Refractory pemphigus foliaceus associated with herpesvirus infection: case report

Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is an autoimmune disease characterized by blistering of the skin. Infections caused by members of the herpesviridae family have been suggested as a possible triggering factor for pemphigus vulgaris (PV), but not for PF. The present study aimed to investigate the presence of Human herpesvirus (types 1, 2, 3) in corticosteroid refractory skin lesions from a patient with PF, by a Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The sample collected from cutaneous blisters has tested positive for herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV1) after sequence analysis of the amplified viral genomic segment. The study concluded that when PF patients present corticosteroid or immunosuppressants refractory lesions, herpetic infection should be considered

Mercado fotovoltaico no Brasil: implantado de políticas governamentais e marcos regulatórios

A energia solar fotovoltaica tem atributos que a tornam única. O fato de ser possível incrementar a produção tão rapidamente e a tecnologia se desenvolver a partir de infraestrutura existente faz com que a taxa de inovação no segmento seja muito maior que nos demais setores de energia. Este trabalho apresenta um panorama do mercado fotovoltaico no mundo e no Brasil, mas especificamente destaca o atual processo de desenvolvimento e implantação de políticas governamentais e marcos regulatório para a inserção da energia solar fotovoltaica na matriz de energia elétrica brasileira.The photovoltaic solar energy has attributes that make it unique. The electricity production can be increased rapidly and technology can be developed from existing infrastructure, resulting in a rate of innovation much higher than in other energy sectors. This paper presents an overview of the PV market in the world and in Brazil, focusing on the current development and implementation of government policies and regulatory frameworks for the integration of photovoltaic systems in the Brazilian energy mix.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Implantado de sistemas de geracáo distribuída com telhados fotovoltaicos no sul do Brasil

O atual processo brasileiro de regulamentação e incentivo á geração de energias renováveis deve proporcionar um cenário promissor para a energia solar fotovoltaica. Este trabalho apresenta a descrição do projeto de 120 telhados fotovoltaicos no Brasil a serem implantados nos próximos anos e que visa delimitar as condições e impactos da geração distribuída de energia elétrica a partir de sistemas fotovoltaicos em telhados de consumidores na rede de baixa tensão. O trabalho descreve especialmente o estágio atual dos telhados fotovoltaicos que serão instalados em um condomínio de residências na cidade de Porto Alegre localizada no sul do Brasil e destacando os requesitos e condições necessárias exigidas pela concessionária proprietária da rede elétrica de distribuição onde os sistemas fotovoltaicos serão conectados.The recent regulatory law encouraging the implementation of renewable energy sources established a promising scenario for photovoltaics in Brazil. This paper describes the 120 photovoltaic roofs project to be accomplished in several regions of Brazil in the following months and briefly analyzes the impact of distributed generation on the distribution grid. Particular attention is given to the case of 20 photovoltaic roofs to be installed in residences in the city of Porto Alegre, highlighting the conditions and requirements imposed by the electricity utility owner of the distribution grid to which these systems are to be connected.Asociación Argentina de Energías Renovables y Medio Ambiente (ASADES

Dynamical mass measurements of two protoplanetary discs

ALMA observations of line emission from planet forming discs have demonstrated to be an excellent tool to probe the internal disc kinematics, often revealing subtle effects related to important dynamical processes occurring in them, such as turbulence, or the presence of planets, that can be inferred from pressure bumps perturbing the gas motion, or from detection of the planetary wake. In particular, we have recently shown for the case of the massive disc in Elias 2-27 how one can use such kind of observations to measure deviations from Keplerianity induced by the disc self-gravity, thus constraining the total disc mass with good accuracy and independently on mass conversion factors between the tracer used and the total mass. Here, we refine our methodology and extend it to two additional sources, GM Aur and IM Lup, for which archival line observations are available for both the 12CO and the 13CO line. For IM Lup, we are able to obtain a consistent disc mass of Mdisc=0.1 Msun, implying a disc-star mass ratio of 0.1 (consistent with the observed spiral structure in the continuum emission) and a gas/dust ratio of ~ 65 (consistent with standard assumptions), with a systematic uncertainty by a factor ~2 due to the different methods to extract the rotation curve. For GM Aur, the two lines we use provide slightly inconsistent rotation curves, that cannot be attributed only to a difference in the height of the emitting layer, nor to a vertical temperature stratification. Our best fit disc mass measurement is Mdisc=0.26Msun, implying a disc-star mass ratio of ~0.35 and a gas/dust ratio of ~130... ABRIDGEDComment: 14 pages, 10 figures, MNRAS in pres

