‘Forward guidance’: new monetary policy instrument or esoteric fad?

In August 2013, the Bank of England adopted a new monetary policy known as ‘forward guidance’. This paper sheds light on this landmark moment and this rather obscure policy instrument. The authors unpack the rationale of this policy, its implementation modality and provide international evidence on its impact. Important questions are then raised about whether this policy is needed in the UK, and about the downsides of this seemingly innocuous monetary experiment. Publisher statement: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Public Money & Management on 13th May 2015, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/09540962.2015.104727

New Enhance Approach Based on RC4 for the Grid Security

No Abstrac

Cancer bronchique à petites cellules et grossesse: à propos d’un cas avec revue de la literature

Le cancer broncho-pulmonaire (CBP) de la femme enceinte est une entité rare, d'évolution péjorative. Cette situation devient de plus en plus fréquente, du fait de l'augmentation du tabagisme chez la femme. La transmission tumorale trans-placentaire avec atteinte foetale est décrite surtout chez les femmes non traitées. Le traitement est multidisciplinaire et n'est pas bien codifié. Nous rapportons le cas d'une patiente de 23 ans chez qui le diagnostic d'un carcinome bronchique à petites cellules a été fait au cours de sa grossesse. Elle avait bénéficié d'une chimiothérapie pendant la grossesse, bien tolérée. L'évaluation radiologique a objectivé une stabilisation du processus pulmonaire. Le traitement a été complété par une association radio-chimiothérapie concomitante après l'accouchement.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Pure Red Cell Aplasia Caused by Acute Hepatitis A

Pure red cell aplasia is characterized as a normocytic anemia associated with reticulocytopenia and the absence of erythroblasts in the bone marrow. Pure red cell aplasia can be induced by various causes such as thymoma, connective tissue disease, viral infection, lymphoma, and adverse drug reactions. There have been only a few reports of pure red cell aplasia associated with acute viral hepatitis A. In Korea, no case of pure red cell aplasia caused by acute hepatitis A has yet been reported. We recently experienced a case of acute viral hepatitis A complicated by pure red cell aplasia. The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroids. Here we report this case and review the literature

Monitoring and management of adverse effects associated with trastuzumab deruxtecan: a UAE-specific consensus

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in the UAE and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Although early diagnosis contributes to favorable prognoses, novel treatment modalities like antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have significantly broadened the therapeutic landscape for patients in metastatic settings. The recognition of “HER2-low” expression as a targetable category has caused a paradigm shift in the management of breast cancer. Although initially developed to target HER2-positive breast cancer, trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd), an ADC, has now also been approved to treat metastatic or unresectable HER2-low breast cancers. Despite the inherent specificity of an ADC, the risk of off-site toxicity exists and is an essential component while assessing the risk-benefit ratio of the treatment. Developing strategies to balance efficacy and safety is crucial, especially for newly approved therapies like T-DXd. Regional perspectives, cultural beliefs, and demographic factors influence treatment decisions and outcomes. The objective of this paper is to establish a UAE-specific consensus among oncologists on practical T-DXd treatment considerations and management of associated side effects. Establishing a consensus on monitoring and managing T-DXd side effects among experts can promote informed decision-making

Coinfection of hepatitis A virus genotype IA and IIIA complicated with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, prolonged cholestasis, and false-positive immunoglobulin M anti-hepatitis E virus: a case report

A 37-year-old male presented with fever and jaundice was diagnosed as hepatitis A complicated with progressive cholestasis and severe autoimmune hemolytic anemia. He was treated with high-dose prednisolone (1.5 mg/kg), and eventually recovered. His initial serum contained genotype IA hepatitis A virus (HAV), which was subsequently replaced by genotype IIIA HAV. Moreover, at the time of development of hemolytic anemia, he became positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM) anti-hepatitis E virus (HEV). We detected HAV antigens in the liver biopsy specimen, while we detected neither HEV antigen in the liver nor HEV RNA in his serum. This is the first report of hepatitis A coinfected with two different genotypes manifesting with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, prolonged cholestasis, and false-positive IgM anti-HEV

