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ABSTRACT Background and Aims Methods Results Conclusions Several scientific associations recommend a sequential combination of non‐invasive tests (NITs) to identify high‐risk MASLD patients but their cost‐effectiveness is unknown.A cost‐utility model was developed to assess the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER) of recommended screening strategies for patients with clinically suspected MASLD, specifically those with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity with multiple cardiometabolic risk factors which will be initiated in primary care. Six screening strategies were assessed, using either vibration‐controlled transient elastography (VCTE) or the enhanced liver fibrosis (ELF) test as a second‐line test following an initial Fibrosis‐4 (FIB‐4) assessment as the first line NIT. The model included treatment effects of resmetirom for metabolic dysfunction‐associated steatohepatitis (MASH) patients with F2 or F3 fibrosis.All screening strategies for high‐risk MASLD in US incurred additional costs compared to no screening, ranging from $13 587 to $14 730 per patient with T2D and $14 274 to $15 661 per patient with obesity. However, screening reduced long‐term costs, ranging from $22 150 to $22 279 per patient with T2D and $13 704 to $13 705 per patient with obesity, compared to $24 221 and $14 956 for no screening, respectively. ICERs ranged from $26 913 to $27 884 per QALY for T2D patients and $23 265 to $24  992 per QALY for patients with obesity. While ICERs were influenced by VCTE availability, they remained cost‐effective when using ELF as the second‐line test. Our findings remain robust across a range of key parameters.Screening for high‐risk MASLD is cost‐effective according to recent guidelines. Implementing these screening strategies in primary care should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, the term metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has replaced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Concern remains regarding whether the evidence generated under the NAFLD definition can be used for MASLD. We compared the clinical profile and outcomes of NAFLD to MASLD using tertiary care- and population-based data. Comparison data were obtained from our NAFLD database and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Clinical profiles and non-invasive tests (enhanced liver fibrosis [ELF] score, fibrosis-4 index [FIB-4] and vibration-controlled transient elastography) were compared. Mortality data were obtained from NHANES-National Death Index. All-cause mortality was assessed by Cox proportional hazards regression models and cause-specific mortality by competing risk analysis. There were 6,429 patients in the NAFLD database (age: 54 ± 12 years, 42% male, BMI 35.4 ± 8.3, waist circumference 112 ± 17 cm, 52% type 2 diabetes). Average scores for ELF, FIB-4 and liver stiffness were 9.6 ± 1.2, 1.69 ± 1.24,14.0 ± 11.8 kPa, respectively; 99% met MASLD criteria; 95% met MASLD on BMI only. Predictive accuracy of ELF and FIB-4 were identical between MASLD and NAFLD. We included 12,519 eligible participants from NHANES (age 43.00 years, 47.38% male, 22.70% obese, 7.28% type 2 diabetes, 82.51% ≥1 cardiometabolic criteria). Among the NHANES study population, there was excellent concordance between MASLD and NAFLD diagnoses: Cohen's kappa coefficient: 0.968 (95% CI 0.962–0.973) with 5.29% of NAFLD cases not meeting MASLD criteria. After a median follow-up of 22.83 years, there were no mortality differences between MASLD and NAFLD diagnoses (p values ≥0.05). NAFLD and MASLD are similar except individuals with MASLD seem to be older with slightly higher mortality risk, likely owing to cardiometabolic risk factors. Clinical profiles and non-invasive test thresholds were also identical. These data provide evidence that NAFLD and MASLD terminologies can be used interchangeably. For the small proportion of patients with NAFLD who do not meet MASLD criteria, further consideration is needed. In June 2023, new terminology (MASLD) was adopted to replace the term NAFLD as a means to better describe what the liver disease is rather than what it is not, as well as to potentially reduce stigma. Given that MASLD requires at least one cardiometabolic risk factor, questions were raised as to whether this change in the definition would nullify the similarities between NAFLD and MASLD and require new evidence to be generated for MASLD. We used our NAFLD database and a US population-based database to show that the vast majority of patients with NAFLD fulfill criteria for MASLD. Non-invasive tests performed similarly in both groups. Mortality risk was slightly higher in those with MASLD, which is attributed to the presence of cardiometabolic risks. These results provide evidence that data generated in the past three decades for NAFLD can be used interchangeably for MASLD. [Display omitted] • Using the NAFLD dataset, 99.8% of patients with NAFLD met the MASLD definition. • Using a population-based dataset, the agreement between NAFLD and MASLD was excellent with Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) of 0.968. • FIB-4, ELF and vibration-controlled transient elastography performed similarly in both NAFLD and MASLD. • All-cause mortality was slightly higher in those with MASLD, likely because of the requirement for ≥1 cardiometabolic risk factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & aimsNon-invasive tests (NITs) offer a practical solution for advanced fibrosis identification in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite increasing implementation, their use is not standardised, which can lead to inconsistent interpretation and risk stratification. We aimed to assess the types of NITs and the corresponding cut-offs used in a range of healthcare settings.MethodsA survey was distributed to a convenience sample of liver health experts who participated in a global NAFLD consensus statement. Respondents provided information on the NITs used in their clinic with the corresponding cut-offs and those used in established care pathways in their areas.ResultsThere were 35 respondents from 24 countries, 89% of whom practised in tertiary level settings. A total of 14 different NITs were used, and each respondent reported using at least one (median = 3). Of the respondents, 80% reported using FIB-4 and liver stiffness by vibration-controlled transient elastography (Fibroscan®), followed by the NAFLD fibrosis score (49%). For FIB-4, 71% of respondents used a low cut-off of 7.5 to >20 kPa, respectively).ConclusionsThe cut-offs used for the same NITs for NAFLD risk stratification vary between clinicians. As cut-offs impact test performance, these findings underscore the heterogeneity in risk-assessment and support the importance of establishing consistent guidelines on the standardised use of NITs in NAFLD management.Lay summaryOwing to the high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the general population it is important to identify those who have more advanced stages of liver fibrosis, so that they can be properly treated. Non-invasive tests (NITs) provide a practical way to assess fibrosis risk in patients. However, we found that the cut-offs used for the same NITs vary between clinicians. As cut-offs impact test performance, these findings highlight the importance of establishing consistent guidelines on the standardised use of NITs to optimise clinical management of NAFLD.

