Stability study of topotecan in ophthalmic prefilled syringes for intravitreal delivery.

Background: Intravitreal and intracameral administration of melphalan and topotecan (TPT) has shown its efficacy in the treatment of retinoblastoma over the last few years. Due to rapid hydrolysis, melphalan must be administered within the hour following reconstitution. With improved stability at room temperature and reduced ocular toxicity, TPT seems to be a promising candidate for production of prefilled syringes in terms of safety and efficiency of preparation and treatment administration.

Coexistence of cardiac sarcoidosis and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy-associated genetic variants: a multicentre case-control study.

Background: Cardiac sarcoidosis (CS) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterised by non-caseating granulomas, while arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is a genetic condition mainly affecting desmosomal proteins. The coexistence of CS and genetic variants associated with ACM is not well understood, creating challenges in diagnosis and management. This study aimed to describe the clinical, imaging and genetic features of patients with both conditions.

National Consensus on the Assessment of Visual Function for Driving in Switzerland.

Purpose: To establish a national consensus on assessing visual function for fitness to drive in Switzerland.

Methods: The minimum medical requirements for visual function for fitness to drive are regulated by Swiss Federal Law, namely, by the Traffic Licensing Ordinance (TLO). The medical examination techniques relevant in this context and their assessment are not further specified therein, which leads to legal inequality among drivers and uncertainty among examiners.

Small intra-tropical long-distance migratory birds track rainy seasons across hemispheres.

The main features of long-distance migration are derived from landbirds breeding in the Northern Hemisphere. Little is known about migration within the tropics, presumably because tropical species typically move opportunistically and over shorter distances. However, such generalizations are weakened by a lack of solid data on spatial, temporal and behavioural patterns of intra-tropical migrations.

Socio-ecological context modulates the significance of territorial contest competition in .

The intensity and direction of sexual selection are intricately linked to the social and ecological context. Both operational sex ratios (OSRs) and population densities can affect the ability of males to monopolize resources and mates, and thus the form and intensity of sexual selection on them. Here, we studied how the mating system of the promiscuous and strongly sexually dimorphic fruit fly responds to changes in the OSR and population density.

Continuous colonization of the Atlantic coastal rain forests of South America from Amazônia.

The two main extensions of rain forest in South America are the Amazon (Amazônia) and the Atlantic rain forest (Mata Atlântica), which are separated by a wide 'dry diagonal' of seasonal vegetation. We used the species-rich tree genus to test if Amazônia-Mata Atlântica dispersals have been clustered during specific time periods corresponding to past, humid climates. We performed hybrid capture DNA sequencing of 810 nuclear loci for 453 accessions representing 164 species that included 62% of Mata Atlântica species and estimated a dated phylogeny for all accessions using maximum likelihood, and a species-level tree using coalescent methods.

Animal behavior: Chimpanzee play and the evolutionary roots of cooperation.

Social play in adults is considered rare in non-human species. A new study has found that play among adult chimpanzees is common and linked to cooperation and social bond maintenance. The societal function of adult social play may thus have deep evolutionary roots.

Relationship between trait mindfulness and physical activity among emerging adults: The mediating roles of exercise-related cognitive errors and trait self-control.

Objective: Exercise-related cognitive errors (ECEs) is a significant factor that can negatively influence physical activity (PA) engagement among emerging adults, whereas mindfulness interventions may be beneficial for promoting PA. Against this background, we investigated the potential association between trait mindfulness and PA levels among emerging adults and determined whether trait self-control and ECEs serve as mediators.

Method: 328 Chinese participants (61.

The 2025 Motile Active Matter Roadmap.

Activity and autonomous motion are fundamental aspects of many living and engineering systems. Here, the scale of biological agents covers a wide range, from nanomotors, cytoskeleton, and cells, to insects, fish, birds, and people. Inspired by biological active systems, various types of autonomous synthetic nano- and micromachines have been designed, which provide the basis for multifunctional, highly responsive, intelligent active materials.

