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Computer aided technologies (CAT) are becoming an indispensable instrument to design, improve and manufacture new products and services. Digital human modelling (DHM) systems allow to simulate the Human-artifact interface and to evaluate, in early step of design process, the ergonomic performances of new products or workplaces. In particular, for products that have to be used in a "constrained" workplace, different tasks and activities are associated with different postures. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of anthropometric characteristics and expectations on the postural comfort perception through the CAT/DHM systems, while using four office devices: desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet and smartphone. A statistical sample of healthy students was selected and their anthropometric characteristics were measured. The postures assumed by the participants were gathered in a not-invasive way by cameras. The angular detection was performed directly on snapshots by using Kinovea® software. Human joints' an-gles were used for the virtual-postural analysis, through DELMIA® software. The evaluation of postural comfort was obtained in two ways: CaMAN® software developed by the researchers from the Department of Industrial Engineering in Salerno (Italy) was used to calculate the objective comfort indexes while an appropriate questionnaire, given to subjects during the devices usage, was used to evaluate the subjective com-fort indexes. The results of analyses show a difference between subjective and objective postural comfort indexes for all the devices: this difference has been associated to the expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) such as gefitinib, erlotinib, and afatinib are standard-of-care for first-line treatment of EGFR-mutant advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). These drugs have a proven benefit in terms of higher response rate, delaying progression and improvement of quality of life over palliative platinum-based chemotherapy. The most common adverse events (AEs) are gastrointestinal (GI) (diarrhoea and stomatitis/mucositis) and cutaneous (rash, dry skin and paronychia). These are usually mild, but if they become moderate or severe, they can have a negative impact on the patient's quality of life (QOL) and lead to dose modifications or drug discontinuation. Appropriate management of AEs, including prophylactic measures, supportive medications, treatment delays and dose reductions, is essential. A consensus meeting of a UK-based multidisciplinary panel composed of medical and clinical oncologists with a special interest in lung cancer, dermatologists, gastroenterologists, lung cancer nurse specialists and oncology pharmacists was held to develop guidelines on prevention and management of cutaneous (rash, dry skin and paronychia) and GI (diarrhoea, stomatitis and mucositis) AEs associated with the administration of EGFR-TKIs. These guidelines detail supportive measures, treatment delays and dose reductions for EGFR-TKIs. Although the focus of the guidelines is to support healthcare professionals in UK clinical practice, it is anticipated that the management strategies proposed will also be applicable in non-UK settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Poly adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-ribose polymerase (PARP) is essential in cellular processing of DNA damage via the base excision repair pathway (BER). The PARP inhibition can be directly cytotoxic to tumour cells and augments the anti-tumour effects of DNA-damaging agents. This study evaluated the optimally tolerated dose of olaparib (4-(3--4-fluorophenyl) methyl-1(2H)-one; AZD2281, KU0059436), a potent PARP inhibitor, with dacarbazine and assessed safety, toxicity, clinical pharmacokinetics and efficacy of combination treatment.Patients and Methods: Patients with advanced cancer received olaparib (20-200 mg PO) on days 1-7 with dacarbazine (600-800 mg m(-2) IV) on day 1 (cycle 2, day 2) of a 21-day cycle. An expansion cohort of chemonaive melanoma patients was treated at an optimally tolerated dose. The BER enzyme, methylpurine-DNA glycosylase and its substrate 7-methylguanine were quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells.Results: The optimal combination to proceed to phase II was defined as 100 mg bd olaparib with 600 mg m(-2) dacarbazine. Dose-limiting toxicities were neutropaenia and thrombocytopaenia. There were two partial responses, both in patients with melanoma.Conclusion: This study defined a tolerable dose of olaparib in combination with dacarbazine, but there were no responses in chemonaive melanoma patients, demonstrating no clinical advantage over single-agent dacarbazine at these doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This randomised trial compared platinum-based to anthracycline-based chemotherapy in patients with small-cell lung cancer (limited or extensive stage) and