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AbstractObjective:We report an extremely rare case of Langerhans' cell histiocytosis involving isolated cervical lymph nodes, and we discuss the diagnosis and treatment of this infrequent disease.Method:We present a case report and literature review concerning this disease entity.Results:A 54-year-old man presented with persistent, multiple, left neck masses. Histopathological study of lymph node specimens showed proliferation of Langerhans' cells coupled with eosinophilic and neutrophilic microabscesses. Positive immunohistochemical staining for Cluster of Differentiation 1a (CD1a) in Langerhans' cells confirmed the diagnosis. No other abnormalities were noted on a series of image studies. The patient was managed with ?watchful waiting? without subsequent therapy. The neck lesions regressed gradually over time, and the patient did well over a two-year follow-up period.Conclusion:The clinical presentation of Langerhans' cell histiocytosis is highly variable, and the choice of treatment depends on the involved organs. Definitive diagnosis depends on identification of characteristic immunohistochemical or ultrastructural features of the biopsy specimen. Watchful waiting may be an effective management strategy in cases of adult isolated lymph node Langerhans' cell histiocytosis, due to its possible spontaneous regression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A particle swarm optimization (PSO) based algorithm for finding the Pareto solutions of multi objective design problems is proposed. To enhance the global searching ability of the available PSOs, a novel formula for updating the particles' velocity and position, as well as the introduction of craziness, are reported. To handle a multi objective design problem using the improved PSO, a new fitness assignment mechanism is proposed. Moreover, two repositories, together with the age variables for their members, are introduced for storing and selecting the previous best positions of the particle as well as that of its companions. Besides, the use of age variables to enhance the diversity of the solutions is also described. The proposed method is tested on two numerical examples with promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A refinement algorithm for electromagnetic field computations using a combination of finite element and meshless methods is introduced. Bridging scales are used to separate the finite element and meshless shape functions to make the refinement hierarchical and to uphold the mathematical properties such as consistency and linear independence for all the bases. To facilitate the application of the proposed algorithm, details about the node addition, requirements for the node distribution, and relationships between the finite element and meshless shape functions, as well as the determination of the stop criterion are also fully addressed. Primary numerical results are reported to demonstrate and validate the applicability and advantages of the proposed algorithm over traditional ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]