Torsion of an intrahydrocelic sac in a child: A case report

We report the case of a 3-yr-old boy who presented an acute right hydrocele. A rapid scrotal swelling under tension developed the first hours and the child complained for discomfort especially during palpation of the scrotum. Three days later, surgical exploration revealed an incomplete torsion of a communicated and pedunculated peritoneal sac arising from the tunica vaginalis testis

Carcinoid tumour of the appendix in children: a case report

Carcinoids are the most common tumours of the appendix. These tumours show prevalence in white children. The clinical presentation of the appendiceal carcinoids is similar to that of acute appendicitis, although in many cases the tumour is diagnosed incidentally during an operation. The diagnosis should be confirmed histologically. The prognosis in patients with local disease is excellent. In small lesions isolated appendicectomy is considered as the most appropriate treatment, while in larger lesions right colectomy should be performed. We report a case of a carcinoid tumour in the tip of the appendix of a thirteen year old girl which was diagnosed intraoperatively. The patient received isolated appendicectomy due to the small size of the lesion. Ten years after the operation there is no evidence of recurrence or metastases, and the patient is considered free of disease

A Hybrid Electrostatic Retarding Potential Analyzer for the Measurement of Plasmas at Extremely High Energy Resolution

Many space plasmas (especially electrons generated in planetary ionospheres) exhibit fine-detailed structures that are challenging to fully resolve with the energy resolution of typical space plasma analyzers (10% 20%). While analyzers with higher resolution have flown, generally this comes at the expense of sensitivity and temporal resolution. We present a new technique for measuring plasmas with extremely high energy resolution through the combination of a top-hat Electrostatic Analyzer (ESA) followed by an internally mounted Retarding Potential Analyzer (RPA). When high resolutions are not required, the RPA is grounded, and the instrument may operate as a typical general-purpose plasma analyzer using its ESA alone. We also describe how such an instrument may use its RPA to remotely vary the geometric factor (sensitivity) of a top hat analyzer, as was performed on the New Horizons Solar Wind at Pluto and MAVEN SupraThermal and Thermal Ion Composition instruments. Finally, we present results from laboratory testing of our prototype, showing that this technique may be used to construct an instrument with 1.6% energy resolution, constant over all energies and angles

Cecal epiploica appendix torsion in a female child mimicking acute appendicitis: a case report

Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of the right lower quadrant acute abdominal pain in children. Some other conditions including cecal epiploica appendix torsion, can simulate acute abdomen. Epiploica appendix torsion usually occurs in the sigmoid colon and rarely in the cecum of adult males. In children, this entity is extremely rare and may represent a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma. We report a case of an 8-year-old Greek girl, presented with signs and symptoms mimicking acute abdomen. Our patient is the younger one among the other four with cecal epiploica appendix torsion that had been reported in the literature

Pelvic plastron secondary to acute appendicitis in a child presented as appendiceal intussusception. A case report

We report an unusual case of an 11-year-old Greek girl with complicated acute appendicitis. The pelvic plastron that had been formatted secondary to appendix perforation was mimicking appendiceal intussusception in the preoperative ultrasound and computed tomography images. Although acute complicated appendicitis and appendiceal intussusception may represent possible causes of acute abdomen no similar cases have reported in the literature

Modulation of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis by endogenous Annexin A1

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Autoimmune diseases, like multiple sclerosis, are triggered by uncontrolled activation of cells of the immune system against self-antigen present, for instance, in the central nervous system. We have reported novel biological functions for Annexin A1, an effector of endogenous anti-inflammation, to produce positive actions on the adaptive immune system by reducing the threshold of T cell activation. In this study, we investigated the potential modulatory role of Annexin A1 in the development of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a model of multiple sclerosis.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Male control C57/BL6 and AnxA1 null mice were immunized subcutaneously with an emulsion consisting of 300 μg of MOG_35-55in PBS combined with an equal volume of CFA. Lymph node cells obtained from mice immunized with MOG_33-55for 14 days were re-stimulated <it>in vitro </it>with MOG_33-55(100 μg/ml) for 4 days and the Th1/Th17 cytokine profile measured by ELISA. Spinal cords were processed either to isolate the infiltrated T cells or fixed and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. Statistical analyses were performed using two-tailed, unpaired Student's t tests or ANOVA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our results show a direct correlation between Annexin A1 expression and severity of EAE. Analysis of MOG_35-55-induced EAE development in Annexin A1 null mice showed decreased signs of the disease compared to wild type mice. This defect was significant at the peak of the disease and accompanied by reduced infiltration of T cells in the spinal cord. Finally, analysis of the T cell recall response <it>in vitro </it>following stimulation with MOG_35-55showed a decrease proliferation of Annexin A1 null T cells, with a significantly reduced Th1/Th17 phenotype, compared to wild type cells.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Together these findings suggest that Annexin A1 null mice have an impaired capacity to develop EAE. Furthermore strategies aiming at reducing Annexin A1 functions or expression in T cells might represent a novel therapeutic approach for multiple sclerosis.</p

Osteopontin Promotes Protective Antigenic Tolerance against Experimental Allergic Airway Disease

In the context of inflammation, osteopontin (Opn) is known to promote effector responses, facilitating a proinflammatory environment; however, its role during antigenic tolerance induction is unknown. Using a mouse model of asthma, we investigated the role of Opn during antigenic tolerance induction and its effects on associated regulatory cellular populations prior to disease initiation. Our experiments demonstrate that Opn drives protective antigenic tolerance by inducing accumulation of IFN-β–producing plasmacytoid dendritic cells, as well as regulatory T cells, in mediastinal lymph nodes. We also show that, in the absence of TLR triggers, recombinant Opn, and particularly its SLAYGLR motif, directly induces IFN-β expression in Ag-primed plasmacytoid dendritic cells, which renders them extra protective against induction of allergic airway disease upon transfer into recipient mice. Lastly, we show that blockade of type I IFNR prevents antigenic tolerance induction against experimental allergic asthma. Overall, we unveil a new role for Opn in setting up a tolerogenic milieu boosting antigenic tolerance induction, thus leading to prevention of allergic airway inflammation. Our results provide insight for the future design of immunotherapies against allergic asthma

Extending the Dynamic Range of Microchannel Plate Detectors Using Charge-Integration-Based Counting

Microchannel plate (MCP) detectors provide a mechanism to produce a measureable current pulse (~0.1mA over several nanoseconds) when stimulated by a single incident particle or photon. Reductions of the device's amplification factor (i.e., gain) due to high incident particle flux can lead to significant degradation of detection system performance. Here we develop a parameterized model for the variation of MCP gain with incident flux. This model provides a framework with which to quantify the limits of high-flux MCP operation. We then compare the predictions of this model to laboratory measurements of an MCP's response to a pulsed charged particle beam. Finally, we demonstrate that through integration of the MCP output current in pulsed operation, effective count rates up to ~ 1 GHz can be achieved, more than an order of magnitude increase over conventional counting techniques used for spaceflight applications

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas: a case report

Adenosquamous carcinoma of the pancreas is a rare variant of pancreatic exocrine carcinoma. We report a case of 70 year old man who came to our hospital with abdominal pain, anorexia and jaundice. Imaging of the abdomen showed a mass in the region of the head of the pancreas. Histological evaluation of the pancreatic tumor showed an adenosquamous carcinoma which was extensively infiltrative with perineural invasion, involvement of peripancreatic lymph nodes and all the thickness of the duodenum wall. The tumor exhibited a biphasic malignant growth identified as well to moderate differentiated adenocarcinoma and well to poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma