Partial Hepatectomy for the Resistant Fasciola Hepatica Infection in a Child.

Fascioliasis is an emerging and important chronic parasitic disease caused by two trematode liver fluke species: Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) and Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica) infecting several herbivorous mammals including cattle, goats, sheep, and humans. We report a 9-year-old girl who suffered from F. hepatica infection and underwent right hepatectomy because of increasing abdominal pain resistant to anthelmintic chemotherapy. When anthelmintic drug treatment is not effective and abdominal pain persists, surgical resection including hepatectomy should be kept in mind for resistant F. hepatica infection

Low-temperature, Inkjet-printed p-Type Copper(I) Iodide-based Thin-Film Transistors

Graduation date: 2016Inkjet-printed p-type copper(I) iodide-based TFTs were successfully fabricated. As-printed copper(I) halide semiconductor films, such as CuI, CuBrI, and CuClI, were used as p-type active channel layers for TFTs. The entire process of the TFTs fabrication was maintained under 150 °C, which is compatible with flexible plastic substrates and transparent glass substrate. Various printing temperatures, drop spacing, W/L ratios, and TFT structures were tested in order to find the optimum device properties for p-type copper(I) iodide-based TFT. In addition, inkjet-printed CuI, CuBrI, and CuClI films were characterized to study optical, electrical, and morphological properties. Furthermore, device performance of printed copper(I) iodide-based p-type TFTs was also investigated. Among them, CuI TFTs with SU-8 encapsulation exhibited outstanding p-type transistor behaviours with field-effect mobility as high as 4.36 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and Ion/Ioff ratio of 103.24 on the silicon substrate. Also, CuBrI TFTs resulted in successful p-type transistor behaviours with average\ud field-effect mobility of 2.4 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and I[subscript on]/I[subscript off] ratio of 101.9 on the glass substrates when the molar ratio of CuBr:CuI was 1:1. In addition, CuClI TFTs were successfully fabricated with field-effect mobility as high as 1.02 cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and I[subscript on]/I[subscript off] ratio of 10⁰·⁷³ on the silicon substrates when the molar ratio of CuCl:CuI was 1:9. The device performances were comparable to reported p-type metal oxide TFTs. This study suggests promising candidates of low-temperature printed p-type TFTs that can be used for complementary inorganic circuits

Human genetic and immunological determinants of critical COVID-19 pneumonia

SARS-CoV-2 infection is benign in most individuals but, in around 10% of cases, it triggers hypoxaemic COVID-19 pneumonia, which leads to critical illness in around 3% of cases. The ensuing risk of death (approximately 1% across age and gender) doubles every five years from childhood onwards and is around 1.5 times greater in men than in women. Here we review the molecular and cellular determinants of critical COVID-19 pneumonia. Inborn errors of type I interferons (IFNs), including autosomal TLR3 and X-chromosome-linked TLR7 deficiencies, are found in around 1-5% of patients with critical pneumonia under 60 years old, and a lower proportion in older patients. Pre-existing auto-antibodies neutralizing IFN alpha, IFN beta and/or IFN omega, which are more common in men than in women, are found in approximately 15-20% of patients with critical pneumonia over 70 years old, and a lower proportion in younger patients. Thus, at least 15% of cases of critical COVID-19 pneumonia can be explained. The TLR3- and TLR7-dependent production of type I IFNs by respiratory epithelial cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, respectively, is essential for host defence against SARS-CoV-2. In ways that can depend on age and sex, insufficient type I IFN immunity in the respiratory tract during the first few days of infection may account for the spread of the virus, leading to pulmonary and systemic inflammation