Mathematical model suggests current CAR-macrophage dosage is efficient to low pre-infusion tumour burden but refractory to high tumour burden.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-macrophage therapy is a promising approach for tumour treatment due to antigen-specific phagocytosis and tumour clearance. However, the precise impact of tumour burden, dose and dosing regimens on therapeutic outcomes remains poorly understood. We developed ordinary differential equation (ODE) mathematical modelling and utilised parameter inference to analyse in vitro FACS-based phagocytosis assay data testing CD19-positive Raji tumour cell against CAR-macrophage, and revealed that phagocytosing efficiency of CAR-macrophage increases but saturates as both Raji cell and CAR-macrophage concentrations increase.

Association between live herpes-zoster vaccine and stroke risk: A population-based nested case-control study.

Background: Evidence on the role of herpes-zoster (shingles) vaccination in reducing stroke risk is inconsistent and limited, particularly concerning intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). We aimed to examine the association between zoster live vaccine (ZVL) and overall stroke, as well as its main subtypes.

Methods: We conducted a population-based nested case-control study using the database of Israel's largest healthcare provider.

Conductive Hydrogel-Enabled Electrode for Scalp Electroencephalography Monitoring.

Scalp electroencephalography (EEG) serves as a pivotal technology for the noninvasive monitoring of brain functional activity, diagnosing neurological disorders, and assessing cognitive states. However, inherent compatibility barriers between traditional rigid electrodes and the hairy scalp interface significantly compromise signal quality, long-term monitoring comfort, and user compliance. This review examines conductive hydrogel electrodes' pivotal role in advancing scalp EEG, particularly their unique capacity to overcome hair-interface barriers.

Complications Following Hair Transplantation: A Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Hair transplant surgery is often tended to as a last resort for different types of alopecia. It involves importing hair from a donor site to recipient site using different surgical tools. Surgical interventions hold the risk of causing complications, due to the penetration of skin and exposure of internal tissue to tools and outer environment.

Cognitive biases: potential behavioral marker for future development of postpartum depression and childbirth-related post-traumatic stress disorder.

Postpartum Depression (PPD) and Childbirth Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CB-PTSD) are psychiatric conditions that cause significant distress. Yet despite their high prevalence and decades of research, knowledge about causal cognitive mechanisms that may assist in predicting or preventing these conditions is still missing. One characteristic of PPD and CB-PTSD that may contribute to their early prevention is the existence of cognitive biases concerning future parenting.

Fe-modified biochar-driven ROS generation in the rhizosphere and their role in microplastic transformation.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are critical mediators of soil biogeochemical processes. While the production of ROS with biochar (BC) in the rhizosphere has not been explored. We demonstrate that BC and Fe-modified biochar (FeBC), prepared at 400°C and 600°C, influence ROS generation in paddy soil containing biodegradable (polybutylene succinate: PBS) and conventional (polystyrene) microplastics (MPs).

A novel closed-system drug-transfer device for oral dosage forms: Enhancing safety and administration of hazardous oral therapies in patients with dysphagia.

BackgroundMany oral medications are manufactured as solid dosage forms, posing challenges for patients with dysphagia-including older adults and children-and creating occupational hazards for healthcare workers who must crush or manipulate hazardous drugs. Existing methods for preparing such medications often involve open systems, exposing staff to cytotoxic agents and risking cross-contamination.ObjectiveTo develop and evaluate a novel, single-use closed-system drug-transfer device (CSTD) designed to crush and dissolve or suspend solid oral medications within a sealed environment, enhancing safety for healthcare workers and improving medication access for patients with swallowing difficulties.

Microbial-photoelectrochemical cell for the conversion of raw cellulose materials into electrical power and chemicals.

Exploiting biomass as a fuel source has attracted increasing attention over the last few decades. Combined biotic-abiotic systems can enhance conversion efficiency, but biotic reactions often require oxygen-free conditions, which are hindered by oxygen evolution at the photoanode. Herein, we develop a modular microbial-photoelectrochemical cell (MPEC) that facilitates the one-pot degradation and light-induced conversion of cellulosic material into electrical power and added-value compounds.

HulaChrimson: A Chrimson-like cation channelrhodopsin discovered using freshwater metatranscriptomics from Lake Hula.

Chrimson is cation-conducting channelrhodopsin (CCR) with the most red-shifted absorption spectrum, rendering itself as one of the most promising optogenetic tools. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its red-shifted absorption have not been completely clarified yet. Here, we found a CCR gene showing high sequence similarity to Chrimson from Lake Hula through freshwater metatranscriptome sampling.

Real-world evidence of tezepelumab for severe asthma: a retrospective multicentre cohort.

Background: Tezepelumab, a monoclonal antibody targeting thymic stromal lymphopoietin, has demonstrated efficacy for severe asthma in clinical trials, but real-world evidence remains limited. We aimed to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients initiating tezepelumab in a real-world setting.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective, multicentre cohort study across four tertiary care centres to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of tezepelumab in patients with severe asthma.

