27 research outputs found
The explicit Mordell conjecture for families of curves
In this article we prove the explicit Mordell Conjecture for large families of curves. In addition, we introduce a method, of easy application, to compute all rational points on curves of quite general shape and increasing genus. The method bases on some explicit and sharp estimates for the height of such rational points, and the bounds are small enough to successfully implement a computer search. As an evidence of the simplicity of its application, we present a variety of explicit examples and explain how to produce many others. In the appendix our method is compared in detail to the classical method of Manin-Demjanenko and the analysis of our explicit examples is carried to conclusion
The Mediterranean Island Wetlands (MedIsWet) inventory: strengths and shortfalls of the currently available floristic data
MedIsWet (Conservation of the island wetlands of the Mediterranean Basin) is a MAVA funded
project which aims at investigating all seasonal or permanent island wetlands both natural and
artificial, with a minimum extent of 0.1 hectares. More than 16,000 wetlands from almost all
the Mediterranean, including islands from France, Italy, Malta, Croatia, Cyprus, Tunisia,
Turkey, Greece and Spain were mapped. Over 2,500 of them were inventoried in the field and
more than 500 scientific contributions catalogued. In total, more than 35,000 plant occurrences
were uploaded, in a standardised and comparable way, on the national open-source web portals.
These can be related to the recorded threats, uses and other spatially retrievable information.
Here, we show strengths and shortfalls of the already available information about the floristic
records. Although further improvements are needed, we discuss how these data can be used for
research and policy actions and to develop conservation projects
Safety and effectiveness of CIMAvax-EGF administered in community polyclinics
In spite of the advances in immunotherapy and targeted therapies, lung cancer continues to be the leading cause of cancer-related death. The epidermal growth factor receptor is an established target for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and its overactivation by the ligands can induce accelerated proliferation, angiogenesis, and metastasis as well as proinflammatory or immunosuppressive signals. CIMAvax-EGF is an epidermal growth factor (EGF)-depleting immunotherapy that is approved for the treatment of NSCLC patients in Cuba. The study was designed as a phase IV trial to characterize the safety and effectiveness of CIMAvax-EGF in advanced NSCLC patients treated in 119 community polyclinics and 24 hospitals. CIMAvax-EGF treatment consisted of four bi-weekly doses followed by monthly boosters. Overall, 741 NSCLC patients ineligible for further cancer-specific treatment were enrolled. CIMAvax-EGF was safe, and the most common adverse events consisted of mild-to-moderate injection site reactions, fever, chills, tremors, and headache. For patients completing the loading doses, the median survival was 9.9 months. For individuals achieving at least stable disease to the frontline and completing vaccination induction, the median survival was 12 months. Most of the functional activities and symptoms evaluated through the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 questionnaire improved over time. In conclusion, this real-world trial demonstrated that CIMAvax-EGF was safe and effective in patients who were vaccinated in the maintenance scenario. A larger effect was seen in subjects with poor prognosis like those with squamous tumors and high EGF levels. Remarkably, this community-based intervention was very important because it demonstrated the feasibility of treating advanced lung cancer patients with active immunotherapy in primary care institutions. In addition to CIMAvax-EGF, patients received supportive care at the community clinic. Vaccine administration by the family doctors at the polyclinics reduced the patientsâ burden on the medical oncology services that continued providing chemotherapy and other complex therapies. We conclude that community polyclinics constitute the optimal scenario for administering those cancer vaccines that are safe and require prolonged maintenance in patients with advanced cancer, despite the continuous deterioration of their general condition.Clinical trial registrationhttps://rpcec.sld.cu/trials/RPCEC00000205-En, identifier RPCEC00000205