Chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer: four systematic meta-analyses of individual patient data from 37 randomized trials. Advanced Ovarian Cancer Trialists' Group

The purpose of this systematic study was to provide an up to date and reliable quantitative summary of the relative benefits of various types of chemotherapy (non-platinum vs platinum, single-agent vs combination and carboplatin vs cisplatin) in the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer. Also, to investigate whether well-defined patient subgroups benefit more or less from cisplatin- or carboplatin-based therapy. Meta-analyses were based on updated individual patient data from all available randomized controlled trials (published and unpublished), including 37 trials, 5667 patients and 4664 deaths. The results suggest that platinum-based chemotherapy is better than non-platinum therapy, show a trend in favour of platinum combinations over single-agent platinum, and suggest that cisplatin and carboplatin are equally effective. There is no good evidence that cisplatin is more or less effective than carboplatin in any particular subgroup of patients.     

Materials decay and environmental attack in the Pio Palace at Carpi: A holistic approach for historical architectural surfaces conservation

Since the XIV century the Pio Palace in Carpi (MO, Italy) has been subjected to many additions and rearrangements and, in the last decades, to wide restoration works. Nevertheless the XVII century main portal has not been restored yet, due to its complex and peculiar surface alteration forms in comparison with the other parts of the building, and still suffers a deep decay and degradation by complex chemical-physical processes.     

Synthesis and characterization of new injectable and degradable dextran-based hydrogels

Injectable and degradable hydrogels are very interesting networks for drug delivery and cell transplantation applications since they can be administered in the human body in a minimally invasive way. In most cases, the crosslinking reaction occurs by photopolymerisation or free radical polymerisation; however, the use of chemical initiators may promote cell death. In the current work, injectable and degradable dextran-based hydrogels were prepared without the use of initiators. Dextran, a natural glucose-containing polysaccharide, was oxidized with sodium periodate (dexOx) and the derivatives characterized by NMR and FTIR spectroscopy's as well as by colorimetric techniques. The oxidized derivatives were crosslinked with adipic acid dihydrazide (AAD), forming a gel within 2-4 min. The obtained hydrogels were characterized by their mechanical properties, swelling and degradation behavior under physiologic conditions. In addition, the hydrogel interior morphology as well as porous structure was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). MIP analysis showed that dexOx hydrogels crosslinked with 10% of AAD were macroporous with pore sizes ranging from 0.32 to 0.08 μm. As expected, the average pore size increased during hydrogel degradation as confirmed by SEM and MIP studies.     

Recursive estimation of the covariance matrix of acompound-Gaussian process and its application to adaptive CFAR detection

Adaptive detection of signals embedded in Gaussian or non-Gaussian noise is a problem of primary concern among radar engineers. We propose a recursive algorithm to estimate the structure of the covariance matrix of either a set of Gaussian vectors that share the spectral properties up to a multiplicative factor or a set of spherically invariant random vectors (SIRVs) with the same covariance matrix and possibly correlated texture components. We also assess the performance of an adaptive implementation of the normalized matched filter (NMF), relying on the newly introduced estimate, in the presence of compound-Gaussian, clutter-dominated, disturbance. In particular, it is shown that a proper initialization of the recursive procedure leads to an adaptive NMF with the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property and that it is very effective to operate in heterogeneous environments of relevant practical interest     

Compilers for improved Java performance

Because they are interpreted, Java executables run slower than their compiled counterparts. The native executable translation (NET) compiler's objective is to optimize the translation of Java byte-code to native machine code so that it runs nearly as fast as native code generated directly from a source. The article presents some preliminary results for several large application programs and standard benchmarks. It compares the NET-compiled code performance with Sun's Java VM, Microsoft's Java just-in-time compiler, and equivalent C and C++ programs directly compiled. The results show that the optimizing NET compiler is capable of achieving better performance than the two other byte-code execution methods, in some cases achieving speeds comparable to directly compiled native code     

A road map to find in 3D printing a new design plasticity for construction — The state of art

Recent years are showing a rapid adoption of digital manufacturing techniques to the construction industry, with a focus on additive manufacturing. Although 3D printing for construction (3DPC) has notably advanced in recent years, publications on the subject are recent and date a growth in 2019, indicating that it is a promising technology as it enables greater efficiency with fair consumption of material, minimization of waste generation, encouraging the construction industrialization and enhancing and accelerating the constructive process. This new building system not only gives an optimization of the building process but provides a new approach to the building design materiality. The direct connection between design and manufacturing allows the reduction in the number of the various construction phases needed. It is opening a new and wide range of options both formal and chromatic in customization, avoiding complex formworks, reducing costs and manufacturing time. The creative process has a strict and direct link with the constructive process, straightening design with its materiality. Cement-based materials lead the way, but new alternatives are being explored to further reduce its carbon footprint. In order to leverage its sustainability and enhance the system capacity, initiatives are being pursued to allow the reduction of the use of PC. Geopolimers are taking the first steps in 3DPC. Construction and Demolition Waste (CDW) materials are used to substitute natural aggregates. Even soil is being explored has a structural and aesthetic material. These research trends are opening a wider range of possibilities for architecture and design, broadening the spectrum of color, texture, and formal variations. The concern about textures and colours is not yet evident in many the structures already printed, opening the opportunity for future research. More can be done in the mixture and formal design of this building system, “discovering” other raw materials in others waste. This article aims to make a critical review of technologies, materials and methodologies to support the development of new sustainable materials to be used as a plastic element in the printed structure. A roadmap of 3D printing for construction is presented, and an approach on mix design, properties in the fresh and hardened state, highlighting the possibilities for obtaining alternative materials are pointed. With this review possible directions are presented to find solutions to enhance the sustainability of this system discovering “new” materiality for architecture and design.     

Effect of hemodiafiltration with endogenous reinfusion on overt idiopathic chronic inflammation in maintenance hemodialysis patients: A multicenter longitudinal study

Chronic inflammation is widely diffuse in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients and is associated with poor survival. Hemodiafiltration with endogenous reinfusion (HFR) is a dialysis technique, highly biocompatible, able to adsorb proinflammatory cytokines and to decrease amino acids and antioxidants loss. These features could be helpful in MHD patients affected by idiopathic chronic inflammation, but this issue remains to be elucidated. We performed a multicenter longitudinal study to assess the effect of the switching from bicarbonate HD to HFR in patients with serum C‐reactive Protein (CRP) > 5 mg/L coupled with albumin <4.0 g/dL in the last 6 months. We enrolled 24/176 (14%) patients, of which 20 patients were assessed at 4 months and 18 completed the study. We excluded 11 patients with evident causes of inflammation. At baseline, serum levels of CRP (18.7[7.0–39.4] mg/L) and albumin (3.5[3.3–3.7] g/dL) were significantly correlated (r = ?0.49; P = 0.028). The effect on CRP and albumin was almost evident in the first 4 months and remained stable until to eighth month. A strict correlation (R = ?0.49; 0.040) between percentage change of CRP (?35%) and albumin (+14%) after 8 months of HFR. These effects were associated with the reduction of IL‐6, IL‐1β, and TNF‐α and the increment of pre‐albumin and leptin, whereas the serum levels of Branched Chain Amino Acid (BCAA) remained unchanged. In MHD patients affected by idiopathic chronic inflammation the switching from BHD to HFR is associated with improvement of inflammation. Whether these favorable effects may modify the outcomes of these high‐risk patients needs to be confirmed by studies ad hoc.     

Benchmark characterization

An abstract system of benchmark characteristics that makes it possible, in the beginning of the design stage, to design with benchmark performance in mind is presented. The benchmark characteristics for a set of commonly used benchmarks are then shown. The benchmark set used includes some benchmarks from the Systems Performance Evaluation Cooperative. The SPEC programs are industry-standard applications that use specific inputs. Processor, memory-system, and operating-system characteristics are addressed     

Characterization of tachykinin NK2 receptor on dog proximal colon. Antagonism by MEN 10,627 and SR 48,968

The nature of the tachykinin receptors involved in the contraction of the circular muscle of dog colon has been investigated. The following rank order of potency for agonists was obtained: [Sar9,Met(O2)11]substance P > or = neurokinin A > [beta-Ala8]neurokinin A-(4-10) > [MePhe7]neurokinin B. The efficacy of the tachykinin NK2 receptor agonists was significantly greater than that of the tachykinin NK1 receptor agonists and of carbachol. A concentration-dependent rightward shift of the motor response to neurokinin A (obtained in the presence of (+/-)-CP 96,345) was induced by peptide and non-peptide tachykinin NK2 receptor antagonists with this rank order: MEN 10,627 = SR 48,968 > L 659,877 > MEN 10,376 > MDL 28,564. MEN 10,627 and SR 48,968 affinities were similar to those measured in human tissues. In conclusion, the tachykinin NK2 receptor plays a predominant role in tachykinin-induced contraction of the canine colonic circular muscle and this tissue could be useful to predict the pharmacological actions of MEN 10,627 and SR 48,968 in human colon.