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Abstract Background Stroke is rarely accompanied with peripheral facial paralysis and supranuclear palsy of the hypoglossal nerve. Both sides of the motor cortex innervate the hypoglossal nucleus; therefore, unilateral lesions of the upper motor neurons rarely result in contralateral lingual paresis. We report a rare case of crossed syndrome with associated hyperacute peripheral hemifacial paralysis and contralateral lingual paresis after a lower pontine tegmentum ischemic stroke. Case presentation : A 73-year-old man presented with symptoms of hyperacute peripheral hemifacial paralysis. Upon protrusion, the patient’s tongue deviated to the contralateral side, without fasciculation or atrophy. Brain imaging showed focal ischemic stroke in the pontine tegmentum. However, lingual hemiparesis and multimodal neuroimaging findings differed. Conclusions We suggest that cortico-hypoglossal fibers pass through the dorsal pontine. This case of crossed syndrome is a rare report of a lower pontine tegmentum ischemic stroke resembling an upper motor neuron lesion of the contralateral hypoglossal nerve.

Abstract Early recurrence in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a decisive factor in determining a patient's prognosis. We determined in our current study whether circulating tumour cells (CTCs) exist in the blood of PDAC patients and can be used as a predictor of recurrence patterns (i.e. time and site) after surgical resection. Between December 2017 and November 2018, the mononuclear cell layer was obtained from the peripheral blood of 36 patients diagnosed with PDAC. CTCs were then isolated using the CD-PRIME™ platform and detected via immunostaining. The patient records were analyzed to correlate these data with survival and recurrence patterns. Twelve patients were CTC-positive (33.3%) and showed a significantly frequent rate of systemic recurrence (distant metastases and peritoneal dissemination) (p = 0.025). On multi-variable logistic regression analysis, CTC positivity was an independent risk factor for early recurrence (p = 0.027) and for systemic recurrence (p = 0.033). In summary, the presence or absence of CTC in the blood of the patients with PDAC could help predict the recurrence pattern after surgery. PDAC patients with CTC positivity at tumour diagnosis should therefore undergo a comprehensive strategy for systemic therapy and active monitoring to detect possible early recurrence.

In a survey conducted in March 2023, Euphorbia hypogaea plants cultivated within greenhouses in Yongin, Korea exhibited water-soaked areas near the stem base, close to the soil. Subsequent isolation from diseased E. hypogaea led to the identification of a bacterial strain, designated as CBNUMPBL-103. The isolate was identified as Dickeya dadantii through sequencing of the 16s rRNA and phylogenetic analysis. The pathogenicity of the isolate was confirmed by inoculating it into healthy E. hypogaea, resulting in the manifestation of similar symptoms observed during the survey. The re-isolated strain recovered from inoculated plants showed a similar morphology with the inoculated strain. This is the first documentation of D. dadantii causing soft rot of E. hypogaea in Korea.

This study aimed to evaluate the ejection pressure and the correlation of the findings with the occurrence of internal cracks within bilayer tablets (BLTs) consisting of metformin HCl (MF) and evogliptin tartrate (EG). Then, the mechanism of tablet failure was provided by the finite element method (FEM). The ejection pressure and the difference in diameter depending on MAIN-P were evaluated to understand the correlation between ejection pressure and change in the BLT internal structure. The ejection pressure and the difference in diameter increased as the MAIN-P increased, then steeply decreased from 350 MPa to 375 MPa of MAIN-P, despite there being no pattern in compaction breaking force and porosity. The mechanical integrity at the BLT interface was weakened by internal cracks, reducing ejection pressure. The stress distribution analysis during the compression revealed that crack formation caused by entrapped air located at the center of the BLT interface may not propagate due to concentrated stress, which promotes a tight bond at the edge of the BLT. Furthermore, complete delamination can occur in the ejection process due to localized and intensive shear stresses at the BLT interface. These findings indicate that the mechanisms of internal cracking and delamination were successfully confirmed by FEM simulation. Moreover, measuring ejection pressure before BLT manufacturing can prevent invisible tablet cracks without damaging the tablets.

This paper looks at the current state of multilateral development banks (MDBs) for climate change measures and the funding status of those invested in mitigation technology in order to briefly review the current outcome of the technology transfer and financial support. In other words, the aim of this study is to collect and analyze information about the current status of total investment in the field of technology for mitigating GHGs (Greenhouse Gases) from MDBs and identify implications of the status. In this study, a screening technique has been used three times to make a database for project information in the field of mitigation of climate change. So far, based on the finalized DB (Database), mitigation technology projects supported by MDBs have been investigated; based on the result, a connected analysis has been conducted between MDBs, mitigation technology, and countries. According to the derived current status, project support in renewable energy and energy demand areas turned out to be the highest at 75% of the entire mitigation technology. Rather than the renewable energy and energy demand areas where climate technology projects have frequently been performed throughout the world, it was confirmed that long-term climate technology projects for GHG fixation were being performed. According to the results of comparison and analysis of countries with high GHG emissions and their centrality, centrality turned out to be high in the field of GHG fixation in China, the country with the highest GHG emissions. This seems to indicate that countries emitting a substantial amount of GHGs will invest more on projects in the field of GHG fixation as well as on projects on renewable energy. Thus, this study is expected to contribute to understanding the trends of climate technology projects for coping with climate change and using them in establishing future policies on climate technology. In addition, it is expected to be used as a reference for countries with insufficient investment in climate technology despite the high Climate Risk Index (CRI).