Radioligand Assay-Based Detection of Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in Hospital Workers Treating Patients with Severe COVID-19 in Japan.

This study aimed to clarify whether infection by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is prevalent among the staff of a hospital providing treatment to patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using radioligand assay (RLA). One thousand samples from the staff of a general hospital providing treatment to patients with severe COVID-19 were assayed for SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (N) IgG using RLA. Nine patients with COVID-19 who had been treated in inpatient settings and had already recovered were used as control subjects, and 186 blood donor samples obtained more than 10 years ago were used as negative controls. Four of the 1000 samples showed apparently positive results, and approximately 10 or more samples showed slightly high counts. Interestingly, a few among the blood donor samples also showed slightly high values. To validate the results, antibody examinations using ELISA and neutralizing antibody tests were performed on 21 samples, and chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA) was performed on 201 samples, both resulting in a very high correlation. One blood donor sample showed slightly positive results in both RLA and CLIA, suggesting a cross-reaction. This study showed that five months after the pandemic began in Japan, the staff of a general hospital with a tertiary emergency medical facility had an extremely low seroprevalence of the antibodies against SARS-CoV-2. Further investigation will be needed to determine whether the slightly high results were due to cross-reactions or a low titer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. The quantitative RLA was considered sensitive enough to detect low titers of antibodies

Pathological Complete Response in Patients With Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma After Preoperative Chemotherapy

Importance: Preoperative chemo(radio)therapy is increasingly used in patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma, leading to pathological complete response (pCR) in a small subset of patients. However, multicenter studies with in-depth data about pCR are lacking. Objective: To investigate the incidence, outcome, and risk factors of pCR after preoperative chemo(radio)therapy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational, international, multicenter cohort study assessed all consecutive patients with pathology-proven localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent resection after 2 or more cycles of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy) in 19 centers from 8 countries (January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2018). Data collection was performed from February 1, 2020, to April 30, 2022, and analyses from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023. Median follow-up was 19 months. Exposures: Preoperative chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy) followed by resection. Main Outcomes and Measures: The incidence of pCR (defined as absence of vital tumor cells in the sampled pancreas specimen after resection), its association with OS from surgery, and factors associated with pCR. Factors associated with overall survival (OS) and pCR were investigated with Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models, respectively. Results: Overall, 1758 patients (mean [SD] age, 64 [9] years; 879 [50.0%] male) were studied. The rate of pCR was 4.8% (n = 85), and pCR was associated with OS (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.26-0.83). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 95%, 82%, and 63% in patients with pCR vs 80%, 46%, and 30% in patients without pCR, respectively (P &lt; .001). Factors associated with pCR included preoperative multiagent chemotherapy other than (m)FOLFIRINOX ([modified] leucovorin calcium [folinic acid], fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin) (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26-0.87), preoperative conventional radiotherapy (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.00-4.10), preoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy (OR, 8.91; 95% CI, 4.17-19.05), radiologic response (OR, 13.00; 95% CI, 7.02-24.08), and normal(ized) serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 after preoperative therapy (OR, 3.76; 95% CI, 1.79-7.89). Conclusions and Relevance: This international, retrospective cohort study found that pCR occurred in 4.8% of patients with resected localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative chemo(radio)therapy. Although pCR does not reflect cure, it is associated with improved OS, with a doubled 5-year OS of 63% compared with 30% in patients without pCR. Factors associated with pCR related to preoperative chemo(radio)therapy regimens and anatomical and biological disease response features may have implications for treatment strategies that require validation in prospective studies because they may not universally apply to all patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.</p

Pathological Complete Response in Patients With Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma After Preoperative Chemotherapy

