CT-based tumour response criteria compared after combined treatment for liver metastases of colorectal cancer

open6noPurpose: The aim of this analysis is to compare different tumour response criteria (TRC) after chemotherapy combined with bevacizumab in liver metastases from colorectal cancer (mCRC) to ascertain the best early prognostic indicator of response. Methods and Materials: 103 target liver metastases from 65 mCRC patients treated with chemoterapy plus bevacizumab were examined at the Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCSS (March 2008-January 2013). All patients had baseline CT and at least one follow-up scan. Tumour response was retrospectively analyzed by two radiologists using RECIST1.1, modified Choi, and Chun morphologic criteria. Tumour response, classified as good (complete or partial response) or poor (stable or progressive disease), was compared with progression-free survival (PFS) at first follow-up (t1) and time of best response. Interobserver agreement and concordance between TRC were measured. Results: At t1, 32.31% showed a good response according to RECIST1.1 (median PFS 11.1), 84.62% according to Choi (median PFS 10.8). These percentages rose to 49.23% (median PFS 12.1) and 87.69% (median PFS 10.8), respectively, at the time of best response. According to Chun, 67.69% showed a good response at the time of best response (median PFS 10.8). The Choi criteria detected a higher proportion of good responders at t1, showing a better correlation with PFS; all methods correlated with PFS at the time of best response. Conclusion: The Choi criteria proved more consistent in the early detection of response in mCRC treated with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab, underscoring the importance of using these criteria in the early assessment of response to combined treatment.openopenVarotto, A.; Di Grazia, L.; Aliberti, C.; Bergamo, F.; Nardin, M.; Pomerri, F.Varotto, A.; Di Grazia, L.; Aliberti, C.; Bergamo, F.; Nardin, M.; Pomerri, Fabi

Metformin: a modulator of bevacizumab activity in cancer? A case report.

Recurrent type I endometrial cancer ((EC)) has poor prognosis and demands novel therapeutic approaches. Bevacizumab, a VEGF-A neutralizing monoclonal antibody, has shown clinical activity in this setting. To our knowledge, however, although some diabetic cancer patients treated with bevacizumab may also take metformin, whether metformin modulates response to anti-VEGF therapy has not yet been investigated. Here, we report the case of a patient with advanced (EC) treated, among other drugs, with bevacizumab in combination with metformin. The patient affected by relapsed (EC) G3 type 1, presented in march 2010 with liver, lungs and mediastinic metastases. After six cycles of paclitaxel and cisplatin she underwent partial response. Later on, she had disease progression notwithstanding administration of multiple lines of chemotherapy. In march 2013, due to brain metastases with coma, she began steroid therapy with development of secondary diabetes. At this time, administration of Bevacizumab plus Metformin improved her performance status. CT scans performed in this time window showed reduced radiologic density of the lung and mediastinic lesions and of liver disease, suggestive of increased tumor necrosis. Strong F-18-FDG uptake by PET imaging along with high levels of monocarboxylate transporter 4 and lack of liver kinase B1 expression in liver metastasis, highlighted metabolic features previously associated with response to anti-VEGF therapy and phenformin in preclinical models. However, clinical benefit was transitory and was followed by rapid and fatal disease progression. These findingsalbeit limited to a single casesuggest that tumors lacking LKB1 expression and/or endowed with an highly glycolytic phenotype might develop large necrotic areas following combined treatment with metformin plus bevacizumab. As metformin is widely used among diabetes patients as well as in ongoing clinical trials in cancer patients, these results deserve further clinical investigation

Dynamic instance generation for few-shot handwritten document layout segmentation (short paper)

Historical handwritten document analysis is an important activity to retrieve information about our past. Given that this type of process is slow and time-consuming, the humanities community is searching for new techniques that could aid them in this activity. Document layout analysis is a branch of machine learning that aims to extract semantic informations from digitised documents. Here we propose a new framework for handwritten document layout analysis that differentiates from the current state-of-the-art by the fact that it features few-shot learning, thus allowing for good results with little manually labelled data and the dynamic instance generation process. Our results were obtained using the DIVA - HisDB dataset

