Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease Masquerading as Metastatic Papillary Carcinoma of the Thyroid

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis is a rare cervical inflammatory lymphadenitis that is most commonly seen in young Asian women. It is mainly characterized by lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, fever, nocturnal sweats, myalgia, weight loss, and arthralgia, and commonly follows a self-limited course. The differential diagnosis is challenging as many other conditions such as malignant lymphoma, metastatic disease, tuberculosis and infectious lymphadenopathies can present in a similar way. We present an unusual case of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease masquerading as metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. A 30-year-old young female presented, 2 months post-partum, with complaints of neck pain and fever. A computed tomography scan showed enlarged right-sided lymph nodes and a thyroid nodule. Subsequent biopsy of a thyroid nodule revealed papillary thyroid carcinoma and reactive inflammation in one of the lymph nodes. She underwent an elective total thyroidectomy, central node dissection and a right modified lymph node dissection for enlarged lymph nodes. Her recovery was uneventful and the pathology report was consistent with a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid with one lymph node positive for metastatic disease and several other lymph nodes showing histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis. This coexistence of Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease with localized metastatic papillary thyroid cancer is unusual and presents an interesting, challenging, and complex management dilemma

The effect of cocaine on gastric mucosal PGE2, LTC4 and ulcerations

The association between cocaine use and acute gastroduodenal perforation is known. The effect of cocaine and stress on gastric mucosal ulceration and the levels of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) was studied in 40 Sprague–Dawley rats. Controls received intraperitoneal (i.p.) saline, ten received i.p. cocaine (35 mg/kg), ten were stressed by the cold restraint method, and ten had i.p. cocaine and stress. Cocaine alone did not induce ulceration, but decreased PGE2 levels. Stress alone caused ulceration, but was not associated with a change in either PGE2 or LTC4 levels. When combined with stress, however, cocaine caused a three-fold increase in ulceration and a significant increase in PGE2 and LTC4 levels. Stress may predispose the cocaine addict to loss of gastroduodenal mucosal integrity, which is related to an imbalance of PGE2 and LTC4 synthesis

Scaling of Wave-Packet Dynamics in an Intense Midinfrared Field

A theoretical investigation is presented that examines the wavelength scaling from near-visible (0.8 µm) to midinfrared (2 µm) of the photoelectron distribution and high harmonics generated by a "single" atom in an intense electromagnetic field. The calculations use a numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrödinger equation (TDSE) in argon and the strong-field approximation in helium. The scaling of electron energies (λ^2), harmonic cutoff (λ^2), and attochirp (λ^-1) agree with classical mechanics, but it is found that, surprisingly, the harmonic yield follows a λ^-(5-6) scaling at constant intensity. In addition, the TDSE results reveal an unexpected contribution from higher-order returns of the rescattering electron wave packet

Process Developments And Applications Around The Powder In Tube Technique

The purpose of this presentation is to give an overview of techniques available to produce original optical fibers and application dedicated. Some alternative fabrication solutions to the well-know stack and draw technique will be developed, following by the interest to join the stack and draw technique to other ones like Repusil® Technique, Rod in Tube and finally the Powder in Tube methods, first described by the Bell Lab in the seventies and up to date since some years by several groups in the world. Realization of performing optical devices such as light sources or optical sensors can be purposed by this two last original ways

PHIL photoinjector test line

LAL is now equiped with its own platform for photoinjectors tests and Research and Developement, named PHIL (PHotoInjectors at LAL). This facility has two main purposes: push the limits of the photoinjectors performances working on both the design and the associated technology and provide a low energy (MeV) short pulses (ps) electron beam for the interested users. Another very important goal of this machine will be to provide an opportunity to form accelerator physics students, working in a high technology environment. To achieve this goal a test line was realised equipped with an RF source, magnets and beam diagnostics. In this article we will desrcibe the PHIL beamline and its characteristics together with the description of the first two photoinjector realised in LAL and tested: the ALPHAX and the PHIN RF Guns

Problems of using a discount rate as monetary regulator

Originally published in Optics Letters on 01 May 2012 (ol-37-9-1430

Kerr self-cleaning of pulsed beam in an ytterbium doped multimode fiber

We experimentally demonstrate that Kerr spatial self-cleaning of a pulsed beam can be obtained in an amplifying multimode optical fiber. An input peak power of 500 W only was sufficient to produce a quasi-single-mode emission from the double-clad ytterbium doped multimode fiber (YMMF) with non-parabolic refractive index profile. We compare the self-cleaning behavior observed in the same fiber with loss and with gain. Laser gain introduces new opportunities to achieve spatial self-cleaning of light in multimode fibers at a relatively low power threshold

Nonlinear beam self-cleaning in a coupled cavity composite laser based on multimode fiber

We study a coupled cavity laser configuration where a passively Q-switched Nd:YAG microchip laser is combined with an extended cavity, including a doped multimode fiber. For appropriate coupling levels with the extended cavity, we observed that beam selfcleaning was induced in the multimode fiber thanks to nonlinear modal coupling, leading to a quasi-single mode laser output. In the regime of beam self-cleaning, laser pulse duration was reduced from 525 to 225 ps. We also observed a Q-switched mode-locked operation, where spatial self-cleaning was accompanied by far-detuned nonlinear frequency conversion in the active multimode fiber

The providing resources to enhance African American patients' readiness to make decisions about kidney disease (PREPARED) study: protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Living related kidney transplantation (LRT) is underutilized, particularly among African Americans. The effectiveness of informational and financial interventions to enhance informed decision-making among African Americans with end stage renal disease (ESRD) and improve rates of LRT is unknown. METHODS/DESIGN: We report the protocol of the Providing Resources to Enhance African American Patients' Readiness to Make Decisions about Kidney Disease (PREPARED) Study, a two-phase study utilizing qualitative and quantitative research methods to design and test the effectiveness of informational (focused on shared decision-making) and financial interventions to overcome barriers to pursuit of LRT among African American patients and their families. Study Phase I involved the evidence-based development of informational materials as well as a financial intervention to enhance African American patients' and families' proficiency in shared decision-making regarding LRT. In Study Phase 2, we are currently conducting a randomized controlled trial in which patients with new-onset ESRD receive 1) usual dialysis care by their nephrologists, 2) the informational intervention (educational video and handbook), or 3) the informational intervention in addition to the option of participating in a live kidney donor financial assistance program. The primary outcome of the randomized controlled trial will include patients' self-reported rates of consideration of LRT (including family discussions of LRT, patient-physician discussions of LRT, and identification of a LRT donor). DISCUSSION: Results from the PREPARED study will provide needed evidence on ways to enhance the decision to pursue LRT among African American patients with ESRD

Characterization of Culex Flavivirus (Flaviviridae) strains isolated from mosquitoes in the United States and Trinidad

AbstractRecent reports indicate that flaviviruses similar to the cell fusing agent virus (CFAV) naturally infect a wide variety of mosquito species. These newly recognized insect-specific viruses comprise a distinct CFAV complex within the genus Flavivirus. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of nine strains of Culex flavivirus (Cx FV), a member of the CFAV complex, from mosquitoes collected in the United States (East Texas) and Trinidad. Phylogenetic analyses of the envelope protein gene sequences of these nine mosquito isolates with those of other CFAV complex flaviviruses in GenBank indicate that the U.S. isolates group with CxFV isolates from Asia (Japan and Indonesia), while the Trinidad isolates are more similar to CxFV isolates from Central America. A discussion follows on the possible biological significance of the CFAV complex flaviviruses