Bevacizumab plus Irinotecan-Based Regimens in the Treatment of Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Objectives: Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that directly inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor, a key regulator of angiogenesis. Bevacizumab significantly improves progression-free and/or overall survival in metastatic colorectal cancer in combination with standard chemotherapy. This review describes the evolution of irinotecan-based regimens for metastatic colorectal cancer and evaluates the addition of bevacizumab to these regimens. Methods: Literature searches from large publication databases (PubMed, ASCO, ASCO GI, ESMO) were performed to capture key data relevant to bevacizumab, irinotecan, and the treatment of colorectal cancer. Results: Data from numerous large, multinational studies support the addition of bevacizumab to irinotecan-containing chemotherapy regimens for further improvement in patient outcomes. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, addition of bevacizumab to irinotecan significantly improved progression-free survival, overall survival and response rate in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer, and these results are supported by a number of other clinical trials and observational studies. Furthermore, the addition of bevacizumab to irinotecan improves outcomes regardless of K-ras mutational status. Bevacizumab has a well-established safety profile and the toxicities associated with its use are usually mild in severity and easily manageable. Conclusions: Addition of bevacizumab to irinotecan-containing regimens is an effective therapy option for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer. Copyright (C) 2010 S. Karger AG, Base

Untersuchungen zur Renaturierung von Feuchtgebieten im Tijuana Ästuar unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von brackwasserhaltigen und salinen Teichen

This study represents the first comprehensive biological and hydrochemical investigation of small coastal ponds in the saltmarsh dominated Tijuana Estuary, southern California (U.S.). Special attention is given to the brackish water biotopes. Different salinities and considerable fluctuations in water level characterized these shallow ponds and restrict the biological settlement. Fluctuations of salinities ranged from brackish water to hyperhaline water conditions. Due to different salinity levels, the ponds vary in hydrochemistry, macroinvertebrate species composition and plant communities. The macroinvertebrate community of the brackish waters were dominated by Gastropoda, Odonata, and Coleoptera containing a mixture of freshwater/brackish water species and marine macroinvertebrates. Typical plants of the brackish habitat were Typha domingensis (Southern cattail), and Scirpus californicus (California bulrush) associated with Juncus acutus (Siny rush). These brackish habitats with a wide range of salinity fluctuations are sparsely colonized but represent a niche for typical highly adaptable species. Especially, it is a biotope for species with a wide range of salt tolerance. Therefore, endangered species occurred besides introduced or invasive species in the ponds of the Tijuana Estuary. This fact has to be taken into account in case of wetland restoration. Due to the freshwater influence, the restoration of brackish habitats focuses on the problem of invasive species.Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit der Situation des Tijuana-River-Ästuars im Südwesten Kaliforniens und untersucht insbesondere Flachgewässer mit Brackwassercharakter. Verschiedene Salzgehalte und erhebliche Schwankungen der Wasserstände sind für diese Gewässer charakteristisch und limitieren die biologische Besiedelung. Die Unterschiede in der Salinität reichen dabei von Brackwasserbedingungen bis hin zur Hypersalinität. Aufgrund der verschiedenen Salzgehalte variieren die Gewässer in der hydrochemischen Zusammensetzung, der Makroinvertebratenzusammensetzung und der Pflanzengesellschaften. Die Gruppe der Makroinvertebraten in den Brackwasserbiotopen wird von Schnecken, Libellen und Käfern dominiert, wobei Süß- und Brackwasserarten zusammen mit marinen Invertebraten auftreten. Typische Pflanzen der Brackwasserlebensräume sind Typha domingensis und Scirpus californicus, verbunden mit Juncus acutus-Pflanzen. Solche Brackwasserbiotope mit ihren stark schwankenden Salzgehalten sind zwar artenarm, aber sie stellen zugleich Nischen für Organismen mit speziellem hohem Adaptationsvermögen insbesondere hinsichtlich der Salztoleranz dar. So wurden bei den Untersuchungen gefährdete, aber auch invasive Arten gefunden. Diese Besonderheit ist bei allen Sanierungs- und Renaturierungsaktivitäten zu berücksichtigen

The age dependence of halo clustering

We use a very large simulation of the concordance LCDM cosmogony to study the clustering of dark matter haloes. For haloes less massive than about 1e13Msun/h, the amplitude of the two-point correlation function on large scales depends strongly on halo formation time. Haloes that assembled at high redshift are substantially more clustered than those that assembled more recently. The effect is a smooth function of halo formation time and its amplitude increases with decreasing halo mass. At 1e11 Msun/h the ``oldest'' 10% of haloes are more than 5 times more strongly correlated than the ``youngest'' 10%. This unexpected result is incompatible with the standard excursion set theory for structure growth, and it contradicts a fundamental assumption of the halo occupation distribution models often used to study galaxy clustering, namely that the galaxy content of a halo of given mass is statistically independent of its larger scale environment.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, MNRAS in press. Full resolution pdf file is avaliable at http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~gaoliang/GSW.pd

On the phase-space structure of the Milky Way dark-matter halo

We analyse a high resolution simulation of the formation of a cluster's dark-matter halo in a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology (Springel et al. 2001). The resolution achieved allows us to map the phase-space structure in detail, and characterize its evolution and degree of lumpiness. Scaling down the cluster halo to a Milky-Way size halo, we probe the substructure expected in the solar neighbourhood. Here we specifically address the relevance of such substructure for direct detection experiments aimed at determining the nature of dark-matter.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figures, uses dunk2001_asp.sty, to appear in "The Dynamics, Structure and History of Galaxies: A Workshop in Honour of Prof. Ken Freeman", (eds) G. S. Da Costa & E. M. Sadler, ASP Conf Serie