Background & Aims: Robust performance of non-invasive tests (NITs) across ages is critical to assess liver disease among patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD). We evaluated the impact of age on the performance of NIS2+™ vs. other NITs. Methods: An analysis cohort (N = 1,926) with biopsy-proven MASLD was selected among individuals screened for the phase III RESOLVE-IT clinical trial and divided into ≤45, 46–55, 56–64, and ≥65 years groups. To avoid potential confounding effects, a well-balanced cohort (n = 708; n = 177/age group) was obtained by applying a propensity score-matching algorithm to the analysis cohort. Baseline values of biomarkers and NITs were compared across age groups using one-way ANOVA, and the impact of age and histology were compared through three-way ANOVA. The impact of age on NIT performance for the detection of at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH; MASLD activity score [MAS] ≥4 and fibrosis stage [F] ≥2) was also evaluated. Results: Age did not affect the distributions of NIS2+™ and APRI (aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index), but significantly (p

Background: Non-invasive tests (NITs) are useful to assess advanced fibrosis (AF) in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Data from Asian countries suggest that these tests have poor performance. We aimed to assess diagnostic accuracy of established thresholds of biomarker-based NITs and Transient Elastography (TE) in identifying AF and evaluated the utility of a two-step test approach. Methods: Biopsy-proven 641 NAFLD patients (55.2% males, median age 42 years) were included from three different centers of Asia. AF (≥ F3) was identified as per histological staging (24.8%). Results: TE had the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) 0.82 (0.79–0.86), and all other biomarker-based NITs had low AUROC (< 0.7). NITs performed poorly at established thresholds. The combination of NITs utilizing liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and biomarkers, Agile 3+ and FAST, demonstrated acceptable diagnostic accuracy (AUROC 0.82 and 0.78, respectively), but none were superior to LSM alone. LSM measured using appropriate M and XL probes remained accurate regardless of body mass index (BMI); NFS and APRI scores were less accurate at higher BMI ranges. A two-step approach using NFS rule-out criteria (< − 2.97 to rule out) followed by LSM (< 7.3 kPa to rule out and ≥ 12.7 kPa to rule in) correctly classified 62.4% of patients, with only 10.2% of patients incorrectly classified. Conclusion: NITs have not been validated to identify AF in the Asian NAFLD population, and internationally accepted thresholds yield high false-negative rates. LSM and LSM-based combination tests remain the most accurate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 13-year-old female came to us with the complaint of severe itching in her scalp, low-grade fever, loss of weight, and enlarged occipital lymph node. The patient was having very severe infestations of lice in her scalp. The patient was very anxious and irritated because of her itching. We excluded all the options for sexual, mental, and physical abuse by having proper examination and history taking in the absence of any guardian after taking permission from guardians. The patient was having lice and nits only on her scalp, other parts of body hairs were spared from the lice infestations. The patient was maintaining proper hygiene and belongs to an upper socioeconomic family. Along with this patient’s mother informed us about her diagnosis of atopic dermatitis. The patient has been diagnosed with atopic dermatitis since she was at the age of 3. Lice infestation is a very common problem in low socio-economic societies and generally, it is considered the person who has the lice infestations must be unhygienic, in reality, it has been seen very often in very neat and clean people. Very severe lice infestations depend on many factors not only in neglected, homeless, or nonhygienic people, it depends on sebum production, many skin diseases e.g. hyperhidrosis, etc

Models predicting an individual's 10-year risk of cirrhosis complications have not been developed for a community setting. Our objectives were to assess the performance of existing risk scores – both with and without genetic data – for predicting cirrhosis complications in the community. We used a 2-stage study design. In stage 1, a systematic review was conducted to identify risk scores derived from routine liver blood tests that have demonstrated prior ability to predict cirrhosis-related complication events. Risk scores identified from stage 1 were tested in a UK Biobank subgroup, comprising participants with a risk factor for chronic liver disease (stage 2). Cirrhosis complications were defined as hospitalisation for liver cirrhosis or presentation with hepatocellular carcinoma. Discrimination of risk scores with and without genetic data was assessed using the Wolbers C-index, Harrell's adequacy index, and cumulative incidence curves. Twenty risk scores were identified from the stage-1 systematic review. For stage-2, 197,509 UK biobank participants were selected. The cumulative incidence of cirrhosis complications at 10 years was 0.58%; 95% CI 0.54-0.61 (1,110 events). The top performing risk scores were aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI: C-index 0.804; 95% CI 0.788-0.820) and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4: C-index 0.780; 95% CI 0.764-0.795). The 10-year cumulative incidences of cirrhosis complications for participants with an APRI score exceeding the 90th, 95th and 99th percentile were 3.30%, 5.42% and 14.83%, respectively. Inclusion of established genetic risk loci associated with cirrhosis added <5% of new prognostic information to the APRI score and improved the C-index only minimally (i.e. from 0.804 to 0.809). Accessible risk scores derived from routine blood tests (particularly APRI and FIB-4) can be repurposed to estimate 10-year risk of cirrhosis morbidity in the community. Genetic data improves performance only minimally. New approaches are needed in community settings to reduce the late diagnosis of chronic liver disease. Thus, in a community cohort, we assessed the ability of 20 routine risk scores to predict 10-year risk of cirrhosis-related complications. We show that 2 routine risk scores in particular – "APRI" and "FIB-4" – could be repurposed to estimate an individual's 10-year risk of cirrhosis-related morbidity. Adding genetic risk factor information to these scores only modestly improved performance. [Display omitted] • Individualised 10-year risk of cirrhosis-related morbidity can be predicted in the community. • The APRI score exhibited the best discriminative ability (C-index >0.80). • 10-year cumulative incidence was 14.8% for individuals with APRI in the 99th percentile. • Genetic risk scores were outperformed by more accessible alternatives. • Genetic risk scores add little new prognostic information beyond what is already captured by APRI and FIB-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors are rare neoplasms, frequently presenting with osteomalacia. These neoplasms usually grow at a slow rate and are associated with unspecific symptoms. Case In this study, we present the case of a 70‐year‐old woman who had been suffering from musculoskeletal pain, hypophosphatemia, and spontaneous fractures. Positron emission tomography with Gallium showed increase uptake in a subpleural lesion. Conclusion The patient underwent surgical excision of the subpleural lesion with a non‐intubated uniportal video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery approach.

