Real-life use of the PEXIVAS reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen in granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis.

Background: The PEXIVAS (Plasma exchange and glucocorticoids in severe antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis) trial showed that a reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen (redGC) was non-inferior to a standard-dose regimen (standGC) with respect to death or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). However, the primary endpoint did not include disease progression or relapse, cyclophosphamide was the main induction therapy and rituximab (RTX)-treated patients tended to have a higher risk of death or ESKD with redGC. We aimed to evaluate the real-world use of redGC.

Adjustable Continence Therapy (ACT®) balloons to treat female stress urinary incontinence: effectiveness, safety and risk factors of failure and complication.

Introduction And Hypothesis: To assess the effectiveness, safety and risk factors of failure and complications associated with Adjustable Continence Therapy (ACT®) balloons as a treatment for female stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Methods: In the present multicentric retrospective study, all women implanted with ACT® balloons between 2000 and 2018 were considered eligible. Effectiveness and safety were assessed at 1 year, and risk factors for failure and complications were sought.

Complement Activation and Thrombotic Microangiopathy Associated With Monoclonal Gammopathy: A National French Case Series.

Rationale & Objective: Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) with kidney involvement, is a rare condition in patients with monoclonal gammopathy. In the absence of known causes of TMA, the role of complement activation in endothelial injury in patients with monoclonal gammopathy remains unknown and was the focus of this investigation.

Study Design: Case series.

Adjustable continence therapy (ACT®) balloons to treat neurogenic and non-neurogenic female urinary incontinence.

Aims: To compare efficacy and safety between neurogenic and non-neurogenic women after adjustable continence therapy (ACT®) balloons implantation to treat stress urinary incontinence (SUI) due to intrinsic sphincter deficiency.

Methods: In the present retrospective multicentric study, all neurogenic and non-neurogenic women implanted with ACT® balloons between 2000 and 2018 were considered for inclusion. Efficacy was compared 1 year after implantation, and women were allocated in three different groups as follows.

Determinants of voluntary turnover: A data-driven analysis for blue and white collar workers.

Background: There is a growing interest in HR-analytics because of its ability to analyze employee behavior based on HR data. Predicting voluntary turnover of employees is an important topic of study, both in academia and industry.

Objective: The current study analyzes determinants for turnover, distinguishing between blue and white collar workers.

Rituximab for the treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss).

Background: Conventional treatment of eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA) (Churg-Strauss) with glucocorticoids, with or without additional immunosuppressive drugs, is limited by partial efficacy, frequent toxicity and a high relapse rate. Rituximab is a licensed treatment for granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis and is of potential benefit to patients with EGPA.

Methods: Patients with EGPA who received rituximab as single or repeated courses were identified from four vasculitis centres.

The effect of rituximab therapy on immunoglobulin levels in patients with multisystem autoimmune disease.

Background: Rituximab is a B cell depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. CD20 is not expressed on mature plasma cells and accordingly rituximab does not have immediate effects on immunoglobulin levels. However, after rituximab some patients develop hypogammaglobulinaemia.

Activated protein C improves macrovascular and microvascular reactivity in human severe sepsis and septic shock.

We tested the effects of activated protein C (APC) in macrovascular and microvascular beds within 60 min of treatment. Twelve patients treated with APC for severe sepsis were included. We assessed macrovascular reactivity by phenylephrine arterial dose response.

The effect of connectives on the selection of arguments: implicit consequentiality bias for the connective "but".

Recent studies about the implicit causality of inter-personal verbs showed a symmetric implicit consequentiality bias for psychological verbs. This symmetry is less clear for action verbs because the verbs assigning the implicit cause to the object argument (e.g.

Adverse events during intrahospital transport of critically ill patients: incidence and risk factors.

Background: Transport of critically ill patients for diagnostic or therapeutic procedures is at risk of complications. Adverse events during transport are common and may have significant consequences for the patient. The objective of the study was to collect prospectively adverse events that occurred during intrahospital transports of critically ill patients and to determine their risk factors.

Combination of clonidine sedation and spontaneous breathing-pressure support upon acute respiratory distress syndrome: a feasibility study in four patients.

Introduction: As alpha-2 agonists preserve ventilator drive, patients presenting with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS, Pa02/FiO2 < 200) were managed using sedation with an alpha-2 agonist, clonidine, combined to spontaneous ventilation (SV) + pressure support ventilation (PS).

Methods: Sedation was provided by an alpha-2 agonist, clonidine 1-2 microg x kg(-1( x h(-1), without bolus administration, and supplemented with a neuroleptic, loxapine, if needed. Four patients presenting with ARDS were managed with pressure support ventilation (PS = 8 cm H20,rarely 10-12 cm H20) and high PEEP (10-20 cm H20).

Rituximab for remission maintenance in relapsing antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis.

Objective: Rituximab is effective induction therapy in refractory or relapsing antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV). However, further relapse is common, and maintenance strategies are required. The aim of this study was to reduce relapse rates using a fixed-interval rituximab re-treatment protocol.

Fulminant hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis induced by pandemic A (H1N1) influenza: a case report.

Introduction: Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis induced by viral diseases is a well recognized entity. Severe forms of H5N1 influenza are known to be associated with symptoms very similar to a reactive hemophagocytic syndrome. We report a case of fulminant lymphohistiocytosis associated with the pandemic A (H1N1) variant.

New methods to clean ICU rooms.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAI) represent the most common adverse event in the intensive care unit (ICU). Their prevalence is high and they are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. The environment plays a central role in the transmission of hospital-acquired pathogens (HAP) and in the pathogenesis of HAI.

Recommendations for the use of rituximab in anti-neutrophil cytoplasm antibody-associated vasculitis.

Objectives: To perform a literature review and develop recommendations for the use of rituximab in ANCA-associated vasculitis.

Methods: A committee of experts (five rheumatologists, five nephrologists and one paediatrician) conducted a modified Delphi exercise to identify five topics for a systematic literature search. The evidence was then reviewed, categorized according to international criteria and assimilated to form five recommendations statements and a research agenda.

Choroid plexus papilloma with neuropil-like islands.

Choroid plexus papilloma may display unusual histologic features, but the presence of neuronal differentiation at the light microscopic level has not yet been described. We thus report a choroid plexus papilloma with neuropil-like islands located within the lateral ventricle of an 11-year-old girl. The absence of atypical histologic features associated with recurrence (particularly increased mitotic activity) and recurrence-free follow-up upon gross total resection are compatible with a diagnosis of choroid plexus papilloma (WHO grade I).

How long does it take to find a cause? An online investigation of implicit causality in sentence production.

Some interpersonal verbs show an implicit causality bias in favour of their subject or their object. Such a bias is generally seen in offline continuation tasks where participants are required to finish a fragment containing the verb (e.g.

Study of the expression of Tn antigen in different types of human breast cancer cells using VVA-B4 lectin.

VVA-B4 lectin was used to investigate the differences in Tn antigen expression in tissues of different types of human breast cancer (benign lesions, carcinoma in situ, invasive carcinoma) and in normal tissues neighboring lobular carcinoma. Locations in which Tn antigen was expressed were identified using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase labeling system. Tissues collected during cosmetic procedures and classified as normal were completely negative, except for one case.