Sialendoscopic management of autoimmune sialadenitis: a review of literature

Autoimmune diseases of major salivary glands include Sjögren's syndrome and a complex of disorders classified as immunoglobulin G4-related diseases. These pathologies are characterised by an autoimmune reaction mediated by T-helper lymphocytes that targets the ducts of exocrine glands in Sjögren's syndrome and glandular parenchyma in immunoglobulin G4-related diseases. Immunoglobulin G4-related diseases represent recently introduced multi-organ diseases that also involve the salivary glands. However, the morbid conditions once known as Mikulicz's disease and Kuttner's tumour were recently considered as two variants of immunoglobulin G4-related diseases affecting the major salivary glands ( immunoglobulin G4-related sialadenitis). This review briefly summarises the pathogenesis and clinical features of autoimmune diseases of the major salivary glands, focusing on the diagnostic and therapeutic role of sialendoscopy

O responder controlado temporalmente: desdobramentos da pesquisa com a tarefa de bissecção

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Context effects in temporal differentiation: some data and a model

We examined whether temporal context influences how animals produce a time interval. Six pigeons pecked one key to start an interval and then another key to end the interval. Reinforcement followed whenever the interval duration fell within a range of values signaled by the keylight colors. During Phase 1, keylight colors S1 and L1, intermixed across trials, signaled the ranges (0.5-1.5 s) and (1.5- 4.5 s), respectively. During Phase 2, colors S2 and L2 signaled the ranges (1.5-4.5 s) and (4.5-13.5 s), respectively. We asked whether the intervals produced in the presence of L1 and S2, stimuli signalling the same range, varied with their temporal context, short in Phase 1, long in Phase 2. The results showed that a) the intervals produced in the presence of the different keylight colors accorded with the main properties of temporal differentiation, including Weber’s law, b) the L1 intervals had slightly higher means than the S2 intervals, a weak contrast effect, c) the L1 intervals also had higher variability than the S2 intervals. An extension of the learning-to-time model to temporal differentiation tasks reproduced some of the major features of the data but left unanswered how context might change the model parameters.MPC, AM, and MV benefited from grants from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT SFRH/BD/73875/2010, PTDC/MHC-PCN/3540/2012, and IF/01624/2013/CP1158/CT0012, respectively). This study was conducted at the Psychology Research Centre, University of Minho, and partially supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds and when applicable co-financed by FEDER under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (UID/PSI/01662/2013). The authors thank Catarina Soares, Margarida Monteiro, Francisca Cunha, Janete Silva, Lénia Amaral, Pilar Niño and Sofia Ribeiro for help collecting data.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The SAT-based Approach to Separation Logic

The SAT-based approach to the decision problem for expressive, decidable, quantifier-free first-order theories has been investigated with remarkable results at least since 1993. One such theory, successfully employed in the formal verification of complex, infinite state systems, is Separation Logic (SL), which combines Boolean logic with arithmetic constraints of the form x − y ⋈ c, where ⋈ is ≤, , ≥, =, or ≠. The SAT-based approach to SL was first proposed and implemented in 1999: the results in terms of performance were good, and since then a number of other systems for SL have appeared. In this paper we focus on the problem of building efficient SAT-based decision procedures for SL. We present the basic procedure and four optimizations that improve dramatically its effectiveness in most cases: (a) IS 2 preprocessing, (b) early pruning, (c) model reduction, and (d) best reason detection. For each technique we give an example of how it might improve the performance. Furthermore, for the first three techniques, we give a pseudo-code representation and formally state the soundness and completeness of the resulting optimized procedure. We also show how it is possible to check the satisfiability of valuations involving constraints of the form x − y < c using the Bellman-Ford algorithm. Lastly, we present an extensive comparative experimental analysis, showing that our solver TSAT++, built along the lines described in this paper, is currently the state of the art on various classes of problems, including randomly generated, hand-made, and real-world instance

