Search

Background: Adult Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease. The combination of vinblastine and prednisone, given in a 6-month course, is the standard of care but prospective randomized trials are lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

• Introduction of a fuzzy stochastic approach in design of cylindrical shells. • Taking into account variability and incompleteness by a polymorphic uncertainty model. • Representation of geometric imperfection as fuzzy random fields. • Application of a separable correlation model. • Application of a HDMR-metamodel and the EOLE method to reduce the computational effort. Geometric imperfections are part of the disagreement between theoretically and experimentally determined buckling loads of cylindrical shells. Due to the random nature of the initial deviations, a probabilistic approach is used to predict the buckling loads, where spatial varying imperfections are modeled as Gaussian random fields. The shape of the fields depends, among others, on the autocorrelation structure, which depends on the manufacturing process. Underlying uncertainties like a small sample size or imprecise measurements make it practically impossible to define a crisp correlation function. In addition, rather subjective assumptions with regard to the numerical and probabilistic model have to be considered. Thus, in this paper the classical probabilistic approach is extended to a fuzzy stochastic approach aiming at a more realistic description of the imprecise correlation structure. Consequently, by using both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties it is possible to make more reliable statements to the buckling loads. The first task is to find suitable functions to fit the evaluated correlation structure from measurements. Therefore, the imperfection data bank from Delft University (Arbocz and Abramovich, 1979) is used where different shell types are investigated. Subsequently, the crisp functions are extended to fuzzy functions using the fitting parameters for a fuzzy bunch parameter description. More exactly, a polymorphic uncertainty model from Graf et al. (2015) is used to take into account natural variability and incompleteness. The fuzzy analysis is very time consuming. Hence, the EOLE method Li and Kiureghian (1993) is used for an efficient spectral decomposition of the covariance matrix. A HDMR-metamodel allows a fast α -level optimization for the fuzzy analysis. Finally, mean and quantile values of the stability loads are presented as fuzzy variables with the aim to consider aleatory and epistemic uncertainties in the design process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A prospective, single-arm, open-label, multicenter, nonrandomised phase II trial to evaluate efficacy and safety of short fludarabine, mitoxantrone, and rituximab (FMR) induction followed by radioimmunotherapy, in untreated, intermediate/high-risk follicular non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) patients. Patients and methods: Fifty-five patients were treated using a sequential treatment schedule of four induction cycles of FMR chemoimmunotherapy, and a subsequent consolidating single administration of 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan (90Y-IT), 8–14 weeks later. Patients were eligible for radioimmunotherapy if at least in partial response (PR) after induction, with normal platelet and granulocyte counts and a bone marrow infiltration ≤25%. Primary study end points were response rate and hematologic toxic effects; secondary end points were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Results: All the 55 patients received four induction cycles with an overall response rate of 96% (38 complete responses [CR] and 15 PR). Fifty-one patients (38 in CR and 13 in PR) received 90Y-IT. By the end of the treatment, 49/55 patients achieved a CR. With a median follow-up of 21 months, the estimated 3-year PFS was 81% and the 3-year OS 100%. Conclusions: This study has established feasibility, tolerability, and efficacy of a regimen composed by short FMR induction with 90Y-IT consolidation in untreated intermediate/high-risk follicular NHL patients. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Peripheral T-cell lymphoma unspecified (PTCLU) and mycosis fungoides (MF) often show resistance to conventional chemotherapy. Gemcitabine should be considered a suitable option. We report the long-term update of 39 pretreated T-cell lymphoma patients treated with gemcitabine. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]