Metronomic Chemotherapy with Vinorelbine Produces Clinical Benefit and Low Toxicity in Frail Elderly Patients Affected by Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. The treatment choice for advanced stage of lung cancer may depend on histotype, performance status (PS), age, and comorbidities. In the present study, we focused on the effect of metronomic vinorelbine treatment in elderly patients with advanced unresectable non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods. From January 2016 to December 2016, 44 patients affected by non-small cell lung cancer referred to our oncology day hospital were progressively analyzed. The patients were treated with oral vinorelbine 30 mg x 3/wk or 40 mg x 3/wk meaning one day on and one day off. The patients were older than 60, stage IIIB or IV, ECOG PS ≥ 1, and have at least one important comorbidity (renal, hepatic, or cardiovascular disease). The schedule was based on ECOG-PS and comorbidities. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). PFS was used to compare patients based on different scheduled dosage (30 or 40 mg x3/weekly) and age (more or less than 75 years old) as exploratory analysis. We also evaluated as secondary endpoint toxicity according to Common Toxicity Criteria Version 2.0. Results. Vinorelbine showed a good safety profile at different doses taken orally and was effective in controlling cancer progression. The median overall survival (OS) was 12 months. The disease control rate (DCR) achieved 63%. The median PFS was 9 months. A significant difference in PFS was detected comparing patients aged below with those over 75, and the HR value was 0.72 (p<0.05). Not significant was the difference between groups with different schedules. Conclusions. This study confirmed the safety profile of metronomic vinorelbine and its applicability for patients unfit for standard chemotherapies and adds the possibility of considering this type of schedule not only for very elderly patients

The Structure of the Small Dark Cloud CB 107

This paper presents the near-IR imaging observations of CB 107, a small dark globule projected against a rich stellar background. By means of accurate photometry, the near-IR two-color diagram J - H versus H - K was obtained for the stellar background. This information was used to estimate the color excesses of the detected stars so that, given the reddening curve, it was possible to derive the extinction map of the cloud. The structural properties of the dark globule were investigated by plotting the extinction dispersion σ, obtained in a given spatial box, as a function of the mean extinction AV. This relationship has shown quite a definite linear behavior, with the slope increasing with the box size. The results of the present analysis, compared with those obtained by other authors on larger dark clouds, suggest that for a given spatial scale the slope of the σ versus AV relation is greater in CB 107 than in larger clouds. The so-called Δ-variance method was also used to investigate the structure of the dark globule by evaluating the drift behavior of its extinction map. In this way, we have found that the power spectrum of the extinction map is characterized by a power law with exponent β ~ 2.7. This value is lower than expected, for the same range of spatial scales, on the basis of previous work on large molecular clouds

Near infrared imaging of the cometary globule CG12

Cometary globule 12 is a relatively little investigated medium- and low mass star forming region 210 pc above the Galactic plane. NIR J, H, and Ks imaging and stellar photometry is used to analyse the stellar content and the structure of CG 12. Several new members and member candidates of the CG 12 stellar cluster were found. The new members include in particular a highly embedded source with a circumstellar disk or shell and a variable star with a circumstellar disk which forms a binary with a previously known A spectral type cluster member. The central source of the known collimated molecular outflow in CG 12 and an associated "hourglass"-shaped object due to reflected light from the source were also detected. HIRES-enhanced IRAS images are used together with SOFI J,H,Ks imaging to study the two associated IRAS point sources, 13546-3941 and 13547-3944. Two new 12 micrometer sources coinciding with NIR excess stars were detected in the direction of IRAS 13546-3941. The IRAS 13547-3944 emission at 12 and 25 micrometers originates in the Herbig AeBe star h4636n and the 60 and 100 micrometer emission from an adjacent cold source.Comment: Accepted Astronomy and Astrophysics Oct. 15 200

Preliminary analysis of the genetic variability of two natural beds of the Scallop Euvola ziczac (Linnaeus, 1758) in Brazil

Euvola ziczac (formerly Pecten ziczac), a simultaneous hermaphroditic scallop was heavily fished in Brazil between 1972 and 1980. The production peaked in 1980 with 8,800 tons and was followed by the total collapse of the resource. In order to investigate the possible loss of genetic variability of the stock associated to overfishing and self-fertilization, the polymorphism of phosphoglucomutase (PGM) and glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) was analyzed by electrophoresis of the adductor muscle of scallops from São Francisco (26° 20.583S; 48° 16.507W) and Bom Abrigo (25° 28.735S; 47° 37.621W) beds; the southern and northern extremes of the scallop fishing ground, respectively. Animals from São Francisco showed a strong deficiency of heterozygosity for GPI and PGM. In addition, PGM showed *exclusive alleles for each bed. Such results coupled with other information about the species suggested the following hypothesis: a) the stock was a metapopulation with at least two populations; b) some reproductive isolation might be occurring which might be influenced by conditions of larval transport and by the extremely low densities of scallops; c) presently, the stock seemed to be mostly maintained through self-fertilization; d) São Francisco could constitute a source-area, contributing with larvae and recruits to Bom Abrigo and other areas; e) both beds were suffering a genetic homogenization more evident in São Francisco. Such hypothesis needed to be investigated in order to furnish guidelines for future programs of recovery and management of the resource.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The YSO Population in the Vela-D Molecular Cloud

We investigate the young stellar population in the Vela Molecular Ridge, Cloud-D (VMR-D), a star forming (SF) region observed by both Spitzer/NASA and Herschel/ESA space telescope. The point source, band-merged, Spitzer-IRAC catalog complemented with MIPS photometry previously obtained is used to search for candidate young stellar objects (YSO), also including sources detected in less than four IRAC bands. Bona fide YSO are selected by using appropriate color-color and color-magnitude criteria aimed to exclude both Galatic and extragalactic contaminants. The derived star formation rate and efficiency are compared with the same quantities characterizing other SF clouds. Additional photometric data, spanning from the near-IR to the submillimeter, are used to evaluate both bolometric luminosity and temperature for 33 YSOs located in a region of the cloud observed by both Spitzer and Herschel. The luminosity-temperature diagram suggests that some of these sources are representative of Class 0 objects with bolometric temperatures below 70 K and luminosities of the order of the solar luminosity. Far IR observations from the Herschel/Hi-GAL key project for a survey of the Galactic plane are also used to obtain a band-merged photometric catalog of Herschel sources aimed to independently search for protostars. We find 122 Herschel cores located on the molecular cloud, 30 of which are protostellar and 92 starless. The global protostellar luminosity function is obtained by merging the Spitzer and Herschel protostars. Considering that 10 protostars are found in both Spitzer and Herschel list it follows that in the investigated region we find 53 protostars and that the Spitzer selected protostars account for approximately two-thirds of the total.Comment: 40 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

ISO-LWS study of pre-main sequence sources

We present the results obtained with the ISO Long Wavelength Spectrometer on a sample of Pre-MS sources, where several molecular lines of CO, H2O and OH have been detected. The analysis of the CO lines indicates that gas temperatures as low as 200 K are consistent with the data. This would be in agreement with the relatively low abundance of water in the gas phase measured in most of the objects

Large-scale latitude distortions of the inner Milky Way Disk from the Herschel/Hi-GAL Survey

