Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance Disguised as Chronic Neutrophilic Leukemia

We encountered a 60-year-old woman with a medical history of diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, peripheral vascular disease, and hypertension who had earlier presented at an outside facility with knee pain, which led to a finding of elevated neutrophil count of 35×109/L. Because she was otherwise asymptomatic but continued showing elevated neutrophil levels, she sought a second opinion at our facility. Serum protein immunoelectrophoresis with immunofixation revealed an immunoglobulin A (IgA)-κ monoclonal gammopathy concentration of 1305 mg/dL (normal 80–350 mg/dL) but relatively normal concentrations of IgG of 840 mg/dL (620–1400 mg/dL) and IgM of 36 mg/dL (45–250 mg/dL). Using clonal analysis, we found a polyclonal expression pattern in all cell types analyzed. Comprehensive work-up for multiple myeloma and infectious etiology of neutrophilia was negative. We concluded that our patient’s neutrophilia may have been due to the underlying monoclonal gammopathy. This is the first case in the literature of a patient with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance presenting with chronic neutrophilia, mimicking chronic neutrophilic leukemia (CNL). Patients with CNL have a poor prognosis; therefore, it is important to distinguish diagnostically between CNL and reactive neutrophilia

Double quantum dot with tunable coupling in an enhancement-mode silicon metal-oxide semiconductor device with lateral geometry

We present transport measurements of a tunable silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor double quantum dot device with lateral geometry. Experimentally extracted gate-to-dot capacitances show that the device is largely symmetric under the gate voltages applied. Intriguingly, these gate voltages themselves are not symmetric. Comparison with numerical simulations indicates that the applied gate voltages serve to offset an intrinsic asymmetry in the physical device. We also show a transition from a large single dot to two well isolated coupled dots, where the central gate of the device is used to controllably tune the interdot coupling.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, to be published in Applied Physics Letter

Shadows and spirals in the protoplanetary disk HD 100453

Understanding the diversity of planets requires to study the morphology and the physical conditions in the protoplanetary disks in which they form. We observed and spatially resolved the disk around the ~10 Myr old protoplanetary disk HD 100453 in polarized scattered light with SPHERE/VLT at optical and near-infrared wavelengths, reaching an angular resolution of ~0.02", and an inner working angle of ~0.09". We detect polarized scattered light up to ~0.42" (~48 au) and detect a cavity, a rim with azimuthal brightness variations at an inclination of 38 degrees, two shadows and two symmetric spiral arms. The spiral arms originate near the location of the shadows, close to the semi major axis. We detect a faint spiral-like feature in the SW that can be interpreted as the scattering surface of the bottom side of the disk, if the disk is tidally truncated by the M-dwarf companion currently seen at a projected distance of ~119 au. We construct a radiative transfer model that accounts for the main characteristics of the features with an inner and outer disk misaligned by ~72 degrees. The azimuthal brightness variations along the rim are well reproduced with the scattering phase function of the model. While spirals can be triggered by the tidal interaction with the companion, the close proximity of the spirals to the shadows suggests that the shadows could also play a role. The change in stellar illumination along the rim, induces an azimuthal variation of the scale height that can contribute to the brightness variations. Dark regions in polarized images of transition disks are now detected in a handful of disks and often interpreted as shadows due to a misaligned inner disk. The origin of such a misalignment in HD 100453, and of the spirals, is unclear, and might be due to a yet-undetected massive companion inside the cavity, and on an inclined orbit.Comment: A&A, accepte

Overlap at the molecular and immunohistochemical levels between angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and a subgroup of peripheral T-cell lymphomas without specific morphological features

