A lyophilised formulation of chimpanzee adenovirus vector for long-term stability outside the deep-freeze cold chain.

Background: The adenovirus-vaccine platform has come to prominence with the COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. The objective of this study was to validate a formulation that was suitable for lyophilisation and long-term storage at 5 (2-8) °C.

Methods: Vaccine stability was assessed up to five years at 5 °C using a lyophilised formulation of the chimpanzee-adenovirus vector ChAd155 encoding a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) antigen.

Sex differences in the time trends of sepsis biomarkers following polytrauma.

Sepsis is a major cause of death in polytrauma patients, with delayed antibiotics increasing mortality. Although biological sex influences immune function and disease outcomes, gender-specific differences in inflammatory response and sepsis progression remain underexplored. This study examined the time-dependent behavior of C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and white blood cell count (WBC) in male and female polytrauma patients to evaluate their predictive value for sepsis.

Incidence of optic nerve kinking in a cohort of patients with Normal tension glaucoma.

Objectives: To report on the incidence of optic nerve kinking in a series of patients diagnosed with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG) compared to an age- and gender matched control group without known optic nerve diseases.

Subjects And Methods: All patients with NTG who underwent imaging (computed tomography cysternography (CTC) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)) of the orbits and cranium between 2012 and 2022 were included, totalling 57 patients (27 females and 30 males; 57 eyes; mean age 69 ± 10 years). 57 age- and gender matched subjects without known optic nerve diseases who underwent MRI of the orbits and cranium served as controls.

Quantum magnetometry of transient signals with a time resolution of 1.1 nanoseconds.

Quantum magnetometers based on spin defects in solids enable sensitive imaging of various magnetic phenomena, such as ferro- and antiferromagnetism, superconductivity, and current-induced fields. Existing protocols primarily focus on static fields or narrow-band dynamical signals, and are optimized for high sensitivity rather than fast time resolution. Here, we report detection of fast signal transients, providing a perspective for investigating the rich dynamics of magnetic systems.

CT imaging findings in symptomatic patients with and without revision surgery after reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

Objectives: To evaluate CT imaging findings in symptomatic patients with and without revision surgery (RS) after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA).

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, two radiologists assessed CT imaging findings in symptomatic patients with RSA over 5 years, including material fracture and loosening of the peg, baseplate, screws, and humeral stem, screw positioning, prosthesis dislocation, glenoid notching, fractures, and deltoid muscle quality. The primary outcome parameter was RS.

Translation and validation of the meat attachment questionnaire (MAQ) in a French general practice population.

Meat consumption has significant implications for both individual health and the environment. Understanding individuals' attachment to meat is crucial for designing effective interventions to reduce consumption. The MAQ is a tool developed to assess individuals' attachment to meat.

Motor skills in children with ADHD: overlap with developmental coordination disorder.

Individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) often have overlooked motor difficulties which can be at least partially attributed to co-occurring conditions such as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Understanding the influence of DCD and motor difficulties is important to detect in children for early support. Accordingly, the present study examined the prevalence of DCD diagnoses, cases of probable DCD, and related impairments among German-speaking parents of children with ADHD.

Insights into the diverse roles of the terminal oxidases in Burkholderia cenocepacia H111.

Burkholderia cenocepacia H111 is an obligate aerobic bacterium which has been isolated from a cystic fibrosis (CF) patient. In CF lungs the environment is considered micro-oxic or even oxygen-depleted due to bacterial activities and limited oxygen diffusion in the mucus layer. To adapt to low oxygen concentrations, bacteria possess multiple terminal oxidases.

Improving general practitioners' approaches to functional somatic syndromes: a pilot training program with a focus on compassion and communication.

Background: Functional somatic syndromes are common in primary care and represent a challenge for general practitioners (GPs), with a risk of deterioration in the doctor-patient relationship, and of compassion fatigue on the part of the physician. Little is known about how to teach better management of these symptoms.

Methods: The aim of our scientific team was to develop a training session about functional somatic syndromes for GPs, with the objective to improve the therapeutic attitude of the participants.

Decrease in Fracture Rate with Mandatory Bone-protecting Agents in the EORTC 1333/PEACE-3 Trial Comparing Radium-223 Combined with Enzalutamide Versus Enzalutamide Alone: A Safety Analysis.

Bone health is central to the management of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). International guidelines recommend giving a bone-protecting agent (BPA) to patients with mCRPC and bone metastases. However, the data supporting these recommendations were generated before androgen receptor pathway inhibitors (ARPIs) were available.

Evolutionary analysis of a coupled epidemic-voluntary vaccination behavior model with immunity waning on complex networks.

Vaccination is the most effective method of preventing and controlling the transmission of infectious diseases within populations. However, the phenomenon of waning immunity can induce periodic fluctuations in epidemic spreading. This study proposes a coupled epidemic-vaccination dynamic model to analyze the influence of immunity waning on the epidemic spreading within the context of voluntary vaccination.

Comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of newly detected rodent adenoviruses sheds light on ancient host-switches.

Here we provide a comprehensive update on the diversity and genetic relatedness of adenoviruses occurring in rodents. Extensive PCR screenings revealed the presence of adenoviral DNA in samples originating from representatives of 17 rodent species from four different suborders of Rodentia. Distinct sequences of 28 different adenoviruses were obtained from the positive samples.