Importance: Preoperative chemo(radio)therapy is increasingly used in patients with localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma, leading to pathological complete response (pCR) in a small subset of patients. However, multicenter studies with in-depth data about pCR are lacking. Objective: To investigate the incidence, outcome, and risk factors of pCR after preoperative chemo(radio)therapy. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational, international, multicenter cohort study assessed all consecutive patients with pathology-proven localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma who underwent resection after 2 or more cycles of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy) in 19 centers from 8 countries (January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2018). Data collection was performed from February 1, 2020, to April 30, 2022, and analyses from January 1, 2022, to December 31, 2023. Median follow-up was 19 months. Exposures: Preoperative chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy) followed by resection. Main Outcomes and Measures: The incidence of pCR (defined as absence of vital tumor cells in the sampled pancreas specimen after resection), its association with OS from surgery, and factors associated with pCR. Factors associated with overall survival (OS) and pCR were investigated with Cox proportional hazards and logistic regression models, respectively. Results: Overall, 1758 patients (mean [SD] age, 64 [9] years; 879 [50.0%] male) were studied. The rate of pCR was 4.8% (n = 85), and pCR was associated with OS (hazard ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.26-0.83). The 1-, 3-, and 5-year OS rates were 95%, 82%, and 63% in patients with pCR vs 80%, 46%, and 30% in patients without pCR, respectively (P &lt; .001). Factors associated with pCR included preoperative multiagent chemotherapy other than (m)FOLFIRINOX ([modified] leucovorin calcium [folinic acid], fluorouracil, irinotecan hydrochloride, and oxaliplatin) (odds ratio [OR], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.26-0.87), preoperative conventional radiotherapy (OR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.00-4.10), preoperative stereotactic body radiotherapy (OR, 8.91; 95% CI, 4.17-19.05), radiologic response (OR, 13.00; 95% CI, 7.02-24.08), and normal(ized) serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 after preoperative therapy (OR, 3.76; 95% CI, 1.79-7.89). Conclusions and Relevance: This international, retrospective cohort study found that pCR occurred in 4.8% of patients with resected localized pancreatic adenocarcinoma after preoperative chemo(radio)therapy. Although pCR does not reflect cure, it is associated with improved OS, with a doubled 5-year OS of 63% compared with 30% in patients without pCR. Factors associated with pCR related to preoperative chemo(radio)therapy regimens and anatomical and biological disease response features may have implications for treatment strategies that require validation in prospective studies because they may not universally apply to all patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.</p

Practical electronic ground-and excited-state calculation method for lanthanide complexes based on frozen core potential approximation to 4f electrons

A practical electronic ground- and excited-state calculation method for lanthanide complexes is proposed by introducing frozen core potential (FCP) approximation to 4f electrons of a lanthanide atom ion (Ln(3+)). Based on the fact that the FCP method is formally equivalent to the elongation method, the 4f-frozen FCP calculations of Ln(3+) complexes were successfully performed using the elongation method implemented in GAMESS quantum chemistry program. By comparing the 4f-frozen FCP calculation results of several lanthanide complexes with the results of the standard calculations, it was confirmed that the excitation energies by these calculations are comparable. Also, the SCF convergence and stability were significantly improved by the FCP approximation. We further propose a method to relax the rotational degrees of freedom for the frozen 4f orbitals. This relaxation slightly improves the accuracy of the excitation energies for f-f transitions

Evaluating the feasibility of a remote-based training program supported by information and communications technology in the older adults living at home

Abstract Background Exercise has been one of the key strategies for preventing frailty. While training programs for preventing frailty have been mainly developed in person, which have now become difficult to perform due to the coronavirus disease pandemic. It would be worthwhile to explore a feasibility of methods for a remote-based training with information and communications technology (ICT) in the pre-frail/robust older adults living at home. Methods We assessed the feasibility of a remote-based training with ICT device in terms of 1) a measurement accuracy and 2) whether it could be used for remote-based training of different intensities. To evaluate a measurement accuracy of the ICT device, we evaluated an inter-rater reliability between a true score and scores obtaining from the ICT device in 20 participants aged 65 years and older. Intraclass correlation was calculated. To evaluate a feasibility of remote-based training interventions of different intensities, we did a parallel, randomized, active controlled trial. Participants aged 65 years or older were randomly allocated to the two 3-month intervention programs with different intensity of exercise with the ICT (i.e., an Exercise-Intensive program and a Light-load exercise program). The primary outcome was 3-month scores of the 30-s chair-stand test (CS-30), which was compared between two groups using mixed models for repeated measures to account for within-person correlations. Results The ICT device showed a high intraclass correlation of over 0.99 for all outcomes including CS-30. Between Aug and Oct 2020, 70 participants (36 and 34 in the Exercise-Intensive and Light-load exercise programs, respectively) were randomized. After 3 months of intervention, CS-30 scores and other physical function improved in both groups. Difference in the 3-month CS-30 scores between two programs was found to be 0.08 (95% confidence interval: − 2.64, 2.79; p = 0.955), which was not statistically significant. No harmful incidents, such as falls, occurred in either group. Conclusion We showed a remote-based training with ICT device in the older adults living at home was feasible. Further studies are warranted to determine what kind of remote exercise intervention programs is more effective for maintaining a physical performance and, beyond that, preventing frailty. Trial registration number UMIN000041616 (05/09/2020) https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr/ctr.cgi?function=brows&action=brows&recptno=R000047504&type=summary&language=

