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Dunia A Alzahrani,1 Khulud A Alsulami,1 Fatemah M Alsulaihem,1 Abrar A Bakr,1 Rayan Y Booq,2 Ahmed J Alfahad,3 Alhassan H Aodah,1 Samar A Alsudir,4 Amany A Fathaddin,5,6 Essam J Alyamani,2 Aliyah A Almomen,7 Essam A Tawfik1 1Advanced Diagnostics and Therapeutics Technologies Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia; 2Wellness and Preventative Medicine Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia; 3Waste Management and Recycling Technologies Institute, Sustainability and Environment Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia; 4Bioengineering Institute, Health Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Pathology, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, 12372, Saudi Arabia; 6King Saud University Medical City, Riyadh, 12372, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, College of Pharmacy, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi ArabiaCorrespondence: Essam A Tawfik, Email etawfik@kacst.gov.saIntroduction: Diabetes mellitus is frequently associated with foot ulcers, which pose significant health risks and complications. Impaired wound healing in diabetic patients is attributed to multiple factors, including hyperglycemia, neuropathy, chronic inflammation, oxidative damage, and decreased vascularization.Rationale: To address these challenges, this project aims to develop bioactive, fast-dissolving nanofiber dressings composed of polyvinylpyrrolidone loaded with a combination of an antibiotic (moxifloxacin or fusidic acid) and anti-inflammatory drug (pirfenidone) using electrospinning technique to prevent the bacterial growth, reduce inflammation, and expedite wound healing in diabetic wounds.Results: The fabricated drug-loaded fibers exhibited diameters of 443 ± 67 nm for moxifloxacin/pirfenidone nanofibers and 488 ± 92 nm for fusidic acid/pirfenidone nanofibers. The encapsulation efficiency, drug loading and drug release studies for the moxifloxacin/pirfenidone nanofibers were found to be 70 ± 3% and 20 ± 1 μg/mg, respectively, for moxifloxacin, and 96 ± 6% and 28 ± 2 μg/mg, respectively, for pirfenidone, with a complete release of both drugs within 24 hours, whereas the fusidic acid/pirfenidone nanofibers were found to be 95 ± 6% and 28 ± 2 μg/mg, respectively, for fusidic acid and 102 ± 5% and 30 ± 2 μg/mg, respectively, for pirfenidone, with a release rate of 66% for fusidic acid and 80%, for pirfenidone after 24 hours. The efficacy of the prepared nanofiber formulations in accelerating wound healing was evaluated using an induced diabetic rat model. All tested formulations showed an earlier complete closure of the wound compared to the controls, which was also supported by the histopathological assessment. Notably, the combination of fusidic acid and pirfenidone nanofibers demonstrated wound healing acceleration on day 8, earlier than all tested groups.Conclusion: These findings highlight the potential of the drug-loaded nanofibrous system as a promising medicated wound dressing for diabetic foot applications.Keywords: diabetes mellitus, diabetic foot ulcers, nanofibers, electrospinning, drug delivery, wound healing, moxifloxacin, fusidic acid, pirfenidone

Nevus sebaceous (NS) is a benign tumor with the potential to develop secondary benign and malignant neoplasms. It is a rare phenomenon to develop 2 or more skin tumors in a single NS lesion. We report a case of multiple secondary tumors, such as sebaceoma, sebaceous carcinoma, syringocystadenoma papilliferum, and trichoblastoma, in a single NS lesion.

The increasing prevalence of diabetic wounds presents a significant challenge due to the difficulty of natural healing and various obstacles. Dragon's blood (DB) and Alkanna tinctoria (AT) are well recognized for their potent healing abilities, which include potent antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, electrospun nanofibers (NFs) based on polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) were co-loaded with both DB and AT, aiming to magnify their efficacy as wound-dressing applications for diabetic wound healing. The evaluation of these NFs as wound dressings was conducted using a streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat model. Electrospun NFs were prepared using the electrospinning of the PVP polymer, resulting in nanofibers with consistent, smooth surfaces. The loading capacity (LC) of AT and DB into NFs was 64.1 and 70.4 µg/mg, respectively, while in the co-loaded NFs, LC was 49.6 for AT and 57.2 µg/mg for DB. In addition, X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed that DB and AT were amorphously dispersed within the NFs. The loaded NFs showed a dissolution time of 30 s in PBS (pH 7.4), which facilitated the release of AT and DB (25–38% after 10 min), followed by a complete release achieved after 180 min. The antibacterial evaluation demonstrated that the DB-AT mixture had potent activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Along with that, the DB-AT NFs showed effective growth inhibition for both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus compared to the control NFs. Moreover, wound healing was evaluated in vivo in diabetic Wistar rats over 14 days. The results revealed that the DB-AT NFs improved wound healing within 14 days significantly compared to the other groups. These results highlight the potential application of the developed DB-AT NFs in wound healing management, particularly in diabetic wounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid bit is one of the innovations developed for very hard and abrasive formations such as in geothermal field. This bit eliminates the risk of losing cones, reduces tripping time, and increaseas ROP to reduce the well cost. The stage of data processing by calculating the UCS formation using D-BOS software and design optimization based on 9-7/8" bits simulations in granodiorite formations. The 1st phase was to determine the 4 best out of 7 hybrid bit designs that were selected from the highest ROP obtained, the most stable cutter cutting force, and the lowest vibration by comparing the results of FEA modeling of 1 ft drilling simulation. The 2nd phase is to choose 1 of the best from the 4 selected by doing 50 ft of drilling dynamics simulation which is assessed by directional capability, the durability, and the lowest MSE. In this study to improve drilling optimization in geothermal field, it was found that the Z616 hybrid bit design was the most optimal one. Based on 1st phase simulation, this bit was able to produce ROP of 6.38 mph, a stable cutter cutting force, very low average lateral 2.109 g and axial vibration 0.329 g. Furthermore, for the 2nd phase simulation of 50 ft, seen from the comparison of directional capability, this bit has a 0.91 deg/100 ft DLS in rotating mode, and 6.5 deg/100ft DLS in sliding mode means quite stable when drilling in rotary mode and easy to make some angle in slide mode. By its durability, the average value of lateral acceleration is 10 g, and the lateral force is 6 klbf. By MSE side, this bit also produces the lowest average MSE value of 769 psi. From the economic view, this bit can save USD 198,625 - USD 564,712 of a well cost.

BackgroundsTreating asthmatic rheumatoid arthritis patients with abatacept has been shown to associate with better control of asthma symptoms. However, the mechanism behind that is not investigated.MethodsOvalbumin (OVA)- sensitized BALB/c female mice were treated intranasally (IN) or intraperitoneally (IP) with abatacept 4 hrs before the OVA challenge. The effects of abatacept IN or IP on the lungs and blood levels of Tregs and Bregs and their production of immunosuppressive cytokines, were determined using FACS analysis and ELISA assay.ResultsTreating OVA- sensitized asthmatic mice model with abatacept, IN or IP, reduced lung inflammation. IN treatment with abatacept increased the frequency of IL-35 and IL-10 producing Bregs in the lung tissues to a higher level compared to IP treatment. Moreover, the frequency of lungs LAG3+ Tregs was significantly increased following treatment. This was also associated with a reduction in lung tissue and serum IL-17 levels of treated mice.ConclusionsThese results suggest that abatacept by enhancing IL-35+IL-10+ Bregs and LAG3+ Tregs might reverse IL-17 induced lung inflammation during asthma.

