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Human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) became a significant new disease complex in the 1980s. The wide range of associated pathologies came from pathological observation of living and dead patients. The opportunistic infections and cancers, systemic wasting syndromes and direct HIV-induced damage to most organs are well described, but new syndromes will probably emerge. The major change in HIV clinical pathology happened after 1996 when effective anti-HIV chemotherapy became available and AIDS ceased to be a death sentence. Complications of the new therapies will continue to present, requiring vigilance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate risk factors for intraocular pressure (IOP) spike after cataract surgery using the IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight). Retrospective clinical cohort study. Adults with IRIS Registry data who underwent stand-alone phacoemulsification from January 1, 2013, through September 30, 2019. Intraocular pressure spike was defined as postoperative IOP of > 30 mmHg and > 10 mmHg from the baseline within the first postoperative week. Odds ratios (ORs) for demographic and clinical characteristics were calculated with univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Incidence and OR of IOP spike. We analyzed data from 1 191 034 eyes (patient mean age, 71.3 years; 61.2% female sex; and 24.8% with glaucoma). An IOP spike occurred in 3.7% of all eyes, 5.2% of eyes with glaucoma, and 3.2% of eyes without glaucoma (P < 0.0001). Multivariable analyses of all eyes indicated a greater risk of IOP spike with higher baseline IOP (OR, 1.57 per 3 mmHg), male sex (OR, 1.79), glaucoma (OR, 1.20), Black race (OR, 1.39 vs. Asian and 1.21 vs. Hispanic), older age (OR, 1.07 per 10 years), and complex surgery coding (OR, 1.22; all P < 0.0001). Diabetes (OR, 0.90) and aphakia after surgery (OR, 0.60) seemed to be protective against IOP spike (both P < 0.0001). Compared with glaucoma suspects, ocular hypertension (OR, 1.55), pigmentary glaucoma (OR, 1.56), and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (OR, 1.52) showed a greater risk of IOP spike and normal-tension glaucoma (OR, 0.55), suspected primary angle closure (PAC; OR, 0.67), and PAC glaucoma (OR, 0.81) showed less risk (all P < 0.0001). Using more baseline glaucoma medications was associated with IOP spike (OR, 1.18 per medication), whereas topical β-blocker use (OR, 0.68) was protective (both P < 0.0001). Higher baseline IOP, male sex, glaucoma, Black race, older age, and complex cataract coding were associated with early postoperative IOP spike, whereas diabetes and postoperative aphakia were protective against a spike after stand-alone phacoemulsification. Glaucomatous eyes demonstrated different risk profiles dependent on glaucoma subtype. The findings may help surgeons to stratify and mitigate the risk of IOP spike after cataract surgery. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate visual acuity (VA) and injection intervals in patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) after 12 months of brolucizumab therapy in clinical practice. Retrospective cohort study. Adults in the United States-based IRIS® Registry (Intelligent Research in Sight) with nAMD who received brolucizumab exclusively for 12 months (2308 eyes of 2079 patients). Observational study of eyes with a first injection of brolucizumab (index), followed by 2 or more brolucizumab injections over the following 12 months without switching to another anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agent. Primary outcomes were change in best recorded VA and, for eyes receiving prior anti-VEGF therapy (treatment-experienced eyes), the difference between the brolucizumab injection interval at 12 months and the anti-VEGF injection interval before switching. The interval before switching was defined as the time between the prior anti-VEGF and index brolucizumab injections; brolucizumab interval was the time between the closest injection to day 365 and the preceding injection. Secondary outcomes included incident adverse events. Overall VA at index was 61.6 ± 18.4 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study letters; 83.7% of treatment-naive eyes (184/220) and 86.1% of treatment-experienced eyes (1797/2088) showed stable (< 10 letters gained or lost) or improved (≥ 10 letters gained) VA at 12 months. Among treatment-experienced eyes receiving a prior anti-VEGF injection within 365 days before index, 29.5% (594/2015) showed an interval before switching of 8 weeks or more (mean, 7.6 ± 5.5 weeks), whereas 83.1% (1734/2015) showed a brolucizumab injection interval at 12 months of 8 weeks or more (mean, 10.3 ± 4.0 weeks). In all, 77.1% of treatment-experienced eyes (1554/2015) showed an interval extension of 1 week or more; of these, 55.4% (861/1554) showed an extension of 4 weeks or more. In this community-based study, at 12 months, brolucizumab treatment prolonged the interval between anti-VEGF injections for most treatment-experienced eyes, particularly those with shorter intervals before switching, while maintaining or improving VA. With careful balancing of the benefits and risks, switching to brolucizumab treatment may offer the advantage of extending the treatment interval for patients with a high anti-VEGF therapy burden. Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found in the Footnotes and Disclosures at the end of this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elman Neural Network (ENN) is one of the most common type of recurrent neural network (RNN). It is frequently applied to numerous applications such as classification and predication. However, the ENN model, suffers from serious flaws like network stagnancy and delayed convergence during training. To enhance the effectiveness of the ENN and address the mention problems, numerous studies have been conducted to speed up the learning process of ENN. Many optimization techniques are being used and each algorithm has its own characteristics in terms of efficiency. Some of the algorithms inspire from nature, while others come from the swarm's combined behaviour. Different numbers of optimization methods, including Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Bat Algorithm, and Cuckoo Search (CS) are applied to improve the ENN's learning process. As a result, this study suggested using Salp Swarm algorithm (SSA) to address these issues and speed up the ENN algorithm's learning process. The SSA, which is based on the typical behaviour of Salp swarms, is proposed in this research as a novel optimization technique. Due to its effectiveness and Salp intelligent behaviour, a novel Salp algorithm improves the learning process of the artificial neural network (ANN), and ENN models. Therefore this study proposed Salp swarm artificial neural network (SSANN) and Salp swarm Elman neural network (SSElmanNN). Performance of the suggested models is evaluated against ANN, back propagation neural network (BPNN), along with ENN in term of accuracy and Mean Square Error (MSE). Two datasets such as IRIS and Credit Card are used for simulation. The simulation results demonstrate that the suggested models outperform the other algorithms used in this study in terms of MSE and accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To analyze the genetic features of melanocytomas and melanomas of the anterior uvea and assess the value of molecular testing for diagnosis and prognostication. Retrospective case-control study. Patients with melanocytoma (n = 16) and melanoma (n = 19) of the anterior uvea. Targeted next-generation sequencing was performed on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue from anterior uveal melanocytic tumors and correlated with clinicopathologic features. Presence or absence of accompanying oncogenic alterations beyond GNAQ / GNA11 and their association with histologic features and local recurrence. Hotspot missense mutations in GNAQ / GNA11 were identified in 91% (32/35) of all cases. None of the melanocytomas with or without atypia demonstrated chromosomal imbalances or additional oncogenic variants beyond GNAQ mutation, and none recurred over a median follow-up of 36 months. Additional alterations identified in a subset of melanomas include mutations in BAP1 (n = 3), EIF1AX (n = 4), SRSF2 (n = 1), PTEN (n = 1), and EP300 (n = 1); monosomy 3p (n = 6); trisomy 6p (n = 3); trisomy 8q (n = 2); and an ultraviolet mutational signature (n = 5). Local recurrences were limited to melanomas, all of which demonstrated oncogenic alterations in addition to GNAQ / GNA11 (n = 5). A single melanoma harboring GNAQ and BAP1 mutations and monosomy 3 was the only tumor that metastasized. In this study, anterior segment uveal melanocytomas did not display oncogenic alterations beyond GNAQ / GNA11. Therefore, they are genetically similar to uveal nevi rather than uveal melanoma based on their molecular features known from the literature. Molecular testing can be performed on borderline cases to aid risk stratification and clinical management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical attractiveness profoundly affects a broad array of life experiences and outcomes, and the eyes are an important determinant of physical attractiveness. We investigated whether a particular feature of the eyes – pupil size – affects perceived attractiveness. We present competing theoretical predictions of whether dilated (larger) or constricted (smaller) pupils should appear more physically attractiveness. Youthful features tend to be attractive (i.e., neoteny), and pupil size decreases across the lifespan, so dilated (enlarged) pupils may be more attractive as a signal of youth. Alternatively, constricted (small) pupils may be more attractive because, by revealing more of the iris, they increase both color and brightness of the eyes. The present experiments demonstrate that people appear more attractive when their pupils are constricted (Experiments 1–3). This effect is equally large with black-and-white images, indicating that color per se is not necessary for the effect (Experiment 4). Rather, constricted pupils make eyes appear brighter, which in turn renders the face more attractive (Experiment 5), even when controlling for how colorful the eyes appear (Experiment 6). These results identify constricted pupils as a novel facial feature that enhances attractiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As biometric technology evolves speedily, challenges increase to implement secure and accurate systems for personal identification and authentication as the highest target to achieve. Parallel security system evolution reveals continuously that monomodal biometrics is no longer exerted due to the lack of relevance in intruder's identification. The switch to multimodality started to be more attractive for researchers as well as investigators considering their