Russian Sentence Corpus: Benchmark Measures of Eye Movements in Reading in Russian

This article introduces a new corpus of eye movements in silent reading—the Russian Sentence Corpus (RSC). Russian uses the Cyrillic script, which has not yet been investigated in cross-linguistic eye movement research. As in every language studied so far, we confirmed the expected effects of low-level parameters, such as word length, frequency, and predictability, on the eye movements of skilled Russian readers. These findings allow us to add Slavic languages using Cyrillic script (exemplified by Russian) to the growing number of languages with different orthographies, ranging from the Roman-based European languages to logographic Asian ones, whose basic eye movement benchmarks conform to the universal comparative science of reading (Share, 2008). We additionally report basic descriptive corpus statistics and three exploratory investigations of the effects of Russian morphology on the basic eye movement measures, which illustrate the kinds of questions that researchers can answer using the RSC. The annotated corpus is freely available from its project page at the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/x5q2r/

Riociguat treatment in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Final safety data from the EXPERT registry

Objective: The soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat is approved for the treatment of adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) following Phase

Russian Sentence Corpus (RSC) - Data and script for published analyses

UPD. Uploaded a new data file with 103 participants, last words of every sentence remain in the dataset, and thanks to Sebastian Korinth sentences length values for items 109 and 133 are corrected. These are materials currently comprising the Russian Sentence Corpus, as well as the code for analyses published in "Russian Sentence Corpus: Benchmark measures of eye movements in reading in Russian", see full text here https://link.springer.com/article/10.3758%2Fs13428-018-1051-

Switching to a Second TNF-α Inhibitor in a Patient with Severe Juvenile Polyarthritis: A Clinical Case

Background. Insufficient efficacy or intolerance of the first TNF-α inhibitor in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is an indication for the appointment of a second inhibitor. Golimumab is a new TNF-α inhibitor registered for treating JIA under pediatric indications. Clinical Case Description. At an early age, the patient had an onset of polyarticular JIA. Due to the aggressive and rapidly progressive course, failure of therapy with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, methotrexate and glucocorticosteroids for intra-articular administration, infliximab was prescribed to the patient, with a positive effect. Subsequently, the patient developed a secondary resistance to infliximab, inflammatory changes in the joints relapsed; thus, a second TNF-α inhibitor (golimumab) was prescribed. In the course of therapy, pain and signs of arthritis in the patient were reversed, and the range of motion in the affected joints increased. After one year of therapy, JIA remission was ascertained. At the same time, the child was not administered oral glucocorticosteroids. The duration of remission of the joint syndrome was 5 years. Adverse events were not serious and did not constitute a basis for drug discontinuation. Conclusion. Switching to a second TNF-α inhibitor (golimumab) was effective in a patient with a secondary resistance to the first TNF-α inhibitor

Efficacy and Safety of Immunization With Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: Preliminary Results of a Prospective Open-Label Study

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most frequent and most disabling rheumatic diseases in children. Children with JIA receiving immunosuppressive and genetically engineered biologic drugs belong to the high-risk group for the development of bacterial and viral infections, including those administered by preventive vaccines.Objective: Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) in children with JIA.Methods. In a prospective open-label comparative study, the efficacy of vaccination was determined by the level of specific anti-pneumococcal antibodies (anti-SPP)IgG to Streptococcus pneumonia in the blood serum in patients with JIA. The safety of vaccination was assessed by determining a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and S-100 protein as well as by the number of adverse events, by recording the number of infections of the upper respiratory tract and pneumonias, by the number of joints with active arthritis. Vaccination with 13-valent PPV was performed subcutaneously with one dose of 0.5 ml during therapy of the main disease with methotrexate or etanercept or 3 weeks before the appointment of methotrexate or etanercept. Patients were followed up for 1 year.Results. The study included 42 children with JIA: 21 with JIA in the active phase of the disease, 21 in remission of the disease. As a result of vaccination, the level of anti-pneumococcal antibodies (antiSPP)IgG increased in the group of children with JIA in the active phase from 26.1 (14.3; 52.1) to 73.0 (52.5; 156.0) mg/l (p = 0.001), with JIA in remission — from 27.4 (18.2; 59.1) to 54.6 (35.3; 96.0) mg/l (p = 0.029). The concentration of the predictor of S-100 protein high activity after vaccination was not increased (p = 0.192). JIA aggravation episodes were not fixed in any patient. Serious adverse events were not observed during the trial.Conclusion. The vaccination of children with JIA with 13-valent PPV is highly effective, not accompanied by exacerbation/increase in the activity of the disease and the development of serious adverse events

PROGNOSTIC FACTORS FOR THE RESPONSE TO TOCILIZUMAB THERAPY IN PATIENTS WITH JUVENILE IDIOPATHIC ARTHRITIS WITHOUT SYSTEMIC MANIFESTATIONS: A COHORT STUDY

