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Abstract Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma (FDCS) is a rare malignancy, often challenging to diagnose due to its nonspecific presentation and resemblance to other neoplasms. This case highlights a locally advanced nasopharyngeal FDCS initially misdiagnosed as a meningioma, underscoring the importance of differential diagnosis in unusual tumor presentations. A 77-year-old patient presented with nasal obstruction for 3 months. Imaging studies revealed a mass in the nasopharynx prolapsing into the oropharynx, leading to an initial diagnosis of meningioma based on its radiologic appearance. Surgical resection was performed, and histopathological examination, supplemented by immunohistochmical staining, revealed features consistent with follicular dendritic cell sarcoma. The tumor was locally advanced, involving surrounding structures, which complicated the initial clinical and radiologic assessment.

In a smart city environment, various intelligent devices, applications, and digital networks collaborate to provide technological solutions for the public good. The exponential data generated from intelligent interactions among stakeholders within the smart city ecosystem raises concerns regarding security and privacy. Maintaining data openness while safeguarding it against social engineering attacks, network breaches, and data masking threats is paramount to achieving resilience. Blockchain technology has demonstrated great promise in addressing these challenges due to its decentralized, consistent, and tamper-proof nature. Our paper explores how blockchain can address the challenges of integrity, security, and privacy in smart city operations. Despite significant research efforts, the subject remains in need of a comprehensive survey. Consequently, we conduct a study on state-of-the-art blockchain-based reputation and trust management methods within the three fundamental components of a smart city: energy, healthcare, and transportation. The trust and reputation mechanisms are analyzed to identify their strengths and limitations. The investigation reveals that the existing trust schemes are resource-constrained and encounter scalability limitations, high energy consumption, and incompatibility with existing systems.

Transformer architectures are highly expressive because they use self-attention mechanisms to encode long-range dependencies in the input sequences. In this paper, we present a literature review on Transformer-based (TB) models, providing a detailed overview of each model in comparison to the Transformer’s standard architecture. This survey focuses on TB models used in the field of Natural Language Processing (NLP) for textual-based tasks. We begin with an overview of the fundamental concepts at the heart of the success of these models. Then, we classify them based on their architecture and training mode. We compare the advantages and disadvantages of popular techniques in terms of architectural design and experimental value. Finally, we discuss open research, directions, and potential future work to help solve current TB application challenges in NLP.

This paper demonstrates, for the first time, the stability of synthetic diamond as a passive layer within neural implants. Leveraging the exceptional biocompatibility of intrinsic nanocrystalline diamond, a comprehensive review of material aging analysis in the context of in-vivo implants is provided. This work is based on electric impedance monitoring through the formulation of an analytical model that scrutinizes essential parameters such as the deposited metal resistivity, insulation between conductors, changes in electrode geometry, and leakage currents. The evolution of these parameters takes place over an equivalent period of approximately 10 years. The analytical model, focusing on a fractional capacitor, provides nuanced insights into the surface conductivity variation. A comparative study is performed between a classical polymer material (SU8) and synthetic diamond. Samples subjected to dynamic impedance analysis reveal distinctive patterns over time, characterized by their physical degradation. The results highlight the very high stability of diamond, suggesting promise for the electrode’s enduring viability. To support this analysis, microscopic and optical measurements conclude the paper and confirm the high stability of diamond and its strong potential as a material for neural implants with long-life use.

Abstract Collision tumors associating carcinoid tumor and sclerosing pneumocytoma have rarely been reported in the literature. The clinical presentation may be challenging especially in cases showing multiple and bilateral nodules. This case illustrates the association of both tumors diagnosed incidentally and illustrates a full spectrum of neuroendocrine lesions and sclerosing pneumocytoma. The authors present the case of a 52‐year‐old patient presenting an abdominal pain revealing a vesicular lithiasis and multiple pulmonary nodules. Radiologic follow‐up of the asymptomatic lung lesions revealed the stabilization of a left lobe lesion with a disappearance of the other lesions. A lobectomy with a mediastinal lymph node curettage was performed. The microscopic examination revealed both tumor components associating a typical carcinoid tumor to a sclerosing pneumocytoma in association to lesions of diffuse neuroendocrine hyperplasia present in the peri‐tumoral parenchyma. This case illustrates radiologic, gross, and microscopic features of a rare pulmonary tumor.

Background The use of marijuana (MJ), combustible cigarettes (hereafter cigarettes), and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is widespread among United States (US) adults and linked to worsening respiratory symptoms, especially among adults with asthma. This study examined state-specific prevalence and factors associated with MJ, ENDS, and cigarette use among US adults with asthma. Methods We analyzed data of 41 974 adults aged ≥18 years having self-reported current asthma from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). We reported weighted prevalence to account for complex survey design and performed multivariable logistic regression models to examine factors associated with current use of MJ, ENDS, and cigarettes. Results Overall prevalence of current MJ, ENDS, and cigarette use among adults with asthma was 14.5%, 6.6%, and 27.2%, respectively. Our results showed the US states and territories with highest and lowest use prevalence for MJ (California: 23.6% vs Guam: 3.2%), ENDS (Indiana: 12.8% vs North Dakota: 4.0%), and cigarettes (West Virginia: 42.1% vs Guam: 12.3%). Both MJ and ENDS users were more likely to be male, younger, and live in an urban area, but MJ users were more likely and ENDS users less likely to be Non-Hispanic (NH) American Indian/Alaskan Native. Cigarette users were more likely to be older, have at least 1 health condition, and were less likely to be NH Black or Hispanic and college-educated. Conclusion Many US adults with asthma use MJ, ENDS, and cigarettes. Our findings provide insights for clinicians about the urgent need for effective interventions to reduce tobacco and MJ use among adults with asthma.

To proactively mitigate malware threats, cybersecurity tools, such as anti-virus and anti-malware software, as well as firewalls, require frequent updates and proactive implementation. However, processing the vast amounts of dataset examples can be overwhelming when relying solely on traditional methods. In cybersecurity workflows, recent advances in natural language processing (NLP) models can aid in proactively detecting various threats. In this paper, we present a novel approach for representing the relevance and significance of the Malware/Goodware (MG) datasets, through the use of a pre-trained language model called MalBERTv2. Our model is trained on publicly available datasets, with a focus on the source code of the apps by extracting the top-ranked files that present the most relevant information. These files are then passed through a pre-tokenization feature generator, and the resulting keywords are used to train the tokenizer from scratch. Finally, we apply a classifier using bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT) as a layer within the model pipeline. The performance of our model is evaluated on different datasets, achieving a weighted f1 score ranging from 82% to 99%. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach for proactively detecting malware threats using NLP techniques.

Schinus molle (SM) was investigated as a primary source of cellulose with the aim of discovering resources to generate cellulose nanofibers (CNF). The SM was put through a soda pulping process to purify the cellulose, and then, the fiber was treated with an enzymatic treatment. Then, a twin-screw extruder and/or masuko were utilized to help with fiber delamination during the nanofibrillation process. After the enzymatic treatment, the twin-screw extruder and masuko treatment give a yield of 49.6 and 50.2%, respectively. The optical and atomic force microscopy, morfi, and polymerization degrees of prepared cellulosic materials were established. The pulp fibers, collected following each treatment stage, demonstrated that fiber characteristics such as length and crystallinity varied according to the used treatment (mechanical or enzymatic treatment). Obviously, the enzymic treatment resulted in shorter fibers and an increased degree of polymerization. However, the CNF obtained after enzymatic and extrusion treatment was achieved, and it gave 19 nm as the arithmetic width and a Young’s modulus of 8.63 GPa.