A review of predictive modelling and drone remote sensing technologies as a tool for detecting clandestine burials.

The search for missing people is a complex and intensive undertaking. Predictive models (such as RAG mapping and geographic profiling) in combination with drone-mounted technologies can improve these searches by driving down time and monetary costs, gathering new types of data and reducing the need for investigators to expose themselves to dangerous environments. Promising technologies to discover traces of clandestine burials in the landscape are LiDAR, RGB photography, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging, as well as infrared/thermal photography.

The association between neighbourhood socioeconomic status and parental mental health in the first years after birth - Cross-sectional results from the SKKIPPI project.

Background: The urban environment can influence mental health. However, research on neighbourhood influences on mental health of parents with young children is sparse. This study aimed to analyse the association between neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health outcomes in urban parents in the first years after birth.

Engineering Spin Interaction Channels of FePc on Au(111).

We demonstrate the reversible control of interactions between a local molecular spin, hosted within an iron phthalocyanine (FePc) molecule, and the conduction electrons of a supporting Au(111) surface. Using the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope, we deliberately and reversibly manipulate the adsorption configuration of the molecule relative to the underlying substrate lattice. Different rotation configurations lead to noticeable changes in the differential conductance measured on the FePc molecules.

Balancing central control and sensory feedback produces adaptable and robust locomotor patterns in a spiking, neuromechanical model of the salamander spinal cord.

This study introduces a novel neuromechanical model employing a detailed spiking neural network to explore the role of axial proprioceptive sensory feedback, namely stretch feedback, in salamander locomotion. Unlike previous studies that often oversimplified the dynamics of the locomotor networks, our model includes detailed simulations of the classes of neurons that are considered responsible for generating movement patterns. The locomotor circuits, modeled as a spiking neural network of adaptive leaky integrate-and-fire neurons, are coupled to a three-dimensional mechanical model of a salamander with realistic physical parameters and simulated muscles.

Assessing bnAb potency in the context of HIV-1 envelope conformational plasticity.

For use in prevention and treatment, HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) have to overcome Env conformational heterogeneity of viral quasispecies and neutralize with constant high potency. Comparative analysis of neutralization data from the CATNAP database revealed a nuanced relationship between bnAb activity and Env conformational flexibility, with substantial epitope-specific variation of bnAb potency ranging from increased to decreased activity against open, neutralization-sensitive Env. To systematically investigate the impact of variability in Env conformation on bnAb potency we screened 126 JR-CSF point mutants for generalized neutralization sensitivity to weakly neutralizing antibodies (weak-nAbs) depending on trimer opening and plasma from people with chronic HIV-1 infection.

Daphnids can safeguard the use of alternative bioassays to the acute fish toxicity test: A focus on neurotoxicity.

Assessment of potential impacts of chemicals on the environment traditionally involves regulatory standard data requirements for acute aquatic toxicity testing using algae, daphnids and fish (e.g., OECD test guidelines (TG) 201, 202, and 203, respectively), representing different trophic levels.

Viral and immune dynamics of genital human papillomavirus infections in young women with high temporal resolution.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infections drive one in 20 new cancer cases, exerting a particularly high burden on women. Most anogenital HPV infections are cleared in less than two years, but the underlying mechanisms that favour persistence in around 10% of women remain largely unknown. Notwithstanding, it is precisely this information that is crucial for improving treatment, screening, and vaccination strategies.

RAVE checklist: Recommendations for overcoming challenges in retrospective safety studies of automated driving systems.

Objective: The public, regulators, and domain experts alike seek to understand the effect of deployed SAE level 4 automated driving system (ADS) technologies on safety. The recent expansion of ADS technology deployments is paving the way for early stage safety impact evaluations, whereby the observational data from both an ADS and a representative benchmark fleet are compared to quantify safety performance.

Methods: In January 2024; a working group of experts across academia, insurance, and industry came together in Washington, DC to discuss the current and future challenges in performing such evaluations.

The Calcium-Sensing Receptor in the Thick Ascending Limb and the Renal Response to Hypercalcemia.

