Optimizing psma radioligand therapy for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. A systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of the review was to evaluate patient and treatment characteristics for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) treated with PSMA radioligand therapy (PRLT) associated with above-average outcome. The systematic review and meta-analysis followed recommendations by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). We searched for publications in PubMed, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 31 September 2020. Thirty-six publications and four duplicates reported 2346 patients. Nearly two-thirds of the patients had bone metastases. Median overall survival (OS) was 16 months. Asymptomatic patients and patients with only lymph node metastases lived longer than symptomatic patients and patients with more extensive metastases. Patients treated with an intensified schedule of177Lu PRLT lived longer than those treated with a conventional schedule. Half of the patients obtained a PSA decline ≥ 50% and these patients lived longer than those with less PSA decline. Approximately 10% of the patients developed hematologic toxicity with anemia grade 3 as the most severe adverse effect. Characteristics for patients, cancer, restaging, and PRLT predict above average overall survival following treatment with PRLT

Sub-milliarcsecond Imaging of Quasars and AGN

We have used the VLBA at 15 GHz to image the structure of 132 strong compact AGN and quasars with a resolution better than one milliarcsecond and a dynamic range typically exceeding 1000 to 1. These observations were made as part of a program to investigate the sub-parsec structure of quasars and AGN and to study the changes in their structure with time. Many of the sources included in our study, particularly those located south of +35 degrees, have not been previously imaged with milliarcsecond resolution. Each of the sources has been observed at multiple epochs. In this paper we show images of each of the 132 sources which we have observed. For each source we present data at the epoch which had the best quality data. The milliarcsecond jets generally appear one-sided but two-sided structure is often found in lower luminosity radio galaxies and in high luminosity quasars with gigahertz peaked spectra. Usually the structure is unresolved along the direction perpendicular to the jet, but a few sources have broad plumes. In some low luminosity radio galaxies, the structure appears more symmetric at 2 cm than at long wavelengths. The apparent long wavelength symmetry in these sources is probably due to absorption by intervening material. A few sources contain only a single component with any secondary feature at least a thousand times weaker. We find no obvious correlation of radio morphology and the detection of gamma-ray emission by EGRET.Comment: 19 pages, 3 tables, 3 figures. Figure 2 (132 contour diagrams) is long and is omitted here. Figure 2 may be viewed at http://www.cv.nrao.edu/2cmsurvey/ In press, Astronomical Journal, April 199

Fluoroquinolone resistance during 2000–2005 : An observational study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Moxifloxacin is a respiratory fluoroquinolone with a community acquired pneumonia indication. Unlike other fluoroquinolones used in our healthcare system, moxifloxacin's urinary excretion is low and thus we hypothesized that increased use of moxifloxacin is associated with an increase in fluoroquinolone resistance amongst gram negative uropathogens.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>All antibiograms for Gram negative bacteria were obtained for 2000 to 2005. The defined daily dose (DDD) for each fluoroquinolone was computed according to World Health Organization criteria. To account for fluctuation in patient volume, DDD/1000 bed days was computed for each year of study. Association between DDD/1000 bed days for each fluoroquinolone and the susceptibility of Gram negative bacteria to ciprofloxacin was assessed using Pearson's Correlation Coefficient, r.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the study period, there were 48,261 antibiograms, 347,931 DDD of fluoroquinolones, and 1,943,338 bed days. Use of fluoroquinolones among inpatients decreased from 237.2 DDD/1000 bed days in 2000 to 115.2 DDD/1000 bed days in 2005. With the exception of <it>Enterobacter aerogenes</it>, moxifloxacin use was negatively correlated with sensitivity among all 13 Gram negative species evaluated (r = -0.07 to -0.97). When the sensitivities of all Gram negative organisms were aggregated, all fluoroquinolones except moxifloxacin were associated with increased sensitivity (r = 0.486 to 1.000) while moxifloxacin was associated with decreased sensitivity (r = -0.464).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Moxifloxacin, while indicated for empiric treatment of community acquired pneumonia, may have important negative influence on local antibiotic sensitivities amongst Gram negative organisms. This effect was not shared by other commonly used members of the fluoroquinolone class.</p

How to Educate Entrepreneurs?

Entrepreneurship education has two purposes: To improve students’ entrepreneurial skills and to provide impetus to those suited to entrepreneurship while discouraging the rest. While entrepreneurship education helps students to make a vocational decision its effects may conflict for those not suited to entrepreneurship. This study shows that vocational and the skill formation effects of entrepreneurship education can be identified empirically by drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior. This is embedded in a structural equation model which we estimate and test using a robust 2SLS estimator. We find that the attitudinal factors posited by the Theory of Planned Behavior are positively correlated with students’ entrepreneurial intentions. While conflicting effects of vocational and skill directed course content are observed in some individuals, overall these types of content are complements. This finding contradicts previous results in the literature. We reconcile the conflicting findings and discuss implications for the design of entrepreneurship courses

Extreme AGN Feedback and Cool Core Destruction in the X-ray Luminous Galaxy Cluster MACS J1931.8-2634

We report on a deep, multiwavelength study of the galaxy cluster MACS J1931.8-2634 using Chandra X-ray, Subaru optical, and VLA 1.4 GHz radio data. This cluster (z=0.352) harbors one of the most X-ray luminous cool cores yet discovered, with an equivalent mass cooling rate within the central 50 kpc is approximately 700 solar masses/yr. Unique features observed in the central core of MACSJ1931.8-2634 hint to a wealth of past activity that has greatly disrupted the original cool core. We observe a spiral of relatively cool, dense, X-ray emitting gas connected to the cool core, as well as highly elongated intracluster light (ICL) surrounding the cD galaxy. Extended radio emission is observed surrounding the central AGN, elongated in the east-west direction, spatially coincident with X-ray cavities. The power input required to inflate these `bubbles' is estimated from both the X-ray and radio emission to reside between 4 and 14e45 erg/s, putting it among the most powerful jets ever observed. This combination of a powerful AGN outburst and bulk motion of the cool core have resulted in two X-ray bright ridges to form to the north and south of the central AGN at a distance of approximately 25 kpc. The northern ridge has spectral characteristics typical of cool cores and is consistent with being a remnant of the cool core after it was disrupted by the AGN and bulk motions. It is also the site of H-alpha filaments and young stars. The X-ray spectroscopic cooling rate associated with this ridge is approximately 165 solar masses/yr, which agrees with the estimate of the star formation rate from broad-band optical imaging (170 solar masses/yr). MACS J1931.8-2634 appears to harbor one of most profoundly disrupted low entropy cores observed in a cluster, and offers new insights into the survivability of cool cores in the context of hierarchical structure formation.Comment: 19 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables. Accepted by MNRAS for publication September 30 201

A qualitative reading of the ecological (dis)organisation of criminal associations. The case of the ?Famiglia Basilischi? in Italy

This paper combines the theoretical foundations of organisational ecology - one of the most important approaches in economic sociology - with classic criminological theories to interpret the birth, evolution and death of criminal associations. This mixed approach will support the interpretation of organised crime groups as phenomena strictly linked to the environment as well as to other competitors in criminal markets. This paper analyses the birth, evolution and death of a criminal association in Basilicata, Southern Italy, known as the ?Famiglia Basilischi?. The case is exemplary of how ecological conditions affect the success or failure of a newly formed criminal association. These conditions can therefore be indicators to interpret organised criminal activities in similar environments

Genes Suggest Ancestral Colour Polymorphisms Are Shared across Morphologically Cryptic Species in Arctic Bumblebees

email Suzanne orcd idCopyright: © 2015 Williams et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited