring to the same object together for study. The results showed that congruence between study and test modalities consistently facilitated recognition. Furthermore, items studied as pictures were more rapidly recognized than were items studied as words. With repeated testing, the second instance was affected by its predecessor, but the facilitating effect of picture-to-word priming exceeded that of word-to-picture priming. The finds suggest a two- stage recognition process, in which the first is based on perceptual familiarity and the second uses semantic links for a retrieval search. Common-code theories that grant privileged access to the semantic code for pictures or, alternatively, dual-code theories that assume mnemonic superiority for the image code are supported by the findings. Explanations of the picture superiority effect as resulting from dual encoding of pictures are not supported by the data.

Comparison of particle-radiation-therapy modalities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fairchild, R.G.; Bond, V.P.

1981-01-01

The characteristics of dose distribution, beam alignment, and radiobiological advantages accorded to high LET radiation were reviewed and compared for various particle beam radiotherapeutic modalities (neutron, Auger electrons, p, π - , He, C, Ne, and Ar ions). Merit factors were evaluated on the basis of effective dose to tumor relative to normal tissue, linear energy transfer (LET), and dose localization, at depths of 1, 4, and 10 cm. In general, it was found that neutron capture therapy using an epithermal neutron beam provided the best merit factors available for depths up to 8 cm. The position of fast neutron therapy on the Merit Factor Tables was consistently lower than that of other particle modalities, and above only 60 Co. The largest body of clinical data exists for fast neutron therapy; results are considered by some to be encouraging. It then follows that if benefits with fast neutron therapy are real, additional gains are within reach with other modalities

The perceptual nature of the cross-modal priming effect: arguments in favor of a sensory-based conception of memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Vallet, Guillaume; Brunel, Lionel; Versace, Rémy

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to demonstrate that the cross-modal priming effect is perceptual and therefore consistent with the idea that knowledge is modality dependent. We used a two-way cross-modal priming paradigm in two experiments. These experiments were constructed on the basis of a two-phase priming paradigm. In the study phase of Experiment 1, participants had to categorize auditory primes as "animal" or "artifact". In the test phase, they had to perform the same categorization task with visual targets which corresponded either to the auditory primes presented in the study phase (old items) or to new stimuli (new items). To demonstrate the perceptual nature of the cross-modal priming effect, half of the auditory primes were presented with a visual mask (old-masked items). In the second experiment, the visual stimuli were used as primes and the auditory stimuli as targets, and half of the visual primes were presented with an auditory mask (a white noise). We hypothesized that if the cross-modal priming effect results from an activation of modality-specific representations, then the mask should interfere with the priming effect. In both experiments, the results corroborated our predictions. In addition, we observed a cross-modal priming effect from pictures to sounds in a long-term paradigm for the first time.

The First Assembly Line of Large-longitudinally-welded Steel Pipe in China Went into Operation

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Li Bing

2002-01-01

@@ On July 27, the first assembly line to produce JCOE large diameter Longitudinally-submerged-arc-welded steel pipe in China, Which is the key homemade equipment project of "West-East Gas Transmission"project, was put into production. Chen Gen, vice general manager of CNPC; Xie Zhiqiang and Liu Haisheng, assistant chief manager of CNPC; Shi Xingquan, vice president of PetroChina; and the president of Itochu-Marubeni Steel & iron Co., Ltd.of Japan; attended the opening ceremony and cut the ribbon.

Complete proof systems for weighted modal logic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Kim G.; Mardare, Radu

2014-01-01

(WML) is a multi-modal logic that expresses qualitative and quantitative properties of WTSs. While WML has been studied in various contexts and for various application domains, no proof system has been developed for it. In this paper we solve this open problem and propose both weak-complete and strong......The weighted transition systems (WTS) considered in this paper are transition systems having both states and transitions labeled with real numbers: the state labels denote quantitative resources, while the transition labels denote costs of transitions in terms of resources. Weighted Modal Logic....... This work emphasizes a series of similarities between WML and the probabilistic/stochastic modal logics for Markov processes and Harsanyi type spaces, such as the use of particular infinitary rules to guarantee the strong-completeness....

Biology-based combined-modality radiotherapy: workshop report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mason, Kathryn A.; Komaki, Ritsuko; Cox, James D.; Milas, Luka

2001-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this workshop summary is to provide an overview of preclinical and clinical data on combined-modality radiotherapy. Methods and Materials: The 8th Annual Radiation Workshop at Round Top was held April 13-16, 2000 at the International Festival Institute (Round Top, TX). Results: Presentations by 30 speakers (from Germany, Netherlands, Australia, England, and France along with U.S. participants and M. D. Anderson Cancer Center faculty) formed the framework for discussions on the current status and future perspectives of biology-based combined-modality radiotherapy. Conclusion: Cellular and molecular pathways available for radiation modification by chemical and biologic agents are numerous, providing new opportunities for translational research in radiation oncology and for more effective combined-modality treatment of cancer

Leo Esakia on duality in modal and intuitionistic logics

CERN Document Server

Bezhanishvili, Guram

2014-01-01

This volume is dedicated to Leo Esakia's contributions to the theory of modal and intuitionistic systems. Consisting of 10 chapters, written by leading experts, this volume discusses Esakia's original contributions and consequent developments that have helped to shape duality theory for modal and intuitionistic logics and to utilize it to obtain some major results in the area. Beginning with a chapter which explores Esakia duality for S4-algebras, the volume goes on to explore Esakia duality for Heyting algebras and its generalizations to weak Heyting algebras and implicative semilattices. The book also dives into the Blok-Esakia theorem and provides an outline of the intuitionistic modal logic KM which is closely related to the Gödel-Löb provability logic GL. One chapter scrutinizes Esakia's work interpreting modal diamond as the derivative of a topological space within the setting of point-free topology. The final chapter in the volume is dedicated to the derivational semantics of modal logic and other re...

