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Ruth Plummer,1 Alastair Greystoke,1 Gregory Naylor,2 Debashis Sarker,3,4 ANM Kaiser Anam,4 Hans Prenen,5 Laure-Anne Teuwen,5 Eric Van Cutsem,6 Jeroen Dekervel,6 Beate Haugk,1 Thomas Ness,1 Sujata Bhoi,7 Malene Jensen,7 Tom Morris,7 Pia Baumann,7 Niclas Sjögren,8 Karin Tunblad,7 Hans Wallberg,7 Fredrik Öberg,7 Thomas R Jeffry Evans2 1Newcastle University and Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK; 2Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK; 3School of Cancer and Pharmaceutical Sciences, King’s College London, London, UK; 4Department of Medical Oncology, Guy’s Hospital, London, UK; 5Department of Oncology, Antwerp University Hospital, Edegem, Belgium; 6Department of Oncology, University Hospitals Gasthuisberg Leuven and KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; 7Medivir AB, Huddinge, Sweden; 8SDS Life Science, Stockholm, SwedenCorrespondence: Pia Baumann, Medivir AB, Box 1086, SE-141 22, Huddinge, Sweden, Tel +46 739163897, Email pia.baumann@medivir.comPurpose: To evaluate safety, preliminary efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics, of fostroxacitabine bralpamide (fostrox, MIV-818), a novel oral troxacitabine nucleotide prodrug designed to direct exposure to the liver, while minimizing systemic toxicity.Patients and Methods: Fostrox monotherapy was administered in an open-label, single-arm, first-in-human, phase 1a/1b study, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, or solid tumor liver metastases. The first part (1a) consisted of intra/inter-patient escalating doses (3 mg to 70 mg) QD for up to 5 days, and the second part (1b), doses of 40 mg QD for 5 days, in 21-day cycles. Safety and tolerability were evaluated by the Safety Review Committee, and efficacy was assessed every 6 weeks with CT or MRI using RECIST 1.1 and mRECIST.Results: Nineteen patients were treated with fostrox. Most common adverse events (AEs) were hematological and increased AST. Grade 3 treatment related AEs (TRAE) were seen in 53% of the patients, with transient neutropenia and thrombocytopenia as the most common. No grade 5 AE was observed. Recommended Phase 2 dose of fostrox was 40 mg QD for 5 days in 21-day cycles. Preliminary efficacy showed a clinical benefit rate in the liver of 53% and stable disease (SD) as best response in 10 patients. Liver targeting with fostrox was confirmed with higher exposure of troxacitabine and its metabolites in liver compared to plasma. Systemic exposure of fostrox was generally low with troxacitabine as main analyte. Biopsies demonstrated tumor-selective, drug-induced DNA damage.Conclusion: The phase 1a/1b monotherapy study of fostrox, in patients with liver tumors, showed a tumor selective effect in the liver and that 40 mg QD for 5 days in 21-day cycles is safe and tolerable. Safety and preliminary efficacy in patients with advanced HCC supports clinical development of fostrox in combination with other modes of action in HCC.Keywords: phase 1, fostrox, hepatocellular carcinoma, nucleotide prodrug, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics

BackgroundThe possibility of future parenthood is a highly relevant issue for patients of reproductive age facing oncologic treatment. This study aimed to investigate how fatherhood was achieved in a patient cohort of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) banking semen at time of cancer diagnosis and to determine the effectiveness of cryopreservation aimed at fertility preservation in the cohort.Materials and methodsObservational cohort study examining AYAs with a cancer diagnosis who underwent semen banking for fertility preservation at Karolinska University Hospital 1988-2020, as part of the Stockholm regional fertility preservation program. This cohort is being prospectively followed since time of referral to the program, with most individuals included when presenting with primary cancers (Study Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NTC04602962). Individuals achieving adulthood in the cohort were followed-up regarding their reproductive outcomes by linking to the Swedish Multi-generation Register, to identify fatherhood through natural conception or adoption, and to the Swedish National Quality Registry for Assisted Reproduction to identify parenthood through medical assistance, including the use of own sperm either cryopreserved or fresh, or donor sperm.ResultsOf the 1,378 patients referred during the study period, 1,357 were eligible for fatherhood analysis (aged >20 years at the end of follow-up, December 31, 2021). In total, 493 men became fathers following cancer treatment: 399 (81%) did so naturally, 87 (18%) via assisted reproductive techniques (including two using donor sperm), and 7 (1%) through adoption. Of the 92 patients who used their cryopreserved sperm for assisted reproductive techniques, 34 (37%) successfully fathered a child. The patients may have had children prior to cryopreservation.ConclusionA large proportion of AYA cancer survivors achieved fatherhood through natural conception in this cohort, whereas less than 1 in 5 survivors needed medical assistance to conceive. Although a low utilization rate of cryopreserved sperm was found in this cohort, its use was highly effective in the group that developed infertility. At present there are no standardized predictors of testicular toxicity after cancer treatment, and inter-individual variability is high. Further research is needed to identify patients at risk of infertility who would benefit from fertility preservation.

Background Anaemia is commonly caused by iron deficiency and screened by haemoglobin (Hb) concentration in blood. There is a scarcity of longitudinal data on the relationship between maternal Hb levels during pregnancy and neurodevelopment in children. Objective To measure the relationship of maternal Hb concentrations during pregnancy on early child development. Methods This prospective cohort study included 1,720 mother-child dyads in rural Bangladesh. Maternal Hb concentrations were measured at 14 and 30 weeks of gestation. The child’s Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI) at 18 months of age were measured using Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-II). Data on socio-demographic characteristics, anthropometrics, mothers’ IQ and children’s home stimulation were also collected. Bivariate and multivariable-adjusted linear regression analyses were used to explore associations of maternal Hb with child development. Results Mean Hb concentrations at 14 and 30 weeks of gestation were 116.6 g/L (±12.7) and 114.7 g/L (±12.7), respectively. Mean MDI and PDI scores among 18-month-old children were 78.9 (±12.4) and 93.8 (±13.7), respectively. Maternal 14-week Hb concentration was correlated with PDI (r = 0.06; p

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess whether the choice between double embryo transfer (DET) and single embryo transfer (SET) in healthy women of advanced maternal age (AMA) was associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. Materials and Methods: Healthy women aged 39?40 years who achieved live birth after in vitro fertilization (IVF)/intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment between 2009 and 2020 at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm in Sweden, were included in this prospective, single-center cohort study. Results: A total of 310 women, who underwent IVF/ICSI treatments and achieved live births, were included in our analysis. Within this cohort, 78% of the women received SET, while 22% received DET. Nulliparity was common in both the SET (62.7%) and DET (85.3%) groups. Fresh embryo transfers were more prevalent in the DET group (91.2%) than in the SET group (31.1%). The rate of pregnancy-induced hypertension was higher in the SET group (8.3%) compared to the DET group (1.5%, p?=?0.048). Furthermore, the DET group had a significantly higher rate of twin pregnancies (13.2%) compared to the SET group (0.4%). No statistically significant differences were observed in composite obstetric and perinatal complications between the SET and DET groups across all model estimates following different adjustments. Clinical Trial Registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NTC04602962. Conclusions: While DET was more common in nulliparous women and associated with a higher rate of twin pregnancies, our analysis did not reveal significant differences in adverse outcomes between the SET and DET groups after comprehensive adjustments. Our study suggests that in the absence of co-morbidities, meticulous patient selection coupled with comprehensive maternal care can potentially mitigate potential DET-associated risks in women of AMA.