A human-mouse atlas of intrarenal myeloid cells identifies conserved disease-associated macrophages in lupus nephritis.

Monocytes and macrophages in patients with lupus nephritis exhibit altered behavior compared with healthy kidneys. How to optimally use mouse models to develop treatments targeting these cells is poorly understood. This study compared intrarenal myeloid cells in four mouse models and 155 lupus nephritis patients using single-cell profiling, spatial transcriptomics, and functional studies.

Classification: Biological Sciences - Biophysics and Computational Biology Membrane Morphologies Arising from Multi-Conformational Protein States.

Dynamic compartmentalization by lipid membranes is a hallmark of living cells. The shapes of membrane surfaces are tightly coupled to their various functions, resulting in the myriad of complex membranal geometries. It has long been established by both theory and experiment that cells actively sculpt the shapes of membranes by utilizing curvature-stabilizing proteins that modulate the effective elastic properties of the membrane.

High-throughput DNA repair monitoring in Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggests SSB- and DSB-induced chromatin reconfiguration.

Unlabelled: DNA repair is critical for cellular function and genomic stability across organisms. Yeast mating-type switching serves as an established model for studying DNA break repair and chromosome dynamics. However, real-time tracking of mating-type switching in live cells remains challenging due to resolution limitations of existing techniques.

Targeted deprivation of STAT6 sensitizes acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells to cytarabine in vivo and in vitro: clinical implications.

Chemotherapy is the leading treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, many ALL patients eventually develop relapses, the treatment of which remains a major challenge due to their chemoresistance phenotype. As a step towards this end, we here uncovered that relapsed ALL specimens exhibit a significantly lower expression of STAT6 but not of other STATs, when compared with their paired diagnosis specimens.

Ethnic bias in risk assessment of patients with early-onset first episode psychosis.

Background: First episode psychosis (FEP) constitutes a common psychiatric emergency. A key decision in the management of FEP involves risk assessment, which directly influences the need for involuntary hospitalization. However, the impact of demographic variables of patients and psychiatrists on FEP risk assessment remains incompletely characterized.

Submicron-oleogel particles for enhanced oral delivery of hydrophobic compounds: and proof of concept.

Oral administration is the preferred route for drug and bioactive delivery, although it raises great challenges due to the involvement of the gastrointestinal system and limited bioavailability. Herein, a novel submicron-oleogel particle system was developed using micro-structured edible oil to address the challenges associated with the low bioavailability of oral hydrophobic compounds. Oleogel particles were prepared using β-sitosterol and γ-oryzanol as oil structuring agents with dispersed dasatinib as a model drug.

Fibro predict a machine learning risk score for advanced liver fibrosis in the general population using Israeli electronic health records.

Liver diseases, notably cirrhosis, pose a substantial global health challenge, resulting in millions of annual deaths. Existing diagnostic methods primarily target high-risk groups, leaving a significant portion of patients undiagnosed. This study aims to develop and validate an a machine-learning prediction model, Fibro-Predict, for the early detection of advanced liver fibrosis in the general population using nationwide electronic health records (EHRs).

Fetal sex and the development of future type 2 diabetes: a 5-year cohort study.

Purpose: Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) increases the risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) postpartum, with emerging evidence suggesting that fetal sex may influence pregnancy outcomes. Some studies suggest that individuals carrying male fetuses experience diminished insulin sensitivity and higher glucose levels during pregnancy. However, it remains unclear whether fetal sex affects the long-term risk of T2DM after pregnancy.

Comparison of high-M and high-G alginate macro-carriers: Effects on bioavailability and growth dynamics in agricultural soil treatments.

Alginate-based carriers are widely used in agriculture for the controlled release of nutrients, pesticides, and bioactive compounds. This study provides a holistic assessment of alginate carrier performance in soil by integrating physicochemical, microbiological, and ecological assays in soil. Two formulations were tested high-G (high proportion of guluronic acid) and high-M (high proportion of mannuronic acid) alginate macro-carriers.

Symptoms, risk of future exacerbations, and response to long-term macrolide treatment in bronchiectasis: an observational study.

Background: Previous studies have suggested that daily symptoms are a marker of bronchiectasis disease activity and could therefore identify patients at increased risk of exacerbation. However, international bronchiectasis guidelines recommend long-term macrolide treatment only in patients with three or more exacerbations per year. We aimed to investigate if symptoms independently predict future exacerbations and therefore identify additional responders to long-term macrolide treatment.

Licking microstructure behavior classifies a spectrum of emotional states in mice.

Measuring precise emotional tagging for taste information, with or without the use of words, is challenging. While affective taste valence and salience are core components of emotional experiences, traditional behavioral assays for taste preference, which often rely on cumulative consumption, lack the resolution to distinguish between different affective states, such as innate versus learned aversion, which are known to be mediated by distinct neural circuits. To overcome this limitation, we developed an open-source system for high-resolution microstructural analysis of licking behavior in freely moving mice.