bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Assessment of a novel cryoablation device for the endovascular treatment of cardiac tachyarrhythmias
Authors: Baust John M , Robilotto Anthony , Guerra Peter , Snyder Kristi K , Van Buskirk Robert G , Dubuc Marc , Baust John G 
Published: May 2018

Objectives: Cryoablation is an effective alternative treatment for cardiac arrhythmias offering shortened recovery and reduced side effects. As the use of cryoablation increases, the need for new devices and procedures has emerged. This has been driven by technological limitations including lengthy periods to generate a single lesion (3–5 min), uncertain transmurality, and differential efficacy. Furthermore, due to limited ablation capacity under high heat loads, cryo has had limited success in the treatment of ventricular arrhythmias. To this end, in this study we evaluated a new cryoablation catheter, ICEolate, for the targeted ablation of cardiac tissue. Methods: Performance assessment included calorimetry, freeze zone isothermal distribution characterization and catheter ablation capacity in a submerged, circulating, heat-loaded ex vivo tissue model. A pilot in vivo study was also conducted to assess ablative capacity of the cryocatheter in a fully beating heart. Results: Ex vivo studies demonstrated ice formation at the tip of a cryocatheter within 5 s and a tip temperature of ~−150°C within 10 s. The device repeatedly generated freeze zones of 2 cm × 3 cm in less than 2 min. Tissue model studies revealed the generation of a full thickness (5–10 mm) cryogenic lesion within 1 min with an opposite (transmural) surface temperature of <−60°C under a circulating 37°C heat load. Pilot in vivo studies demonstrated the delivery of an ablative “dose,” producing a continuous full thickness transmural linear lesion in <60 s at both atrial and ventricular sites. Conclusion: These studies suggest that the supercritical nitrogen cryodevice and ICEolate cryocatheter may provide for rapid, effective, controllable freezing of targeted tissue. The ablative power, speed, and directional freeze characteristics also offer the potential of improved safety via a reduction in procedural time compared to current cryoablation devices. These technological developments may open new avenues for the application of cryo to treat other cardiac arrhythmogenic disorders.
Carbon dioxide insufflation during endoscopic resection of large colorectal polyps can reduce post‐procedure abdominal pain: A prospective, double‐blind, randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kim Su Young , Chung Jun-Won , Kim Jung Ho , Kim Yoon Jae , Kim Kyoung Oh , Kwon Kwang An , Park Dong Kyun 
Published: May 2018

BackgroundStudies of the use of CO2 insufflation during endoscopic resection of large colorectal polyps (LCPs) are lacking.ObjectiveWe evaluated the effect of CO2 insufflation on pain after endoscopic resection of LCPs.MethodsIn a prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT), 132 patients were randomly assigned to groups who underwent endoscopic resection with CO2 insufflation (CO2 group, n = 66) or air insufflation (air group, n = 66). The primary outcome was abdominal pain post‐procedure (PP). The secondary outcomes were abdominal distension, rates of technical success, amounts of sedatives prescribed, use of analgesics, and adverse events.ResultsBaseline patient characteristics were similar between the groups. The mean abdominal pain score was 12.3 in the CO2 group vs. 17.5 in the air group at 1 h PP (p  =  0.047). Also, the proportion of patients without pain was significantly higher in the CO2 group at 1 h PP (p = 0.008). The pain score differed more in the endoscopic submucosal dissection group and long‐time group. The secondary outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups.ConclusionsThe results of this RCT demonstrate the superiority of CO2 insufflation for endoscopic resection of LCPs in terms of decreasing PP abdominal pain (KCT0001636).
Primary Versus Revision Discectomy for Adults With Herniated Nucleus Pulposus: A Propensity Score–Matched Multicenter Study
Authors: Phan Kevin , Cheung Zoe B. , Lee Nathan J. , Kothari Parth , DiCapua John , Arvind Varun , White Samuel J. W. , Ranson William A. , Kim Jun S. , Cho Samuel K. 
Published: May 2018