Pediculosis capitis is an ectoparasitosis in which Pediculus humanus capitis (Phthiraptera: Anoplura) infest the human scalp. Infestation is confirmed by the presence of adults, nymphs, or viable eggs (nits). The unhatched eggs of head louse is occupied with an embryo, brownish, and has ovoid construction with a curved end. Nit can be misdiagnosed with hair cast, which are thin, amorphous, extended, whitish cylindrical structure, and freely moveable along the hair shaft. It is very important to correctly differentiate pediculosis from hair cast to avoid anxiety and unnecessary treatment. The purpose of this study is to describe three hair cast and seven pediculosis cases in Dezful health center, southwest Iran. This is a study of ten cases reported in our laboratory in 2017. For each case, microscopic and entomological examination of the hairs were performed. The patients were ten women including eight children and two adults. Clinical signs included itching and skin color changes in all the cases. Microscopic examination showed nits anchored to the hair in seven cases. In the other three cases, the initial diagnosis was confirmed to be hair cast. In all pediculosis cases, the diagnosis of cases was confirmed by entomological examination of hairs, which revealed the presence of nit forms of P. humanus capitis. Differentiation of pediculosis from hair cast can avoid apprehension and pointless treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-intubated thoracic surgery (NITS) is a growing practice, alongside minimally invasive thoracic surgery. To date, only a consensus of experts provided opinions on NITS leaving a number of questions unresolved. We then conducted a scoping review to clarify the state of the art regarding NITS. The systematic review of all randomized and non-randomized clinical trials dealing with NITS, based on Pubmed, EMBASE, and Scopus, retrieved 665 articles. After the exclusion of ineligible studies, 53 were assessed examining: study type, Country of origin, surgical procedure, age, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiologist's physical status, airway management device, conversion to orotracheal intubation and pulmonary complications rates and length of hospital stay. It emerged that NITS is a procedure performed predominantly in Asia, and certain European Countries. In China, NITS is more frequently performed for parenchymal resection surgery, whereas in Europe, it is mainly employed for pleural pathologies. The most commonly used device for airway management is the laryngeal mask. The conversion rate to orotracheal intubation is a~3%. The results of the scoping review seem to suggest that NITS procedures are becoming increasingly popular, but its role needs to be better defined. Further randomized clinical trials are needed to better define the role of the clinical variables possibly impacting on the technique effectiveness.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://osf.io/mfvp3/, identifier: 10.17605/OSF.IO/MFVP3.

Pulmonary resection by video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with single-lung ventilation has become a standardized modality over the last decades. With the aim to reduce surgical stress during operation procedures, some have adopted a uniportal approach in pulmonary resection as an alternative to multiportal VATS. The ERAS program has been widely spread to achieve even better outcomes. In 2004, Pompeo reported the resection of pulmonary modules by conventional VATS under intravenous anesthesia without endotracheal intubation. Within less than a decade thereafter, complete VATS pulmonary resections under anesthesia without endotracheal intubation had been reported for a range of thoracoscopic procedures. Avoiding tracheal intubation under general anesthesia can reduce the incidence of complications such as intubation-related airway trauma, residual neuromuscular blockade, ventilation-induced lung injury, impaired cardiac performance, and postoperative nausea. Numerous studies can be found especially from Asian countries, focusing on comparison of intubated and non-intubated procedures showing that non-intubated VATS could reduce the rate of postoperative complications, shorten hospital stay and decrease the perioperative mortality rate, indicating that non-intubated VATS is a safe, effective and feasible technique for thoracic disease. However, if we look closely at all studies, it is obvious that there are no significant differences between intubated and non-intubated surgery in terms of the standard procedures and maneuvers. In non-intubated procedures it can be less comfortable for the surgeon to manipulate in the thoracic cavity, but the procedural steps remain the same. All the differences between the intubated and non-intubated operation procedure are found in perioperative management of the patient. The patient is still in deep anesthesia during the procedure and hypecapnia can occur. It is easier to manage this if the patient is intubated. In addition, if a complication occurs during the operation and intubation is required, this can cause an emergent situation, which means that not all patients are suitable for such a procedure, especially those with severe emphysema, obese patients and those with a problematic oropharyngeal configuration-Mallampati score. Moreover, studies on non-intubated thoracic surgery point to shortened hospitalization, faster recovery etc. But there are also studies on intubated uniportal VATS procedures in combination with ERAS protocol showing shortened hospitalization and better outcome for patients. Currently, especially with the use of optical intubation canylas, totally intravenous anesthesia (TIVA), BIS and relaxometer, anesthesia is safe for avoiding airway injury, hypercapnia, and there is minimal risk of residual curarization as well as one of the postoperative lung complications such as microaspiration and atelectasis. In addition, the patient recovers rapidly from anesthesia and can be verticalised and mobilized a couple of hours after the operation. It is desirable to take into consideration what type of patient and what lung disease is suitable for non-intubated technique and what is more convenient for intubation.

Introduction: Phthiriasis palpebrarum is an uncommon eyelid infestation mainly caused by Phthirus pubis also known as crab lice. Case report: A 16 years male presented with redness, itching and watering of the right eye for one week. On slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination lice and nits anchored to the eyelashes along with seborrheic material accumulation was noted. Lice, partial nits along with matted eyelashes were removed and sent to laboratory for microscopic examination. On follow up visit remaining nits were expunged. Conclusion: Meticulous slit lamp biomicroscopic examination should be done in all patients presenting with itching of the eyelids in conjunction with clinical findings resembling seborrhea and evidence for Phthiriasis palpebrarum should be looked for.

Objective: To report the occurrence and management of an eyelashes infestation by Phthirus pubis.Methods: A 27-year-old female presented with itching in her right eye and head after she had been traveling in southern Italy five days earlier. Visual acuity (VA) was 20/20 in both eyes.Slit-lamp examination showed bilateral blepharitis. Moreover, mobile insects and eggs attached to the eyelashes were observed. A microbiological study was performed with a Phthirus pubis result. The patient was treated with mechanical dislodging.Results: The resolution of the infection was carried out removing every insect and egg. A vaseline application twice daily for 7 days was necessary to stifle any nits that could remain.Conclusions: The eyelashes pediculosis is frequently caused by Phthirus pubis. Only a minor percentage of the cases are due to Phthirus capitis, but the differential diagnosis is essential: there are Phthirus pubis pediculosis cases due to sexual abuse. A sexual history and screening for other sexually transmitted diseases is warranted.

Phthiriasis palpebrarum is a rare cause of eyelid infestation caused by phthiriasis pubis (crab louse) that mainly infests the hair of pubis and inguinal regions, but rarely eyelashes and eyelid. It is an uncommon condition of pruritus still seen in developing countries with poor personal hygiene. These conditions may have unusual presentations which may be misdiagnosed as conjunctivitis, blepharoconjunctivitis, dermatitis, or blepharitis due to similarities in the signs and symptoms. We report a case of a young male with unilateral pruritus and irritation which showed numerous nits adherent to the eyelashes and multiple lice at the base of eyelashes at the upper lid on examination. The patient was successfully treated with mechanical removal of lice and nits, and pilocarpine 2% drop were applied locally. A typical case of unilateral phthiriasis palpebrarum infestation, which is an unusual case of pruritus, is highlighted. Meticulous examination with suspicion is essential for the prompt diagnosis and treatment.