A Prospective Observational Study on Effect of Short-Term Periodic Steroid Premedication on Bone Metabolism in Gastrointestinal Cancer (ESPRESSO-01)

Background. A multicenter prospective observational study evaluated the effect of gastrointestinal cancer chemotherapy with short‐term periodic steroid premedication on bone metabolism. Patients and Methods. Seventy‐four patients undergoing chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer were studied. The primary endpoints were changes in bone mineral densities (BMDs) and metabolic bone turnover 16 weeks after initiation of chemotherapy. BMDs, measured by dual‐energy x‐ray absorptiometry, and serum cross‐linked N‐telopeptides of type I collagen (sNTX), and bone alkaline phosphatase (sBAP) were assessed for evaluation of bone resorption and formation, respectively. Results. In 74.3% (55/74) of the patients, BMDs were significantly reduced at 16 weeks relative to baseline. The percent changes of BMD were -1.89% (95% confidence interval [CI], -2.67% to -1.11%: p < .0001) in the lumbar spine, -2.24% (95% CI, -3.59% to -0.89%: p = .002) in the total hip, and -2.05% (95% CI, -3.11% to -0.99%: p < .0001) in the femoral neck. Although there was no significant difference in sNTX levels during 16 weeks (p = .136), there was a significant increase in sBAP levels (p = .010). Decreased BMD was significantly linked to number of chemotherapy cycles (p = .02). There were no significant correlations between changes in BMDs and the primary site of malignancy, chemotherapy regimens, total cumulative steroid dose, steroid dose intensity, and additive steroid usage. Conclusion. Gastrointestinal cancer chemotherapy with periodic glucocorticoid premedication was associated with reduced BMD and increased sBAP levels, which were linked to number of chemotherapy cycles but independent of primary site, chemotherapy regimen, duration, and additive steroid usage

Serum Calponin 3 Levels in Patients with Systemic Sclerosis: Possible Association with Skin Sclerosis and Arthralgia

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a connective tissue disease characterized by tissue fibrosis and vasculopathy in various organs with a background of inflammation initiated by autoimmune abnormalities. Calponin 3 plays a role in the cell motility and contractibility of fibroblasts during wound healing in the skin. We aimed to evaluate serum calponin 3 levels in SSc patients and their association with clinical manifestations of SSc. Serum samples were collected from 68 patients with SSc and 20 healthy controls. Serum calponin 3 levels were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits, and their association with clinical features of SSc was statistically analyzed. The upper limit of the 95% confidence interval of serum calponin 3 levels in healthy controls was utilized as the cut-off value when dividing SSc patients into the elevated and normal groups. Serum calponin 3 levels were significantly higher in SSc patients than in healthy controls (mean (95% confidence interval), 15.38 (14.66&ndash;16.11) vs. 13.56 (12.75&ndash;14.38) ng/mL, p &lt; 0.05). The modified Rodnan total skin thickness score was significantly higher in the elevated serum calponin 3 level group than in the normal level group (median (25&ndash;75th percentiles), 10.0 (2.0&ndash;16.0) vs. 6.5 (3.25&ndash;8.75), p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, SSc patients with increased serum calponin 3 levels also had a higher frequency of arthralgia (40% vs. 9%, p &lt; 0.05). Elevated serum calponin 3 levels were associated with skin sclerosis and arthralgia in SSc patients. Serum calponin 3 levels might be a biomarker that reflects the severity of skin sclerosis and joint involvement in SSc

Optimized highly charged ion production for strong soft x-ray sources obeying a quasi-Moseley’s law

The extension of the roadmap of shorter wavelength extreme ultravi-olet (EUV) and soft x-ray sources is a topic of considerable interest.We have studied the optimized emission from high power and/or highbrightness sources based on unresolved transition array (UTA) emis-sion. The peak UTA wavelengths follow a quasi-Moseley’s law for the laser wavelength of 1064 nm and λ = 165.8 × R^−1(Z − 12.44)−1.94 ∞nm for the laser wavelength of 532 nm, respectively. The photon flux decreased with increasing atomic number. We also mapped the optimum electron temperatures and corre- sponding charge states required to produce strong soft x-ray UTA emis- sion with a photon flux of the order of 10^14 photons/nm · sr. The present quasi-Moseley’s law is sufficient for identifying the optimum element for numerous applications, such as material ablation and ionization, nano- lithography, and in vivo biological imaging