Macular amyloidosis (MA) is a primary localized cutaneous amyloidosis, characterized by amyloid deposition in the papillary dermis. The clinical presentation includes pruritic hyperpigmented macules and patches with a reticulated or rippled pattern, primarily found on the upper back and extremities. Biopsy is an essential diagnostic tool for confirming MA. This systematic review focused on the biopsy outcomes in patients diagnosed with MA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein Arginine Methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) is an enzyme that regulates gene expression and protein function through arginine methylation. Its association with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation in Grade-4 astrocytoma was rarely investigated. Our aim was to aim to explore the association between IDH mutation and PRMT5 and its effect on tumor recurrence. A retrospective cohort of 34 patients with Grade 4 astrocytoma has been tested for PRMT5 expression using protein and gene expression arrays. The impact of IDH-mutation and PRMT5 expression on tumor recurrence was explored. IDH-wildtype was detected in 13 tumors. PRMT5 protein was highly expressed in 30 tumors and the expression was low in four tumors. PRMT5 gene expression was upregulated in 33 tumors and downregulated in a single tumor case. Tumors with different PRMT5 gene expressions and IDH mutation were found to have a significant statistical difference in recurrence-free interval (RFI) (p-value<0.001). IDH-wildtype glioblastoma with upregulated PRMT5 gene or protein expression showed earlier tumor recurrence compared to IDH-mutant Grade 4 astrocytoma with upregulated PRMT5 expression. The association between IDH mutation and PRMT5 in IDH-mutant Grade 4 astrocytoma or IDH-wildtype glioblastoma is indirectly bidirectional. PRMT5 upregulation in glioblastoma can lead to increased cell proliferation and tumor regrowth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the very rare forms of gestational neoplastic diseases is the malignant placental site trophoblastic tumor. Due to its rarity, the data regarding its diagnosis and management are limited. The prognosis of this tumor is unpredictable with potential malignant behavior and metastasis. We report a case of malignant placental site trophoblastic tumor with multiple metastatic deposits in the ovaries, lungs, kidneys, adrenals, and pancreas. The patient was treated by surgery and an extensive subsequent chemotherapy. The disease progressed, and the patient died 17 months after diagnosis.

Cholesterol Granulomas of the Maxillary Sinus, considered an unusual presentation at this anatomical site. Over last 2 decades, only few cases are reported in the literature (English) and no available comprehensive reviews or studies on this entity. Herein in this article we present a comprehensive literature review of the available reports of 16 cases along with reporting a new case which we managed, aided with its histopathological pictures. This review article can be a reference for practitioners in the field of otorhinolaryngology who may encounter these cases. Also, it attracts the attention to consider this pathology among the differential diagnoses of nasal masses. Moreover, including a described pathological imaging may help young pathologist to identify this pathology.

Gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis (GIB) is a rare fungal infection caused by the Basidiobolus ranarum , and it possesses a significant challenge to diagnose it as it presents with non-specific symptoms that often mimic cancer. Herein, we report a case of GIB in a 51-year-old male from the central region of Saudi Arabia, a non-endemic region of GIB, which was initially misdiagnosed as colon cancer. A 51-year-old man presented with abdominal pain for two-months, non-bloody diarrhea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Abdominal examination revealed a large mass measuring ~10x15cm. Radiological findings prompted the diagnosis of a colon mass, and the patient was surgically treated under that impression. Hemicolectomy and end colostomy with mucous fistula from distal sigmoid stump were done. Histopathology was consistent with GIB. The diagnosis of GIB presents a serious challenge and requires a high index of clinical suspicion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2), a transcriptional gene factor related to nuclear factor erythroid 2, plays a role in the development of gliomas with isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation. Its impact on tumour recurrence has seldom been investigated. A group of 34 patients diagnosed with Grade 4 astrocytoma was included in a retrospective cohort. NRF2 protein and gene expressions were assessed using different profiling assays. The association between IDH mutation, NRF2 expression, and tumor recurrence was investigated. The mean patients' age in this study was 50 years. Out of the total number of tumors analyzed, 21 of them had IDH mutation. NRF2 protein expression was found to be overexpressed in 27 tumors and reduced in 7 tumors. Additionally, NRF2 gene was upregulated in 24 tumors and downregulated in 10 tumors. Insignificant statistical difference was observed in recurrence-free interval (RFI) between patients