A Case of Paravertebral Swelling in a Toddler Turning Out to be a Parasitic Granuloma (Dirofilariasis)

Background and aim: Dirofilariasis is considered mainly as a zoonosis that may inadvertently cause disease in humans. Though there are many reports about different body locations for this parasitic infection, the subcutaneous involvement in the paravertebral region is mentioned in none. It could possibly cause diagnostic uncertainties when manifested in this particular area. Case description: A 2-year-old male child presented with an asymptomatic swelling in his right lower thoracic paravertebral region for the last 6 months. Ultrasonogram done showed the presence of a worm in a subcutaneous hypoechoic nodule. The lesion was excised and the histopathology of the specimen was consistent with dirofilariasis. Conclusion: Dirofilariasis should be thought of as a differential diagnosis in any case of subcutaneous paravertebral swelling. Clinical significance: We projected this case to realize the possibility of occurrence of parasitic granuloma in this area of the body and the uncertainties it could create in the mind of a pediatrician

IRF4 in multiple myeloma—biology, disease and therapeutic target

Multiple Myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematologic malignancy characterized by abnormal proliferation of plasma cells. Interferon Regulatory Factor 4 (IRF4), a member of the interferon regulatory family of transcription factors, is central to the genesis of MM. IRF4 is highly expressed in B cells and plasma cells where it plays essential roles in controlling B cell to plasma cell differentiation and immunoglobulin class switching. Overexpression of IRF4 is found in MM patients’ derived cells, often as a result of activating mutations or translocations, where it is required for their survival. In this review, we rst describe the roles fi of IRF4 in B cells and plasma cells and then analyse the subversion of the IRF4 transcriptional network in MM. Moreover, we discuss current therapies for MM as well as direct targeting of IRF4 as a potential new therapeutic strategy

Prevalence and predictors of depression among oncology patients receiving chemotherapy in government hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia

Introduction: Cancer-patients undergoing chemotherapy experience a high level of depression. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and predictors of depression in cancer-patients receiving chemotherapy in government hospitals in Peninsular Malaysia. Methods: This research was started with a cross-sectional study among 1356 patients undergoing chemotherapy in 10 government state hospitals in the Peninsular Malaysia. The data were collected using self-administered questionnaires including socio-demographic characteristics, severity of cancer, depression through Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), social support using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and hopelessness using the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS).The research also con-ducted the descriptive statistics to obtain variable percentages and frequencies. Inferential analysis was also conducted by using chi-square or Fisher’s exact test in determining the relations among variables at the level of significance where p<0.05.Simple logistic regression was applied in determining the crude odd-ratio and variables with p value, where p<0.25, were entered into the multivariate logistic regression model to identify the significant predictors of depression. The best predictor was based on adjusted odds ratio. Results: The prevalence of depression was 34.00%. The significant predictors of depression were age, gender, education level, pain due to chemotherapy, depressed due to cancer, treatment with any anti-depressant, worried of the adverse effect due to cancer treatment, involvement in any cancer support society, level of social support and level of hopelessness. Among all predictors, level of social support was identified as the highest risk of prediction for depression. Conclusion: Findings of the study indicate that the health care services should focus on the management and intervention of depression in cancer-patients

Mn3O4 Tetrahedral with Carbonyldiimidazole Nanoflower Deposition on Laser‐Scribed Graphene for Selective Bio‐Capture

Dengue fever, a mosquito‐borne viral infection, poses a significant global health challenge, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The absence of non‐effective vaccines and specific treatments underscores the need for advanced diagnostic tools for early detection and management. This study presents a novel biosensor for detecting dengue virus type 4 (DENV‐4) by combining carbonyldiimidazole nanoflower (CDI‐NF) with Mn 3 O 4 on laser‐scribed graphene (LSG). Material characterization techniques, including Raman spectroscopy, TEM, XRD, XPS, and FTIR, were employed to confirm the successful integration of Mn 3 O 4 and CDI‐NF, resulting in a unique 3D flower‐like structure. In order to verify the sensing efficiency, a selective DNA sample captured on LSG/Mn 3 O 4 ‐CDI‐NF was investigated for specifc binding with Aedes aegypti target DNA through selective hybridization and mismatch analysis. Electrochemical impedance studies further confirmed sensitive detection of up to 1 fM, where the sensitivity was confirmed by large transfer resistance ( R ct ) before and after hybridization with a regression coefficient 0.97373. EIS results demonstrated successful surface modifications and the biosensor's specificity in distinguishing between complementary, mismatched, and non‐complementary target sequences. The biosensor's ability to differentiate between these sequences highlights its potential for accurate and targeted DENV‐4 detection, offering a promising avenue for advancing dengue diagnostics

Study on current collector and electrolyte design/electrochemical behaviour of an in-plane lignin derived laser scribed graphene for microsupercapacitor application

Current collectors and electrolyte pairs are frequently overlooked in the development of supercapacitors. In electrode design and sealed packaging, the mechanical and chemical properties of the electrolyte must be retained while maintaining the integrity of microelectrodes and current collectors of the microsupercapacitors. In this research, the physical and electrochemical response of copper (Cu) and 316 stainless steel current collector (SS) for lignin-derived laser scribed graphene (L-LSG) microsupercapacitor with K2SO4 (K+) and H2SO4 (H+) as an electrolyte medium was studied. XPS results confirmed a passivation layer on a copper electrode before and after the electrochemical reaction involving H2SO4 as the electrolyte medium of the highly porous L-LSG structure with six pairs of microelectrodes and graphene current collectors. Analysis of the CV and GCD curves shows that the SS/K+ pair is the most suited for an L-LSG microsupercapacitor, with an areal capacitance and energy density of 22.22 mFcm−2 and 0.00153 mWhcm−2, respectively at 0.08 mAcm−2