Nivolumab and hypofractionated radiotherapy in patients with advanced melanoma: A phase 2 trial.

Background: Radiotherapy is thought to enhance anti-tumor immunity, particularly when delivered in a hypofractionated and multisite manner. Therefore, we investigated the effects of combining radiotherapy with nivolumab in patients with advanced melanoma.

Methods: This was a multicenter, non-randomized, phase 2 trial that enrolled patients with treatment-naïve metastatic melanoma.

Survival outcomes for patients with invasive lobular cancer by MammaPrint: Results from the MINDACT phase III trial.

Background: Evaluation of the prognostic performance and clinical utility of the MammaPrint 70-gene signature in early-stage invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) for whom such analyses in a randomized trial is awaited.

Patients And Methods: Exploratory subgroup analysis of MINDACT trial patients with centrally assessed histology (n = 5929) with invasive breast cancer of no-special-type (NST), or pure ILC. In the trial patients were categorized based on the 70-gene signature for genomic risk and modified Adjuvant!Online for clinical risk.

Impact of circulating lymphocyte kinetics following radiotherapy on patient survival: A model-based meta-analysis.

Introduction: Radiation-induced lymphopenia (RIL) has been shown to adversely affect the prognosis of cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT). This model-based meta-analysis investigated the prognostic significance of lymphocyte counts both early and late after RT and examined the dose‒response relationship between post-RT lymphocyte levels and patient survival.

Methods: A literature search of published articles on the effect of RIL on cancer prognosis was conducted using the PubMed and Cochrane databases.

Unsupervised segmentation of heart sounds from abrupt changes detection.

Background And Objective: Heart auscultation enables early diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases. Automated segmentation of cardiograms into fundamental heart states can guide physicians to analyze the patient's condition more effectively. In this work, we propose an unsupervised method of segmentation into heart sounds and silences based on the detection of abrupt changes in the signal.

Rootstocks and drought stress impact the composition and functionality of grapevine rhizosphere bacterial microbiota.

The microbiota, a component of the plant holobiont, plays an active role in the response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Nowadays, with recurrent drought and global warming, a growing challenge in viticulture is being addressed by different practices, including the use of adapted rootstocks. However, the relationships between these practices, abiotic stress and the composition and functions of the rhizosphere microbiota remain to be deciphered.

Comparison of cadmium pathways in a high Cd accumulating cultivar versus a low Cd accumulating cultivar of Theobroma cacao L.

Understanding cadmium (Cd) pathways in cacao trees is critical for developing Cd mitigation strategies. This study investigates whether Cd uptake and translocation mechanisms differ between a low and a high Cd-accumulating cacao cultivar. We sampled three replicate trees of each cultivar, and a grafted cultivar that shared the same scion as the low Cd accumulator but had a different rootstock.

Influence of two strength training modalities (hypertrophy vs. contrast training) on muscular strength, bone health parameters and quality of life in a group of older adults with low skeletal muscle mass index.

The main aim of the current study was to compare the effects of two strength training modalities (hypertrophy vs. contrast training) on bone health parameters, physical performance and quality of life in a group of subjects aged 60 and above with low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). 45 older adults voluntarily participated in this study, but only 41 (22 women and 19 men) completed it.

Bees as environmental and toxicological bioindicators in the light of pesticide non-targeted exposure.

Pesticides have a significant impact on the environment, harming valuable non-target organisms like bees. Honeybees, in particular, are ideal bioindicators of pesticide exposure due to extensive research on how pesticides affect their behavior, immunity, development, biomolecules, and detoxification. However, wild pollinators are less studied in terms of pesticide exposure, and their inclusion is essential for a comprehensive risk assessment.

Structural and functional responses of soil fungal and bacterial communities to a lithium contamination gradient.

The use of lithium (Li) in decarbonization strategies has positioned it as a central component of modern technological advances, particularly in battery applications. However, the increasing demand for Li has raised concerns about its environmental consequences, which are poorly documented. This study aimed to fill this knowledge gap by examining the impact of Li on soil bacterial/fungal communities.

Predictive coding and attention in developmental cognitive neuroscience and perspectives for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Sensory prediction and repetition suppression are closely related cognitive mechanisms that allow the brain to form predictions about the environment, and guide perception in synergy with attention. Predictive coding is a theory of the fundamental role of predictive mechanisms in brain functions. Authors have proposed a central role of predictive impairments in autism and possibly other neurodevelopmental disorders.

Development and characterization of farnesol complexed in β- and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and their antibacterial activity.

Farnesol (FAR) belongs to terpenes group and is a sesquiterpene alcohol and a hydrophobic compound, which can be extracted from natural sources or obtained by organic chemical or biological synthesis. Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology allow the drawbacks of low drug solubility, which can improve the drug therapeutic index. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare the FAR inclusion complexes with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) through freeze-drying method, proposing their physicochemical characterization, comparing their toxicity, and evaluating their in vitro antibacterial activity.

Individualized total knee arthroplasty achieves better functional results than off-the-shelf implants in patients undergoing personalized coronal alignment.

