Ecteinascidin-743: Evidence of Activity in Advanced, Pretreated Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Patients

Purpose. To evaluate the activity and safety of ecteinascidin (ET-743) in pretreated patients with advanced or metastatic soft tissue and bone sarcoma. Patients or subjects. Eighty-nine patients received ET-743 as a 24-hour continuous infusion at a dose of 900–1500 μg/m(2) every 3 weeks. Results. We observed one complete remission, 5 partial remissions, one minimal response, and 16 patients with a disease stabilization of 6 months or more. The objective response rate was 6.7% and the clinical benefit rate at 3 and 6 months was 37.7% and 23.4%, respectively. Responses were noted in patients with lipo-, leiomyo-, osteo-, and myogenic sarcoma, with a median duration of 9.85 months. Toxicity mainly involved an asymptomatic elevation of transaminases and neutropenia. Estimated 1- and 2-year survival rates were 39.4% and 15.8%. Median overall survival was 8.25 months. Discussion. This retrospective analysis confirms that ET-743 induces objective responses and progression arrest in a clinically relevant proportion of patients

Establishing and theorising data analytics governance:a descriptive framework and a VSM-based view

The rise of big data has led to many new opportunities for organisations to create value from data. However, an increasing dependence on data also poses many challenges for organisations. To overcome these challenges, organisations have to establish data analytics governance. Leading IT and information governance literature shows that governance can be implemented through mechanisms. The data analytics literature is not very abundant in describing specific governance mechanisms. Hence, there is a need to identify and describe specific data analytics governance mechanisms. To this end, a preliminary framework based on literature was developed and validated using a multiple case study design. This resulted in an extended descriptive framework that can aide managers in implementing data analytics governance. Furthermore, we draw on viable system model (VSM) theory to make a theoretical contribution by discussing how data analytics governance can contnue to fulfil its purpose of creating (business) value from data

Fulminante pancreatitis door hypertriglyceridemie bij gebruik van quetiapine

An important cause of hypertriglyceridemia in psychiatric patients is the administration of antipsychotics. Mildly elevated levels of triglycerides are seen most often, occurring shortly after treatment inception. Whether hypertriglyceridemia may be caused by alcohol use has not been fully elucidated. We describe the case of a 38-year-old woman suffering from schizophrenia who had been prescribed quetiapine for five years and consumed two glasses of alcohol daily. Upon presentation with stomach pain, lab results showed alarming triglyceride levels (8348 mg/dl). She rapidly developed both a severe pancreatitis and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (ttp). We discuss how this most severe case of pancreatitis and ttp in a patient on an antipsychotic described in the literature to date should encourage prevention and early management of hypertriglyceridemia in psychiatric patients

Impact of IT governance process capability on business performance: Theory and empirical evidence

In the digital economy, firms' IT resource investments represent a significant portion of their capital investments. IT governance processes are critical for companies to decide what and how to deploy IT resources and measure and achieve the expected business benefits. This study introduces and measures the concept of IT governance process capability, which is defined as the firm's ability to identify, design, implement and leverage the following IT governance processes: IT decision-making, IT planning, IT infrastructure modernization, IT services delivery, and IT monitoring. We propose that IT governance process capability can improve IT performance, which in turn can improve business performance. Using a unique dataset from 881 global companies, we found support for the proposed research model. This paper contributes to the Information Systems (IS) literature on business value of IT by conceptualizing, evaluating, and introducing the construct of IT governance process capability and theorizing and proving how this core IT capability positively affects IT performance to enhance business performance