advantages. We present a tetra modal biometric base integrating hard (fingerprint, face, and iris) and genetic (DeoxyriboNucleic Acid (DNA)) characteristics building process, extracted features, and matching scores from 500 consented volunteers throughout Tunisia. This database was developed within the framework of the PBMLT project (Plateforme Biométrique Multimodale de Lutte contre le Terrorisme). A fusion of matching scores generated by fingerprint, face, and iris modalities to identity verification is carried out using the Choquet integral approach. The collected multimodal database is flexible, suggesting that if one of the modalities is excluded, the system can still ensure security using the remaining. Except for DNA, the modality often approves its forensic relevance on its monomodal subsystem. Scores@PBMLT database will open up benchmark perspectives, particularly in terms of fusion algorithms at the score level. • A new multimodal biometric score database is presented. • It includes information about Fingerprint, Face, Iris and DNA. • Experimental protocols and baseline results are provided to promote Scores@PBMLT database usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TRICOLORE trial previously demonstrated that S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab was non-inferior, based on progression-free survival (PFS), to 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and oxaliplatin (mFOLFOX6)/capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CapeOX) plus bevacizumab as first-line chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Overall survival (OS) data were immature at the time of the primary analysis. In total, 487 patients from 53 institutions with previously untreated mCRC were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either mFOLFOX6/CapeOX plus bevacizumab (control group) or S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab (experimental group; 3- or 4-week regimen). The final OS data were analysed from follow-up data collected until 30th September 2017. With a median follow-up period of 48.7 months, median survival times were 32.6 and 34.3 months (hazard ratio [HR]: 0.89, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.72–1.10, P = 0.293) and median PFS durations were 10.8 and 14.0 months in the control and experimental groups, respectively (HR: 0.86, 95% CI: 0.71–1.04, P < 0.0001 for non-inferiority). In patients with left-sided RAS wild-type tumours, median PFS durations were 11.4 and 16.9 months in the control and experimental groups, respectively (HR: 0.68, 95% CI: 0.48–0.96, P = 0.028). S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab resulted in comparable OS and non-inferior PFS with that of mFOLFOX6/CapeOX plus bevacizumab treatment as first-line chemotherapy for patients with mCRC. We recommend the use of S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab as a standard first-line regimen independent of tumour sidedness or RAS status in mCRC. UMIN-CTR: 000007834. • S-1/irinotecan/bevacizumab had survival comparable with that of standard therapy. • QOL for neurotoxicity showed a favourable trend in the S-1/irinotecan/bevacizumab. • S-1/irinotecan/bevacizumab had efficacy, regardless of RAS and tumour location. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first description of spinal cord mycobacterial spindle cell pseudotumor. A patient with newly diagnosed advanced HIV presented with recent-onset bilateral leg weakness and was found to have a hypermetabolic spinal cord mass on structural and molecular imaging. Biopsy and cultures from blood and cerebrospinal fluid confirmed spindle cell pseudotumor due to Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare. Despite control of HIV and initial reduction in pseudotumor volume on antiretrovirals and antimycobacterials (azithromycin, ethambutol, rifampin/rifabutin), he ultimately experienced progressive leg weakness due to pseudotumor re-expansion. Here, we review literature and discuss multidisciplinary diagnosis, monitoring and management challenges, including immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome. [Display omitted] • We report the first case of mycobacterial spindle cell pseudotumor of the spinal cord. • The patient was newly diagnosed with HIV when he developed progressive bilateral leg weakness. • Diagnosis was made by structural/metabolic imaging, cultures and biopsy. • Treatment with azithromycin, ethambutol, rifampin/rifabutin led to pseudotumor size reduction. • Pseudotumor rebound co-occurred with rising CD8 T cell count, suggesting role of immune reconstitution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new method to estimate behavioural curves from Near-Infra-Red (NIR) iris images for classifying Fitness for Duty using a biometric capture device. Fitness for Duty (FFD) techniques detect whether a subject is Fit to safely perform a given task, which means no reduced alertness condition and security, or the subject is unfit, that could impact a reduced alertness condition by sleepiness or consumption of alcohol and drugs. The analysis showed essential differences in pupil and iris behaviour to classify the workers in "Fit" or "Unfit" conditions. The best results can distinguish subjects robustly under alcohol, drug consumption, and sleep conditions. The Multi-Layer-Perceptron and Gradient Boosted Machine reached the best results in all groups with an overall accuracy for Fit and Unfit classes of 74.0% and 75.5%, respectively. These results open a new application for iris capture devices. • This work is a step forward in Iris biometric applications. • This research proposes a new database and method to detect Fitness for Duty. • This paper proposes a new method to estimate behavioural curves from iris images • Fitness for Duty allows us to detect Fit/Unfit subjects and save lives • This method classifies alcohol, drug, and sleepiness using an iris image. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multimodal biometric systems have gained popularity for their enhanced recognition accuracy and resistance to attacks like spoofing. In this paper, we introduce a novel approach to safeguard multimodal biometric templates using a Cancelable Convolutional Neural Network (CCNN). Our method utilizes two biometric traits, the iris and fingerprint. Initially, features are extracted separately from these traits and then combined into a single feature vector. Subsequently, a CCNN is applied to reduce the size of this fused vector. Finally, the reduced vector is multiplied with a user-provided seed for enhanced cancelability. Evaluations on the Children Multimodal Biometric Database (CMBD), CASIA Iris V3, and FVC 2002 DB2 demonstrate that our method effectively balances user privacy and accuracy while maintaining a high level of precision. With an exceptionally low Equal Error Rate (EER) of 0.073% and 0.038% on both datasets. Our method fulfills the requirements of diversity, irreversibility, and revocability showcasing its efficiency in terms of security and accuracy. • A template protection technique for multimodal biometric system using Cancelable Convolutional Neural Network. • Random projection based on user seed generated using SHA-512. • Two fusion methods for multimodal templates generation has been proposed. • Detailed evaluation of ISO/IEC IS 24745 properties on biometric information protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Iris is the most complex tissue of the body that shows thousands of nerves, blood vessels, muscles, and other tissues. This study presents techniques for searching points on the iris by visual query language based on the Gaussian radial basis function (GRBF) and Hyperbolic decision tree; there are several types of iris belonging to diabetic patients; we consider the behavior of COVID-19 on diabetes; our solution detects similarities in symptoms for two different conditions. It can estimate signs of new patterns of diseases on the next cycle of the time interval of illness for virus mutation. It can match the zones in the iris by Delaunay triangulation in d3. js. Then it can design colored models with the same color for spatial diseases. The best algorithm is used for community detection for a group of signs clustered and reducing the error with K-NN by neo4j on the Cypher platform. It detects congestion of infection and inflammation of chronic diseases as a background disease; Covid-19 disorder is illustrated with a centrality algorithm based on a shared relationship for two diseases graph. Our techniques calculate the accuracy of our query design for the target shared symptoms model for new diseases. We reduced complexity algorithms and search time by decreasing the redundancy of data points. We provide the abstract layer in the target model to reduce the dimensionality of data. We present a model from a graph with a description of knowledge that it can generate to determine the target user. Algorithms optimize this model. This model can map the points of the circle into the query and hyperbolic tree, and decide for their classification in the next mutation of diseases. Our solution improved the performance by about 97% in memory usage and time-consuming of search data in complex mixed diseases with different colors and signs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present a case of a 66-year-old male who was diagnosed with human immunodeficiency virus, and his medical course of highly active antiretroviral therapy was complicated with the development of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome, which led to development of movement disorder consisting of right-sided resting tremor, neck dystonia, and jaw clenching. The patient's symptoms resembled that of rubral tremor, and he underwent placement of a deep brain stimulation electrode into the left ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus with significant improvement of symptoms. This is the first reported case in the literature of a human immunodeficiency virus–positive patient's treatment course complicated with immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome with neurologic manifestation, which was refractory to medical therapy and thus treated with deep brain stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (SARS-CoV2) is an active global health threat for which treatments are desperately being sought. Even though most people infected experience mild to moderate respiratory symptoms and recover with supportive care, certain vulnerable hosts develop severe clinical deterioration. While several drugs are currently being investigated in clinical trials, there are currently no approved treatments or vaccines for COVID-19 and hence there is an unmet need to explore additional therapeutic options. At least three inflammatory disorders or syndromes associated with immune dysfunction have been described in the context of cellular therapy. Specifically, Cytokine Release Syndrome (CRS), Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS), and Secondary Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) all have clinical and laboratory characteristics in common with COVID19 and associated therapies that could be worth testing in the context of clinical trials. Here we discuss these diseases, their management, and potential applications of these treatment in the context of COVID-19. We also discuss current cellular therapies that are being evaluated for the treatment of COVID-19 and/or its associated symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of tuberculosis (TB)-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) on TB treatment outcomes and its risk factors were investigated among people with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and co-infected with TB. Newly diagnosed, culture-confirmed, pulmonary TB patients with HIV and enrolled in a clinical trial (NCT00933790) were retrospectively analysed for IRIS occurrence. Risk factors and TB outcomes (up to 18 months after initiation of anti-TB treatment [ATT]) were compared between people who experienced IRIS (IRIS group) and those who did not (non-IRIS group). TB-IRIS occurred in 82 of 292 (28%) participants. Significant baseline risk factors predisposing to TB-IRIS occurrence in univariate analysis were: lower CD4+ T-cell count, CD4/CD8 ratio, haemoglobin levels, presence of extra-pulmonary TB focus, and higher HIV viral load; the last two retained significance in the multivariate analysis. After 2 months of ATT commencement, sputum smear conversion was documented in 45 of 80 (56.2%) vs. 124 of 194 (63.9%) (p = 0.23), culture conversion was in 75 of 80 (93.7%) vs. 178 of 194 (91.7%) (p = 0.57) and the median decline in viral load (log 10 copies/mm3) was 2.7 in the IRIS vs. 1.1 in the non-IRIS groups (p < 0.0001), respectively. An unfavourable response to TB therapy was detected in 17 of 82 (20.7%) and 28 of 210 (13.3%) in the IRIS and non-IRIS groups, respectively (p = 0.14). TB-IRIS frequently occurred in people with advanced HIV infection and in those who presented with extra-pulmonary TB lesions, without influencing subsequent TB treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-eight patients were identified with large B-cell lymphoma of the uvea. Uveal involvement was iris (1 case), ciliary body (1 case), or choroidal in 14 cases. Panuveal involvement was observed in 12 cases. The clinical presentation could be categorized into uveitis (8), intraocular mass (9), neovascular glaucoma (4), and vascular disorders (4). The majority (21 cases, 77%) were diagnosed at autopsy (11) or after enucleation (10). Only 7 were diagnosed with conservative techniques. Histopathologically, 3 distinct subgroups of large B-cell lymphoma could be identified: 15 were characterized as diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, 11 as intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, and 2 as plasmablastic lymphoma. All cases had a poor prognosis, with a median survival of 14 months. Most cases (19, 67%) represented secondary uveal involvement with widespread systemic lymphoma at ophthalmic presentation. Six cases were treated with radiotherapy, most of these diagnosed before the 1990s (4). Subsequent cases (9) received systemic or local chemotherapy and adjunct radiotherapy, depending on the organs affected. Two cases were treated only with enucleation, and systemic treatment was not specified in 13 cases. Large B-cell lymphoma can rarely involve the uvea. The presenting features are nonspecific, often leading to enucleation. Effective therapy is not known. In all 3 variants, the aggressive nature and widespread involvement at ophthalmic presentation is associated with short survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stroke in people living with HIV (PLWH) has been described to occur soon after the initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) possibly related to the Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS). We sought to investigate whether there was a temporal association between stroke and recent ART initiation in the absence of opportunistic infections (OIs), and to identify risk factors for this. This cross-sectional study recruited PLWH with new-onset stroke at a hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 2014 to 2017, excluding all patients with OIs. Patients were assessed for ART duration, CD4 count, HIV viral load, inflammatory markers and cardiovascular risk factors. 77 PLWH were recruited, of which 35 were on ART at the time of stroke. Of the patients with confirmed ART duration (n = 28), 9 (32.1%) had a stroke within the first 6 months of starting ART (crude incidence rate of 0.73 cases per patient year). In the period beyond 6 months, 19 strokes occurred (crude incidence rate of 0.21 cases per patient year), translating to a 3.5 times greater risk in the first 6 months (p = 0.0002). There were no clearly identified risk factors when comparing those who had strokes in the first 6 months to those after 6 months and ART-naïve patients. Almost a third of strokes in PLWH may be related to IRIS, with a crude incidence rate 3.5 times higher in the first 6 months following ART-initiation compared to beyond 6 months. This appears to be independent of OIs. Risk factors are unclear. • 32% of strokes in HIV were within 6 months of starting antiretroviral therapy. • Crude incidence rate was 3.5× higher in the first 6 months compared to after 6 months. • This was