Does the Modality Effect Exist? And if so, Which Modality Effect?

Science.gov (United States)

Reinwein, Joachim

2012-01-01

The modality effect is a central issue in multimedia learning [see Mayer (Cambridge University Press, 2005a), for a review]. Sweller's Cognitive Load Theory (CLT), for example, presumes that an illustrated text is better understood when presented visually rather than orally. The predictive power of CLT lies in how it links in to Baddeley's (1986)…

Tense, aspect, and modality

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pfau, R.; Steinbach, M.; Woll, B.; Pfau, R.; Steinbach, M.; Woll, B.

2012-01-01

Cross-linguistically, the grammatical categories tense, aspect, and modality - when they are overtly expressed - are generally realized by free morphemes (such as adverbials and auxiliaries) or by bound inflectional markers. The discussion in this chapter will make clear that this generalization

Modal behavior of a reduced scale pump-turbine impeller. Part 1: Experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Escaler, X; Huetter, J K; Egusquiza, E; Farhat, M; Avellan, F

2010-01-01

An experimental investigation has been carried out to quantify the effects of surrounding fluid on the modal behavior of a reduced scale pump-turbine impeller. The modal properties of the fluid-structure system have been obtained by Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA) with the impeller suspended in air and inside a water reservoir. The impeller has been excited with an instrumented hammer and the response has been measured by means of miniature accelerometers. The Frequency Response Functions (FRF's) have been obtained from a large number of impacting positions in order to ensure the identification of the main mode shapes. As a result, the main modes of vibration have been well characterized both in air and in water in terms of natural frequency, damping ratio and mode shape. The first mode is the 2 Nodal Diameter (ND), the second one is the 0ND and the following ones are the 3ND coupled with the 1ND. The visual observation of the animated mode shapes and the level of the Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) have permitted to correlate the homologous modes of vibration of the fluid-structure system in air and in water. From this comparison the added mass effect on the natural frequencies and the fluid effect on the damping ratios have been quantified for the most significant modes. With the surrounding water, the natural frequencies decrease in average by 10%. On the other hand, the damping ratios increase in average by 0.5%. In any case, the damping ratio appears to decrease with the frequency value of the mode.

Uncertainty of Modal Parameters Estimated by ARMA Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jakob Laigaard; Brincker, Rune; Rytter, Anders

In this paper the uncertainties of identified modal parameters such as eigenfrequencies and damping ratios are assessed. From the measured response of dynamic excited structures the modal parameters may be identified and provide important structural knowledge. However the uncertainty of the param...

An in-line fiber-optic modal interferometer for simultaneous measurement of twist and ambient temperature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongqin Yu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A novel and simple sensor based on fiber-optic modal interferometer fabricated by a segment of low elliptical hollow-core photonic bandgap fiber for simultaneous temperature and twist measurements is demonstrated. Meanwhile the sensor can also measure the twist angle and determine the twist direction simultaneously. The mode distribution of EHC-PBGF is demonstrated both in theory and experiments. There is an obvious difference of two transmission dips on the temperature and twist. The twist sensitivities of Dip 1 and Dip 2 are obtained to be −31.95 and −585.8 pm/(rad/m, respectively. The temperature sensitivities are 12.99 pm/°C for Dip 1 and 5.09 pm/°C for Dip 2, respectively. Two parameters of twist and temperature can be distinguished and measured simultaneously by using a sensing matrix. Meanwhile the structure is found to be weakly sensitive to the axial strain. It has the advantage of avoiding the crosstalk of strain in the applications.

Addition of bevacizumab to first-line chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis, with emphasis on chemotherapy subgroups

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Macedo Ligia

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Bevacizumab has an important role in first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. However, clinical trials studying its effect have involved distinct chemotherapy regimens with divergent results. The aim of this meta-analysis is to gather current data and evaluate not only the efficacy of bevacizumab, but also the impact of divergent backbone regimens. Methods A wide search of randomized clinical trials using bevacizumab in first-line metastatic colorectal cancer was performed in Embase, MEDLINE, LILACS and Cochrane databases. Meeting presentations and abstracts were also investigated. The resulting data were examined and included in the meta-analysis according to the type of regimen. Results Six trials, totaling 3060 patients, were analyzed. There was an advantage to using bevacizumab for overall survival (OS and progression-free survival (PFS (HR = 0.84; CI: 0.77-0.91; P Conclusions Bevacizumab has efficacy in first-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer, but the current data are insufficient to support efficacy in all regimens, especially infusional fluorouracil regimens, like FOLFIRI and FOLFOX.

MPUQ-b: Bootstrapping Based Modal Parameter Uncertainty Quantification—Fundamental Principles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chauhan, S.; Ahmed, S. I.

2017-01-01

It is well known that modal parameters play a key role towards understanding the dynamics of a structure. Their estimation, by means of experiments, forms the crux of modal analysis. Modal parameters not only help in characterizing the dynamics of the structure but are also used for several other...

Automated modal tracking and fatigue assessment of a wind turbine based on continuous dynamic monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oliveira Gustavo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes the implementation of a dynamic monitoring system at a 2.0 MW onshore wind turbine. The system is composed by two components aiming at the structural integrity and fatigue assessment. The first component enables the continuous tracking of modal characteristics of the wind turbine (natural frequency values, modal damping ratios and mode shapes in order to detect abnormal deviations of these properties, which may be caused by the occurrence of structural damage. On the other hand, the second component allows the estimation of the remaining fatigue lifetime of the structure based on the analysis of the measured cycles of structural vibration.