with upregulated or downregulated NRF2 gene or protein expressions (p-value>0.05). However, this relationship is distinctive when NRF2 expression was compared to IDH mutation. Tumors with different levels of NRF2 expressions and IDH mutations showed significant statistical variation in RFI (p-value=0.001). There was insignificant impact on RFI among patients receiving different chemotherapies (TMZ or TMZ plus) who had abnormal NRF2 gene activities (p-value=0.97). WHO-Grade 4 astrocytoma with IDH mutation and altered NRF2 expression showed a delayed tumor recurrence compared to IDH-wildtype glioblastoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology detects specific mutations that can provide treatment opportunities for colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Patients and Methods: We analyzed the mutation frequencies of common actionable genes and their association with clinicopathological characteristics and oncologic outcomes using targeted NGS in 107 Saudi Arabian patients without a family history of CRC. Results: Approximately 98% of patients had genetic alterations. Frequent mutations were observed in BRCA2 (79%), CHEK1 (78%), ATM (76%), PMS2 (76%), ATR (74%), and MYCL (73%). The APC gene was not included in the panel. Statistical analysis using the Cox proportional hazards model revealed an unusual positive association between poorly differentiated tumors and survival rates (p = 0.025). Although no significant univariate associations between specific mutations or overall mutation rate and overall survival were found, our preliminary analysis of the molecular markers for CRC in a predominantly Arab population can provide insights into the molecular pathways that play a significant role in the underlying disease progression. Conclusions: These results may help optimize personalized therapy when drugs specific to a patient's mutation profile have already been developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bronchiectasis is a chronic disease characterized by permanent dilatation of the conducting airways accompanied by sustained inflammation. Aims: To assess whether chronic inflammation of lungs in bronchiectasis is associated with alterations in the numbers of infiltrating antigen presenting cell (APC). Setting and Design: Lobectomy specimens from 12 nonsmoker, nonasthmatic patients with acquired (noncongenital) bronchiectasis and six control patients were included in the study. Histopathology slides were reviewed, and immunohistochemical markers for dendritic cells (DCs) macrophages and Langerhans cells have been applied and analyzed. Materials and Methods: Tissue specimens were stained by immunohistochemistry using markers for DCs (CD83 and CD23), macrophages (CD68 and CD163), and Langerhans cells (CD1A and S-100 protein). The mean cell counts of stained cells in five high power microscopic fields were recorded. Statistical Analysis Used: Descriptive statistics, mean, standard deviation, median, and interquartile range were used. A nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare cell counts between bronchiectasis and control patients. P

Medulloblastoma is an embryonal neuroepithelial tumor of the cerebellum and is the most common malignant central nervous system tumor in children. Different histological variants and patterns have been described. The classic variant represents the majority of cases. This report describes a rare case of large cell/anaplastic medulloblastoma with myogenic, melanotic and neuronal differentiation arising in the cerebellum of a 3-year-old boy who presented with headache and vomiting. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a heterogeneously enhanced lesion in the fourth ventricle. Surgical resection of the tumor was accomplished, but a residual tumor was left behind because of the involvement of the brainstem. Postoperatively, the patient received chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Currently, 20 months after treatment, the patient has survived without further progression. Pathological examination revealed a high grade primitive neuronal tumor with foci of myogenic features, melanin containing epithelial elements and ganglion-like cells, which were confirmed by immunohistochemistry.

Testicular hemangioma is a very rare benign vascular neoplasm, mostly occurring in children and young adults. We present a case of capillary hemangioma of the testis in a twenty three years old male who presented with painless mass in the right scrotum of 2 months duration. He was diagnosed with a right testicular tumor based on the physical examination, ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging studies. Serum tumor markers were normal. Right radical orchiectomy was performed. On histology, the tumor was diagnosed as capillary hemangioma of the testis. Immunohistochemical staining for CD31 and factor VIII confirmed the vascular nature of the tumor. To our knowledge, there are only twenty two cases of testicular hemangiomas reported in the literature. Although it is a rare tumor, surgeons and pathologists should be aware of it especially with the negative tumor marker findings. Intra-operative frozen section examination may be requested as tumor enucleation with testicular sparing surgery is considered adequate.

ABSTRACT: A shale gas reservoir is a self-contained source-reservoir system, characterized by extremely low matrix-permeability and low porosity, which typically requires extensive fracturing to produce gas at commercial rates. This paper presents a simulation experiment, intended to study the impact of well interference on gas recovery in a shale gas reservoir. The simulation model was constructed to study well interference through variation of horizontal well length, fracture half length, number of fracture, and well spacing. The results show that the increment of recovery factor of a well in the presence of neighbour wells is up to 7%. In this study, fracture half length is the most influence parameter on recovery factor, initial rate and reservoir pressure decline. ABSTRAK: Takungan gas syal merupakan sistem sumber-takungan kandung sendiri, khasnya kerana ia mempunyai kebolehtelapan-matriks yang begitu rendah dan keliangan yang rendah. Sifat sebegini memerlukan ia melalui peretakan yang ekstensif untuk menghasilkan gas pada nilai komersial. Kertas kerja ini membentangkan eksperimen simulasi yang bertujuan untuk mengkaji impak perigi interferens terhadap perolehan gas dalam takungan gas syal. Model simulasi di konstruksi untuk mengkaji interferens perigi; iaitu menerusi pelbagai variasi panjang mendatar perigi, retakan separuh panjang dan jarak perigi. Keputusan menunjukkan peningkatan faktor perolehan perigi sebanyak 7% dengan kehadiran perigi bersebelahan. Dalam kajian ini, retakan separuh panjang merupakan ciri utama dalam faktor perolehan, kadar awalan dan penurunan tekanan takungan.

Backgrounds: Treating asthmatic rheumatoid arthritis patients with abatacept has been shown to associate with better control of asthma symptoms. However, the mechanism behind that is not investigated. Methods: Ovalbumin (OVA)- sensitized BALB/c female mice were treated intranasally (IN) or intraperitoneally (IP) with abatacept 4 hrs before the OVA challenge. The effects of abatacept IN or IP on the lungs and blood levels of Tregs and Bregs and their production of immunosuppressive cytokines, were determined using FACS analysis and ELISA assay. Results: Treating OVA- sensitized asthmatic mice model with abatacept, IN or IP, reduced lung inflammation. IN treatment with abatacept increased the frequency of IL-35 and IL-10 producing Bregs in the lung tissues to a higher level compared to IP treatment. Moreover, the frequency of lungs LAG3+ Tregs was significantly increased following treatment. This was also associated with a reduction in lung tissue and serum IL-17 levels of treated mice. Conclusions: These results suggest that abatacept by enhancing IL-35+IL-10+ Bregs and LAG3+ Tregs might reverse IL-17 induced lung inflammation during asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nerve sheath myxoma is a rare benign tumor of the peripheral nerves. It typically presents as a painless, firm, and slow growing nodule with a predilection for extremities mostly fingers and knees. Microscopically, it has characteristic multilobules of spindle cells in an abundant myxoid stroma. The cells are strongly positive for S-100 protein. However, this rare tumor is usually misdiagnosed as other more common benign neuronal tumors. This report describes a rare case of nerve sheath myxoma involving the palmar surface of a 23-year-old female. Clinically, it was diagnosed as a fibroma. It was excised and the final diagnosis was made after histopathological and comprehensive immunohistochemical examination of the specimen. The clinicopathological features of this rare tumor and its important differential diagnoses are discussed along with a brief review of the literature.

Background: There is a recognized association between synchronous and metachronous colorectal and gastric adenocarcinoma. This report describes a 66-year-old man presenting with port-site metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma 4 years after laparoscopic resection of a rectal adenocarcinoma. Case Report: A 66-year-old male rectal cancer survivor presented to the clinic with a painless mass at the previous laparoscopic anterior resection port site. Physical examination revealed a soft port-site mass measuring 5×4 cm. Abdominal CT revealed enlargement of the right rectus abdominis muscle and thickening of the gastric fundus. A biopsy of the right abdominal wall mass revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing was positive for cytokeratin 7 (CK7) and CDx2 and negative for cytokeratin 20 (CK20). The possible primary malignancy was upper gastrointestinal, and it was less likely to be colorectal in origin. Subsequently, the upper endoscopy revealed a friable, erythematous gastric mucosa. Biopsy revealed an invasive moderately differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma with positive IHC for CK7 and CDx2 and negative for CK20. The rectal adenocarcinoma pathology slides were reviewed, and IHC testing showed negative CK7 and positive CK20. Patient was known to have multiple comorbidities with poor functional status. The tumor board decision was made to manage him palliatively with best supportive care for the diagnosis of metastatic gastric cancer. Conclusions: This report has presented a case of possible metachronous gastric adenocarcinoma with port-site metastasis following resection of a rectal adenocarcinoma. Clinicians should be aware of the association