Health-related quality of life in well-differentiated metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors

Spanish Neuroendocrine Tumor Group (GETNE)© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York. Gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs) are rare neoplasms capable of producing hormones. The development of new treatments has improved progression-free survival, albeit with increased toxicity. Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has become an important endpoint in clinical research to evaluate patients’ well-being in such a contradictory scenario. In this review, we examine key reported outcomes across clinical studies exploring HRQoL in patients with GEP-NETs. We have conducted a review of the literature using PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and Google Scholar. Selection criteria for articles were (1) publication in English between 1995 and 2014, (2) patients with GEP-NET, and (3) analysis of HRQoL, including mental health and psychological symptoms. Forty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria (31 clinical trials, 14 observational studies, and 4 developments of NET-specific HRQoL instruments). The scope and nature of the literature was diverse with 27 instruments used to measure aspects of HRQoL. EORTC QLQ-C30 was the most frequently used, in 38 of the 49 studies. Standardized measures revealed that in spite of generally good HRQoL, GEP-NET patients have specific psychological and physical complaints. The clinical benefit of somatostatin analogs and sunitinib has been clearly supported by HRQoL assessment. Improvement in HRQoL scores or symptom relief over time was also reported in 14 trials of peptide receptor radionuclide therapy, however the absence of randomized studies obviate definitive conclusions. We have also identified several unanswered questions that should be addressed in further research concerning chemotherapy, everolimus, surgery, local ablative therapies, and chemoembolization. Future research should incorporate GEP-NET-specific HRQoL instruments into phase III trials. This review may help both clinicians and researchers to select the most appropriate tools to assess changes in HRQoL in this population.This project was funded in part by a restricted educational grant from Novartis Spain and by support from the Spanish Neuroendocrine Tumor Group (GETNE).Peer Reviewe

Making Bipedal Robot Experiments Reproducible and Comparable: The Eurobench Software Approach

This study describes the software methodology designed for systematic benchmarking of bipedal systems through the computation of performance indicators from data collected during an experimentation stage. Under the umbrella of the European project Eurobench, we collected approximately 30 protocols with related testbeds and scoring algorithms, aiming at characterizing the performances of humanoids, exoskeletons, and/or prosthesis under different conditions. The main challenge addressed in this study concerns the standardization of the scoring process to permit a systematic benchmark of the experiments. The complexity of this process is mainly due to the lack of consistency in how to store and organize experimental data, how to define the input and output of benchmarking algorithms, and how to implement these algorithms. We propose a simple but efficient methodology for preparing scoring algorithms, to ensure reproducibility and replicability of results. This methodology mainly constrains the interface of the software and enables the engineer to develop his/her metric in his/her favorite language. Continuous integration and deployment tools are then used to verify the replicability of the software and to generate an executable instance independent of the language through dockerization. This article presents this methodology and points at all the metrics and documentation repositories designed with this policy in Eurobench. Applying this approach to other protocols and metrics would ease the reproduction, replication, and comparison of experiments.This study is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement no 779963, project Eurobench

Making Bipedal Robot Experiments Reproducible and Comparable: The Eurobench Software Approach

This study describes the software methodology designed for systematic benchmarking of bipedal systems through the computation of performance indicators from data collected during an experimentation stage. Under the umbrella of the European project Eurobench, we collected approximately 30 protocols with related testbeds and scoring algorithms, aiming at characterizing the performances of humanoids, exoskeletons, and/or prosthesis under different conditions. The main challenge addressed in this study concerns the standardization of the scoring process to permit a systematic benchmark of the experiments. The complexity of this process is mainly due to the lack of consistency in how to store and organize experimental data, how to define the input and output of benchmarking algorithms, and how to implement these algorithms. We propose a simple but efficient methodology for preparing scoring algorithms, to ensure reproducibility and replicability of results. This methodology mainly constrains the interface of the software and enables the engineer to develop his/her metric in his/her favorite language. Continuous integration and deployment tools are then used to verify the replicability of the software and to generate an executable instance independent of the language through dockerization. This article presents this methodology and points at all the metrics and documentation repositories designed with this policy in Eurobench. Applying this approach to other protocols and metrics would ease the reproduction, replication, and comparison of experiments.This study is supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under Grant Agreement no 779963, project Eurobench