Multi-modal locomotion: from animal to application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lock, R J; Burgess, S C; Vaidyanathan, R

2014-01-01

The majority of robotic vehicles that can be found today are bound to operations within a single media (i.e. land, air or water). This is very rarely the case when considering locomotive capabilities in natural systems. Utility for small robots often reflects the exact same problem domain as small animals, hence providing numerous avenues for biological inspiration. This paper begins to investigate the various modes of locomotion adopted by different genus groups in multiple media as an initial attempt to determine the compromise in ability adopted by the animals when achieving multi-modal locomotion. A review of current biologically inspired multi-modal robots is also presented. The primary aim of this research is to lay the foundation for a generation of vehicles capable of multi-modal locomotion, allowing ambulatory abilities in more than one media, surpassing current capabilities. By identifying and understanding when natural systems use specific locomotion mechanisms, when they opt for disparate mechanisms for each mode of locomotion rather than using a synergized singular mechanism, and how this affects their capability in each medium, similar combinations can be used as inspiration for future multi-modal biologically inspired robotic platforms. (topical review)

Parallel pathways for cross-modal memory retrieval in Drosophila.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaonan; Ren, Qingzhong; Guo, Aike

2013-05-15

Memory-retrieval processing of cross-modal sensory preconditioning is vital for understanding the plasticity underlying the interactions between modalities. As part of the sensory preconditioning paradigm, it has been hypothesized that the conditioned response to an unreinforced cue depends on the memory of the reinforced cue via a sensory link between the two cues. To test this hypothesis, we studied cross-modal memory-retrieval processing in a genetically tractable model organism, Drosophila melanogaster. By expressing the dominant temperature-sensitive shibire(ts1) (shi(ts1)) transgene, which blocks synaptic vesicle recycling of specific neural subsets with the Gal4/UAS system at the restrictive temperature, we specifically blocked visual and olfactory memory retrieval, either alone or in combination; memory acquisition remained intact for these modalities. Blocking the memory retrieval of the reinforced olfactory cues did not impair the conditioned response to the unreinforced visual cues or vice versa, in contrast to the canonical memory-retrieval processing of sensory preconditioning. In addition, these conditioned responses can be abolished by blocking the memory retrieval of the two modalities simultaneously. In sum, our results indicated that a conditioned response to an unreinforced cue in cross-modal sensory preconditioning can be recalled through parallel pathways.

New properties of the V-line Radon transform and their imaging applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truong, T T; Nguyen, M K

2015-01-01

This paper reports on new aspects of the so-called V-line Radon transforms (RTs) complementing those reported in an earlier work. These new properties are nicely uncovered and described with Cartesian coordinates. In particular, we show that the V-line RT belongs to the class of RTs on curves in the plane which can be mapped onto the standard RT on straight lines and thereby are fully characterizable and invertible. Next, we show that the effect of geometric inversion on the V-line RT is to produce a new RT on a pair of supplementary circular arcs, which provides a new access to image reconstruction in the so-called Norton's modality of Compton scatter tomography, a front runner in the race for alternatives to current emission imaging. (paper)

The effect of preference modality on self-control

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Klesse, Anne-Kathrin; Levav, J.; Goukens, C.

2015-01-01

The marketplace affords consumers various modalities to express their preferences (e.g., by pressing a button on a vending machine or making an oral request at a restaurant). In this paper, we compare speaking to manual preference expression modalities (button pressing, writing, and taking) and

Effectiveness of psychotherapy in personality disorders not otherwise specified : A comparison of different treatment modalities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Horn, E.K.; Bartak, A.; Meerman, A.M.M.A.; Rossum, B.V.; Ziegler, U.M.; Thunissen, M.A.G.; Soons, M.; Andrea, H.; Hamers, E.F.M.; Emmelkamp, P.M.G.; Stijnen, T.; Busschbach, J.J.V.; Verheul, R.

2015-01-01

Objective Although personality disorder not otherwise specified (PDNOS) is highly prevalent and associated with a high burden of disease, only a few treatment studies in this patient group exist. This study is the first to investigate the effectiveness of different modalities of psychotherapy in

Exploring modality switching effects in negated sentences: Further evidence for grounded representations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lea eHald

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Theories of embodied cognition (e.g., Perceptual Symbol Systems Theory; Barsalou, 1999, 2009 suggest that modality-specific simulations underlie the representation of concepts. Supporting evidence comes from modality switch costs: Participants are slower to verify a property in one modality (e.g., auditory, BLENDER-loud after verifying a property in a different modality (e.g., gustatory, CRANBERRIES-tart compared to the same modality (e.g., LEAVES-rustling, Pecher, Zeelenberg, & Barsalou, 2003. Similarly, modality switching costs lead to a modulation of the N400 effect in event related potentials (ERPs (Collins, Pecher, Zeelenberg, & Coulson, 2011; Hald, Marshall, Janssen, & Garnham, 2011. This effect of modality switching has also been shown to interact with the veracity of the sentence (Hald, et al., 2011. The current event-related potentials study (ERPs further explores the role of modality match/mismatch on the processing of veracity as well as negation (sentences containing not. Our results indicate a modulation in the ERP based on modality and veracity, plus an interaction. The evidence supports the idea that modality-specific simulations occur during language processing, and furthermore suggest that these simulations alter the processing of negation.

Quantum supports and modal logic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svetlichny, G.

1986-01-01

Recently Foulis, Piron, and Randall introduced a new interpretation of empirical and quantum logics which substitute for the notion of a probabilistic weight a combinatorial notion called a support. The informal use of the notion of ''possible outcomes of experiments'' suggests that this interpretation can be related to corresponding formal notions as treated by modal logic. The purpose of this paper is to prove that in fact supports are in one-to-one correspondence with the sets of possibly true elementary propositions in Kripke models of a set of modal formulas associated to the empirical or quantum logic. This hopefully provides a sufficiently detailed link between the two rather distinct logical systems to shed useful light on both

A first-generation software product line for data acquisition systems in astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

López-Ruiz, J. C.; Heradio, Rubén; Cerrada Somolinos, José Antonio; Coz Fernandez, José Ramón; López Ramos, Pablo

2008-07-01

This article presents a case study on developing a software product line for data acquisition systems in astronomy based on the Exemplar Driven Development methodology and the Exemplar Flexibilization Language tool. The main strategies to build the software product line are based on the domain commonality and variability, the incremental scope and the use of existing artifacts. It consists on a lean methodology with little impact on the organization, suitable for small projects, which reduces product line start-up time. Software Product Lines focuses on creating a family of products instead of individual products. This approach has spectacular benefits on reducing the time to market, maintaining the know-how, reducing the development costs and increasing the quality of new products. The maintenance of the products is also enhanced since all the data acquisition systems share the same product line architecture.

