Respiratory-swallowing coordination in normal subjects: Lung volume at swallowing initiation.

This study was designed to investigate the significance of bolus types and volumes, delivery methods and swallowing instructions on lung volume at swallowing initiation in normal subjects in a single experiment using a multifactorial approach. Our broad range goal was to determine optimal lung volume range associated with swallowing initiation to provide training targets for dysphagic patients with disordered respiratory-swallow coordination. Our hypothesis was that swallows would be initiated within a limited range of quiet breathing lung volumes regardless of bolus volume, consistency or task. Results confirmed this hypothesis and revealed that swallows were initiated at mean lung volume=244ml. Cued swallows were initiated at lower quiet breathing volumes than un-cued swallows (cued=201ml; un-cued=367ml). Water boluses were initiated at slightly higher quiet breathing volumes than solids. Data suggest that swallows occur within a restricted range of lung volumes with variation due to instructions, bolus type and other experimental variables.

Tandem autologous vs autologous plus reduced intensity allogeneic transplantation in the upfront management of multiple myeloma: meta-analysis of trials with biological assignment.

We utilized meta-analysis to compare tandem autologous (TA) hematopoietic SCT (auto-HSCT) or single auto-HSCT followed by reduced intensity conditioning (RIC), allogeneic (AR) hematopoietic SCT in the upfront management of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). A comprehensive search strategy of published and unpublished reports utilized the following entry criteria: newly diagnosed patients, first autologous transplantation in both arms, use of an RIC regimen and assignment to TA or AR based exclusively on the availability of an HLA matched donor. Six trials were identified yielding 1192 subjects in TA and 630 in AR. Patients in AR had higher likelihoods of TRM (relative risk (RR)=3.3, 95% confidence interval (CI)=2.2-4.8) and CR (RR=1.4, 95% CI=1.1-1.8). OS was not different in the first 36 months (hazard ratio (HR)=1.15, 95% CI=0.91-1.45) or after (HR=0.74, 95% CI=0.53-1.04) 36 months from assignment. Similar findings were seen for PFS. When compared with TA in the upfront management of MM, AR is associated with higher TRM and CR without improvement in PFS or OS.