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Background: Recent shifts in consumer dietary preferences have led to a significant decline in rice consumption in Korea, resulting in surplus rice production. To address this issue, rice flour has been proposed as a substitute for wheat flour. However, the physical, chemical and structural differences between rice and wheat, particularly in grain hardness, pose challenges in using rice flour as an alternative. Understanding the genetic factors that influence rice grain hardness is crucial for improving the milling process and producing high-quality rice flour suitable for wheat flour substitution., Results: In this study, various grain traits, including length, width, thickness, length-to-width ratio and hardness, were measured in a population of brown and milled rice. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis revealed a significant association between grain hardness and thickness, with QTLs for grain hardness mapped on chromosomes 1 and 12 for brown and milled rice, respectively. A total of 20 candidate genes related to grain hardness were identified through QTL analysis. Among them, OsFLOq12 (LOC_Os12g43550) was identified as a key gene influencing grain hardness, which encodes a Ras small GTPase. Phenotypic analysis showed differences in endosperm appearance and particle size between lines with low and high grain hardness., Conclusion: The genetic analysis of OsFLOq12 revealed a single nucleotide polymorphism associated with grain hardness. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic background of grain hardness, offering a foundation for breeding rice varieties optimized for flour production as a viable substitute for wheat flour. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.)

Electrochemical water splitting involving two-half chemical cell reactions is a promising approach to generate hydrogen and oxygen. Although this method is sustainable, the sluggish kinetics of the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) occurring at the anode due to a high overpotential is an issue to be addressed. Recently, various chemical and structural engineering approaches have been explored to improve the efficiency of the OER by reducing the overpotential. Among them, incorporating noble metals into the electrodes by doping or creating heterojunctions is an appealing approach to develop efficient OER electrocatalysts. Based on this principle, herein, we synthesized a bismuth-oxide (Bi 2 O 3 ) electrocatalyst incorporated with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) by a facile one-step hydrothermal method to take advantage of the high conductivity of Ag NPs and the low band gap along with fast redox reaction of Bi 2 O 3 . With the Ag + concentration in the hydrothermal precursor solution, the thickness of hydrothermally formed Bi 2 O 3 nanoplates decreases, resulting in the increased electrochemical surface area (ECSA) from 71 to 300 cm 2 . The optimal electrode, heterojunction-formed Ag-Bi 2 O 3 (denoted H-Ag 1.00 -Bi 2 O 3 ), exhibits the lowest overpotential of 260 mV for the OER at a current density of 10 mA cm -2 with an excellent durability of 77.5% after stability tests for 240 h due to the number of active sites produced by Ag doping (manifesting defects), and heterojunction established between Ag nanoparticles and Bi 2 O 3 nanoplates. The approach explored in this work could be further utilized to produce other effective electrocatalysts for accelerating OER performances.

Background: This study evaluated the safety, pharmacokinetics, and antitumor activity of LY3295668 erbumine as monotherapy and combination therapy in children with relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma., Methods: Patients aged 2-21 years who had relapsed/refractory neuroblastoma were enrolled. LY3295668 erbumine was evaluated at two dose levels (12 and 15 mg/m 2 ) and administered orally twice daily continuously as monotherapy and in combination with intravenous topotecan and cyclophosphamide in 28-day cycles., Results: Twenty-five patients were treated. No dose-limiting toxicity occurred in monotherapy; one patient had dose-limiting toxicities in the combination therapy cohort (grade 3 mucositis and grade 4 neutropenia). The recommended phase 2 dose for both monotherapy and combination therapy was 15 mg/m 2 . Twenty-two patients (88%) had one or more treatment-related adverse event(s) (TRAEs), and 18 (72%) experienced grade ≥3 TRAEs. Myelosuppression was the most common high-grade TRAE observed in the combination therapy cohort. At both dose levels, steady-state plasma concentrations exceeded xenograft 90% inhibitory concentration levels. In the monotherapy cohort, one patient had a minor response, and one patient had stable disease, both continuing for >12 months. In the combination therapy cohort, two patients had a partial response, two had a minor response, and six had stable disease. Overall, the response rate, according to New Approaches to Neuroblastoma Therapy version 2.0 criteria, was 8%, and the disease control rate was 52%., Conclusions: LY3295668 erbumine had a manageable safety profile as monotherapy and in combination therapy. Although proof-of-concept clinical responses were observed, future studies with biomarker-selected populations and/or novel combinations may yield higher response rates with Aurora kinase A inhibition., (© 2025 American Cancer Society.)