Value of bimodal (18)F-choline-PET/MRI and trimodal (18)F-choline-PET/MRI/TRUS for the assessment of prostate cancer recurrence after radiation therapy and radical prostatectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Paparo, Francesco; Piccardo, Arnoldo; Bacigalupo, Lorenzo; Romagnoli, Andrea; Piccazzo, Riccardo; Monticone, Michela; Cevasco, Luca; Campodonico, Fabio; Conzi, Giuseppe Maria; Carmignani, Giorgio; Rollandi, Gian Andrea

2015-08-01

Between 27% and 53% of all patients who undergo radical prostatectomy (RP) or radiation therapy (RT) as the first-line treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) develop a biochemical recurrence. Imaging plays a pivotal role in restaging by helping to distinguish between local relapse and metastatic disease (i.e., lymph-node and skeletal metastases). At present, the most promising tools for assessing PCa patients with biochemical recurrence are multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with radio-labeled choline derivatives. The main advantage of mpMRI is its high diagnostic accuracy in detecting local recurrence, while choline-PET/CT is able to identify lymph-node metastases when they are not suspicious on morphological imaging. The most recent advances in the field of fusion imaging have shown that multimodal co-registration, synchronized navigation, and combined interpretation are more valuable than the individual; separate assessment offered by different diagnostic techniques. The objective of the present essay was to describe the value of bimodal choline-PET/mpMRI fusion imaging and trimodal choline-PET/mpMRI/transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) in the assessment of PCa recurrence after RP and RT. Bimodal choline-PET/mpMRI fusion imaging allows morphological, functional, and metabolic information to be combined, thereby overcoming the limitations of each separate imaging modality. In addition, trimodal real-time choline-PET/mpMRI/TRUS fusion imaging may be useful for the planning and real-time guidance of biopsy procedures in order to obtain histological confirmation of the local recurrence.

The Medical Case for a Positron Emission Tomography and X-ray Computed Tomography Combined Service in Oman.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Bulushi, Naima K; Bailey, Dale; Mariani, Giuliano

2013-11-01

The value of a positron emission tomography and X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) combined service in terms of diagnostic accuracy, cost-effectiveness and impact on clinical decision-making is well-documented in the literature. Its role in the management of patients presenting with cancer is shifting from early staging and restaging to the early assessment of the treatment response. Currently, the application of PET/CT has extended to non-oncological specialties-mainly neurology, cardiology and rheumatology. A further emerging application for PET/CT is the imaging of infection/inflammation. This article illustrates some of the PET/CT applications in both oncological and non-oncological disorders. In view of the absence of this modality in Oman, this article aims to increase the awareness of the importance of these imaging modalities and their significant impact on diagnosis and management in both oncological and non-oncological specialties for patients of all age groups as well as the decision-makers.

Modal Testing of Seven Shuttle Cargo Elements for Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Kappus, Kathy O.; Driskill, Timothy C.; Parks, Russel A.; Patterson, Alan (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

From December 1996 to May 2001, the Modal and Control Dynamics Team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) conducted modal tests on seven large elements of the International Space Station. Each of these elements has been or will be launched as a Space Shuttle payload for transport to the International Space Station (ISS). Like other Shuttle payloads, modal testing of these elements was required for verification of the finite element models used in coupled loads analyses for launch and landing. The seven modal tests included three modules - Node, Laboratory, and Airlock, and four truss segments - P6, P3/P4, S1/P1, and P5. Each element was installed and tested in the Shuttle Payload Modal Test Bed at MSFC. This unique facility can accommodate any Shuttle cargo element for modal test qualification. Flexure assemblies were utilized at each Shuttle-to-payload interface to simulate a constrained boundary in the load carrying degrees of freedom. For each element, multiple-input, multiple-output burst random modal testing was the primary approach with controlled input sine sweeps for linearity assessments. The accelerometer channel counts ranged from 252 channels to 1251 channels. An overview of these tests, as well as some lessons learned, will be provided in this paper.

Modal interval analysis new tools for numerical information

CERN Document Server

Sainz, Miguel A; Calm, Remei; Herrero, Pau; Jorba, Lambert; Vehi, Josep

2014-01-01

This book presents an innovative new approach to interval analysis. Modal Interval Analysis (MIA) is an attempt to go beyond the limitations of classic intervals in terms of their structural, algebraic and logical features. The starting point of MIA is quite simple: It consists in defining a modal interval that attaches a quantifier to a classical interval and in introducing the basic relation of inclusion between modal intervals by means of the inclusion of the sets of predicates they accept. This modal approach introduces interval extensions of the real continuous functions, identifies equivalences between logical formulas and interval inclusions, and provides the semantic theorems that justify these equivalences, along with guidelines for arriving at these inclusions. Applications of these equivalences in different areas illustrate the obtained results. The book also presents a new interval object: marks, which aspire to be a new form of numerical treatment of errors in measurements and computations.

Modality dependency of familiarity ratings of Japanese words.

