A Case of Pulmonary Paragonimiasis with Involvement of the Abdominal Muscle in a 9-Year-Old Girl

In Korea, many people enjoy eating raw or underkooked freshwater crayfish and crabs which unfortunately may cause paragonimiasis. Here, we describe a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a 9-year-old girl, who presented with a 1-month history of abdominal pain, especially in the right flank and the right inguinal area, with anorexia. A chest radiograph revealed pleural effusion in both lungs, and her abdominal sonography indicated an inflammatory lesion in the right psoas muscle. Peripheral blood analysis of the patient showed hypereosinophilia (66.0%) and an elevated total serum IgE level (>2,500 IU/ml). The pleural effusion tested by ELISA were also positive for antibodies against paragonimiasis. Her dietary history stated that she had ingested raw freshwater crab, 4 months previously. The diagnosis was pulmonary paragonimiasis accompanied by abdominal muscle involvement. She was improved after 5 cycles of praziquantel treatment and 2 times of pleural effusion drainage. In conclusion, herein, we report a case of pulmonary and abdominal paragonimiasis in a girl who presented with abdominal pain and tenderness in the inguinal area

Gadd45b Acts as Neuroprotective Effector in Global Ischemia-Induced Neuronal Death

Purpose Transient global ischemia arising in human due to cardiac arrest causes selective, delayed neuronal death in hippocampal CA1 and cognitive impairment. Growth arrest and DNA-damage-inducible protein 45 beta (Gadd45b) is a wellknown molecule in both DNA damage-related pathogenesis and therapies. Emerging evidence suggests that Gadd45b is an anti-apoptotic factor in nonneuronal cells and is an intrinsic neuroprotective molecule in neurons. However, the mechanism of Gadd45b pathway is not fully examined in neurodegeneration associated with global ischemia. Methods Rats were subjected to transient global ischemia by the 4-vessel occlusion or sham operation. The animals were sacrificed at 24 hours, 48 hours, and 7 days after ischemia. The hippocampal CA1 was microdissected and processed to examine mRNA and protein level. To assess neuronal death, tissue sections were cut and processed for Fluoro-Jade and Nissl staining. Results Here we show that ischemic insults increase abundance of Gadd45b and brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a known target of Gadd45 mediated demethylation, in selectively-vulnerable hippocampal CA1 neurons. We further show that knockdown of Gadd45b increases abundance of a pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family member Bax while decreasing the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, which together promote neuronal death. Conclusions These findings document a protective role of Gadd45b against neuronal insults associated with global ischemia and identify Gadd45b as a potential therapeutic target for the amelioration of hippocampal neurodegeneration

Properties of Graphene: A Theoretical Perspective

In this review, we provide an in-depth description of the physics of monolayer and bilayer graphene from a theorist's perspective. We discuss the physical properties of graphene in an external magnetic field, reflecting the chiral nature of the quasiparticles near the Dirac point with a Landau level at zero energy. We address the unique integer quantum Hall effects, the role of electron correlations, and the recent observation of the fractional quantum Hall effect in the monolayer graphene. The quantum Hall effect in bilayer graphene is fundamentally different from that of a monolayer, reflecting the unique band structure of this system. The theory of transport in the absence of an external magnetic field is discussed in detail, along with the role of disorder studied in various theoretical models. We highlight the differences and similarities between monolayer and bilayer graphene, and focus on thermodynamic properties such as the compressibility, the plasmon spectra, the weak localization correction, quantum Hall effect, and optical properties. Confinement of electrons in graphene is nontrivial due to Klein tunneling. We review various theoretical and experimental studies of quantum confined structures made from graphene. The band structure of graphene nanoribbons and the role of the sublattice symmetry, edge geometry and the size of the nanoribbon on the electronic and magnetic properties are very active areas of research, and a detailed review of these topics is presented. Also, the effects of substrate interactions, adsorbed atoms, lattice defects and doping on the band structure of finite-sized graphene systems are discussed. We also include a brief description of graphane -- gapped material obtained from graphene by attaching hydrogen atoms to each carbon atom in the lattice.Comment: 189 pages. submitted in Advances in Physic

The Tumor Microenvironment: The Making of a Paradigm

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the su

Highly suspected primary intraocular lymphoma in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis treated with etanercept: a case report

Abstract Background To describe a case of highly suspected primary intraocular lymphoma (PIOL) in a patient using etanercept for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. Case presentation A 50-year-old female patient presented with decreased vision in her left eye that lasted for a week. She had a 15-year history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and had been taking weekly etanercept for the preceding 8 months. Funduscopic examination and SD-OCT showed a swollen ellipsoid zone (EZ) and a retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) irregularity of the right eye. We also noted EZ disruption and a RPE irregularity in the left eye. As subretinal infiltration was aggravated in the right eye after the initial treatment, we completed a vitrectomy. Vitreous cytology revealed PIOL with positive CD20 immunostaining. She was treated with serial intravitreal methotrexate injections and systemic chemotherapy. After the treatment, subretinal infiltration and subRPE deposits were decreased in the right eye with no evidence of recurrence in either eye. Conclusions This case suggests a potential relationship between immunosuppression with anti-TNFα medication, and increased risk for lymphoma, especially in patients with underlying rheumatologic disorders and especially in patients with suspected chronic refractory uveitis

Atherogenic Index of Plasma and Its Association with Risk Factors of Coronary Artery Disease and Nutrient Intake in Korean Adult Men: The 2013–2014 KNHANES

Coronary artery disease (CAD) has been linked to one of the highest death rates globally. The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) may be an important predictor of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, superior to the standard atherosclerotic lipid profile. This study investigated the relationship between AIP and obesity indices, blood glucose, lipid profile, and nutrient intake status in Korean adult men. The study included 1292 males aged ≥19 years old who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2013–2014. Participants were divided into four groups according to AIP quartiles, calculated as log (triglyceride (TG)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C)). Body mass index, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c, total cholesterol, TG, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels increased as AIP levels increased, whereas HDL-C level declined. As the level of AIP increased, intake of saturated fatty acid, calcium, phosphorus, riboflavin, milk, and dairy product decreased significantly, and the contribution rate of milk and dairy products to fat intake decreased. AIP was linked to obesity indices, blood glucose, and blood lipid profile in Korean men, suggesting that it could predict CAD