bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Racial Disparities and Outcomes After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation as Bridge to Transplantation or Destination Therapy
Authors: Okoh Alexis K. , Chan Olivia , Schultheis Molly , Fugar Setri , Kang Nathan , Kaplon Sari , Karanam Ravindra , Russo Mark , Zucker Mark , Camacho Margarita 
Published: May 2019

Objective We sought to investigate outcomes after left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation in advanced heart failure patients stratified by race. Methods Patients who had LVADs inserted at a single center as a bridge to transplant (BTT) or destination therapy (DT) were divided into 3 groups based on race: Caucasian, African American (AA), and Hispanic. Postoperative outcomes including complications, discharge disposition, and survival at defined time points were compared. Cox proportional hazards were used to identify factors associated with 1-year all-cause survival. Results A total of 158 patients who had LVADs as BTT ( n = 63) and DT ( n = 95) were studied. Of these, 56% ( n = 89) were Caucasians, 35% ( n = 55) were AA, and 9% ( n = 14) were Hispanics. AA patients had higher BMI and lower socioeconomic status and educational level, and were more likely to be single or divorced. Operative outcomes were similar among all 3 groups. Unadjusted 30-day, 6-month, 1-year, and 2-year survival rates for Caucasians versus AA versus Hispanics were 82% versus 89% versus 93%, P = 0.339; 74% versus 80% versus 71%, P = 0.596; 67% versus 76% versus 71%, P = 0.511; and 56% versus 62% versus 68%, P = 0.797. On multivariate analysis, device-related infection, malfunction, and abnormal rhythm were factors associated with overall all-cause mortality. Conclusion AA patients who undergo LVAD implantation as BTT or DT have lower socioeconomic status and educational level compared to their Caucasian or Hispanic counterparts. These differences, however, do not translate into postimplant survival outcomes.
Benefits and challenges with diagnosing chronic and late acute GVHD in children using the NIH consensus criteria
Authors: Cuvelier Geoffrey D. E. , Nemecek Eneida R. , Wahlstrom Justin T. , Kitko Carrie L. , Lewis Victor A. , Schechter Tal , Jacobsohn David A. , Harris Andrew C. , Pulsipher Michael A. , Bittencourt Henrique , Choi Sung Won , Caywood Emi H. , Kasow Kimberly A. , Bhatia Monica , Oshrine Benjamin R. , Flower Allyson , Chaudhury Sonali , Coulter Donald , Chewning Joseph H. , Joyce Michael , Savaşan Süreyya , Pawlowska Anna B. , Megason Gail C. , Mitchell David , Cheerva Alexandra C. , Lawitschka Anita , West Lori J. , Pan Bo , Al Hamarneh Yazid N. , Halevy Anat , Schultz Kirk R. 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) and late acute graft-versus-host disease (L-aGVHD) are understudied complications of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in children. The National Institutes of Health Consensus Criteria (NIH-CC) were designed to improve the diagnostic accuracy of cGVHD and to better classify graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) syndromes but have not been validated in patients &lt;18 years of age. The objectives of this prospective multi-institution study were to determine: (1) whether the NIH-CC could be used to diagnose pediatric cGVHD and whether the criteria operationalize well in a multi-institution study; (2) the frequency of cGVHD and L-aGVHD in children using the NIH-CC; and (3) the clinical features and risk factors for cGVHD and L-aGVHD using the NIH-CC. Twenty-seven transplant centers enrolled 302 patients &lt;18 years of age before conditioning and prospectively followed them for 1 year posttransplant for development of cGVHD. Centers justified their cGVHD diagnosis according to the NIH-CC using central review and a study adjudication committee. A total of 28.2% of reported cGVHD cases was reclassified, usually as L-aGVHD, following study committee review. Similar incidence of cGVHD and L-aGVHD was found (21% and 24.7%, respectively). The most common organs involved with diagnostic or distinctive manifestations of cGVHD in children include the mouth, skin, eyes, and lungs. Importantly, the 2014 NIH-CC for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome perform poorly in children. Past acute GVHD and peripheral blood grafts are major risk factors for cGVHD and L-aGVHD, with recipients ≥12 years of age being at risk for cGVHD. Applying the NIH-CC in pediatrics is feasible and reliable; however, further refinement of the criteria specifically for children is needed.
Patterns of substrate affinity, competition, and degradation kinetics underlie biological activity of thalidomide analogs
Authors: Sperling Adam S. , Burgess Michael , Keshishian Hasmik , Gasser Jessica A. , Bhatt Shruti , Jan Max , Słabicki Mikołaj , Sellar Rob S. , Fink Emma C. , Miller Peter G. , Liddicoat Brian J. , Sievers Quinlan L. , Sharma Rohan , Adams Dylan N. , Olesinski Elyse A. , Fulciniti Mariateresa , Udeshi Namrata D. , Kuhn Eric , Letai Anthony , Munshi Nikhil C. , Carr Steven A. , Ebert Benjamin L. 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
Pharmacologic agents that modulate ubiquitin ligase activity to induce protein degradation are a major new class of therapeutic agents, active in a number of hematologic malignancies. However, we currently have a limited understanding of the determinants of activity of these agents and how resistance develops. We developed and used a novel quantitative, targeted mass spectrometry (MS) assay to determine the relative activities, kinetics, and cell-type specificity of thalidomide and 4 analogs, all but 1 of which are in clinical use or clinical trials for hematologic malignancies. Thalidomide analogs bind the CRL4CRBN ubiquitin ligase and induce degradation of particular proteins, but each of the molecules studied has distinct patterns of substrate specificity that likely underlie the clinical activity and toxicities of each drug. Our results demonstrate that the activity of molecules that induce protein degradation depends on the strength of ligase-substrate interaction in the presence of drug, the levels of the ubiquitin ligase, and the expression level of competing substrates. These findings highlight a novel mechanism of resistance to this class of drugs mediated by competition between substrates for access to a limiting pool of the ubiquitin ligase. We demonstrate that increased expression of a nonessential substrate can lead to decreased degradation of other substrates that are critical for antineoplastic activity of the drug, resulting in drug resistance. These studies provide general rules that govern drug-dependent substrate degradation and key differences between thalidomide analog activity in vitro and in vivo.
Dysregulated megakaryocyte distribution associated with nestin+ mesenchymal stem cells in immune thrombocytopenia
Authors: Wang Min , Feng Ru , Zhang Jia-min , Xu Lin-lin , Feng Fei-er , Wang Chen-cong , Wang Qian-ming , Zhu Xiao-lu , He Yun , Xue Jing , Fu Hai-xia , Lv Meng , Kong Yuan , Chang Ying-jun , Xu Lan-ping , Liu Kai-yan , Huang Xiao-jun , Zhang Xiao-hui 
Published: May 2019

