A challenging application of artificial intelligence systems, involves the scheduling of traffic signals in multi-intersection vehicular networks. This paper introduces, a novel use of a multi-agent ...system and reinforcement learning (RL) framework to obtain an efficient traffic signal control policy. A five-intersection traffic network has been studied, in which each intersection is governed by an autonomous intelligent agent. Two types of agents, a central agent and an outbound agent, were employed. The outbound agents, schedule traffic signals by following the longest-queue-first (LQF) algorithm, which has been proved to guarantee stability and fairness, and collaborate with the central agent by providing its local traffic statistics. The central agent, learns a value function driven by its local and neighbours' traffic conditions. The novel methodology proposed, utilises the Q-Learning algorithm with a feedforward neural network for value function approximation. Experimental results clearly demonstrate the advantages of multi-agent, RL-based control, over LQF governed the isolated, single-intersection control, thus paving the way for efficient distributed traffic signal control in complex settings.
Response rates in HER2-overexpressing EBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab (T) have been improved by addition of pertuzumab (P). The prospective, phase II, neoadjuvant WSG-ADAPT ...HER2+/HR- trial assessed whether patients with strong early response to dual blockade alone might achieve pathological complete response (pCR) comparable to that of patients receiving dual blockade and chemotherapy.
Female patients with HER2+/HR- EBC (M0) were randomized (5:2) to 12 weeks of T + P ± weekly paclitaxel (pac) at 80 mg/m2. Early response was defined as proliferation decrease ≥30% of Ki-67 (versus baseline) or low cellularity (<500 invasive tumor cells) in the 3-week biopsy. The trial was designed to test non-inferiority for pCR in early responding patients of the T + P arm versus all chemotherapy-treated patients.
From February 2014 to December 2015, 160 patients were screened, 92 were randomized to T + P and 42 to T + P+pac. Baseline characteristics were well balanced (median age 54 versus 51.5 years, cT2 51.1 versus 52.4%, cN0 54.3 versus 61.9%); 91.3% of patients completed T + P per protocol and 92.9% T + P+pac. The pCR rate in the T + P+pac arm was 90.5%, compared with 36.3% in the T + P arm as a whole. In the T + P arm, 24/92 were classified as non-responders, and their pCR rate was only 8.3% compared with 44.7% in responders (38/92) and 42.9% in patients with unclassified early response (30/92). No new safety signals were observed in the study population.
Addition of taxane monotherapy to dual HER2 blockade in a 12-week neoadjuvant setting substantially increases pCR rates in HER2+/HR- EBC compared with dual blockade alone, even within early responders to dual blockade. Early non-response under dual blockade strongly predicts failure to achieve pCR.
Data preservation in high energy physics Basaglia, T.; Bellis, M.; Blomer, J. ...
European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
09/2023, Letnik:
83, Številka:
9
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Data preservation is a mandatory specification for any present and future experimental facility and it is a cost-effective way of doing fundamental research by exploiting unique data sets in the ...light of the continuously increasing theoretical understanding. This document summarizes the status of data preservation in high energy physics. The paradigms and the methodological advances are discussed from a perspective of more than ten years of experience with a structured effort at international level. The status and the scientific return related to the preservation of data accumulated at large collider experiments are presented, together with an account of ongoing efforts to ensure long-term analysis capabilities for ongoing and future experiments. Transverse projects aimed at generic solutions, most of which are specifically inspired by open science and FAIR principles, are presented as well. A prospective and an action plan are also indicated.
Patients with breast cancer (BC) show strong interest in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), particularly for adverse effects of adjuvant endocrine treatment — e.g., with letrozole. ...Letrozole often induces myalgia/limb pain and arthralgia, with potential noncompliance and treatment termination. This analysis investigated whether CAM before aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy is associated with pain development and the intensity of AI-induced musculoskeletal syndrome (AIMSS) during the first year of treatment.
The multicenter phase IV PreFace study evaluated letrozole therapy in postmenopausal, hormone receptor–positive patients with early BC. Patients were asked about CAM use before, 6 months after, and 12 months after treatment started. They recorded pain every month for 1 year in a diary including questions about pain and numeric pain rating scales. Data were analyzed for patients who provided pain information for all time points.
