MicroRNAs and other biomarkers of atrial fibrillation in ischemic stroke patients.

This study aimed to evaluate the ability of selected microRNAs as biomarkers of atrial fibrillation (AF) in ischemic stroke patients in comparison with other established biochemical biomarkers. A prospective case-control study of consecutive ischemic stroke patients with AF admitted to a comprehensive stroke center was conducted. The control group consisted of patients with ischemic stroke with no AF detected on prolonged (at least 3 weeks) Holter ECG monitoring.

Impact of patient selection in clinical trials: application of ROCKET AF and ARISTOTLE criteria in GARFIELD-AF.

Background: The extent to which differences in results from Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) and Rivaroxaban Once Daily Oral Direct Factor Xa Inhibition Compared with Vitamin K Antagonism for Prevention of Stroke and Embolism Trial (ROCKET) atrial fibrillation (AF)-the landmark trials for the approval of apixaban and rivaroxaban, respectively, for non-valvular AF-were influenced by differences in their protocols is debated. The potential influence of selection criteria on trial results was assessed by emulating these trials in data from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the Field (GARFIELD)-AF registry.

Methods: Vitamin K antagonist (VKA) and non-vitamin K oral antagonist (NOAC) users from GARFIELD-AF were selected according to eligibility for the original ARISTOTLE or ROCKET AF trials.

The Effect of ABCB1 and CES1 Polymorphisms on Plasma Levels of Dabigatran and Risk of Hemorrhagic Complications in Ischemic Stroke Patients.

Background: Dabigatran directly inhibits thrombin and is used in primary and secondary stroke prevention in individuals with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation. The prodrug dabigatran etexilate is absorbed by enteral P-glycoprotein (ABCB1) and then activated by hepatic and intestinal carboxylesterases (CES1) to produce active metabolites. Variations in dabigatran metabolism because of genetics may affect concentration levels and clinical outcomes.

Effective tax rates of multinational corporations: Country-level estimates.

Effective tax rates (ETRs) estimated from the income statement data of multinational corporations (MNCs) are useful for comparing MNCs' corporate income taxation across countries. In this paper, we propose a new methodological approach to estimate ETRs as reliably and for as many countries as possible using Orbis' unconsolidated data for the 2011-2015 period. We focus on countries with at least 50 available companies, which results in a sample of 47, mostly European, countries.