University of Valencia

About: University of Valencia is a education organization based out in Valencia, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 27096 authors who have published 65669 publications receiving 1765689 citations. The organization is also known as: Universitat de València & UV.

Present and future bounds on non-standard neutrino interactions

Abstract: We consider Non-Standard neutrino Interactions (NSI), described by four-fermion operators of the form (αγνβ)(γf), where f is an electron or first generation quark We assume these operators are generated at dimension ≥ 8, so the related vertices involving charged leptons, obtained by an SU(2) transformation νδ→eδ, do not appear at tree level These related vertices necessarily arise at one loop, via W exchange We catalogue current constraints from sin 2θW measurements in neutrino scattering, from atmospheric neutrino observations, from LEP, and from bounds on the related charged lepton operators We estimate future bounds from comparing KamLAND and solar neutrino data, and from measuring sin 2θW at the near detector of a neutrino factory Operators constructed with νμ and νe should not confuse the determination of oscillation parameters at a νfactory, because the processes we consider are more sensitive than oscillations at the far detector For operators involving ντ, we estimate similar sensitivities at the near and far detector

Ribonucleotide Reductase Messenger RNA Expression and Survival in Gemcitabine/Cisplatin-Treated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients

Abstract: Purpose: No chemotherapy regimen, including the widely used combination of gemcitabine/cisplatin, confers significantly improved survival over any other in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, the selection of patients according to key genetic characteristics can help to tailor chemotherapy. Ribonucleotide reductase subunit M1 (RRM1) is involved in DNA synthesis and repair and in gemcitabine metabolism, and the excision repair cross-complementing group 1 ( ERCC1 ) gene has been related to cisplatin activity. Experimental Design: Patients were part of a large randomized trial carried out from September 1998 to July 2000, comparing gemcitabine/cisplatin versus gemcitabine/cisplatin/vinorelbine versus gemcitabine/vinorelbine followed by vinorelbine/ifosfamide. We analyzed RRM1 and ERCC1 mRNA expression in paraffin-embedded samples obtained from bronchoscopy by real-time quantitative reverse transcription-PCR. Results were correlated with survival using the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: A total of 100 patients were assessed. There was a strong correlation between RRM1 and ERCC1 mRNA expression levels (Spearman r = 0.410; P versus 3.6 months; 95% confidence interval (CI), 9.6–17.8 months; P = 0.009]. Median survival was also significantly longer among patients with low mRNA expression levels of both RRM1 and ERCC1 (not reached), than among those with high levels of both genes (6.8 months; 95% CI, 2.6–11.1 months; P = 0.016). Conclusions: RRM1 mRNA expression is a crucial predictive marker of survival in gemcitabine/cisplatin-treated patients. Genetic testing of RRM1 mRNA expression levels can and should be used to personalize chemotherapy.

Scatter search

Abstract: The evolutionary approach called scatter search originated from strategies for creating composite decision rules and surrogate constraints. Recent studies demonstrate the practical advantages of this approach for solving a diverse array of optimisation problems from both classical and real--world settings. Scatter search contrasts with other evolutionary procedures, such as genetic algorithms, by providing unifying principles for joining solutions based on generalised path constructions in Euclidean space and by utilising strategic designs where other approaches resort to randomisation. Additional advantages are provided by intensification and diversification mechanisms that exploit adaptive memory, drawing on foundations that link scatter search to tabu search. The main goal of this chapter is to demonstrate the development of a scatter search procedure by demonstrating how it may be applied to a class of non-linear optimisation problems on bounded variables. We conclude the chapter by highlighting key ideas and research issues that offer the promise of yielding future advances.

Stratified Care vs Step Care Strategies for Migraine: The Disability in Strategies of Care (DISC) Study:A Randomized Trial

Abstract: ContextVarious guidelines recommend different strategies for selecting and sequencing acute treatments for migraine. In step care, treatment is escalated after first-line medications fail. In stratified care, initial treatment is based on measurement of the severity of illness or other factors. These strategies for migraine have not been rigorously evaluated.ObjectiveTo compare the clinical benefits of 3 strategies: stratified care, step care within attacks, and step care across attacks, among patients with migraine.Design and SettingRandomized, controlled, parallel-group clinical trial conducted by the Disability in Strategies Study group from December 1997 to March 1999 in 88 clinical centers in 13 countries.PatientsA total of 835 adult migraine patients with a Migraine Disability Assessment Scale (MIDAS) grade of II, III, or IV were analyzed as the efficacy population; the safety analysis included 930 patients.InterventionsPatients were randomly assigned to receive (1) stratified care (n = 279), in which patients with MIDAS grade II treated up to 6 attacks with aspirin, 800 to 1000 mg, plus metoclopramide, 10 mg, and patients with MIDAS grade III and IV treated up to 6 attacks with zolmitriptan, 2.5 mg; (2) step care across attacks (n = 271), in which initial treatment was with aspirin, 800 to 1000 mg, plus metoclopramide, 10 mg. Patients not responding in at least 2 of the first 3 attacks switched to zolmitriptan, 2.5 mg, to treat the remaining 3 attacks; and (3) step care within attacks (n = 285), in which initial treatment for all attacks was with aspirin, 800 to 1000 mg, plus metoclopramide, 20 mg. Patients not responding to treatment after 2 hours in each attack escalated treatment to zolmitriptan, 2.5 mg.Main Outcome MeasuresHeadache response, achieved if pain intensity was reduced from severe or moderate at baseline to mild or no pain at 2 hours; and disability time per treated attack at 4 hours for all 6 attacks, compared among the 3 groups.ResultsHeadache response at 2 hours was significantly greater across 6 attacks in the stratified care treatment group (52.7%) than in either the step care across attacks group (40.6%; P<.001) or the step care within attacks group (36.4%; P<.001). Disability time (6 attacks) was significantly lower in the stratified care group (mean area under the curve [AUC], 185.0 mm · h) than in the step care across attacks group (mean AUC, 209.4 mm · h; P<.001) or the step care within attacks group (mean AUC, 199.7 mm · h; P<.001). The incidence of adverse events was higher in the stratified care group (321 events) vs both step care groups (159 events in across-attack group; 217 in within-attack group), although most events were of mild-to-moderate intensity.ConclusionOur results indicate that as a treatment strategy, stratified care provides significantly better clinical outcomes than step care strategies within or across attacks as measured by headache response and disability time.