Of 1396 patients included, 901 (64.5%) had used CAM before AI treatment. Throughout the observation period, patients with CAM before AI treatment had higher pain values, for both myalgia/limb pain and arthralgia, than non-users. Pain increased significantly in both groups over time, with the largest increase during the first 6 months. No significant difference of pain increase was noted regarding CAM use.
CAM use does not prevent or improve the development of AIMSS. Pain intensity was generally greater in the CAM group. Therefore, because of the risk of non-compliance and treatment discontinuation due to the development of higher pain levels, special attention must be paid to patient education and aftercare in these patients.
•Pain levels of myalgia/limb pain and arthralgia increase under letrozole intake.•Within one year pain levels increase in both, CAM users as well as non-CAM users.•In CAM users pain levels were higher at all time points than in non-CAM users.•The greatest increase of pain levels was noted in the first six treatment months.•CAM does not prevent or improve the development of myalgia/limb pain and arthralgia.
Response rates in HER2-overexpressing EBC treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and trastuzumab (T) have been improved by addition of pertuzumab (P). The prospective, phase II, neoadjuvant WSG-ADAPT ...HER2+/HR− trial assessed whether patients with strong early response to dual blockade alone might achieve pathological complete response (pCR) comparable to that of patients receiving dual blockade and chemotherapy.
Female patients with HER2+/HR− EBC (M0) were randomized (5:2) to 12weeks of T+P±weekly paclitaxel (pac) at 80mg/m2. Early response was defined as proliferation decrease≥30% of Ki-67 (versus baseline) or low cellularity (<500 invasive tumor cells) in the 3-week biopsy. The trial was designed to test non-inferiority for pCR in early responding patients of the T+P arm versus all chemotherapy-treated patients.
From February 2014 to December 2015, 160 patients were screened, 92 were randomized to T+P and 42 to T+P+pac. Baseline characteristics were well balanced (median age 54 versus 51.5years, cT251.1 versus 52.4%, cN054.3 versus 61.9%); 91.3% of patients completed T+P per protocol and 92.9% T+P+pac. The pCR rate in the T+P+pac arm was 90.5%, compared with 36.3% in the T+P arm as a whole. In the T+P arm, 24/92 were classified as non-responders, and their pCR rate was only 8.3% compared with 44.7% in responders (38/92) and 42.9% in patients with unclassified early response (30/92). No new safety signals were observed in the study population.
Addition of taxane monotherapy to dual HER2 blockade in a 12-week neoadjuvant setting substantially increases pCR rates in HER2+/HR− EBC compared with dual blockade alone, even within early responders to dual blockade. Early non-response under dual blockade strongly predicts failure to achieve pCR.
Purpose
The
BRCA1
-like profile identifies tumors with a defect in homologous recombination due to inactivation of BRCA1. This profile has been shown to predict which stage III breast cancer patients ...benefit from myeloablative, DNA double-strand-break-inducing chemotherapy. We tested the predictive potential of the
BRCA1
-like profile for adjuvant non-myeloablative, intensified dose-dense chemotherapy in the GAIN trial.
Methods
Lymph node positive breast cancer patients were randomized to 3 × 3 dose-dense cycles of intensified epirubicin, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide (ETC) or 4 cycles concurrent epirubicin and cyclophosphamide followed by 10 cycles of weekly paclitaxel combined with 4 cycles capecitabine (EC-TX). Only triple negative breast cancer patients (TNBC) for whom tissue was available were included in these planned analyses.
BRCA1
-like or non-
BRCA1
-like copy number profiles were derived from low coverage sequencing data.
Results
119 out of 163 TNBC patients (73%) had a
BRCA1
-like profile. After median follow-up of 83 months, disease free survival (DFS) was not significantly different between
BRCA1
-like and non-
BRCA1
-like patients adjusted hazard ratio (adj.HR) 1.02; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55–1.86, neither was overall survival (OS; adj.HR 1.26; 95% CI 0.58–2.71). When split by
BRCA1
-like status, DFS and OS were not significantly different between treatments. However, EC-TX seemed to result in a trend to an improvement in DFS in patients with a
BRCA1
-like tumor, while the reverse accounted for ETC treatment in patients with a non-
BRCA1
-like tumor (
p
for interaction = 0.094).
