Real-life use of the PEXIVAS reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen in granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis.

Background: The PEXIVAS (Plasma exchange and glucocorticoids in severe antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis) trial showed that a reduced-dose glucocorticoid regimen (redGC) was non-inferior to a standard-dose regimen (standGC) with respect to death or end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in patients with ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV). However, the primary endpoint did not include disease progression or relapse, cyclophosphamide was the main induction therapy and rituximab (RTX)-treated patients tended to have a higher risk of death or ESKD with redGC. We aimed to evaluate the real-world use of redGC.

Convalescent Plasma Therapy in Immunocompromised Patients Infected With the BA.1 or BA.2 Omicron SARS-CoV-2.

The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has led to a complete reconfiguration of the therapeutic landscape, with all monoclonal antibodies having lost any neutralization activity. We report here a case series of 75 immunocompromised patients infected by the Omicron variant who benefited from COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). At Day 28, the overall survival was 76% (95% CI 67-86) with no significant difference in the clinical outcome between patients with hematological malignancies, solid organ transplantation or autoimmune diseases.

Maize Brittle Stalk2-Like3, encoding a COBRA protein, functions in cell wall formation and carbohydrate partitioning.

Carbohydrate partitioning from leaves to sink tissues is essential for plant growth and development. The maize (Zea mays) recessive carbohydrate partitioning defective28 (cpd28) and cpd47 mutants exhibit leaf chlorosis and accumulation of starch and soluble sugars. Transport studies with 14C-sucrose (Suc) found drastically decreased export from mature leaves in cpd28 and cpd47 mutants relative to wild-type siblings.

Maize Carbohydrate Partitioning Defective33 Encodes an MCTP Protein and Functions in Sucrose Export from Leaves.

To sustain plant growth, development, and crop yield, sucrose must be transported from leaves to distant parts of the plant, such as seeds and roots. To identify genes that regulate sucrose accumulation and transport in maize (Zea mays), we isolated carbohydrate partitioning defective33 (cpd33), a recessive mutant that accumulated excess starch and soluble sugars in mature leaves. The cpd33 mutants also exhibited chlorosis in the leaf blades, greatly diminished plant growth, and reduced fertility.

Lithosphere strain rate and stress field orientations near the Alpine arc in Switzerland.

In this study we test whether principal components of the strain rate and stress tensors align within Switzerland. We find that 1) Helvetic Nappes line (HNL) is the relevant tectonic boundary to define different domains of crustal stress/surface strain rates orientations and 2) orientations of T- axes (of moment tensor solutions) and long-term asthenosphere cumulative finite strain (from SKS shear wave splitting) are consistent at the scale of the Alpine arc in Switzerland. At a more local scale, we find that seismic activity and surface deformation are in agreement but in three regions (Basel, Swiss Jura and Ticino); possibly because of the low levels of deformation and/or seismicity.