AbstractImpaired megakaryocyte (MK) maturation and reduced platelet production are important causes of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, MK distribution and bone marrow (BM) niche alteration in ITP are unclear. To investigate the maturation and distribution of MKs in the BM niche and examine the components of BM niche regulation of MK migration, BM and peripheral blood were obtained from 30 ITP patients and 28 healthy donors. Nestin+ mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and CD41+ MKs were sorted by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. The components of the BM niche and related signaling were analyzed via immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, and western blot analysis. The number of MKs in the BM vascular niche was reduced in ITP. Moreover, the concentrations of CXCL12 and CXCR4+ MKs in the BM were decreased in ITP. Further investigation demonstrated that nestin+ MSCs and CXCL12 messenger RNA (mRNA) in nestin+ MSCs were both reduced whereas the apoptosis of nestin+ MSCs was significantly increased in ITP. Sympathetic nerves, Schwann cells, the proportion of β3-adrenoreceptor (β3-AR)+ nestin+ MSCs, and β3-AR mRNA in nestin+ MSCs were all markedly reduced in ITP. Moreover, matrix metalloproteinase 9, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and VEGF receptor 1 were significantly reduced in ITP. Our data show that impaired MK distribution mediated by an abnormal CXCL12/CXCR4 axis is partially involved in reduced platelet production in ITP. Moreover, sympathetic neuropathy and nestin+ MSC apoptosis may have an effect on the alterations of BM CXCL12 in ITP.
Prospective, Multicenter, Randomized Phase III Trial Evaluating the Impact of Lymphoscintigraphy as Part of Sentinel Node Biopsy in Early Breast Cancer: SenSzi (GBG80) Trial
Authors: Kuemmel Sherko , Holtschmidt Johannes , Gerber Bernd , Von der Assen Albert , Heil Joerg , Thill Marc , Krug David , Schem Christian , Denkert Carsten , Lubitz Juliane , Blohmer Jens Uwe , Reinisch Mattea , Hötzeldt Michael , Seither Fenja , Nekljudova Valentina , Schwidde Ilka , Uhrhan Klara , Von Minckwitz Gunter , Rezai Mahdi , Mulowski Jana , Loibl Sibylle , Kuehn Thorsten 
Published: May 2019

PURPOSE The aim of the current work was to clarify whether a preoperative lymphoscintigraphy (LSG) enhances staging accuracy of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB). PATIENTS AND METHODS In a prospective, multicenter, randomized phase III trial, patients with cN0 early breast cancer or extensive/high-grade ductal carcinoma in situ planned for standard radioactive-labeled colloid LSG with subsequent SLNB were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive SLNB either with knowledge of the LSG findings or without. As the false-negative rate of SLNB correlates with the number of resected sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), our primary end point was the mean number of histologically detected SLNs per patient. One thousand one hundred two evaluable patients were necessary to demonstrate noninferiority of SLNB without LSG. Stratified one-sided 95% CI for the difference (without LSG − with LSG) in the mean number of histologically detected SLNs had to be greater than −0.27 (10% noninferiority margin). Stratification was performed according to tumor focality and trial site. Additional predefined secondary end points (rates of node-positive patients and of completion axillary lymph node dissection) were analyzed to rule out differences in the reliable detection of nodal metastases. RESULTS Between May 2014 and October 2015, 1,198 patients were randomly assigned in 23 German and Swiss breast centers. Modified intention-to-treat analysis (n = 1,163) showed a mean number of histologically detected SLNs of 2.21 with LSG and 2.26 without LSG (difference 0.05; stratified 95% CI, −0.18 to infinity), thus establishing noninferiority of omitting preoperative LSG. Secondary end points displayed no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION We show that SLNB is equally effective irrespective of the surgeon’s knowledge of preoperative LSG results. SLNB without LSG will speed up the preoperative workflow and reduce cost.
Impact of Consensus Molecular Subtype on Survival in Patients With Metastatic Colorectal Cancer: Results From CALGB/SWOG 80405 (Alliance)
Authors: Lenz Heinz-Josef , Ou Fang-Shu , Venook Alan P. , Hochster Howard S. , Niedzwiecki Donna , Goldberg Richard M. , Mayer Robert J. , Bertagnolli Monica M. , Blanke Charles D. , Zemla Tyler , Qu Xueping , Wirapati Pratyaksha , Tejpar Sabine , Innocenti Federico , Kabbarah Omar 
Published: May 2019

PURPOSETo determine the predictive and prognostic value of the consensus molecular subtypes (CMSs) of colorectal cancer (CRC) that represent a merging of gene expression–based features largely in primary tumors from six independent classification systems and provide a framework for capturing the intrinsic heterogeneity of CRC in patients enrolled in CALGB/SWOG 80405.PATIENTS AND METHODSCALGB/SWOG 80405 is a phase III trial that compared the addition of bevacizumab or cetuximab to infusional fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin or fluorouracil, leucovorin, and irinotecan as first-line treatment of advanced CRC. We characterized the CMS classification using a novel NanoString gene expression panel on primary CRCs from 581 patients enrolled in this study to assess the prognostic and predictive value of CMSs in these patients.RESULTSThe CMSs are highly prognostic for overall survival (OS; P < .001) and progression-free survival (PFS; P < .001). Furthermore, CMSs were predictive for both OS ( P for interaction < .001) and PFS ( P for interaction = .0032). In the CMS1 cohort, patients treated with bevacizumab had a significantly longer OS than those treated with cetuximab ( P < .001). In the CMS2 cohort, patients treated with cetuximab had a significantly longer OS than patients treated with bevacizumab ( P = .0046).CONCLUSIONThese findings highlight the possible clinical utility of CMSs and suggests that refinement of the CMS classification may provide a path toward identifying patients with metastatic CRC who are most likely to benefit from specific targeted therapy as part of the initial treatment.
Real-World Treatment Patterns and Clinical Outcomes in Patients Receiving Palbociclib for Hormone Receptor–Positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2–Negative Advanced or Metastatic Breast Cancer in Argentina: The IRIS Study
Authors: Waller John , Mitra Debanjali , Mycock Katie , Taylor-Stokes Gavin , Milligan Gary , Zhan Lin , Iyer Shrividya 
Published: May 2019