We use the Herschel Hi-GAL survey data to study the spatial distribution in Galactic longitude and latitude of the interstellar medium and of dense, star-forming clumps in the inner Galaxy. The peak position and width of the latitude distribution of the dust column density as well as of number density of compact sources from the band-merged Hi-GAL photometric catalogues are analysed as a function of longitude. The width of the diffuse dust column density traced by the Hi-GAL 500 micron emission varies across the inner Galaxy, with a mean value of 1{\deg}.2-1{\deg}.3, similar to that of the 250um Hi-GAL sources. 70um Hi-GAL sources define a much thinner disk, with a mean FWHM of 0{\deg}.75, and an average latitude of b=0{\deg}.06, coincident with the results from ATLASGAL. The GLAT distribution as a function of GLON shows modulations, both for the diffuse emission and for the compact sources, with ~0{\deg}.2 displacements mostly toward negative latitudes at l~ +40{\deg}, +12{\deg}, -25{\deg} and -40{\deg}. No such modulations can be found in the MIPSGAL 24 or WISE 22 um data when the entire source samples are considered. The distortions revealed by Herschel are interpreted as large-scale bending modes of the Plane. The lack of similar distortions in tracers of more evolved YSOs or stars rules out gravitational instabilities or satellite-induced perturbations, as they should act on both the diffuse and stellar disk components. We propose that the observed bends are caused by incoming flows of extra-planar gas interacting with the gaseous disk. Stars decouple from the gaseous ISM and relax into the stellar disk potential. The time required for the disappearance of the distortions from the diffuse ISM to the relatively evolved YSO stages are compatible with star-formation timescales

Do rebreathing manoeuvres for non-invasive measurement of cardiac output during maximum exercise test alter the main cardiopulmonary parameters?

Background: Inert gas rebreathing has been recently described as an emergent reliable non-invasive method for cardiac output determination during exercise, allowing a relevant improvement of cardiopulmonary exercise test clinical relevance. For cardiac output measurements by inert gas rebreathing, specific respiratory manoeuvres are needed which might affect pivotal cardiopulmonary exercise test parameters, such as exercise tolerance, oxygen uptake and ventilation vs carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) relationship slope. Method: We retrospectively analysed cardiopulmonary exercise testing of 181 heart failure patients who underwent both cardiopulmonary exercise testing and cardiopulmonary exercise test+cardiac output within two months (average 16 \ub1 15 days). All patients were in stable clinical conditions (New York Heart Association I\u2013III) and on optimal medical therapy. Results: The majority of patients were in New York Heart Association Class I and II (78.8%), with a mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 31 \ub1 10%. No difference was found between the two tests in oxygen uptake at peak exercise (1101 (interquartile range 870\u20131418) ml/min at cardiopulmonary exercise test vs 1103 (844\u20131389) at cardiopulmonary exercise test-cardiac output) and at anaerobic threshold. However, anaerobic threshold and peak heart rate, peak workload (75 (58\u2013101) watts and 64 (42\u201390), p < 0.01) and carbon dioxide output were significantly higher at cardiopulmonary exercise testing than at cardiopulmonary exercise test+cardiac output, whereas VE/VCO2 slope was higher at cardiopulmonary exercise test+cardiac output (30 (27\u201335) vs 33 (28\u201337), p < 0.01). Conclusion: The similar anaerobic threshold and peak oxygen uptake in the two tests with a lower peak workload and higher VE/VCO2 slope at cardiopulmonary exercise test+cardiac output suggest a higher respiratory work and consequent demand for respiratory muscle blood flow secondary to the ventilatory manoeuvres. Accordingly, VE/VCO2 slope and peak workload must be evaluated with caution during cardiopulmonary exercise test+cardiac output

The LWS spectrum of T Tauri

With the LWS spectrometer on-board the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO), we have detected toward T Tauri strong emission from high-J (J>14) CO, H2O and OH transitions over the wavelength range from 40 to 190 μm. In addition, the LWS spectrum shows the [OI]63 μm and 145 μm and [CII]158 μm atomic lines. The molecular emission can be explained by a single emission region at T 300-900 K and nH2 105-6cm-3, with a diameter of about 2-3 arcsec, corresponding to 300-400 AU (at the distance of 140 pc). We derive a water abundance of 1-3 •10-5 and an OH abundance of 3 •10-5 with respect to molecular hydrogen, implying H2O and OH enhancements by more than 10 with respect to the ambient gas abundance