Real-world effectiveness of cladribine as an escalation strategy for MS: Insights from the Czech nationwide ReMuS registry.

Background: Cladribine, a selective immune reconstitution therapy, is approved for the treatment of adult patients with highly active multiple sclerosis (MS).

Objectives: Provide experience with cladribine therapy in a real-world setting.

Methods: This is a registry-based retrospective observational cohort study.

Expression of bond-related behaviors affects titi monkey responsiveness to oxytocin and vasopressin treatments.

Social bonds influence physiology and behavior, which can shape how individuals respond to physical and affective challenges. Coppery titi monkey (Plecturocebus cupreus) offspring form selective bonds with their fathers, making them ideal for investigating how father-daughter bonds influence juveniles' responses to oxytocin (OT) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) manipulations. We quantified the expression of father-daughter bond-related behaviors in females (n = 10) and gave acute intranasal treatments of saline, low/medium/high OT, low/high AVP, or an OT receptor antagonist (OTA) to subjects prior to a parent preference test.

Case report: Susac syndrome-two ends of the spectrum, single center case reports and review of the literature.

Susac syndrome is a rare and enigmatic complex neurological disorder primarily affecting small blood vessels in the brain, retina, and inner ear. Diagnosing Susac syndrome may be extremely challenging not only due to its rarity, but also due to the variability of its clinical presentation. This paper describes two vastly different cases-one with mild symptoms and good response to therapy, the other with severe, complicated course, relapses and long-term sequelae despite multiple therapeutic interventions.

Diversity response of necrophagous dipteran communities and their functional groups to an anthropization gradient.

The anthropization process exerts a profound effect on ecosystems, causing alterations in biodiversity, habitat structure, and species composition, ultimately disrupting the delicate balance of natural environments. The aim of the present study was to explore the ecological dynamics of necrophagous Sarcophagidae and Calliphoridae flies along an anthropization gradient. This research investigated alpha and beta diversity patterns to unravel the impact of human-induced environmental changes on these insect communities and also assesses the dynamics of functional groups in relation to their impact on medical and forensic fields.

Inhibition of CD40L with Frexalimab in Multiple Sclerosis.

Background: The CD40-CD40L costimulatory pathway regulates adaptive and innate immune responses and has been implicated in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis. Frexalimab is a second-generation anti-CD40L monoclonal antibody being evaluated for the treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Methods: In this phase 2, double-blind, randomized trial, we assigned, in a 4:4:1:1 ratio, participants with relapsing multiple sclerosis to receive 1200 mg of frexalimab administered intravenously every 4 weeks (with an 1800-mg loading dose), 300 mg of frexalimab administered subcutaneously every 2 weeks (with a 600-mg loading dose), or the matching placebos for each active treatment.

Intranasal oxytocin does not change partner preference in female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus), but intranasal vasopressin decreases it.

Strong social bonds are critical to human health; however, the mechanisms by which social bonds are formed and maintained are still being elucidated. The neurohormones oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) are considered likely candidates. Primate females, both human and nonhuman, remain understudied populations.

Titi monkey father-daughter bond-related behaviors explain stress response variability.

Social interactions regulate our behavior and physiology, and strong social bonds can buffer us from stress. Coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) are socially monogamous South American monkeys that display strong social bonds. Infants form selective bonds with their fathers, making them ideal for studying father-daughter bonds.

Is breastfeeding in MS harmful or not? An answer from real-world Czech data.

Introduction: The influence of breastfeeding and it´s duration on the course of multiple sclerosis (MS) is unclear. Here we analyzed a real-world data for breastfeeding women with MS and their disease course collected from a Czech national registry ReMuS.

Objectives: To identify risk factors associated with not initiating breastfeeding after delivery, to analyze the impact of breastfeeding on the MS disease course, evaluate the assumption, that breastfeeding is not harmful in MS patients, and compare the disease course by breastfeeding status.

Does initial high efficacy therapy in multiple sclerosis surpass escalation treatment strategy? A comparison of patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in the Czech and Swedish national multiple sclerosis registries.

Background: In relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) the most common treatment strategy has been to start with low-moderate efficacy disease modifying therapy (LE-DMT) and to escalate to more efficacious treatments in cases of breakthrough disease activity. However, recent evidence suggests a better outcome in patients commencing with moderate-high efficacy DMT (HE-DMT) immediately after clinical onset.

