Background:The phase 3 TERIKIDS study demonstrated efficacy and manageable safety for teriflunomide versus placebo in children with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS).Objective:Evaluate plasma neurofilament light chain (pNfL) concentrations in TERIKIDS.Methods:Patients received placebo or teriflunomide (14 mg adult equivalent) for up to 96 weeks in the double-blind (DB) period. In the open-label extension (OLE), all patients received teriflunomide until up to 192 weeks after randomization. pNfL was measured using single-molecule array assay (Simoa® NF-light™).Results:Baseline mean age was...

Background:The phase 3 TERIKIDS study demonstrated efficacy and manageable safety for teriflunomide versus placebo in children with relapsing multiple sclerosis (RMS).Objective:Evaluate plasma neurofilament light chain (pNfL) concentrations in TERIKIDS.Methods:Patients received placebo or teriflunomide (14 mg adult equivalent) for up to 96 weeks in the double-blind (DB) period. In the open-label extension (OLE), all patients received teriflunomide until up to 192 weeks after randomization. pNfL was measured using single-molecule array assay (Simoa® NF-light™).Results:Baseline mean age was...

Anisogamy—the size dimorphism of gametes—is the defining difference between the male and female sexual strategies. Game-theoretic thinking led to the first convincing explanation for the evolutionary origins of anisogamy in the 1970s. Since then, formal game-theoretic models have continued to refine our understanding of when and why anisogamy should evolve. Such models typically presume that the earliest anisogamous organisms had separate sexes. However, in most taxa, there is no empirical evidence to support this assumption....

Background:The prognostic significance of non-disabling relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is unclear.Objective:To determine whether early non-disabling relapses predict disability accumulation in RRMS.Methods:We redefined mild relapses in MSBase as ‘non-disabling’, and moderate or severe relapses as ‘disabling’. We used mixed-effects Cox models to compare 90-day confirmed disability accumulation events in people with exclusively non-disabling relapses within 2 years of RRMS diagnosis to those with no early relapses; and any early disabling relapses. Analyses...

Objectives:We identified factors associated with healthcare costs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of multimorbid older adults with polypharmacy.Methods:Using data from the OPERAM (OPtimising thERapy to prevent Avoidable hospital admissions in the Multimorbid older people) trial, we described the magnitude and composition of healthcare costs, and time trends of HRQoL, during 1-year after an acute-care hospitalization. We performed a cluster analysis to identify groups with different cost and HRQoL trends. Using multilevel models, we also...

Background:Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the supraaortic arteries is commonly used for acute stroke workup and may reveal apical pulmonary lesions (APL).Aim:To determine the prevalence, follow-up algorithms, and in-hospital outcomes of stroke patients with APL on CTA.Methods:We retrospectively included consecutive adult patients with ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or intracerebral hemorrhage and available CTA at a tertiary hospital between January 2014 and May 2021. We reviewed all CTA reports for the presence of APL. APL...

Background:Natalizumab is a highly effective monoclonal antibody for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), which can diffuse in different anatomical compartments, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and milk.Objectives:Starting from incidental detection of natalizumab in the CSF of MS patients, the objective of this study was to develope a flow-cytometry-based assay and apply it to quantify natalizumab in body fluids, including milk collected from nursing patients over 180 days and in patients with neutralizing antibodies against natalizumab.Methods:CSF,...

Background:Natalizumab is a highly effective monoclonal antibody for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), which can diffuse in different anatomical compartments, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and milk.Objectives:Starting from incidental detection of natalizumab in the CSF of MS patients, the objective of this study was to develope a flow-cytometry-based assay and apply it to quantify natalizumab in body fluids, including milk collected from nursing patients over 180 days and in patients with neutralizing antibodies against natalizumab.Methods:CSF,...

Background:The prognostic significance of non-disabling relapses in people with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) is unclear.Objective:To determine whether early non-disabling relapses predict disability accumulation in RRMS.Methods:We redefined mild relapses in MSBase as ‘non-disabling’, and moderate or severe relapses as ‘disabling’. We used mixed-effects Cox models to compare 90-day confirmed disability accumulation events in people with exclusively non-disabling relapses within 2 years of RRMS diagnosis to those with no early relapses; and any early disabling relapses. Analyses...

Anisogamy—the size dimorphism of gametes—is the defining difference between the male and female sexual strategies. Game-theoretic thinking led to the first convincing explanation for the evolutionary origins of anisogamy in the 1970s. Since then, formal game-theoretic models have continued to refine our understanding of when and why anisogamy should evolve. Such models typically presume that the earliest anisogamous organisms had separate sexes. However, in most taxa, there is no empirical evidence to support this assumption....

Background:Computed tomography angiography (CTA) of the supraaortic arteries is commonly used for acute stroke workup and may reveal apical pulmonary lesions (APL).Aim:To determine the prevalence, follow-up algorithms, and in-hospital outcomes of stroke patients with APL on CTA.Methods:We retrospectively included consecutive adult patients with ischemic stroke, transient ischemic attack, or intracerebral hemorrhage and available CTA at a tertiary hospital between January 2014 and May 2021. We reviewed all CTA reports for the presence of APL. APL...

Objectives:We identified factors associated with healthcare costs and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of multimorbid older adults with polypharmacy.Methods:Using data from the OPERAM (OPtimising thERapy to prevent Avoidable hospital admissions in the Multimorbid older people) trial, we described the magnitude and composition of healthcare costs, and time trends of HRQoL, during 1-year after an acute-care hospitalization. We performed a cluster analysis to identify groups with different cost and HRQoL trends. Using multilevel models, we also...