between synchronous and metachronous colorectal and gastric adenocarcinoma and the challenges associated with the diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nevus sebaceous (NS) is a benign tumor with the potential to develop secondary benign and malignant neoplasms. It is a rare phenomenon to develop 2 or more skin tumors in a single NS lesion. We report a case of multiple secondary tumors, such as sebaceoma, sebaceous carcinoma, syringocystadenoma papilliferum, and trichoblastoma, in a single NS lesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is associated with numerous comorbidities along with abnormalities of the endocrine system, more commonly manifesting as dysfunctions of the thyroid gland such as goiter. Changes in weight, especially an increase, could lead to an increase in the incidence of thyroid dysfunction; however, its pathophysiology remains to be elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to interrogate the changes in the protein distribution and abundance between the lean patients and patients with obesity thyroid tissue sections through utilizing this technique. The FFPE‐fixed thyroid tissue blocks from the selected cases and controls were identified and targeted for matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) analysis. Patients in the 30 to 75 years age group and undergoing total thyroidectomy for benign thyroid disease were recruited. Patients with thyroid cancers, autoimmune disorders, and other inflammatory conditions were excluded from the study. The selected patients were divided into two groups according to their BMIs: lean (BMI < 25) and obese (BMI > 35). An initial trial set was used as a pilot study for the optimization of the MALDI IMS protocol that was next applied to the selected thyroid tissues. MALDI IMS data from all the samples were aligned and statistical analysis carried out by k‐means and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) classification model using principle component analysis (PCA) results were evaluated between the two groups: controls (lean) and cases (obese). Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were alternatively used to calculate the variability of the identified peptides. The discriminating peptides were also independently identified and related to their corresponding proteins by using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) analyses. Eight peptides mainly from thyroglobulin were found to be upregulated whereas 10 others were found to be downregulated in the lean compared to the obese group. Through this technique, we will be able to better understand the relationship between the disease entity and obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Rare disease Background: Adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) is a rare systemic autoinflammatory disease with a myriad of clinical presentations. The diagnosis is often challenging because there is no specific confirmatory test. Uncommon presentations can delay the proper diagnosis and management. Case Report: A 26-year-old woman presented with a history of urticaria for 2 years that had failed to respond to many types of treatment. Cutaneous biopsy showed neutrophilic urticaria. A diagnosis of AOSD was made after infectious, drug-related, neoplastic, and rheumatic etiologies had been excluded and based on the triad of fever, evanescent rash, and joint pain. Besides leukocytosis and increased levels of inflammatory markers, the patient's laboratory results showed an extremely high D-dimer concentration and an increased antistreptolysin O (ASO) titer. Treatment with prednisolone and methotrexate resulted in resolution of the woman's symptoms. Once clinical remission had been achieved, all laboratory markers returned to normal, yet the patient's ASO titer remained elevated during 18 months of follow-up. Conclusions: Urticaria is a rare cutaneous manifestation of AOSD. Histopathology typically shows predominant neutrophilic infiltrates, which is a unique entity called neutrophilic urticarial dermatosis (NUD). Identifying diseases associated with NUD will facilitate prompt diagnosis and treatment of AOSD, as therapies for it largely differ depending on the underlying cause. Known etiologies of AOS include systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Schnitzler syndrome, hereditary autoinflammatory periodic syndromes, and serum sickness-like drug eruption. An elevated ASO titer is unusual, and in our case, it did not seem to follow the patient's clinical course. An elevated D-dimer concentration can be an indicator of disease activity and testing might be beneficial in a subset of patients with normal ferritin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intraocular melanocytoma is a rare slowly growing benign tumor that may occur anywhere along the uveal tract including the ciliary body but is more commonly found near the optic disc. It is darkly pigmented and may exhibit fast growth and possibly malignant transformation. Ciliary body (CB) melanocytoma is rare and often misdiagnosed as a melanoma. We are reporting a case of CB melanocytoma in a 74-year old lady with unusual initial presentation of an acute onset of subconjunctival pigmentation and extra-scleral extension of the melanocytoma with coarse melanin granules. The diagnosis of melanocytoma was confirmed by histopathological examination of the prolapsed tissue