Study Design: Retrospective propensity score matched analysis. Objective: To compare the incidence of any 30-day perioperative complication following primary and revision discectomy for lumbar disc herniation. Methods: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) was used to identify patients undergoing primary or revision lumbar discectomy from 2005 to 2012. Propensity score matching was performed to create matched pairs of primary and revision discectomy cases for analysis. Univariate analysis was then performed to compare 30-day morbidity and mortality between propensity score–matched pairs. Results: We identified 4730 cases of primary discectomy performed through a minimally invasive or open approach and 649 revision discectomy cases. Baseline patient characteristics and comorbidities were compared and then propensity score–matched adjustments were made to create 649 matched pairs of primary and revision cases. On univariate analysis, there were no significant differences in 30-day perioperative outcomes between the 2 groups. Conclusion: While there were no significant differences in 30-day perioperative complications between patients undergoing primary lumbar discectomy and those undergoing revision lumbar discectomy, this finding should be interpreted with caution since the ACS-NSQIP database lacks functional and pain outcomes, and also does not include dural tear or durotomy as a complication. Future large-scale and long-term prospective studies including these variables are needed to better understand the outcomes and complications following primary versus revision discectomy for lumbar disc herniation.
Introduction to a review series on emerging immunotherapies for hematologic diseases
Authors: Paczesny Sophie , Pavletic Steven Z. , Bollard Catherine M. 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Immune therapies are fast becoming paradigm-changing treatment options for patients with hematologic cancers. The field has grown exponentially as it expands to nonmalignant blood diseases. This Perspective article introduces the review series describing some of the latest advances in this field and highlighting some of the current obstacles and new opportunities for the future. Specifically, the series provides in-depth discussion on a selection of emerging immunotherapies now available to patients for hematologic diseases, including cancer vaccines, chimeric antigen receptor T cells, and immunotherapies to regulate inflammation in nonmalignant blood disorders.
A stepwise composite echocardiographic score predicts severe pulmonary hypertension in patients with interstitial lung disease
Authors: Bax Simon , Bredy Charlene , Kempny Aleksander , Dimopoulos Konstantinos , Devaraj Anand , Walsh Simon , Jacob Joseph , Nair Arjun , Kokosi Maria , Keir Gregory , Kouranos Vasileios , George Peter M. , McCabe Colm , Wilde Michael , Wells Athol , Li Wei , Wort Stephen John , Price Laura C. 
Published: May 2018

European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines recommend the assessment of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD) and severe pulmonary hypertension (PH), as defined by a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥35 mmHg at right heart catheterisation (RHC). We developed and validated a stepwise echocardiographic score to detect severe PH using the tricuspid regurgitant velocity and right atrial pressure (right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP)) and additional echocardiographic signs.Consecutive ILD patients with suspected PH underwent RHC between 2005 and 2015. Receiver operating curve analysis tested the ability of components of the score to predict mPAP ≥35 mmHg, and a score devised using a stepwise approach. The score was tested in a contemporaneous validation cohort. The score used “additional PH signs” where RVSP was unavailable, using a bootstrapping technique.Within the derivation cohort (n=210), a score ≥7 predicted severe PH with 89% sensitivity, 71% specificity, positive predictive value 68% and negative predictive value 90%, with similar performance in the validation cohort (n=61) (area under the curve (AUC) 84.8%versus83.1%, p=0.8). Although RVSP could be estimated in 92% of studies, reducing this to 60% maintained a fair accuracy (AUC 74.4%).This simple stepwise echocardiographic PH score can predict severe PH in patients with ILD.
Improved insulin sensitivity and lower postprandial triglyceride concentrations after cold-pressed turnip rapeseed oil compared to cream in patients with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Saarinen Harri Juhani , Husgafvel Sari , Pohjantähti-Maaroos Hanna , Wallenius Marja , Palomäki Ari 
Published: May 2018

Background
The aim of this study was to compare acute effects of turnip rapeseed oil rich with mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and cream on postprandial triglyceride levels and post-glucose load measures of insulin sensitivity in population of men with metabolic syndrome.