Anticancer treatments, particularly chemotherapy, induce ovarian damage and loss of ovarian follicles. There are limited options for fertility restoration, one of which is pre-chemotherapy cryopreservation of ovarian tissue. Transplantation of frozen-thawed human ovarian tissue from cancer survivors has resulted in live-births. There is extensive follicular loss immediately after grafting, probably due to too slow graft revascularization. To avoid this problem, it is important to develop methods to improve ovarian tissue neovascularization. The study's purpose was to investigate if treatment of murine hosts with simvastatin or/and embedding human ovarian tissue within fibrin clots can improve human ovarian tissue grafting (simvastatin and fibrin clots promote vascularization). There was a significantly higher number of follicles in group A (ungrafted control) than in group B (untreated tissue). Group C (simvastatin-treated hosts) had the highest levels of follicle atresia. Group C had significantly more proliferating follicles (Ki67-stained) than groups B and E (simvastatin-treated hosts and tissue embedded within fibrin clots), group D (tissue embedded within fibrin clots) had significantly more proliferating follicles (Ki67-stained) than group B. On immunofluorescence study, only groups D and E showed vascular structures that expressed both human and murine markers (mouse-specific platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule, PECAM, and human-specific von Willebrand factor, vWF). Peripheral human vWF expression was significantly higher in group E than group B. Diffuse human vWF expression was significantly higher in groups A and E than groups B and C. When grafts were not embedded in fibrin, there was a significant loss of human vWF expression compared to groups A and E. This protocol may be tested to improve ovarian implantation in cancer survivors., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Magen, Shufaro, Daykan, Oron, Tararashkina, Levenberg, Anuka, Ben-Haroush, Fisch and Abir.)

Purpose: To investigate if human ovarian grafting with pure virgin human recombinant collagen type-1 from bioengineered plant lines (CollPlant™) or small intestine submucosa (SIS) yields better implantation results for human ovarian tissue and which method benefits more when combined with the host melatonin treatment and graft incubation with biological glue + vitamin E + vascular endothelial growth factor-A., Methods: Human ovarian tissue wrapped in CollPlant or SIS was transplanted into immunodeficient mice with/without host/graft treatment. The tissue was assessed by follicle counts (including atretic), for apoptosis evaluation by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase assay and for immunohistochemical evaluation of neovascularization by platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM) expression, and for identification of proliferating granulosa cells by Ki67 expression., Results: Human ovarian tissue transplanted with CollPlant or SIS fused with the surrounding tissue and promoted neovascularization. In general, implantation with CollPlant even without additives promoted better results than with SIS: significantly higher number of recovered follicles, significantly fewer atretic follicles, and significantly more granulosa cell proliferation. Moreover, results with CollPlant alone seemed to be at least as good as those after host and graft treatments., Conclusions: CollPlant is a biomaterial without any potential risks, and grafting ovarian tissue with CollPlant is easy and the procedure may be easily modified, with limited or no foreseeable risks, for auto-transplantation in cancer survivors. Further studies are needed using other novel methods capable of enhancing neovascularization and reducing apoptosis and follicle atresia.

