Background: Cold urticaria (ColdU) is a common type of chronic inducible urticaria. Patients with typical ColdU develop wheals in response to standard cold stimulation tests (CSTs), an ice cube (ICT) or TempTest ®. As of now, the evaluation of CST response is visual and subjective. Validated, robust, and objective test readouts lacking today are needed. Methods: We subjected 63 patients (39 with typical ColdU and 24 with atypical ColdU) and 15 healthy controls (HCs) to TempTest ® CSTs and critical temperature threshold assessments. Blood microcirculation photoplethysmography (PPG) measurements were performed 5 min before and 10 min after the ICT on the volar forearm. Results: PPG amplitudes reflected normal baseline skin blood perfusion in patients with typical or atypical ColdU. Ice cube CSTs induced a marked increase in blood perfusion and PPG amplitudes in typical but not atypical ColdU, with distinct pre-post CST changes in PPG amplitudes in the former. The ratio of post-provocation and baseline PPG amplitudes ( R PPG) in typical ColdU patients exceeded that in atypical ColdU patients and HCs more than 3-fold. Almost all typical ColdU patients (98%), but only 13% of atypical ColdU patients and 7% of HCs had R PPG >3. PPG results matched those of CSTs in 94% of all tested individuals. Conclusion: Photoplethysmographic assessments of CST responses appear accurate and provide objective readouts. PPG may be of use in diagnosing ColdU, distinguishing typical and atypical ColdU, and more precise threshold testing.

Background Although pollen allergy is a very frequent finding in patients with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), it was doubted that it was an etiological agent to consider. Many EoE patients present rhinoconjunctivitis, atopic dermatitis and associated asthma, in addition to dysphagia and food impaction. EoE exacerbations are often seasonal. Methods We performed a real life study. Allergens involved in EoE were identified by prick, specific IgE and component resolved diagnosis (CRD) by microarrays. We selected 255 patients suffered from esophagitis with seasonal exacerbation, and performed a trial with specific immunotherapy with the detected pollen and avoidance of food, if was also detected. Microscopic examination of esophageal biopsies of patients with EoE were made to verify the presence of callose (polysaccharide abundant in the polinic tubes during germination, but absent in animal tissues) in the esophagus. Callose was detected using histological sections stained with sirofluor fluorochrome. Endoscopy and biopsy were performed ever six months of treatment. Esophageal mucosal sections were analyzed by scanning electron microscope Results Diagnosis of allergen hypersensitivity using molecular microarray analysis CRD and biopsy study was more efficient in esophagitis than other tests and was useful to decide the treatment (avoidance or targeted immunotherapy) and allowed us a more reasonable restriction of food in the diet and specific immunotherapy aimed at the suspected allergens responsible for the disease. After immunotherapy, 188 (74%) patients were discharged whit negative biopsy, no symptoms, no medication, without relapse Conclusion Specific immunotherapy achieved clinic resolution and objective improvement by normal biopsy.

BACKGROUND Moringa oleifera leaves are an inexpensive substitute for staple foods. Despite limited data, Moringa oleifera leaf protein (Mo-Pr) may be allergenic in BALB/c mice. In mouse models and allergic patients, dendritic cells (DCs) may be involved in food allergy. In addition, some allergens, including food allergens, can directly activate DCs and induce Th2 polarization. We investigated whether Mo-Pr can modulate the functional profile of murine BMDCs in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS BMDCs were obtained from mouse bone marrow cultured with GM-CSF for 7 days and then treated with LPS or Mo-Pr. BMDC phenotypes were evaluated by flow cytometry, cytokine production by ELISA, expression of key genes and receptors by flow cytometry or qRT-PCR, effects on T-cell differentiation by MLR, Mo-PR-specific IgE in recipient serum after BMDC transfer, and transcriptional changes in BMDCs by RNA-Seq. RESULTS Mo-Pr treatment significantly induced BMDC maturation, increased expression of surface costimulatory molecules CD80/86 and MHCⅡ, production of IL-12 and TNF-α, and induction of T-cell differentiation. Mo-Pr treatment stimulated BMDC expression of the Th2 promoters OX40L and TIM-4, induced production of the Th2-type chemokines CCL22 and CCL17, and decreased the Th1/Th2 ratio in vitro. Healthy recipients of Mo-Pr-treated BMDCs produced Mo-Pr-specific IgE. CONCLUSIONS Mo-Pr functionally activates murine BMDCs and induces differentiation toward a Th2-polarizing phenotype. Mo-Pr can bind to the C-type lectin receptor DC-SIGN to activate the MAPK pathway and polarize BMDCs toward a Th2-polarizing phenotype.

In the wake of the #Metoo movement, liberal feminism has garnered the spotlight on equal rights for women. However, what factors contribute to men and women developing liberal feminist ideologies? This is important to understand as this ideology is predictive of support for political and social policies that are currently under debate in the United States. In this survey study (149 heterosexual men and 233 heterosexual women) we examined attitudinal and ideological variables that underlie liberal feminist ideology. The results of this study indicate that men scored significantly lower on liberal feminist ideology and significantly higher on traditional attitudes toward women, hostile and benevolent sexism, gender-specific justification, rape myths and conservative political affiliation compared to women. Furthermore, traditional attitudes toward women, hostile and benevolent sexism, gender-specific justification, rape myths, political leanings, and gender accounted for almost 70 percent of the variance in liberal feminist ideology. Participant gender did not moderate the regression analyses, suggesting that men and women are influenced similarly in determining what attitudes predict liberal feminist ideologies. Implications for support for public policy are addressed.

Properties of the vapor-liquid interface of 16 binary mixtures were studied using molecular dynamics simulations and density gradient theory in combination with the PCP-SAFT equation of state. All binary combinations of the heavy-boiling components (cyclohexane, toluene, acetone, and carbon tetrachloride) with the light-boiling components (methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen chloride, and nitrogen) were investigated at 0.7 times the critical temperature of the heavy-boiling component in the whole composition range. Data on the surface tension, the enrichment, the relative adsorption, and the interfacial thickness, as well as for the vapor-liquid equilibrium and Henry’s law constant are reported. The binary interaction parameters were fitted to experimental data in a consistent way for all systems and both methods. Overall, the results from both methods agree well for all investigated properties. The interfacial properties of the different studied systems differ strongly. We show that these differences are directly related to the underlying phase equilibrium behavior.

Lemna minor (LM), apricot kernel shell (AKS), monterey pinecone (MP) and almond shell (AS) wastes were directly used by carbonizing together to reduce costs and increase carbon yields. They were carbonized alone/together at 800°C and 90 min, and their carbonization yields, adsorption capacities, physical and chemical properties were investigated. In EDX analysis, LM, AKS, AS and MP biomasses contain many inorganic substances. According to XRD analysis, the structure of LM is semi-crystalline and the others are amorphous. According to UV, XRD and SEM analysis, the co-carbonization process promoted both crystallinity and formation of mesopore/micropore structures. It also increased the carbonization yields. The highest carbonization yield and the highest crystal violet (CV) removal were in the co-carbonization of LM and AS with 38% and 94%, respectively. They can be used as an alternative to existing commercial products due to their cost-effective and high adsorption capacity.

Simulation and optimization of chemical flowsheets rely on the solution of a large number of non-linear equations. Finding such solutions can be supported by constructing machine-learning based surrogates, relating features and outputs by simple, explicit functions. In order to generate training data for those surrogates computationally efficiently, schemes to adaptively sample the feature space are mandatory. In this article, we present a novel family of utility functions to favor an adaptive, Bayesian exploration of the feature space in order to identify regions that are convergent, fulfill customized inequality constraints and are Pareto-optimal with respect to conflicting objectives. The benefit is illustrated by small toy-examples as well as by industrially relevant chemical flowsheets.

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. Liver cancer is one of the commonest cancers worldwide in terms of incidence and mortality. Viral hepatitis, alcohol abuse, and autoimmune hepatitis are the common causes of HCC. Usually patients present at advanced stages where curative treatment is no longer possible. This study aims to analyze the demographic, clinical, and radiological profiles and treatment patterns of HCC patients. Methods We studied patients with HCC from March 2020 to August 2022 and analyzed their risk factors, clinical characteristics, and treatment modalities. Patients with at least one clinical, radiological, or biochemical evidence of HCC were considered for the study. Data were collected using predetermined proformas. Results Our study included 54 patients with a mean age of 57.17 years, and male: female ratio of 5:1. Of them, 68.52% consumed alcohol and 74.07% smoked cigarettes. At the time of diagnosis, 88.89% of them were symptomatic, weight loss (64.81%) being the most common symptom. The majority of the participants belonged to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) terminal stage (38.89%) and had more than three liver lesions (35.19%) involving the right lobe (55.56%). Only four patients underwent curative surgical resection. As most were in the terminal stage (BCLC D), supportive care was provided. Conclusion Alcohol-related liver cirrhosis is the most common cause of HCC in Nepal. Despite the significant progress in diagnostic methods, most of the patients are diagnosed at advanced and terminal stages. These patients are unsuitable for curative treatment and are treated with supportive methods. Keywords Autoimmune hepatitis, hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma, treatment.

Objectives To explore the impact of two measures of human resource management reform, namely market-oriented employment status(MOES) and equal pay for equal work(EPEW) with work performance and work-family conflicts among physicians in public hospital in China. Methods We conducted a national cross-sectional survey in 77 public hospitals across seven provinces in China between July 2014 and April 2015, and 2785 physicians involved in this study. Work performance included work engagement, career attrition and patient-centered care. Work-family conflicts were composed of affecting care for family, feeling guilty towards family and receiving complaints from family. RESULTS Participants with MOES only account for 20.25%, those with EPEW only account for 10.36% and those with MOES & EPEW account for 4.35%. After adjusted for potential confounders, compared with those who had no experience of human resource reform measures, participants who had experiences of MOES & EPEW were more likely to report positive work performance (pride in work: aOR = 4.35, 95% CI :2.60–7.28; enjoyment of work: aOR = 4.46, 95% CI :2.71–7.35; turnover intention: aOR = 0.40, 95% CI :0.25–0.65; early retirement: aOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.21–0.58; exhaustion: aOR = 0.50, 95% CI :0.31–0.81) and negative work-family conflicts (feeling guilty towards family: aOR = 0.45, 95% CI :0.2810.73; receiving complaints from family: aOR = 0.52, 95% CI :0.32–0.85). Analysis stratified by age ≥35y and <35y showed that the human resource reform measures would have a higher effect on participants age ≥35y compared with those age <35y. CONCLUSIONS The differences stratified by age would reveal that salary system reform may need to be accelerated further and employment system reform may need to be appropriately slowed down, and accordingly, perfecting spiritual incentives measures would be needed to overcome the decline of their effect over time in the future.

The adoption of software engineers in Sri Lanka to continuous integration and continuous delivery has been researched under three main factors, Resistance to change, Knowledge gap and Lack of Interest. Google form based Questionnaire, used as a research instrument where it captured the responses from selected software engineers under different profession levels in software engineering. Hypothetically it has built some pre-research criterias and based on the response of the research it has been analyzed with hypothetic pre-research criterias. The research reveals that Resistance to change/inertia has a high degree of impact on CI CD adoption of the software engineers in Sri Lanka and also software engineers have interest in adopting CI CD even if they have a certain knowledge gap.

The relationships between water potential and water content in plants and soil have long been of interest, and there is increasing focus on understanding how these fundamental measures are linked at larger spatial and temporal scales. In this Perspective, we explore how the theory of pressure-volume (PV) relationships can be applied at ecosystem scale. We define and evaluate the concept and limitations of the ecosystem and vegetation pressure-volume curves and discuss its application using existing data. As a proof of concept, plot-scale aboveground vegetation PV curves were generated from equilibrium (e.g. predawn) water potentials and water content of the above ground biomass of nine plots including tropical rainforest, savanna, temperate forest, and a long-term Amazonian rainforest drought experiment. Initial findings suggest high consistency among sites where the steady-state water:biomass ratio is approximately 1:3, while the relative values of ecosystem hydraulic capacitance and accessible water storage (the water volume between saturation and a threshold) do not vary systematically with biomass. The ecosystem-scale PV relationship provides a thermodynamically consistent steady-state view of ecosystem form and function and a biophysically robust basis for the interpretation of remote sensing data of vegetation and soil water content, with promise for revealing useful trends across ecosystems.

Context or problem: Maintaining soil productivity and sustainability remains a challenge in the face of a changing global agricultural framework, which includes the primary threat of soil degradation in many regions. Objective: Although soil erosion contributes to land degradation, how reductions in fertiliser nitrogen (N) affect erosion and soil microbial communities in sloped farmland remains unclear. Methods: In this study, effects of reductions in fertiliser N from 300 kg ha −1 (N1) to 225 kg ha −1 (N2), 150 kg ha −1 (N3), and 75 kg ha −1 (N4) on runoff and sediment yield and microbial communities were evaluated in maize farmland with a 10° slope in Southwest China. Soil chemical properties were analyzed, and bacterial 16S rRNA and fungal ITS1 were sequenced from extracted DNA. Results: Runoff and sediment yield in maize were significantly lower in N1 and N2 than in N3 and N4 ( P < 0.05). Compared with light erosion (N1 and N2), severe erosion (N3 and N4) lowered microbial diversity and network complexity, with fewer associations among taxa. The severe erosion associated with reductions in N input resulted in significant decreases in abundances of bacterial phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, Firmicutes, and Nitrospirae and fungal phyla Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota, and Olpidiomycota. By contrast, abundances of the phyla Acidobacteria (bacteria) and Ascomycota and Glomeromycota (fungi) increased significantly with severe erosion. Distance-based redundancy analysis indicated that cation exchange capacity, organic matter, and nitrate strongly influenced structure of bacterial and fungal communities. Conclusions: Thus, reductions greater than 25% in N fertiliser (N3 and N4) did not meet crop N requirements, and because of the reduction in surface coverage, soil erosion was exacerbated, and soil fertility and diversity and complexity of microbial communities decreased. Implications: The results elucidated effects of N input on soil erosion and soil microbiomes in a sloped agroecosystem with the aim to rehabilitate or restore degraded land and increase sustainable ecoagriculture development.

Aims Forest productivity may decrease with increasing stand age, which may be related to a shift in the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) nutrient balance. However, it is unclear how the plantation nutrient balance changes with stand age and how it affects plantation productivity. Methods We experimented with increasing stand ages (6-, 10-, 15-, 25-, 30-, and 34-year-old stands) in Castanopsis hystrix plantations in southern China. Plant growth and the carbon (C), N, and P dynamics were assessed at the ecosystem level (leaf–litter–soil–microorganism). Results Increasing stand ages reduced plantation productivity and leaf N:P ratios (lower leaf N concentrations and stable leaf P concentrations). The reduced productivity may be related to increased N consumption rather than possible P limitations. Increasing stand ages increased N consumption mainly through decreasing soil NO 3 −-N concentrations and microbial biomass without altering plant N resorption, although enhanced N-acetylglucosaminidase, cellobiohydrolase, and polyphenol oxidase activity might accelerate N mineralization. Increased soil total P concentrations and microbial biomass P rather than plant P resorption would support a larger P supply for plants with increasing stand ages. Conclusions These results suggest that increasing stand ages can contribute to N consumption rather than elevate possible P limitations. Therefore, N fertilizer management should receive attention to maintain the productivity of C. hystrix plantations with increasing stand age.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) that can differentiate into gametes are used to produce genome-edited chickens. However, the transfection efficiency into PGCs is low in chickens; therefore, the yield efficiency of PGCs modified via genome editing is problematic. In this study, we improved transfection efficiency and achieved highly efficient genome editing in chicken PGCs. For transfection, we used lipofection, which is convenient for gene transfer. Chicken PGC cultures require adding heparin to support growth; however, heparin significantly reduces lipofection efficiency (p<0.01). Heparin-induced lipofection efficiency was restored by adding protamine. Based on these results, we optimized gene transfer into chicken PGCs. Lipofectamine™ 2000 and our PGC medium was the most efficient transfection reagent and medium, respectively. Finally, based on established conditions, we compared the gene knock-out efficiencies of ovomucoid, a major egg allergen, and gene knock-in efficiencies at the ACTB locus. These results indicate that optimized lipofection is useful for CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-out and knock-in. Our findings may contribute to the generation of genome-edited chickens and stimulate research in various applications involving them.

During the Belgian winter and spring season 2022-2023, we investigated the potential of used paper tissue (UPT) as a non-invasive sampling method for the diagnosis of acute respiratory infections. Screening for respiratory pathogens was done using an in-house developed respiratory panel for simultaneous detection of 22 respiratory viruses and 7 non-viral pathogens. The method allowed the identification and typing of respiratory pathogens in symptomatic individuals, as well as in collective samples taken at a community level. Pathogens that were identified in nasal swabs could also be detected in concurrent UPT from the same patient. In all cases that tested positive on an antigen-detection rapid diagnostic test, the corresponding virus could be detected in UPT. The collection of UPT could be useful in epidemiological surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, as well as other respiratory pathogens such as influenzavirus, respiratory syncytial virus, entero/rhinoviruses including EV D68, parainfluenzaviruses and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Multiple respiratory pathogens could be detected in UPTs of collectivities, confirming its applicability for community testing. This is especially interesting for screening in nursing homes, centers for the disabled, schools or other settings were taking nasal or nasopharyngeal samples is cumbersome.

Ecological restoration projects have significantly contributed to the global increase in vegetation cover and the reduction of soil erosion. However, the impact of lithology in the karst ecosystem on changes in soil erosion characteristics during vegetation restoration remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the soil erosion characteristics of hillslopes under different vegetation restoration strategies in the fragile karst areas composed of limestone and dolomite. The restoration strategies mainly include arbor forest (AF), orchard (OC), and grassland (GL), with cropland (CR) as the control. Soil physical-chemical properties and soil erodibility factors (K EPIC, K NOMO) were used to evaluate soil erosion characteristics. The results showed that, in comparison to cropland, both limestone and dolomite in restoration strategies exhibited lower soil bulk density (BD) and soil erodibility K values, as well as higher capillary porosity (CP) and soil water-stable aggregates (WSA). However, the K value of limestone (17.9%) was significantly higher compared to dolomite. Additionally, limestone exhibited significant changes ( p < 0.05) in soil properties, such as BD, organic matter content (OMC), CP, and WSA. Conversely, dolomite did not show significant changes in these soil properties. These findings indicate that vegetation restoration was effective in improving soil structure and erosion resistance, and dolomite exhibit higher stability compared to limestone. Through redundancy analysis, it was observed that soil texture, represented by silt content, was the primary parameter indicating changes in soil erosion characteristics following vegetation modification. The silt content explained 84.4% and 78.2% of the variation in K values for limestone and dolomite, respectively. Moreover, the changes in K values for dolomite were also controlled by OMC, whereas limestone was solely controlled by soil texture. These findings suggest that the interactions between soil properties contribute to the improvement of stability in dolomite. Accordingly, vegetation restoration enhances soil erosion resistance; however, the effectiveness of restoration was controlled by the lithology in the southwestern karst region.

Polyserositis Caused by Tuberculosis in a Young Female Patient with Hypothyroidism: A Diagnostic ChallengeGashaw Solela1 Ferhan Kedir1 Merga Daba21Department of Internal Medicine, Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.2Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Correspondence: Gashaw Solela, Department of Internal Medicine, Yekatit 12 Hospital Medical College, gashawsol@gmail.com, +251-921562995, ORCiD ID - 0000-0002-2233-9270

Benign cephalic histiocytosis in a 2-year-old boy with an inconspicuous clinical presentation at onsetSandra Osorio1, Lucie Harpain1, Karin Jahn-Bassler2, Adrian Tanew2, Sonja Radakovic11 Medical University of Vienna, Department of Dermatology, Vienna, Austria2 Private Practice, Vienna, Austria

A document by Muhammad haris latif. Click on the document to view its contents.

Lacrimal Sac Squamous Cell Carcinoma: From Resection to Prosthetic Rehabilitation. A Case Report

A document by Baraka Alphonce. Click on the document to view its contents.

Secretory carcinoma of salivary gland is a recently-recognized tumor resulting in pathognomic ETV6-NTRK3 gene fusion, identification of which is gold standard for diagnosis. In resource-limited settings unable to perform molecular analysis, histology and immunohistochemistry are quintessential for diagnosis. We present an illustrative case, discussing typical presentation of this rare entity.

Neuropathy is a terrible disorder that has a wide range of aetiologies. Drug-Induced Neuropathy, which happens whenever a chemical agent damages the peripheral nerve system, has been linked here to iatrogenic creation of some drugs. It is potentially permanent and causes sensory impairments and paresthesia that typically affects the hands, feet, and stockings; motor participation is uncommon. It might appear suddenly or over time, and the long-term outlook varies. The wide range of chronic pain conditions experienced by people has been some of the main obstacles to developing new, more effective medications for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Animal models can be used to examine various neuropathic pain aetiologies and symptoms. Several models investigate the peripheral processes of neuropathic pain, whereas some even investigate the central mechanisms. such as drug induce models like vincristine, cisplatin, bortezomib, or thalidomide, etc., and surgical models like sciatic nerve chronic constriction injury (CCI), sciatic nerve ligation through spinal nerve ligation (SNL), sciatic nerve damage caused by a laser, SNI (spared nerve injury), etc. The more popular animal models relying on peripheral nerve ligatures are explained. In contrast to chronic sciatic nerve contraction, which results in behavioral symptoms of less reliable stressful neuropathies, (SNI) spared nerve injury generates behavioral irregularities which are more feasible over a longer period. This review summarizes the latest methods models as well as clinical ideas concerning this mechanism. Every strongest current information on neuropathy is discussed, along with several popular laboratory models for causing neuropathy.

Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the maintenance of individual differences in behavior and physiology is a fundamental goal in ecology and evolution. The Pace-of-life syndrome hypothesis is often invoked to explain the maintenance of such within-population variation. This hypothesis predicts that behavioral traits are part of a suite of correlated traits that collectively determine an individual’s propensity to prioritize reproduction or survival. A key assumption of this hypothesis is that these traits are underpinned by genetic trade-offs among life-history traits: genetic variants that increase fertility, reproduction and growth might also reduce lifespan. We performed a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to summarize the evidence for the existence of genetic trade-offs between five key life-history traits: survival, growth rate, body size, maturation rate, and fertility. Counter to our predictions, we found an overall positive genetic correlation between survival and other life-history traits and no evidence for any genetic correlations between the non-survival life-history traits. This finding was generally consistent across pairs of life-history traits, sexes, life stages, lab vs field studies, and narrow- vs broad-sense correlation estimates. Our study highlights that genetic trade-offs may not be as common, or at least not as easily quantifiable, in animals as often assumed.