Pathological Correlation of a Cardiac Mass with Multimodality Imaging.

Cardiac masses are rarely encountered in clinical practice and can lead to severe hemodynamic consequences. In addition to clinical cues, noninvasive modalities can play an important role in characterization of these masses and therefore their diagnosis and management planning. Here in this case report, we describe the use of various forms of noninvasive imaging techniques to narrow the differential diagnosis and form an operative plan for a cardiac mass later identified as a benign myxoma originating from the right ventricle on histological examination.

Photobiomodulation for chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in leukemic children: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the effectiveness of Photobiomodulation(PBM) for chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis (OM) in leukemic children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized controlled clinical study including forty-four leukemic children diagnosed with chemotherapy-induced OM at the Hematology/Oncology inpatient unit at Alexandria University Children's Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. Patients were randomly assigned to either the control or test groups with a 1:1 ratio. The control group received conventional symptomatic treatment, while the test group was treated with PBM in addition to the symptomatic treatment. The response to both treatment modalities was evaluated according to the reduction of pain and lesions severity from baseline to 5, 10, and 14 days after treatment. RESULTS: A significant reduction of pain was recorded on day 10 in the test group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). There was also a significant decline in the OM grades between the two groups on day14 (p = 0.003). No adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: The use of PBM along with the conventional treatment was effective in reducing pain and in the recovery of OM lesions in children receiving chemotherapy for the treatment of ALL. It was also safe and applicable to children.

The Biological, Histopathological, and Parasitic Abundance of Oreochromis niloticus Inhabiting Two Different Freshwater Canals.

The current study aimed to assess the impact of metal pollution in water on parasitic abundance, biology, and histopathological characteristics of Oreochromis niloticus in two different freshwater habitats in the Al Sharkia government. The fish were collected from the Mueweis canal area (A) which received industrial wastewater from factories and the San El-Hagar area (B) which received agricultural and domestic wastewater. Parasitic abundance and histopathological changes in the liver and gonads were inspected. The total prevalence of parasitic infection was at the highest percentage in area B correlated with metals present in the water, in addition to severe histopathological damage to the liver and the gonads. The prevalence of parasites for different examined fish ranges from 50% for parasites in the San El-Hagar canal and 4.17% for parasites in the Muwies canal, seasonally. There were positive relationships between Fe or Zn or Mn concentrations with parasite abundance in tilapia fish collected from the San Hagar canal. Several histopathological alterations were detected in the liver and gonads of O. niloticus collected from the two canals located in the Al Sharkia province. It was concluded that the uncontrolled inputs of agricultural and domestic wastes highly altered the O. niloticus health status and the prevalence of the parasites in the investigated two areas.

Heavy metals and parasitological infection associated with oxidative stress and histopathological alteration in the Clarias gariepinus.

The goal of this study was to assess the harmful effects of heavy metal accumulation on Clarias gariepinus (catfish) in two different polluted areas in the Al Sharkia governorate and assess the impact on oxidative stress and histological changes. The results revealed a highly significant difference in heavy metal levels in the water and inside fish tissues (liver and gonads) between the two sites. The total prevalence of parasitic infection was at the highest percentage in area B, in addition to severe histopathological damage to the liver and the gonads. Findings show that the total prevalence of parasitic infection is associated with uptake of metals, depleted antioxidant activity, and incidence of lipid peroxidation in tissue.

Novel metal based nanocomposite for rapid and efficient removal of lead from contaminated wastewater sorption kinetics, thermodynamics and mechanisms.

A sol-gel method was utilized to prepare a novel nanocomposite adsorbent (nMgO/bentonite) and was tested for Pb(II) removal from aqueous solutions. The produced nanocomposite was investigated using, SEM-EDX, XRD, and FTIR analyses before and after Pb adsorption. Adsorption equilibrium and kinetic experiments were run in batch system under different conditions of pH, adsorbent dose, competitive cations, contact time and temperature. The results exhibited rapid Pb(II) adsorption by the nanocomposite in the first five min. Experimental lead adsorption equilibrium and kinetics data fitted well to Langmuir and power function models, respectively as indicated from the lowest standard error (SE) values. The calculated Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) value of nanocomposite (75 mg g-1) was 4.5 times higher than that of bentonite (16.66 mg g-1). Moreover, the highest quantity of Pb(II) uptake was achieved at temperature of 307 K and pH 9. The Langmuir sorption capacity of the nanocomposite for Pb(II) increased from 75 to 145 mg g-1 with increasing temperature from 287 to 307 K. The thermodynamic parameters of Pb(II) adsorption by the nanocomposite affirm the spontaneous and endothermic nature of the adsorption process. Lead adsorption mechanisms by the nanocomposite were proposed and discussed.

National Diagnostic Reference Levels for Nuclear Medicine in Kuwait.

The diagnostic reference level (DRL) is a patient-exposure optimization tool used to evaluate and provide guidance for radiation doses in medical imaging. In the past few decades, there has been a global increase in the number of diagnostic imaging procedures, including nuclear medicine procedures, and consequently in patient radiation exposure. This increase has encouraged international and national health-care organizations to take action and keep up with such changes to meet the expectation of increasing use of ionizing radiation in medicine. Methods: DRLs in Kuwait were established by investigating the administered activity of radiopharmaceuticals and CT radiation doses in hybrid imaging systems. The DRLs were determined on the basis of the 75th percentile of radiopharmaceutical administered activity distribution as recommended by the International Commission on Radiological Protection. Results: The DRLs determined in Kuwait agree well with other published DRLs in Europe, Japan, Korea, Australia, and the United States. Conclusion: This study presents the establishment process and the results of the first national DRLs for nuclear medicine procedures in Kuwait as a way to optimize radiation exposure.

Thermal Energy Transport in Oxide Nuclear Fuel.

To efficiently capture the energy of the nuclear bond, advanced nuclear reactor concepts seek solid fuels that must withstand unprecedented temperature and radiation extremes. In these advanced fuels, thermal energy transport under irradiation is directly related to reactor performance as well as reactor safety. The science of thermal transport in nuclear fuel is a grand challenge as a result of both computational and experimental complexities. Here we provide a comprehensive review of thermal transport research on two actinide oxides: one currently in use in commercial nuclear reactors, uranium dioxide (UO2), and one advanced fuel candidate material, thorium dioxide (ThO2). In both materials, heat is carried by lattice waves or phonons. Crystalline defects caused by fission events effectively scatter phonons and lead to a degradation in fuel performance over time. Bolstered by new computational and experimental tools, researchers are now developing the foundational work necessary to accurately model and ultimately control thermal transport in advanced nuclear fuels. We begin by reviewing research aimed at understanding thermal transport in perfect single crystals. The absence of defects enables studies that focus on the fundamental aspects of phonon transport. Next, we review research that targets defect generation and evolution. Here the focus is on ion irradiation studies used as surrogates for damage caused by fission products. We end this review with a discussion of modeling and experimental efforts directed at predicting and validating mesoscale thermal transport in the presence of irradiation defects. While efforts in these research areas have been robust, challenging work remains in developing holistic tools to capture and predict thermal energy transport across widely varying environmental conditions.

Broadband emission Gd3Sc2Al3O12:Ce3+ transparent ceramics with a high color rendering index for high-power white LEDs/LDs.

The discovery of single structure Ce3+ doped garnet transparent ceramics (TCs) with a broad full width at half maximum (FWHM) is essential to realize a high CRI for high-power white light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes (LDs). In this work, by utilizing the ion substitution engineering strategy, pure phase Gd3Sc2Al3O12:Ce3+ (GSAG:Ce) TC with a broad FWHM of 132.4 nm and a high CRI value of 80.7 was fabricated through the vacuum sintering technique for the first time. The optimized in-line transmittance of TCs was 58.4% @ 800 nm. Notably, the GSAG:Ce TCs exhibited a remarkable red shift from 546 nm to 582 nm, with a high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of 46.91%. The degraded thermal stability in Ce:GSAG TCs was observed compared with that of Ce:YAG TC, owing to the narrowed band gap of GSAG. Additionally, remote excitation white LEDs/LDs were constructed by combining GSAG:Ce TCs with blue LED chips or laser sources. A tunable color hue from yellow to shinning white was achieved in white LEDs, whereas the acquired CRI and CCT of the white LDs were 69.5 and 7766 K, respectively. This work provides a new perspective to develop TCs with high CRI for their real applications in high-power white LEDs/LDs.

Identification of a novel lineage of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus in dromedary camels, United Arab Emirates.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) is a tick-borne virus causing Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), a disease reported to have a high fatality rate in numerous countries. The virus is geographically widespread due to its vector, and numerous wild and domestic animals can develop asymptomatic infection. Serological and limited molecular evidence of CCHFV has previously been reported in Camelus dromedarius (the dromedary, or one-humped camel) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In this study, 238 camel samples were screened for CCHFV RNA where 16 camel samples were positive for CCHFV by RT-PCR. Analysis of full-length CCHFV genome sequences revealed a novel lineage in camels from the UAE, and potential reassortment of the M segment of the genome.

Bio-guided Isolation of Natural Iron Chelators from Mangifera indica Leaves and their Comparative Study to Desferal®

Through bio-guided isolation, two natural iron chelators were isolated from Mangifera indica L. leaves, identified as mangiferin (1) and iriflophenone-3-C-β-D-glucoside (2). Their iron-chelating activity was compared to that of Desferal® using bipyridyl assay and EDTA as a standard. Mangiferin showed the highest activity with IC50 value of 0.385 mM (162.85 μg/mL). Furthermore, two combinations of mangiferin with Desferal® (M-D) and iriflophenone-3-C-β-D-glucoside (M-I) were evaluated. The results showed that mangiferin potentiated the iron chelation activity of Desferal® about 46%, also that M-I combination is a promising candidate formula for iron chelation therapy. In addition, mangiferin and Desferal-iron complexes were prepared and characterized by IR, UV, and Mass spectra to compare their mode of chelation to iron. Their structural stability was studied by DFT calculations. Furthermore, they displayed increased ABTS antioxidant activity when bound to iron as compared to their free form, which enhances their pharmacological importance.

Bio-guided Isolation of Natural Iron Chelators from Mangifera indica Leaves and their Comparative Study to Desferal®

Through bio-guided isolation, two natural iron chelators were isolated from Mangifera indica L. leaves, identified as mangiferin (1) and iriflophenone-3-C-β-D-glucoside (2). Their iron-chelating activity was compared to that of Desferal® using bipyridyl assay and EDTA as a standard. Mangiferin showed the highest activity with IC50 value of 0.385 mM (162.85 μg/mL). Furthermore, two combinations of mangiferin with Desferal® (M-D) and iriflophenone-3-C-β-D-glucoside (M-I) were evaluated. The results showed that mangiferin potentiated the iron chelation activity of Desferal® about 46%, also that M-I combination is a promising candidate formula for iron chelation therapy. In addition, mangiferin and Desferal-iron complexes were prepared and characterized by IR, UV, and Mass spectra to compare their mode of chelation to iron. Their structural stability was studied by DFT calculations. Furthermore, they displayed increased ABTS antioxidant activity when bound to iron as compared to their free form, which enhances their pharmacological importance.

Two case reports of neuroinvasive West Nile virus infection in the Almaty region, Kazakhstan.

BACKGROUND: West Nile virus (WNV) is a member of the genus Flavivirus, which transmitted to humans mainly by mosquitoes. Recent pilot serosurveillance data from the Almaty region, Kazakhstan, suggest widespread WNV circulation in this area. This report includes two cases of neuroinvasive WNV infection in the same family living in a rural area near Tekeli city, Eskeldinsky district, Almaty region, Kazakhstan. Occurring concurrently and manifesting as WNV infection with febrile illness and symptoms of meningoencephalitis. METHODS: The study performed retrospective analysis of clinical histories and achieved serum samples obtained from patients with febrile and meningoencephalitic syndromes of unknown origin in the Almaty region spanning from April 1 to October 31, 2019. All sera samples obtained from patients with clinically suspected cases of acute WNV infection were retrospectively tested for WNV and tick-borne encephalitis virus by commercial immunoassays. Two cases were selected. CASES PRESENTATION: We report two cases that occurred in August 2019 in a rural area near Tekeli city. Previously healthy 28- and 19-year-old husband and wife with febrile illness and neurological manifestations were hospitalized with the diagnosis of meningoencephalitis of unknown etiology and treated empirically. Retrospective serological analysis showed the presence of high titers of IgG against WNV on day 9 after onset of symptoms in cases. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of aseptic meningitis with WNV infection in the background in Kazakhstan. The obtained data suggest circulation of WNV in the Almaty region and emphasize importance of laboratory testing for WNV in suspicious cases occurring in the region.

Chemical manipulation of hydrogen induced high p-type and n-type conductivity in Ga2O3.

Advancement of optoelectronic and high-power devices is tied to the development of wide band gap materials with excellent transport properties. However, bipolar doping (n-type and p-type doping) and realizing high carrier density while maintaining good mobility have been big challenges in wide band gap materials. Here P-type and n-type conductivity was introduced in ß-Ga2O3, an ultra-wide band gap oxide, by controlling hydrogen incorporation in the lattice without further doping. Hydrogen induced a 9-order of magnitude increase of n-type conductivity with donor ionization energy of 20 meV and resistivity of 10-4 Ω.cm. The conductivity was switched to p-type with acceptor ionization energy of 42 meV by altering hydrogen incorporation in the lattice. Density functional theory calculations were used to examine hydrogen location in the Ga2O3 lattice and identified a new donor type as the source of this remarkable n-type conductivity. Positron annihilation spectroscopy measurements confirm this finding and the interpretation of the experimental results. This work illustrates a new approach that allows a tunable and reversible way of modifying the conductivity of semiconductors and it is expected to have profound implications on semiconductor field. At the same time, it demonstrates for the first time p-type and remarkable n-type conductivity in Ga2O3 which should usher in the development of Ga2O3 devices and advance optoelectronics and high-power devices.

Gigantic submandibular pleomorphic adenoma: A rare case report.

INTRODUCTION: Pleomorphic adenoma (PA) is the most common benign salivary gland tumor. When neglected on some occasions, its size and weight can enormously augment. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a giant submandibular pleomorphic adenoma in a 75 years old female patient which measured 34 × 26 × 20 cm and weighed 8.1 kg. CONCLUSION: Neglecting such tumors without treatment, can cause severe facial disfigurement and can even hinder the airway.

Intramammary Nodal Metastasis from Ovarian Cancer: A Case Report.

Intramammary metastasis from ovarian cancer is rare. It is usually associated with poor prognosis. We present a 56-year-old female with advanced ovarian cancer in whom a metastatic intramammary lymph node was discovered after finishing the first line of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Developing time-based model for the prediction of breeding activities of dengue vectors using early life cycle variables and epidemiological information in Northern Malaysia.

Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) was applied to make realtime predictions on the Aedes egg populations in three selected dengue hotspots of Penang, Malaysia. The weekly ovitrap collection was carried out to determine the abundance of Aedes eggs in field population in some selected areas. The ARIMA models were able to estimate actual egg abundance using two criteria. The first criteria is determine the reliability of statistics and the second is to measure the accuracy of forecasting ability of the model equation. The parsimonious model with a lowest order of AR or MA and RMSE value of the forecast for each data set was considered the best. ARIMA (1,0,0), ARIMA (2,0,0) and ARIMA (0,1,1) models were judged to be the best fit for the suburban, urban squatter and urban area data sets respectively. The models were able to forecast the number of eggs within a range of one to eleven weeks. The developed models were able to estimate the egg abundance adequately to permit their use in Aedes control programme in Penang Island. Thus, it can be a useful tool for health officials to improve the management of mosquito control and alert the public to reduce the possibility of dengue outbreaks.

Viral associated diarrhea in immunocompromised and cancer patients at a large comprehensive cancer center: a 10-year retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Viral associated diarrhea (VAD) due to Norovirus (NV), Rotavirus (RV) and Adenovirus (AV) is common in immunocompromised and cancer patients. We sought to determine if the clinical characteristics, morbidity and seasonality of infection differed according to the type of enteric virus identified. METHODS: Cases of NV, RV and AV were identified in stool specimens submitted to the clinical microbiology laboratory between November 2005 and February 2015. Clinical characteristics of patients, potential risk factors and outcomes were compared. RESULTS: A total of 97 VAD cases were identified: NV (n = 49), RV (n = 34) and AV (n = 14). The majority of cases were in patients with leukemia and lymphoma. NV (59%), RV (74%) and AV (78%) were identified in hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients; and in patients with graft versus host disease (GVHD): NV (34%), RV (46%) and AV (57%). Nine cases of NV were genotyped; all were due to genotype II. Nine of 49 (18%) cases of NV, 7 of 34 (20%) cases of RV and 2 of 14 (14%) cases of AV were considered to be health care acquired (HCA). In multivariate analysis, immunosuppression (OR 2.8 95% CI 1.26-6.60, p = .01) and neutropenia (OR 4.8 95% CI 1.27-18.5, p = .01) were identified as risk factors for NV diarrhea compared to RV and AV. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, agents responsible for VAD occurred year round but predominated in the winter time; caused prolonged illness and were frequently health care associated. Presentations were atypical in many cases without upper gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

Persistent photoconductivity in strontium titanate.

Persistent photoconductivity was observed in strontium titanate (SrTiO(3)) single crystals. When exposed to sub-bandgap light (2.9 eV or higher) at room temperature, the free-electron concentration increases by over 2 orders of magnitude. After the light is turned off, the enhanced conductivity persists for several days, with negligible decay. From positron lifetime measurements, the persistent photoconductivity is attributed to the excitation of an electron from a titanium vacancy defect into the conduction band, with a very low recapture rate.

Living with breathlessness: a survey of caregivers of breathless patients with lung cancer or heart failure.

BACKGROUND: Breathlessness is a common, distressing symptom in patients with advanced disease. With increasing focus on home death for patients, carers are expected to support breathless people at home. Little is known about how carers experience breathlessness and the differences in caring for someone with breathlessness and malignant or non-malignant disease. AIM: To compare experiences of caring for a breathless patient with lung cancer versus those with heart failure and to examine factors associated with caregiver burden and positive caring experiences. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey of caregivers of breathless patients. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: Participants were recruited from two London hospitals. INCLUSION CRITERIA: caregivers of patients with breathlessness and heart failure or lung cancer. Measures included self-completion of Short Form version of Zarit Burden Interview, a 'positive caring experiences' scale and Palliative Care Outcome Scale. We compared caregiver reports between heart failure and lung cancer. Multiple regression analyses were used to examine factors related to burden and positive caring experiences. RESULTS: In total, 51 heart failure and 50 lung cancer caregivers were recruited. Most were spouses (72%) and women (80%). Severity of patient breathlessness was similar in both groups. Caregiver concerns were mostly similar across conditions. Higher burden was associated with poorer 'quality of patient care' and worse carer psychological health (R (2) = 0.37, F = 12.2, p = 0.01). Caregiver depression and looking after more breathless patients were associated with fewer positive caring experiences (R (2) = 0.15, F = 4.4, p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Those who care for breathless patients report high levels of unmet needs and burden, equally severe for heart failure and lung cancer caregivers. Caregivers of patients with more severe breathlessness report fewer positive caring experiences and should be targeted by services with increased support in managing this symptom.

Emergency department visits for chest pain and abdominal pain: United States, 1999-2008.

KEY FINDINGS: The number of noninjury emergency department (ED) visits in which abdominal pain was the primary reason for the visit increased 31.8%. The percentage of ED visits for which chest pain was the primary reason decreased 10.0%. Use of advanced medical imaging increased strongly for ED visits related to abdominal pain (122.6%) and chest pain (367.6%). The percentage of ED visits for chest pain that resulted in a diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome decreased 44.9%. Chest and abdominal pain are the most common reasons that persons aged 15 years and over visit the emergency department (ED). Because EDs provide both emergency and nonemergency care, visits for these symptoms may vary in their acuity. Advanced medical imaging is often ordered to assist in both diagnosing and ruling out serious illness associated with these symptoms. This report describes trends in visits for chest and abdominal pain in adults and the seriousness of illness and use of imaging in these visits. All data shown are for persons aged 18 and over whose visit was not injury related.