Targeted therapy for older patients with an oncogene driven non-small cell lung cancer: Recommendations from a SIOG expert group.

Lung cancer is mostly a disease of aging with approximately half of newly diagnosed patients being 70 years or older. Treatment decisions in this population pose unique challenges because of their heterogeneity with regards to daily functioning, cognition, organ function, comorbidities and polypharmacy, their underrepresentation in clinical trials and the impact of treatment on patient-centered outcomes, particularly in frail patients. The advent of targeted therapies and immunotherapy has revolutionized the management of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes across young to older age groups of patients with HR+/HER2- advanced breast cancer treated with ribociclib plus endocrine therapy in the randomized MONALEESA-2, -3, and -7 trials.

Background: Ribociclib + endocrine therapy (ET) showed significant progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) benefits in the MONALEESA trials in patients with HR+ /HER2 - advanced breast cancer (ABC). We report efficacy, safety, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) across age groups, including older patients, in these trials.

Methods: Data from the MONALEESA-2, -3, and -7 trials for pre- and postmenopausal patients receiving first-line treatment for ABC were pooled and analyzed by age (<65y, 65-74y, and ≥75y).

Mapping out strategies to further develop human-relevant, new approach methodology (NAM)-based developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) testing.

On occasion of the DNT5 meeting in Konstanz, Germany (April-2024), participants brainstormed on future challenges concerning a regulatory implementation of the developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) in vitro test battery (DNT-IVB). The five discussion topics below outline some of the key issues, opportunities and research directions for the next several years: (1) How to contextualize DNT hazard with information on potential maternal toxicity or other toxicity domains (non-DNT)? Several approaches on how to use cytotoxicity data from NAMs were discussed. (2) What opportunities exist for an immediate or near-future application of the DNT-IVB, e.

α-Synuclein fibrils enhance HIV-1 infection of human T cells, macrophages and microglia.

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and viral reservoirs in the brain remain a significant challenge. Despite their importance, the mechanisms allowing HIV-1 entry and replication in the central nervous system (CNS) are poorly understood. Here, we show that α-synuclein and (to a lesser extent) Aβ fibrils associated with neurological diseases enhance HIV-1 entry and replication in human T cells, macrophages, and microglia.

Curating global datasets of structural linguistic features for independence.

The increasing availability of cross-linguistic databases dedicated to documenting morphosyntactic, lexical and phonological features has proliferated the use of such data for studies on language evolution and human history. However, most of these databases were not designed to ensure independence of features, such that it is not valid to jointly use all their features in large-scale statistical analyses assuming independence of inputs. Here, we curate published data from five large linguistic databases to generate two global-scale cross-linguistic datasets: GBI (from the Grambank dataset), and TLI (using inputs from the World Atlas of Language Structures, AUTOTYP, PHOIBLE and Lexibank).

STING in Cancer Immunoediting: Modeling Tumor-Immune Dynamics Throughout Cancer Development.

Cancer immunoediting is a dynamic process of tumor-immune system interaction that plays a critical role in cancer development and progression. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of innate signaling pathways possessed by both cancer cells and immune cells in this process. The STING molecule, a pivotal innate immune signaling molecule, mediates DNA-triggered immune responses in both cancer cells and immune cells, modulating the anti-tumor immune response and shaping the efficacy of immunotherapy.

Vitamins as excipients in pharmaceutical products.

Excipients are ingredients in pharmaceutical products other than the active ingredient, added to facilitate manufacturing, enhance stability or modulate release and bioavailability. Vitamins are diverse molecules essential for human nutrition that also can fulfil excipient functions. This review focuses on vitamins used as excipients and provides an overview of the functions of vitamins in various pharmaceutical formulations.

Alkane selection as a critical factor in structuring reverse wormlike micelles.

Hypothesis: The oil phase controls the persistence length and aqueous channel diameter of reverse wormlike micelles (RWLMs), specifically by tuning the cohesive energy density of alkanes.

Experiments: We explore the influence of alkanes with varying chain lengths on the rheological properties, structural parameters, and morphology of RWLMs. To establish a link between the solvent characteristics and the structure of RWLMs, we employ a diverse set of complementary techniques, including rheological analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM).

Clinical value of saliva therapeutic drug monitoring of newer antiseizure medications.

Introduction: Saliva is a promising option for therapeutic drug monitoring, with studies since the 1970s indicating a good correlation between plasma and saliva levels for early anti-seizure medications, although limited data exist for newer generation drugs.

Objectives: To evaluate the reliability and predictive power of saliva as a minimally invasive surrogate marker of plasma concentration for the routine therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of newer anti-seizure medications (ASM).

Methods: We collected blood samples at steady state in patients at least 6 h post-dose, paired with unstimulated saliva samples.

Opening the gate: Complexity and modularity of the nuclear pore scaffold and basket.

Nuclear pore complexes (NPCs) are giant molecular assemblies that form the gateway between the nucleus and the cytoplasm and accommodate the bidirectional transport of a large variety of cargoes. Recent years have seen tremendous advances in our understanding of their building principles and have in particular called attention to the flexibility and variability of NPC composition and structure. Here, we review these recent advances and discuss how the newest technologies push the boundaries of nuclear pore research forward, with a specific highlight on the NPC scaffold and a prominent pore appendage, the nuclear basket, whose architecture has long been elusive.