IntroductionThe mechanisms leading to ovarian primordial follicle depletion following gonadotoxic chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and other cytotoxic drugs are currently understood through two main explanatory theories: apoptosis and over-activation. Discrepancies between the findings of different studies investigating these mechanisms do not allow to reach a firm conclusion. The heterogeneity of cell types in ovaries and their different degrees of sensitivity to damage, cell-cell interactions, periodical follicle profile differences, model age-dependent differences, and differences of exposure durations of tested drugs may partially explain the discrepancies among studies.MethodsThis study used intact prepubertal mice ovaries in culture as study model, in which most follicles are primordial follicles. Histological and transcriptional analyses of ovaries exposed to the active metabolite of cyclophosphamide 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4-HC) were carried out via a time-course experiment at 8, 24, 48, and 72 h.Results4-HC treated ovaries showed a significant decrease in primordial follicle density at 24 h, along with active DNA damage (TUNEL) and overexpressed apoptosis signals (cleaved-poly ADP ribose polymerase in immunohistochemistry and western blotting). Meanwhile 4-HC treatment significantly up-regulated H2ax, Casp 6, Casp 8, Noxa, and Bax in ovaries, and up-regulated Puma in primordial follicles (FISH).DiscussionOur results indicated that cyclophosphamide-induced acute ovarian primordial follicle depletion was mainly related to apoptotic pathways. No evidence of follicle activation was found, neither through changes in the expression of related genes to follicle activation nor in the density of growing follicles. Further validation at protein level in 4-HC-treated prepubertal mice ovaries at 24 h confirmed these observations.

Abstract The decarbonization of the power generation and transport sector encourage the analysis of connection of distributed energy resources (DER), such as electric vehicles (EVs), to the electrical system, as well as the evaluation of their impact on smart cities. A better understanding of the negative impacts on the power systems will lead to propose mitigation measures and eventually revolutionize the way distributed generation works. This paper aims at modelling and evaluating the impact of EVs on a real distribution network. The energy system chosen operates at 60 Hz, 34.5 kV (medium voltage) and 0.208 kV (low voltage) and it is simulated using PSCAD/EMTDC. To reproduce realistic user consumption profiles, dynamic load profiles based on EV owners behaviour have been simulated. The vehicle‐to‐grid (V2G) technology is modelled to mitigate the impacts of high penetration of EVs by supporting the network from undervoltage. The results show the importance of active management in modern power systems, especially considering the increase in DER penetration expected for the coming years. This work shows the benefits of implementing V2G technology while highlighting the challenges involved in a real case.

Summary: Background: Despite progress in managing cancer in children, adolescents, and young adults (CAYAs), persistent complications may impact their quality of life. This study covers the morbidity and mortality, among CAYAs, with the aim to investigate the influence of socioeconomic factors on outcomes. Methods: This retrospective matched cohort study included the entire Swedish population of individuals under 25 with cancer 1958–2021. The population was identified from the Cancer Register, and controls were paired 1:5 based on age, sex, and residence. Multiple registers provided data on morbidity, mortality, and demographics. Findings: This survey covering 63 years, identified 65,173 CAYAs and matched controls, a total of 378,108 individuals (74% females). CAYAs exhibited a 3.04-times higher risk for subsequent cancer (Odds ratio (OR) 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.92–3.17, p

The internal variability of European summer temperatures has been linked to various mechanisms on seasonal to sub- and multi-decadal timescales. We find that sub-decadal timescales dominate summer temperature variability over large parts of the continent and determine mechanisms controlling extremely warm summers on sub-decadal timescales. We show that the sub-decadal warm phases of bandpass-filtered European summer temperatures, hereinafter referred to as extremely warm European summers, are related to a strengthening of the North Atlantic Ocean subtropical gyre, an increase in meridional heat transport, and an accumulation of ocean heat content in the North Atlantic several years prior to the extreme summer. This ocean warming affects the ocean–atmosphere heat fluxes, leading to a weakening and northward displacement of the jet stream and increased probability of occurrence of high-pressure systems over Scandinavia. Thus, our findings link the occurrence of extremely warm European summers to the accumulation of heat in the North Atlantic Ocean and provide the potential to improve the predictability of extremely warm summers several years ahead, which is of great societal interest.

