Cephotaxime-associated allergic interstitial nephritis and MPO-ANCA positive vasculitis.

We report a case of reversible acute renal failure after cephotaxime treatment in a patient affected by non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Renal biopsy showed necrotizing vasculitis associated with eosinophil-rich interstitial inflammatory infiltrates and patchy infiltrates of CD20+ lymphoid cells. High serum p-ANCA titers were also detected. Drug withdrawal was closely related with recovery of renal function and disappearance of ANCA. Acute renal failure therefore represented a consequence of ANCA-mediated renal vasculitis and acute interstitial nephritis related to cephotaxime treatment

Accidental Nasal Myiasis Caused by Megaselia rufipes (Diptera: Phoridae) in a Child

A case of a nasal myiasis in a 3-yr-old Italian girl who was referred to Bambino Gesù Hospital in Rome, Italy, is reported. Larvae discharged with the nasal mucus were microscopically identified as Megaselia spp.; DNA barcoding analysis showed that they belonged to the 'scuttle fly' species Megaselia rufipes (Meigen). Based on the patient's history, she became infected when she played outside. This is the first report of myiasis in humans due to M. rufipes (Diptera: Phoridae)

Un caso de transferencia de tecnología de HPC entre CCAD-UNC, FAMAF-UNC y Tarjeta Naranja S.A.

Luego de algunas reuniones durante el 2018 sobre “Sinergia Universidad-Industria” mediadas por Carlos Gil y Álvaro Ruiz de Mendarozqueta entre Naranja y profesionales de FAMAF-UNC y CCAD-UNC, se plantea la necesidad de trabajar conjuntamente entre la empresa y la FAMAF para abordar distintas problemáticas específicas de la empresa crediticia. El primer problema abordado se enmarca dentro del área de Computación de Alto Desempeño (HPC) a fin de optimizar un proceso en lotes que produce los resúmenes de cuenta en PDF a partir de una salida en formato PCL. El objetivo es procesar 4 millones de resúmenes en 7hs, lo que implica acelerar 3.73x sin cambiar el hardware ni el sistema operativo. Se logra a través de GNU Parallel y la nueva herramienta PDFastix bajar el tiempo a 4.7 hs. El desarrollo, luego de una etapa de adaptación interna de Naranja de aproximadamente 5 meses se encuentra actualmente en producción.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Un caso de transferencia de tecnología de HPC entre CCAD-UNC, FAMAF-UNC y Tarjeta Naranja S.A.

Luego de algunas reuniones durante el 2018 sobre “Sinergia Universidad-Industria” mediadas por Carlos Gil y Álvaro Ruiz de Mendarozqueta entre Naranja y profesionales de FAMAF-UNC y CCAD-UNC, se plantea la necesidad de trabajar conjuntamente entre la empresa y la FAMAF para abordar distintas problemáticas específicas de la empresa crediticia. El primer problema abordado se enmarca dentro del área de Computación de Alto Desempeño (HPC) a fin de optimizar un proceso en lotes que produce los resúmenes de cuenta en PDF a partir de una salida en formato PCL. El objetivo es procesar 4 millones de resúmenes en 7hs, lo que implica acelerar 3.73x sin cambiar el hardware ni el sistema operativo. Se logra a través de GNU Parallel y la nueva herramienta PDFastix bajar el tiempo a 4.7 hs. El desarrollo, luego de una etapa de adaptación interna de Naranja de aproximadamente 5 meses se encuentra actualmente en producción.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 and carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater: expression differences in tumour histotypes

The human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 (hENT1) is the major means by which gemcitabine enters human cells; recent evidence exists that hENT1 is expressed in carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater and that it should be considered as a molecular prognostic marker for patients with resected ampullary cancer. Aim of the present study is to evaluate the variations of hENT1 expression in ampullary carcinomas and to correlate such variations with histological subtypes and clinicopathological parameters. Forty-one ampullary carcinomas were histologically classified into intestinal, pancreaticobiliary and unusual types. hENT1 and Ki67 expression were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, and apoptotic cells were identified by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL) method. hENT1 overexpression was detected in 63.4% ampullary carcinomas. A significant difference in terms of hENT1 and Ki67 expression was found between intestinal vs. pancreaticobiliary types (P=0.03 and P=0.009 respectively). Moreover, a significant statistical positive correlation was found between apoptotic and proliferative Index (P=0.036), while no significant correlation was found between hENT1 and apoptosis. Our results on hENT1 expression suggest that classification of ampullary carcinoma by morphological subtypes may represent an additional tool in prospective clinical trials aimed at examining treatment efficacy; in addition, data obtained from Ki67 and TUNEL suggest a key role of hENT1 in tumour growth of ampullary carcinoma

Un caso de transferencia de tecnología de HPC entre CCAD-UNC, FAMAF-UNC y Tarjeta Naranja S.A.