Nano-enabled synthetic biology

Biological systems display a functional diversity, density and efficiency that make them a paradigm for synthetic systems. In natural systems, the cell is the elemental unit and efforts to emulate cells, their components, and organization have relied primarily on the use of bioorganic materials. Impressive advances have been made towards assembling simple genetic systems within cellular scale containers. These biological system assembly efforts are particularly instructive, as we gain command over the directed synthesis and assembly of synthetic nanoscale structures. Advances in nanoscale fabrication, assembly, and characterization are providing the tools and materials for characterizing and emulating the smallest scale features of biology. Further, they are revealing unique physical properties that emerge at the nanoscale. Realizing these properties in useful ways will require attention to the assembly of these nanoscale components. Attention to systems biology principles can lead to the practical development of nanoscale technologies with possible realization of synthetic systems with cell-like complexity. In turn, useful tools for interpreting biological complexity and for interfacing to biological processes will result

Design of concrete-filled steel tubular columns under axial loading according to NBR 8800:2008 and Eurocode 4:2004: tests results and comparisons

São apresentados os resultados experimentais de 32 pilares mistos preenchidos de seção circular, submetidos à compressão axial, para os quais foi avaliada a influência dos seguintes parâmetros: resistência à compressão do concreto, relação comprimento/diâmetro (L/D) e espessura do tubo de aço (t). Os valores experimentais de força máxima foram comparados com aqueles resultantes da aplicação da formulação apresentada na NBR 8800:2008 e no EN 1994-1-1:2004 (Eurocode 4 - EC4), extrapolando-se os resultados para valores de resistência do concreto não previstos por essas normas. Os perfis de aço com relação comprimento/diâmetro (L/D) de 3, 5, 7 e 10 foram preenchidos com concretos de resistências à compressão de 30, 60, 80 e 100MPa. Os resultados da comparação entre valores de força última experimental e teórica mostraram que as normas avaliadas apresentam bons resultados. A NBR 8800 apresenta resultados conservadores ao passo que o EC4 apresenta, em média, valores de força resistente não conservadores. A correlação tende a piorar para concretos de resistência menor.In this paper results of tests on 32 concrete-filled steel tubular columns under axial load are reported. The test parameters were the concrete compressive strength, the column slenderness (L/D) and the wall thickness (t). The test results were compared with predictions from the codes NBR 8800:2008 and EN 1994-1-1:2004 (EC4). The columns were 3, 5, 7 and 10 length to diameter ratios (L/D) and were tested with 30MPa, 60MPa, 80MPa and 100MPa concrete compressive strengths. The results of ultimate strength predicted by codes showed good agreement with experimental results. The results of NBR 8800 code were the most conservative and the EC4 showed the best results, in mean, but it was not conservative for usual concrete-filled short columns.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) - Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Estudio y simulación hidrogeológica para la implantación de un acueducto Reconquista, Santa Fe, Argentina

Con el fin de diseñar el campo de bombeo a lo largo de 5 kilómetros de longitud para el abatimiento de los niveles estáticos a los efectos de la construcción del Acueducto desde el Río San Javier al Reconquista se ejecutaron perforaciones de estudio y piezómetros, se realizaron ensayos de caudales y de bombeo. Se determinaron los parámetros hidráulicos formacionales a partir de su interpretación mediante el Esquema de Hantush (1965). A partir de las mediciones de campo y las características del acuífero y su acuitardo se han realizado estimaciones de los descensos inducidos por los bombeos. Las estimaciones se han realizado en régimen permanente y transitorio. El diseño seleccionado abatir los niveles estáticos con un abatimiento de 4 metros del terreno natural, implican utilizar un caudal de 75 m3/hora en perforaciones separadas 10 metros. El diseño permitió alcanzar los objetivos planteados.In order to design the pumping field over 5 kilometers in length for the abatement of static levels for the purpose of the construction of the aqueduct from the San Javier River to Reconquista city perforations and piezometers study were executed, tests and pump flow were conducted. Formational hydraulic parameters were determined from its interpretation by Hantush Method (1965). From the field measurements and the characteristics of the aquifer and aquitard, estimates have been made of the pumping-induced declines. The estimates were made in steady and transient state. The selected design to abate 4 meters the static levels from the soils levels, involve using a flow rate of 75 m3/hr at 10 meters apart perforations. The design allowed for achieving the objectives.Universidad Nacional de La Plat