Science.gov (United States)

Amano, S; Kondo, T; Kakehi, K

1995-07-01

Familiarity ratings for a large number of aurally and visually presented Japanese words wer measured for 11 subjects, in order to investigate the modality dependency of familiarity. The correlation coefficient between auditory and visual ratings was .808, which is lower than that observed for English words, suggesting that a substantial portion of the mental lexicon is modality dependent. It was shown that the modality dependency is greater for low-familiarity words than it is for medium- or high-familiarity words. This difference between the low- and the medium- or high-familiarity words has a relationship to orthography. That is, the dependency is larger in words consisting only of kanji, which may have multiple pronunciations and usually represent meaning, than it is in words consisting only of hiragana or katakana, which have a single pronunciation and usually do not represent meaning. These results indicate that the idiosyncratic characteristics of Japanese orthography contribute to the modality dependency.

Economic evaluation of first-line adjuvant chemotherapies for resectable gastric cancer patients in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Chongqing; Peng, Liubao; Zeng, Xiaohui; Li, Jianhe; Wan, Xiaomin; Chen, Gannong; Yi, Lidan; Luo, Xia; Zhao, Ziying

2013-01-01

First-line postoperative adjuvant chemotherapies with S-1 and capecitabine and oxaliplatin (XELOX) were first recommended for resectable gastric cancer patients in the 2010 and 2011 Chinese NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Gastric Cancer; however, their economic impact in China is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of adjuvant chemotherapy with XELOX, with S-1 and no treatment after a gastrectomy with extended (D2) lymph-node dissection among patients with stage II-IIIB gastric cancer. A Markov model, based on data from two clinical phase III trials, was developed to analyse the cost-effectiveness of patients in the XELOX group, S-1 group and surgery only (SO) group. The costs were estimated from the perspective of Chinese healthcare system. The utilities were assumed on the basis of previously published reports. Costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were calculated with a lifetime horizon. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed. For the base case, XELOX had the lowest total cost ($44,568) and cost-effectiveness ratio ($7,360/QALY). The relative scenario analyses showed that SO was dominated by XELOX and the ICERs of S-1 was $58,843/QALY compared with XELOX. The one-way sensitivity analysis showed that the most influential parameter was the utility of disease-free survival. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis predicted a 75.8% likelihood that the ICER for XELOX would be less than $13,527 compared with S-1. When ICER was more than $38,000, the likelihood of cost-effectiveness achieved by S-1 group was greater than 50%. Our results suggest that for patients in China with resectable disease, first-line adjuvant chemotherapy with XELOX after a D2 gastrectomy is a best option comparing with S-1 and SO in view of our current study. In addition, S-1 might be a better choice, especially with a higher value of willingness-to-pay threshold.

Complex harmonic modal analysis of rotor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Dong Ju

2015-01-01

Complex harmonic analysis for rotor systems has been proposed from the strict complex modal analysis based upon Floquet theory. In this process the harmonic balance method is adopted, effectively associated with conventional eigenvalue analysis. Also, the harmonic coefficients equivalent to dFRFs in harmonic mode has been derived in practice. The modes are classified from identifying the modal characteristics, and the adaptation of harmonic balance method has been proven by comparing the results of the stability analyses from Floque theory and the eigen analysis. The modal features of each critical speed are depicted in quantitatively and qualitatively by showing that the strengths of each component of the harmonic coefficients are estimated from the order of magnitude analysis according to their harmonic patterns. This effectiveness has been verified by comparing with the numerical solutions

Role of the multi-modality image archival and communication system in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bela Kari; Adam Mester; Erno Mako; Zoltan Gyorfi; Bela Mihalik; Zsolt; Hegyi

2004-01-01

Various non-invasive imaging systems produce increasing amount of diagnostic images day by day in digital format. The direct consequence of this tendency places electronic archives and image transfers in spotlight. Moreover, the digital image archives may support any other activities like simultaneous displaying of multi-modality images, telediagnostics, on-line consultation, construction of standard databases for dedicated organs by regional and/or country wide (e.g. myocardial scintigraphy, mammography, etc....) in order to obtain much more exact diagnosis as well as to support education and training. Our institute started similar research and developing activities few years ago, resulting the construction of our PACS systems -MEDISA LINUX Debian and eRAD ImageMedical TM LINUX Red Hat- together with the telecommunication part. Mass storage unit of PACS is based on hard drives connecting in RAID with l.2Tbyte capacity. The on-line telecommunication system consists of an ISDN Multi-Media System (MMS) and Internet based independent units. MMS was dedicated mainly for on-line teleconferencing and consultation by the simultaneously transferred morphological and functional images obtaining from the central archives by DICOM or any other allowable image formats. MMS has been created as a part and requirements of an EU research project - RETRANSPLANT -. The central archives -PACS- can be accessed by DICOM 3.0 protocol on Internet surface through well maintained and secure access rights. Displaying and post-processing of any retrieved images on individual workstations are supported by eRAD ImageMedical TM PracticeBuilder1-2-3 (Window based) image manager with its unique supports and services. The 'real engine' of PracticeBuilder is Ver.5.0 or newer Internet Explorer. The unique feature of PracticelBuilder1-2-3 is the extremely fast patient and image access from the archives even from very 'far distance' (through continents), due to the exceptional image communication

Radioimmunotherapy for first-line and relapse treatment of aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma: an analysis of 215 patients registered in the international RIT-Network

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hohloch, Karin; Lankeit, H.K.; Truemper, L. [Georg August University, Hematology and Oncology, Goettingen (Germany); Zinzani, P.L. [University of Bologna, Institute of Hematology and Medical Oncology ' ' L. e A. Seragnoli' ' , Bologna (Italy); Scholz, C.W. [Charite, University Berlin, Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Berlin (Germany); Lorsbach, M.; Windemuth-Kieselbach, C. [Alcedis GmbH, Giessen (Germany)