Luego de algunas reuniones durante el 2018 sobre “Sinergia Universidad-Industria” mediadas por Carlos Gil y Álvaro Ruiz de Mendarozqueta entre Naranja y profesionales de FAMAF-UNC y CCAD-UNC, se plantea la necesidad de trabajar conjuntamente entre la empresa y la FAMAF para abordar distintas problemáticas específicas de la empresa crediticia. El primer problema abordado se enmarca dentro del área de Computación de Alto Desempeño (HPC) a fin de optimizar un proceso en lotes que produce los resúmenes de cuenta en PDF a partir de una salida en formato PCL. El objetivo es procesar 4 millones de resúmenes en 7hs, lo que implica acelerar 3.73x sin cambiar el hardware ni el sistema operativo. Se logra a través de GNU Parallel y la nueva herramienta PDFastix bajar el tiempo a 4.7 hs. El desarrollo, luego de una etapa de adaptación interna de Naranja de aproximadamente 5 meses se encuentra actualmente en producción.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ

Alpha-SMA expression in hepatic stellate cells and quantitative analysis of hepatic fibrosis in cirrhosis and in recurrent chronic hepatitis after liver transplantation

Background. The alpha isotype of actin expressed by hepatic stellate cells reflects their activation to myofibroblast-like cell and has been directly related to experimental liver fibrogenesis, and indirectly to human fibrosis in chronic liver disease. Aims. To evaluate the changes in distribution and percentage of alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive hepatic stellate cells and the correlation with the degree of the fibrosis in cirrhotic livers, as well as in patients with recurrent HCV chronic hepatitis after liver transplantation. Methods. Human liver biopsies were divided in four groups: (1) normal livers obtained from cadaveric liver donors (n = 35), (2) cirrhosis post-HBV hepatitis (n = 11), (3) cirrhosis post-HCV hepatitis (n = 10), and (4) post-transplant recurrent HCV chronic hepatitis (n = 13). Samples were stained with anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin antibody by immunoperoxidase method and semi-quantitatively evaluated. Liver fibrosis was assessed from specimens stained with Masson's trichrome and quantified by computer image analysis. Results. The percentage of alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive hepatic stellate cells was significantly higher in the HBV cirrhosis, HCV cirrhosis and post-transplant HCV recurrent hepatitis groups (36.1 +/- 15.2, 23.8 +/- 19.7 and 27.8 +/- 16.4%, respectively) compared to the liver donor group (2.9 +/- 4.0%). The alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive hepatic stellate cells to fibrous tissue ratio were significantly higher in the post-transplant recurrent HCV hepatitis group (2.36 +/- 1.12) compared to both the donor livers and the HCV cirrhosis groups (0.74 +/- 1.09 and 1.03 +/- 0.91, respectively). The alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive hepatic stellate cell percentage and fibrosis correlated positively in the post-transplant recurrent HCV hepatitis group and negatively in the HCV cirrhosis group. No difference in the immunohistochemical and morphometrical variables was found between the HCV cirrhosis and HBV cirrhosis groups. Conclusions. These results indirectly confirm that, in vivo, alpha-smooth muscle actin expression is a reliable marker of hepatic stellate cells activation which precedes fibrous tissue deposition even in the setting of recurrent HCV chronic hepatitis after liver transplantation, and it could be useful to identify the earliest stages of hepatic fibrosis and monitoring the efficacy of the therapy. In the presence of advanced cirrhosis other factors, rather than alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive hepatic stellate cells, may sustain fibrosis deposition. (c) 2005 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Bullous lesions as a manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus in two Mexican teenagers

Rarely, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) presents with bullous lesions due to severe edema and hydropic degeneration of the basal layer, or as a subepidermal blistering disease. Here, we describe two Mexican teenagers, one with SLE with blisters and another with bullous SLE. We also discuss the mechanisms and clinical implications of lesion formation in patients with SLE and bullae

Different Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses to SARS-CoV-2 Infection of Asymptomatic, Mild, and Severe Cases

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus, not encountered before by humans. The wide spectrum of clinical expression of SARS-CoV-2 illness suggests that individual immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 play a crucial role in determining the clinical course after first infection. Immunological studies have focused on patients with moderate to severe disease, demonstrating excessive inflammation in tissues and organ damage. In order to understand the basis of the protective immune response in COVID-19, we performed a longitudinal follow-up, flow-cytometric and serological analysis of innate and adaptive immunity in 64 adults with a spectrum of clinical presentations: 28 healthy SARS-CoV-2-negative contacts of COVID-19 cases; 20 asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2-infected cases; eight patients with Mild COVID-19 disease and eight cases of Severe COVID-19 disease. Our data show that high frequency of NK cells and early and transient increase of specific IgA, IgM and, to a lower extent, IgG are associated with asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection. By contrast, monocyte expansion and high and persistent levels of IgA and IgG, produced relatively late in the course of the infection, characterize severe disease. Modest increase of monocytes and different kinetics of antibodies are detected in mild COVID-19. The importance of innate NK cells and the short-lived antibody response of asymptomatic individuals and patients with mild disease suggest that only severe COVID-19 may result in protective memory established by the adaptive immune response