A systematic review of platinum and taxane resistance from bench to clinic: an inverse relationship

We undertook a systematic review of the pre-clinical and clinical literature for studies investigating the relationship between platinum and taxane resistance. Medline was searched for 1) cell models of acquired drug resistance reporting platinum and taxane sensitivities and 2) clinical trials of platinum or taxane salvage therapy in ovarian cancer. 137 models of acquired drug resistance were identified. 68.1% of cisplatin-resistant cells were sensitive to paclitaxel and 66.7% of paclitaxel-resistant cells were sensitive to cisplatin. A similar inverse pattern was observed for cisplatin vs docetaxel, carboplatin vs paclitaxel and carboplatin vs docetaxel. These associations were independent of cancer type, agents used to develop resistance and reported mechanisms of resistance. 65 eligible clinical trials of paclitaxel-based salvage after platinum therapy were identified. Studies of single agent paclitaxel in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer where patients had previously recieved paclitaxel had a pooled response rate of 35.3% n=232, compared to 22% in paclitaxel naïve patients n=1918 (p<0.01 Chi-squared). Suggesting that pre-treatment with paclitaxel may improve the response of salvage paclitaxel therapy. The response rate to paclitaxel/platinum combination regimens in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer was 79.5% n=88 compared to 49.4% n=85 for paclitaxel combined with other agents (p<0.001 Chi-squared), suggesting a positive interaction between taxanes and platinum. Therefore the inverse relationship between platinum and taxanes resistance seen in cell models is mirrored in the clinical response to these agents in ovarian cancer. An understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible would be valuable in predicting response to salvage chemotherapy and may identify new therapeutic targets

Quality of Healthcare - Clinical Errors

Lately, clinical errors grew in numbers and this trend is evident in the findings of recently-released surveys.Furthermore, it is obvious that clinical errors, in addition to financial costs, affect negatively the quality of healthcare but, most of all, they affect patients, health professionals and their respective families

European Disintegration: Anti-Greek Bias in the Eurozone Crisis

Between December 2009 and February 2012, Greece announced its immense sovereign debt crisis, received two EU/IMF bailout packages, and implemented a series of draconian austerity measures. The streets of Athens erupted in anti-austerity protests as Greeks directed their rage against the troika and the wealthier EU states, which were leading the bailout process; Greeks simultaneously faced resentment and negativity from the creditor states as the Eurozone crisis brought to the forefront the underlying tensions in the EU. This paper investigates and quantifies the backlash in Britain and Germany against Greece through a media content analysis to determine the extent of the bias. Three critical moments in the progression of the Greek crisis are examined from the perspective of British and German popular and elite news sources The Sun, The Financial Times, Bild, and Die Zeit, and their coverage is analyzed according to five core indicators of anti-Greek bias. The media analysis of the crisis combined with public opinion data illuminates deep cleavages in the EU between the British and German national publics and between elites and masses, raising concerns for the future of European integration

Alien Registration- Pavlakis, Theodora (Portland, Cumberland County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/31356/thumbnail.jp

The modifcation by diffuse radiation of "cometary tail" formation behind globules

We study the evolution of a globule of neutral material immersed in the more tenuous hotter plasma of an H II region surrounding newly born OB stars. The neutral globule is illuminated by the direct ionizing radiation of OB stars, and by diffuse radiation emitted by recombination in the surrounding ionized gas. We perform 2D, time dependent axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations, and find that, for values of the diffuse field of the order of 10% of the direct field, the evolution of the globule is completely different to its evolution when the diffuse field is neglected

A systematic review of platinum and taxane resistance from bench to clinic: an inverse relationship

We undertook a systematic review of the pre-clinical and clinical literature for studies investigating the relationship between platinum and taxane resistance. Medline was searched for (1) cell models of acquired drug resistance reporting platinum and taxane sensitivities and (2) clinical trials of platinum or taxane salvage therapy in ovarian cancer. One hundred and thirty-seven models of acquired drug resistance were identified. 68.1% of cisplatin-resistant cells were sensitive to paclitaxel and 66.7% of paclitaxel-resistant cells were sensitive to cisplatin. A similar inverse pattern was observed for cisplatin vs. docetaxel, carboplatin vs. paclitaxel and carboplatin vs. docetaxel. These associations were independent of cancer type, agents used to develop resistance and reported mechanisms of resistance. Sixty-five eligible clinical trials of paclitaxel-based salvage after platinum therapy were identified. Studies of single agent paclitaxel in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer where patients had previously recieved paclitaxel had a pooled response rate of 35.3%, n=232, compared to 22% in paclitaxel naïve patients n=1918 (p<0.01, Chi-squared). Suggesting that pre-treatment with paclitaxel may improve the response of salvage paclitaxel therapy. The response rate to paclitaxel/platinum combination regimens in platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer was 79.5%, n=88 compared to 49.4%, n=85 for paclitaxel combined with other agents (p<0.001, Chi-squared), suggesting a positive interaction between taxanes and platinum. Therefore, the inverse relationship between platinum and taxanes resistance seen in cell models is mirrored in the clinical response to these agents in ovarian cancer. An understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible would be valuable in predicting response to salvage chemotherapy and may identify new therapeutic targets