Methods
This open-label balanced crossover study included 37 men with metabolic syndrome. They underwent an oral glucose-fat tolerance test where they ingested 75 g of glucose with either 240 mL of cream or 84 mL of turnip rapeseed oil depending on the study arm. Hourly postprandial blood samples were drawn up to 5 h after this oral glucose-fat tolerance test to determine the changes in triglyceride concentrations and to measure insulin sensitivity. Changes in insulin sensitivity were calculated with different insulin sensitivity indices (OGIS, Stumvoll, Gutt and McAuley scores) derived from measured insulin and glucose concentrations. The oral glucose-fat tolerance test was preceded by a period during which the participants consumed a daily portion of either 35 mL of turnip rapeseed oil or 37.5 g of butter depending on the study arm in addition to their habitual diets. Both dietary periods lasted from 6 to 8 weeks. After an 8-week wash-out period the subjects crossed over to the other study arm and underwent the same process with the other fat adjunct.

Results
The area under the curve for hourly triglyceride concentrations was 16% smaller after turnip rapeseed oil than after cream (13.86 [interquartile range 8.54] vs. 16.41 [9.09] mmol/l, p < 0.001). The insulin sensitivity markers of OGIS (324 [38.97] vs. 377 [68.38] p < 0.001), Stumvoll score (0.079 [0.029] vs. 0.085 [0.029], p = 0.038) and Gutt score (67.0 ± 2.78 vs. 78.8 ± 4.97 p = 0.001) were higher after turnip rapeseed oil period than after butter period. There was a non-significant change in the McAuley score.

Conclusion
Dietary turnip rapeseed oil improved postprandially measured insulin sensitivity and triglyceride concentrations compared to cream and butter. This provides a possible efficient dietary mean to treat cardiovascular risk factors.
Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01119690 (05-06-2010)
Predictive potential of macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)
Authors: Luedike Peter , Alatzides Georgios , Papathanasiou Maria , Heisler Martin , Pohl Julia , Lehmann Nils , Rassaf Tienush 
Published: May 2018

Abstract
Background
Prognostication in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is challenging and novel biomarkers are urgently needed. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that plays a crucial role in cardiovascular and various inflammatory diseases. Whether MIF is involved in HFpEF is unknown.

Methods and results
Sixty-two patients with HFpEF were enrolled and followed up for 180 days. MIF plasma levels as well as natriuretic peptide (NP) levels were assessed. High MIF levels significantly predicted the combined end-point of all-cause death or hospitalization at 180 days in the univariate analysis (HR 2.41, 95% CI 1.12–5.19, p = 0.025) and after adjustment for relevant covariates in a Cox proportional hazard regression model (HR 2.35, 95% CI 1.05–5.27, p = 0.0374). Furthermore, MIF levels above the median were associated with higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) as assessed by echocardiography (PASP 31 mmHg vs 48 mmHg in the low- and high-MIF group, respectively, p = 0.017). NPs significantly correlated with MIF in HFpEF patients (BNP p = 0.011; r = 0.32; NT-proBNP p = 0.027; r = 0.28).

Conclusion
MIF was associated with clinical outcomes and might be involved in the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension in patients with HFpEF. These first data on MIF in HFpEF should stimulate further research to elucidate the role of this cytokine in heart failure.
Trial registration NCT03232671
Mysteries of times of crisis: Hannah Arendt on morality under Nazism
Authors: Jissov Milen 
Published: May 2018

AbstractThe original inspiration of Hannah Arendt’s last work, The Life of the Mind, was the question of whether human thinking could help us resist evil. Arendt concluded that its answer was positive: thinking was a shield against evil. But, subverting this claim, her magnum opus, The Origins of Totalitarianism, showed that thinking could not have served as a moral safeguard in the history of Nazism. Conversely, Arendt’s interpretation of that same history, in her most controversial work Eichmann in Jerusalem, revealed an all too real defense against evil: human judgment. But, paradoxically, the model of judgment that she sketched in her philosophy of mind denied the survival of judgment under the historical conditions of Nazism, transforming its existence into a mysterious puzzle. This essay thus argues that Arendt’s philosophical thinking—her conceptions of thinking and of judgment—clashed with her understanding of the history of Nazism, and this conflict disorganized her views on morality in the time of this, the greatest political and historical crisis of the modern West.
New insights from the widening homogeneity perspective to target intratumor heterogeneity
Authors: Tong Mengying , Deng Ziqian , Zhang Xiaolong , He Bin , Yang Mengying , Cheng Wei , Liu Quentin 
Published: May 2018