The overlap of morphology and immunophenotype between angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) and other nodal peripheral T-cell lymphomas (n-PTCLs) is a matter of current interest whose clinical relevance and pathogenic background have not been fully established. We studied a series of 98 n-PTCL samples (comprising 57 AITL and 41 PTCL-NOS) with five TFH antibodies (CD10, BCL-6, PD-1, CXCL13, ICOS), looked for mutations in five of the genes most frequently mutated in AITL (TET2, DNMT3A, IDH2, RHOA and PLCG1) using the Next-Generation-Sequencing Ion Torrent platform, and measured the correlations of these characteristics with morphology and clinical features. The percentage of mutations in the RHOA and TET2 genes was similar (23.5% of cases). PLCG1 was mutated in 14.3%, IDH2 in 11.2% and DNMT3A in 7.1% of cases, respectively. In the complete series, mutations in RHOA gene were associated with the presence of mutations in IDH2, TET2 and DNMT3A (p < 0.001, p = 0.043, and p = 0.029, respectively). Fourteen cases featured RHOA mutations without TET2 mutations. A close relationship was found between the presence of these mutations and a TFH-phenotype in AITL and PTCL-NOS patients. Interestingly, BCL-6 expression was the only TFH marker differentially expressed between AITL and PTCL-NOS cases. There were many fewer mutated cases than there were cases with a TFH phenotype. Overall, these data suggest alternative ways by which neoplastic T-cells overexpress these proteins. On the other hand, no clinical or survival differences were found between any of the recognized subgroups of patients with respect to their immunohistochemistry or mutational profile.This work was supported by grants from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, from the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (RTICC RD06/0020/0107, RD12/0036/0060, PI 12/1682, PT13/0010/0007, PI16/ 01294, SAF2013-47416-R, CIBERONC-ISCIII, PIE15/ 0081, ISCIII-MINECO AES-FEDER (Plan Estatal I+D+I 2013–2016): PI14/00221, PIE14/0064, PIE15/0081 and PIE16/01294)) and the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Spain. JG-R is a recipient of an iPFIS predoctoral fellowship (IFI14/00003) from ISCIII-MINECO-AESFEDER (Plan Estatal I+D+I 2013–2016). MSB was supported by a Miguel Servet contract (CP11/00018) from the ISCIII-MINECO-AES-FEDER (Plan Nacional I+D+I 2008–2011), and currently holds a Miguel Servet II contract (CPII16/00024), supported by ISCIII-MINECOAES- FEDER (Plan Estatal I+D+I 2013–2016) and the Fundación de Investigación Biomédica Puerta de Hierro.S

MOVIMIENTO DE DISPERSIÓN DE Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel) DIPTERA: CALLIPHORIDAE) EN EL PARQUE NATURAL METROPOLITANO ENTRE 1996-1997

Un estudio fue llevado a cabo en el Parque Natural Metropolitano con el propósito de determinar el movimiento de dispersión de la mosca del gusano barrenador, Cochliomyia hominivorax, dentro el bosque. Asimismo, se determinó entre septiembre de 1996 a abril de 1997 la distribución poblacional, la actividad diaria y el efecto de los parámetros físicos sobre estas moscas. Para esto se colocaron tres sitios de colecta, dos dentro y uno en el borde del bosque, empleando hígado de res como atrayente. La temperatura y la velocidad del viento fueron medidas en el momento de la captura de cada mosca. Un total de 305 moscas fueron capturadas en 74 días de colecta con un promedio de 3.1 5.33 moscas por día. Durante la estación seca se colectó significativamente mayor cantidad de moscas que en la temporada lluviosa. La temperatura media y velocidad del viento promedio en la cual se capturaron estas moscas fueron de 29.7 2.2ºC y 0.47 1.51 Km/h, respectivamente. La temperatura media de captura se correlacionó positivamente y la precipitación negativamente con el número de moscas capturadas. El puesto 2 fue donde se capturó significativamente mayor cantidad de moscas. Estas moscas presentaron mayor actividad durante las horas de la mañana entre las 10:00 y 11:00 a.m., con otro pico más pequeño entre las 3:00 y 4:00 p.m. De las 305 moscas colectadas, 27 fueron recapturadas, siendo el puesto 2 el que presentó un número significativamente mayor de moscas. Además, este fue el sitio que contribuyó con mayor número de moscas hacia los demás puestos. Nuestros resultados indican una baja población de esta especie en el Parque Natural Metropolitano (PNM), con una baja tasa de recaptura. Esto probablemente, está relacionado con el movimiento de los mamíferos silvestres en el área y las características peculiares de este hábitat