Medical Errors in Cyprus: The 2005 Eurobarometer Survey

Background: Medical errors have been highlighted in recent years by different agencies, scientific bodies and research teams alike. We sought to explore the issue of medical errors in Cyprus using data from the Eurobarometer survey.Methods: Data from the special Eurobarometer survey conducted in 2005 across all European Union countries (EU-25) and the acceding countries were obtained from the corresponding EU office. Statisticalanalyses including logistic regression models were performed using SPSS.Results: A total of 502 individuals participated in the Cyprus survey. About 90% reported that they had often or sometimes heard about medical errors, while 22% reported that a family member or they had suffered a serious medical error in a local hospital. In addition, 9.4% reported a serious problem from a prescribed medicine. We also found statistically significant differences across different ages and gender and in rural versus urban residents. Finally, using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models, wefound that residents in rural areas were more likely to have suffered a serious medical error in a local hospital or from a prescribed medicine.Conclusion: Our study shows that the vast majority of residents in Cyprus in parallel with the other Europeans worry about medical errors and a significant percentage report having suffered a serious medical error at a local hospital or from a prescribed medicine. The results of our study could help the medical community in Cyprus and the society at large to enhance its vigilance with respect to medical errors in order to improve medical care

A search for 4750- and 4765-MHz OH masers in Southern Star Forming Regions

We have used the Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) to make a sensitive (5-$\sigma$ $\simeq$ 100 mJy) search for maser emission from the 4765-MHz $^2\Pi_{1/2}$ F=1$\to$0 transition of OH. Fifty five star formation regions were searched and maser emission with a peak flux density in excess of 100 mJy was detected toward fourteen sites, with ten of these being new discoveries. In addition we observed the 4750-MHz $^2\Pi_{1/2}$ F=1$\to$1 transition towards a sample of star formation regions known to contain 1720-MHz OH masers, detecting marginal maser emission from G348.550-0.979. If confirmed this would be only the second maser discovered from this transition. The occurrence of 4765-MHz OH maser emission accompanying 1720-MHz OH masers in a small number of well studied star formation regions has lead to a general perception in the literature that the two transitions favour similar physical conditions. Our search has found that the presence of the excited-state 6035-MHz OH transition is a much better predictor of 4765-MHz OH maser emission from the same region than is 1720-MHz OH maser emission. Combining our results with those of previous high resolution observations of other OH transitions we have examined the published theoretical models of OH masers and find that none of them predict any conditions in which the 1665-, 6035- and 4765-MHz transitions are simultaneously inverted. Erratum abstract: Dodson & Ellingsen (2002) included several observations with significant pointing errors, invalidating the upper limits found in these directions. These have now been reobserved or recalculated. A new table of upper limits has been generated, and two more masers that would have been seen have been found.Comment: Included an Erratum with Max as another author. This erratum was rejected by MNRAS (Feb 04) as it contained too much data. Resubmitted as a paper (Jun 04). Rejected (Sep 04) it had too little data. Resubmitted as reduced erratum (Apr 05). Still waitin

Discrete Source Survey of 6 GHz OH emission from PNe & pPNe and first 6 GHz images of K 3-35

The aim of this study is to investigate the physical properties of molecular envelopes of planetary nebulae in their earliest stages of evolution. Using the 100m telescope at Effelsberg, we have undertaken a high sensitivity discrete source survey for the first excited state of OH maser emission (J=5/2, 2PI3/2 at 6GHz) in the direction of planetary and proto-planetary nebulae exhibiting 18cm OH emission (main and/or satellite lines), and we further validate our detections using the Nan\c{c}ay radio telescope at 1.6-1.7GHz and MERLIN interferometer at 1.6-1.7 and 6GHz. Two sources have been detected at 6035MHz (5cm), both of them are young (or very young) planetary nebulae. The first one is a confirmation of the detection of a weak 6035MHz line in Vy 2-2. The second one is a new detection, in K 3-35, which was already known to be an exceptional late type star because it exhibits 1720MHz OH emission. The detection of 6035MHz OH maser emission is confirmed by subsequent observations made with the MERLIN interferometer. These lines are very rarely found in evolved stars. The 1612MHz masers surround but are offset from the 1720 and 6035MHz masers which in turn lie close to a compact 22GHz continuum source embedded in the optical nebula.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, published in A&