Radio Capacity Improvement with HSPA+ Dual-Cell

International audienceThis paper studies the radio capacity improvement provided by an HSPA+ key feature, dual-cell, combined with MIMO. The proposed method combines drive test measurements, link-level simulations, and a queuing theory-based statistical capacity model, thereby providing a reliable estimate of the network radio capacity. Simulation results show that dual cell combined with MIMO and non-linear receivers using Successive Interference Cancellation (SIC) significantly increases network radio capacity. These results confirm that HSPA networks evolutions are promising

Impact on All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality Rates of Coronary Artery Calcifications Detected during Organized, Low-Dose, Computed-Tomography Screening for Lung Cancer: Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis

International audienceAlthough organized, low-dose, computed-tomography (CT) scan lung-cancer screening has been shown to lower all-cause and lung-cancer-specific mortality, the primary cause of death for subjects eligible for such screening remains cardiovascular (CV) mortality. This meta-analysis study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of screening-scan-detected coronary artery calcifications (CACs) on CV and all-cause mortality. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting CV mortality according to the Agatson CAC score for participants in a lung-cancer screening program of randomized clinical or cohort studies. PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases were screened in June 2020. Two authors independently selected articles and extracted data. Six studies, including 20,175 subjects, were retained. CV and all-cause mortality rates were higher for subjects with CAC scores >0, with respective relative risks of 2.02 [95% CI 1.23-3.32] and 2.29 [95% CI 1.00-5.21]. Both mortality rates were even higher for those with high CAC scores (>400 or >1000). CACs are more common in men than in women, with an odds ratio of 1.49 [95% CI 1.40-1.59]. The presence of CAC is associated with CV mortality with an RR of 2.05 [95% CI 1.20-3.57] in men and 2.37 [CI 95% 1.29-5.09] in women, respectively. Analysis of lung-cancer-screening scans for CACs is a tool able to predict CV mortality. Prospective studies within those programs are needed to assess the benefit of primary CV prevention based on CAC detection

First-line immune-checkpoint inhibitor plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy alone for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer: a meta-analysis

Introduction: Platin-based chemotherapy (CT) has long been the first-line standard-of-care for patients with extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES–SCLC). Adding immune-checkpoint inhibitor(s) to CT (ICI+CT) in this setting is an option of interest, although its benefit is apparently modest. Methods: This meta-analysis was conducted on randomized trials comparing first-line ICI+CT versus CT alone for ES–SCLC. Outcomes included overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), response at 12 months and adverse events (AEs). Subgroup analyses were computed according to the immunotherapy used, performance status (PS), age, platinum salt, liver metastases and brain metastases at diagnosis. Results: The literature search identified one randomized phase II (ECOG-ACRIN-5161) and four phase III trials (CASPIAN, IMPOWER-133, KEYNOTE-604 and Reck et al. 2016) that included 2775 patients (66% males, 95% smokers, median age: 64 years, PS = 0 or 1). ICI+CT was significantly associated (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]) with prolonged OS [0.82 (0.75–0.89); p < 0.00001] and PFS [0.81 (0.75–0.87); p < 0.00001], with OS benefits for anti-PD-L1 [0.73 (0.63–0.85); p < 0.0001] or anti-PD-1 [0.76 (0.63–0.93); p < 0.006] but not for anti-CTLA-4 [0.90 (0.80–1.01), p = 0.07]. ORRs for ICI+CT or CT alone were comparable [odds ratio 1.12 (0.97–1.00); p = 0.12], but responses at 12 months favored ICI+CT [4.16 (2.81–6.17), p < 0.00001]. Serious grade-3/4 AEs were more frequent with ICI+CT [odds ratio 1.18 (1.02–1.37); p = 0.03]. Compared with CT, no ICI+CT benefit was found for ES–SCLC with brain metastases at diagnosis [HR 1.14 (0.87–1.50); p = 0.34]. Conclusions: First-line ICI+CT appears to be superior to CT alone for ES–SCLC except for patients with brain metastases at diagnosis

Key technologies to accelerate the ICT Green evolution An operator's point of view

The exponential growth in networks' traffic accompanied by the multiplication of new services like those promised by the 5G led to a huge increase in the infrastructures' energy consumption. All over the world, many telecom operators are facing the problem of energy consumption and Green networking since many years and they all convey today that it turned from sustainable development initiative to an OPEX issue. Therefore, the challenge to make the ICT sector more energy-efficient and environment-friendly has become a fundamental objective not only to green networks but also in the domain of green services that enable the ICT sectors to help other industrial sector to clean their own energy consumption. The present paper is a point of view of a European telecom operator regarding green networking. We address some technological advancements that would enable to accelerate this ICT green evolution after more than 15 years of field experience and international collaborative research projects. Basically, the paper is a global survey of the evolution of the ICT industry in green networks including optical and wireless networks and from hardware improvement to the software era as well as the green orchestration