Long-term outcomes of a pilot CT screening for lung cancer

Background: Low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening can detect early stage lung cancer in high-risk populations. However, no data on repeated annual screening over more than 5 years are available, and the impact of screening on lung cancer mortality is controversial. Methods: We analysed outcomes in high-risk asymptomatic volunteers (smokers and former smokers, >50 years) enrolled in a pilot study over 1 year from June 2000, who received annual low-dose CT for 7 years. Cumulative lung cancer incidence and survival were represented by Kaplan 12Meier curves. Standardized incidence and mortality ratios were used to estimate risks relative to the general Italian and US population. Results: Compliance was 86% at the end of the seventh year in 1035 recruited volunteers (71% men, mean age 58 years). Lung cancer was diagnosed in 54 (5.3%); radical surgery was possible in 48/54 (87%); 39/54 (72%) had stage I disease. Five-year survival was 63% overall, 89% for stage I cases. During 6308 person-years of observation, 47 participants had died versus 75 expected in the Italian general population standardised for age and sex. Fourteen lung cancer deaths were registered versus 27 expected in a standardised US smoker population. Conclusions: Seventy percent of screening-diagnosed patients had stage I disease, and the survival of screen-detected cancer patients was high. Lung cancer mortality was favourable compared to age- and sex-matched population of US smokers, suggesting that mortality can be lowered by screening, although larger trials with longer follow-up are necessary to confirm these findings

Treatment of loco-regional recurrence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a non-endemic area: oncologic outcomes, morbidity, and proposal of a prognostic nomogram

Introduction: The study assessed outcomes and toxicities of different treatment modalities for local and/or regional recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in a non-endemic area. Methods: Patients treated with curative intent for recurrent NPC with salvage surgery, photon-based radiotherapy, proton therapy (PT), with or without chemotherapy, at different Italian referral centers between 1998 and 2020 were included. Adverse events and complications were classified according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events. Characteristics of the patients, tumors, treatments, and complications are presented along with uni- and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors. A survival predictive nomogram is also provided. Results: A total of 140 patients treated from 1998 to 2020 were retrospectively assessed. Cases with lower age, comorbidity rate, stage, and shorter disease-free interval (DFI) preferentially underwent endoscopic surgery. More advanced cases underwent re-irradiation, fairly distributed between photon-based radiotherapy and PT. Age and DFI were independent factors influencing overall survival. No independent prognostic effect of treatment modality was observed. No significant difference in the morbidity profile of treatments was observed, with 40% of patients experiencing at least one adverse event classified as G3 or higher. Conclusion: Recurrent NPC in a non-endemic area has dissimilar aspects compared to its endemic counterpart, suggesting the need for further studies that can guide the choice of the best treatment modality

Convection: the likely source of the medium-scale gravity waves observed in the OH airglow layer near Brasilia, Brazil, during the SpreadFEx campaign

Six medium-scale gravity waves (GWs) with horizontal wavelengths of λH=60–160 km were detected on four nights by Taylor et al. (2009) in the OH airglow layer near Brasilia, at 15° S, 47° W, during the Spread F Experiment (SpreadFEx) in Brazil in 2005. We reverse and forward ray trace these GWs to the tropopause and into the thermosphere using a ray trace model which includes thermospheric dissipation. We identify the convective plumes, convective clusters, and convective regions which may have generated these GWs. We find that deep convection is the highly likely source of four of these GWs. We pinpoint the specific deep convective plumes which likely excited two of these GWs on the nights of 30 September and 1 October. On these nights, the source location/time uncertainties were small and deep convection was sporadic near the modeled source locations. We locate the regions containing deep convective plumes and clusters which likely excited the other two GWs. The last 2 GWs were probably also excited from deep convection; however, they must have been ducted ~500–700 km if so. Two of the GWs were likely downwards-propagating initially (after which they reflected upwards from the Earth\u27s surface), while one of the GWs was likely upwards-propagating initially from the convective plume/cluster. We also estimate the amplitudes and vertical scales of these waves at the tropopause, and compare their scales with those from a simple, linear convection model. Finally, we calculate each GW\u27s dissipation altitude, location, and amplitude. We find that the dissipation altitude depends sensitively on the winds at and above the OH layer. We also find that several of these GWs may have penetrated to high enough altitudes to potentially seed equatorial spread F (ESF) if located somewhat farther from the magnetic equator