bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multiple myeloma treatment patterns and clinical outcomes in the Latin America Haemato‐Oncology (HOLA) Observational Study, 2008–2016
Authors: de Moraes Hungria Vania Tietsche , Martínez‐Baños Deborah M. , Peñafiel Christian R. , Miguel Carlos E. , Vela‐Ojeda Jorge , Remaggi Guillermina , Duarte Fernando B. , Cao Carmen , Cugliari Maria S. , Santos Telma , Machnicki Gerardo , Fernandez Mariana , Grings Mariana , Ammann Eric M. , Lin Jennifer H. , Chen Yen‐Wen , Wong Yu‐Ning , Barreyro Paula 
Published: August 2019

SummaryLimited data are available regarding contemporary multiple myeloma (MM) treatment practices in Latin America. In this retrospective cohort study, medical records were reviewed for a multinational cohort of 1103 Latin American MM patients (median age, 61 years) diagnosed in 2008–2015 who initiated first‐line therapy (LOT1). Of these patients, 33·9% underwent autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT). During follow‐up, 501 (45·4%) and 129 (11·7%) patients initiated second‐ (LOT2) and third‐line therapy (LOT3), respectively. In the LOT1 setting, from 2008 to 2015, there was a decrease in the use of thalidomide‐based therapy, from 66·7% to 42·6%, and chemotherapy from, 20·2% to 5·9%, whereas use of bortezomib‐based therapy or bortezomib + thalidomide increased from 10·7% to 45·5%. Bortezomib‐based therapy and bortezomib + thalidomide were more commonly used in ASCT patients and in private clinics. In non‐ASCT and ASCT patients, median progression‐free survival (PFS) was 15·0 and 31·1 months following LOT1 and 10·9 and 9·5 months following LOT2, respectively. PFS was generally longer in patients treated with bortezomib‐based or thalidomide‐based therapy versus chemotherapy. These data shed light on recent trends in the management of MM in Latin America. Slower uptake of newer therapies in public clinics and poor PFS among patients with relapsed MM point to areas of unmet therapeutic need in Latin America.
A machine learning‐assisted decision‐support model to better identify patients with prostate cancer requiring an extended pelvic lymph node dissection
Authors: Hou Ying , Bao Mei‐Ling , Wu Chen‐Jiang , Zhang Jing , Zhang Yu‐Dong , Shi Hai‐Bin 
Published: August 2019

ObjectivesTo develop a machine learning (ML)‐assisted model to identify candidates for extended pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) in prostate cancer by integrating clinical, biopsy, and precisely defined magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.Patients and MethodsIn all, 248 patients treated with radical prostatectomy and ePLND or PLND were included. ML‐assisted models were developed from 18 integrated features using logistic regression (LR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forests (RFs). The models were compared to the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) nomogram using receiver operating characteristic‐derived area under the curve (AUC) calibration plots and decision curve analysis (DCA).ResultsA total of 59/248 (23.8%) lymph node invasions (LNIs) were identified at surgery. The predictive accuracy of the ML‐based models, with (+) or without (−) MRI‐reported LNI, yielded similar AUCs (RFs+/RFs−: 0.906/0.885; SVM+/SVM−: 0.891/0.868; LR+/LR−: 0.886/0.882) and were higher than the MSKCC nomogram (0.816; P < 0.001). The calibration of the MSKCC nomogram tended to underestimate LNI risk across the entire range of predicted probabilities compared to the ML‐assisted models. The DCA showed that the ML‐assisted models significantly improved risk prediction at a risk threshold of ≤80% compared to the MSKCC nomogram. If ePLNDs missed was controlled at <3%, both RFs+ and RFs− resulted in a higher positive predictive value (51.4%/49.6% vs 40.3%), similar negative predictive value (97.2%/97.8% vs 97.2%), and higher number of ePLNDs spared (56.9%/54.4% vs 43.9%) compared to the MSKCC nomogram.ConclusionsOur ML‐based model, with a 5–15% cutoff, is superior to the MSKCC nomogram, sparing ≥50% of ePLNDs with a risk of missing <3% of LNIs.
Self-reported changes in the expanded disability status scale score in patients with multiple sclerosis after autologous stem cell transplants: real-world data from a single center
Authors: Ruiz-Argüelles G J , Olivares-Gazca J C , Olivares-Gazca M , Leon-Peña A A , Murrieta-Alvarez I , Cantero-Fortiz Y , Gomez-Cruz G B , Ruiz-Argüelles A , Priesca-Marin M , Ruiz-Delgado G J 
Published: August 2019