2014-08-15

Very few reliable clinical data about the use of radioimmunotherapy in aggressive B-cell lymphoma exist. Patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma registered in the international RIT-Network were analysed with regard to prior treatment, response and side effects. The RIT-Network is a web-based registry that collects observational data from radioimmunotherapy-treated patients with malignant lymphoma across 13 countries. This analysis included 215 with aggressive B-cell lymphoma out of 232 patients registered in the RIT-Network. Histological subtypes were as follows: 190 diffuse large B-cell, 15 primary mediastinal, 9 anaplastic large cell, and 1 intravascular lymphoma. The median age of the patients was 62 years (range 17 - 88), with 27 % above the age of 70 years. Radioimmunotherapy was mainly used as consolidation after first-line or second-line chemotherapy (56.1 %), as part of third-line to eighth-line therapy for relapse (16.4 %), and in refractory disease (12.2 %). Grade IV neutropenia and thrombopenia and grade III anaemia were observed. The median time to recovery of blood count was 81 days (range 0 - 600 days). The overall response rate was 63.3 %. The complete response rate was 76.4 % in patients treated as part of first-line therapy, and 44.3 % in patients with relapse. Mean overall survival in first-line therapy patients was 32.7 months and 14.0 months in patients with relapse or refractory disease, respectively. Most patients with aggressive B-cell lymphoma in the RIT-Network received radioimmunotherapy as consolidation after first-line therapy with excellent complete remission and overall survival rates compared to published data. In relapsed aggressive B-cell lymphoma, radioimmunotherapy is a safe and feasible treatment leading to satisfactory response rates with acceptable toxicity. (orig.)

A Modality Called 'Negation'

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berto, F.

2015-01-01

I propose a comprehensive account of negation as a modal operator, vindicating a moderate logical pluralism. Negation is taken as a quantifier on worlds, restricted by an accessibility relation encoding the basic concept of compatibility. This latter captures the core meaning of the operator. While

Preliminary study of the effects of an educational workshop on therapeutic use of music and aesthetic experience with music in first-line nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Hui-Ling

2011-11-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of an educational workshop on knowledge of and attitude toward therapeutic use of music and aesthetic experiences with music among first-line nurses. A one-group pre-test/post-test design was used. Forty-six first-line nurses, aged 21-56 years, were recruited from seven different hospitals. Questionnaires were used to assess the nurses' knowledge of and attitude toward therapeutic use of music and aesthetic experience with music before and after the workshop, and 3 months after the workshop. The workshop comprised three sessions; the nurses participated in 8h of instruction the first week and 4h, the second week covering analytical music appreciation, music staves comprehension, theory and practice of music therapy, and evidence-based music intervention. Educational workshop significantly improved knowledge of and attitudes toward therapeutic use of music and music aesthetic experiences (pmusic aesthetic experiences between nurse with and without music backgrounds differed significantly (p=0.01). The workshop enhanced the knowledge of and attitude toward therapeutic use of music and aesthetic experiences with music among first-line nurses. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evidentiality, Epistemic Modality, and Epistemic Status

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rezeda Dilshatovna Shakirova

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the interaction of evidentiality categories, typical of many Turkic, Finno-Ugric, Samoyed, certain Slavic, and other languages with the categories of epistemic modality, which is widely represented particularly in Germanic languages. The methodological framework of this study consists of the general philosophic, general scientific and private levels. The general philosophic methodology is based on the analytic philosophy, under the linguistic trend of which the language study was carried out to solve philosophic problems. The general scientific methodological bases of the study are related to the principle of identifying similarities and differences of the categories analyzed and the systematicity of description, whereas the descriptive method and techniques thereof are used primarily as the private-linguistic methods. In contrast to evidentiality, indicating the source of information, the epistemic modality marks different level of the information reliability. In the modern German language, the categories studied have a zone of intersection in terms of community within the means of expression, to which modal words and modal verbs as well as the verb scheinen can be primarily related. However, in the modern German language, there is no question of the category of evidentiality in the plane, within which it is currently being studied basing on the material of those languages, to the fragment of the grammatical system of which it is primarily inherent. As a rule, the semantics of evidentiality in these languages provides no information on the degree of reliability of the source of knowledge. To overcome the contradiction of such nature, this work suggests paying attention to the category of epistemic status of an utterance, the semantic structure of which is wider than evidentiality and epistemic modality and includes the level of reliability of the source of knowledge along with the designation thereof. In today's German

ANALISIS PENGARUH PERUBAHAN EARNINGS DAN RISIKO PASAR TERHADAP STRUKTUR MODAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endi Sarwoko

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menguji perbedaan rata-rata struktur modal antar industri, menguji pengaruh perubahan earnings perusahaan terhadap struktur modal, dan menguji pengaruh risiko pasar dengan struktur modal perusahaan. Struktur modal dalam penelitian ini diproksikan dengan debt to equity ratio dan debt to total assets. Data diperoleh dari Pojok Bursa Efek Jakarta (BEJ Universitas Brawijaya, sampel sebanyak 40 perusahaan yang diambil secara Purposive dengan kriteria perusahaan-perusahaan tersebut aktif mencatatkan laporan keuangannya di BEJ dan aktif melakukan perdagangan saham selama 6 tahun terakhir. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa terdapat pengaruh terbalik antara perubahan earnings perusahaan terhadap D/E tetapi perubahan earnings ternyata tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap D/A. Risiko pasar tidak berpengaruh signifikan terhadap debt to equity, hasil ini menunjukkan bahwa ketika akan melakukan pembelian saham investor tidak mempertimbangkan risiko pasar. Sedangkan berdasarkan pengaruh terhadap D/A diperoleh hasil risiko pasar berpengaruh signifikan terhadap debt to total assets,  manajemen perusahaan sangat memperhatikan dampak risiko pasar dalam menentukan kebijakan struktur modal perusahaan, karena dalam memberikan pinjaman kreditur biasanya sangat mempertimbangkan aset yang dimiliki perusahaan didanai dari mana, hutang atau modal sendiri.

