Vinorelbine plus platinum compared to vinorelbine plus capecitabine in treatment of patients with metastatic triple negative breast cancer previously treated with anthracycline and taxane: a prospective randomized study

Introduction. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of the vinorelbine-based combination chemotherapy with either cisplatin or capecitabine in metastatic triple-negative breast cancer (mTNBC) pretreated with anthracycline and taxane.  Material and methods. This is an open-labeled randomized prospective single-institute study, that included all patients who received chemotherapy for mTNBC in the period between 1st of July 2016 and 30th of June 2017 and were pretreated with anthracycline and taxane. Patients were randomized to either vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 I.V on days 1 and 8 plus oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily, on days 1–14 (NX); or vinorelbine 25 mg/m2 I.V on days 1 and 8 plus cisplatin 75 mg/m2 (NP), every 21 days. The primary endpoint was time to progression (TTP), whereas the secondary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR), safety, and overall survival (OS).  Results. Median TTP was 9.9 months with NP vs. 8 months with NX, (p = 0.22). ORR was 40% with NP vs. 36% with NX, (p = 0.77). Median OS was 13 months with NP vs. 13.2 months with NX (p = 0.599). Both regimens demonstrated similar rates of grade ≥ 3 vomiting and neutropenia. A higher incidence of thrombocytopenia, tinnitus, and kidney function alteration were reported with NP. A higher incidence of anorexia, diarrhea, mucositis, and hand-foot syndrome were reported with NX.  Conclusions. Vinorelbine-based combination chemotherapy regimens with either cisplatin or capecitabine are active in the treatment of mTNBC pretreated with anthracycline and taxane with manageable toxicity profiles. Both regimens have comparable TTP, ORR, OS, and safety profiles

Plasma treatment in textile industry

Plasma technology applied to textiles is a dry, environmentally- and worker-friendly method to achieve surface alteration without modifying the bulk properties of different materials. In particular, atmospheric non-thermal plasmas are suited because most textile materials are heat sensitive polymers and applicable in a continuous processes. In the last years plasma technology has become a very active, high growth research field, assuming a great importance among all available material surface modifications in textile industry. The main objective of this review is to provide a critical update on the current state of art relating plasma technologies applied to textile industryFernando Oliveira (SFRH/BD/65254/2009) acknowledges Fundacao para a Cioncia e Tecnologia, Portugal, for its doctoral grant financial support. Andrea Zille (C2011-UMINHO-2C2T-01) acknowledges funding from Programa Compromisso para a Cioncia 2008, Portugal

New Landscapes and Horizons in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapy

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), is the sixth most frequent form of cancer and leads to the fourth highest number of deaths each year. HCC results from a combination of environmental factors and aging as there are driver mutations at oncogenes which occur during aging. Most of HCCs are diagnosed at advanced stage preventing curative therapies. Treatment in advanced stage is a challenging and pressing problem, and novel and well-tolerated therapies are urgently needed. We will discuss further advances beyond sorafenib that target additional signaling pathways and immune checkpoint proteins. The scenario of possible systemic therapies for patients with advanced HCC has changed dramatically in recent years. Personalized genomics and various other omics approaches may identify actionable biochemical targets, which are activated in individual patients, which may enhance therapeutic outcomes. Further studies are needed to identify predictive biomarkers and aberrantly activated signaling pathways capable of guiding the clinician in choosing the most appropriate therapy for the individual patient

SENSITIVITY OF JET CHARACTERISTICS ON DREDGING OF BED-SEDIMENTS IN A WATER-BODY

The use of a suction field aided by a jet system in a dredging process is one of the recent hydraulic methods in underwater dredging. The jet parameters have a great influence on the dredging efficiency. Jet induced impact energy that is required to initiate the bed motion and sediment pulsation is considered. Parametric sensitivity of various factors on dredging performance was carried out in an experimental set-up. Effects of changing the number of jets, jet geometry, suspension concentration, horizontal and vertical distances between jets and suction inlet on the dredging efficiency and the geometry of the excavation hole have been investigated. The results showed that several of these parameters have variable and significant effects on the dredging efficiency as well as the resulting geometry of the excavation