Aim: To determine the effect of nonylphenol-ethoxylate-10 (NP-10) on the ovarian reserve in a mouse model., Design: Female mice were maintained on purified water or exposed to NP-10 from 3-7-weeks of age. At 7-weeks they were stimulated, mated and the zygotes were cultured in-vitro. Three and 7-weeks old mice were untreated controls. Identical groups were sacrificed without stimulation. Ovaries were analysed for follicular composition. Respiratory-chain (RC) activity and reactive-oxygen-species (ROS) production were measured in brains and livers., Results: Seven-weeks-old mice produced fewer oocytes/embryos than 3-week-old mice. At 7-weeks, mice exposed to NP-10 produced more oocytes/embryos the controls. Their ovaries contained more primordial/primary follicles, with a lower rate of proliferation and fewer antral follicles. There were no differences in follicular apoptosis, RC-activity or ROS production., Conclusions: In this model, exposure to NP-10 inhibited the spontaneous follicular recruitment, the first report of successful inhibition of physiologic ovarian aging, to the best of our knowledge., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Anti-cancer therapy, particularly chemotherapy, damages ovarian follicles and promotes ovarian failure. The only pharmacological means for protecting the ovaries from chemotherapy-induced injury is gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist, but its efficiency remains controversial; ovarian transposition is used to shield the ovary from radiation when indicated. Until the late 1990s, the only option for fertility preservation and restoration in women with cancer was embryo cryopreservation. The development of other assisted reproductive technologies such as mature oocyte cryopreservation and in vitro maturation of oocytes has contributed to fertility preservation. Treatment regimens to obtain mature oocytes/embryos have been modified to overcome various limitations of conventional ovarian stimulation protocols. In the last decades, several centres have begun cryopreserving ovarian samples containing primordial follicles from young patients before anti-cancer therapy. The first live birth following implantation of cryopreserved-thawed ovarian tissue was reported in 2004; since then, the number has risen to more than 130. Nowadays, ovarian tissue cryopreservation can be combined with in vitro maturation and vitrification of oocytes. The use of cryopreserved oocytes eliminates the risk posed by ovarian implantation of reseeding the cancer. Novel methods for enhancing follicular survival after implantation are presently being studied. In addition, researchers are currently investigating agents for ovarian protection. It is expected that the risk of reimplantation of malignant cells with ovarian grafts will be overcome with the putative development of an artificial ovary and an efficient follicle class- and species-dependent in vitro system for culturing primordial follicles., (© 2018 Society for Reproduction and Fertility.)

Purpose: Though former evidence implies a correlation of breast cancer susceptibility gene ( BRCA ) mutation with reduced ovarian reserve, the data is yet inconsistent. Our aim was to investigate biomarkers of ovarian aging in a cohort of young healthy carriers of the BRCA mutation. We hypothesized that the role played by BRCA genes in aging pathways is not exclusive to the ovary., Experimental Design: Healthy female BRCA carriers, 40 years or younger and healthy male BRCA carriers, 50 years or younger, were enrolled in the study. Serum anti-mullerian Hormone (AMH), fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23), Klotho and IL-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Ovarian AMH and protein kinase B (AKT) mRNA from BRCA carriers who underwent prophylactic oophorectomy and from age-matched, healthy, non-carriers who underwent partial oophorectomy due to benign conditions were analyzed by qPCR., Results: Thirty-three female (median age 35y) and 20 male (44y) BRCA carriers were enrolled into the study and matched to control non-carriers (34y and 43y, respectively). Serum AMH level was significantly lower in BRCA female carriers than in both non-carrier controls and age-matched nomograms. The levels of ovarian AMH and AKT mRNA were significantly lower in carriers than in controls. The systemic aging cytokines FGF-23, klotho and IL-1 displayed a differential expression in carriers of both genders. FGF-23 level was higher in carriers (P=0.06)., Conclusions: Our results suggest a link between BRCA mutation, accelerated ovarian aging and systemic aging-related pathophysiology., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST The authors declare that there is no conflicts of interest.

Introduction: Options for preserving fertility in children and adolescents with cancer depend on patient age, the available time frame, and the treatment regimen. Ovarian stimulation with mature oocyte preservation is often the optimal method in post-menarcheal adolescents. We describe a case of a 17-year-old girl with vaginal soft-tissue Ewing sarcoma in whom transvaginal oocyte collection for fertility preservation was ruled out by the large tumor. To overcome the limitations of the transabdominal approach, we applied a novel method of laparoscopically-assisted ultrasound-guided percutaneous transabdominal oocyte collection. In this manner, we were able to both perform oophorectomy and obtain superficial and deep ovarian follicles for cryopreservation.

Background: In vitro maturation (IVM) of immature oocytes is an important technology for selected clinical indications. We previously described a pregnant woman with a history of renal transplantation who underwent oocyte aspiration during cesarean section (CS) for fertility preservation and future surrogacy., Case: A 27-year-old pregnant woman was diagnosed with neck rhabdomyosarcoma at 37 weeks' gestation. CS was performed with direct aspiration of small follicles from one ovary and oophorectomy of the other. Twenty-one identified oocyte-cumulus complexes were cultured, and 12 mature oocytes and 14 ovarian cortex strips were cryopreserved., Conclusion: Aspirating competent oocytes during CS may serve as an additional means of fertility preservation in pregnant women. The procedure may also be offered to patients with an IVF pregnancy who are scheduled for elective CS.

The possibility of maturing human primordial follicles in vitro would assist fertility restoration without the danger of reseeding malignancies. Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and certain culture matrices may promote human follicular growth. The present study compared human primordial follicular growth on novel culture matrices, namely human recombinant vitronectin (hrVit), small intestine submucosa (SIS), alginate scaffolds and human recombinant virgin collagen bioengineered in tobacco plant lines (CollPlant). The frozen-thawed ovarian samples that were used had been obtained from girls or young women undergoing fertility preservation. In the first part of the study, 20 samples were cultured for 6 days on hrVit or SIS with basic culture medium alone or supplemented with one of two concentrations of LIF (10ngmL -1 and 100ngmL -1 ), with and without LIF-neutralising antibody. In the second part of the study, 15 samples were cultured for 6 days on alginate scaffolds or CollPlant matrices with basic culture medium. Follicular development was assessed by follicular counts and classification, Ki67 immunohistochemistry and 17β-oestradiol and anti-Müllerian hormone measurements in spent media samples. Primordial follicular growth was not enhanced by LIF. Despite some significant differences among the four matrices, none appeared to have a clear advantage, apart from significantly more Ki67-stained follicles on alginate and CollPlant matrices. Further studies of other culture matrices and medium supplements are needed to obtain an optimal system.

Introduction: Advances in cancer therapy have improved the long-term survival of cancer patients. Concerns about fertility represent a major issue for young cancer patients. The emergent discipline of oncofertility, an intersection between oncology and fertility, is a new concept that describes an integrated network of clinical resources that focus on fertility preservation from both clinical and research perspectives. Patients and methods: In this article we describe our designated multidisciplinary program for fertility preservation in pediatric and young adult populations. The program is also designed to serve as a prospective platform for the evaluation of reproductive outcomes in this patient cohort., Results: We have observed considerably higher referral rates following launching the program and earlier referral of chemonaïve patients that concedes maximal fertility preservation. Two hundred and thirty five patients were referred to the program over a period of 3 years., Conclusions: Our program demonstrates that multidisciplinary programs that encompass relevant specialists, skilled laboratory resources and a facilitated path that drives the process in the shortest time, maximizes the yield.

Purpose: To investigate if needle-immersed vitrification or slow-freezing yields better implantation results for human ovarian tissue and which method benefits more when combined with the "improvement protocol" of host melatonin treatment and graft incubation with biological glue + vitamin E + vascular endothelial growth factor-A., Methods: Human ovarian tissue was preserved by needle-immersed vitrification or slow-freezing and transplanted into immunodeficient mice, either untreated (groups A and C, respectively) or treated with the improvement protocol (groups B and D, respectively). Grafted and ungrafted slices were evaluated by follicle counts, apoptosis assay and immunohistochemistry for Ki67 and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule (PECAM)., Results: Follicle number in the recovered grafts was limited. The number of atretic follicles was significantly higher after vitrification with/without the improvement protocol and slow-freezing than that after slow-freezing + the improvement protocol. Stroma cell apoptosis was the lowest in the group D. PECAM staining showed a peripheral and diffuse pattern in the group D (mostly normal follicular morphology) and a diffuse pattern in all other groups (few follicles, mostly atretic), with significantly higher diffuse levels in the vitrification groups. Ki67 staining was identified in all normal follicles. Follicles did not survive transplantation in the vitrification groups., Conclusions: Ovarian sample preparation with slow-freezing + the improvement protocol appears to yield better implantation outcomes than needle-immersed vitrification with/without the improvement protocol. The real quality of frozen tissue can be assessed only after grafting and not after thawing/warming.

