Vortex properties in a model with local pairs

We investigate the vortex structure in the Penson-Kolb model with and without impurities. We focus on the consequences arising from the non-local field-dependent pairing interaction for the vortex profile, current distribution, and the local density of states

Charge density waves in small metallic and superconducting rings

Experimental results concerning persistent currents in small rings threaded by a magnetic flux do not agree with theoretical predictions, especially for experiments performed in diffusive regime. This suggests important role of disorder in these experiments. In this paper we demonstrate how impurities present in ring modify the persistent current by generating or enhancing charge density waves. The electronic correlations are taken into account for both repulsive as well as attractive electron{electron interaction. The calculations are carried out for one-dimensional rings consisting of up to 12 lattice sites using Lanczos exact diagonalization approach, and for finite-width much larger rings using the Bogolyubov-de Gennes equations

Avelumab use in Merkel cell carcinoma treatment

Avelumab is a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking human IgG1 lambda monoclonal antibody. It was the first immunotherapy to be approved for the treatment of MCC. In March 2017, the FDA granted accelerated approval to avelumab for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) irrespective of prior therapy. In July 2017, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the approval of avelumab as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC). Approvals were based on the efficacy and safety demonstrated in JAVELIN Merkel 200 (NCT02155647), a multi-center, open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial [1]. Part A of the study consisted of patients treated in the second line with metastatic, chemotherapy-refractory MCC. Part B consisted of systemic treatment-naive patients who received avelumab as first-line treatment for metastatic or distally recurrent MCC. In the first line the ORR is 39.7%. Durable responses lasting at least 6 months were observed and the majority of responses are observed earlywith the median time to response of 6.1 week. PFS rate at 6 months and at 12 months are 41% and 31%, respectively. Median OS is 20.3 months. The OS rate at 1 year is 60%

Electrocardiographic algorithms to guide a management strategy of idiopathic outflow tract ventricular arrhythmias

The current guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology outlined electrocardiographic (ECG) differentiation of the site of origin (SoO) in patients with idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (IVAs). The aim of this study was to compare 3 ECG algorithms for differentiating the SoO and to determine their diagnostic value for the management of outflow tract IVA. We analyzed 202 patients (mean age [SD]: 45 [16.7] years; 133 women [66%]) with IVAs with the inferior axis (130 premature ventricular contractions or ventricular tachycardias from the right ventricular outflow tract [RVOT]; 72, from the left ventricular outflow tract [LVOT]), who underwent successful radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) using the 3‑dimensional electroanatomical system. The ECGs before ablation were analyzed using custom‑developed software. Automated measurements were performed for the 3 algorithms: 1) novel transitional zone (TZ) index, 2) $V_{2}S/V_{3}R$, and 3) $V_{2}$ transition ratio. The results were compared with the SoO of acutely successful RFCA. The $V_{2}S/V_{3}R$ algorithm predicted the left‑sided SoO with a sensitivity and specificity close to 90%. The TZ index showed higher sensitivity (93%) with lower specificity (85%). In the subgroup with the transition zone in lead V3 (n = 44, 15 from the LVOT) the sensitivity and specificity of the V2– transition‑ratio algorithm were 100% and 45%, respectively. The combined TZ index+$V_{2}S/V_{3}R$ algorithm (LVOT was considered only when both algorithms suggested the LVOT SoO) can increase the specificity of the LVOT SoO prediction to 98% with a sensitivity of 88%. The combined TZ‑index and $V_{2}S/V_{3}R$ algorithm allowed an accurate and simple identification of the SoO of IVA. A prospective study is needed to determine the strategy for skipping the RVOT mapping in patients with LVOT arrhythmias indicated by the 2 combined algorithms

Real space inhomogeneities in high temperature superconductors: the perspective of two-component model

The two-component model of high temperature superconductors in its real space version has been solved using Bogoliubov-de Gennes equations. The disorder in the electron and boson subsystem has been taken into account. It strongly modifies the superconducting properties and leads to local variations of the gap parameter and density of states. The assumption that the impurities mainly modify boson energies offers natural explanation of the puzzling positive correlation between the positions of impurities and the values of the order parameter found in the scanning tunnelling microscopy experiments.Comment: 19 pages, IOPP style include

Avelumab use in Merkel cell carcinoma treatment

Avelumab is a programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) blocking human IgG1 lambda monoclonal antibody. It was the first immunotherapy to be approved for the treatment of MCC. In March 2017, the FDA granted accelerated approval to avelumab for the treatment of adults and pediatric patients 12 years and older with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) –irrespective of prior therapy. In July 2017, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the approval of avelumab as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with metastatic Merkel cell carcinoma (mMCC). Approvals were based on the efficacy and safety demonstrated in JAVELIN Merkel 200 (NCT02155647), a multi-center, open-label, single-arm, phase II clinical trial [1]. Part A of the study consisted of patients treated in the second line with metastatic, chemotherapy-refractory MCC. Part B consisted of systemic treatment-naive patients who received avelumab as a first-line treatment for metastatic or distally recurrent MCC. In the first line the ORR is 39.7%. Durable responses lasting at least 6 months were observed and the majority of responses are observed early with the median time to response of 6.1 week. PFS rate at 6 and 12 months are 41% and 31%, respectively. Median OS is 20.3 months. The OS rate at 1 year is 60%

Long-term follow-up and comparison of techniques in radiofrequency ablation of ventricular arrhythmias originating from the aortic cusps (AVATAR Registry)

Introduction: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of outflow tract ventricular arrhythmia (VA) that originates from the aortic cusps can be challenging. Data on long-term efficacy and safety as well as optimal technique after aortic cusp ablation have not previously been reported. Objectives: This aim of the study was to determine the short- and long-term outcomes after RFA of aortic cusp VA, and to evaluate aortic valve injuries according to echocardiographic screening. Patients and methods: This was a prospective multicenter registry (AVATAR, Aortic Cusp Ventricular Arrhythmias: Long Term Safety and Outcome from a Multicenter Prospective Ablation Registry) study. A total of 103 patients at a mean age of 56 years (34–64) from the “Electra” Registry (2005–2017) undergoing RFA of aortic cusps VA were enrolled. The following 3 ablation techniques were used: zero-fluoroscopy (ZF; electroanatomical mapping [EAM] without fluoroscopy), EAM with fluoroscopy, and conventional fluoroscopy-based RFA. Data on clinical history, complications after RFA, echocardiography, and 24-hour Holter monitoring were collected. The follow-up was 12 months or longer. Results: There were no major acute cardiac complications after RFA. In one case, a vascular access complication required surgery. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) procedure time was 75 minutes (IQR, 58–95), median follow-up, 32 months (IQR, 12–70). Acute and long-term procedural success rates were 93% and 86%, respectively. The long-term RFA outcomes were observed in ZF technique (88%), EAM with fluoroscopy (86%), and conventional RFA (82%), without differences. During long-term follow-up, no abnormalities were found within the aortic root. Conclusions: Ablation of VA within the aortic cusps is safe and effective in long-term follow-up. The ZF approach is feasible, although it requires greater expertise and more imaging modalities

Clear cell sarcoma

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS), also referred as to melanoma of soft tissues, is a rare malignant tumour of soft tissues. This tumour harbors the characteristic features of soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and is a slowly growing, painless tumour, which then acquires an aggressive course. CCS is characterized by a translocation t(12; 22)(q13; q12), which in addition to the diagnostic implications may be important for targeted treatment in the future. CCS occurs mainly on the limbs, most often shin (in feet and ankle area) in the tendons and aponeurosis, often at a young age. CCS is characterized by high potential to develop metastases in regional lymph nodes (about 30% of cases). In the diagnostic process one should consider performing a sentinel node biopsy with possible subsequent radical lymphadenectomy in the case of metastases detection. Treatment of localized disease is limited to radical local excision with complementary radiotherapy. Due to the resistance to classical chemotherapy and the presence of characteristic molecular abnormalities, trials of molecular targeted therapies in this group of cancers are ongoing. In clinical trials, MET inhibitors, tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) — sunitinib and pazopanib were evaluated. CCS was also one of the subtypes of tumours evaluated in the CREATE clinical trial with crizotinib

Mięsak jasnokomórkowy

Mięsak jasnokomórkowy (CCS), zwany również czerniakiem tkanek miękkich, to rzadki nowotwór złośliwy tkanek miękkich. Nowotwór ten ma charakterystyczne cechy mięsaka tkanek miękkich (MTM) w postaci wolno rosnącego, niebolesnego guza, który następnie nabiera agresywnego przebiegu, CCS charakteryzuje translokacja t(12;22) (q13;q12), co oprócz implikacji diagnostycznych może mieć w przyszłości znaczenie dla leczenia celowanego. Mięsak jasnokomórkowy występuje głównie na kończynach, najczęściej dolnych (stopy, okolica kostek), w okolicy ścięgien i rozcięgien, często u osób w młodym wieku. Cechuje się znaczną zdolnością do tworzenia przerzutów do regionalnych węzłów chłonnych (ok. 30% przypadków). W postępowaniu diagnostycznym należy uwzględnić wykonanie biopsji węzła wartowniczego z ewentualną następową radykalną limfadenektomią w przypadku stwierdzenia przerzutów. Leczenie postaci zlokalizowanych ogranicza się do radykalnego miejscowego wycięcia z uzupełniającą radioterapią. W związku z opornością na klasyczną chemioterapię i obecnością charakterystycznych zaburzeń molekularnych trwają obecnie badania nad zastosowaniem leczenia celowanego molekularnie w tej grupie nowotworów. W badaniach klinicznych oceniano skuteczność inhibitorów MET, inhibitorów kinaz tyrozynowych (TKI) — sunitynibu i pazopanibu. Mięsak jasnokomórkowy był także jednym z podtypów nowotworów ocenianych w ramach badania klinicznego CREATE z zastosowaniem kryzotynibu