An Assessment of Solid Waste and Landfilis in Muscat Area, Oman

The paper presents the results of a 1998 study of the solid waste generation within the greater Muscat City area. The recent data were compared with the available data from the last 10 years to assess the solid waste problems within the area. Five operating landfills were used as the data collection points. It appeared that through the last decade, the solid waste generation rate has increased sharply. However, the rate of waste production stabilized to 750 – 800 ton/day during the last three years of the 1990s. The rate amounts to 1.5 kg/person/day. Overall municipal waste volume decreased through the years while the amounts generated from private sources such as industries and commercial centers increased during the same period. This is due to the fact that the Sultanate of Oman is developing very fast with increasing industrial, commercial and residential activities. About 80 % of the solid wastes is organic materials. This amount is high when compared to figures found in western countries. The data indicate that about 40 percent of the solid wastes are composed of recoverable materials. The concerned authorities should encourage the growth of industries to be involved in recycling business. Such activities will reduce the solid waste discharge in landfills and increase nearly 1.6 folds the expected life of existing landfills. A survey of the operating landfills indicate that the operational efficiency may be substantially improved by incorporating measures that deal with problems of gas production and leachate movements. The paper includes a detailed discussion of the problem and makes recommendations for possible future actions

تركيز الكاتيكولامينات في الدماغ والحبل الشوكي لذكور الجرذان البيضاء المعالجة بالمبيد الحشري البيريثرويدي "سفلوثرين"

The principal objective of this study was to determine the modifications induced by the synthetic pyrethroid insecticide cyfluthrin in the concentrations of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and epinephrine(E) in selected brain and spinal cord regions of male albino rats. A group of 30 rats were injected intraperitoneally every other day with cyfluthrin at 1/4 LD50 dose level for 18 days. Other two groups (30 rats each) were daily given cyfluthrin intraperitoneally at the dose levels of 1/8 LD50 and 1/50 LD50 for 18 days and 6 weeks respectively. All treated animals developed a time and dose dependent toxicity symptoms and behavioural changes representing the typical CS syndromes produced by a- cyano pyrethroids . These involve skin paresthesia , body tremor , motor incoordination , choreoathetotic writhing and profuse salivation . Clonic and tonic seizures appeared at the terminal stages . Concentrations of DA, NE and E were measured in the olfactory bulb, hypothalamus, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord homogenates of rats treated for 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 or 18 days every other day or daily with 1/4 or 1/8 LD50 dose levels respectively and of rats treated daily for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 weeks with 1/50 LD50 dose level. It was found that cyfluthrin at all dose levels used induced a general increase of DA, NE and E in all studied brain and spinal cord regions. The pattern of this increase was both time and regional dependent. These data suggest that cyfluthrin is a mammalian neurotoxic agent, and the severity of its toxic action is dependent on the treatment period as well as the affected region of the central nervous system.تناول البحث دراسة تأثير الحقن المتكرر في التجويف البريتوني لذكور الجرذان البيضاء بالمبيد الحشري البيريثرويدي سفلوثرين على تركيزات الدوبامين والنورابينفرين و ا‏لابينفرين في مناطق محددة من ا‏لدماغ والحبل الشوكي . تم حقن الجرذان بثلاثة جرعات منفصلة من السلفوثرين تعادل 1/4 ،1/8 ، 1/50 الجرعة المميتة لنصف المجموعة ، حيث تم الحقن بالجرعة الاولى يوم بعد يوم لمدة ١٨ ‏يوم أو يوميا بأي من الجرعتين الثانية والثالثة لمدة ١٨ ‏يوم و ٦ ‏أسابيع على التوالي . تم قياس تركيزات الدوبامين والنورابينفرين والابينفرين في أنسجة الفص الشمي . تحت سرير الدماغ ( الهيبوثالامس ) ، المخيخ ، النخاع المستطيل‌، والمنطقتين الصدرية والقطنية من الحبل الشوكي بعد 18،15،12،9،6،3 ‏يوما من المعالجة بأي من الجرعتين 1/4 ١،1/8 ‏الجرعة المميتة لنصف المجموعة ، وبعد 6،5،4،3،2،1 ‏أسابيع من المعالجة بالجرعة 1/50 ‏الجرعة المميتة لنصف المجموعة . ‏أظهرت النتائج أن معالجة الجرذان بأي من الجرعات المستخدمة قد أحدث زيادة في تركيزات الدوبامين والنورابينفرين والابينفرين في جميع المناطق المدروسة من الدماغ والحبل الشوكي ، حيث اعتمدت مستويات الزيادة على فترات المعالجة بالحقن وأيضا على المنطقة المدروسة . اقترحت الدراسة أن للسفلوثرين تأثيرات سامة على الجهاز العصبي المركزي في الثدييات ء تتمثل في أحداث تغييرات في تركيز الكاتيوكولامينات في مناطق مختلفة من الدماغ والحبل الشوكي