Objectives: To find the differences between treatment decisions of lower impacted third molars among experts of oral and maxillofacial surgery according to panoramic radiographic and CBCT findings., Methods: A retrospective analysis of 62 panoramic radiographs and CBCT of lower third molars evaluated for treatment decisions by 9 independent experts of oral and maxillofacial surgery., Results: Differences in interpretation of the panoramic radiography were found between surgeons. The absence of radiological signs suspected for risk to the inferior alveolar nerve lead to the decision of extraction according to panoramic radiography without CBCT ( p  < 0.01). The presence of those signs lead to referral to CBCT by surgeons before treatment but did not change their decision., Conclusions: Treatment decision for surgical treatment of the lower third molar can be accepted without CBCT findings. The use of CBCT is popular before extraction of lower third molars. We found that it has a little effect on the treatment decision of the surgical intervention in comparison to panoramic radiography.

How chemotherapy affects dormant ovarian primordial follicles is unclear. The 'burnout' theory, studied only in mice, suggests cyclophosphamide enhances primordial follicle activation. Using 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide (4hc) and phosphoramide mustard (PM), this study assessed how the active cyclophosphamide metabolites 4-hydroxycyclophosphamide (4-OHC) and PM, affect human primordial follicles. Frozen-thawed human ovarian samples were sliced and cultured with basic culture medium (cultured controls) or with 4hc/PM (3 µmol/l/10 µmol/l) (treated samples) for 24-48 h. Follicular counts and classification, Ki67 and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) immunohistochemistry and an apoptosis assay were used for evaluation, and 17β-oestradiol and AMH were measured in spent media samples. Generally, there was primordial follicle decrease and elevated developing follicle rates in treated samples compared with cultured (P = 0.04 to P < 0.0005) and uncultured controls (P < 0.05 to P < 0.0001). No traces of apoptosis were found. There were almost twicethe levels of AMH and 17β-oestradiol in treated compared with untreated samples (AMH with 4hc 3 µmol/l; P = 0.04). All follicles stained positively for AMHincluded treated samples. Ki67 positive staining was noted in all samples. Cyclophosphamide metabolites seem to enhance human primordial follicle activation to developing follicles, in vitro. Study findings support the 'burnout' theory as the mechanism of chemotherapy-induced ovarian toxicity., (Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The neurotrophin family consists of nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin 3 (NT3) and neurotrophin 4/5 (NT4/5), in addition to brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the neuronal growth factors, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and vasointestinal peptide (VIP). Although there are a few literature reviews, mainly of animal studies, on the importance of neurotrophins in the ovary, we aimed to provide a complete review of neurotrophins as well as neuronal growth factors and their important roles in normal and pathological processes in the ovary. Follicular assembly is probably stimulated by complementary effects of NGF, NT4/5 and BDNF and their receptors. The neurotrophins, GDNF and VIP and their receptors have all been identified in preantral and antral follicles of mammalian species, including humans. Transgenic mice with mutations in the genes encoding for Ngf, Nt4/5 and Bdnf and their tropomyosin-related kinase β receptor showed a reduction in preantral follicles and an abnormal ovarian morphology, whereas NGF, NT3, GDNF and VIP increased the in vitro activation of primordial follicles in rats and goats. Additionally, NGF, NT3 and GDNF promoted follicular cell proliferation; NGF, BDNF and VIP were shown to be involved in ovulation; VIP inhibited follicular apoptosis; NT4/5, BDNF and GDNF promoted oocyte maturation and NGF, NT3 and VIP stimulated steroidogenesis. NGF may also exert a stimulatory effect in ovarian cancer and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Low levels of NGF and BDNF in follicular fluid may be associated with diminished ovarian reserve and high levels with endometriosis. More knowledge of the roles of neuronal growth factors in the ovary has important implications for the development of new therapeutic drugs (such as anti-NGF agents) for ovarian cancer and PCOS as well as various infertility problems, warranting further research., (© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)