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Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare and clinically aggressive hematologic malignancy. Although BPDCN has long been recognized as a distinct clinical entity, the nomenclature for this disease [...], * Context.--Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN) is a rare hematologic malignancy with poor outcome. BPDCN diagnostically overlaps with entities such as acute myeloid leukemia, histiocytic/dendritic cell neoplasms, and natural killer/T-cell lymphomas. Unfortunately, large, patient-centered studies that comprehensively analyze clinical, pathologic, and other diagnostic features are lacking. As such, there is an incomplete understanding of this disease. Objective.--To better characterize BPDCN, a multicenter working group consisting of hematopathologists and dermatopathologists gathered in person and remotely to review the current understanding of BPDCN, discuss specific issues regarding the diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and perform a retrospective analysis of the literature. Data Sources.--The working group curated a database of published BPDCN patient cases (BPDCN Network literature database), and following careful discussion and review, 361 articles were identified, comprising a total of 1513 individually annotated patients. Conclusions.--By conducting an in-depth analysis, not only did we confirm known findings such as frequent skin involvement (84% of patients; 861 of 1028) and a male predominance among older patients (>60 years old; male to female ratio of 3.5:1; 617:177), but we also identified a number of underrecognized features, such as significant central nervous system involvement (38% of cases; 24 of 64), and a more equal male to female prevalence among patients younger than 40 years (male to female ratio of 1.25:1; 167:134). Furthermore, we were able to accurately summarize the immunophenotypic, cytogenetic, and molecular features of this disease. BPDCN is a complex disease with distinct morphologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular findings. Continual updates of the literature database generated here and further analysis can allow for prospective refinement of our understanding of this orphan disease. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2023;147:837-846; doi: 10.5858/ arpa.2021-0612-RA)

Water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) invasion is a growing global issue which poses a threat to aquatic life. As in the global context, the water hyacinth invasion is increasing rapidly in the lakes of Pokhara valley which is listed in Ramsar sites. Its effect on aquatic life is little known. This study examined the effects of water hyacinth invasion on the diversity and abundance of fishes in lakes of Pokhara Valley. We estimated the seasonal fish diversity and abundance in water hyacinth presence (HP) and absence (HA) habitats between 2019 and 2020. The study found that water hyacinth invasion has a negative impact on fish diversity and abundance in the lakes of Pokhara Valley. Twenty fish species were recorded, with family Cyprinidae being the most abundant. Fish abundance was higher in the winter season and in habitats with water hyacinth presence. The invasive Oreochromis niloticus was the most abundant fish in both habitats, but more so in habitats with water hyacinth presence. The exotic fish species Ctenopharyngodon idella had greater abundance in habitats with water hyacinth presence while Ciprinus carpio had greater abundance in habitats without water hyacinth. Exotic fish species abundance was positively correlated with water hyacinth coverage. The findings suggest that water hyacinth invasion negatively impacts native fish species, with the diversity of native species being low in habitats with water hyacinth presence. The study recommends regular stock enhancement programs for native fish species, control and management of invasive weeds, and further study to support the conservation of native fisheries resources and the livelihood of the fishery-dependent community.

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive and painless technique of brain neuromodulation that applies a low-intensity galvanic current to the scalp with the aim of stimulating specific areas of the brain. Preliminary investigations have indicated the potential therapeutic efficacy of multisession tDCS applied to the auditory cortex (AC) in the treatment of chronic tinnitus. The aim of this study was to explore the therapeutic effects of repeated sessions of bilateral tDCS targeting the AC on chronic tinnitus. A double-blinded randomized placebo-controlled trial was conducted on patients (n = 48) with chronic intractable tinnitus (>2 years duration). Participants were randomly allocated to two groups: one receiving tDCS (n = 26), with the anode/cathode placed over the left/right AC, and the other receiving a placebo treatment (n = 22). A 20 min daily session of 2 mA current was administered for five consecutive days per week over two consecutive weeks, employing 35 cm2 electrodes. Tinnitus handicap inventory (THI) scores, tinnitus loudness, and tinnitus distress were measured using a visual analogue scale (VAS), and were assessed before intervention, immediately after, and at one-month follow-up. Anodal tDCS significantly reduced THI from 72.93 ± 10.11 score to 46.40 ± 15.36 after the last session and 49.68 ± 14.49 at one-month follow-up in 18 out of 25 participants (p < 0.001). The risk ratio (RR) of presenting an improvement of ≥20 points in the THI after the last session was 10.8 in patients treated with tDCS. Statistically significant reductions were observed in distress VAS and loudness VAS (p < 0.001). No statistically significant differences in the control group were observed. Variables such as age, gender, duration of tinnitus, laterality of tinnitus, baseline THI scores, and baseline distress and loudness VAS scores did not demonstrate significant correlations with treatment response. Repeated sessions of bilateral AC tDCS may potentially serve as a therapeutic modality for chronic tinnitus.

Stake voting is a voting system where the vote cast by a voter is proportional to their account balance/asset. We propose the first implementation of an efficient, fully-decentralized, universally-verifiable stake voting system with perfect voter privacy. Our contribution is two-fold. First, we design a zero knowledge proof (ZKP) for equality of plaintexts of 2 different ciphertexts encrypted under different encryption schemes, one under ElGamal encryption scheme and another under Paillier encryption scheme. We believe that ours is the first ZKP design for this problem statement. Second, we implement a publicly-verifiable Stake voting system using the ZKP design by enforcing perfect privacy to voters and correctness of election results. Our voting system is applicable to many situations like shareholder/stockholder voting in companies. We have also provided the financial and computational breakdown feasibility of our implementation on Ganache local blockchain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim of the study: High-resolution ultrasound is less often used to evaluate the radial nerves. The radial nerve is often involved in entrapment syndromes. The aim of the study is to establish the reference values for the cross-sectional area of the normal radial nerve on high-resolution ultrasonography, and to identify relationships between the cross-sectional area and the subject’s age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, and hand dominance. Material and methods: The study was conducted on 200 subjects of both sexes, between 18 and 75 years of age, who did not have history of peripheral neuropathy or trauma to the upper limb. High-resolution real-time sonographic examination of the radial nerves was performed in both arms at two different levels. Level 1 was taken just proximal to the nerve bifurcation, and level 2 just after the nerve exits the spiral grove. Results: The mean cross-sectional area measured at level 2 (4.3 ± 0.4 mm2) was greater than that measured at level 1 (2.3 ± 0.3 mm2). No significant relationship was seen with age and hand dominance (p >0.05), but the cross-sectional area values at above mentioned levels were larger in males than in females (p

Aim: High-resolution ultrasonography is a new and promising technique to evaluate peripheral and spinal nerves. Its validity as a diagnostic tool in neurological diseases has been demonstrated in adults. The aims of study were to establish the reference values for the cross-sectional area of the normal sciatic nerve on high-resolution ultrasonography, and to determine the relationship between the cross-sectional area of the normal sciatic nerve and the subjects’ age, gender, height (in cm), weight (in kg), and body mass index. Material and methods: Two hundred subjects of both genders and above 18 years of age were studied with high-resolution ultrasonography. The subjects had no history of peripheral neuropathy or trauma to the lower limb. The cross-sectional areas of the normal sciatic nerves were obtained at two different levels in both lower limbs. The mean cross-sectional areas of the sciatic nerves were measured at two different levels, one located at 1 cm above the bifurcation of the sciatic nerve into the tibial and common peroneal nerves, and the other 4 cm above the bifurcation of the sciatic nerve into the tibial and common peroneal nerves. Results: A positive correlation of the mean cross-sectional area was established with height, weight, and body mass index. Women had smaller cross-sectional areas of the normal sciatic nerves than men at both measuring sites. No significant relationship was established with the age of the subjects. Conclusions: The established reference values of the cross-sectional area of the sciatic nerve can facilitate the analysis of pathological nerve conditions.

The electric field of incident light on metallic nanostructures goes through a dramatic increase in magnitude. This is because of the Surface Plasmon resonance. This change in the magnitude of the electric field takes place in a very short distance leading to a very high electric field gradient. This electric field gradient is very much capable of altering the Raman scattering as observed in our experiment performed on the Glycine in the presence of colloidal silver nano-prisms. We observed that new peaks at 560, 614 and 933 cm−1 appeared and the strength of peak 508 cm−1increased. Also, a few peaks at 1501 and 1580 cm−1disappeared. Further, an overall strength enhancement in peak is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]