A novel constrained, paclitaxel-coated angioplasty balloon catheter.

Aims: The study aimed to assess drug adherence, transfer to the vessel wall, tolerance and efficacy of a constrained angioplasty balloon coated with an excipient-enhanced paclitaxel coating (Chocolate coated balloon [CCB]) in the porcine model.

Methods And Results: Drug adherence was investigated in vitro. Drug transfer was evaluated in porcine arteries.

Comparison of Ventricular Inducibility with Late Gadolinium Enhancement and Myocardial Inflammation in Endomyocardial Biopsy in Patients with Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Background: Risk stratification of patients with non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy remains a matter of debate in the era of device implantation.

Objective: We investigated associations between histopathological findings, contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI and the inducibility of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF) in programmed ventricular stimulation.

Methods: 56 patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF≤50%, mean 36.

Stone/tissue differentiation for Holmium laser lithotripsy using autofluorescence: Clinical proof of concept study.

Background And Objectives: Holmium laser lithotripsy is the gold standard for intracorporeal fragmentation of urinary calculi. Usually, a visible beam is superimposed on the IR treatment laser as an aiming beam to guide the surgeon. In vitro tests showed that this aiming beam (532 nm, power <1 mW) excites strong fluorescence on human calculi.

Chemotherapy-induced (febrile) neutropenia prophylaxis with biosimilar filgrastim in elderly versus non-elderly cancer patients: Patterns, outcomes, and determinants (MONITOR-GCSF study).

Background: Myelotoxic chemotherapy is associated with chemotherapy-induced (febrile) neutropenia (CIN/FN). The MONITOR-GCSF study evaluated biosimilar filgrastim (Zarzio®) prophylaxis patterns, associated outcomes, and determinants. We performed stratified analyses comparing elderly and non-elderly patients.

Long-term survival and late events after allogeneic stem cell transplantation from HLA-matched siblings for acute myeloid leukemia with myeloablative compared to reduced-intensity conditioning: a report on behalf of the acute leukemia working party of European group for blood and marrow transplantation.

Background: Myeloablative (MAC) and reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) are established approaches for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Most deaths after MAC occur within the first 2 years after SCT, while patients surviving leukemia-free for 2 years can expect a favorable long-term outcome. However, there is paucity of data on the long-term outcome (beyond 10 years) and the pattern of late events following RIC due to the relative recent introduction of this approach.

Structural brain correlates of adolescent resilience.

Background: Despite calls for integration of neurobiological methods into research on youth resilience (high competence despite high adversity), we know little about structural brain correlates of resilient functioning. The aim of the current study was to test for brain regions uniquely associated with positive functioning in the context of adversity, using detailed phenotypic classification.

Methods: 1,870 European adolescents (M  = 14.

Predictive modeling of the outcomes of chemotherapy-induced (febrile) neutropenia prophylaxis with biosimilar filgrastim (MONITOR-GCSF study).

Background: Risk models of chemotherapy-induced (CIN) and febrile neutropenia (FN) have to date focused on determinants measured at the start of chemotherapy. We extended this static approach with a dynamic approach of CIN/FN risk modeling at the start of each cycle.

Design: We applied predictive modeling using multivariate logistic regression to identify determinants of CIN/FN episodes and related hospitalizations and chemotherapy disturbances (CIN/FN consequences) in analyses at the patient ('ever' during the whole period of chemotherapy) and cycle-level (during a given chemotherapy cycle).

The EGALITY study: a confirmatory, randomized, double-blind study comparing the efficacy, safety and immunogenicity of GP2015, a proposed etanercept biosimilar, vs. the originator product in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis.

Background: GP2015 is a proposed etanercept biosimilar.

Objectives: To demonstrate equivalent efficacy, and comparable safety and immunogenicity of GP2015 and the etanercept originator (ETN, Enbrel ) in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis.

Methods: In total, 531 eligible patients were randomized 1 : 1 to self-administer GP2015 or ETN twice weekly subcutaneously.

Rationale of cerebral protection devices in left atrial appendage occlusion.

Aims: Aims of this case-series were to assess the feasibility of cerebral protection devices in interventional left atrial appendage occlusion (iLAAO) procedures and to yield insight into the pathomorphological correlate of early, procedural cerebral embolization during iLAAO.

Methods And Results: Five consecutive patients underwent iLLO flanked by the Sentinel CPS® (Claret Medical, Inc., Santa Rosa, CA) cerebral protection system.

Diagnostic criteria for cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS).

Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndrome (CAPS) is a rare, heterogeneous disease entity associated with gene mutations and increased interleukin-1 (IL-1) secretion. Early diagnosis and rapid initiation of IL-1 inhibition prevent organ damage. The aim of the study was to develop and validate diagnostic criteria for CAPS.

Neural correlates of three types of negative life events during angry face processing in adolescents.

Negative life events (NLE) contribute to anxiety and depression disorders, but their relationship with brain functioning in adolescence has rarely been studied. We hypothesized that neural response to social threat would relate to NLE in the frontal-limbic emotional regions. Participants (N = 685) were drawn from the Imagen database of 14-year-old community adolescents recruited in schools.

Dose-Dependent Protective Effect of Inhalational Anesthetics Against Postoperative Respiratory Complications: A Prospective Analysis of Data on File From Three Hospitals in New England.

Objectives: Inhalational anesthetics are bronchodilators with immunomodulatory effects. We sought to determine the effect of inhalational anesthetic dose on risk of severe postoperative respiratory complications.

Design: Prospective analysis of data on file in surgical cases between January 2007 and December 2015.

Prognostic Factors for Local Control in Breast Cancer After Long-term Follow-up in the EORTC Boost vs No Boost Trial: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Prognostic factors of ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) may change over time following breast-conserving therapy.

Objective: The EORTC "boost no boost" trial showed that young age and high-grade invasive carcinoma were the most important risk factors for IBTR. This study reanalyses pathological prognostic factors related to IBTR using long-term follow-up.

Ready to clone: CNV detection and breakpoint fine-mapping in breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility genes by high-resolution array CGH.

Purpose: Detection of predisposing copy number variants (CNV) in 330 families affected with hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC).

Methods: In order to complement mutation detection with Illumina's TruSight Cancer panel, we designed a customized high-resolution 8 × 60k array for CGH (aCGH) that covers all 94 genes from the panel.

Results: Copy number variants with immediate clinical relevance were detected in 12 families (3.

Daratumumab, Bortezomib, and Dexamethasone for Multiple Myeloma.

Background: Daratumumab, a human IgGκ monoclonal antibody that targets CD38, induces direct and indirect antimyeloma activity and has shown substantial efficacy as monotherapy in heavily pretreated patients with multiple myeloma, as well as in combination with bortezomib in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Methods: In this phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned 498 patients with relapsed or relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma to receive bortezomib (1.3 mg per square meter of body-surface area) and dexamethasone (20 mg) alone (control group) or in combination with daratumumab (16 mg per kilogram of body weight) (daratumumab group).

Risk factors for genital human papillomavirus among men in Tanzania.

The objective of the study was to assess risk factors for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) among men in Tanzania, both overall and in relation to HIV status. In a cross-sectional study conducted among 1,813 men in Tanzania, penile swabs were tested for HPV using Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2). Study participants were offered HIV testing.

Repetitive Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Induced Excitability Changes of Primary Visual Cortex and Visual Learning Effects-A Pilot Study.

Studies on noninvasive motor cortex stimulation and motor learning demonstrated cortical excitability as a marker for a learning effect. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive tool to modulate cortical excitability. It is as yet unknown how tDCS-induced excitability changes and perceptual learning in visual cortex correlate.

A HIF-1α-driven feed-forward loop augments HIF signalling in Hep3B cells by upregulation of ARNT.

Oxygen-deprived (hypoxic) areas are commonly found within neoplasms caused by excessive cell proliferation. The transcription factor Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) is part of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway, which mediates adaptive responses to ensure cellular survival under hypoxic conditions. HIF signalling leads to metabolic alterations, invasion/metastasis and the induction of angiogenesis in addition to radio-chemoresistance of tumour cells.

Polarity-Specific Cortical Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Primary Somatosensory Cortex of Healthy Humans.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive stimulation method that has been shown to modulate the excitability of the motor and visual cortices in human subjects in a polarity dependent manner in previous studies. The aim of our study was to investigate whether anodal and cathodal tDCS can also be used to modulate the excitability of the human primary somatosensory cortex (S1). We measured paired-pulse suppression (PPS) of somatosensory evoked potentials in 36 right-handed volunteers before and after anodal, cathodal, or sham stimulation over the right non-dominant S1.

Sodium channel slow inactivation interferes with open channel block.

Mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 are linked to inherited pain syndromes such as erythromelalgia (IEM) and paroxysmal extreme pain disorder (PEPD). PEPD mutations impair Nav1.