Endometrial disorders, such as infertility and endometriosis, significantly impact reproductive health, thus necessitating better models to study endometrial function. Current in vitro models fail to replicate the complexity of the human endometrium throughout the entire menstrual cycle. This study aimed to assess the physiological response of human endometrial organoids (hEOs) to in vitro hormonal treatments designed to mimic the hormonal fluctuations of the menstrual cycle. Endometrial biopsies from three healthy women were used to develop hEOs, which were treated over 28 days with three hormonal stimulation strategies: (1) estrogen only (E) to mimic the proliferative phase, (2) the addition of progesterone (EP) to simulate the secretory phase, and (3) the further addition of cAMP (EPC) to enhance the secretory functions of hEOs. Gene and protein expression were analyzed using qPCR, IHC, and ELISA. The hEOs exhibited proliferation, gland formation, and appropriate expression of markers such as E-cadherin and Ki67. The hormonal treatments induced significant changes in PR, HSD17B1, PAEP, SPP1, and other genes relevant to endometrial function, closely mirroring in vivo physiological responses. The prominent changes were observed in EPC-treated hEOs (week 4) with significantly high expression of uterine milk components such as glycodelin (PAEP) and osteopontin (SPP1), reflecting mid- to late-secretory phase physiology. This model successfully recapitulates human menstrual cycle dynamics and offers a promising platform for studying endometrial disorders and advancing personalized treatments in gynecology.

Abstract Polar ecosystems are experiencing amongst the most rapid rates of regional warming on Earth. Here, we discuss ‘omics’ approaches to investigate polar biodiversity, including the current state of the art, future perspectives and recommendations. We propose a community road map to generate and more fully exploit multi-omics data from polar organisms. These data are needed for the comprehensive evaluation of polar biodiversity and to reveal how life evolved and adapted to permanently cold environments with extreme seasonality. We argue that concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems via conservation efforts, to sustainably manage these unique habitats and their ecosystem services, and for the sustainable bioprospecting of novel genes and compounds for societal gain.

Background Gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) cotreatment used to transiently suppress ovarian function during chemotherapy to prevent ovarian damage and preserve female fertility is used globally but efficacy is debated. Most clinical studies investigating a beneficial effect of GnRHa cotreatment on ovarian function have been small, retrospective and uncontrolled. Unblinded randomised studies on women with breast cancer have suggested a beneficial effect, but results are mixed with lack of evidence of improvement in markers of ovarian reserve. Unblinded randomised studies of women with lymphoma have not shown any benefit regarding fertility markers after long-term follow-up and no placebo-controlled study has been conducted so far. The aim of this study is to investigate if administration of GnRHa during cancer treatment can preserve fertility in young female cancer patients in a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.Methods and analysis A prospective, randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase III study including 300 subjects with breast cancer. In addition, 200 subjects with lymphoma, acute leukemias and sarcomas will be recruited. Women aged 14–42 will be randomised 1:1 to treatment with GnRHa (triptorelin) or placebo for the duration of their gonadotoxic chemotherapy. Follow-up until 5 years from end of treatment (EoT). The primary endpoint will be change in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) recovery at follow-up 12 months after EoT, relative to AMH levels at EoT, comparing the GnRHa group and the placebo group in women with breast cancer.Ethics and dissemination This study is designed in accordance with the principles of Good Clinical Practice (ICH-GCP E6 (R2)), local regulations (ie, European Directive 2001/20/EC) and the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Within 6 months of study completion, the results will be analysed and the study results shall be reported in the EudraCT database.Study registration The National Institutional review board in Sweden dnr:2021–03379, approval date 12 October 2021 (approved amendments 12 June 2022, dnr:2022-02924-02 and 13 December 2022, dnr:2022-05565-02). The Swedish Medical Product Agency 19 January 2022, Dnr:5.1-2021-98927 (approved amendment 4 February 2022). Manufacturing authorisation for authorised medicinal products approved 6 December 2021, Dnr:6.2.1-2020-079580. Stockholm Medical Biobank approved 22 June 2022, RBC dnr:202 253.Trial registration number NCT05328258; EudraCT number:2020-004780-71.