Background. To assign genetically engineered biologic drugs, we need data on the predictors for response to therapy. Prognostic factors for the response to tocilizumab in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) without systemic symptoms are poorly studied.Objective. Our aim was to reveal early predictors for the response to tocilizumab therapy in patients with JIA without systemic symptoms.Methods. A retrospective cohort study enrolled patients with JIA without systemic symptoms who received tocilizumab therapy between July 2009 and August 2017. We assessed the association between the initial demographic, clinical, and laboratory parameters in patients and the best response (according to the ACR90 criteria) to treatment after a year.Results. The study included 95 (girls 85%) patients; the mean age was 10.3 (6.0; 13.6). During the first year of therapy, 71 (75%), 55 (58%), 38 (40%), and 22 (23%) patients achieved the improvement according to ACR30/50/70/90 criteria, respectively; 22 (23%) patients reached disease inactive stage according to the Wallace criteria. When performing multivariate analysis, the following improvement predictors were revealed based on the ACR90 criteria after a year of treatment: decrease in serum C-reactive protein level during the first month of therapy [odds ratio (OR) 1.024; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.007–1.051], decrease in disease activity score on the visual analogue scale according to the parent/patient assessment (OR 1.048; 95% CI 1.005–1.105), early onset of the disease (OR 0.38; 95% CI 0.16–0.72), persistent oligoarthritis according to the ILAR (OR 9.9; 95% CI 1.5–109.3). During the first year of tocilizumab administration, neutropenia was registered in one patient, leukopenia — in three cases, and urticaria — in one case.Conclusion. The variant of JIA, the age at the disease onset, and the disease course pattern in the first month of tocilizumab therapy are the predictors of treatment efficacy throughout the year

Immunization With a Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine in Children With Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Without Systemic Manifestations: a Prospective Study

Background. Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have an increased risk of being infected. Approximately half of all serious infections in children with JIA are associated with airway involvement.Objective. Our aim was to study the efficacy and safety of the pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV) in children with JIA.Methods. In a prospective cohort study, 5 groups were formed:  children with JIA in the remission phase on methotrexate therapy  (group 1) or etanercept (group 2), with JIA in the active phase prior  to the appointment of methotrexate (group 3) or etanercept (group  4), control group (conditionally healthy children). 0.5 ml of the 13-valent PCV was administered once subcutaneously during therapy in patients in the remission phase or 3 weeks before the appointment  of methotrexate or etanercept in patients in the active phase. The  main study outcome was the proportion of patients with a protective  ( 40 mg/L) level of specific anti-pneumococcal antibodies (anti-SPP) IgG to Streptococcus pneumoniae 4 weeks after vaccination. In  addition, we assessed the incidence of infectious events before and  after vaccination as well as changes in the content of a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, S100 protein, and post-vaccination period.Results. The study included 125 children. Four weeks after  vaccination, the protective level of anti-SPP IgG was established in  21 (84%) patients in the 1st, 23 (92%) in the 2nd, 22 (88%) in the  3rd, 24 (96%) in the 4th and 5th groups (p =1.0). Increase in the  concentration of S100 protein and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein  after vaccination was not noted. JIA exacerbation episodes were not  recorded in any patient. After immunization, the total number of infectious events decreased in all observed groups (p 0.001). Serious adverse events were not registered during the study.Conclusion. Vaccination with the 13-valent PCV in children with JIA  is highly effective and is not accompanied by the development of serious adverse events

Predictors of the response to etanercept in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis without systemic manifestations within 12 months: results of an open-label, prospective study conducted at the National Scientific and Practical Center of Children's Health, Russia

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of etanercept treatment and to identify predictors of response to therapy within 12 months in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) without systemic manifestations. Methods A total of 197 juvenile patients were enrolled in this study. Response to therapy was assessed using the ACRPedi 30/50/70/90 criteria, the Wallace criteria, and the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score 71 (JADAS-71). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify potential baseline factors associated with treatment response in different JIA categories. Results One year after treatment initiation, 179 (90.9%) patients achieved ACRPedi30; 177 (89.8%) patients achieved ACRPedi50; 168 (85.3%) patients achieved ACRPedi70; and 135 (68.5%) patients achieved ACRPedi90 response. A total of 132 (67.0%) and 92 (46.7%) patients achieved inactive disease according to the Wallace criteria and the JADAS-71 cut-off point, respectively. Excellent response (achieving ACRPedi90 and clinically inactive disease according both to the Wallace criteria and the JADAS71 cut-off point) was associated with persistent oligoarticular JIA category, shorter disease duration before the start of etanercept, a lower number of DMARDs used before the introduction of etanercept, a lower number of joints with limited motion, and lower C-reactive protein at baseline. Poor response (failure to achieve ACR 70 or active disease according to both the Wallace criteria and JADAS71 even when ACR 70 was achieved) was associated with the polyarticular or enthesitis-related JIA categories, higher disease duration before the start of etanercept, and older age at disease onset. Conclusion Almost half (45.7%) of the patients who initiated etanercept treatment achieved an excellent response (inactive disease and ACRPedi90) after 1 year. What may be novel is our finding that the response to etanercept therapy was strongly associated with the JIA category. The response to etanercept therapy was also associated with the disease duration before the start of etanercept treatment

The Internationalization of Chinese Currency

In the last few years China has strongly intensified its efforts to promote the internationalization of Renminbi (CNY) which has become one of the main aspects of the country's economic policy as expressed in the 12th Five-Year Plan. It started from bilateral swap agreements with neighbouring countries, went through Pilot Program of Renminbi Settlement of Cross border Trade Transactions and was completed by other forms of promotion of Chinese currency internationalization