25 years' experience with lymphangiomas in children

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The management of lymphangioma in children is challenging because complete resection is difficult to achieve in some cases, and recurrences are common. The authors reviewed their experience to assess the risk factors for recurrence and the role of nonoperative treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective study over a period of 25 years was carried out. One hundred eighty-six patients with 191 lesions (five patients with de novo lesions in different sites) were treated. There were 98 boys and 88 girls. The average age at diagnosis was 3.3 years (range, fetal life to 17 years) and the average size 8 cm in diameter. Histocytological confirmation was obtained in all patients. The involved sites were head and neck, 89 patients (48%); trunk and extremities, 78 patients (42%); internal or visceral locations (eg, abdominal and thorax), 19 patients (10%). The treatment consisted of macroscopically complete excision in 145 patients (150 lesions, of which five were recurrences in different sites), partial excision in 10 patients, aspiration in five patients, laser excision in 10 patients, biopsy only in four patients, drainage and biopsy in two patients, and injection of sclerosing agents in 10 patients.

RESULTS

There were 54 recurrences; 44 underwent excision (five of them more than once), and five regressed spontaneously on follow-up. Five other recurrences were stable and not progressing. Recurrences, (defined as clinically obvious disease), were found to be 100% after aspiration, 100% after injection, 40% after incomplete excision, 40% after laser excision, and 17% after macroscopically complete excision. The recurrence rate in the last group was the highest in the head (33%), the least in the internal locations (0%), and intermediate for the cervical location (13%). There were no significant differences, in terms of outcome, between those who had their surgery immediately at the time of diagnosis (n = 101) and those who had delayed surgery (n = 85).

CONCLUSIONS

There were fewer recurrences after macroscopically complete excision. Aspiration and injection had the highest recurrence rate. Risk factors for recurrence included location, size, and complexity of lesions. A period of observation may be useful for infants to facilitate complete excision. In the present series, spontaneous regression was infrequent and was seen more often with recurrent lesions.

Re-evaluation of hypoplastic left heart syndrome from a developmental and morphological perspective

Background

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) covers a spectrum of rare congenital anomalies characterised by a non-apex forming left ventricle and stenosis/atresia of the mitral and aortic valves. Despite many studies, the causes of HLHS remain unclear and there are conflicting views regarding the role of flow, valvar or myocardial abnormalities in its pathogenesis, all of which were proposed prior to the description of the second heart field. Our aim was to re-evaluate the patterns of malformation in HLHS in relation to recognised cardiac progenitor populations, with a view to providing aetiologically useful sub-groupings for genomic studies.

Results

We examined 78 hearts previously classified as HLHS, with subtypes based on valve patency, and re-categorised them based on their objective ventricular phenotype. Three distinct subgroups could be identified: slit-like left ventricle (24%); miniaturised left ventricle (6%); and thickened left ventricle with endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE; 70%). Slit-like ventricles were always found in combination with aortic atresia and mitral atresia. Miniaturised left ventricles all had normally formed, though smaller aortic and mitral valves. The remaining group were found to have a range of aortic valve malformations associated with thickened left ventricular walls despite being described as either atresia or stenosis. The degree of myocardial thickening was not correlated to the degree of valvar stenosis. Lineage tracing in mice to investigate the progenitor populations that form the parts of the heart disrupted by HLHS showed that whereas Nkx2–5-Cre labelled myocardial and endothelial cells within the left and right ventricles, Mef2c-AHF-Cre, which labels second heart field-derived cells only, was largely restricted to the endocardium and myocardium of the right ventricle. However, like Nkx2–5-Cre, Mef2c-AHF-Cre lineage cells made a significant contribution to the aortic and mitral valves. In contrast, Wnt1-Cre made a major contribution only to the aortic valve. This suggests that discrete cardiac progenitors might be responsible for the patterns of defects observed in the distinct ventricular sub-groups.

Conclusions

Only the slit-like ventricle grouping was found to map to the current nomenclature: the combination of mitral atresia with aortic atresia. It appears that slit-like and miniature ventricles also form discrete sub-groups. Thus, reclassification of HLHS into subgroups based on ventricular phenotype, might be useful in genetic and developmental studies in investigating the aetiology of this severe malformation syndrome.

First Dark Matter Search Results from the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) Experiment

The LUX-ZEPLIN experiment is a dark matter detector centered on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber operating at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, South Dakota, USA. This Letter reports results from LUX-ZEPLIN's first search for weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) with an exposure of 60 live days using a fiducial mass of 5.5 t. A profile-likelihood ratio analysis shows the data to be consistent with a background-only hypothesis, setting new limits on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon, spin-dependent WIMP-neutron, and spin-dependent WIMP-proton cross sections for WIMP masses above 9  GeV/c^{2}. The most stringent limit is set for spin-independent scattering at 36  GeV/c^{2}, rejecting cross sections above 9.2×10^{-48}  cm at the 90% confidence level.

Ligands with an NPNPN-framework and their application in chromium catalysed ethene tri-/tetramerization

Novel Cr(iii) catalysts supported by linear phosph(iii)azanes of the type R(1)R(2)N-P(Ph)-NR(3)-P(Ph)-NR(4)R(5) have been prepared, all of which, upon activation with MMAO-3A, are highly active for ethene tri-/tetramerization with considerable selectivity. The effect of ligand substitution as well as solvent on the catalytic performance has been examined.

Refining the phenotypical and mutational spectrum of Taybi-Linder syndrome

Taybi-Linder syndrome (TALS, OMIM 210710) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder belonging to the group of microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfisms (MOPD). This syndrome is characterized by short stature, skeletal anomalies, severe microcephaly with brain malformations and facial dysmorphism, and is caused by mutations in RNU4ATAC. RNU4ATAC is transcribed into a non-coding small nuclear RNA which is a critical component of the minor spliceosome. We report here four foetuses and four unrelated patients with RNU4ATAC mutations. We provide antenatal descriptions of this rare syndrome including unusual features found in two twin foetuses with compound heterozygosity for two rare mutations who presented with mild intrauterine growth retardation and atypical dysmorphic facial features. We also carried out a literature review of the patients described up to now with RNU4ATAC mutations, affected either with TALS or Roifman syndrome, a recently described allelic disorder.

Application of Artificial Intelligence in Discovery and Development of Anticancer and Antidiabetic Therapeutic Agents

Spectacular developments in molecular and cellular biology have led to important discoveries in cancer research. Despite cancer is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality globally, diabetes is one of the most leading sources of group of disorders. Artificial intelligence (AI) has been considered the fourth industrial revolution machine. The most major hurdles in drug discovery and development are the time and expenditures required to sustain the drug research pipeline. Large amounts of data can be explored and generated by AI, which can then be converted into useful knowledge. Because of this, the world's largest drug companies have already begun to use AI in their drug development research. In the present era, AI has a huge amount of potential for the rapid discovery and development of new anticancer drugs. Clinical studies, electronic medical records, high-resolution medical imaging, and genomic assessments are just a few of the tools that could aid drug development. Large data sets are available to researchers in the pharmaceutical and medical fields, which can be analyzed by advanced AI systems. This review looked at how computational biology and AI technologies may be utilized in cancer precision drug development by combining knowledge of cancer medicines, drug resistance, and structural biology. This review also highlighted a realistic assessment of the potential for AI in understanding and managing diabetes.

Development and Analysis of Coding and Tailored Metamaterial for Terahertz Frequency Applications

This study represents the development and analysis of the types of metamaterial structures for terahertz frequency. Recently, investigations about unique coding metamaterial have become well-known among the scientific community since it can manipulate electromagnetic (EM) waves by utilizing various coding sequences. Therefore, several coding and tailored metamaterial designs were compared and numerically analyzed the performances in this research work. The 1-bit coding metamaterial made up of only "0" and "1" elements by adopting two types of unit cells with 0 and π phase responses were analyzed for the coding metamaterial. Moreover, for the numerical simulation analyses, the well-known Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio software was adopted. This investigation focused on the frequency ranges from 0 to 5 THz. On the other hand, the proposed designs were simulated to find their scattering parameter behavior. The comparison of coding and tailored metamaterial revealed slight differences in the RCS values. The coding metamaterial designs manifested RCS values less than -50 dBm2, while tailored metamaterial designs exhibited less than -60 dBm2. Furthermore, the proposed designs displayed various transmission coefficient result curves for both types of metamaterial. Moreover, the bistatic far-field scattering patterns of both metamaterial designs were presented in this work. In a nutshell, the 1-bit coding metamaterial with a unique sequence can influence the EM waves and realize different functionalities.

Contralateral sinus involvement of surgically treated unilateral allergic fungal rhinosinusitis

Recurrence of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) is well recognized. However, there is scarcity in the literature describing involvement of the non-diseased sinuses. We aimed to evaluate the recurrence forms of unilateral AFRS as well as to study the possible predictor factors of developing the disease in the contralateral side. Patients with exclusive unilateral AFRS from (2010 to 2015) were enrolled in multi-institutional case-control study. All patients were evaluated after endoscopic sinus surgery for recurrence. Patient's records were reviewed for demographics, medical treatment, and clinical, radiological, and surgical data. A total of 68 patients were identified. Delayed contralateral involvement after the initial surgery was found in 30.8% with mean duration of recurrence 16.9 months. A significant association was found with the presence of pre-operative contralateral symptoms and signs of inflammation (OR 3.49, 95% CI 1.19-10.22, p value 0.02). Post-operative use of budesonide irrigation was associated with less contralateral involvement (OR 0.11, 95% CI 0.01-0.87, p value 0.01). Association of other variables like: comorbidities, perioperative use of systemic steroid, radiological signs, extent of surgery, additional surgery to the contralateral side, and post-operative use of systemic steroids did not show statistical significance. Involvement of the contralateral sinuses in 30% of unilateral AFRS cases is considered significant. The non-diseased sinuses should be involved in the routine endoscopic examination and post-operative treatment. Further studies are necessary to investigate the possibility of prophylactic surgical intervention of the non-diseased sinuses.

Low-cost commercial borosilicate glass slides for passive radiation dosimetry

For x- and gamma- irradiations delivering entrance doses from 2- up to 1000 Gy to commercial 1.0 mm thick borosilicate glass microscope slides, study has been made of their thermoluminescence yield. With an effective atomic number of 10.6 (approximating bone equivalence), photon energy dependency is apparent in the low x-ray energy range, with interplay between the photoelectric effect and attenuation. As an example, over the examined dose range, at 120 kVp the photon sensitivity has been found to be some 5× that of ⁶⁰Co gamma irradiations, also with repeatability to within ~1%. The glow-curves, taking the form of a single prominent broad peak, have been deconvolved yielding at best fit a total of five peaks, the associated activation energies and frequency factors also being obtained. The results indicate borosilicate glass slides to offer promising performance as a low-cost passive radiation dosimeter, with utility for both radiotherapy and industrial applications.

A-Site Cation Size Effect on Structure and Magnetic Properties of Sm(Eu,Gd)Cr0.2Mn0.2Fe0.2Co0.2Ni0.2O3 High-Entropy Solid Solutions

Three high-entropy Sm(Eu,Gd)Cr_0.2Mn_0.2Fe_0.2Co_0.2Ni_0.2O₃ perovskite solid solutions were synthesized using the usual ceramic technology. The XRD investigation at room temperature established a single-phase perovskite product. The Rietveld refinement with the FullProf computer program in the frame of the orthorhombic Pnma (No 62) space group was realized. Along with a decrease in the V unit cell volume from ~224.33 ų for the Sm-based sample down to ~221.52 ų for the Gd-based sample, an opposite tendency was observed for the unit cell parameters as the ordinal number of the rare-earth cation increased. The average grain size was in the range of 5–8 μm. Field magnetization was measured up to 30 kOe at 50 K and 300 K. The law of approach to saturation was used to determine the M_s spontaneous magnetization that nonlinearly increased from ~1.89 emu/g (Sm) up to ~17.49 emu/g (Gd) and from ~0.59 emu/g (Sm) up to ~3.16 emu/g (Gd) at 50 K and 300 K, respectively. The M_r residual magnetization and H_c coercive force were also determined, while the SQR loop squareness, k magnetic crystallographic anisotropy coefficient, and H_a anisotropy field were calculated. Temperature magnetization was measured in a field of 30 kOe. ZFC and FC magnetization curves were fixed in a field of 100 Oe. It was discovered that the T_mo magnetic ordering temperature downward-curve decreased from ~137.98 K (Sm) down to ~133.99 K (Gd). The spin glass state with ferromagnetic nanoinclusions for all the samples was observed. The <D> average and D_max maximum diameter of ferromagnetic nanoinclusions were calculated and they were in the range of 40–50 nm and 160–180 nm, respectively. The mechanism of magnetic state formation is discussed in terms of the effects of the A-site cation size and B-site poly-substitution on the indirect superexchange interactions.