Evidence for modality-independent order coding in working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Depoorter, Ann; Vandierendonck, André

2009-03-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the representation of serial order in working memory, more specifically whether serial order is coded by means of a modality-dependent or a modality-independent order code. This was investigated by means of a series of four experiments based on a dual-task methodology in which one short-term memory task was embedded between the presentation and recall of another short-term memory task. Two aspects were varied in these memory tasks--namely, the modality of the stimulus materials (verbal or visuo-spatial) and the presence of an order component in the task (an order or an item memory task). The results of this study showed impaired primary-task recognition performance when both the primary and the embedded task included an order component, irrespective of the modality of the stimulus materials. If one or both of the tasks did not contain an order component, less interference was found. The results of this study support the existence of a modality-independent order code.

Second malignancy in relation to treatment modality of primary malignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, Harpreet; Kaur, Parveen; Vashistha, Rajesh; Singh, Jaskaran; Passi, Kamlesh; Jain, Satish

2001-01-01

Second malignant tumors among long-term survivors are a sensitive indicator of successful oncologic treatment, particularly in this area of multimodal therapy. 11 patients of abdominopelvic primary malignancy were detected to have a second malignancy of different pathology, and at a different site. These patients were assessed regarding treatment modality of initial cancer and time gap between the first and second malignancy. Lack of proper cancer registries, illiteracy, and lack of resources lead to poor patient follow-up; therefore population based studies is not possible

First-line HIV treatment: evaluation of backbone choice and its budget impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Orietta Zaniolo

2013-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The gradual increase of persons living with HIV, mainly due to the reduced mortality achieved with effective antiretroviral therapies, calls for increased rationality and awareness in health resources consumption also during the early illness phases. Aim of this work is the estimation of the budget impact related to the variation in backbone prescribing trends in naïve patients.METHODS: Target population is the number of patients starting antiretroviral therapy each year, according to the Italian HIV surveillance registry, excluding patients receiving non-authorized or non-recommended regimens. We modeled 3-year mortality and durability rates on a dynamic cohort, basing on international literature. A prevalent patients analysis has also been conducted, for which the model is fed by a closed cohort consisting of all the patients without experience of virologic failure. The aim of this collateral analysis is to estimate the difference in current annual expenditures if the past prescription trends for patients starting therapy would have led to the evaluated hypothetical scenarios. Current Italian market shares of triple regimens containing first-choice or alternative backbones (tenofovir/emtricitabine, abacavir/lamivudine, tenofovir/lamivudine and zidovudine/lamivudine are compared to three hypothetical scenarios (base-case, minimum and maximum in which increasing shares of patients eligible to abacavir/lamivudine start first line treatment with this backbone. Annual cost for each regimen comprises drugs acquisition under hospital pricing rules, monitoring exams and preventive tests, valued basing on regional reimbursement tariffs.RESULTS: According to current prescribing trends, in the next three years about 13,000 patients starting HIV therapy will receive tenofovir/emtricitabine (83% of the target population, and minor portions other regimens (9% abacavir/lamivudine, 8% zidovudine/lamivudine. Patients that would be eligible to

Molecular imaging needles: dual-modality optical coherence tomography and fluorescence imaging of labeled antibodies deep in tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Scolaro, Loretta; Lorenser, Dirk; Madore, Wendy-Julie; Kirk, Rodney W.; Kramer, Anne S.; Yeoh, George C.; Godbout, Nicolas; Sampson, David D.; Boudoux, Caroline; McLaughlin, Robert A.

2015-01-01

Molecular imaging using optical techniques provides insight into disease at the cellular level. In this paper, we report on a novel dual-modality probe capable of performing molecular imaging by combining simultaneous three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) and two-dimensional fluorescence imaging in a hypodermic needle. The probe, referred to as a molecular imaging (MI) needle, may be inserted tens of millimeters into tissue. The MI needle utilizes double-clad fiber to carry both imaging modalities, and is interfaced to a 1310-nm OCT system and a fluorescence imaging subsystem using an asymmetrical double-clad fiber coupler customized to achieve high fluorescence collection efficiency. We present, to the best of our knowledge, the first dual-modality OCT and fluorescence needle probe with sufficient sensitivity to image fluorescently labeled antibodies. Such probes enable high-resolution molecular imaging deep within tissue. PMID:26137379

A randomized assessment of adding the kinase inhibitor lestaurtinib to first-line chemotherapy for FLT3-mutated AML

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knapper, Steven; Russell, Nigel; Gilkes, Amanda

2017-01-01

The clinical benefit of adding FMS-like tyrosine kinase-3 (FLT3)-directed small molecule therapy to standard first-line treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has not yet been established. As part of the UK AML15 and AML17 trials, patients with previously untreated AML and confirmed FLT3-activ...

Case Reports of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Unresponsive to First-Line Therapies Treated With Traditional Herbal Medicines Based on Syndrome Differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Juno; Lee, Beom-Joon; Lee, Jun-Hwan

The objective of our study is to present two cases showing the effects of traditional Korean herbal medicines based on traditional Korean medicine (TKM) for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP). One patient showed no response to treatment with steroids and an immunosuppressive agent. Moreover, liver toxicity and side effects of steroids were evident. However, after he ceased conventional treatment and started to take an herbal medicine, his liver function normalized and the steroid side effects resolved. Ultimately, he achieved complete remission. Another patient with ITP had sustained remission after steroid therapy in childhood, but extensive uterine bleeding and thrombocytopenia recurred when she was 16 years old. She was managed with steroids again for 2 years, but severe side effects occurred, and eventually she ceased taking steroids. She refused a splenectomy, and was then treated with a herbal medicine for 7 months, ultimately leading to sustained remission again. Many patients with resistance to first-line treatments tend to be reluctant to undergo a splenectomy, considered a standard second-line treatment. In conclusion, herbal medicines, based on TKM, may offer alternative treatments for persistent or chronic ITP that is resistant to existing first-line treatments. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