Chronic hepatitis caused by persistent parvovirus B19 infection

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Human infection with parvovirus B19 may lead to a diverse spectrum of clinical manifestations, including benign erythema infectiosum in children, transient aplastic crisis in patients with haemolytic anaemia, and congenital hydrops foetalis. These different diseases represent direct consequences of the ability of parvovirus B19 to target the erythroid cell lineage. However, accumulating evidence suggests that this virus can also infect other cell types resulting in diverse clinical manifestations, of which the pathogenesis remains to be fully elucidated. This has prompted important questions regarding the tropism of the virus and its possible involvement in a broad range of infectious and autoimmune medical conditions.</p> <p>Case Presentation</p> <p>Here, we present an unusual case of persistent parvovirus B19 infection as a cause of chronic hepatitis. This patient had persistent parvovirus B19 viraemia over a period of more than four years and displayed signs of chronic hepatitis evidenced by fluctuating elevated levels of ALAT and a liver biopsy demonstrating chronic hepatitis. Other known causes of hepatitis and liver damage were excluded. In addition, the patient was evaluated for immunodeficiency, since she had lymphopenia both prior to and following clearance of parvovirus B19 infection.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In this case report, we describe the current knowledge on the natural history and pathogenesis of parvovirus B19 infection, and discuss the existing evidence of parvovirus B19 as a cause of acute and chronic hepatitis. We suggest that parvovirus B19 was the direct cause of this patient's chronic hepatitis, and that she had an idiopathic lymphopenia, which may have predisposed her to persistent infection, rather than bone marrow depression secondary to infection. In addition, we propose that her liver involvement may have represented a viral reservoir. Finally, we suggest that clinicians should be aware of parvovirus B19 as an unusual aetiology of chronic hepatitis, when other causes have been ruled out.</p

Estimation of permeability, porosity, and grain-size distributions across the San Andreas Fault Zone in northwest Coachella Valley, California (Riverside County)

The groundwater aquifer system in the northwestern region of Coachella Valley, California serves as a major natural resource for agricultural and municipal uses. In this region, the aquifer system is partitioned into four groundwater sub-basins due to the presence of the San Andreas fault zone. Previous investigation involving land surface deformation, seismic data, and groundwater data indicate there are at least three main strands of the San Andreas Fault- Mission Creek Strand, Banning Strand, and Garnet Hill Strand. For years, these faults have been characterized as simple barriers to fluid flow due to measureable offsets in the water table across the fault strands and hydrochemistry variations. The ability for a fault to act as a barrier to flow in an aquifer system is the result of significant development of gouge causing lateral variations in fault zone permeability but the mechanisms for gouge development in the Coachella Valley in unconsolidated-to-weakly consolidated sediments is unclear. Another explanation for variations in water chemistry, temperature, and groundwater levels is due to displacement of impermeable bedrock or relative offset of water bearing units. This study proposes to document variations of permeability and porosity across the San Andreas Fault zone. Field mapping, sampling and descriptions of fault zone, damage zone, and gouge width were recorded at four fault outcrop locations in the region. Analysis of porosity, hydraulic conductivity, intrinsic permeability, and grain size distribution across the fault zone associated with each fault strand indicate that different regions of the fault zone can xiii act to impede and/or enhance fluid flow across the faults. This data analysis of permeability and porosity variations across fault zones will help develop a better understanding of fault and aquifer interactions for future groundwater models, recharge activities, fault displacement, and development of gouge in unconsolidated sediments.California State University, Northridge. Department of Geological Sciences.Includes bibliographical references (pages 115-118

Mammary tumour-induced dysregulation in hematopoiesis and DC development and the role of Lyn tyrosine kinase in DC activation

Previous studies have revealed that perturbations in myelopoiesis can lead to the emergence of immature cells, which can facilitate tumorigenesis and metastasis. Our studies showed that mammary tumours led to a myeloproliferative-like disease, characterized by anemia, leukocytosis, expansion of immature myeloid cells, and defects in the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) compartment in tumour-bearing mice. Furthermore, mammary tumours impaired DC development resulting in the accumulation of DC progenitors and the emergence of immunosuppressive DCs with impaired ability to activate NK and T cells. Mammary tumour-bearing mice exhibited a shift in hematopoiesis from the bone marrow to the spleen, with large numbers of primitive and committed progenitors accumulating in the spleen. Mammary tumour development was also associated with epigenetic modifications that facilitated the expression of key hematopoiesis and leukemia regulatory genes, such as Hoxa9, a gene that critically controls HSPC differentiation. Using in vitro assays, we identified mammary tumour derived G-CSF as the factor mediating the dysregulation of the HSPC compartment and suppressing DC development. DCs are critical for the priming/activation of NK cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes, which together are critical components of the anti-tumour immune response. Therefore, proper regulation of signaling thresholds is critical for DC activation and function. Lyn tyrosine kinase is important in regulating signaling thresholds in immune cells, including DCs, and Lyn gain-of-function (Lynup/up) mice show increased sensitivity to PAMPs (i.e. LPS) characterized by high levels of proinflammatory cytokines and increased susceptibility to endotoxin-mediated death. Our studies demonstrated that DCs were necessary for the enhanced LPS-induced inflammation in Lynup/up mice, by priming excessive IFN-γ production by NK cells. As such, we hypothesized that enhanced Lyn activity, and the associated changes in DC development and activation will evoke improved anti-tumour immune responses and preliminary data from our lab demonstrates that Lynup/up mice develop smaller mammary tumours than wild type mice. Taken together, our results suggest that targeting mammary tumour derived G-CSF may reverse mammary tumour-induced anemia, leukocytosis, and DC defects, conversely enhancing DC function by increasing Lyn activity may result in in a more robust anti-tumour immune response, leading to increased survival of breast cancer patients.Science, Faculty ofMicrobiology and Immunology, Department ofGraduat