Targeting endothelial cell anergy to improve CAR T cell therapy for solid tumors.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy presents significant results, especially for the treatment of hematologic malignancies. However, there are limitations and challenges to be overcome to achieve similar success for the treatment of solid tumors. These challenges involve selection of the target, infiltration into the tumor microenvironment and maintenance of functionality.

Neuropsychological Assessment of Older Adults in Nepal for Population-Based Dementia Ascertainment: Needs, Challenges, and Opportunities.

The population of Nepal is rapidly aging, as in other low and middle-income countries, and the number of individuals living with Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) is expected to increase. However, information about the neuropsychological assessment of ADRD in Nepal is lacking. We first aimed to examine the needs, challenges, and opportunities associated with the neuropsychological assessment of older adults in Nepal for population-based ADRD ascertainment.

Implementing stroke care in a lower-middle-income country: results and recommendations based on an implementation study within the Nepal Stroke Project.

Background: Globally, the majority of strokes affect people residing in lower- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs), but translating evidence-based knowledge into clinical practice in regions with limited healthcare resources remains challenging. As an LMIC in South Asia, stroke care has remained a healthcare problem previously unaddressed at a national scale in Nepal. The Nepal Stroke Project (NSP) aims to improve acute stroke care in the tertiary healthcare sector of Nepal.

4-Year Pulp Survival in a Randomized Trial on Direct Pulp Capping.

Introduction: This study aimed to assess pulp survival in a randomized trial on pulp lavage in adult nonpainful posterior teeth with carious pulp exposure. The treatment included complete caries excavation, direct pulp capping with mineral trioxide aggregate, and immediate restoration with composite resin.

Methods: Fluid was collected from the pulp wound to assess matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and total protein values.

Stroke epidemiology and outcomes of stroke patients in Nepal: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: With an increasing burden of stroke, it is essential to minimize the incidence of stroke and improve stroke care by emphasizing areas that bring out the maximum impact. The care situation remains unclear in the absence of a national stroke care registry and a lack of structured hospital-based data monitoring. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the status of stroke care in Nepal and identify areas that need dedicated improvement in stroke care.

Are digital social media campaigns the key to raise stroke awareness in low-and middle-income countries? A study of feasibility and cost-effectiveness in Nepal.

Background: Stroke is a major global health problem and was the second leading cause of death worldwide in 2020. However, the lack of public stroke awareness especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) such as Nepal severely hinders the effective provision of stroke care. Efficient and cost-effective strategies to raise stroke awareness in LMICs are still lacking.

Evaluation of New Alkasite Based Restorative Material for Restoring Non- Carious Cervical Lesions- Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Two different restoration materials, an alkasite-based resin composite and a resinmodified glass ionomer cement were used to assess restoration of non-carious cervical dental lesions. This split mouth randomized controlled trial included 40 patients. After randomization both sides of the dental arch were restored with either an alkasite-based (Cention N, Ivoclar Vivadent) or a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (Voco GmbH) restoration.

MMP-9 Levels and NaOCl Lavage in Randomized Trial on Direct Pulp Capping.

Outcome expectations of direct pulp capping in carious teeth are obscured by a clinically unknown infiltration and breakdown of the dental pulp tissue. Histologic studies showed that this soft tissue breakdown is related to the innate immune system. We hypothesized 1) that a neutrophil biomarker could predict the outcome of direct pulp capping and 2) that using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as a lavage solution to remove necrotized infected pulp tissue could improve it.

Prevalence of Stroke and Stroke Risk Factors in a South-Western Community of Nepal.

Background: Stroke related studies in Nepal are primarily hospital-based and mainly from the capital city.

Objectives: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of stroke and stroke risk factors in the South-Western community of Nepal.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to August 2018 among 549 randomly selected Nepalese participants from diverse ethnicity, aged ≥15 years, in a region with the availability of neurological support facilities.

Sodium Hypochlorite Reduces Postoperative Discomfort and Painful Early Failure after Carious Exposure and Direct Pulp Capping-Initial Findings of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

In this randomized controlled single-center clinical trial on 96 adult patients with parallel experimental groups ( = 48), the effects of washing a dentin/pulp wound in non-symptomatic teeth with extremely deep caries and pulpal exposure were compared between a 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) solution and a chemically-inert physiological saline control solution. After the allocated wound lavage, the pulps were capped with a mineral trioxide aggregate, covered by a glass-ionomer/resin liner, and the teeth were immediately restored with a resin-bonded-composite.

Assessment of Impact of Various Root Canal Irrigants on the Adherence of the Gelatinase-producing and the Gelatinase-deficient Strains to Dentin.

Aim: Present study was planned to assess the impact of various root canal irrigants on the adhesion of different Enterococcus faecalis () strains to the dentinal surface.

Materials And Methods: A total of 80 freshly extracted first and second molars were used in the present study. Preparation of dentin discs was done followed by a random division into four study groups and one control group.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy associated with brentuximab vedotin therapy: a report of 5 cases from the Southern Network on Adverse Reactions (SONAR) project.

Background: Brentuximab vedotin (BV) is an anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody-drug conjugate that was approved in 2011 for the treatment of patients with anaplastic large cell and Hodgkin lymphomas. The product label indicates that 3 patients who were treated with BV developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a frequently fatal JC virus-induced central nervous system infection. Prior immunosuppressive therapy and compromised immune systems were postulated risk factors.

Status migrainosus as a potential stressor leading to takotsubo cardiomyopathy.

Background: Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a form of non-ischemic cardiomyopathy that may be acutely precipitated by stress. A number of neurologic conditions have been implicated in precipitating this disease such as subarachnoid hemorrhage, stroke, and seizures. Its association with status migrainosus, however, has never been described before.

Rapid prototyping of pulse oximeter.

Measurement of oxygen saturation levels in blood is a vital activity during most medical treatments. A pulse oximeter is a device most commonly used to perform this measurement. It provides convenient, non-invasive and continuous monitoring of oxygen levels in a human body.

Novel method to identify source-associated phylogenetic clustering shows that Listeria monocytogenes includes niche-adapted clonal groups with distinct ecological preferences.

While phylogenetic and cluster analyses are often used to define clonal groups within bacterial species, the identification of clonal groups that are associated with specific ecological niches or host species remains a challenge. We used Listeria monocytogenes, which causes invasive disease in humans and different animal species and which can be isolated from a number of environments including food, as a model organism to develop and implement a two-step statistical approach to the identification of phylogenetic clades that are significantly associated with different source populations, including humans, animals, and food. If the null hypothesis that the genetic distances for isolates within and between source populations are identical can be rejected (SourceCluster test), then particular clades in the phylogenetic tree with significant overrepresentation of sequences from a given source population are identified (TreeStats test).