The study was conducted on students of primary schools for the people of the displaced provinces ( Anbar, Tikrit and Mawsil ) who are suffering in their housing overcrowding and low living standards and low level of health. This study depends on the analysis of recorder information in special document (questionnaire) prepared for this purpose and includes some demographic factors such as age , gender , socioeconomic level , occupation , head hairs long and education level of parents…..etc. The total number of samples was (2170) students, (371) student were infected, their ages were (6_14) year.The number of infected samples were registered by direct examination with the naked eye for the heads of the students, the number of lice instars were recorded by using magnifying hand lens and the lice instars were isolated from infected samples using special combs to remove lice from an infected hairs.The results of this study reveals highly significant differences in pediculosis prevalence between male, and female which was (19.41 , 80.59)% respectively. The results reveals also that high number of infections were in the ages (7, 6, 9) year which was (20.49 , 19.14 , 12.2)% respectively.It reveals also that there is highly significant differences between infected students and head hairs long, high infected cases recorded in long hair students compared with short hair students which was (55.53 , 44.47)% respectively.We also found that the family size has significant effect in pediculosis prevalence, high infections was in family size (9 and more person) compared with family size (3_5) person which was (44.47 , 13.21)% respectively.The study also showed presence of highly significant differences between pediculocides which are used in lice killing , Nyda and Kwell-p are more effective in killing ratio (80.43 , 75.96)%, while the lotion Tic-Tac revealed less killing ratio (38.46)%.And it is found that the factor (live with relatives) is the most important factor for the transmission and prevalence of pediculosis between students, the ratio of infection is (33.15)% compared another factors.

Background: Hair casts or pseudonits are tubular accretions that are movable encircling the hair shafts of the scalp. It is commonly confused as head lice or pediculosis capitis, which is a common concern in pediatric age group. Hair casts are common in psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and pityriasis amiantacea. This misdiagnosis is a reason of patient and physician anxiety. We attempted to evaluate significance of trichoscopy in differentiating nits and pseudonits and therefore a better treatment plan. Aims and Objective: To evaluate trichoscopic patterns in nits and pseudonits. Methodology: The study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. Ethical clearance and consent from patients were obtained. DermLite 3 with ×10 magnification was employed for trichoscopy. Tiny concretions on the hair shafts were examined with trichoscopy. Patterns were analyzed. Results: Totally, 25 patients were included in the study with 7 boys and 18 girls. The mean age was 9 years. Trichoscopy demonstrated cylindrical white sheaths (2–7 mm) encircling the hair shafts in 15 patients (60%). Forty percent of the patients showed pyriform-shaped translucent and yellowish structures (0.8 mm) attached to hair shafts. Based on the trichoscopy patterns, diagnosis of pseudonits and nits was made in former and latter groups, respectively. Conclusion: Trichoscopy plays an important role in differentiation of nits and pseudonits. Since nits are contagious, correct diagnosis is of utmost importance for better management. Thus, trichoscopy is a reliable diagnostic procedure in daily practice of dermatologists.

Head lice is a parasitic infestation common in children. Proper management is essential to treat lice in a safe, convenient, cost-effective, and efficacious manner. School lice policies are often antiquated and can stigmatize the child and family. Evidence-based care guidelines may significantly help families minimize the stress of lice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Robust performance of non-invasive tests (NITs) across ages is critical to assess liver disease among patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD). We evaluated the impact of age on the performance of NIS2+™ vs. other NITs., Methods: An analysis cohort (N = 1,926) with biopsy-proven MASLD was selected among individuals screened for the phase III RESOLVE-IT clinical trial and divided into ≤45, 46-55, 56-64, and ≥65 years groups. To avoid potential confounding effects, a well-balanced cohort (n = 708; n = 177/age group) was obtained by applying a propensity score-matching algorithm to the analysis cohort. Baseline values of biomarkers and NITs were compared across age groups using one-way ANOVA, and the impact of age and histology were compared through three-way ANOVA. The impact of age on NIT performance for the detection of at-risk metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH; MASLD activity score [MAS] ≥4 and fibrosis stage [F] ≥2) was also evaluated., Results: Age did not affect the distributions of NIS2+™ and APRI (aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index), but significantly ( p <0.0001) impacted those of NFS (NAFLD fibrosis score), FIB-4 (Fibrosis-4 index), and Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF™) score. NIS2+™ was the only NIT on which fibrosis and MAS exerted a moderate to large effect. While the impact of fibrosis on APRI was moderate, that of MAS was low. The impact of age on FIB-4 and NFS was larger than that of fibrosis. NIS2+™ exhibited the highest AUROC values for detecting at-risk MASH across age groups, with stable performances irrespective of cut-offs., Conclusions: NIS2+™ was not significantly impacted by age and was sensitive to both fibrosis and MAS grade, demonstrating a robust performance to rule in/out at-risk MASH with fixed cut-offs., Impact and Implications: While metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) can affect individuals of all ages, patient age could represent an important confounding factor when interpreting non-invasive test (NIT) results, highlighting the need for reliable and efficient NITs that are not impacted by age and that could be interpreted with fixed cut-offs, irrespective of patient age. We report the impact of age on different well-established NITs - among those tested, only two panels, NIS2+™ and APRI, were not impacted by age and can be used and interpreted independently of patient age. NIS2+™ was also sensitive to both fibrosis and MAS, further confirming its efficiency for the detection of the composite endpoint of at-risk MASH and its potential as a valuable candidate for large-scale implementation in clinical practice and clinical trials., Competing Interests: QMA: research support from LITMUS (Liver Investigation: Testing Marker Utility in Steatohepatitis) consortium funded by the Innovative Medicines Initiative Program of the European Union under Grant Agreement 777377 (this multistakeholder consortium includes industry partners and received funding from EFPIA); grants or contracts from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Intercept Pharmaceuticals; royalties or licenses from Elsevier Ltd.; consulting fees (on behalf of Newcastle University) from Alimentiv, Akero Therapeutics, Inc., AstraZeneca, Axcella Health, Inc., 89bio, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Genfit S.A., Genentech, Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline, Hanmi, HistoIndex Pte Ltd., Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva, Ionis, IQVIA, Janssen, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Medpace, Merck, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, PathAI, Pfizer, Prosciento, Poxel S.A., Resolution Therapeutics, Roche, Ridgeline Therapeutics, RTI, Shionogi, and Terns Pharmaceuticals; payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events from Fishawack, Integritas Communications, Kenes, Novo Nordisk, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Medscape, and Springer Healthcare; served on advisory boards or data safety monitoring boards (on behalf of Newcastle University) for Medpace (NorthSea Therapeutics B.V., DSMB). BS: consulting fees from Genfit S.A. MAC: Labcorp employee. RL: grants/funding support from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galectin Therapeutics, Inc., Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Hanmi, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva, Ionis, Janssen, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Merck, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sonic Incytes, and Terns Pharmaceuticals; consulting fees from Aardvark Therapeutics, Altimmune, Anylam/Regeneron, Amgen, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol Myers Squibb, CohBar, Inc., Eli Lilly, Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Glympse Bio, HighTide Therapeutics, Ini Pharma, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Ionis, Janssen, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Metacrine, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Pfizer, Sagimet Biosciences, Theratechnologies, Inc., 89bio, Inc., Terns Pharmaceuticals, and Viking Therapeutics; other financial interests: LipoNexus, Inc. (co-founder). SAH: grants or contracts from Akero Therapeutics, Alentis Therapeutics, Altimmune, B. Riley FBR, ChronWell, Corcept Therapeutics, Echosens, Axcella Health, Cirius Therapeutics, CiVi Biopharma, Cymabay Therapeutics, Inc., Enyo Pharma S.A., Galectin Therapeutics, Inc., Galmed Research & Development, Ltd., Genfit S.A., Gilead Sciences, Inc., Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Hepta Bio, HighTide Therapeutics, Inc, HistoIndex, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Ionis, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Medpace, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., NeuroBo, NorthSea Therapeutics B.V., Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Path AI, Perspectum, Poxel S.A., Sagimet Biosciences, Sonic Incytes, Terns Pharmaceuticals, and Viking Therapeutics; stock or stock options for Akero Therapeutics, ChronWell, Cirius Therapeutics, Galectin Therapeutics, Inc., Genfit S.A., Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., HistoIndex Pte Ltd., Metacrine, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., NorthSea Therapeutics B.V. VR: grants or contracts from Intercept Pharmaceuticals, and Gilead Sciences, Inc.; consulting fees from Boehringer Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, Poxel S.A., Enyo Pharma S.A., Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Terns Pharmaceuticals, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, NGM Biopharmaceuticals Inc., and Pfizer. AJS: stock options in Genfit S.A., Tiziana, Indalo, Durect, Inversago, and Galmed Pharmaceuticals; consultant to AstraZeneca, Salix, Tobira, Takeda, Jannsen, Gilead Sciences, Inc., Terns Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., Sagimet Biosciences, Valeant, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Hemoshear, Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Inventiva, Enyo, Akero Therapeutics, 89bio, Inc., Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Amgen, Genentech, Regeneron, Alnylam, Hanmi, LG Chem, Histoindex, Thera Technologies, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Target-RWE, Surrozen, Zydus, Path AI, Exhalenz, and Genfit S.A.; his institution has received grant support from Gilead Sciences, Inc., Salix, Tobira, Bristol Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Merck, AstraZeneca, Mallinckrodt, and Novartis Pharmaceuticals; royalties received from Elsevier and UpToDate. JM, YH, AC, ZM, CR, and DWH: stock or stock options from Genfit S.A. and serve as Genfit S.A. employees. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

