In this article the author intends to expose the link between philosophy and neuroscience. Several cases are considered as illustrations. Conservation of matter allows everything to be expressed in terms of (integro)-differential equations, also known as the continuity equation. Theoretically, an idea associated with any process may impose its own framework. The mechanism of action potential generation proposed by Hodgkin and Huxley has introduced voltage-gated ionic channels. Thus a framework has been established, where all possible channels as well as pumps and transporters that supply corresponding ionic gradients have to be experimentally identified together with their possible features. With the mechanism of resting state formation recently proposed by the author, an example of a possible future framework of intercellular direct energy transfer has been presented. However, a full description of the (integro)-differential equations at some point in time does not mean a complete description of all the processes that may take place, nor does it provide understanding of each individual process. Therefore, three layers reflecting equations, processes and understanding could be outlined. Understanding of the processes could be formulated as a philosophical idea. A list of such ideas to a great extent reflects our understanding of the field. Philosophical ideas are thus able both to give more details in the structure of the description of the (integro)-differential equations and to reflect the understanding of the processes that develop and evolve in these equations.

The microwave probe is an important measurement fixture for monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC). The S-parameter of the probe significantly affects the accuracy of the chip test in the de-embedding test. In this paper, a probe S-parameter extraction method is proposed by considering the influence of all calibration parameters. The results of different microwave probes and calibration kits are compared. The effect of each calibration parameter on the S-parameter of the probe is evaluated.

Epidermolysis Bullosa Pruriginosa Treated with Baricitinib：A Case ReportZhe He1, PhDQian Dong1, PhDYue Xi 1, PhDRui Zheng2, PhD1 Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China; 2Department of Dermatology, First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China.Correspondence: Rui Zheng, Email:Zhengr2002@163.comEBP: Epidermolysis Bullosa PruriginosaJAK-STAT: Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcriptionJAK: Janus kinaseDEB: Dystrophic Epidermolysis BullosaVAS: The Visual Analogue ScalAbstract : Introduction: Fewer than 100 cases of Epidermolysis Bullosa Pruriginosa(EBP) have been reported to date. Numerous inflammatory dermatoses are driven by soluble inflammatory mediators, which rely on Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling, and inhibition of this pathway using Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors might be a useful therapeutic strategy for these diseases. Chronic inflammation is a hallmark of Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa (DEB), thus upregulation of inflammatory cytokines and JAK signaling may play a role in DEB-related pruritus. EBP is a persistent, recurring disease that seriously affects quality of life. Patient concerns: A male patient, 28 years of age, was admitted to our hospital because of recurrent papules, nodules, and intense itching on the trunk and extremities for 12 years. Repeated large and intense itching for 12 years has seriously affected the patient’s normal life.Diagnosis: The patient was diagnosed with Epidermolysis Bullosa Pruriginosa based on examination results. interventions: Oral baricitinib tablets (2 mg, once a day) + Oral desloratadine citrate disodium tablets (8.8 mg, once a day) combined with topical compound flumethasone ointment and Fucidin cream. outcomes: The patient’s skin rashes had subsided and flattened significantly, and his itching was markedly relieved. The Visual Analogue Scal (VAS) itching score of the patient had gradually declined from 8–9 points to 2–3 points. Conclusion : this study confirms that baricitinib is effective and feasible in treating EBP, especially in significantly relieving itching, which rendered new ideas for therapeutic approaches for EBP in the future.Keywords: Epidermolysis Bullosa, kinase inhibitors, Baricitinib Treatment

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Molecular ferroelastic with the natural features of mechanical flexibility and switchable spontaneous strain have attracted widespread attention in the scientific community due to their potential applications in tunable gratings, flexible memorizers, strain sensors, and intelligent actuators. However, most designs of molecular ferroelastics remain in the stage of blind exploration, posing a challenge to achieve a functional ferroelastic more effectively. Herein, we have successfully obtained a molecular ferroelastic, [Me2NH(CH2)2NH3](ReO4)2 (Me2NH(CH2)2NH3 = N,N-dimethylethylenediammonium), under the guidance of the mono-/double-protonating strategy. The double-protonated [Me2NH(CH2)2NH3](ReO4)2 undergoes a paraelastic-ferroelastic phase transition with the Aizu notation of 2/mF-1 at 322 K. Meanwhile, the theoretical calculation and experimental measurement simultaneously show that [Me2NH(CH2)2NH3](ReO4)2 possesses good mechanical flexibility, because its elastic modulus (E) of 8.26 GPa and hardness (H) of 0.45 GPa is smaller than the average value of organic crystals (E of 12.05 GPa and H of 0.5 GPa), which makes it promising to apply in wearable pressure sensors, implantable medical sensors, high-precision tuners, etc. This work further enriches the molecular ferroelastic family and demonstrates that mono-/double-protonation is one of the effective molecular modification strategies for designing ferroelastics.

The mito-metagenomics (MMG) approach inovolves directly sequencing pooled samples, yields numerous mitochondrial reads that can be assembled into full or partial mitogenomes. This method circumvents the challenges associated with PCR-based metabarcoding and hold significant promise in biodiversity and phylogeny study. However, a reference database is typically required to extract mito-reads/contigs and provide taxonomic or phylogenetic context, thereby limiting its applicability. In this study, we introduced a novel reference-free pipeline for MMG assembly. This approach involves assembling raw reads, utilizing a prebuilt deep-learning model to identify and extract mitochondrial contigs, and subsequently predicting and annotating protein coding genes. This pipeline has been integrated into a snakemake workflow, enabling the generation of output that is readily usable for phylogeny reconstruction in a single run. The performance tests have indicated that this new approach surpasses reference-based methods in soil nematode community profiling. The taxa that remain unrecovered can be attributed to various factors such as low DNA quantity and unsuccessful DNA extraction. We have demonstrated that assembly quality improves with increasing sequencing depth, recommending an average of 1–2 Gb per species to achieve acceptable MMG assembly. Our pipeline presents an opportunity to create high-resolution phylogenies and assess diversity for poorly understood taxa, including neglected microscopic eukaryotes. This advancement opens up avenues for enhanced understanding and exploration of these lesser-known organisms.

Background & Aims: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can be completely suppressed after antiviral treatment; however, some patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) still exhibit elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels and sustained disease progression. The aim of this study was to provide novel insights into the mechanism and potential predictive biomarkers of persistently elevated ALT (PeALT) in patients with CHB after complete viral inhibition. Methods: CHB Patients with undetectable HBV DNA at least 12 months after antiviral treatment were enrolled from a prospective, observational cohort. Correlations between plasma metabolites and the risk of elevated ALT were examined using multivariate logistic regression. Results: Of the 1238 patients with CHB who achieved complete viral suppression, 40 (3.23%) had PeALT levels during follow-up (median follow-up: 2.42 years). Additionally, 40 patients with persistently normal ALT (PnALT) levels were matched 1:1 as controls. Ser-Phe-Ala (variable importance in projection [VIP] = 4.28), Lys-Ala-Leu-Glu (VIP = 4.49), 3-methylhippuric acid (VIP = 3.04), 3-methylxanthine (VIP = 2.62), and 7-methylxanthine (VIP = 3.35) were identified as critical differential metabolites between the two groups and independently associated with PeALT risk. Ser-Phe-Ala and Lys-Ala-Leu-Glu levels could be used to discriminate patients with PeALT from those with PnALT. Furthermore, N-acetyl-l-methionine (NALM) demonstrated the strongest negative correlation with ALT levels. NALM supplementation alleviated liver injury and hepatic necrosis induced by carbon tetrachloride in mice. Conclusions: Changes in circulating metabolites may contribute to PeALT levels in patients with CHB who have achieved complete viral suppression after antiviral treatment.

System level simulation of neuro-memristive circuits under variability are complex and follow a black-box neural network approach. In realistic hardware, they are often difficult to cross-check for accuracy and reproducible results. The accurate memristor model prediction becomes critical to decipher the overall the circuit function in wide range of non-ideal and practical conditions. In most neuro-memristive systems, crossbar configuration is essential for implementing multiply and accumulate calculations, that forms the primary unit for neural network implementations. Predicting the specific memristor model that best fits the crossbar simulations to make it explainable is an open challenge that is solved in this paper. As the size of the crossbar increases the cross-validation becomes an even more challenging. This paper proposes predicting the memristor device under test by automatically evaluating the I-V behavior using Random forest and Extreme Gradient Boosting algorithms. Starting with a single memristor model, the prediction approach is extended to memristor crossbarbased circuits explainable. The performance of both algorithms is analysed based on precision, recall, f1-score and support. The accuracy, macro average and weighted average of both algorithms at different operational frequencies are explored.

IntroductionEpithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare vascular tumour that originates from vascular endothelial or pre-endothelial cells. Its demographic characteristics are unclear and there is no racial and sex predilection,8The overall incidence of EHE is 0.230 per 1000000 person-years.8 EHE in general affects patients in the age range 16-74 years but EHE of the bone is more prevalent in the third and fourth decade of life.2,3,5EHE can develop in any part of the body but is reported to more frequently in the liver (34%), lungs (21%), bone (19%) and other sites (26%). 1.,2 It was first described and named in 1982 by Weiz and Enzinger and is classified in the 2020 WHO classification of bone tumours as a low-to-intermediate grade neoplasm.2.,3 Malignant vascular bone tumours are rare and constitute less than 1% of primary bone tumours.3 Bone involvement usually involves the lower extremity (62%), upper extremities (14%) and vertebra (10%)3. As such primary EHE of the spine is very uncommon, with the thoracic spine most likely to be involved followed by cervical, lumbar, and sacral levels in order of decreasing frequency3.Here we report on a 26-year-old female with thoracic T2 and T3 lesions in keeping with primary EHE of the spine, her clinical presentation, work up including laboratory, immunohistopathological and imaging studies. We also conclude on her management and current condition. There are currently no prior clinical case reports on primary EHE of the spine in South Africa or Africa as a whole.

Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) is a stable, episomal form of HBV DNA. cccDNA is a true marker for the intrahepatic events in controlled CHB infection. Quantifying cccDNA is critical for monitoring disease progression and efficacy of anti-viral therapies. To standardize the method, total HBV DNA was isolated from HepAD38 cells and digested with three exonuclease enzymes to remove linear and relaxed circular HBV DNA. Purified cccDNA quantification used ddPCR with specific primers. Treatment-naive chronic hepatitis B virus patients (nCHBV, n=36) with detectable HBV DNA and HBsAg, were grouped by HBsAg levels: Group I (HBsAg lo < 2000 IU/ml, n=11) and Group II (HBsAg hi > 2000 IU/ml, n=25). cccDNA, HBV DNA and HBsAg, were quantified in plasma and compared between groups. Correlation with clinical/histopathological features was done. Non-digested 3.6 ^10 6 tet -ve HepAD38 cells showed 316 copies/µl of total viral DNA. After digesting the linear, integrated, and relaxed circular DNA with triple enzymes, 15 copies/µl of cccDNA were detected. Similarly, after DNA digestion, HBsAg lo patients showed a median of 8.5 copies/µl (IQR 2.75-9.75 copies/µl), and HBsAg hi gave a median of 11 copies/µl (IQR 4-16 copies/µl) but with no significant difference between groups (p=0.093). Further, HBsAg lo patients with low cccDNA copy numbers showed significantly higher fibrosis grades than HBsAg hi (p=0.036). We conclude that employing a combined approach utilizing three exonucleases, cccDNA-specific primers, and ddPCR enables the detection of cccDNA copies even in patients exhibiting low levels of HBsAg and HBV DNA. This integrated method offers additional validation as a surrogate diagnostic tool.

KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE: Pancreatic myeloid sarcoma is a rare manifestation of myeloid neoplasms. Its diagnosis can be challenging due to its rarity and potential to mimic other pancreatic malignancies. We report a case of pancreatic myeloid sarcoma revealing acute myeloid leukemia.KEYWORDS:Myeloid sarcoma, Acute myeloid leukemia, Pancreas, Chemotherapy.INTRODUCTION:Myeloid sarcoma (MS), also known as granulocytic sarcoma or chloroma, is a rare extramedullary tumor composed of immature myeloid cells1. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification, MS is defined as a tumor mass consisting of myeloid blasts, with or without maturation, occurring at an anatomic site other than bone marrow 2. MS can occur as isolated condition or be associated to other myeloid disorders like AML, myeloproliferative neoplasms, or myelodysplastic syndromes, either at the initial diagnosis and during relapse. 3. The clinical manifestations of MS vary widely depending on the size and the location of the tumor. While MS can occur in various parts of the body, its infiltration of the pancreas is particularly rare and has been reported in only few cases in literature. This rarity can make the diagnosis challenging, especially since it can mimic other pancreatic cancer, which are more common4,5. This report presents a case of pancreatic MS revealing AML.CASE PRESENTATION:Case History / examination:A 34-year-old man, with no past history, presented to the emergency department with jaundice, epigastric pain, vomiting and nausea. His physical examination revealed generalized icterus, 2 cm right inguinal adenopathy, hepatomegaly (hepatic span of 18 cm), and splenomegaly (splenic span of 16 cm).Methods (Investigations and treatment):Blood chemistry analyses revealed abnormal liver function tests which include elevated levels of liver enzymes: alanine aminotransferase (ALT) at 137 IU/L (N <34 IU/L) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) at 120 IU/L (N < 31 IU/L), elevated bilirubin levels: total bilirubin at 268 mmol/L (N <25 mmol/L) and conjugated bilirubin at 161 mmol/L (N <5.1 mmol/L), and abnormal levels of alkaline phosphatases at 242 IU/L (N <91 IU/L) and of Ɣ-glutamyl transferase (Ɣ-GT) at 133 IU/L (N <38 IU/L). Pancreatic function was also impaired with elevated lipase level of 127 IU/L (N <45 IU/L).Blood count showed WBC count of 26.6 10³/µL with 38% myeloid blast, hemoglobin of 11.6g/dL, and platelet count of 29000/µL. Therefore, the patient was admitted to hematology department for further exploration.Bone marrow examination confirmed AML type FAB M4. Flow cytometry revealed leukemic cells positive for CD117, CD33, CD13, CD64, CD7 and cy MPO confirming AML-M4.To further investigate the patient’s digestive symptoms, along with the disturbances in liver and pancreatic function, an abdomino-pelvic computed tomography (CT) scan was ordered revealing a swollen appearance of the head and uncus of the pancreas measuring 37 * 38 mm, with enhancement similar to the rest of the pancreas associated with hepatomegaly (hepatic span of 20 cm), dilation of the bile ducts, splenomegaly (splenic span of 17 cm), and multiple intra-abdominal lymphadenopathies (Figure 1). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass suspected in the uncinate process of the head of pancreas, causing intra- and- extra hepatic duct dilation (Figure 2). The CA19.9 level was high at 85 U/ml (N < 27 U/ml) and the ACE was normal at 3 ng/ml (N < 40 ng/ml). Unfortunately, endoscopic biopsy of the pancreatic mass did not proceed due to severe thrombocytopenia and an increased risk of bleeding.The diagnosis of AML-M4 was retained with a probable associated pancreatic MS and induction chemotherapy with Cytarabine and Idarubicin was started.The bone marrow examination on day 28, following the induction chemotherapy, showing cytological failure of AML and the abdominal CT revealed the persistence of pancreatic masse.The patient underwent a second chemotherapy course combining Cytarabine and Mitoxantrone leading to a complete cytological remission. In addition, abdominal CT scan and pancreatic MRI showed morphological remission with a total regression of pancreatic mass (Figure 3) .Conclusion and Results (Outcome and follow-up):The diagnosis of pancreatic MS was retrospectively retained based on the disappearance of the tumor after AML-chemotherapy.The patient received then 3 consolidation chemotherapy courses and then he underwent to allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. After a 32-month follow-up, our patient is in complete persistent remission.DISCUSSION:Myeloid sarcoma is an extramedullary proliferation of immature myeloid cells that disrupts the normal architecture of the tissue where it originates 6. Primarily, MS precedes AML, or both pathologies are discovered simultaneously. MS may also present de novo or as a relapse of AML 3 but isolated MS is extremely rare, with an overall incidence of less than 1% as compared with 2.5-9% in patients with AML 7. MS mainly occur in skin, soft tissue, lymph nodes, testis and bones which makes clinical symptoms vary widely depending on the location of the tumor8 .However, pancreatic localization is extremely rare and, to our knowledge, only twenty-one cases have been reported in the literature5,9,10 (Table 1). Pancreatic MS may be isolated 4,9,11–15, precede or appear concurrently with other hematological malignancies whether at initial presentation or at relapse 5,16–23. The clinical symptoms of pancreatic MS are non-specific but almost all patients presented with epigastric or abdominal pain. Other symptoms can be associated such as jaundice, weight loss, fatigue, nausea or vomiting (Table 1).In fact, symptoms vary depending on the specific location of the tumor within the pancreas. While the tumor often localizes in the head of the pancreas, as is the case with our patient, the tail of the pancreas can also be affected in some cases (Table 1) .Treatment strategies of pancreatic MS are limited because of the rarity of the disease and lack of randomized clinical trials. In addition, therapeutic choice is influenced by the different subsets including isolated MS versus synchronous MS, newly diagnosed, or relapsed24. Controlled clinical trials including and/or specific to MS patients are missing, making the superiority of one regimen over the others unknown. However, the use of systemic therapy is recommended. Moreover, the current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines recommend treating isolated extramedullary MS with induction chemotherapy similar to that for patients with overt AML. This also applies to MS cases with concurrent bone marrow involvement25. Thus, the majority of reported cases of pancreatic MS have been treated by AML-Type chemotherapy (Table 1).Similarly, our patient obtained remission after 2 AML-Type chemotherapy courses leading to proceed allogenic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Conversely, the latest European LeukemiaNet (ELN) guidelines offer no specific recommendations 26.CONCLUSION: The rarity of pancreatic MS and the non-specific of clinical manifestation makes diagnosis challenging. The similarity in clinical presentation underscores the importance of considering MS in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic masses, especially in cases where the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is not straightforward or where there is a history of hematologic malignancy. The occurrence of isolated pancreatic MS in a patient with no history of hematologic malignancy adds an additional layer of complexity to the diagnosis which can lead to potential delays in diagnosis and appropriate management. While rapid confirmation of the diagnosis is crucial to promptly initiate systemic therapy with AML-Type chemotherapy.REFERENCES:1. Shallis RM, Gale RP, Lazarus HM, et al. Myeloid sarcoma, chloroma, or extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia tumor: A tale of misnomers, controversy and the unresolved. Blood Rev . 2021;47:100773. doi:10.1016/j.blre.2020.1007732. Berti E, Busque L, Chan JKC, et al. The 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Haematolymphoid Tumours : Myeloid and Histiocytic / Dendritic Neoplasms. 2022;(May). doi:10.1038/s41375-022-01613-13. Magdy M, Abdel Karim N, Eldessouki I, Gaber O, Rahouma M, Ghareeb M. Myeloid Sarcoma. Oncol Res Treat . 2019;42(4):219-224. doi:10.1159/0004972104. Al-Obaidi A, Parker NA, Hussein Agha Y, Alqam H, Page S. Pancreatic Myeloid Sarcoma. Cureus . 2020;12(6):1-7. doi:10.7759/cureus.84625. Wu K, Zhang X, Zhang B. Myeloid sarcoma of the pancreas: A case report and literature review. Medicine (Baltimore) . 2021;100(13):e24913. doi:10.1097/MD.00000000000249136. Shahin OA, Ravandi F. Myeloid sarcoma. Curr Opin Hematol . 2020;27(2):88-94. doi:10.1097/MOH.00000000000005717. Goyal G, Bartley AC, Patnaik MM, Litzow MR, Al-Kali A, Go RS. Clinical features and outcomes of extramedullary myeloid sarcoma in the United States: Analysis using a national data set. Blood Cancer J . 2017;7(8). doi:10.1038/bcj.2017.798. Meyer HJ, Pönisch W, Schmidt SA, et al. Clinical and imaging features of myeloid sarcoma: A German multicenter study. BMC Cancer . 2019;19(1):1-8. doi:10.1186/s12885-019-6357-y9. Li XP, Liu WF, Ji SR, Wu SH, Sun JJ, Fan YZ. Isolated pancreatic granulocytic sarcoma: A case report and review of the literature.World J Gastroenterol . 2011;17(4):540-542. doi:10.3748/wjg.v17.i4.54010. Norsworthy KJ, Bhatnagar B, Singh ZN, Gojo I. Myeloid sarcoma of the hepatobiliary system: A case series and review of the literature.Acta Haematol . 2016;135(4):241-251. doi:10.1159/00044451611. Moreaul P, Milpied N, Fiche M, et al. b & e Sarcome granulocytique primitif du pancreas : efficacite d ’ un traitement prkcoce par chimioth & apie intensive. Published online 1995:3-5.12. Dimicoli S, Feugier P, Delaby P, et al. [Granulocyte sarcoma of the pancreas without extra-pancreatic location]. Presse Med . 2002;31(22):1024-1026.13. Rong Y, Wang D, Lou W, Kuang T, Jin D. Granulocytic sarcoma of the pancreas: A case report and review of the literatures. BMC Gastroenterol . 2010;10(Figure 2):10-12. doi:10.1186/1471-230X-10-8014. Messager M, Amielh D, Chevallier C, Mariette C. Isolated granulocytic sarcoma of the pancreas : A tricky diagnostic for primary pancreatic extramedullary acute myeloid leukemia. World J Surg Oncol . 2012;10(1):13. doi:10.1186/1477-7819-10-1315. Tokunaga K, Yamamura A, Ueno S, Kikukawa Y. Isolated Pancreatic Myeloid Sarcoma Associated with. Published online 2018:563-568. doi:10.2169/internalmedicine.8912-1716. Ewen SWB, Sewell HF, Dawson AA. Obstructive Jaundice. 1987;(July 1985):1985-1988.17. Marcos HB, Semelka RC, Woosley JT. Abdominal granulocytic sarcomas: demonstration by MRI. 1997;15(7):873-876.18. Mwanda WO, Rajab JA. Granulocytic sarcoma: report of three cases.East Afr Med J . 1999;76(10):594-596.19. Breccia M, Andrea DM, Mengarelli A, et al. Granulocytic sarcoma of the pancreas successfully treated with intensive chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. Published online 2003:190-192.20. Servin-Abad L, Caldera H, Cardenas R, Casillas J. Granulocytic sarcoma of the pancreas: A report of one case and review of the literature. Acta Haematol . 2003;110(4):188-192. doi:10.1159/00007422321. Sch HS, Becker H, Schmitt-gr A, Michael L. Granulocytic sarcoma of Core-binding Factor ( CBF ) acute myeloid leukemia mimicking pancreatic cancer. 2008;32:1472-1475. doi:10.1016/j.leukres.2008.02.01722. Tabriz N, Tannapfel A, Griesinger F, Weyhe D. Chloroma of Pancreas — Initial Manifestation of a Secondary Leukemia after Stem Cell Transplantation Case Report and Review of the Literature. Published online 2013:1331-1335. doi:10.1007/s11605-013-2166-923. Ct F fdg PET. Granulocytic sarcoma of the pancreas on 18 F-FDG PET/CT. Published online 2016:9-11.24. Loscocco GG, Vannucchi AM. Myeloid sarcoma: more and less than a distinct entity. Ann Hematol . 2023;102(8):1973-1984. doi:10.1007/s00277-023-05288-125. Tallman MS, Wang ES, Altman JK, et al. Acute myeloid leukemia, version 3.2019. JNCCN J Natl Compr Cancer Netw . 2019;17(6):721-749. doi:10.6004/jnccn.2019.002826. Döhner H, Wei AH, Appelbaum FR, et al. Diagnosis and management of AML in adults: 2022 recommendations from an international expert panel on behalf of the ELN. Blood . 2022;140(12):1345-1377. doi:10.1182/blood.202201686727. Estey E, Cortes J, Giles FJ. CASE REPORT Granulocytic sarcoma of the pancreas : a report of. 1999;(1993):219-224.28. Kawamura M, Kaku H, Ito T, Funata N, Taki T. FLT3 -internal tandem duplication in a pediatric patient with t ( 8 ; 21 ) acute myeloid leukemia. Cancer Genet Cytogenet . 2010;203(2):292-296. doi:10.1016/j.cancergencyto.2010.07.13029. Cases C. World Journal of Clinical Cases. 2018;6(11):477-483. doi:10.12998/wjcc.v6.i11.477Title of images and table (provided as a separate files):Image 1: Abdominal CT scan after contrast: axial sections (a and b) and coronal reconstructions: Tissue mass centered on the head and uncus of the pancreas (white arrow), spontaneously isodense and moderately enhanced after injection of contrast. This mass is responsible of dilatation of the main bile duct (white arrow head) and intrahepatic bile ducts (black arrow). There are associated intraepithelial lymphnodes (black circle).Image 2: MRI sections weighted in T2 (a), Diffusion (b) and T1 FATSAT after Gado (c): Pancreatic mass isosignal in T2, diffusion hypersignal and moderately enhanced after gadolinium.Image 3: Control abdominal scan: Coronal reconstruction (a) and axial section (b) after injection of contrast at portal time: complete disappearance of the pancreatic mass (white arrow).Table 1: Clinical characteristics, treatment and outcomes of literature reports of pancreatic granulocytic sarcomas

The Demographic Buffering Hypothesis (DBH) predicts that natural selection reduces the temporal fluctuations in demographic processes (such as survival, development, and reproduction), due to their negative impacts on population dynamics. However, a comprehensive approach that allows for the examination of demographic buffering patterns across multiple species is still lacking. Here, we propose a three-step framework aimed at quantifying demographic buffering. Firstly, we categorize species along a continuum of variance based on the sums of stochastic elasticities. Secondly, we examine the linear selection gradients, followed by the examination of nonlinear selection gradients as the third step. With these three steps, our framework overcomes existing limitations of conventional approaches to quantify demographic buffering, allows for multi-species comparisons, and offers insight into the evolutionary forces that shape demographic buffering. We apply this framework to mammal species and discuss both the advantages and potential of our framework.

Empirical investigations of source-sink dynamics are needed to relate metapopulation theory to spatially-structured, temporally varying population dynamics in the real world. The difficulty of acquiring the data needed to estimate vital rates has often constrained analyses of source-sink dynamics to static or simulated systems. We used 26 years of data on reproduction, movement, and survival to estimate annual source-sink dynamics across the entire range of the endangered Everglade snail kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis plumbeus) during the invasion of a novel prey species. Populations underwent striking changes in source-sink dynamics over time, varying with time since invasion. Both source and sink populations depended on immigration to offset high emigration rates. Source populations are often prioritized for conservation, but in a metapopulation composed largely of sinks, or sources with high emigration and immigration, an emphasis on maintaining connectivity or expanding available breeding habitat may be more important.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits have important utility in distinguishing individuals with more severe, persistent antisocial behavior, and our understanding of reward processing and CU traits contributes to behavioral modification. However, research on CU traits often investigated reward alongside punishment and examined only the average reward reactivity instead of the trajectory features in response to reward (e.g., habituation). This study assessed individuals’ pre-ejection period (PEP), a sympathetic nervous system cardiac biomarker with specificity to reward, in a simple reward task to investigate whether and how CU traits were linked to average reward reactivity and reward responding trajectory. A heterogeneous sample of 126 adult males was recruited from a large metro city in the US. Participants self-reported their CU traits and completed a simple reward task while impedance cardiography and electrocardiogram were recorded to derive PEP. Results revealed no association between average PEP reward reactivity and CU traits. However, CU traits predicted both linear and quadratic slopes of the PEP reactivity trajectory: those with higher ICU scores had slower habituation initially but their habituation caught up quickly in later blocks. Findings highlight the utility of modeling PEP reward trajectory and incorporating habituation rate to reward when studying CU traits. We discussed the implications of individuals with high CU traits having the responding pattern of slower initial habituation followed by rapid habituation to reward and the possible mechanisms.

First Case Report of a Miller Fischer Syndrome Secondary to an HCoV-229E InfectionAuthors : Miqdadi A (1), El Azhari Meryem (2), Mimouni Y (3), Herrag M (4), Aasfara J (5)(1) Amal Miqdadi, Respiratory Medicine, Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.(2) Meryem El Azhari, Neurology Department, Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.(3) Yasmine Mimouni, Neurology Department, Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.(4) Mohammed Herrag, Respiratory Medicine, Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.(5) Jehanne Aasfara, Neurology Department, Cheikh Khalifa International University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Mohammed VI University of Health Sciences, Casablanca, Morocco.

We estimated the dynamics of the neutralizing response against XBB sublineages and T cell response in PWH with previous AIDS and/or CD4<200/mm 3 receiving the bivalent original strain/BA.4-5 booster dose (bBD) in fall 2022. Samples were collected before the shot (T0), 15 days (T1), 3 (T3), and 6 months (T6) after. PWH were stratified by immunization status: hybrid immunity (HI; vaccination plus COVID-19) vs. non-hybrid immunity (nHI; vaccination only). At T1, 16% and 30% of PWH were non-responders in terms of anti-XBB.1.16 or anti-EG.5.1 nAbs, respectively. At T3, a significant waning of anti-XBB.1.16, EG.5.1 and -XBB.1 nAbs was observed both in HI and nHI but nAbs in HI were higher than in nHI. At T6 both HI and nHI individuals displayed low mean levels of anti-XBB.1.16 and EG.5.1 nAbs. Regarding T cell response, IFN-γ values were stable over time and similar in HI and nHI. Our data showed that in PLWH, during the prevalent circulation of the XBB.1.16, EG.5.1, and other XBB sublineages, a bBD mRNA vaccine might not confer broad protection against them. With a view to the 2023/2024 vaccination campaign, the use of the monovalent XBB.1.5 mRNA vaccine should be urgently warranted in PWH to provide adequate protection.

Anopheles mosquitos are the primary vectors for the rapid spread of malaria in Limpopo, South Africa, negatively impacting all malaria elimination agenda; particularly for a country with vector control as one of the major malaria elimination strategies. The implementation of vector control strategies, however, depends on the accurate identification of mosquito vectors, which has been lacking in Limpopo as a result of earlier studies that mainly relied on morphological identification of vectors, which has numerous drawbacks that lead to misidentification of mosquitoes, thus resulting in the development and assignment of ineffective control strategies. All this together set back elimination strategies and programs. The present study therefore aimed to molecularly identify mosquitoes collected from various regions within Limpopo province. This was accomplished by examining genetic composition of mosquitos from different regions within Limpopo province, using molecular genetics techniques such as 18S rDNA-based PCR analysis, 18S rDNA sequencing, etc. This investigation was successful since 18S rDNA was able to identify every one of the 42 mosquito samples that were analysed, revealing that the samples belonged to 7 different Anopheles species and the majority of the species were molecularly demonstrated to have been misidentified morphologically. The outcomes of the molecular analysis, which involved comparing the query sequences to the sequences in GenBank, were supported by the close relationship among mosquitoes of the same species in maximum likelihood trees and the presence of high to 100% bootstrap support values, giving confidence to conclude that mosquitoes of the same species under study are genetically related. Due to a number of constraints covered in this study, morphological identification of mosquitoes is prone to misidentification of species, hence genetic characterization is recommended to be used as a confirmatory approach in the identification of the species.

The problem of fixed-time formation tracking for multi-spacecraft systems without internal collisions is investigated in this paper. A novel adaptive immersion and invariance (I&I)-based control protocol is designed to solve this technical problem, with the goal of driving formation members to accurately realize and maintain the required configuration within the user-given time. The novelty here lies in two things. First and foremost, unlike the asymptotic convergence of the traditional I&I related works, the proposed protocol guarantees the fixed-time stability by integrating the prescribed performance control. Secondly, the event-triggered mechanism is adopted to alleviate the pressure of communication resources between formation members and reduce unnecessary information interaction. Lyapunov stability analysis shows that the proposed protocol can enable the defined implicit manifold to converge to the origin for most initial conditions. Also, benefiting from the prescribed performance techniques, the convergence time eliminates the dependence of designed controller parameters or initial system conditions, relying only on the actual mission requirements. In addition, we adopt a linear extended state observer to deal with the parameter uncertainties and external disturbances, and use the I&I adaption to estimate the observer errors to further improve the system performance. Moreover, a new exponential-type artificial potential function is designed to avoid close proximity between formation members and prevent internal collisions. Finally, numerical simulations are provided to verify the theoretical results.

The distribution of stress under implants is affected by several factors. Among others, the implant design affect directly the biomechanical behavior of the implant- prosthesis system. To analyze the effect of implants design on the biomechanical behavior of mandibular ISCP using finite element analysis (FEA). It is a 3-D finite element study using Abaqus software. 2 models were simulated: the first one represents a 4-smooth cylindrical implant-supported prosthesis, the second one is a 4- smooth cylindro-conical implant-supported prosthesis The highest stress value found in the 4CISP model was 545.6MPa. The 4CCISP model showed a very close maximum stress value (561.9MPa). In all models, the highest stress concentration was observed in the dental implants, precisely in the most anterior ones. The flexion of the anterior prosthesis part was observed in the two models. Almost the same stress distribution pattern was observed. Cylindrical implants are more advantageous than the tapered implants, since they offer a better stress distribution and a superior biomechanical behaviour.

Non-native trees are of major importance in forestry and urban greening but are controversially discussed with regard to their effects on native biodiversity. Existing literature reports positive as well as negative biodiversity effects of non-native trees. Geographic, climatic and phylogenetic distance between the non-native and native tree species are named as important factors shaping these biodiversity effects. However, studies with a large geographic and taxonomic coverage are missing. Here we tested the effects of geographic, climatic and phylogenetic distance on resident insect abundance and diversity for 77 native and non-native tree species in a common garden trial. We identified phylogenetic distance of tree species to be the main driver of insect abundance and diversity with a negative effect of increasing phylogenetic distance and stronger effects for phytophagous than for non-phytophagous insects. This highlights the necessity to account for phylogenetic history shared between native and non-native congeners when managing non-native trees.

Does Coronary Artery Calcium Score Influence Myocardial Contraction?

A document by Line Johansen. Click on the document to view its contents.

The suitability of ultraviolet (UV) radiation for the decontamination of a surgical face mask was studied by comparing experiments with ray-tracing optical simulations. The 3D fiber network was constructed from X-ray tomography images of the layered mask structure consisting of polypropylene fibers. Both simulations and optical measurements on reflection and transmission indicated that UV light was able to penetrate even the deepest material regions. The decontamination experiments, carried out using Staphylococcus aureus and MS2 microbes, indicated an over 6 log 10 reduction in viable virus contamination of the inner filtering layer. This was achieved within two minutes at a moderate dosage level of 0.22 J/cm 2. The simulations show that despite radiation reflection from the outer mask layer, a significant dosage enters the actual filtering layer due to multiple refraction and scattering of UV light from the inner fibers. This leads to an effective decontamination of fibers with small external UV dosage.

Background: Subcutaneous lipomas are relatively rare and affect horses of ≤2 years of age. They are typically benign although their presence can be deleterious due to invasion of local structures or the impact on locomotion. Thus far the literature has described the approach to several cases, but has not suggested protocol for the treatment of subcutaneous lipomas. Objectives: To describe the treatment of subcutaneous lipomas in horses. Study design: Case series. Methods: Three cases of subcutaneous lipomas were referred for resection over a three-year period. The horses were aged 1 to 2 years old with lipoma of the thorax, prepuce, and tarsus. A physical exam and ultrasonography were conducted prior to surgery. Resection was performed under general anaesthesia. Surgical drains and local chemotherapy were utilised in cases as detailed. Results: Recurrence of a thoracic lipoma occurred in case 1 after the initial resection at the exit site of a passive drain. The recurrence was treated unsuccessfully with injectable cisplatin, and a second revision surgery with the use of an active drain resulted in resolution. In case 2, complete resection of an encapsulated lipoma of the prepuce was successful with no recurrence. In case 3, incomplete resection of a tarsal lipoma resulted in a sound horse without further growth. Histopathologic analysis stated all masses were composed of well differentiated adipocytes with no evidence of malignancy. Main limitations: Small number of cases in the series, limited literature available. Conclusions: Subcutaneous lipomas should be resected as completely as possible, with 3cm margins where available. Margins are hard to determine grossly even with the aid of histopathology. Imaging, particularly computed tomography (CT), should be utilised to aid in pre-operative planning if available. When the creation of dead space cannot be avoided, active suction should be utilised instead of passive drainage. Local chemotherapy is ineffective.