PURPOSE The selective cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor palbociclib was approved in Argentina in 2015 for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor (HR)–positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–negative advanced breast cancer (ABC) or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) based on phase III study results. The Ibrance Real World Insights (IRIS) study aims to evaluate palbociclib in patients with HR-positive/HER2-negative ABC or MBC in the real-world setting in multiple countries globally. Here we report results from patients enrolled in the IRIS study in Argentina. PATIENTS AND METHODS This retrospective medical chart review study included postmenopausal women with confirmed HR-positive/HER2-negative ABC or MBC who were treated with palbociclib plus letrozole as first-line endocrine-based therapy or with palbociclib plus fulvestrant in women with disease progression after endocrine therapy. Participating physicians reviewed medical records of up to six patients each, collecting demographic and clinical data. Outcomes included progression-free and overall survival rates. RESULTS Records were extracted for 162 patients in Argentina (palbociclib plus letrozole, n = 105 [65%]; palbociclib plus fulvestrant, n = 57 [35%]). The 6-month progression-free survival rate was 94% for patients treated with palbociclib plus letrozole and 95% for patients treated with palbociclib plus fulvestrant; 85% and 80% of patients treated with palbociclib plus letrozole were progression free at 12 and 18 months, respectively. Six-month survival rates were 98% for palbociclib plus letrozole and 98% for palbociclib plus fulvestrant; 93% and 89% of patients treated with palbociclib plus letrozole were alive at 12 and 18 months, respectively. CONCLUSION Results from this first real-world evaluation of clinical outcomes in Argentina suggest that palbociclib plus letrozole or fulvestrant delivers favorable effectiveness, as measured by progression-free and overall survival rates.
Why Lucy Doesn't Care: Migration and Emotional Labor inVillette
Authors: Schaffer Talia 
Published: May 2019

AbstractIn this essay I argue that Lucy's traumatic condition comes from her experience navigating an emerging economic phenomenon. She is an early participant in global migrant caregiving. Initially involved in an intensive, all-engrossing care dyad, she then moves into what Arlie Russell Hochschild calls “emotional labor,” the act of performing an inauthentic feeling publicly for money. Like modern caregivers, Lucy Snowe expresses a sense of invisibility and stress over her cultural alterity. When Madame Beck's surveillance forces Lucy to enact her teacherly persona constantly, Lucy fetishizes her inner truth and develops a disastrous split between these two versions of herself—a split that the novel represents both by her two love interests and by the costume of the nun. In Villette, moreover, Brontë invents specific narrative tropes that would be picked up by later writers on migration including Jamaica Kincaid. Although Lucy Snowe is the first protagonist to suffer from emotional labor, analyzing Lucy's condition helps us notice that throughout Victorian fiction, a host of minor characters—companions, governesses, nurses—share some of these characteristic traits. Villette therefore gives us an alternative way of understanding Victorian working women in fiction, and the effort to depict the inner life of a person whose work profoundly alienates her from her inner self accounts for the extraordinary literary innovations of Brontë's last novel.
Thomas Hardy's Modern Peasant
Authors: Ramizi Erag 
Published: May 2019