Psychological Impact of Acne Vulgaris on the Young Saudi Population

Background

Acne is a chronic inflammatory skin disease caused by bacterial colonization that damages the pilosebaceous gland on the face and other parts of the body. It is one of the most frequent dermatologic diseases in the young population. Acne vulgaris is a devastating disease, and it has a significant impact on a patient's quality of life, influencing their self-esteem as well as their psychosocial development. This study aimed to explore the psychological symptoms associated with patients with acne, its impact on their quality of life according to their personal characteristics, and to raise the importance of observing and managing psychological symptoms during acne treatment.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, data were collected through a paper questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of two parts, the first includes data about demographics and general health while the second has details about the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DQLI); the Arabic validated version was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY).

Results

According to the impact of acne on respondents' lives, 40.0% have no effect at all, 31.0% have small effects, 19.0% have moderate effects,9.0% have large effects, and 0.7% have extremely large effects.

Conclusions

Acne is a major problem that affects the quality of life of young patients. Its effect is significantly higher among less educated patients and those with a longer duration of disease.

The effectiveness of ornamental building materials (tiles) for retrospective thermoluminescence dosimetry

Like many other decorative building materials, tiles are one of the most precious ornamental ingredients for making a lucrative building image. It not only offers beauty and luxury but also added value by protecting/monitoring ionizing radiation. In this study, the utmost regular use of seven varieties of tile samples has been considered for retrospective thermoluminescence dosimetry. To observe the potentials of tiles for retrospective dosimetry, the major thermoluminescence properties (such as dose-response, energy dependence, self-sensitivity, relative sensitivity, glow curves, repeatability, fading, and also effective atomic number) has been investigated following the annealing - irradiation - readout cycles. Making an allowance for the various TL parameters, White Horse (Mirror Polish) tiles demonstrate suitability to be used as emergency TL dosimeter in 0.5-100 Gy dose array. Comparing the values of Z_eff of these numerous tiles' samples (11.6-12.7) with TLD-200 (Z_eff = 16.3), it is to be noted that tiles can be used as a suitable material for environmental radiation dosimetry. The thermoluminescent characteristics of tiles in the dose limit from 0.5 Gy to 100 Gy are reported here for the first time.

The effect of 805 nm near-infrared photobiomodulation on proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow stem cells in murine rats

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effect of near infra-red gallium-aluminium-arsenide (GaAlAs) diode laser (805 nm) irradiation on proliferation and differentiation of rat femoral bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) cultured in osteogenic medium.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

BMSCs were obtained from femurs of 60 Sprague Dawley rats (200 gm). The control group comprised isolated BMSCs supplemented with an osteogenic differentiation medium. On the other hand, in the experimental group, the BMSCs were irradiated with a near-infrared laser in addition to an osteogenic differentiation medium. The experimental group was irradiated with a soft tissue laser comprising of allium-aluminium-arsenic (Ga-Al-Ar) Diode at a near-infrared wavelength of 805 nm in continuous mode. The different output powers applied were 0.5 W, 1.0 W, 1.5 W and 2.0 W respectively. Various energy levels of 1, 4, 7 and 10 J were used for irradiation. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay and Alizarin staining were performed to confirm osteogenic differentiation. Statistical analysis was done using a one-way ANOVA and a p-value of <0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

According to our findings, 1.27 J/cm2 was the optimal energy density value that significantly increased the BMSC proliferation at the output of 1.5 W with the power density of 1.27 W/cm2. On 1.27 J/cm2, there was a significant difference compared to the control group on the first day, and the osteogenic differentiation increased significantly on the 4th day compared to the 1st day.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our findings, 1.27 J/cm2 was the optimal energy density value that significantly increased the BMSC proliferation at the output of 1.5 W with the power density of 1.27 W/cm2.

25 years' experience with lymphangiomas in children

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

The management of lymphangioma in children is challenging because complete resection is difficult to achieve in some cases, and recurrences are common. The authors reviewed their experience to assess the risk factors for recurrence and the role of nonoperative treatment.

METHODS

A retrospective study over a period of 25 years was carried out. One hundred eighty-six patients with 191 lesions (five patients with de novo lesions in different sites) were treated. There were 98 boys and 88 girls. The average age at diagnosis was 3.3 years (range, fetal life to 17 years) and the average size 8 cm in diameter. Histocytological confirmation was obtained in all patients. The involved sites were head and neck, 89 patients (48%); trunk and extremities, 78 patients (42%); internal or visceral locations (eg, abdominal and thorax), 19 patients (10%). The treatment consisted of macroscopically complete excision in 145 patients (150 lesions, of which five were recurrences in different sites), partial excision in 10 patients, aspiration in five patients, laser excision in 10 patients, biopsy only in four patients, drainage and biopsy in two patients, and injection of sclerosing agents in 10 patients.

RESULTS

There were 54 recurrences; 44 underwent excision (five of them more than once), and five regressed spontaneously on follow-up. Five other recurrences were stable and not progressing. Recurrences, (defined as clinically obvious disease), were found to be 100% after aspiration, 100% after injection, 40% after incomplete excision, 40% after laser excision, and 17% after macroscopically complete excision. The recurrence rate in the last group was the highest in the head (33%), the least in the internal locations (0%), and intermediate for the cervical location (13%). There were no significant differences, in terms of outcome, between those who had their surgery immediately at the time of diagnosis (n = 101) and those who had delayed surgery (n = 85).

CONCLUSIONS

There were fewer recurrences after macroscopically complete excision. Aspiration and injection had the highest recurrence rate. Risk factors for recurrence included location, size, and complexity of lesions. A period of observation may be useful for infants to facilitate complete excision. In the present series, spontaneous regression was infrequent and was seen more often with recurrent lesions.

Insights into Sorption-Mineralization Mechanism for Sustainable Granular Composite of MgO-CaO-Al2O3-SiO2-CO2 Based on Nanosized Adsorption Centers and Its Effect on Aqueous Cu(II) Removal

Although copper is needed for living organisms at low concentrations, it is one of the pollutants that should be monitored along with other heavy metals. A novel and sustainable composite mineralizing sorbent based on MgO-CaO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-CO₂ with nanosized adsorption centers was synthesized using natural calcium-magnesium carbonates and clay aluminosilicates for copper sorption. An organometallic modifier was added as a temporary binder and a source of inovalent ions participating in the reactions of defect formation and activated sintering. The sorbent-mineralizer samples of specified composition and properties showed irreversible sorption of Cu²⁺ ions by the ion exchange reactions Ca²⁺ ↔ Cu²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ↔ Cu²⁺. The topochemical reactions of the ion exchange 2OH^- → CO₃^2-, 2OH^- → SO₄^2- and CO₃^2- → SO₄^2- occurred at the surface with formation of the mixed calcium-copper carbonates and sulfates structurally connected with aluminosilicate matrix. The reverse migration of ions to the environment is blocked by the subsequent mineralization of the newly formed interconnected aluminosilicate and carbonate structures.

Exploring the thermoluminescence characteristics of smartphone screen safety glasses for retrospective dosimetry applications

In clinical settings, standard dosimeters might miss radiation mishaps. Retrospective dosimeters could help to track personnel (such as patients and other staff who don't wear dosimeters) exceeding safe limits and assess long-term exposure trends. This study has investigated key thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetric characteristics, including the glow curve structure, dose-response, energy dependence, sensitivity and fading of various safety glasses that are used as screen protectors of smartphones subjected to photon irradiation. Among the studied glasses, the HD Anti-Peep safety glass for iPhone has been found to exhibit a linear dose-response with a regression coefficient of 99% within the dose range of 2-10 Gy. Moreover, all the safety glasses showed independence with respect to photon energy of 6 MV and 10 MV. The TL glow curves of the samples showed a broad glow peak between 125 °C and 325 °C at 10 Gy. The TL kinetic parameters of the safety glasses were also studied by analyzing the glow curves using the peak shape and initial rise method. The geometric factor (μg) is found to be within the range of 0.43-0.53, which indicates the suitability of applying Chen's general-order formula to calculate the kinetic parameters such as activation energy, frequency factor and trap lifetime. The activation energy (E) and frequency factor (s) are found in the range of 0.31-0.54 eV and 4.55 × 103 to 2.12 × 106 s-1 respectively obtained via the peak shape method. The relatively long trap lifetime and observed thermoluminescence features indicate that the HD Anti-Peep safety glass offers a better option to estimate dose retrospectively to ensure the safety of human health.