Background: The parathyroid calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) controls the release of parathyroid hormone (PTH) in response to changes in serum calcium levels. Activation of the renal CASR increases urinary calcium excretion and is particularly important when CASR-dependent reductions in PTH fail to lower serum calcium. However, the role of the renal CASR in protecting against hypercalcemia and the direct effects of chronic CASR activation on tubular calcium handling remains to be fully elucidated.

Population Pharmacokinetics of Orvacabtagene Autoleucel, an Autologous BCMA-Directed Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Product, in Patients with Relapsed/Refractory Multiple Myeloma.

Purpose: Orvacabtagene autoleucel (orva-cel; JCARH125), a CAR T-cell therapy targeting B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA), was evaluated in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) patients in the EVOLVE phase 1/2 study (NCT03430011). We applied a modified piecewise model to characterize orva-cel transgene kinetics and assessed the impact of various covariates on its pharmacokinetics (PK).

Experimental Design: The population PK analysis included 159 patients from the EVOLVE study.

Clinical outcomes among COVID-19 patients initiated on molnupiravir in Denmark - A national registry study.

Background: Molnupiravir (MOV) is an orally bioavailable ribonucleoside with antiviral activity against all tested SARS-CoV-2 variants. We describe the demographic, clinical, and treatment characteristics of non-hospitalized Danish patients treated with MOV and their clinical outcomes following MOV initiation.

Method: Among all adults (>18 years) who received MOV between 16 December 2021 and 30 April 2022 in an outpatient setting in Denmark, we summarized their demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline and post-MOV outcomes using descriptive statistics.

The Italian version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire: validation of its measurement properties.

Background: Surgical fear is present in many patients awaiting surgery. However, a validated Italian version of the Surgical Fear Questionnaire (SFQ) was not available yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to translate the SFQ into Italian and to test its reliability and validity.

Autoencoder based data clustering for identifying anomalous repetitive hand movements, and behavioral transition patterns in children.

The analysis of repetitive hand movements and behavioral transition patterns holds particular significance in detecting atypical behaviors in early child development. Early recognition of these behaviors holds immense promise for timely interventions, which can profoundly impact a child's well-being and future prospects. However, the scarcity of specialized medical professionals and limited facilities has made detecting these behaviors and unique patterns challenging using traditional manual methods.

Self-sufficient biocatalytic cascade for the continuous synthesis of danshensu in flow.

A new strategy has been developed to successfully produce the active component danshensu ex vivo. For this purpose, phenylalanine dehydrogenase from Bacillus sphaericus was combined with the novel hydroxyphenylpyruvate reductase from Mentha x piperita, thereby providing an in situ cofactor regeneration throughout the conversion process. The purified enzymes were co-immobilized and subsequently employed in batch biotransformation, resulting in 60% conversion of 10 mM L-dopa within 24 h, with a catalytic amount of NAD as cofactor.

Bidirectional associations between smartphone usage and momentary well-being in young adults: Tackling methodological challenges by combining experience sampling methods with passive smartphone data.

Given the pervasive role of smartphones in modern life, research into their impact on well-being has flourished. This study addresses existing methodological shortcomings using smartphone log data and experience sampling methods (ESM) to explore the bidirectional within-person relationship between smartphone usage and momentary well-being variables (i.e.

Endovascular versus Best Medical Treatment for Acute Carotid Occlusion BelOw Circle of Willis (ACOBOW): The ACOBOW Study.

Background Symptomatic acute occlusions of the internal carotid artery (ICA) below the circle of Willis can cause a variety of stroke symptoms, even if the major intracranial cerebral arteries remain patent; however, outcome and safety data are limited. Purpose To compare treatment effects and procedural safety of endovascular treatment (EVT) and best medical treatment (BMT) in patients with symptomatic acute occlusions of the ICA below the circle of Willis. Materials and Methods This retrospective, multicenter cohort study from 22 comprehensive stroke centers in Europe and Asia includes patients treated between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2022.