Cross-sensitization between poppy seed and buckwheat in a food-allergic patient with poppy seed anaphylaxis

The opium poppy, Papaver somniferum L., is the source of both poppy seeds and opium. The commercially available seeds are widely used as ingredients for various kinds of food. IgE-mediated sensitization to poppy seeds is rare, but, if present, clinical symptoms are usually severe. Cross-sensitizations between poppy seeds and other food allergens have been described with sesame, hazelnut, rye grain and kiwi fruit. We report the case of a 17-year-old female with an apparently food-allergic reaction after ingestion of a poppy seed cake. Allergological workup revealed a poppy seed anaphylaxis and led to the identification of a novel cross-sensitization with buckwheat. Copyright (c) 2006 S. Karger AG, Basel

The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory geothermal program in northern Nevada

The Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory's geothermal program began with consideration of regions where fluids in the temperature range of 150 to 230 C may be economically accessible. Three valleys, located in an area of high regional heat flow in north central Nevada, were selected for geological, geophysical, and geochemical field studies. The objective of these ongoing field activities is to select a site for a 10-MW demonstration plant. Field activities (which started in September 1973) are described. A parallel effort has been directed toward the conceptual design of a 10-MW isobutane binary plant which is planned for construction at the selected site. Design details of the plant are described. Project schedule with milestones is shown together with a cost summary of the project

Aquarium dermatitis: Cercarial dermatitis in an aquarist

A 33-year-old man presented with very itchy red papules on the back of his hands and forearms. These papules appeared about 90 min after he had cleaned his aquarium in which he kept native fish and watersnails. He had obtained the watersnails some weeks before from a nearby pond. Examination of water from the aquarium revealed cercariae. The clinical diagnosis of cercarial dermatitis was corroborated. Cercarial dermatitis has repeatedly been seen in swimmers but not in aquarists keeping fish in a home aquarium

Far Less

From atop a towering redwood tree, seventeen-year-old Jesse can see beyond the difficult reality of his life on the ground. Homeless, Jesse camps in the forest with his drug-addicted mom and little sister. Diligent about showering, laundry, and school work, Jesse is determined to keep his circumstances a secret. But one girl cares enough to find out the truth.https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/fiction/1005/thumbnail.jp

Implication of stem cells in the biology and therapy of head and neck cancer

The progress which has been made in the therapy of patients with head and neck cancer in recent years mainly concern the HPV associated HNSCC and the quality of life. The overall survival of patients carrying non HPV associated HNSCC during the last thirty years has not experienced any significant improvement and must be referred to as static [1], [2]. The problem of the illness remains unchanged in the frequent and poorly controllable relapse situation. The locoregionally originating tumours or lymph node metastases show a considerably poorer response towards current therapies. Likewise for a number of patients a formation of distant metastases seems to develop during the course of the illness. Those distant metastases are also therapeutically rather difficult to control. Therefore the mortality of the non HPV induced head and neck cancer remains unchanged

Foreign body responses in central nervous system mimic natural wound responses and alter biomaterial functions

Biomaterials hold promise for diverse therapeutic applications in the central nervous system (CNS). Little is known about molecular factors that determine CNS foreign body responses (FBRs) in vivo , or about how such responses influence biomaterial function. Here, we probed these factors using a platform of injectable hydrogels readily modified to present interfaces with different representative physiochemical properties to host cells. We show that biomaterial FBRs mimic specialized multicellular CNS wound responses not present in peripheral tissues, which serve to isolate damaged neural tissue and restore barrier functions. Moreover, we found that the nature and intensity of CNS FBRs are determined by definable properties. For example, cationic, anionic or nonionic interfaces with CNS cells elicit quantifiably different levels of stromal cell infiltration, inflammation, neural damage and amyloid production. The nature and intensity of FBRs significantly influenced hydrogel resorption and molecular delivery functions. These results characterize specific molecular mechanisms that drive FBRs in the CNS and have important implications for developing effective biomaterials for CNS applications

The mitigation pillar of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA): targets and options

The need to prioritise food security in the face of a changing climate raises the question of how much agriculture should contribute to global mitigation targets. A global target for reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture of ~1 gigatonne of carbon dioxide equivalent per year (GtCO2e/yr) by 2030 would limit warming in 2100 to 2°C above pre-industrial levels. Yet low emissions development (LED) in agriculture, based on available technologies and policies, will deliver only a portion of the needed mitigation. More transformative options will be needed, including carbon sequestration, reduced food loss and waste, and shifts in consumption