Objective: The aim of this study is to compare disease activity and disability outcomes in patients treated with the two alternative strategies using the Swedish and Czech national multiple sclerosis registries, taking advantage of the fact that the relative frequency of each strategy differs markedly between these two countries.

The Czech National MS Registry (ReMuS): Data trends in multiple sclerosis patients whose first disease-modifying therapies were initiated from 2013 to 2021.

Aims: Multiple sclerosis treatment strategies are changing in the Czech Republic. According to data from 2013-2021, the proportion of patients starting high-efficacy disease-modifying therapies is increasing. In this survey, we describe the actual data trends in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients beginning their first disease‑modifying therapies (DMTs) from 2013 to 2021.

Neural and behavioral reactions to partners and strangers in monogamous female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus).

Pair bonding in humans and other socially monogamous species can have positive effects on health and well-being. These attachments also come with the potential for challenges such as separation, jealousy, or grief. Much of the work on the neurobiology of pair bonding in non-human primates has been carried out in coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus), a monogamous South American monkey, although these studies have been primarily in males.

Sarcosaprophagous Muscid Fly (Diptera: Muscidae) Assemblages Along an Anthropized Gradient in the Humid Chaco Ecoregion, Chaco Province, Argentina.

Deforestation, agriculture, farmyard animal husbandry, and urbanization are known to be the main causes of biodiversity loss and habitat fragmentation. The present study evaluated the role of anthropization in modulating Muscidae (Diptera) assemblages in the Humid Chaco ecoregion of Argentina, by testing the biotic homogenization and intermediate disturbance hypotheses. The study focused on natural, rural, and urban habitats in San Lorenzo Department, Chaco Province, where sarcosaprophagous muscid flies were surveyed.

Relationship between Patient Preferences, Attitudes to Treatment, Adherence, and Quality of Life in New Users of Teriflunomide.

A poor patient adherence often limits the real-world effectiveness of an oral disease-modifying therapy (DMT) for multiple sclerosis (MS). In the present study, we aimed to map patient preferences, attitudes toward treatment, and quality of life to identify the predictors of non-adherence to teriflunomide. This was a single-arm, non-interventional, multicenter study (Czech Act 378/2007 Coll.

The onset of puberty in colony-housed male and female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus): Possible effects of oxytocin treatment during peri-adolescent development.

Oxytocin has been used to treat neurodevelopmental conditions in adolescent patients but possible effects on reproductive development have not been well investigated. The effects of daily intra-nasal oxytocin treatment (12-18 months of age) on puberty and fertility were studied in colony-housed, male and female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus). Body weight, urinary conjugated pregnanes and estrogens (defining cyclicity) in females, and androgens and sperm in urine of in males, were measured from 1 to 3 years of age to detect puberty.

Terrestrial Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Protected Forests and Grasslands in Three Ecoregions of Corrientes Province, Argentina.

A comparative study on forests and grasslands in three ecoregions (Humid Chaco, Espinal, and Paranaense) was conducted in two protected areas in northeastern Argentina: Iberá National Park and Mburucuyá National Park. The effects of habitat heterogeneity (vegetation cover) on terrestrial ant (Formicidae) assemblages were analyzed and compared. The habitat heterogeneity hypothesis-which predicts that when environmental structural complexity increases, the species richness will also increase-was tested.

Effect of Vegetation Types on Sarcophagidae (Diptera) in Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park, a Natural Remnant in a Highly Endangered Landscape.

Species diversity can be affected by the structure of vegetation, which may vary in height, density, and distribution of trees, shrubs, and other plant types, configuring different types of habitats. In this study, we evaluated the diversity of sarcosaprophagous Sarcophagidae communities inhabiting the remnant representative habitats protected in Ciervo de los Pantanos National Park: grasslands, forests, and wetlands. We hypothesized that the abundance and diversity of flesh flies would be higher in the grasslands and wetlands than in the forest patches.

Parenting costs time: Changes in pair bond maintenance across pregnancy and infant rearing in a monogamous primate (Plecturocebus cupreus).

Relationships support social animals' health, but maintaining relationships is challenging. When transitioning to parenthood, new parents balance pair-bond maintenance with infant care. We studied pair-bond maintenance via affiliation in 22 adult titi monkey pairs (Plecturocebus cupreus) for 16 months centered around their first offspring's birth.

Relationships between cortisol and urinary androgens in female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus).