Conclusions
The
BRCA1
-like profile is not associated with survival benefit for a non-myeloablative, intensified regimen in this study population. Considering the limited cohort size, capecitabine might have additional benefit for TNBC patients.
All 50 state Departments of Corrections (DOC) provide some form of handbook to inmates upon their incarceration. Handbooks specify, in part, the rules, regulations, responsibilities, and consequences ...of behavior critical for upholding safety, security, and order within correctional institutions. Considering the vital importance of these documents to the inmate and the institution, it is essential they be written at a level accessible and understandable to incarcerees. The present multi-method study first assessed the purpose of inmate handbooks. Qualitative results suggest handbooks serve as informational guides regarding the facility's rules. Moreover, a significant portion of the handbooks emphasize that inmates bear the responsibility of understanding and adhering to the instructions outlined in the provided guide. Next, quantitative analysis of 74 inmate handbooks from DOCs in 49 US states was completed, utilizing three established readability metrics (the Flesch Readability Scale, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and the SMOG index), to determine whether handbooks are suitably written for their intended inmate audience. All 74 reviewed handbooks significantly exceeded a reasonable expectation of readability given the likely literacy and education levels of inmates. Recommendations are provided for the improvement of inmate handbook readability drawing on the empirical findings of the present study.
Sarcosporidian cysts in the skeletal muscle of domestic pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) have previously been attributed to infection with Sarcocystis falcatula, which is shed in the faeces of ...the opossum (Didelphis virginiana). Here, we describe fatal spontaneous encephalitis and myositis associated with Sarcocystis infections in three flocks of racing pigeons with 47 of 244 animals affected. The clinical course was characterized by depression, mild diarrhoea, torticollis, opisthotonus, paralysis and trembling. Histopathological examination of 13 pigeons revealed generalized severe granulomatous and necrotizing meningoencephalitis and myositis with sarcosporidian cysts. Light and transmission electron microscopy identified cysts in heart and skeletal muscle of 1 to 2 mm in length and 20 to 50 μm in width. These were subdivided into small chambers by fine septae and filled with lancet-shaped cystozoites (7.5x1.5 μm) and dividing metrocytes, which is characteristic for Sarcocystis. The cysts had smooth walls and were devoid of protrusions typical of S. falcatula. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS-1) and the complete 28S rRNA identified a novel Sarcocystis species with only 51% ITS-1 nucleotide sequence similarity with S. falcatula. A phylogenetic comparison of the 28S rRNA revealed close sequence homologies with Frenkelia microti, Frenkelia glareoli and Sarcocystis neurona. The clinical, histopathological, electron microscopic and genetic data are unlike any previously described protozoan infections in pigeons, suggesting a novel, severe disease due to an as yet undescribed Sarcocystis species.
We evaluated the survival benefit, safety, feasibility, and tolerability of dose-dense (DD) adjuvant chemotherapy with epirubicin and paclitaxel for women with node-positive primary breast cancer. ...Randomised patients (n=216) received DD or conventional-schedule (CS) chemotherapy. Dose-dense regimen patients (n=108) received epirubicin 90 mg m-2 plus paclitaxel 175 mg m-2 in four 14-day cycles, then cyclophosphamide 600 mg m-2, methotrexate 40 mg m-2, and fluorouracil 600 mg m-2 (CMF 600/40/600) in three 14-day cycles, plus filgrastim 5 microg kg day-1 as growth support in every cycle. Conventional-schedule regimen patients (n=108) received epirubicin 90 mg m-2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg m-2 in four 21-day cycles, then CMF 600/40/600 in three 21-day cycles, plus filgrastim if required. After a median follow-up of 38.4 months, 71 patients (33%) relapsed or died: DD, 33 patients (15 deaths); CS, 38 patients (22 deaths). Dose dense showed a trend for improved disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Four-year rates of DFS and OS were 64 and 85% for DD, and 58 and 75% for CS. All seven cycles were administered to 208 patients (96%). Rates of cycle delay, discontinuation, dose reduction, and adverse events were similar in both groups. Dose-dense sequential chemotherapy with epirubicin/paclitaxel then CMF, supported by filgrastim, is safe and improves survival for patients with node-positive breast cancer.
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