Importance: Whether population-based racial and ethnic survival disparities for children with high-risk neuroblastoma persist in the clinical trial setting is unknown., Objective: To investigate racial and ethnic survival disparities among children with high-risk neuroblastoma treated on frontline clinical trials., Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used data from Children's Oncology Group (COG) high-risk neuroblastoma trials from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2016, with a data freeze on June 30, 2021. Children with high-risk neuroblastoma were analyzed in 2 cohorts: induction/consolidation trial participants and post-consolidation trial participants. Statistical analyses were performed from September 2, 2021, to December 30, 2024., Exposures: Race and ethnicity were the primary exposures, categorized as Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic other (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander), or non-Hispanic White., Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes included overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) from time of trial enrollment, estimated by Kaplan-Meier methods. Associations with race and ethnicity were evaluated by log-rank tests and Cox proportional hazards regression models. Secondary outcomes included induction delays, early trial withdrawal, relapse as first event, death as first event, postrelapse OS, and early phase trial enrollment., Results: The induction/consolidation cohort (median follow-up, 8.3 years [IQR, 6.1-9.8 years]) included 696 patients (404 males [58.1%]; 79 Hispanic patients [11.4%], 109 non-Hispanic Black patients [15.7%], 27 patients of non-Hispanic other race [3.9%], and 481 non-Hispanic White patients [69.1%]). The post-consolidation cohort (median follow-up, 7.5 years [IQR, 5.8-9.4 years]) included 935 patients (567 males [60.6%]; 87 Hispanic patients [9.3%], 145 non-Hispanic Black patients [15.5%], 41 patients of non-Hispanic other race [4.4%], and 662 non-Hispanic White patients [70.8%]). In multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models, Hispanic children experienced significantly inferior OS (hazard ratio [HR], 1.78; 95% CI, 1.25-2.53; P = .01) on induction/consolidation studies compared with non-Hispanic White children; EFS did not differ. Non-Hispanic Black (HR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.13-2.11) and Hispanic children (HR, 1.63; 95% CI, 1.09-2.43) experienced inferior OS on post-consolidation studies compared with non-Hispanic White children (P = .009); Hispanic children in post-consolidation studies experienced inferior EFS (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.14-2.47; P = .02). Death as first event and postrelapse OS also differed by race and ethnicity., Conclusions and Relevance: This study suggests that Black and Hispanic children with high-risk neuroblastoma experienced inferior OS despite uniform planned treatment on frontline COG clinical trials. Investigated mechanisms did not completely explain survival disparities. Future evaluation of disparate treatment-related toxicities and postrelapse care as explanatory mechanisms are key next steps to promote equity.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a fatal central nervous system (CNS) tumor that confers a median survival of 11 months. As B7-H3 is expressed on pediatric CNS tumors, we conducted BrainChild-03, a single-center, dose-escalation phase 1 clinical trial of repetitive intracerebroventricular (ICV) dosing of B7-H3-targeting chimeric antigen receptor T cells (B7-H3 CAR T cells) for children with recurrent or refractory CNS tumors and DIPG. Here we report results from Arm C, restricted to patients with DIPG. The primary objectives were to assess feasibility and tolerability, which were both met. Secondary objectives included assessments of CAR T cell distribution and survival. A total of 23 patients with DIPG enrolled, and 21 were treated with repeated doses of ICV B7-H3 CAR T cells using intra-patient dose-escalation regimens without previous lymphodepletion. Concurrent tumor-directed therapy, including re-irradiation, was not allowed while on protocol therapy. We delivered a total of 253 ICV doses and established the highest planned dose regimen, DR4, which escalated up to 10 × 10 7 cells per dose, as the maximally tolerated dose regimen. Common adverse events included headache, fatigue and fever. There was one dose-limiting toxicity (intratumoral hemorrhage) during DR2. For all treated patients (n = 21), the median survival from their initial CAR T cell infusion was 10.7 months and the median survival from diagnosis was 19.8 months with 3 patients still alive at 44, 45 and 52 months from diagnosis. Ultimately, this completed first-in-human trial shows that repetitive ICV dosing of B7-H3 CAR T cells in pediatric and young adult patients with DIPG is tolerable, including multiyear repeated dosing, and may have clinical efficacy that warrants further investigation on a multisite phase 2 trial. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT04185038 ., Competing Interests: Competing interests: N.A.V. holds equity in and serves as the Scientific Advisory Board Chair for BrainChild Bio, Inc. J.A.G. holds equity in BrainChild Bio, Inc. R.J.O. receives research support from Lentigen Technology, a Miltenyi Biotec company, and is a consultant for Umoja Biopharma. R.A.G. is an inventor and receives royalties on patents related to CAR T cell technologies that are licensed to Juno Therapeutics, a Bristol Myers Squibb company, and serves as a consultant to Moonlight Bio. M.C.J. holds equity in and is the Chief Scientific Officer of BrainChild Bio, Inc. M.C.J. holds equity in, is a Board Observer for and serves as a member of the Joint Steering Committee of Umoja Biopharma, Inc. N.A.V., J.A.G., J.B.F., J.R.P. and M.C.J. are inventors on issued and pending patents related to CAR T cell therapies. The other authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Background: Tumor invasion of the spinal canal is detected radiographically in approximately 15% of patients with newly diagnosed neuroblastoma (NB). The optimal clinical approach to maintain excellent survival outcomes while minimizing long-term sequelae is yet to be defined., Methods: Patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma (IR-NB) and radiographically identified intraspinal tumors who were treated on the Children's Oncology Group study ANBL0531 were studied prospectively to evaluate neurologic outcomes related to cord compression. Patients were defined as being symptomatic versus asymptomatic based on reporting of neurologic motor deficits at diagnosis. Patient characteristics, tumor biology, chemotherapy treatment, surgical interventions, and neurologic and disease outcomes are reported., Results: Of the 92 patients with intraspinal tumors, 42 (46%) were symptomatic and most (73%) had complete resolution of symptoms. Age, degree of motor deficit, and duration of symptoms at diagnosis were not associated with complete resolution. While symptomatic patients were more likely to undergo upfront laminectomy, laminectomy was not associated with improvement of motor symptoms. Administration of additional chemotherapy beyond initial treatment assigned per protocol to achieve the treatment end point was not associated with achieving symptom resolution., Conclusion: Patients presenting with motor deficits due to intraspinal tumor had excellent survival and favorable neurologic outcomes, with the majority reporting complete resolution of motor symptoms regardless of severity and duration of symptoms at diagnosis or neurosurgical intervention. Prompt diagnosis and initiation of first-line chemotherapy treatment remain priority, while neurosurgical intervention should be reserved for patients with rapid neurologic deterioration. Biology-based therapy and tumor response should continue to be used to maintain favorable outcomes., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background/aims: Elevated troponin levels predict in-hospital mortality and influence decisions regarding thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the usefulness of high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) regarding PE remains uncertain. We aimed to establish the optimal cut-off level and compare its performance for precise risk stratification., Methods: 374 patients diagnosed with acute PE were reviewed. PE-related adverse outcomes, a composite of PE-related deaths, cardiopulmonary resuscitation incidents, systolic blood pressure < 90 mmHg, and all-cause mortality within 30 days were evaluated. The optimal hsTnT cut-off for all-cause mortality, and the net reclassification index (NRI) was used to assess the incremental value in risk stratification., Results: Among 343 normotensive patients, 17 (5.0%) experienced all-cause mortality, while 40 (10.7%) had PE-related adverse outcomes. An optimal hsTnT cut-off value of 60 ng/L for all-cause mortality (AUC 0.74, 95% CI 0.61-0.85, p < 0.001) was identified, which was significantly associated with PE-related adverse outcomes (OR 4.07, 95% CI 2.06-8.06, p < 0.001). Patients with hsTnT ≥ 60 ng/L were older, hypotensive, had higher creatinine levels, and right ventricular dysfunction signs. Combining hsTnT ≥ 60 ng/L with simplified pulmonary embolism severity index ≥1 provided additional prognostic information. Reclassification analysis showed a significant shift in risk categories, with an NRI of 1.016 ± 0.201 (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: We refined troponin's predictive value in patients with acute PE, proposing a new cut-off value of hsTnT ≥ 60 ng/L. Validation through large-scale studies is essential to offer clinically useful guidance for managing patient population.

Background: The International Neuroblastoma Risk Group (INRG) classifier utilizes a staging system based on pretreatment imaging criteria in which image-defined risk factors (IDRFs) are used to evaluate the extent of locoregional disease. Children's Oncology Group (COG) study ANBL0531 prospectively examined institutional determination of IDRF status and compared that to a standardized central review., Methods: Between 9/2009-6/2011, patients with intermediate-risk neuroblastoma were enrolled on ANBL0531 and had IDRF assessment at treating institutions. Paired COG pediatric surgeons and radiologists performed blinded central review of diagnostic imaging for the presence or absence of IDRFs. Second blinded review was performed in cases of discordance. Comparison of local and central review was performed using the Kappa coefficient to determine concordance in IDRF assessment., Results: 211 patients enrolled in ANBL0531 underwent IDRF assessment; 3 patients were excluded due to poor image quality. Central reviewer pairs agreed on the presence or absence of any IDRF in 170/208 (81.7%; κ = 0.48) cases. Thirteen (6.3%) cases could not be adjudicated after second blinded review. Radiologists were more likely to identify IRDFs as present than surgeons (p < 0.001). Local and central reviewers agreed on the presence or absence of any IDRF in only108/208 (51.9%; κ = 0.06) cases., Conclusions: Among experienced pediatric surgeons and radiologists participating in central review, concordance was moderate, with agreement in 81.7% of cases. On comparison of local and central assessment of IDRFs, concordance was poor. These data indicate that greater standardization, education, technology, and training are needed to improve the assessment of IDRFs in children with neuroblastoma., Level of Evidence: Treatment Study, Level III., Competing Interests: Conflict of interset Author AN serves on a data safety monitoring board for Novartis., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)