Overall survival in patients with endometrial cancer treated with dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel in the randomized ENGOT-EN6/GOG-3031/RUBY trial.

BACKGROUND: Part 1 of the RUBY trial (NCT03981796) evaluated dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel compared with placebo plus carboplatin-paclitaxel in patients with primary advanced or recurrent endometrial cancer (EC). At the first interim analysis, the trial met one of its dual primary endpoints with statistically significant progression-free survival benefits in the mismatch repair-deficient/microsatellite instability-high (dMMR/MSI-H) and overall populations. Overall survival (OS) results are reported from the second interim analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: RUBY is a phase III, global, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Part 1 of RUBY enrolled eligible patients with primary advanced stage III or IV or first recurrent EC who were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to receive either dostarlimab (500 mg) or placebo, plus carboplatin-paclitaxel every 3 weeks for 6 cycles followed by dostarlimab (1000 mg) or placebo every 6 weeks for up to 3 years. OS was a dual primary endpoint. RESULTS: A total of 494 patients were randomized (245 in the dostarlimab arm; 249 in the placebo arm). In the overall population, with 51% maturity, RUBY met the dual primary endpoint for OS at this second interim analysis, with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of death [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.69, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-0.89, P = 0.0020] in patients treated with dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel versus carboplatin-paclitaxel alone. The risk of death was lower in the dMMR/MSI-H population (HR = 0.32, 95% CI 0.17-0.63, nominal P = 0.0002) and a trend in favor of dostarlimab was seen in the mismatch repair-proficient/microsatellite stable population (HR = 0.79, 95% CI 0.60-1.04, nominal P = 0.0493). The safety profile for dostarlimab plus carboplatin-paclitaxel was consistent with the first interim analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Dostarlimab in combination with carboplatin-paclitaxel demonstrated a statistically significant and clinically meaningful OS benefit in the overall population of patients with primary advanced or recurrent EC while demonstrating an acceptable safety profile.

Periodic solutions for systems of coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations with three and four components.

Periodic solutions for systems of coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations (CNLS) are established by the Hirota bilinear method and elliptic functions. The interesting feature is the choice of theta functions in the formulation. The sum of moduli of the components or the total intensity of the beam in physical terms, will now be a rational function, instead of a polynomial, of elliptic functions. Each component of the CNLS may have multiple peaks within one period.

Periodic solutions for systems of coupled nonlinear Schrödinger equations with five and six components.

Systems of coupled nonlinear Schrödinger (CNLS) equations arise in several branches of physics, e.g., optics and plasma physics. Systems with two or three components have been studied intensively. Recently periodic solutions for CNLS systems with four components are derived. The present work extends the search of periodic solutions for CNLS systems to those with five and six components. The Hirota bilinear method, theta and elliptic functions are employed in the process. The long wave limit is studied, and known results of solitary waves are recovered. The validity of these periodic solutions is verified independently by direct differentiation with computer algebra software.

Measuring depression in Canada's elderly Chinese population: use of a community screening instrument.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the reliability and validity of a 15-item Chinese Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) to measure depression in Canada's elderly Chinese population. METHOD: A random sample of 96 elderly Chinese in a Canadian city was surveyed by telephone. The measure of depression used was the 15-item Chinese version of the GDS. In addition, the physical and mental health of the respondents was assessed by a Chinese version of the SF-12, questions on self-perceived general health, and questions on self-reported illnesses and health concerns. RESULTS: The prevalence rate of depression in the elderly Chinese who participated in this study is approximately 20%, which is much lower than that of elderly Chinese in the United States (US). Cronbach's alpha and split-half reliability coefficients were 0.88 and 0.89 respectively. GDS scores are significantly correlated with the mental health component (r = -0.74) of the SF-12, indicating a strong convergent validity. GDS scores are also correlated with the physical health component of the SF-12 (r = -0.41), self-perceived general health (r = -0.26), and illnesses (r = 0.52), demonstrating concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The 15-item Chinese GDS has good internal consistency and both convergent and concurrent validity. It can help to identify depression among the elderly Chinese, allowing early identification and prevention of this problem. Further research is required to support its use in clinical settings.

Violence exposure and mental health of adolescents in small towns: an exploratory study.

This study explores the impact of violence exposure on the mental health of the adolescents in a rural small town. A structured questionnaire was used to survey 347 adolescents. Violence experienced and witnessed by the adolescents at school, in the neighbourhood, and at home was measured. Mental health was represented by the psychiatric symptoms, depression level, and self-esteem. The level of violence perpetrated by the adolescents was also explored. Results of the multiple regression analysis show that adolescents who have been exposed to more violence, either as a victim or as a witness, report more psychiatric symptoms, higher levels of depression, and more problems of self-esteem. Being a witness of violence also contributes significantly to the variance of violence committed by the adolescents. The implications of the findings to violence prevention are discussed in the conclusion.