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Background: Increasingly, more evidence has shown that inflammation stress and the tumor microenvironment pose a negative effect on targeted therapy. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio is considered to be a surrogate biomarker of inflammation and can predict pazopanib treatment effect in non-adipocytic soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). The role of the pan-immune-inflammation value (PIV) in STS is still yet to be determined. Objectives: We sought whether the pre-treatment PIV could be applied to predict the response of pazopanib in STS. Design: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 75 patients who had been treated with pazopanib for recurrent or metastatic non-adipocytic STS. Methods: Our cohort was stratified into either a pre-treatment high PIV group with PIV ⩾310 (n = 45) or a low PIV group with PIV <310 (n = 30). We compared their clinical features and outcomes. Cox regression analysis was employed to determine the risk factors of disease progression and mortality. Kaplan–Meier survival curves were utilized to assess both the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: The results revealed that a pre-treatment high PIV (⩾310) is a risk factor for progression under pazopanib (hazard ratio: 1.91; 95% confidence interval: 1.08–3.36; p = 0.025). The median PFS and OS of the pre-treatment high PIV group were found to be significantly lower than the low PIV group (0.33 vs 0.75 years; p = 0.023, 0.46 vs 1.63 years; p = 0.025). Conclusion: High pre-treatment PIV in STS patients may indicate an elevated risk of disease progression and mortality. Pre-treatment PIV reflects inflammation stress and acts as a practical biomarker for STS patients treated with pazopanib. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The limited efficacy of chemotherapy in improving survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) necessitates the exploration of novel strategies to overcome treatment resistance. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the impact of combining renin–angiotensin system (RAS) blockers with chemotherapy on survival outcomes in patients with PDAC. Design: Patients with PDAC were enrolled in the retrospective study. Methods: We analyzed patients with PDAC (n = 384) at our institution between 2014 and 2021. Survival outcomes, including event-free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS), were analyzed according to the concomitant use of RAS blockers. Results: Among the 384 patients in the study, 70 (18.2%) concomitantly received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). Patients in the ACEI/ARB group, characterized by older age and more comorbidities, displayed a significantly superior 12-month EFS rate (22.86% versus 13.69%, p = 0.008) compared to the non-ACEI/ARB group, while OS remained similar between the groups. In the multivariate analysis, the use of ACEI/ARB was associated with better 12-month EFS (hazards ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.52–0.96; p = 0.024). Poor performance, advanced disease status, and higher CA19-9 levels were associated with poor survival outcomes. Conclusion: Concomitant use of ACEIs/ARBs in patients with pancreatic cancer resulted in significantly better 12-month EFS. Age, performance status, disease status, and higher CA19-9 levels were independent predictors of survival. The combination strategy might provide better treatment outcomes in patients with PDAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore workers' justice judgment patterns to understand how they use information to assess fair treatment at work. Justice judgment patterns are the unique set of information that individuals draw upon and use when evaluating the overall fairness of an entity. Data from four samples of workers from Malaysia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and China were analyzed using a multi-group latent class analysis. Results suggest four classes of justice judgment processes, three of which represent different patterns of heuristic processing. Comprehensive processors use a wide range of information when making justice judgments, while minimalist processors consider a limited range of information. Reward-focused processors focus on distributive justice cues and treatment-focused processors specifically attend to interpersonal justice cues while neglecting distributive justice cues. The latent class structure shared conceptual meaning across countries but the patterns had different rates of representation. Findings suggest that individuals do not always use complete information when assessing how fairly they are treated at work. Many appear to use heuristics that emphasize minimizing information processing, instrumental outcomes, or more relational outcomes. Results and implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores parental preferences for child care service providers according to parents' high/low-income status. While government child care assistance programs are intended to support low-income parents, parents are challenged to find desirable service options. Multisource pilot research suggested distinct attributes and levels of parents' preferences: staff, facilities, fees, programs, and convenience. Data were collected from 152 parents using 13 child care facilities in Canada, and were analyzed using conjoint analysis. Results suggest that consumer preferences can be explained by these attributes, and that the preferences of low-income parents differed from those of high-income parents, particularly regarding price and convenience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Holocarboxylase synthetase (HCS) is an enzyme that catalyzes biotin incorporation into carboxylases, and its deficiency causes biotin-responsive multiple carboxylase deficiency. We report a patient who had his first episode at 32 months of age. The main clinical findings were a characteristic rash, projectile vomiting, progressive consciousness loss, organophosphate order, and hypotension. Laboratory examinations showed metabolic acidosis with ketolactic acidosis, hyperammonemia, and urine organic acid profile suggestive of a biotin utilization abnormality consistent with multiple carboxylase deficiency. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the biotinidase gene of the patient revealed negative finding, however, analysis of HCS gene found a homozygous 1809C->T (R508W) mutation. R508W is a rare mutation in Taiwanese HCS deficiency patients, which is associated with the late-onset phenotype. The patient responded dramatically to biotin, and has remained normal growth and development during more than three years of follow-up. Therefore, a high index of suspicion for timely diagnosis and treatment could prevent severe complications.