Phase I-II trial of gemcitabine-based first-line chemotherapies for small cell lung cancer in elderly patients with performance status 0-2: the G-STEP trial.

Introduction: Treatment of elderly patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is based on scanty evidence. Methods: Patients with extensive SCLC, age >70 years, and performance status 0-2 were eligible for a study looking for optimal two-drug combination of gemcitabine (Gem) with vinorelbine (Vin), etoposide (Eto), cisplatin (Cis), or carboplatin (Car). Gemcitabine dose was the same (1000 mg/m2, days 1-8) in all combinations. A two-stage minimax flexible design for response was applied to GemVin combination (Vin 25 mg/m2, days 1-8). For GemCar, GemCis, GemEto, a phase I-II Bayesian design was applied, looking for the optimal dose of the partner drugs. Objective response rate ≥60% and un…

Search for di-muon decays of a low-mass Higgs boson in radiative decays of the Gamma(1S)

We search for di-muon decays of a low-mass Higgs boson (A(0)) produced in radiative Gamma(1S) decays. The Gamma(1S) sample is selected by tagging the pion pair in the Gamma(2S, 3S) -> pi(+)pi(-) Gamma(1S) transitions, using a data sample of 92.8 x 10(6) Gamma(2S) and 116.8 x 10(6) Gamma(3S) events collected by the BABAR detector. We find no evidence for A(0) production and set 90% confidence level upper limits on the product branching fraction B(Gamma(1S) -> gamma Lambda(0)) x B(Lambda(0)->mu(+)mu(-)) in the range of (0.28 - 9.7) x 10(-6) for 0.212 gamma Lambda(0), Lambda(0) -> mu(+)mu(-) to set limits on the effective coupling of the b quark to the Lambda(0).

Multi-objective Optimization of Energy Hubs at the Crossroad of Three Energy Distribution Networks

This paper provides a multi-objective optimization framework aimed at the management of a multi-carrier energy system involving both electricity and hydrogen. Using the concept of the multi-carrier hub, the proposed system has been modelled in order to define completely every energy flow inside the plant. After that, a heuristic multi-objective optimization algorithm, the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, has been implemented for the energy management of the plant, taking into account simultaneously three different objective functions related to economic and technical goals. This optimization process provides the set point defining the working configuration of the plant for a dayl…

Death in hospital following ICU discharge: insights from the LUNG SAFE study

Abstract Background To determine the frequency of, and factors associated with, death in hospital following ICU discharge to the ward. Methods The Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE study was an international, multicenter, prospective cohort study of patients with severe respiratory failure, conducted across 459 ICUs from 50 countries globally. This study aimed to understand the frequency and factors associated with death in hospital in patients who survived their ICU stay. We examined outcomes in the subpopulation discharged with no limitations of life sustaining treatments (‘treatment limitations’), and the subpopulations with tre…

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