Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation and Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Implantation in a Hemodynamically Unstable Infant with Ventricular Tachycardia from Multiple Cardiac Rhabdomyomas

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a neurocutaneous disorder characterized by benign tissue hamartomas in multiple organ systems, including cardiac rhabdomyomas. Though prevalent in TSC, cardiac tumors are rare in children, occurring in about 0.03%–0.17%. Rhabdomyomas are the most common, accounting for 45%. When present, they are multiple and in the ventricular myocardium. Frequently, they regress and surveillance is all that is required until spontaneous regression. Intervention is necessary when life-threatening obstruction or hemodynamically significant refractory arrhythmias occur. This case highlights the course of a 6-month-old infant with TSC and cardiac rhabdomyomas who presented in refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT) with decompensation and cardiac arrest necessitating venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO), complex antiarrhythmic therapy, and ultimately implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

Investigation of magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric effect of (Ni,Co)-Mn-Al melt-spun ribbons

Magnetic phase transition, magnetocaloric effect and critical parameters of Ni50-xCoxMn50-yAly (x = 5 and 10; y = 17, 18 and 19) rapidly quenched ribbons have been studied. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibit a coexistence of the L21 and 10M crystalline phases of the ribbons. Magnetization measurements show that all the samples behave as soft magnetic materials with a low coercive force less than 60 Oe. The shape of thermomagnetization curves considerably depends on Co and Al concentrations. The Curie temperature (TC) of the alloy ribbons strongly increases with increasing the Co concentration and slightly decreases with increasing the Al concentration. The Ni45Co5Mn31Al19 and Ni40Co10Mn33Al17 ribbons reveal both the positive and negative magnetocaloric effects. Under magnetic field change (ΔGH) of 13.5 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change (|ΔSm|max) of the Ni45Co5Mn31Al19 ribbon is about 2 and -1 J·kg−1·K−1 for negative and positive magnetocaloric effects, respectively. Basing on Arrott - Noakes and Kouvel - Fisher methods, critical parameters of the Ni45Co5Mn31Al19 ribbon were determined to be TC ≈ 290 K, β ≈ 0.58, γ ≈ 0.92 and δ ≈ 2.59. The obtained values of the critical exponents indicate that the magnetic order of the alloy ribbon is close to the mean-field model

Phase formation and magnetocaloric effect in (Pr,Nd)-Fe alloys prepared by rapidly quenched method

In this work, Pr2-xNdxFe17 (x = 0 - 2) ribbons with thickness of about 15 μm were prepared by melt-spinning method. The alloy ribbons were then annealed at different temperatures (900 - 1100°C) for various time (0.25 - 2 h). The formation of the (Pr,Nd)2Fe17 (2:17) crystalline phase in the alloys strongly depends on the Pr/Nd ratio and annealing conditions. Annealing time for the completed formation of the 2:17 phase in the rapidly quenched ribbons is greatly reduced in comparison with that of bulk alloys. Curie temperature, TC, of the alloys can be controlled in room temperature region by changing Pr/Nd ratio. Maximum magnetic entropy change (|ΔSm|max) and full width at haft the maximum peak (FWHM) of the magnetic entropy change of the alloys were respectively found to be larger than 1.5 J.kg−1K−1 and 40 K in room temperature region with magetic field change ΔH = 12 kOe

Investigation of magnetic phase transition and magnetocaloric effect of (Ni,Co)-Mn-Al melt-spun ribbons

Magnetic phase transition, magnetocaloric effect and critical parameters of Ni50-xCoxMn50-yAly (x = 5 and 10; y = 17, 18 and 19) rapidly quenched ribbons have been studied. X-ray diffraction patterns exhibit a coexistence of the L21 and 10M crystalline phases of the ribbons. Magnetization measurements show that all the samples behave as soft magnetic materials with a low coercive force less than 60 Oe. The shape of thermomagnetization curves considerably depends on Co and Al concentrations. The Curie temperature (TC) of the alloy ribbons strongly increases with increasing the Co concentration and slightly decreases with increasing the Al concentration. The Ni45Co5Mn31Al19 and Ni40Co10Mn33Al17 ribbons reveal both the positive and negative magnetocaloric effects. Under magnetic field change (ΔGH) of 13.5 kOe, the maximum magnetic entropy change (|ΔSm|max) of the Ni45Co5Mn31Al19 ribbon is about 2 and -1 J·kg−1·K−1 for negative and positive magnetocaloric effects, respectively. Basing on Arrott - Noakes and Kouvel - Fisher methods, critical parameters of the Ni45Co5Mn31Al19 ribbon were determined to be TC ≈ 290 K, β ≈ 0.58, γ ≈ 0.92 and δ ≈ 2.59. The obtained values of the critical exponents indicate that the magnetic order of the alloy ribbon is close to the mean-field model

Phase formation and magnetocaloric effect in (Pr,Nd)-Fe alloys prepared by rapidly quenched method

In this work, Pr2-xNdxFe17 (x = 0 - 2) ribbons with thickness of about 15 μm were prepared by melt-spinning method. The alloy ribbons were then annealed at different temperatures (900 - 1100°C) for various time (0.25 - 2 h). The formation of the (Pr,Nd)2Fe17 (2:17) crystalline phase in the alloys strongly depends on the Pr/Nd ratio and annealing conditions. Annealing time for the completed formation of the 2:17 phase in the rapidly quenched ribbons is greatly reduced in comparison with that of bulk alloys. Curie temperature, TC, of the alloys can be controlled in room temperature region by changing Pr/Nd ratio. Maximum magnetic entropy change (|ΔSm|max) and full width at haft the maximum peak (FWHM) of the magnetic entropy change of the alloys were respectively found to be larger than 1.5 J.kg−1K−1 and 40 K in room temperature region with magetic field change ΔH = 12 kOe

Magnetocaloric effect and critical behavior in Fe-La-Zr rapidly quenched ribbons

Fe90-xLaxZr10 (x = 1 and 2) rapidly quenched ribbons with thickness of about 15 μm were prepared by the melt-spinning method. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the structure of the ribbons is mostly amorphous. The Curie temperature, TC, of the alloy considerably increased, from ∼262 K for x = 1 to ∼302 K for x = 2, with increasing La-concentration. The maximum magnetic entropy change, |ΔSm|max, of the alloy is about 1.1 J∙kg−1K−1 for a magnetic field change ΔH = 12 kOe. A quite large refrigerant capacity (RC ∼ 74 J∙kg−1 for ΔH = 12 kOe) near the room temperature region is obtained for the alloy. A thorough analysis on critical exponents around the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic phase transition, using the Arrott–Noakes plots and Kouvel–Fisher method, sheds light on the critical magnetic behavior and its association with the magnetocaloric effect in the Fe-La based alloys. Keywords: Magnetocaloric effect, Magnetic refrigerant, Critical parameter, Magnetic entropy change, Melt-spinning metho