AbstractPrecision medicine has shed new light on the treatment of heterogeneous cancer patients. However, intratumor heterogeneity strongly constrains the clinical benefit of precision medicine. Thus, rethinking therapeutic strategies from a different facet within the precision medicine framework will not only diversify clinical interventions, but also provide an avenue for precision medicine. Here, we explore the current approaches for targeting intratumor heterogeneity and their limitations. Furthermore, we propose a theoretical strategy with a “homogenization” feature based on iatrogenic evolutionary selection to target intratumor heterogeneity.
Clinically Integrated Sequencing Alters Therapy in Children and Young Adults With High-Risk Glial Brain Tumors
Authors: Koschmann Carl , Wu Yi-Mi , Kumar-Sinha Chandan , Lonigro Robert , Vats Pankaj , Kasaian Katayoon , Cieslik Marcin , Cao Xuhong , Anderson Bailey , Frank Kevin , Zhao Lili , Prensner John R. , Zureick Andrew H. , Everett Jessica , Mullan Brendan , Marini Bernard , Camelo-Piragua Sandra , Venneti Sriram , McKeever Paul , McFadden Kathryn , Lieberman Andrew P. , Leonard Marcia , Maher Cormac O. , Garton Hugh , Muraszko Karin , Robertson Patricia , Robinson Dan , Chinnaiyan Arul M. , Mody Rajen 
Published: May 2018

Purpose Brain tumors have become the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in young patients. Novel effective therapies on the basis of the unique biology of each tumor are urgently needed. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, utility, and clinical impact of integrative clinical sequencing and genetic counseling in children and young adults with high-risk brain tumors. Patients and Methods Fifty-two children and young adults with brain tumors designated by the treating neuro-oncologist to be high risk (> 25% chance for treatment failure; mean age, 10.2 years; range, 0 to 39 years) were enrolled in a prospective, observational, consecutive case series, in which participants underwent integrative clinical exome (tumor and germline DNA) and transcriptome (tumor RNA) sequencing and genetic counseling. Results were discussed in a multi-institutional brain tumor precision medicine teleconference. Results Sequencing revealed a potentially actionable germline or tumor alteration in 25 (63%) of 40 tumors with adequate tissue, of which 21 (53%) resulted in an impact on treatment or change of diagnosis. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor or fibroblast growth factor receptor pathway alterations were seen in nine of 20 (45%) glial tumors. Eight (20%) sequenced tumors harbored an oncogenic fusion isolated on RNA sequencing. Seventeen of 20 patients (85%) with glial tumors were found to have a potentially actionable result, which resulted in change of therapy in 14 (70%) patients. Patients with recurrent brain tumors receiving targeted therapy had a median progression-free survival (from time on therapy) of 4 months. Conclusion Selection of personalized agents for children and young adults with high-risk brain tumors on the basis of integrative clinical sequencing is feasible and resulted in a change in therapy in more than two thirds of children and young adults with high-risk glial tumors.
Subclinical Hypothyroidism in Women Planning Conception and During Pregnancy: Who Should Be Treated and How?
Authors: Maraka Spyridoula , Singh Ospina Naykky M , Mastorakos George , O’Keeffe Derek T 
Published: May 2018

