Letermovir-inclusive combination therapy for a refractory and resistant infection by cytomegalovirus with UL54 mutation following a hematopoietic stem cell transplant for MHC Class II deficiency.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection remains one of the most common and challenging post-transplant infections. Children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI) and T-cell dysfunction are at high risk for CMV infection, which can be complicated by refractory and/or resistant cases. This case describes a Nepalese girl with MHC class II deficiency, who presented at 3 months of age with CMV and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia.

Potential risk factors of protein aggregation in syringe handling during antibody drug dilution for intravenous administration.

Protein aggregation, a major concern in biopharmaceutical quality control, can be accelerated by various stresses during clinical handling. This study investigated potential aggregation risk factors during dilution process with syringe handling for intravenous administration. Using γ-globulin and IgG solutions as surrogate models of antibody therapeutics, we examined the effects of high sliding speeds and piston operations of the syringe on protein aggregation during saline dilution.

Exploring Nile Red Staining as an Analytical Tool for Surface-Oxidized Microplastics.

Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, have garnered considerable attention owing to their potential biological impact on human health. These particles exhibit a range of physicochemical properties, including size, shape, and surface oxidation. Nile Red is a prominent tool for detecting microplastics, enabling staining for dynamic analyses within biological systems.

Self-organization from organs to embryoids by activin in early amphibian development.

Embryonic development is a complex self-organizing process orchestrated by a series of regulatory events at the molecular and cellular levels, resulting in the formation of a fully functional organism. This review focuses on activin protein as a mesoderm-inducing factor and the self-organizing properties it confers. Activin has been detected in both unfertilized eggs and embryos, suggesting its involvement in early developmental processes.

Dynamic behavior of cell-cell adhesion factors in collective cell migration.

Collective cell migration is a fundamental process underlying various biological phenomena, including embryonic development and cancer cell invasion. The cohesive yet flexible movement of cell collectives largely depends on the coordinated regulation of cell-cell and cell-substrate adhesions. In this review, we summarize the regulation of key cell-cell junction components, such as cadherins and zonula occludens proteins during collective cell migration, with a particular focus on the recently discovered multifaceted roles of ZO-1 in both cell-cell and cell-substrate interactions.

Safety and efficacy of satralizumab in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis (LUMINESCE): a randomised, double-blind, multicentre, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial.

Background: Evidence from preclinical studies suggests that IL-6 signalling has the potential to modulate immunopathogenic mechanisms upstream of autoantibody effector mechanisms in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of satralizumab, a humanised monoclonal antibody targeting the IL-6 receptor, in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis.

Methods: LUMINESCE was a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre, phase 3 study at 105 sites, including hospitals and clinics, globally.

Safety and efficacy of nipocalimab in adults with generalised myasthenia gravis (Vivacity-MG3): a phase 3, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Given burdensome side-effects and long latency for efficacy with conventional agents, there is a continued need for generalised myasthenia gravis treatments that are safe and provide consistently sustained, long-term disease control. Nipocalimab, a neonatal Fc receptor blocker, was associated with dose-dependent reductions in total IgG and anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies and clinically meaningful improvements in the Myasthenia Gravis Activities of Daily Living (MG-ADL) scale in patients with generalised myasthenia gravis in a phase 2 study. We aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of nipocalimab in a phase 3 study.

Clinical value of preoperative circulating tumor DNA before surgery in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Introduction: A precise preoperative tumor monitoring method that reflects tumor burden during neoadjuvant treatment is required to guide individualized perioperative treatment strategies for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). This study examined the clinical significance of preoperative circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in the plasma of patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by esophagectomy.

Materials And Methods: Plasma samples were collected longitudinally for ctDNA analysis as well as genomic DNA from primary lesions from patients with histologically confirmed ESCC who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by subtotal esophagectomy.

Real-time prediction of heparin concentration in blood extracorporeal circulation by relaxation time distribution (RTD).

Heparin concentration c in a blood extracorporeal circulation has been real-timely predicted based on the relaxation strength Δε at relaxation frequency f extracted by relaxation time distribution (RTD). The simulated extracorporeal circulation was conducted to optimize the number of Δε for the prediction of c using the porcine whole blood (WB) and low-leukocyte and -platelet blood (LLPB) under the condition of the gradual increment of c from 0 to 8 U/mL with constant flow rate and blood temperature. The experimental results show that among the three relaxation strengths Δε, Δε and Δε (in ascending order of frequency), Δε at f = 5.

Exploring the therapeutic potential of Abelmoschi Corolla in psoriasis: Mechanisms of action and inflammatory pathway disruption.

Background: Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin condition for which existing treatments often fall short of fully addressing patient needs. Abelmoschi Corolla (AC), a traditional Chinese medicine, and its ethanol extract, huangkui capsule, are well established for the treatment of chronic kidney diseases. The therapeutic mechanisms of AC include anti-inflammatory effects and immune modulation, which align with psoriasis treatment strategies.

Carbon intensity indicator (CII) compliance: Applications of ship speed optimization on each level using measurement data.

Ship speed optimization is a primary and direct method for controlling carbon emissions. This study uses simulations based on shipboard measurements from a 28,000 DWT bulk carrier collected between 2015 and 2016. Model predictive control (MPC) with nonlinear receding horizon optimization is employed to optimize the original voyage speeds while ensuring trajectory tracking.

Carcinosarcoma of the fallopian tube: A rare case with rapid metastases and port-site metastasis.

Introduction And Importance: Fallopian tube cancer, particularly the carcinosarcoma subtype, is a rare malignancy posing diagnostic challenges.

Case Presentation: Our patient was an 83-year-old, nulligravida woman, presented to our outpatient clinic with one month of pelvic pain. On examination, a pelvic mass was detected.

Infected pseudoaneurysm caused by suture-mediated vascular closure after ablation of atrial fibrillation: A case report.

Introduction: Suture-mediated vascular closure devices have been widely used in catheter ablation, with 0.14-0.3 % incidence of pseudoaneurysm complications.

Extracellular calreticulin regulates fibrogenic and immunogenic properties of hepatic stellate cells.

Liver fibrosis is a persistent damage repair response triggered by various etiological factors, resulting in an excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM). Activated hepatic stellate cells (HpSCs) are the primary source of ECM proteins. Therefore, specifically targeting HpSCs has become a crucial approach for treating liver fibrosis.

Short-term effects of meteorological factors on the incidence of mumps: A nationwide time-series analysis in Japan.

Objectives: Mumps (infectious parotitis) is an acute respiratory illness caused by the mumps virus in humans. While numerous studies have explored the impact of climate variability on mumps incidence in specific cities or regions, few have analyzed nationwide associations across multiple locations. This study aims to systematically assess the short-term effects of meteorological factors on mumps incidence across Japan over a 15-year period.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae drives macrophage lipid uptake via GlpD-mediated oxidation, facilitating foam cell formation.

Cardiovascular diseases, primarily caused by atherosclerosis, are a major public health concern worldwide. Atherosclerosis is characterized by chronic inflammation and lipid accumulation in the arterial wall, leading to plaque formation. In this process, macrophages play a crucial role by ingesting lipids and transforming into foam cells, which contribute to plaque instability and cardiovascular events.

[F]BCPP-EF positron emission tomography of rat ovaries for evaluation of mitochondrial function.

Background: The ovary is an important female organ not only for pregnancy but also for the regulation of life activities via hormone release. Ovarian function is measured by blood hormone levels, but the hormone level reflects only the ovarian reserve and no other essential ovarian functions, such as nurturing and expelling follicles. Ovarian fibrosis is related to essential ovarian function; however, the existing methods for evaluating fibrosis are invasive.

Projecting future snow changes at kilometer scale for adaptation using machine learning and a CMIP6 multi-model ensemble.

Assessing future snow cover changes is challenging because the high spatial resolution required is typically unavailable from climate models. This study, therefore, proposes an alternative approach to estimating snow changes by developing a super-spatial-resolution downscaling model of snow depth (SD) for Japan using a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based method, and by downscaling an ensemble of models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6) dataset. After assessing the coherence of the observed reference SD dataset with independent observations, we leveraged it to train the CNN downscaling model; following its evaluation, we applied the trained model to CMIP6 climate simulations.

Adsorption structures and bonding states of cesium and barium adsorbed on various sites of vermiculite.

The adsorption reaction on clay minerals is crucial for understanding the environmental behavior of various cations, including cesium (Cs). However, its details remain unclear because of multiple adsorption sites of the clay minerals, a significant difference between concentrations in the atomic-scale experiments and the actual environment, and difficulties of evaluating bonding states of the adsorbed cations. It is expected that systematic experiments at the atomic-scale with a wide concentration range and application of density functional theory (DFT) calculations overcome the problems and bring crucial insights to link laboratory experiment results with environmental sample analysis.

A preliminary study of microwave ablation (MWA) for Bethesda IV follicular neoplasms (≤3 cm).

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of microwave ablation (MWA) for the treatment of patients with Bethesda IV follicular neoplasms (FNs) (≤3 cm).

Methods: In the retrospective study, patients who underwent MWA for Bethesda IV follicular neoplasms (≤3 cm) were included. Technical success, volume reduction, disease progression, and adverse event (AE) rates were analyzed postablation.

Efficacy and safety of first-line targeted synthetic DMARDs in rheumatoid arthritis patients with chronic kidney disease.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of first-line targeted synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (tsDMARDs) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 216 patients with RA prescribed their first tsDMARDs at two hospitals between 2013 and 2022. Dose reduction and contraindication guidelines for tsDMARDs according to kidney function were followed.

Neck vessels geometry and diameter change in patients with acute type A aortic dissection.

Objective: Branched prostheses are used to treat aortic arch with dissection. However, changes in the neck vessel geometry and diameter after dissection are not well known. We aimed to evaluate neck vessels geometry and changes in diameter with dissection.