SummaryIn order to reset the immune system to baseline function, autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been performed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). After June 2015, 617 new consecutive patients with MS were autografted in our center with non-frozen peripheral blood stem cells. The autografts were performed on an out-patient basis, after conditioning with cyclophosphamide and rituximab. The aim of the study was the assessment of both safety and efficacy of the method. The study’s primary co-end-points were recovery of granulocyte and platelet counts and transplant-related mortality. Secondary end-points were overall survival and clinical response (improvement or stabilization of the self-reported expanded disability status scale score). The protocol was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02674217.0. We included 401 females and 216 males, with a median age of 46 years. A total of 259 patients had relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS), 228 had secondary progressive (SPMS) and 130 had primary progressive (PPMS) multiple sclerosis. All procedures were initially performed on an out-patient basis and only 32 individuals (5%) required hospitalization. One to three aphereses (median 1) were required to harvest at least 1 × 106/kg viable CD34+ cells. The total number of viable CD34+ infused cells ranged between 1 and 37·83 × 106/kg (median 5·68). Patients recovered more than 0·5 × 109/l absolute granulocytes by day 8 (median, range = 2–14), and platelet values were above 20 × 109/l by day 4 (median, range = 0–11). Eleven individuals required red blood cells and six needed platelet transfusions. To date, there have been no deaths attributable to the transplant, yielding a 30-month overall survival of 100%. Patients have been followed for 3–42 months (median = 12). The overall response rate (decrease or stabilization of the self-reported EDSS score) at 12 months was 78% for all patients (83% in RRMS, 78% in PPMS and 73% in SPMS), while the disability progression-free survival was 82% for all patients (86% in RRMS, 78·5% in SPMS and 78% in SPMS). Changes in the self-reported EDSS score in parallel with neurological improvement were observed in people with all types of MS after HSCT, employing the ‘Mexican method’.
Speech, language, and feeding phenotypes of SATB2‐associated syndrome
Authors: Thomason Ashlen , Pankey Emily , Nutt Beth , Caffrey Aisling R. , Zarate Yuri A. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractSATB2‐associated syndrome (SAS) is a recently identified disorder characterized by neurodevelopmental deficits and craniofacial anomalies. Assessments of speech, language, and feeding‐related issues were conducted among 61 individuals with SAS (median age = 86 months, range = 26 months to 29 years of age). Individuals with SAS were mostly non‐verbal communicators (72.1%) with severe deficits in both language comprehension and expression. The majority of individuals had receptive vocabulary skills of a child younger than 3 years of age. Based on parent report, the average spoken lexicon was 28.6 (SD = 84.6, n = 55) with a range of 0 to 500 (median = 5 words). All of the individuals with SAS with enough verbal ability either showed signs of childhood apraxia of speech or already had a diagnosis (n = 40) and 73.3% exhibited problems with reliable communication with unfamiliar partners. Hypernasal resonance (17.8%) due to velopharyngeal insufficiency secondary to a history of cleft palate and/or apraxic palatal movement (60.0% of hypernasal patients with no history of cleft palate), problems with chewing (68.2%), overstuffing the mouth with solids (64.9%), pharyngeal phase dysphagia (60.8%), and sialorrhea (63.3%) were common in this population. Mutation type was not predictive of receptive or expressive language abilities. We developed language and communication treatment recommendations based on these findings.
Allergic contact dermatitis caused by 1,6‐hexanediol diacrylate in a hospital wristband
Authors: van Amerongen Cynthia C. A. , Dahlin Jakob , Isaksson Marléne , Schuttelaar Marie L. A. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackground1,6‐Hexanediol diacrylate (1,6‐HDDA) is a multifunctional acrylate and a potent sensitizer.ObjectivesTo report a case of allergic contact dermatitis caused by 1,6‐HDDA in a hospital wristband.MethodsA male patient presented with eczema on his wrist where he had worn a hospital wristband. Patch testing was performed with our extended European baseline series, additional series, and pieces of the hospital wristband. Thin‐layer chromatography (TLC) was performed with extracts from the wristband and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry was used for chemical analysis.ResultsPositive reactions were found to pieces of the wristband, including adhesive rim (+++), inside (+++), and outside (++); to multiple allergens in the (meth)acrylates series; and to extracts of the wristband in acetone and ethanol. Chemical analysis of the ethanol extract showed presence of lauryl acrylate and 1,6‐HDDA. Patch testing with TLC strips and subsequent chemical analysis showed that the substance causing the strongest reaction was 1,6‐HDDA, to which the patient had a confirmed positive patch test reaction.Conclusion1,6‐HDDA was identified as the culprit allergen responsible for allergic contact dermatitis caused by the hospital wristband.
Statistical Learning of Unfamiliar Sounds as Trajectories Through a Perceptual Similarity Space
Authors: Wang Felix Hao , Hutton Elizabeth A. , Zevin Jason D. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIn typical statistical learning studies, researchers define sequences in terms of the probability of the next item in the sequence given the current item (or items), and they show that high probability sequences are treated as more familiar than low probability sequences. Existing accounts of these phenomena all assume that participants represent statistical regularities more or less as they are defined by the experimenters—as sequential probabilities of symbols in a string. Here we offer an alternative, or possibly supplementary, hypothesis. Specifically, rather than identifying or labeling individual stimuli discretely in order to predict the next item in a sequence, we need only assume that the participant is able to represent the stimuli as evincing particular similarity relations to one another, with sequences represented as trajectories through this similarity space. We present experiments in which this hypothesis makes sharply different predictions from hypotheses based on the assumption that sequences are learned over discrete, labeled stimuli. We also present a series of simulation models that encode stimuli as positions in a continuous two‐dimensional space, and predict the next location from the current location. Although no model captures all of the data presented here, the results of three critical experiments are more consistent with the view that participants represent trajectories through similarity space rather than sequences of discrete labels under particular conditions.
Superior vena cava–right atrium junction flow‐pattern post‐transcatheter closure of patent foramen ovale
Authors: Yalonetsky Sergey , Tal Roi , Aharonson Doron , Gross Gil , Lorber Avraham 
Published: August 2019