AbstractSubclinical hypothyroidism (SCH), a mild form of hypothyroidism defined as elevated TSH with normal free thyroxine levels, is a common diagnosis among women of reproductive age. In some, but not all, studies, it has been associated with infertility, an increased risk of adverse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes, and possibly with an increased risk of neurocognitive deficits in offspring. Despite well-established recommendations on treatment of overt hypothyroid pregnant women, a consensus has not yet been reached on whether to treat women with SCH. This review focuses on examining the evidence informing the clinical strategy for using levothyroxine (LT4) in women with SCH during pregnancy and those who are planning conception. A crucial first step is to accurately diagnose SCH using the appropriate population-based reference range. For pregnant women, if this is unavailable, the recommended TSH upper normal limit cutoff is 4.0 mIU/L. There is evidence supporting a decreased risk for pregnancy loss and preterm delivery for pregnant women with TSH &gt; 4.0 mIU/L receiving LT4 therapy. LT4 treatment has been associated with better reproductive outcomes in women with SCH undergoing artificial reproductive techniques, but not in those who are attempting natural conception. Thyroid function tests need to be repeated throughout pregnancy to monitor LT4 therapy. In addition to potential harms, LT4 contributes to treatment burden. During a consultation, clinicians and patients should engage in a careful consideration of the current evidence in the context of the patients’ values and preferences to determine whether LT4 therapy initiation is the best next step.
Microtubules as platforms for probing liquid–liquid phase separation in cells – application to RNA-binding proteins
Authors: Maucuer Alexandre , Desforges Bénédicte , Joshi Vandana , Boca Mirela , Kretov Dmitry A. , Hamon Loic , Bouhss Ahmed , Curmi Patrick A. , Pastré David 
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACT
Liquid–liquid phase separation enables compartmentalization of biomolecules in cells, notably RNA and associated proteins in the nucleus. Besides having critical functions in RNA processing, there is a major interest in deciphering the molecular mechanisms of compartmentalization orchestrated by RNA-binding proteins such as TDP-43 (also known as TARDBP) and FUS because of their link to neuron diseases. However, tools for probing compartmentalization in cells are lacking. Here, we developed a method to analyze the mixing and demixing of two different phases in a cellular context. The principle is the following: RNA-binding proteins are confined on microtubules and quantitative parameters defining their spatial segregation are measured along the microtubule network. Through this approach, we found that four mRNA-binding proteins, HuR (also known as ELAVL1), G3BP1, TDP-43 and FUS form mRNA-rich liquid-like compartments on microtubules. TDP-43 is partly miscible with FUS but immiscible with either HuR or G3BP1. We also demonstrate that mRNA is essential to capture the mixing and demixing behavior of mRNA-binding proteins in cells. Taken together, we show that microtubules can be used as platforms to understand the mechanisms underlying liquid–liquid phase separation and their deregulation in human diseases.
Academia e prática em simbiose
Authors: Tonelli Maria José , Wilner Adriana 
Published: May 2018

Há algumas décadas, o conhecimento produzido nas ciências administrativas vem sendo questionado por falta de impacto na prática. Podemos dizer que há controvérsias sobre esse suposto afastamento, uma vez que professores de escolas de Administração realizam consultorias, participam de boards de empresas, ministram aulas em inúmeros programas de educação corporativa e MBAs. Nessas atividades, ficam em estreito contato com os praticantes, circulando conceitos (e modismos) produzidos na academia. Mas, ainda assim, esse questionamento persiste. Para aproximar ainda mais universidade e empresas, no mundo todo houve o crescimento de programas de Doutorado Profissional em Administração voltados exclusivamente para altos executivos. Conhecido como Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), a modalidade tem várias escolas como expoentes, como Harvard, nos Estados Unidos, e Instituto de Empresas, na Espanha, para citar apenas dois exemplos. No Brasil, o programa foi aprovado recentemente pela Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).
Political Promotion, CEO Incentives, and the Relationship Between Pay and Performance
Authors: Cao Xiaping , Lemmon Michael , Pan Xiaofei , Qian Meijun , Tian Gary 
Published: May 2018

Both theory and empirical evidence suggest that managers’ career concerns can serve as an important source of implicit economic incentives. We examine how incentives for political promotion are related to compensation policy and firm performance in Chinese state-owned enterprises. We find that the likelihood that the CEO receives a political promotion is positively related to firm performance. We also find that CEOs with a higher likelihood of political promotion have lower pay levels and lower pay–performance sensitivity. Overall, the evidence suggests that competition in the political job market helps mitigate weak monetary incentives for CEOs in China. Data are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2966 . This paper was accepted by Lauren Cohen, finance.