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• Battery thermal management is studied with phase-change materials and heat pipes; • Phase change materials improve the temperature uniformity of the battery pack; • Phase change-heat pipe cooling reduces by 22.3% battery temperature than using air; • Phase change material RT31 reduces by 11.8 % battery temperature at 5–50 W·m−2·K−1; • Short circuit of combination cooling reduces by 29.9% temperature than air cooling. Lithium-ion battery packs generate high-level heat under harsh and rigorous conditions. The inadequate heat dissipation results in high pack temperature above the safe operating range. This study investigates an efficient and cost-effective battery thermal management system based on phase change materials and a micro heat pipe array. The battery is treated as a single domain. A battery pack with six series stacked batteries is analyzed using the Newman-Tiedemann-Gu-Kim model. The thermal performance of a battery thermal management system is analyzed using phase change materials with various melting temperature values, ambient temperature, and convective heat transfer coefficients of micro heat pipe arrays. Results show that the maximum temperature of the cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays and phase change materials is 33.8 °C, which is reduced by 22.3 % and 7.8 % compared to the air-cooled and cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays. At forced convection of 50 W·m−2·K−1, the maximum battery temperature values for the phase change material RT31, RT35, and RT42 are reduced by 11.8 %, 8.9 %, and 5.4 % compared to those at forced convection of 5 W·m−2·K−1. Under short-circuit conditions, the cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays and cooling system with micro heat pipe arrays − phase change materials reduce the maximum battery temperature by 12.4 % and 29.9 % compared to the air-cooled system. Results show that the developed model for the battery thermal management system provides a reference for designing phase change materials with micro heat pipe arrays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The increased number of RTX infusions was associated with prolonged B cell depletion. • The prolonged B cell depletion leads to decreased antibody production. • Absolute cell counts for T cells did not change over time. Rituximab (RTX) is a promising B-cell-depleting monoclonal antibody used to treat several autoimmune neurological diseases in children. The RTX administration regimen relies on the reconstitution of B cells in the peripheral blood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different initial RTX regimens on B cell depletion. This single-center retrospective analysis included children with autoimmune neurological diseases who received RTX; Group 1 received two infusions of 375 mg/m2 RTX, while Group 2 received four infusions of the same dose. We examined the evolution of B cells at regular intervals in patients. The time required for B cell reconstitution, risk factors, and the effect on immunoglobulin (Ig) and T cells were studied. A total of 113 patients with the first course of rituximab were included. Median time required for B cell reconstitution was 147.7 [130.1–165.2] and 181.9 [165.2–198.6] days in Group 1 and 2 respectively (p = 0.008). Ig production was affected by RTX, which reduced IgG, IgA and IgM serum concentrations, yet within the normal level. There was significant difference in the decline of IgG between the two groups. Absolute cell counts for T cells did not change over time after treatment, and the variation trend was similar in the two groups. The initial regimen of RTX impacts time required for B cell reconstitution. There was an increased time to B cell reconstitution with four standard infusions of RTX when compared with two standard infusions. Furthermore, as the prolonged B cell depletion leads to decreased antibody production, regular measurements of serum Ig concentrations after RTX treatment and follow-up should be performed regularly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone metastases from solid tumors and multiple myeloma (MM) represent an important source of morbidity. The present meta-analysis was performed with the purpose of comparing the efficacy and tolerability of denosumab versus zoledronic acid (ZA) in the prevention of skeletal-related events (SREs) in patients with bone metastases secondary to solid tumors or bone lesions in multiple myeloma. We searched PubMed, PubMed Central, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov for relevant studies published until April 23, 2020. We included randomized, controlled trials that investigated the efficacy and tolerability of denosumab 120 mg SC versus ZA 4 mg IV, given every 4 weeks, in patients with bone lesions in multiple myeloma or bone metastases secondary to advanced solid tumors. Two reviewers independently identified studies, assessed the risk for bias, and extracted the data. Times to event outcomes were analyzed using hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs. We analyzed tolerability outcomes using risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs, with a fixed-effects model. Four randomized, controlled trials (7379 patients) were identified as suitable for analysis. The pooled data indicated that denosumab was more favorable than ZA in delaying the time to first on-study SRE (HR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.80–0.93; P = 0.0001) as well as the time to first and subsequent on-study SREs (HR = 0.83; 95% CI, 0.76–0.90; P < 0.0001); however, the results on overall survival and disease progression were similar between the 2 drugs. Additionally, denosumab was associated with lower risks for bone pain (risk ratio [RR] = 0.88; 95% CI, 0.80–0.97; P = 0.01), osteonecrosis of the jaw (RR = 0.75; 95% CI, 0.61–0.93; P = 0.007), and acute-phase reactions (RR = 0.47; 95% CI, 0.40–0.56; P < 0.00001). Compared with ZA, denosumab demonstrated efficacy in significantly delaying on-study SREs. Furthermore, it showed a better tolerability profile, despite being associated with potential yet manageable adverse events. This study was registered with PROSPERO (identifier: CRD42019126390). • Bone health is a crucial component in cancer care. The present study was focused on bone-targeted agents [denosumab versus zoledronic acid (ZA)] for preventing skeletal-related events (SREs) in vulnerable cancer patients. • Considering the NCCN clinical guidelines for bone health, denosumab represents a potential novel treatment option for patients with multiple myeloma (MM). This study included the recent findings of MM and included an RCT of 1718 patients. • In this paper, febrile neutropenia, pyrexia and myalgia were first added in the discussion of safety profile of the two bone-targeted agents. These outcomes are meaningful to patients' clinical situation. • Compared with ZA, denosumab demonstrated superior efficacy in significantly delaying the first and subsequent on-study SREs. Further, it showed a better safety profile in bone pain, osteonecrosis of the jaw and acute-phase reactions. The results suggested a clinical potential to apply denosumab in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]