El sector de automoción en Castilla y León: componentes e industria auxiliar

[ES] Este trabajo de investigación tiene por objeto principal determinar la relevancia del espacio en las nuevas formas de organización productiva que se han ido implantado en la industria de automoción de Castilla y León a partir de la adhesión española a las Comunidades Europeas, con ánimo de exhaustividad. Exploraremos la capacidad del territorio castellano y leonés para explicar la localización de las actividades productivas existentes; para reforzar la localización de las empresas que conforman el tejido del sector; para atraer nuevas implantaciones empresariales; para evitar la deslocalización de plantas productivas

ACROSTART: Estudio retrospectivo del período de tiempo para lograr el control hormonal con lanreótida Autogel en pacientes con acromegalia en la práctica clínica española

Objectives: The ACROSTART study was intended to determine the time to achieve normalization of GH and IGF-I levels in responding patients with acromegaly administered different dosage regimens of lanreotide Autogel (Somatuline ® Autogel ® ). Methods: From March 2013 to October 2013, clinical data from 57 patients from 17 Spanish hospitals with active acromegaly treated with lanreotide for ≥4 months who achieved hormonal control (GH levels &lt;2.5 ng/ml and/or normalized IGF-I levels in ≥2 measurements) were analyzed. The primary objective was to determine the time from start of lanreotide treatment to hormonal normalization. Results: Median patient age was 64 years, 21 patients were male, 39 patients had undergone surgery, and 14 patients had received radiotherapy. Median hormonal values at start of lanreotide treatment were: GH, 2.6 ng/ml; IGF-I, 1.6 × ULN. The most common starting dose of lanreotide was 120 mg (29 patients). The main initial regimens were 60 mg/4 weeks (n = 13), 90 mg/4 weeks (n = 6), 120 mg/4 weeks (n = 13), 120 mg/6 weeks (n = 6), and 120 mg/8 weeks (n = 9). An initial treatment regimen with a long interval (≥6 weeks) was administered in 25 patients. Mean duration of lanreotide treatment was 68 months (7–205). Median time to achieve hormonal control was 4.9 months. Injections were managed without healthcare assistance in 13 patients. Median number of visits to endocrinologists until hormonal control was achieved was 3. Fifty-one patients were “satisfied”/“very satisfied” with treatment and 49 patients did not miss any dose. Conclusions: Real-life treatment with lanreotide Autogel resulted in early hormonal control in responding patients, with high treatment adherence and satisfaction despite disparity in starting doses and dosing intervals.Objetivos: El objetivo del estudio ACROSTART era determinar el período de tiempo para lograr la normalización hormonal (GH e IGF-I) en pacientes con acromegalia respondedores al tratamiento considerando los regímenes de lanreótida Autogel (Somatuline®Autogel®) utilizados en la práctica clínica.Métodos: Desde marzo de 2013 hasta octubre de 2013, en 17 hospitales españoles se analizaron los datos clínicos de 57 pacientes con acromegalia activa tratados con lanreótida durante ≥4 meses que lograron control hormonal (niveles de GH <2,5 ng/ml y/o IGF-I normalizado en ≥2 evaluaciones). El objetivo principal fue determinar el período de tiempo desde el inicio del tratamiento con lanreótida hasta la normalización hormonal.Resultados: La mediana de edad de los pacientes fue 64 años, 21 pacientes eran hombres,39 pacientes habían recibido cirugía, 14 pacientes habían recibido radioterapia. Los valores hormonales medianos al inicio del tratamiento con lanreótida fueron GH: 2,6 ng/ml, IGF-I:1,6 × LSN. La dosis inicial más frecuente de lanreótida fue de 120 mg (29 pacientes). Los principales regímenes iniciales fueron 60 mg/4 semanas (n = 13), 90 mg/4 semanas (n = 6), 120 mg/ 4 semanas (n = 13), 120 mg/6 semanas (n = 6), 120 mg/8 semanas (n = 9). Se administró un régimen de intervalo prolongado (≥6 semanas) en 25 pacientes. La duración media del tratamiento con lanreótida fue de 68 meses (7---205). El tiempo medio hasta lograr el control hormonal fue de 4,9 meses. Las inyecciones se manejaron sin asistencia médica en 13 pacientes. La mediana del número de visitas al endocrinólogo hasta el control hormonal fue 3. Cincuenta y un pacientes estaban ‘‘satisfechos’’/‘‘muy satisfechos’’ con el tratamiento y 49 pacientes no olvidaron ninguna dosis. Conclusiones: El tratamiento en la vida real con lanreótida Autogel condujo a un control hormonal temprano en pacientes que respondieron, con una alta adherencia al tratamiento y satisfacción con el tratamiento, a pesar de la disparidad de las dosis iniciales y los intervalos de dosificaciónThis study was funded by Ipsen Pharma S.A., Spai