Diagnostic Performance of a Machine Learning Algorithm (Asthma/Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease [COPD] Differentiation Classification) Tool Versus Primary Care Physicians and Pulmonologists in Asthma, COPD, and Asthma/COPD Overlap

Funding The study was funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, United States. Acknowledgement The studies were funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, United States. Under the direction of authors, Rabi Panigrahy, Preethi B and Ian Wright (professional medical writers; Novartis) assisted in the preparation of this article in accordance with the third edition of Good Publication Practice (GPP3) guidelines (http://www.ismpp.org/gpp3)Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Survival and prognostic factors in patients with stable and unstable spinal bone metastases from solid tumors: a retrospective analysis of 915 cases

Background: Adequate prediction of survival plays an important role in treatment decisions for patients with spinal bone metastases (SBM). Several prognostic factors are already used in daily clinical practice, but factors related to stability of SBM are still unknown. Therefore, we designed this study to identify these prognostic factors. Methods: We retrospectively assessed 915 patients from solid tumors with commonly metastased into the bone treated at our department between January 2000 and January 2012. Lung cancer (NSCLC), breast and renal cancer listed in Table 1 are the most common solid tumors with bone metastasis in this study. Prostate carcinoma was excluded due to osteoblastic SBM with no influence for stability. We calculated overall survival (OS) and bone survival (BS; time between first diagnosis of bone metastases until death) with the Kaplan-Meier method and assessed prognostic factors for BS with the log-rank test and a Cox regression model separately for patients with stable and unstable SBM. Results: Median follow-up was 9.3 months. OS after 6 months, 1, 2, and 5 years was 81, 62, 42, and 25% in patients with stable SBM and 78, 57, 38, and 22% in patients with unstable SBM (p = 0.851). BS was 57, 38, 22, and 5% in the group of stable SBM after 6 months, 1, 2, and 5 years. For patients with unstable SBM BS after 6 months, 1, 2, and 5 years was 59, 39, 19, and 8% (p = 0.755). In multivariate analysis we found male gender (HR = 1.27 [95% CI 1.01–1.60], p = 0.04), Karnofsky performance status (KPS) <80 % (HR = 1.27 [95%CI 1.04–1.55], p = 0.02) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; HR = 2.77 [95%CI 1.99–3.86], p <0.0001) to be independent prognostic factors for shortened survival in patients with stable SBM. Independent prognostic factors for unstable SBM were age per year (HR = 1.01 [95% CI 1.0–1.02], p = 0.025), multiple SBM (HR = 1.35 [95% CI 1.1–1.65], p = 0.003), and NSCLC (HR = 2.0 [95% CI 1.43–2.80], p &lt; 0.0001). Additionally, not wearing an orthopedic corset (HR = 0.77 [95% CI 0.62–0.96], p = 0.02) was associated with prolonged BS in patients with unstable SBM and in both groups BS was significantly longer in patients without liver metastases (stable SBM: HR = 0.72 [95% CI 0.56–0.92], p = 0.008; unstable SBM: HR = 0.71 [95% CI 0.54–0.92], p = 0.01). Conclusions: Survival was equal for patients with stable and unstable SBM. However, prognostic factors differed in both groups and stability should therefore be considered in treatment decision-making

Measurements of the Delta(1232) Transition Form Factor and the Ratio sigma_n\sigma_p From Inelastic Electron-Proton and Electron-Deuteron Scattering

Measurements of inclusive electron-scattering cross sections using hydrogen and deuterium targets in the region of the Delta(1232) resonance are reported. A global fit to these new data and previous data in the resonance region is also reported for the proton. Transition form factors have been extracted from the proton cross sections for this experiment over the four-momentum transfer squared range 1.64 < Q^2 < 6.75 (GeV/c)^2 and from previous data over the range 2.41 < Q^2 < 9.82 (GeV/c)^2. The results confirm previous reports that the Delta(1232) transition form factor decreases more rapidly with Q^2 than expected from perturbative QCD. The ratio of sigma _n \sigma_p in the \Delta(1232) resonance region has been extracted from the deuteron data for this experiment in the range 1.64 < Q^2 < 3.75 (GeV/c)^2 and for a previous experiment in the range 2.4 < Q^2 < 7.9 (GeV/c)^2. A study has been made of the model dependence of these results. This ratio sigma_n\sigma_p for \Delta(1232) production is slightly less than unity, while sigma_n\sigma_p for the nonresonant cross sections is approximately 0.5, which is consistent with deep inelastic scattering results.Comment: 10 figures. 42 pages, including figures. submitted to Physical Review

Direction et distance d'analyse à la sonde atomique

Les résultats d'analyse à la sonde atomique se présentent sous la forme d'une liste d'arrivée des atomes qui correspond à l'investigation en profondeur de l'échantillon. Pour une pleine exploitation des résultats, en particulier dans les profils de composition, cette liste doit être reliée au réseau réel de l'échantillon. A partir d'un modèle représentant la forme des échantillons, la direction et la surface d'analyse sont définies en tout site d'investigation. La profondeur d'analyse est ensuite exprimée en fonction du nombre de plans évaporés. Une expression du volume analysé est proposée et conduit à une relation donnant la profondeur d'analyse en fonction du nombre d'atomes reçus. Enfin une constante d'expérimentation est introduite et montre la contribution des différents facteurs mis en jeu

Direction et distance d'analyse à la sonde atomique

Les résultats d'analyse à la sonde atomique se présentent sous la forme d'une liste d'arrivée des atomes qui correspond à l'investigation en profondeur de l'échantillon. Pour une pleine exploitation des résultats, en particulier dans les profils de composition, cette liste doit être reliée au réseau réel de l'échantillon. A partir d'un modèle représentant la forme des échantillons, la direction et la surface d'analyse sont définies en tout site d'investigation. La profondeur d'analyse est ensuite exprimée en fonction du nombre de plans évaporés. Une expression du volume analysé est proposée et conduit à une relation donnant la profondeur d'analyse en fonction du nombre d'atomes reçus. Enfin une constante d'expérimentation est introduite et montre la contribution des différents facteurs mis en jeu

Die Nutzung neuer und erneuerbarerEnergiequellen in Entwicklungsländern

On the occasion of the United Nations Conference on New and Renewable Sources of Energy in Nairobi August 1981, each of the participating countries submitted- a national paper which describes the energy scene and the role of new and renewable sources of energy in the respective country. In the following study 47 national papers from developing countries and 16 national papers from industrialized countries have been analyzed. The aim of this analysis was to find out how important the new and renewable sources of energy in the developing and the developed countries are and what possible fields for an effective north-south cooperation exist. The analysis consists of the following steps: - Extracting of relevant informations and data from the national papers and tabulating them in a uniform manner (to be found in Volume 2 of this study). - Determination of fields for bilateral cooperation between developed and developing countries from the view point of the developing countries. - Classification of developing countries with regard to oil and coal resources, hydropower potential and firewood situation. - Detailed analysis of 10 representative developing countries. - Analysis of the industrialized nations with regard to energy policy, cooperation with developing countries and state of art of the technologies for using new and renewable sources of energy. At present nearly all developing countries consume considerable amounts of renewables, especially firewood and dung. Most of these countries want to introduce various other new and renewable sources of energy on the basis of new and efficient technologies. But there exist various economic, financial, infrastructural, socio-cultural and other constraints. To overcome these constraints an enormous self-help and a much more intensive cooperation with industrialized countries in the fields of energy planning,education,development of infrastructure,research and technical development is necessary