High dynamic range (HDR) and wide color gamut (WCG) technology present challenges to the design of a test pattern for the visual verification of systems. The previous International Telecommunications Union (ITU-R) Recommendation BT. 709paradigm defined a "zero-to-one-hundred-percent" scale, and the entire system and any reasonable display could be expected to show the full range of code values. However, SMPTE S T 2084 defines an absolute correspondence from code values up to 10,000 nits (A nit is a unit used to measure brightness and is equivalent to a candela per square meter), and even professional monitors will clip at some lower brightness level unique to their particular design. Furthermore, the ITU-R BT.2020 color gamut "container" exceeds the gamut of any professional monitor, so colors that are outside of a monitor's particular gamut capability will be modified by the monitor. This lack of dependable behavior of monitors at the extremes of color and brightness creates additional challenges for the design of visual test patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hair casts or pseudonits are tubular accretions that are movable encircling the hair shafts of the scalp. It is commonly confused as head lice or pediculosis capitis, which is a common concern in pediatric age group. Hair casts are common in psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and pityriasis amiantacea. This misdiagnosis is a reason of patient and physician anxiety. We attempted to evaluate significance of trichoscopy in differentiating nits and pseudonits and therefore a better treatment plan. Aims and Objective: To evaluate trichoscopic patterns in nits and pseudonits. Methodology: The study was conducted in a tertiary hospital. Ethical clearance and consent from patients were obtained. DermLite 3 with ×10 magnification was employed for trichoscopy. Tiny concretions on the hair shafts were examined with trichoscopy. Patterns were analyzed. Results: Totally, 25 patients were included in the study with 7 boys and 18 girls. The mean age was 9 years. Trichoscopy demonstrated cylindrical white sheaths (2–7 mm) encircling the hair shafts in 15 patients (60%). Forty percent of the patients showed pyriform-shaped translucent and yellowish structures (0.8 mm) attached to hair shafts. Based on the trichoscopy patterns, diagnosis of pseudonits and nits was made in former and latter groups, respectively. Conclusion: Trichoscopy plays an important role in differentiation of nits and pseudonits. Since nits are contagious, correct diagnosis is of utmost importance for better management. Thus, trichoscopy is a reliable diagnostic procedure in daily practice of dermatologists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum-based noninvasive tests (NITs) have been widely used to assess liver fibrosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the diagnostic efficacy of NITs across ranges of age, body mass index (BMI), and presence of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) may vary and have not been well-characterized. We analyzed 1489 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD from 6 centers in Japan, Taiwan, and Korea. Using histology as the gold standard, we compared the areas under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROCs) of Fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4), NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), and the new Hepamet fibrosis score (HFS), with a focus on performance in subgroups as stratified by age, BMI, and the presence of T2DM. By histology, 44.0% of the overall cohort (655/1489) had F2-4, and 20.6% (307/1489) had F3-4 fibrosis. FIB-4 had the highest AUROCs for both F2-4 (0.701 vs NFS 0.676 and HFS 0.682, P =.001) and F3-4 (0.767 vs NFS 0.736 and HFS 0.752, P =.002). However, for F3-4 fibrosis, the AUROCs of all 3 NITs were generally higher in older (>60 years), nonobese (BMI <25 kg/m2), and non-diabetic patients, although overall the best performance was observed with FIB-4 among nonobese (BMI<25) diabetic patients (AUROC, 0.92). The worst performance was observed in younger patients with T2DM for all NITs including FIB-4 (AUROC, 0.63–0.66). FIB-4 had higher diagnostic efficacy for F3-4 than NFS or HFS, but this varied greatly by age, BMI, and T2DM, with better performance in older, nonobese, and nondiabetic patients. However, all NITs including FIB-4 had unacceptably poor performance in young or obese diabetic patients. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Technological innovation is a key factor in maintenance activities and for the growth and socioeconomic development of the country. Thus, the integration of innovation and the professional master can generate potentialities because there is an effort to assert its identity as a category of graduate program with an innovative base structure. Some works have been published in an attempt to understand how the professional master mode is constituted, but these still do not take as the object of study the technological innovation in the concluding work of the course. In this context, this article aims to achieve, through a literature review, an approach to technological innovation as the course completion work in the professional master. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the serious circumstances ofCamellia oleiferaadulteration, the accurate examination for quality trait ofC. oleiferaoil is extremely urgent. The use of near infrared transmittance spectroscopy as a rapid and cost-efficient classification technique for the authentication ofCamelliaoil was investigated. At the same time, the feasibility of near infrared transmittance spectroscopy for the rapid determination of soybean oil and maize oil adulterated in binary and ternary systemCamelliaoils was explored. The results showed that identifications was made based on the slight difference in raw near infrared transmittance spectra inCamelliaoils, soybean oils, maize oils, and those adulterated with soybean and maize oil with discriminant equations techniques. Furthermore, the performance of near infrared transmittance spectroscopy models for binary and ternary system adulteratedCamelliaoils was satisfactory. Moreover, the near infrared transmittance spectroscopy calibration model of soybean oil (0–50%) in binary system adulteratedCamelliaoils was the best, and correlation coefficients of the cross-validation (Rcv) was 0.99999. For the near infrared transmittance spectroscopy calibration model of maize oil in binary system (0–50%) and ternary system (0–40%) adulteratedCamelliaoils, theRcvwere 0.99996 and 0.99961, respectively. In addition, the coefficients of external validation for three models were obtained (0.9998, 0.9999, and 0.9967, respectively). In all, near infrared transmittance spectroscopy could be conducted to identifyCamelliaoils and detect soybean oil and maize oil adulterated in binary and ternay systemCamelliaoils from the methodology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phthiriasis palpebrarum of the eyelashes is not an uncommon condition when hygienic condition are inadequate. The lice occupy, chiefly, the roots of the eyelashes, to which they cling tenaciously, while the shafts of the cilia are covered with their brown nits. The patients with the symptom of pruritus of the eyelids and with clinical findings resembling exfoliation on the surface of lid skin and seborrhea accumulation on eyelashes must carefully be examined by slit lamp in order to avoid misdiagnosis. In the cases diagnosed as having lid eczema and seborrheic blepharitis, lice and nits might easily be overlooked and treatment might remain ineffective. Various treatment options are available from medical; mechanical removal of nits and lice, cryotherapy. In this short review we are describing in details about the organism, clinical features, mode of transmission, treatment about Phthiriasis palpebrarum.

Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) and the nonalcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score (NFS) are the 2 most popular noninvasive blood-based serum tests proposed for widespread fibrosis screening. We therefore aimed to describe the accuracy of FIB-4 and NFS to detect elevated liver stiffness as an indicator of hepatic fibrosis in low-prevalence populations. This study included a total of 5129 patients with concomitant measurement of FIB-4, NFS, and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by Fibroscan (Echosens, France) from 5 independent population-based cohorts from Spain, Hong Kong, Denmark, England, and France; 3979 participants from the general population and 1150 from at-risk cohorts due to alcohol, diabetes, or obesity. We correlated LSM with FIB-4 and NFS, and calculated pre- and post-test predictive values of FIB-4 and NFS to detect elevated LSM at 8 kPa and 12 kPa cutoffs. The mean age was 53 ± 12 years, the mean body mass index was 27 ± 5 kg/m2, and 2439 (57%) were women. One in 10 patients (552; 11%) had liver stiffness ≥8 kPa, but 239 of those (43%) had a normal FIB-4, and 171 (31%) had normal NFS. The proportion of false-negatives was higher in at-risk patients than the general population. FIB-4 was false-negative in 11% of diabetic subjects, compared with 2.5% false-negatives with NFS. Waist circumference outperformed FIB-4 and NFS for detecting LSM ≥8 kPa in the general population. Almost one-third (28%–29%) of elevated FIB-4/NFS were false-positive in both the general population and at-risk cohorts. FIB-4 and NFS are suboptimal for screening purposes due to a high risk of overdiagnosis and a non-negligible percentage of false-negatives, especially in patients with risk factors for chronic liver disease. Waist circumference emerged as a potential first step to identify patients at risk for liver fibrosis in the general population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We studied the phylogeography of the Eurasian species in the genus Fraxinus. [•] The nITS retrieved the classical view of the evolution of the section. [•] The nETS showed a separation of F. angustifolia in two paraphyletic groups. [•] This incongruence indicated an old reticulation between European and Asian ashes. [•] We provide a documented evidence of multiple reticulations within these temperate trees. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As part of the debate in the Netherlands centring on national identity in the wake of the assassination of Pim Fortuyn (2002) and Theo van Gogh (2004), an attempt is made to tackle the topic of unworldly cosmopolitanism versus remerging nationalism. The focus is on the way the arty yet popular Dutch rock band 'Nits' (1974-present) dealt with these issues in their song lyrics, how Nits construct both their international and Dutch identity, and how their evolution in this respect mirrors or nuances current debates about the elite's position vis-à-vis national character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Under the serious circumstances of Camellia oleifera adulteration, the accurate examination for quality trait of C. oleifera oil is extremely urgent. For rapid determination of FA composition in C. oleifera oil, the feasibility of NITS was first studied. The quantitative models for FA were built based on PLS regression. NITS spectra is able to accurately predict for oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids (R cv >0.844, R 2 >0.886). R cv are 0.91987, 0.95755, and 0.84447, and R 2 are 0.9424, 0.9682, 0.8862 for NITS models of oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids, respectively. But models for stearic and unsaturated acids are less accurate, with values of R cv from 0.67440 to 0.69114, and R 2 from 0.6834 to 0.7587. These results indicate that NITS will have potential to be used in predicting FA composition of C. oleifera oil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background & Aims: Non-invasive tests (NITs) offer a practical solution for advanced fibrosis identification in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite increasing implementation, their use is not standardised, which can lead to inconsistent interpretation and risk stratification. We aimed to assess the types of NITs and the corresponding cut-offs used in a range of healthcare settings., Methods: A survey was distributed to a convenience sample of liver health experts who participated in a global NAFLD consensus statement. Respondents provided information on the NITs used in their clinic with the corresponding cut-offs and those used in established care pathways in their areas., Results: There were 35 respondents from 24 countries, 89% of whom practised in tertiary level settings. A total of 14 different NITs were used, and each respondent reported using at least one (median = 3). Of the respondents, 80% reported using FIB-4 and liver stiffness by vibration-controlled transient elastography (Fibroscan®), followed by the NAFLD fibrosis score (49%). For FIB-4, 71% of respondents used a low cut-off of <1.3 (range <1.0 to <1.45) and 21% reported using age-specific cut-offs. For Fibroscan®, 21% of respondents used a single liver stiffness cut-off: 8 kPa in 50%, while the rest used 7.2 kPa, 7.8 kPa and 8.7 kPa. Among the 63% of respondents who used lower and upper liver stiffness cut-offs, there were variations in both values (<5 to <10 kPa and >7.5 to >20 kPa, respectively)., Conclusions: The cut-offs used for the same NITs for NAFLD risk stratification vary between clinicians. As cut-offs impact test performance, these findings underscore the heterogeneity in risk-assessment and support the importance of establishing consistent guidelines on the standardised use of NITs in NAFLD management., Lay Summary: Owing to the high prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the general population it is important to identify those who have more advanced stages of liver fibrosis, so that they can be properly treated. Non-invasive tests (NITs) provide a practical way to assess fibrosis risk in patients. However, we found that the cut-offs used for the same NITs vary between clinicians. As cut-offs impact test performance, these findings highlight the importance of establishing consistent guidelines on the standardised use of NITs to optimise clinical management of NAFLD., Competing Interests: JVL acknowledges grants and speaker fees from AbbVie, Gilead Sciences and MSD and speaker fees from Genfit, Intercept, Jannsen and ViiV, outside of the submitted work. LC has participated in advisory boards for Alexion, Echosens, MSD, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer and Sagimet and has received lecture fees from Echosens and Novo Nordisk, outside of the submitted work. AMA has received research support from Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Target Pharma and is a consultant for Novo Nordisk and Pfizer, outside of the submitted work. LAA reports being on the advisory board for Pfizer, Roche Diagnostics and Novartis, outside of the submitted work. QMA reports Research Grant Funding: AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Glympse Bio, Intercept, Novartis, Pfizer. Consultancy on behalf of Newcastle University: Alimentiv, Akero, AstraZeneca, Axcella, 89Bio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Galmed, Genfit, Genentech, Gilead, GlaxoSmithKline, Hanmi, HistoIndex, Intercept, Inventiva, Ionis, IQVIA, Janssen, Madrigal, Medpace, Merck, NGMBio, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, PathAI, Pfizer, Poxel, Resolution Therapeutics, Roche, Ridgeline Therapeutics, RTI, Shionogi, Terns. Speaker: Fishawack, Integritas Communications, Kenes, Novo Nordisk, Madrigal, Medscape, Springer Healthcare. Royalties: Elsevier Ltd. All has been outside of the submitted work. MA has received grants from the Chilean Government: Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico (FONDECYT 1191145) and the Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica (CONICYT, AFB170005, CARE Chile UC). All has been outside of the submitted work. EB served as a consultant or advisory board member for Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead Sciences, Intercept, Inventiva, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, ProSciento and a speaker for Gilead Sciences, MSD and Novo Nordisk, outside of the submitted work. MC has been on the advisory board for Target HCC, Exelixis, Galapagos and Gilead, outside of the submitted work. KC has received research support towards the University of Florida as principal investigator from Echosens, Inventiva, Novo Nordisk, Poxel, Labcorp and Zydus and is a consultant for Arrowhead, AstraZeneca, 89Bio, BMS, Lilly, Madrigal, Novo Nordisk, Quest, Sagimet, Sonic Incytes and Terns, outside of the submitted work. HH’s institution has received research grants from AstraZeneca, Echosens, Gilead, Intercept, MSD and Pfizer, outside of the submitted work. RL serves as a consultant to Aardvark Therapeutics, Altimmune, Anylam/Regeneron, Amgen, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myer Squibb, CohBar, Eli Lilly, Galmed, Gilead, Glympse bio, Hightide, Inipharma, Intercept, Inventiva, Ionis, Janssen Inc., Madrigal, Metacrine, Inc., NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Merck, Pfizer, Sagimet, Theratechnologies, 89 bio, Terns Pharmaceuticals and Viking Therapeutics. In addition, his institutions received research grants from Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Astrazeneca, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly, Galectin Therapeutics, Galmed Pharmaceuticals, Gilead, Hanmi, Intercept, Inventiva, Ionis, Janssen, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals, Merck, NGM Biopharmaceuticals, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Sonic Incytes and Terns Pharmaceuticals. He is co-founder of LipoNexus Inc. All has been outside of the submitted work. MR-G has received grants from Siemens, Gilead and Intercept. He has also served as a consultant for Abbvie, Axcella, Alpha-sigma, BMS, Allergan, Boehringer-Ingelheim, Astra-Zeneca, Gilead, Inventia, Rubió, Kaleido, Siemens, Novo-Nordisk, Shionogi, Pfizer, Sobi, Zydus, Prosciento, Shionogi, MSD and Sobi. In addition he has been lecturer in Inventia, Rubió, Sobi, Novo-Nordisk and Shionogi. He has participated in an advisory board for Galmed and has received support from AbbVie and Gilead to attend meetings. All has been outside of the submitted work. JMS reports consultant activities for Apollo Endosurgery, Albireo Pharma Inc, Bayer, BMS, Boehringer Ingelheim, Echosens, Gilead Sciences, GSK, Intercept Pharmaceuticals, Ipsen, Inventiva Pharma, Julius Clinical, Madrigal, MSD, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, Roche, Sanofi, Siemens Healthcare GmbH. Research Funding from Gilead Sciences, Boehringer Ingelheim, Nordic Bioscience, Siemens Healthcare GmbH. Speaker Honorarium from MedPublico GmbH, Boehringer Ingelheim. All has been outside of the submitted work. MT has participated in an advisory board for GE Healthcare; and reports speaker’s fee from Echosens, Siemens Healthcare, Tillotts Pharma and Norgine, outside of the submitted work. LV has received a grant and support for travelling and attending meetings from Gilead. He has served as a consultant for Gilead, Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Novo Nordisk, Intercept pharmaceuticals, Diatech Pharmacogenetics, IONIS, Boehringer Ingelheim and reports being a lecturer or speaker for MSD, Gilead, AlfaSigma, AbbVie, Viatris. In addition, he has participated in advisory boards for Intercept, Pfizer, Gilead, Novo Nordisk. All has been outside of the submitted work. VW-SW served as a consultant or advisory board member for AbbVie, Boehringer Ingelheim, Echosens, Gilead Sciences, Intercept, Inventiva, Merck, Novo Nordisk, Pfizer, ProSciento, Sagimet Biosciences and TARGET PharmaSolutions; and a speaker for Abbott, AbbVie, Echosens, Gilead Sciences and Novo Nordisk. He has received a grant from Gilead Sciences to support fatty liver research and is a co-founder of Illuminatio Medical Technology Limited, outside of the submitted work. YY has received research grants from Biocodex and Gilead, and is a speaker for Novo Nordisk, Gilead, AbbVie, Abdi İbrahim, Bilim İlaç and Echosens, outside of the submitted work. SMF holds a senior clinical investigator fellowship from the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) (1802154 N). His institution has received grants from Astellas, Falk Pharma, Genfit, Gilead Sciences, GlympsBio, Janssens Pharmaceutica, Inventiva, Merck Sharp & Dome, Pfizer and Roche. He has acted as consultant for AbbVie, Actelion, Aelin Therapeutics, AgoMab, Aligos Therapeutics, Allergan, Astellas, Astra Zeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristoll-Meyers Squibb, CSL Behring, Coherus, Echosens, Eisai, Enyo, Galapagos, Galmed, Genetech, Genfit, Gilead Sciences, Intercept, Inventiva, Janssens Pharmaceutica, Julius Clinical, Madrigal, Medimmune, Merck Sharp & Dome, NGM Bio, Novartis, Novo Nordisk, Promethera and Roche. He has been lecturer for AbbVie, Allergan, Bayer, Eisai, Genfit, Gilead Sciences, Janssens Cilag, Intercept, Inventiva, Merck Sharp & Dome, Novo Nordisk and Promethera, outside of the submitted work. EAT has participated in advisory boards for Intercept, Gilead, Novo-Nordisk and Pfizer, outside of the submitted work. HEM, SAA, and ZMY have nothing to disclose. Please refer to the accompanying ICMJE disclosure forms for further details., (© 2022 The Author(s).)