Abstract
This article reads Thomas Hardy's 1891 novel Tess of the d'Urbervilles as one instance of the way literary engagements with the peasant question in late nineteenth-century Europe at once shed light onto the lived experiences of rural populations and elaborated the theoretical preoccupations pertaining to peasants' status in their contemporary society. It makes a case for Hardy's lucid awareness of the continuing nature of primitive accumulation in England and demonstrates that the text aptly explores its effects on various rural social classes. To do so, the article closely examines the chronopolitics that underpin the troubled encounter between Tess and Angel to argue that their divergent temporal orders both enable and preclude an alliance between the two worlds they stem from. Ultimately, the article investigates the dynamic between modernity and peasanthood to argue for their metonymic, as opposed to antonymic, relationship.
Snapping Back: Food Stamp Bans and Criminal Recidivism
Authors: Tuttle Cody 
Published: May 2019

I estimate the effect of access to food stamps on criminal recidivism. In 1996, a federal welfare reform imposed a lifetime ban from food stamps on convicted drug felons. Florida modified this ban, restricting it to drug traffickers who commit their offense on or after August 23, 1996. I exploit this sharp cutoff in a regression discontinuity design and find that the ban increases recidivism among drug traffickers. The increase is driven by financially motivated crimes, suggesting that the cut in benefits causes ex-convicts to return to crime to make up for the lost transfer income. (JEL H75, I38, K42)
Changes of serum IGF-1 and ET-1 levels in patients with osteoporosis and its clinical significance
Authors: Sun Lei , Su Jin , Wang Mingming 
Published: May 2019

Objective: To investigate the correlations of levels of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) with cytokines including interleukin (IL)-18, IL-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and bone material density in patients with osteoporosis d.
Methods: Eighty patients with osteoporosis who were treated in our hospital from April 2016 to October 2017 were selected as observation group, and 60 healthy elderly people who received physical examination in our hospital in the same period were selected as control group. The serum levels of IGF-1 and ET-1 were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The bone material density of the lumbar vertebra, tibial neck and Ward’s triangle of every research subject was measured using dual-energy x-rays absorptiometry. The correlations between variables were analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis.
Results: The level of IGF-1 in the observation group was lower than that in the control group, and the level of ET-1 in the observation group was higher than that in the control group (P<0.05). The levels of interleukin (IL)-18, IL-6 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05). Bone mineral density of lumbar vertebra, tibial neck and Ward triangle in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05); the IGF-1 level of osteoporosis patients was negatively correlated with IL-18, IL-6, hs-CRP levels and positively correlated with bone mineral density; the ET-1 level was positively correlated with IL-18, IL-6, hs-CRP levels and negatively correlated with bone mineral density.
Conclusion: Patients with osteoporosis have decreased level of IGF-1 but increased level of ET-1, and they are closely related to cytokines and bone mineral density and may participate in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis.
doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.3.84
How to cite this:Sun L, Su J, Wang M. Changes of serum IGF-1 and ET-1 levels in patients with osteoporosis and its clinical significance. Pak J Med Sci. 2019;35(3):691-695. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.35.3.84
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Knowledge management awareness assessment in Nigerian tertiary institutions
Authors: Ogunbanwo Afolakemi Simbo , Okesola Julius Olatunji , Buckley Sheryl 
Published: May 2019

Background: Knowledge management (KM) is a recipe for increasing performance and promoting innovation in tertiary institutions. However, some scholars argue that the Nigerian educational sector is yet to fully appreciate the importance of KM as their KM awareness level is still low. Since measurement is the basic foundation to accomplish success, this paper assesses the KM awareness level in tertiary institutions of south-west Nigeria. Methods: We applied a survey method using a closed ended questionnaire administered to 50 participants from each of the 10 institutions measured by Likert scaling. Employing SPSS for data analysis, frequency count and percentage score were adopted to analyse the demographic data, and the research hypotheses were analysed with chi square test, Pearson chi square and bivariate correlation (Pearson) analysis. Results: A positive relationship between awareness, current status and level of familiarity was noted. KM awareness level in the institutions is high even though there is a significant difference between the public and private universities, as well as between the students and academic staff. Conclusions: Since an increase in the awareness level increases both current status and level of familiarity which often account for KM success, it is recommend that KM awareness level should continuously be improved upon in Nigerian tertiary institutions.