The electric double layer has a life of its own

Using molecular dynamics simulations with recently developed importance sampling methods, we show that the differential capacitance of a model ionic liquid based double-layer capacitor exhibits an anomalous dependence on the applied electrical potential. Such behavior is qualitatively incompatible with standard mean-field theories of the electrical double layer, but is consistent with observations made in experiment. The anomalous response results from structural changes induced in the interfacial region of the ionic liquid as it develops a charge density to screen the charge induced on the electrode surface. These structural changes are strongly influenced by the out-of-plane layering of the electrolyte and are multifaceted, including an abrupt local ordering of the ions adsorbed in the plane of the electrode surface, reorientation of molecular ions, and the spontaneous exchange of ions between different layers of the electrolyte close to the electrode surface. The local ordering exhibits signatures of a first-order phase transition, which would indicate a singular charge-density transition in a macroscopic limit

Biological and chemical factors controlling the patchy distribution of soil water repellency among plant species in a Mediterranean semiarid forest

Natural soil water repellency is a property that has already been observed in forest soils and is characterized by its patchy distribution. There are many factors involved in its development. In this work, we have studied a large number of chemical and biological factors under the influence of different plant species (. Pinus halepensis, Quercus rotundifolia, Cistus albidus and Rosmarinus officinalis) to learn which has the greatest responsibility for its presence and persistence in the top-soil layer. We observed strong and significant correlations between ergosterol, glomalin related soil protein (GRSP), extractable lipids, soil organic matter (SOM) content and water repellency (WR). Our results suggested lipid fraction as the principal factor. Moreover, apart from Pinus, fungal biomass seems to be also related to the SOM content. Soil WR found under Pinus appears to be the most influenced by fungi. Quality of SOM, to be precise, lipid fraction could be responsible for WR and its relationship with fungal activity.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2010- 21670-C02-01, CGL2012-38655-C04-0

A gas density drop in the inner 6 AU of the transition disk around the Herbig Ae star HD 139614

A. Carmona was partly supported by the Spanish Grant AYA 2011-26202. A. Carmona, A. Kospal and Zs. Regaly were partly supported by the Momentum grant of the MTA CSFK Lendulet Disk Research Group of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. A. Carmona and C. Pinte acknowledge funding from the European Commission’s 7th Framework Program (ECFP7) (contract PERG06-GA-2009-256513) and from Agence Nationale pour la Recherche (ANR) of France under contract ANR-2010-JCJC-0504-01. A. Carmona acknowledges financial support by the European Southern Observatory visitors program. The research leading to these results has received funding from the EC-FP7 under grant agreement no 284405. C. Eiroa is partly supported by the Spanish Grant AYA 2014-55840-P L. A. Cieza was supported by CONICYT-FONDECYT grant number 1140109 and the Millennium Science Initiative (Chilean Ministry of Economy), through grant Nucleus RC130007.Context. Quantifying the gas surface density inside the dust cavities and gaps of transition disks is important to establish their origin. Aims. We seek to constrain the surface density of warm gas in the inner disk of HD 139614, an accreting 9 Myr Herbig Ae star with a (pre-)transition disk exhibiting a dust gap from 2.30.1 to 5.60.3 AU. Methods. We observed HD 139614 with ESO/VLT CRIRES and obtained high-resolution (R~90 000) spectra of CO isotopologues ro-vibrational emission at 4.7 μm. We derive constraints on the disk’s structure by modeling the CO isotopologue line profiles, the spectroastrometric signal, and the rotational diagrams using grids of flat Keplerian disk models. Results. We detected v = 1 → 0 12CO, 2→1 12CO, 1→0 13CO, 1→0 C18O, and 1→0 C17O ro-vibrational lines. Lines are consistent with disk emission and thermal excitation. 12CO v = 1→ 0 lines have an average width of 14 km s-1, Tgas of 450 K and an emitting region from 1 to 15 AU. 13CO and C18O lines are on average 70 and 100 K colder, 1 and 4 km s-1 narrower than 12CO v = 1→ 0, and are dominated by emission at R ≥ 6 AU. The 12CO = 1 → 0 composite line profile indicates that if there is a gap devoid of gas it must have a width narrower than 2 AU. We find that a drop in the gas surface density (δgas) at R = 5 — 6 AU is required to be able to reproduce the line profiles and rotational diagrams of the three CO isotopologues simultaneously. Models without a gas density drop generate 13CO and C18O emission lines that are too broad and warm. The value of gas can range from 10-2 to 10-4 depending on the gas-to-dust ratio of the outer disk. We find that the gas surface density profile at 1 2 AU) gas gap suggest the presence of an embedded < 2 MJ planet at around 4 AU.PostprintPeer reviewe