During the examination of specimens of Theleporus and Grammothele (Polyporales, Basidiomycota) from tropical China, three new species, Theleporus membranaceus, T. minisporus and Grammothele denticulata, were identified based on both morphological and phylogenetic analyses. They are described and illustrated. T. membranaceus is characterized by its extremely thin basidiocarps (0.12 mIn), small pores (7-10 per mm) and ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores. T. minisporus has the smallest basidiospores among the species in the genus. Grammothele denticulata is distinguished in the genus by gray pores, continuous hymenia over dissepiment edge and cylindrical basidiospores with tapering apex. Two annotated identification keys are provided for species thus far accepted in Theleporus and Grammothele. The phylogenetic relationships of Theleporus and Grammothele were inferred based on nITS sequences and are briefly discussed. The molecular evidence showed that Theleporus and Grammothele belong to the core polyporoid clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unexpectedly strong geographic structures in many cosmopolitan species of marine holoplankton challenge the traditional view of their unrestrained dispersal and presumably high gene flow. We investigated cryptic lineage diversity and comparative phylogeography of a common estuarine copepod, Acartia tonsa, on the US Atlantic coast, using mitochondrial (mtCOI) and nuclear (nITS) gene markers. Three broadly sympatric lineages ( F, S, X) were defined by genealogically concordant clades across both gene trees, strongly supporting recognition as reproductively isolated species. Limited dispersal seems to have had a major role in population differentiation of A. tonsa in general, with gene flow propensities rank ordered X > S > F. Geographic structure was found only at large scales (1000-2000 km) in X and S. Phylogeographic patterns in all three lineages were mostly concordant with previously recognized zoogeographic provinces but a large mid-Atlantic gap in the occurrence of lineage X, coupled with its presence in Europe, suggests possible nonindigenous origins. For lineage F, physiological adaptation to low-salinity environments is likely to have accentuated barriers to gene flow and allopatric differentiation at both regional and continental scales. Three allopatric F sublineages inferred a southern centre of origin and a stepwise northward diversification history at the continental scale. The most recently derived F sublineages, in the mid-Atlantic Bight, showed strong phylogeographic patterns at nITS albeit weaker at mtCOI. Applying a crustacean mtCOI molecular clock suggests that A. tonsa lineages diverged pre-Pleistocene but mid-Atlantic F lineage diversification may be post-Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this work we devise a scheme to teleport a type of unknown M-quNit state using only a single non-maximally entangled quNit-pair as the quantum channel. The fidelity is one while the success probability is less than one and depends on N but not on M. The scheme requires ancillary quNits and 1 qubit at the receiver''s and the receiver should be capable of performing some quNit–quNit/qubit operations. The classical message that the teleporter must announce consists only of 2 Nits, though the full set of his/her measurement outcome is as huge as Nits. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

