Load balancing the GRID ad-hoc routing protocol

Thesis (M. Eng.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2003.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 47-48).Grid is a mobile ad hoc routing system with significantly better scaling properties than previously designed protocols in networks with a uniform distribution of nodes. It achieves scalability by building a distributed location database in which memory requirements are apportioned fairly to all nodes in the network. In networks of spatially non-uniform node distribution, however, a small fraction of the nodes need to store a disproportionate amount of location information, posing a significant problem for nodes with limited memory such as small handheld devices. We propose a new location service to improve the scalability of Grid while preserving its fundamental design. Our new service, GLS2, ensures protocol correctness despite limited memory constraints. To preserve high success rate and improve query path efficiency, GLS2 applies a new location query algorithm which allows nodes to drop location information if necessary. Simulated tests demonstrate that GLS2's efficiency and correctness are preserved in situations of limited memory as well as those of extremely uneven node distributions while still achieving proper load-balancing.by Rebecca S. Bloom.M.Eng

Cardiac Toxicity Associated with Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: Case Series and Review of the Literature

The development of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionized the treatment of patients with advanced stage cancers. However, immune-related adverse events are frequently observed. Cardiac toxicity from ICI therapy can range from asymptomatic troponin-I elevations to conduction abnormalities of the heart and even fulminant myocarditis. Although rare, myocarditis is a potentially fatal adverse effect of ICI therapy. We present a series of five cases of ICI-related cardio-toxicity diagnosed and managed at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center along with a review of published case reports in the literature. Our series highlights the importance of high clinical suspicion, early diagnosis of myocarditis, and prompt initiation of immunosuppressive therapy

Once-daily indacaterol 75 µg in moderate- to-severe COPD: results of a Phase IV study assessing time until patients’ perceived onset of effect

Thomas M Siler,1 Craig F LaForce,2 Farid Kianifard,3 James Williams,3 Selwyn Spangenthal4 1Midwest Chest Consultants, St Charles, MO, USA; 2North Carolina Clinical Research, Raleigh, NC, USA; 3Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, NJ, USA; 4Charlotte Lung and Health Center, Charlotte, NC, USA Background: Indacaterol 75 µg once daily is a long-acting β2 agonist approved for maintenance bronchodilator treatment in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The purpose of this study was to evaluate patients' perception of onset of effect with a single dose. Methods: In this double-blind, crossover, Phase IV study, 40 patients were randomized to receive a single dose of indacaterol 75 µg or placebo via a dry powder inhaler device. The primary variable was time until patient’s perception of onset of effect, using a simple self-administered (nonvalidated) questionnaire that patients answered at nine protocol-specified time points. Exploratory variables included change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) and change in percent predicted FEV1 from predose to postdose (determined 60–75 minutes postdose). Results: The least-squares mean time to patient’s perception of onset of effect was 25.4 minutes and 23.9 minutes for indacaterol and placebo, respectively. There was no significant effect for treatment, period, or sequence on the time to patient's perception. In addition, no statistically significant differences between treatments were observed for patient's global satisfaction with onset of effect and global expectation of treatment adherence. For the exploratory variable change in FEV1 from predose to postdose, indacaterol showed superiority over placebo with a clinically relevant least-squares mean treatment difference of 0.12 L (P<0.0001). There was little or no association between patient’s perception of time to onset of effect and change in FEV1, or change in percent predicted FEV1. Both treatments were well tolerated. Conclusion: A single dose of indacaterol 75 µg did not separate from placebo in terms of patient perception of onset, although there was an improvement in FEV1 for indacaterol compared with placebo. Development and use of a validated questionnaire may be needed to address the inconsistency in evaluating this patient-related outcome. Keywords: bronchodilator, long-acting, perceived onset of action, single dos

Efficacy and safety of twice-daily glycopyrrolate in patients with stable, symptomatic COPD with moderate-to-severe airflow limitation: the GEM1 study

Craig LaForce,1 Gregory Feldman,2 Selwyn Spangenthal,3 Joerg H Eckert,4 Michelle Henley,5 Francesco Patalano,4 Peter D’Andrea5 1North Carolina Clinical Research, Raleigh, NC, USA; 2South Carolina Pharmaceutical Research, Spartanburg, SC, USA; 3American Health Research, Charlotte, NC, USA; 4Novartis Pharma AG, Basel, Switzerland; 5Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, East Hanover, NJ, USA Background: The purpose of this study was to confirm the efficacy and safety of twice-daily glycopyrrolate 15.6 µg, a long-acting muscarinic antagonist, in patients with stable, symptomatic, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with moderate-to-severe airflow limitation.Methods: The GEM1 study was a 12-week, multicenter, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study that randomized patients with stable, symptomatic COPD with moderate-to-severe airflow limitation to twice-daily glycopyrrolate 15.6 µg or placebo (1:1) via the Neohaler® device. The primary objective was to demonstrate superiority of glycopyrrolate versus placebo in terms of forced expiratory volume in 1 second area under the curve between 0 and 12 hours post morning dose at week 12. Other outcomes included additional spirometric end points, transition dyspnea index, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire, COPD Assessment Test, rescue medication use, and symptoms reported by patients via electronic diary. Safety was also assessed during the study.Results: Of the 441 patients randomized (glycopyrrolate, n=222; placebo, n=219), 96% of patients completed the planned treatment phase. Glycopyrrolate demonstrated statistically significant (P<0.001) improvements in lung function versus placebo. Glycopyrrolate showed statistically significant improvement in the transition dyspnea index focal score, St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire total score, COPD Assessment Test score, rescue medication use, and daily total symptom score versus placebo at week 12. Safety was comparable between the treatment groups.Conclusion: Significant improvement in lung function, dyspnea, COPD symptoms, health status, and rescue medication use suggests that glycopyrrolate is a safe and effective treatment option as maintenance bronchodilator in patients with stable, symptomatic COPD with moderate-to-severe airflow limitation. Keywords: glycopyrronium, glycopyrrolate, lung function, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, long-acting muscarinic antagonist, bronchodilator, twice dail

Clinical characteristics, time course, treatment and outcomes of patients with immune checkpoint inhibitor-associated myocarditis

Background Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have emerged as a front-line therapy for a variety of solid tumors. With the widespread use of these agents, immune-associated toxicities are increasingly being recognized, including fatal myocarditis. There are limited data on the outcomes and prognostic utility of biomarkers associated with ICI-associated myocarditis. Our objective was to examine the associations between clinical biomarkers of cardiomyocyte damage and mortality in patients with cancer treated with ICIs. Methods We retrospectively studied 23 patients who developed symptomatic and asymptomatic troponin elevations while receiving ICI therapy at a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center. We obtained serial ECGs, troponin I, and creatine kinase-MD (CK-MB), in addition to other conventional clinical biomarkers, and compared covariates between survivors and non-survivors. Results Among patients with myocarditis, higher troponin I (p=0.037) and CK-MB (p=0.034) levels on presentation correlated with progression to severe myocarditis. Higher troponin I (p=0.016), CK (p=0.013), and CK-MB (p=0.034) levels were associated with increased mortality, while the presence of advanced atrioventricular block on presentation (p=0.088) trended toward increased mortality. Weekly troponin monitoring lead to earlier hospitalization for potential myocarditis (p=0.022) and was associated with decreased time to steroid initiation (p=0.053) and improved outcomes. Conclusions Routine troponin surveillance may be helpful in predicting mortality in ICI-treated patients with cancer in the early phase of ICI therapy initiation. Early detection of troponin elevation is associated with earlier intervention and improved outcomes in ICI-associated myocarditis. The recommended assessment and diagnostic studies guiding treatment decisions are presented