AbstractBackgroundThe patent foramen ovale (PFO) occluder is a bulky metallic device. Its impact on the normal blood flow at the superior vena cava–right atrial (SVC‐RA) junction is not clear.MethodsWe examined SVC‐RA junction flow‐pattern using pulsed‐wave (PW) ultrasound Doppler in 21 patients (4 male, aged 52.7 ± 9 years) who underwent PFO device closure 4–120 months previously, in comparison with 21 age‐ and sex‐matched controls (4 male, aged 51 ± 8.5 years) with structurally normal hearts.ResultsMean systolic flow velocity at the SVC‐RA junction was 60 ± 11 cm/s in the PFO closure group and 64 ± 17 cm/s in the control group (P = 0.27). Mean diastolic blood flow velocity at the SVC‐RA junction in those groups was 30 ± 8 and 35 ± 9 cm/s, respectively (P = 0.1).The mean systolic wave duration was 439 ± 52 ms in the PFO closure group and 422 ± 67 ms in the control group (P = 0.4). The mean diastolic wave duration was 320 ± 75 and 277 ± 88 ms, respectively (P = 0.12).ConclusionThe study results show that transcatheter PFO closure does not affect the normal blood flow at the SVC‐RA junction.
Factors influencing the end‐diastolic vortex assessed by using vector flow mapping
Authors: Zhang Xiaoxia , Niu Jun , Wu Ling , Li Qiaozhen , Han Yu , Li Yiwei , Wu Xiaoyi , Che Xinyi , Li Zhiguo , Ma Na , Zhang Haibin 
Published: August 2019

AbstractObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess the factors influencing the late diastolic vortex in normal and abnormal ventricles.MethodsColor Doppler data in left ventricle (LV) were acquired from apical long‐axis view and analyzed using vector flow mapping in 57 patients with coronary artery disease, 57 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, and 53 healthy volunteers.ResultsIn normals, corrected area and flux of the end‐diastolic vortex were positively correlated with transmitral A velocity and heart rate. Subjects with E/A <1 had higher vortex flux than those with E/A >1. Heart rate was the only independent predictor of corrected vortex area (R2 = .170, P = .004), and transmitral A velocity and heart rate were the independent predictors of corrected vortex flux (R2 = .490, P < .001). Patients with various mitral filling patterns showed significant differences in vortex area and flux. The vortex area and flux were positively correlated with transmitral i velocity and a′. Transmitral A velocity was the only independent predictor of corrected vortex area (R2 = .180, P < .001), while transmitral A velocity, heart rate, LV end‐systolic short diameter, and end‐diastolic long diameter were the independent determinants of corrected vortex flux (R2 = .593, P < .001).ConclusionsThe end‐diastolic vortex is formed and mainly affected by the late LV filling. The compensatory atrial contraction may enhance the end‐diastolic vortex that facilitates coupling between diastole and systole. LV size can influence the end‐diastolic vortex in patients with LV dysfunction and enlargement.
Spatial insurance in multi‐trophic metacommunities
Authors: Limberger Romana , Pitt Alexandra , Hahn Martin W. , Wickham Stephen A. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractMetacommunity theory suggests that dispersal is a key driver of diversity and ecosystem functioning in changing environments. The capacity of dispersal to mitigate effects of environmental change might vary among trophic groups, potentially resulting in changes in trophic interactions and food web structure. In a mesocosm experiment, we compared the compositional response of bacteria, phyto‐ and zooplankton to a factorial manipulation of acidification and dispersal. We found that the buffering capacity of dispersal varied among trophic groups: dispersal alleviated the negative effect of acidification on phytoplankton diversity mid‐experiment, but had no effect on the diversity of zooplankton and bacteria. Likewise, trophic groups differed in whether dispersal facilitated compositional change. Dispersal accelerated changes in phytoplankton composition under acidification, possibly mediated by changes in trophic interactions, but had no effect on the composition of zooplankton and bacteria. Overall, our results suggest that the potential for spatial insurance can vary among trophic groups.
Bisphenol A in human saliva and urine before and after treatment with dental polymer‐based restorative materials
Authors: Berge Trine L. L. , Lygre Gunvor B. , Lie Stein A. , Lindh Christian H. , Björkman Lars 
Published: August 2019

The aim of this study was to quantify bisphenol A (BPA) concentrations in saliva and urine before and after treatment with dental polymer‐based restorative materials to assess if placement of this material is associated with increased BPA levels in saliva and urine. Twenty individuals in need of at least one dental restoration with polymer‐based restorative material were included in this study. The participants were instructed to abstain from eating, drinking, and brushing their teeth for at least 10 h prior to sampling. Saliva and urine were collected before and 10 min (saliva only), 1 h, 24 h, and 1 wk after treatment. Samples were stored at −80°C before analyses. BPA in saliva and urine was determined with liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. Linear mixed effects regression models were used for statistical analyses. There was a statistically significant increase of salivary BPA concentration directly after placement of the dental polymer‐based restorations. Following placement, the concentration of BPA decreased exponentially with time. One week after treatment the BPA level in saliva was only marginally higher than before treatment. In urine, no statistically significant change of the BPA concentration was detected after treatment.
Multicenter validation of automated trajectories for selective laser amygdalohippocampectomy
Authors: Vakharia Vejay N. , Sparks Rachel E. , Li Kuo , O'Keeffe Aidan G. , Pérez‐García Fernando , França Lucas G. S. , Ko Andrew L. , Wu Chengyuan , Aronson Joshua P. , Youngerman Brett E. , Sharan Ashwini , McKhann Guy , Ourselin Sebastien , Duncan John S. 
Published: August 2019

