Modelling human choices: MADeM and decision‑making

Research supported by FAPESP 2015/50122-0 and DFG-GRTK 1740/2. RP and AR are also part of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center for Neuromathematics FAPESP grant (2013/07699-0). RP is supported by a FAPESP scholarship (2013/25667-8). ACR is partially supported by a CNPq fellowship (grant 306251/2014-0)

Competition for the first move in cooperative TU-CPR games

TU = Transferable Utility ; CPR = Common Pool ResourceSIGLEAvailable from Bibliothek des Instituts fuer Weltwirtschaft, ZBW, D-21400 Kiel W 259 (9605) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman

Non-binding agreements and fairness in commons dilemma games

Fairness, Kernel, Commons Dilemma, Tu Games,

Small cell carcinoma of bladder: A single-center prospective study of 25 cases treated in analogy to small cell lung cancer

Objectives. To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a therapeutic algorithm for the management of small cell carcinoma of the bladder derived from the treatment of small cell lung cancer. Methods. During a 10-year period, 25 patients (23 men and 2 women; median age 64 years, with 8 [32%] older than 75 years) with small cell carcinoma of the bladder were defined as having limited disease (LD) or extensive disease (ED) in analogy to the classification of small cell lung cancer. Patients with LD were eligible for chemotherapy and sequential radiotherapy. Patients unfit for chemotherapy were offered complete transurethral resection and radiotherapy or cystectomy for large symptomatic tumors. Patients with ED were offered palliative chemotherapy. Results. Of the 25 patients, 17 (68%) had LD and 8 (32%) ED. Without regard to stage, the median survival of those receiving chemotherapy was 15 months versus 4 months for those who did not. The median survival for those with LD was 12 months versus 5 months for those with ED. Nine patients (52.9%) with LD could not undergo chemoradiotherapy because of comorbidity and reduced performance (n = 7), progression (n = 1), or drug-related death (n = 1). Five of those patients underwent TUR and radiotherapy and two cystectomy. Conclusions. The prognosis of small cell carcinoma of the bladder is poor. This treatment algorithm offers bladder sparing for most patients, with few long-term remissions in patients with small, confined tumors. None of the patients died of locoregional tumor progression, supporting that cystectomy is not the treatment of choice for those with LD. With a significant proportion of elderly patients with comorbidities, chemoradiotherapy was not feasible in more than one half of the patients with LD

Effects of a 6-week, whole-body vibration strength-training on depression symptoms, endocrinological and neurobiological parameters in adolescent inpatients experiencing a major depressive episode (the Balancing Vibrations Study): study protocol for a randomized placebo-controlled trial

Background: Moderate to vigorous endurance and strength-training exercise was suggested as a treatment option for major depression. However, there is little evidence to support this suggestion in adolescent patients. The present study investigates the effects of a whole-body vibration strength-training intervention on symptoms in medication-naive adolescent inpatients experiencing a major depressive episode. Potential underlying endocrinological and neurobiological mechanisms are explored. Methods/design: A double-blinded randomized controlled trial is conducted at the University Hospital of Cologne in Germany, comparing a 6-week, whole-body vibration strength-training with a 6-week placebo-intervention, as add-on therapy to inpatient treatment as usual. Forty-one subjects (13-18 years of age) will be included in each of the two groups. The study is powered to detect (alpha = .05, beta= .2) a medium effect size difference between the two groups (d = .5) in terms of patients' change in the Children's Depression Rating Scale raw-score, from baseline until the end of the intervention. As secondary endpoints, the effects of exercise treatment on patients' cortisol awakening response as well as on brain-derived neurotrophic factor, insulin-like growth factor 1 and inflammatory markers (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein) serum levels will be assessed. Discussion: This study will provide evidence on the effectiveness of whole-body vibration strength-training as an add-on therapy in adolescent inpatients experiencing a major depressive episode. After completion of data collection, the present study will be the largest randomized controlled trial so far to investigate the effectiveness of an exercise intervention in inpatient adolescents suffering from a major depressive episode. Moreover, the present study may help to determine the underlying mechanisms of potential anti-depressant effects of exercise in depressed adolescent inpatients

Paraaortic sentinel lymph nodes: toward optimal detection and intraoperative localization using SPECT/CT and intraoperative real-time imaging

Paraaortic sentinel node biopsy may be a challenging procedure because the sentinel nodes are located retroperitoneally in close proximity to vital structures. The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the value of preoperative SPECT/CT for lymphatic mapping, and a portable gamma-camera for intraoperative radioguidance, in patients with paraaortic sentinel nodes. METHODS: We evaluated our practice in 18 patients, who were treated at The Netherlands Cancer Institute with sentinel lymphadenectomy for different urologic malignancies and showed paraaortic drainage on preoperative images. After intratumoral injection of (99m)Tc-nanocolloid, the patients underwent sequential planar lymphoscintigraphy, hybrid SPECT/CT, and sentinel lymphadenectomy. Intraoperative node detection and localization were guided by a laparoscopic gamma-probe and a portable gamma-camera. This gamma-camera was set to display both the (99m)Tc signal and the (125)I-seed signal. This (125)I seed was placed on top of the gamma-probe, functioning as a pointer on screen, thus enabling real-time sentinel node localization with the gamma-camera. RESULTS: In 16 patients with midabdominal drainage on planar images and in 2 patients with nonvisualization on planar images, SPECT/CT showed clear localization of paraaortic sentinel nodes in relation to the abdominal vessels. Five patients underwent open surgery, and 13 patients underwent laparoscopy. The paraaortic sentinel nodes were successfully localized and removed in 15 patients with the help of the portable gamma-camera and gamma-probe and in 3 patients with the gamma-probe only. In 1 patient, the paraaortic sentinel node showed a metastasis. CONCLUSION: If retroperitoneal drainage is expected, SPECT/CT provides good detection and clear localization of sentinel nodes in relation to anatomic structures. Detection and removal of paraaortic sentinel nodes by means of a laparoscopic gamma-probe and real-time imaging with a portable gamma-camera is a successful method with high intraoperative detection rate