Steroid hormones are critical to the regulation of sociosexual behavior. Their role in the formation of pair bonds is complicated by the relative scarcity of this social system in mammals, as well as species and taxonomic differences in endocrine systems. In the present study, we experimentally manipulated the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in female titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus), a neotropical monkey studied for its strong, selective pair bonds.

Alterations in Sensorimotor and Mesiotemporal Cortices and Diffuse White Matter Changes in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis Detected by Adiabatic Relaxometry.

The research of primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS) has not been able to capitalize on recent progresses in advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols. The presented cross-sectional study evaluated the utility of four different MRI relaxation metrics and diffusion-weighted imaging in PPMS. Conventional free precession T1 and T2, and rotating frame adiabatic T1ρ and T2ρ in combination with diffusion-weighted parameters were acquired in 13 PPMS patients and 13 age- and sex-matched controls.

Blow flies, synanthropy and sex ratio: Are the deviations in the sex proportion linked to human transformation of landscapes?

In most species, several factors like time of emergence, age at maturation, reproductive life span, survival of males and females, mating behavior, differential resource use, and migration patterns may affect the adult sex ratio. Anthropogenic landscape transformation is known to change diversity, favoring colonization by exotic species but other populational parameters, such as the sex ratio, have not been assessed. The aim of the present study was to describe the sex-ratio patterns of adult necrophagous blow flies captured using carrion-baited traps along habitats representing different levels of human impact.

Assemblages of Necrophagous Blow Flies (Diptera: Calliphoridae) in Four Contrasting Ecoregions of Los Angeles County, California, United States.

An ecological study to evaluate necrophagous species richness, abundance, and diversity was conducted in four contrasting ecoregions of Los Angeles County, California, United States: a highly anthropized area, two moderately populated areas, and a sparsely populated area. Our hypothesis states that there will be higher abundance of exotic species in greatly anthropized ecoregions and higher diversity of native calliphorid flies in sparsely populated sites. A total of 2,883 blow flies belonging to 12 species were captured from the four ecoregions.

Titi monkey neophobia and visual abilities allow for fast responses to novel stimuli.

The Snake Detection Theory implicates constricting snakes in the origin of primates, and venomous snakes for differences between catarrhine and platyrrhine primate visual systems. Although many studies using different methods have found very rapid snake detection in catarrhines, including humans, to date no studies have examined how quickly platyrrhine primates can detect snakes. We therefore tested in captive coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) the latency to detect a small portion of visible snake skin.

Assessment of Clinical Drug-Drug Interactions of Elagolix, a Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor Antagonist.

Elagolix is an oral gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor antagonist indicated for the management of endometriosis-associated pain and in combination with estradiol/norethindrone acetate indicated for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) in premenopausal women. Elagolix coadministered with estradiol/norethindrone acetate is in late-stage development for the management of heavy menstrual bleeding associated with uterine fibroids. Based on the in vitro profile of elagolix metabolism and disposition, 9 drug-drug interaction (DDI) studies evaluating the victim and perpetrator characteristics of elagolix were conducted in 144 healthy volunteers.

Seasonal Fluctuations in Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Calyptratae) Assemblages in the Humid Chaco Ecoregion, Argentina.

The seasonal fluctuations of flesh fly (Diptera: Sarcophagidae) assemblages were investigated from March 2015 to February 2016 in five habitat types in the Humid Chaco ecoregion, Chaco Province, Argentina. Three of the habitats were anthropized: an urban area, a cattle farm, and an alfalfa crop; and two were natural: a savanna and a forest. Flesh flies were collected monthly at 25 sampling points, five per habitat.

The Effect of Anthropization on Sarcophagidae (Diptera: Calyptratae) Community Structure: An Assessment on Different Types of Habitats in the Humid Chaco Ecoregion of Argentina.

Sarcophagidae (Diptera) are of great interest from a veterinary, medical, and forensic viewpoint, and are potential bioindicators for environmental impact assessments. In this study, we evaluated changes in abundance, species richness, and diversity of flesh flies in different habitat types in the Humid Chaco ecoregion of South America: 1) anthropized habitats: urban, cattle farm, and alfalfa crop, and 2) natural habitats: savanna and forest. We hypothesized that sarcophagid fly community parameters are affected by the anthropization and that spatial turnover will contribute more to the overall beta diversity than nestedness between habitats.