First line treatment of aplastic anemia with thymoglobuline in Europe and Asia: Outcome of 955 patients treated 2001-2012.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacigalupo, Andrea; Oneto, Rosi; Schrezenmeier, Hubert; Hochsmann, Britta; Dufour, Carlo; Kojima, Seiji; Zhu, Xiaofan; Chen, Xiaojuan; Issaragrisil, Surapol; Chuncharunee, Suporn; Jeong, Dae Chul; Giammarco, Sabrina; Van Lint, Maria Teresa; Zheng, Yizhou; Vallejo, Carlos

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of patients with aplastic anemia (AA), receiving rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (Thymoglobulin, SANOFI) and cyclosporin, as first line treatment. Eligible were 955 patients with AA, treated first line with Thymoglobulin, between 2001 and 2008 (n = 492), or between 2009 and 2012 (n = 463). The median age of the patients was 21 years (range 1-84). Mortality within 90 days was 5.7% and 2.4%, respectively in the two time periods (P = .007).The actuarial 10-year survival for the entire population was 70%; transplant free survival was 64%. Predictors of survival in multivariate analysis, were severity of the disease, patients age and the interval between diagnosis and treatment. Survival was 87% vs 61% for responders at 6 months versus nonresponders (P < .0001). The 10-year survival of nonresponders at 6 months, undergoing a subsequent transplant (n = 110), was 64%, vs 60% for patient not transplantated (n = 266) (P = .1). The cumulative incidence of response was 37%, 52%, 65% respectively, at 90, 180, and 365 days. In multivariate analysis, negative predictors of response at 6 months, were older age, longer interval diagnosis treatment, and greater severity of the disease. In conclusion, early mortality is low after first line treatment of AA with Thymoglobulin, and has been further reduced after year 2008. Patients age, together with interval diagnosis-treament and severity of the disease, remain strong predictors of response and survival. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Vinorelbine as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Romero, A; Rabinovich, M G; Vallejo, C T; Perez, J E; Rodriguez, R; Cuevas, M A; Machiavelli, M; Lacava, J A; Langhi, M; Romero Acuña, L

1994-02-01

A phase II trial was performed to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of vinorelbine (VNB) as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic breast carcinoma. Between August 1991 and February 1993, 45 patients with metastatic breast cancer were entered onto the study. Therapy consisted of VNB 30 mg/m2 diluted in 500 mL of normal saline administered as a 1-hour intravenous infusion. Injections were repeated weekly until evidence of progressive disease (PD) or severe toxicity developed. One patient was considered not assessable for response. An objective response (OR) was observed in 18 of 44 patients (41%; 95% confidence interval, 26% to 56%). Three patients (7%) had a complete response (CR) and 15 (34%) had a partial response (PR). The median time to treatment failure for the entire group was 6 months (range, 1 to 15), and the median duration of response was 9 months (range, 1 to 15). The median survival duration has not been reached yet. There were no treatment-related deaths. The dose-limiting toxicity was myelosuppression. Leukopenia occurred in 35 patients (78%) and was grade 3 or 4 in 16 (36%). Phlebitis was observed in 19 of 29 patients (66%) who did not have central implantable venous systems. Fifteen patients (33%) developed peripheral neurotoxicity. Myalgia occurred in 20 patients (44%). VNB is an active drug against metastatic breast cancer with moderate toxicity, which justifies further evaluation in association with other agents.

Verification of experimental modal modeling using HDR (Heissdampfreaktor) dynamic test data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Srinivasan, M.G.; Kot, C.A.; Hsieh, B.J.

1983-01-01

Experimental modal modeling involves the determination of the modal parameters of the model of a structure from recorded input-output data from dynamic tests. Though commercial modal analysis algorithms are being widely used in many industries their ability to identify a set of reliable modal parameters of an as-built nuclear power plant structure has not been systematically verified. This paper describes the effort to verify MODAL-PLUS, a widely used modal analysis code, using recorded data from the dynamic tests performed on the reactor building of the Heissdampfreaktor, situated near Frankfurt, Federal Republic of Germany. In the series of dynamic tests on HDR in 1979, the reactor building was subjected to forced vibrations from different types and levels of dynamic excitations. Two sets of HDR containment building input-output data were chosen for MODAL-PLUS analyses. To reduce the influence of nonlinear behavior on the results, these sets were chosen so that the levels of excitation are relatively low and about the same in the two sets. The attempted verification was only partially successful in that only one modal model, with a limited range of validity, could be synthesized and in that the goodness of fit could be verified only in this limited range

Multi-Modality Cascaded Convolutional Neural Networks for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Manhua; Cheng, Danni; Wang, Kundong; Wang, Yaping

2018-03-23

Accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) plays important role for patient care and development of future treatment. Structural and functional neuroimages, such as magnetic resonance images (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), are providing powerful imaging modalities to help understand the anatomical and functional neural changes related to AD. In recent years, machine learning methods have been widely studied on analysis of multi-modality neuroimages for quantitative evaluation and computer-aided-diagnosis (CAD) of AD. Most existing methods extract the hand-craft imaging features after image preprocessing such as registration and segmentation, and then train a classifier to distinguish AD subjects from other groups. This paper proposes to construct cascaded convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to learn the multi-level and multimodal features of MRI and PET brain images for AD classification. First, multiple deep 3D-CNNs are constructed on different local image patches to transform the local brain image into more compact high-level features. Then, an upper high-level 2D-CNN followed by softmax layer is cascaded to ensemble the high-level features learned from the multi-modality and generate the latent multimodal correlation features of the corresponding image patches for classification task. Finally, these learned features are combined by a fully connected layer followed by softmax layer for AD classification. The proposed method can automatically learn the generic multi-level and multimodal features from multiple imaging modalities for classification, which are robust to the scale and rotation variations to some extent. No image segmentation and rigid registration are required in pre-processing the brain images. Our method is evaluated on the baseline MRI and PET images of 397 subjects including 93 AD patients, 204 mild cognitive impairment (MCI, 76 pMCI +128 sMCI) and 100 normal controls (NC) from Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging