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A broad-line region (BLR) disc model is derived and fitted to 121 published broad emission-line profiles from quasistellar objects (QSOs) and Seyfert I galaxies. Keplerian rotation of material in calm circular orbits, plus stimulated non-isotropic emission is best suited to explain the observed profiles. BLR discs in QSOs are, within the framework of the model, found to be tapered and extensive, whereas Seyfert I discs are usually fanned out but equally extensive. The material density in each disc appears to be constant with radius. In QSO emission-line profiles, the peak relative to adjacent continuum intensity increases with increasing logarithm of disc mass or maximum radius, on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor T cell (CAR-T) therapy is now standard of care for relapsed/refractory large B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Despite good overall response rates, many patients still experience disease progression and therefore it is important to predict those at risk of relapse following CAR-T therapy. We performed a prospective study using a flow cytometry assay at a single treatment center to assess early CAR T cell expansion in vivo 6 to 9 days after CAR T cell infusion. Early CAR T cell expansion was used in conjunction with additional clinical risk factors to identify those at greater risk of relapse or treatment failure. Forty-four patients treated with commercial CD19-directed CAR-T therapy were included in the study, with a median follow-up of 306 days. CAR T cell expansion of >30 cells/μL was associated with a lower risk of disease progression or death (hazard ratio, 0.34; P = .048), but did not correlate with the risk of death alone. Patients who had poor early CAR T cell expansion (<30 cells/μL) in addition to high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) had significantly lower median progression-free survival and overall survival. High LDH level alone was not a statistically significant risk factor for death or disease progression, and thus the interaction between CAR T cell expansion and this clinical risk factor may be important in predicting response. The mean CAR T cell count was higher in patients with grade 2 to 4 cytokine release syndrome (CRS) compared to those with grade 0 to 1 CRS (54.9 cells/μL versus 25.5 cells/μL; P = .01). The methodology of this assay is easily reproducible outside of a clinical trial, allowing for real-life implementation in clinical settings. This study suggests that early assessment of CAR T cell expansion can assist in identifying patients with poor overall survival who may benefit from early intervention or more intensive monitoring., (Copyright © 2025 The American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy. All rights reserved.)

Sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease (SOS/VOD) is a life-threatening complication which can develop after haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and some antibody-drug conjugates. Several SOS/VOD diagnostic and management guidelines exist, with the most recent and refined being the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation adult and paediatric guidelines. Timely diagnosis and effective management (including the availability of therapeutic options) significantly contribute to improved patient outcomes. In Australia and New Zealand, there is variability in clinical practice and access to SOS/VOD therapies. This review aims to summarise the current evidence for SOS/VOD diagnosis, prevention and treatment and to provide recommendations for SOS/VOD in the context of contemporary Australasian HSCT clinical practice., (© 2024 The Author(s). Internal Medicine Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Royal Australasian College of Physicians.)

G-CSF only mobilisation has been shown to enhance immune reconstitution early post-transplant, but its impact on survival remains uncertain. We undertook a retrospective review of 12 transplant centres to examine overall survival (OS) and time to next treatment (TTNT) following melphalan autograft according to mobilisation method (G-CSF only vs. G-CSF and cyclophosphamide [CY]) in myeloma patients uniformly treated with bortezomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone induction. Six centres had a policy to use G-CSF alone and six to use G-CSF + CY. Patients failing G-CSF only mobilisation were excluded. 601 patients were included: 328: G-CSF + CY, 273: G-CSF only. Mobilisation arms were comparable in terms of age, Revised International Staging System (R-ISS) groups and post-transplant maintenance therapy. G-CSF + CY mobilisation generated higher median CD34 + yields (8.6 vs. 5.5 × 10 6 /kg, p < 0.001). G-CSF only mobilisation was associated with a significantly higher lymphocyte count at day 15 post-infusion (p < 0.001). G-CSF only mobilisation was associated with significantly improved OS (aHR = 0.60, 95%CI 0.39-0.92, p = 0.018) and TTNT (aHR = 0.77, 95%CI 0.60-0.97, p = 0.027), when adjusting for R-ISS, disease-response pre-transplant, age and post-transplant maintenance therapy. This survival benefit may reflect selection bias in excluding patients with unsuccessful G-CSF only mobilisation or may be due to enhanced autograft immune cell content and improved early immune reconstitution., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)