AbstractObjectiveLaser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) is a novel minimally invasive alternative to open mesial temporal resection in drug‐resistant mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). The safety and efficacy of the procedure are dependent on the preplanned trajectory and the extent of the planned ablation achieved. Ablation of the mesial hippocampal head has been suggested to be an independent predictor of seizure freedom, whereas sparing of collateral structures is thought to result in improved neuropsychological outcomes. We aim to validate an automated trajectory planning platform against manually planned trajectories to objectively standardize the process.MethodsUsing the EpiNav platform, we compare automated trajectory planning parameters derived from expert opinion and machine learning to undertake a multicenter validation against manually planned and implemented trajectories in 95 patients with MTLE. We estimate ablation volumes of regions of interest and quantify the size of the avascular corridor through the use of a risk score as a marker of safety. We also undertake blinded external expert feasibility and preference ratings.ResultsAutomated trajectory planning employs complex algorithms to maximize ablation of the mesial hippocampal head and amygdala, while sparing the parahippocampal gyrus. Automated trajectories resulted in significantly lower calculated risk scores and greater amygdala ablation percentage, whereas overall hippocampal ablation percentage did not differ significantly. In addition, estimated damage to collateral structures was reduced. Blinded external expert raters were significantly more likely to prefer automated to manually planned trajectories.SignificanceRetrospective studies of automated trajectory planning show much promise in improving safety parameters and ablation volumes during LITT for MTLE. Multicenter validation provides evidence that the algorithm is robust, and blinded external expert ratings indicate that the trajectories are clinically feasible. Prospective validation studies are now required to determine if automated trajectories translate into improved seizure freedom rates and reduced neuropsychological deficits.
Understanding T cell signaling using membrane reconstitution
Authors: Hui Enfu 
Published: August 2019

SummaryT cells are central players of our immune system, as their functions range from killing tumorous and virus‐infected cells to orchestrating the entire immune response. In order for T cells to divide and execute their functions, they must be activated by antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) through a cell‐cell junction. Extracellular interactions between receptors on T cells and their ligands on APCs trigger signaling cascades comprised of protein‐protein interactions, enzymatic reactions, and spatial reorganization events, to either stimulate or repress T cell activation. Plasma membrane is the major platform for T cell signaling. Recruitment of cytosolic proteins to membrane‐bound receptors is a common critical step in many signaling pathways. Membranes decrease the dimensionality of protein‐protein interactions to enable weak yet biologically important interactions. Membrane resident proteins can phase separate into micro‐islands that promote signaling by enriching or excluding signal regulators. Moreover, some membrane lipids can either mediate or regulate cell signaling by interacting with signaling proteins. While it is critical to investigate T cell signaling in a cellular environment, the large number of signaling pathways involved and potential crosstalk have made it difficult to obtain precise, quantitative information on T cell signaling. Reconstitution of purified proteins to model membranes provides a complementary avenue for T cell signaling research. Here, I review recent progress in studying T cell signaling using membrane reconstitution approaches.
Idiopathic basal crux ventricular arrhythmias with left bundle branch block and superior axis: A comparison with inferior‐septal valvular arrhythmias
Authors: Kawamura Mitsuharu , Arai Shuhei , Gokan Toshihiko , Yoshikawa Kosuke , Ogawa Ko , Ochi Akinori , Chiba Yuta , Onishi Yoshimi , Munetsugu Yumi , Ito Hiroyuki , Onuki Tatsuya , Kobayashi Youichi , Shinke Toshiro 
Published: August 2019

AbstractIntroductionLeft bundle branch block (LBBB) with superior axis is common in patients with idiopathic‐ventricular arrhythmia (VA) originating from the tricuspid annulus (TA) and rarely from the cardiac basal crux and mitral annulus (MA). We described the electrocardiography and electrophysiological findings of idiopathic‐VA presenting with LBBB and superior axis.Methods and ResultsWe described 42 idiopathic‐VA patients who had an LBBB and superior axis; 15 basal crux‐VA, 17 TA‐VA, and 10 MA‐VA. No patient had a structural heart disease. Among patients with idiopathic‐VA referred for ablation, we investigated the electrocardiogram and clinical characteristics of basal crux‐VA as compared with other LBBB and superior axis‐VA. The left ventricular ejection fraction with MA‐VA was significantly lower in comparison with basal crux‐VA (P = .01). All patients had a positive R wave in lead I and aVL. The maximum deflection index with basal crux‐VA was significantly higher in comparison with TA‐VA or MA‐VA (P = .01). Patients with basal crux‐VA presented with QS wave in lead II more frequently as compared with TA‐VA or MA‐VA (P = .001). All MA‐VA patients had Rs wave in V6, and basal crux‐VA, and TA‐VA patients had a monophasic R wave or Rs wave in V6. Basal crux‐VA patients underwent ablation in the middle cardiac vein (MCV) or coronary sinus (success rate: 94%, recurrence rate: 6%).ConclusionsWe could distinguish basal crux‐VA, TA‐VA, and MA‐VA, using a combination of clinical and electrocardiographic findings. These findings might be useful for counseling patients about an ablation strategy. Ablation via the MCV is effective for eliminating basal crux‐VA.