and by ultrastructural studies. Literature review of similar cases is also summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teratoma is a common neoplasm in prepubertal and post-pubertal periods. It consists of various types of tissues arising from different germinal layers, endoderm, mesoderm, and ectoderm. Ectopic ocular tissue is a rare phenomenon, with only few reported cases in other locations. This is a 10-month-old boy who presented with a painless scrotal mass. Following orchidectomy, the excised mass confirmed the presence of uveal and retinal tissues originating in a benign testicular teratoma by histopathological examination. Choroidal and retinal tissue are the most frequently encountered ectopic ocular tissue, while the least observed tissue is the lens. Most of the reported cases of ectopic ocular tissue present in ovarian teratomas. The only 2 previously reported cases of ocular-like tissue in testicular teratoma lack well-defined medullary epithelium, uveal, and retinal tissue as in our case. To our knowledge, developing ocular tissue in a testicular teratoma is extremely rare. Herein we report a unique case with mature defined ocular tissue within a testicular teratoma in an infant, which should not be overlooked. • Ectopic ocular tissue is generally a rare finding. • Most ectopic ocular tissue is reported in ovarian teratomas. • Developing ocular tissue in a testicular teratoma is extremely rare. • We report an infant with well-defined ectopic ocular tissue in a testicular teratoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents a new alkaline-surfactant (AS) flooding formulation that replaces and improves the traditional alkaline-surfactant-polymer (ASP) flooding slug. With the design of a cost-effective AS slug, a new series of polymeric surfactants was produced based on agriculture material. In this article, the polymeric surfactant was produced by a graft polymerization process using several surfactant-to-acrylamide ratios. This surfactant was designed to graft the sulfonated group to the polymer backbone as one component system for interfacial tension (IFT) reduction and viscosity control. The performance of the resultant surfactants was studied in the presence and absence of sodium carbonate as an alkaline agent at reservoir temperature of 90°C. The feasibility of applying the AS formula was based on IFT measurement between crude oil and AS solution and viscosity tests. As a result, the ratio of 1:0.5 (S:A) was selected as the optimum ratio for IFT reduction and viscosity control. A combination of alkali and surfactant with a concentration of 0.8 and 0.4% was found to significantly reduce the IFT while maintaining the desired viscosity of the solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessory scrotum and congenital perineal lipoma are unusual congenital anomalies. Congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a rare congenital disorder of the lung. There are five types of CPAM, each with a different clinical presentation and prognosis. The present report involves a case of type 2 CPAM associated with accessory scrotum and congenital perianal lipoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orf, also known as ecthyma contagiosum, is a highly contagious zoonotic infection linked to direct contact with infected sheep, goats, or reindeer, posing a significant risk to farmers, veterinarians, shepherds, and butchers. This study presents a case of a 41-year-old female who developed Orf, complicated by the rare occurrence of Erythema Multiforme (EM), after handling sheep meat. The patient initially presented with a progressive painful skin eruption on the left dorsum of the little finger, which subsequently worsened and led to the development of generalized painful and itchy skin lesions, including target lesions typical of EM, on the palms, soles, and extremities. The diagnosis was confirmed through clinical examination and skin biopsy. The patient was treated with antihistamines and topical corticosteroids, resulting in a complete resolution of symptoms within three weeks. Our underscores the importance of recognizing EM as a potential complication of Orf infection, particularly in individuals with occupational exposure to animals.

The most crucial aspect in determining field development plans is the oil recovery factor (RF). However, RF has a complex relationship with the reservoir rock and fluid properties. The application of artificial neural networks is able to produce complex correlations between reservoir parameters that affect the recovery factor. This research provides a new approach to improve the accuracy of the ANN model in the form of steps including removing outlier data, selecting input parameters, selecting transferring functions, selecting the number of neurons, and determining hidden layers. By applying these steps, an ANN model was selected with nine input parameters consisting of oil viscosity, water saturation, initial oil formation volume factor, formation thickness, initial pressure, permeability, specific gravity of oil, porosity, and original oil in place. Furthermore, based on the correlation coefficient, a tangent sigmoid transferring function, 30 neurons, and two hidden layers were determined. The proposed ANN correlation gives the best accuracy compared to the previous correlations. This is proved by the highest correlation coefficient of 0.91657.