Background: Several studies have demonstrated the interest in patient-specific custom cutting guides in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but clinical improvement remains debated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional outcomes (Forgotten Joint Score, FJS) of patients undergoing individualized TKA compared with those receiving off-the-shelf (OTS) implants, both using patient-specific cutting guides with personalized alignment over a minimum follow up period of 12 months. We hypothesized that individualized TKA demonstrates significantly better functional outcomes than OTS TKA (FJS and percentage of patients reaching the minimum clinically important difference).

Potential roles of mitochondrial carrier proteins in plant responses to abiotic stress.

The transport of metabolites across the inner mitochondrial membrane (IMM) is crucial for maintaining energy balance and efficient distribution of metabolic intermediates between cellular compartments. Under abiotic stress, mitochondrial function becomes particularly critical, activating complex signaling pathways essential for plant stress responses. These pathways modulate stress-responsive gene expression, influencing key physiological processes such as cell respiration and senescence, helping plants adapt to stress.

A branching model for intergenerational telomere length dynamics.

We build and study an individual based model of the telomere length's evolution in a population across multiple generations. This model is a continuous time typed branching process, where the type of an individual includes its gamete mean telomere length and its age. We study its Malthusian's behaviour and provide numerical simulations to understand the influence of biologically relevant parameters.

ISCT MSC committee statement on the US FDA approval of allogenic bone-marrow mesenchymal stromal cells.

The December 2024 US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Mesoblast's Ryoncil (remestemcel-L-rknd)-allogeneic bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC(M)) therapy-in pediatric acute steroid-refractory graft-versus-host-disease finally ended a long-lasting drought on approved MSC clinical products in the United States. While other jurisdictions-including Europe, Japan, India, and South Korea-have marketed autologous or allogeneic MSC products, the United States has lagged in its approval. The sponsor's significant efforts and investments, working closely with the FDA addressing concerns regarding clinical efficacy and consistent MSC potency through an iterative process that spanned several years, was rewarded with this landmark approval.

Epidemiology and Management of Actinic Keratosis in France: A General Population Survey (REAKT).

The objective of this retrospective observational study was to estimate the prevalence of actinic keratosis (AK) in individuals aged ≥ 40 years in France, to describe the characteristics of affected patients, and to describe treatments. A representative panel of 20,000 households with ≥ 1 member aged ≥ 40 years were invited to participate. Participants who reported AK lesions diagnosed by a physician were eligible.

Immunonutrition to improve the quality of life of upper gastrointestinal cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant treatment prior to surgery (NEOIMMUNE): double-blind randomized controlled multicenter clinical trial.

Background: Malnutrition is common with esophagogastric cancers and is associated with negative outcomes. We aimed to evaluate if immunonutrition during neoadjuvant treatment improves patient's health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and reduces postoperative morbidity and toxicities during neoadjuvant treatment.

Methods: A multicenter double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) was undertaken.

Lay views in Southern France of the acceptability of refusing to provide treatment because of alleged futility.

Aim: To carry out a detailed study of existing positions in the French public of the acceptability of refusing treatment because of alleged futility, and to try to link these to people's age, gender, and religious practice.

Method: 248 lay participants living in southern France were presented with 16 brief vignettes depicting a cancer patient at the end of life who asks his doctor to administer a new cancer treatment he has heard about. Considering that this treatment is futile in the patient's case, the doctor refuses to prescribe it.

Ultra-high-resolution CT of the temporal bone before cochlear implantation for pre-operative prediction of chorda tympani nerve management and round window access.

Background And Purpose: To evaluate various anatomical parameters and their relationship to chorda tympani nerve (CTN) injury and round window (RW) access during cochlear implantation.

Materials And Methods: Ultra-high-resolution CT images of 66 patients were retrospectively reviewed and compared with operative reports. The facial recess and the round window were analyzed, mainly using the chorda-facial angle (CFA), the width of the facial recess, the CTN-tympanic annulus distance, the RW-mastoid portion of the facial nerve angle, and the type of RW.

Posterior Hepatectomy and Inferior Vena Cava Graft Reconstruction for En Bloc Resection of a Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Tribute to Couinaud's Liver Anatomy Description.

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with major vasculature tumor extension is considered an advanced stage of disease to which palliative radiotherapy or chemotherapy is proposed. Surgical resection associated with chemotherapy or chemoembolization could be an opportunity to improve overall survival and recurrence-free survival in selected cases in a high-volume hepatobiliary center. Moreover, it has been 25 years since Couinaud described the entity of a posterior liver located behind an axial plane crossing the portal bifurcation.

Exogenous dsRNA triggers sequence-specific RNAi and fungal stress responses to control Magnaporthe oryzae in Brachypodium distachyon.

In vertebrates and plants, dsRNA plays crucial roles as PAMP and as a mediator of RNAi. How higher fungi respond to dsRNA is not known. We demonstrate that Magnaporthe oryzae (Mo), a globally significant crop pathogen, internalizes dsRNA across a broad size range of 21 to about 3000 bp.

Identification of the conditions and minimum requirements necessary for the release of autologous fresh CAR T-cell products under hospital exemption: a position paper from the WP-bioproduction of the UNITC consortium.

The accessibility of CAR-T cells in centralized production models faces significant challenges, primarily stemming from logistical complexities and prohibitive costs. However, European Regulation EC No. 1394/2007 introduced a pivotal provision known as the hospital exemption.