Audio-vestibular symptoms in systemic autoimmune diseases

Immune-mediated inner ear disease can be primary, when the autoimmune response is against the inner ear, or secondary. The latter is characterized by the involvement of the ear in the presence of systemic autoimmune conditions. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common audiovestibular symptom associated with systemic autoimmune diseases, although conductive hearing impairment may also be present. Hearing loss may present in a sudden, slowly, rapidly progressive or fluctuating form, and is mostly bilateral and asymmetric. Hearing loss shows a good response to corticosteroid therapy that may lead to near-complete hearing restoration. Vestibular symptoms, tinnitus, and aural fullness can be found in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases; they often mimic primary inner ear disorders such as Menière’s disease and mainly affect both ears simultaneously. Awareness of inner ear involvement in systemic autoimmune diseases is essential for the good response shown to appropriate treatment. However, it is often misdiagnosed due to variable clinical presentation, limited knowledge, sparse evidence, and lack of specific diagnostic tests. The aim of this review is to analyse available evidence, often only reported in the form of case reports due to the rarity of some of these conditions, of the different clinical presentations of audiological and vestibular symptoms in systemic autoimmune diseases

Clinic manifestations in granulomatosis with polyangiitis

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), formerly Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), is an uncommon immunologically mediated systemic small-vessel vasculitis that is pathologically characterised by an inflammatory reaction pattern (necrosis, granulomatous inflammation and vasculitis) that occurs in the upper and lower respiratory tracts and kidneys. Although the aetiology of GPA remains largely unknown, it is believed to be autoimmune in origin and triggered by environmental events on a background of genetic susceptibility.In Europe, the prevalence of GPA is five cases per 100,000 population, with greater incidence in Northern Europe. GPA can occur in all racial groups but predominantly affects Caucasians. Both sexes are affected equally. GPA affects a wide age range (age range, 8-99 years).Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is characterised by necrotising granulomatous lesions of the respiratory tract, vasculitis and glomerulonephritis. Classically, the acronym ELK is used to describe the clinical involvement of the ear, nose and throat (ENT); lungs; and kidneys. Because the upper respiratory tract is involved in 70-100% of cases of GPA, classic otorhinolaryngologic symptoms may be the first clinical manifestation of disease. The nasal cavity and the paranasal sinuses are the most common sites of involvement in the head and neck area (85-100%), whereas otological disease is found in approximately 35% (range, 19-61%) of cases.Diagnosis of GPA is achieved through clinical assessment, serological tests for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) and histological analysis. The 10-year survival rate is estimated to be 40% when the kidneys are involved and 60-70% when there is no kidney involvement.The standard therapy for GPA is a combination of glucocorticoids and cyclophosphamide. In young patients, cyclophosphamide should be switched to azathioprine in the maintenance phase.A multidisciplinary approach, involving otorhinolaryngologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, oral physicians, rheumatologists, renal and respiratory physicians, and ophthalmologists, is necessary for the diagnosis and therapeutic treatment of GPA. ENT physicians have a determining role in recognising the early onset of the disease and starting an appropriate therapy

Autoimmunity and otolaryngology diseases

Many systemic autoimmune diseases have otolaryngology manifestations that could represent a diagnostic challenge for clinicians, as they often constitute an early sign of an otherwise asymptomatic autoimmune condition and may lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment. In other cases, otolaryngology manifestations can be overlooked in patients with previously diagnosed autoimmune diseases. The pres- ence of concomitant conditions, the heterogeneity of studies available in the literature, and the lack of randomized trials are factors that may limit the prompt diagnosis of otolaryn- gology manifestations in systemic autoimmune diseases, with underestimation of the problem and undertreatment of the related condition

Guided resonances in photonic quasicrystals

In this paper, we report on the first evidence of guided resonances (GRs) in aperiodically-ordered photonic crystals, tied to the concept of "quasicrystals" in solid-state physics. Via a full-wave numerical study of the transmittance response and the modal structure of a photonic quasicrystal (PQC) slab based on a representative aperiodic geometry (Ammann-Beenker octagonal tiling), we demonstrate the possibility of exciting GR modes, and highlight similarities and differences with the periodic case. In particular, we show that, as for the periodic case, GRs arise from the coupling of the incident plane-wave with degenerate modes of the PQC slab that exhibit a matching symmetry in the spatial distribution, and can still be parameterized via a Fano-like model. Besides the phenomenological implications, our results may provide new degrees of freedom in the engineering of GRs, and pave the way for new developments and applications.Comment: 12 pages, 8 figures, 1 table. Three figures added; Sec. 3.3 significantly expande