OBJECTIVES. Head lice (Pediculus humanus capitis) are a major irritant to children and their parents around the world. Each year millions of children are infested with head lice, a condition known as pediculosis, which is responsible for tens of millions of lost school days. Head lice have evolved resistance to many of the currently used pediculicides; therefore, an effective new treatment for head lice is needed. In this study we examined the effectiveness of several methods that use hot air to kill head lice and their eggs. METHODS. We tested 6 different treatment methods on a total of 169 infested individuals. Each method delivers hot air to the scalp in a different way. We evaluated how well these methods kill lice and their eggs in situ. We also performed follow-up inspections to evaluate whether the sixth, most successful, method can cure head louse infestations. RESULTS. All 6 methods resulted in high egg mortality (≥88%), but they showed more-variable success in killing hatched lice. The most successful method, which used a custom-built machine called the LouseBuster, resulted in nearly 100% mortality of eggs and 80% mortality of hatched lice. The LouseBuster was effective in killing lice and their eggs when operated at a comfortable temperature, slightly cooler than a standard blow-dryer. Virtually all subjects were cured of head lice when examined 1 week after treatment with the LouseBuster. There were no adverse effects of treatment. CONCLUSIONS. Our findings demonstrate that one 30-minute application of hot air has the potential to eradicate head lice infestations. In summary, hot air is an effective, safe treatment and one to which lice are unlikely to evolve resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]