PurposeToday, male and female adult and pediatric cancer patients, individuals transitioning between gender identities, and other individuals facing health extending but fertility limiting treatments can look forward to a fertile future. This is, in part, due to the work of members associated with the Oncofertility Consortium.MethodsThe Oncofertility Consortium is an international, interdisciplinary initiative originally designed to explore the urgent unmet need associated with the reproductive future of cancer survivors. As the strategies for fertility management were invented, developed or applied, the individuals for who the program offered hope, similarly expanded. As a community of practice, Consortium participants share information in an open and rapid manner to addresses the complex health care and quality-of-life issues of cancer, transgender and other patients. To ensure that the organization remains contemporary to the needs of the community, the field designed a fully inclusive mechanism for strategic planning and here present the findings of this process.ResultsThis interprofessional network of medical specialists, scientists, and scholars in the law, medical ethics, religious studies and other disciplines associated with human interventions, explore the relationships between health, disease, survivorship, treatment, gender and reproductive longevity.ConclusionThe goals are to continually integrate the best science in the service of the needs of patients and build a community of care that is ready for the challenges of the field in the future.

Abstract Single‐model initial‐condition large ensembles are powerful tools to quantify the forced response, internal climate variability, and their evolution under global warming. Here, we present the CMIP6 version of the Max Planck Institute Grand Ensemble (MPI‐GE CMIP6) with currently 30 realizations for the historical period and five emission scenarios. The power of MPI‐GE CMIP6 goes beyond its predecessor ensemble MPI‐GE by providing high‐frequency output, the full range of emission scenarios including the highly policy‐relevant low emission scenarios SSP1‐1.9 and SSP1‐2.6, and the opportunity to compare the ensemble to complementary high‐resolution simulations. First, we describe MPI‐GE CMIP6, evaluate it with observations and reanalyzes and compare it to MPI‐GE. Then, we demonstrate with six application examples how to use the power of the ensemble to better quantify and understand present and future climate extremes, to inform about uncertainty in approaching Paris Agreement global warming limits, and to combine large ensembles and artificial intelligence. For instance, MPI‐GE CMIP6 allows us to show that the recently observed Siberian and Pacific North American heatwaves would only avoid reaching 1–2 years return periods in 2071–2100 with low emission scenarios, that recently observed European precipitation extremes are captured only by complementary high‐resolution simulations, and that 3‐hourly output projects a decreasing activity of storms in mid‐latitude oceans. Further, the ensemble is ideal for estimates of probabilities of crossing global warming limits and the irreducible uncertainty introduced by internal variability, and is sufficiently large to be used for infilling surface temperature observations with artificial intelligence.

Optically pure lactic acid (LA) is needed in PLA (poly-lactic acid) production to build a crystalline structure with a higher melting point of the biopolymer than that of the racemic mixture. Lignocellulosic biomass can be used as raw material for LA production, in a non-food biorefinery concept. In the present study, genetically engineered P. acidilactici ZP26 was cultivated in a simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process using steam pretreated softwood solids as a carbon source to produce optically pure D-LA. Given the low concentrations of identifiable inhibitory compounds from sugar and lignin degradation, the fermentation rate was expected to follow the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis. However, added pretreated solids (7% on weight (w/w) of water-insoluble solids [WIS]) significantly and immediately affected the process performance, which resulted in a long lag phase (more than 40 h) before the onset of the exponential phase of the fermentation. This unexpected delay was also observed without the addition of enzymes in the SSF and in a model fermentation with glucose and pretreated solids without added enzymes. Experiments showed that it was possible to overcome the extended lag phase in the presence of pretreated softwood solids by allowing the microorganism to initiate its exponential phase in synthetic medium, and subsequently adding the softwood solids and enzymatic blend to proceed to an SSF with D-LA production.