Humboldt University of Berlin

About: Humboldt University of Berlin is a education organization based out in Berlin, Germany. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 33671 authors who have published 61781 publications receiving 1908102 citations. The organization is also known as: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin & Universitas Humboldtiana Berolinensis.

Long-term results of four consecutive trials in childhood ALL performed by the ALL-BFM study group from 1981 to 1995. Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster.

Abstract: Four thousand, four hundred and forty eligible children of up to 18 years of age were treated in four consecutive trials between 1981 and 1995 with the treatment protocols of the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) study group for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The probability for event-free survival (pEFS) at 8 years improved from 65.8% in study ALL-BFM 81 to 75.9% in study ALL-BFM 90. The cumulative incidence of recurrences with CNS involvement was 10.1% and 9.3% in studies ALL-BFM 81 and 83, but was reduced to less than 5% in study ALL-BFM 90 (for isolated CNS relapses from 5.3% in study ALL-BFM 81 to 1.1% in study ALL-BFM 90). Four major findings were derived from this series of trials performed by 37 to 96 centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: (1) Reintensification is a crucial part of treatment, even in low risk patients; (2) presymptomatic cranial radiotherapy can be safely reduced to 12 Gy, or even be eliminated if it is replaced by early intensive systemic and intrathecal methotrexate applied; (3) maintenance therapy given a total of 24 months from diagnosis provides a lower rate of systemic relapses than treatment for 18 months; (4) inadequate response to an initial 7-day prednisone window (combined with one intrathecal injection of methotrexate on day 1) defines about 10% of the patients with a very high risk of relapse. For patients with adequate early response (90% of all) an 8-year pEFS of 80% has been achieved in the most recent trial ALL-BFM 90. While it has proven so far to be impossible to improve the outcome for the small group of high risk patients, the number of recurrences could be effectively reduced for the large group of patients responding adequately to the prednisone in vivo sensitivity test. Apart from inadequate prednisone response, patients with hyperleukocytosis, age <1 year, or the presence of the Philadelphia-chromosome (Ph+ ALL) are at a particularly high risk of failure.

How basin stability complements the linear-stability paradigm

Abstract: Linear-stability measures for assessing the state of a dynamical system are inherently local, and thus insufficient to quantify stability against substantial perturbations. The volume of a state’s basin of attraction offers a powerful alternative—and points towards a plausible explanation for regularity in real-world networks.

Prognostic significance of activated CD8(+) T cell infiltrations within esophageal carcinomas.

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore whether there is a linkage between the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and the risk of death from esophageal cancer. Cases of 70 consecutive patients in whom esophageal squamous cell carcinomas ( n = 33) or adenocarcinomas (n = 37) were R0-resected between 1993 and 1999 were reviewed. The presence of activated CD8+ T cells was evaluated by quantitative real-time PCR and immunohistochemistry and compared to clinical and pathological stages. The primary end point analyzed was overall survival, and a multivariate analysis was performed to distinguish any factors conferring an improved survivorship. Intratumoral (i.t.) CD8+ T cells accumulating within the epithelial complexes were detected in 11 of all (16%) cases: in 9 of 25 (36%) patients with Union Internationale Contrele Cancer stage I or II versus 2 of 45 (4%) patients with Union Internationale Contrele Cancer stage III or IV (P = 0.001). Intratumoral CD8+ T cell infiltrations showed proliferative activity and also IFN-γ secretion. The presence of i.t. CD8+ T cell infiltration more than peritumoral infiltration was associated with a good prognosis in both squamous cell and adenocarcinomas. Multivariate analysis showed that i.t. CD8+ T cell infiltration was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio, 0.5; P = 0.0004) indicating favorable outcome. In conclusion, the presence of CD8+ T cell infiltration in esophageal carcinomas is a favorable prognostic factor that should have diagnostic and therapeutic implications.