independent of opportunistic infections. • No clear risk factors were identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biometric recognition system is a highly precise human identification system as per Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Latent fingerprint biometrics are an efficient human identification system for criminals based on available crime evidence shreds. However, biometric trait limitations such as noise in sensed data, lack of individuality, and intra-class variation result in a low matching score, which has a negative impact on the identification as well as investigation process. The increasing demand for biometric systems for accurate identification has resulted in the development of unimodal biometric systems to multimodal biometric systems, particularly when the biometric inputs are considered as evidence of any societal crime. This paper focuses on showing the advantage of using modal based approach over the threshold based and development of a multimodal biometric framework for achieving high accuracy in human identification. The comparison of the identification rate/recognition probability of modal-based approach (87.3%) is high in compared to threshold-based approach (80%). Latent fingerprint biometric is fused with iris biometric using score level fusion (sum rule and product rule) rules. With the experimental results, it has been found that highest accuracy rate (91.15%) in proposed identification framework can be achieved while using sum rule. The proposed framework is useful in a societal crime scenario, as assumed in this paper. • Multimodal biometric approach is used for human identification system. • Latent fingerprint and iris biometric are fused using score-level fusion. • Various score level fusion rules are discussed and analysed. • Step by step performance evaluation is shown in result section. • Proposed approach increases the identification system performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Advanced HIV infection is still an issue in high income countries. • Being diagnosed in advanced HIV disease is an unfavourable prognostic condition. • Rapid ART strategy is highly effective and safe in advanced HIV infection. • No discontinuations due to virological failures, toxicity or IRIS occurred. A rapid ART initiation approach can be beneficial in people with advanced HIV disease, in consideration of their high morbidity and mortality. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility, efficacy and safety of rapid ART start with BIC/FTC/TAF in this setting. Pilot, single-centre, single-arm, prospective, phase IV clinical trial conducted in a tertiary Italian hospital. Thirty ART-naïve people presenting with advanced HIV-1 diagnosis (defined as the presence of an AIDS-defining event and/or CD4 cell count <200 µL), were enrolled. Main exclusion criteria were active tuberculosis, cryptococcosis and pregnant/breastfeeding women. BIC/FTC/TAF was started within 7 days from HIV diagnosis. The primary endpoint was clinical or virologic failure (VF). Immunological parameters, safety, feasibility, neurocognitive performances and patient-reported outcomes were assessed as well. Over the study period, 40 (34%) of 116 patients diagnosed with HIV infection at INMI Spallanzani had advanced disease, of whom 30 (26%) were enrolled. The proportion of participants with HIV-RNA <50 cp/mL was 9/30 (30%) at week (w) 4, 19/30 (63%) at w12, 24/30 (80%) at w24, 23/30 (77%) at w36 and 27/30 (90%) at w48. Two unconfirmed VF occurred. No ART discontinuation due to toxicity or VF was observed. No ART modification was performed based on the review of genotype and no mutations for the study drugs were detected. Mean CD4 cells count changed by 133 cells/μL at BL to 309 cells/μL at w 48 and 83% of participants had a CD4 > 200 cells/µL at w 48. Two participants developed IRIS and one was diagnosed with disseminated TB and needed an ART switch. Our results support the feasibility, efficacy and safety of BIC/FTC/TAF as a rapid ART strategy in patients with advanced HIV disease. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paradoxical reaction (PR) in tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a major management issue. We report mRNA profiling of cytokines to understand PR in HIV-uninfected TBM patients. 72 patients with TBM were included, and their clinical, MRI, and mRNA profiling of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α, interleukin (IL) 6, IL10 and interferon (IFN) γ genes in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were done at admission and 6 weeks of antitubercular treatment. Cytokine profiling was done using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. PR was defined if repeat MRI at 6 weeks revealed new or increase in exudates, tuberculoma, hydrocephalus or infarctions. Outcome was defined at 6 months using modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and categorized as death, poor and good. 44 (61.1 %) patients had PR, and 28 (38.9 %) had paradoxical tuberculoma (PT). The expression of IL6 and TNFα genes were higher in PR and PT groups. Stage of meningitis and hydrocephalus at admission predicted PR. Patients with PR and PT had more frequently poor outcome. About three-fifth HIV-uninfected TBM patients have PR and two-fifth have PT. Paradoxical reaction is associated with higher expression of IL6 and TNFα. Patients with severe meningitis with hydrocephalus develop PR more frequently. • 61 % HIV-uninfected TBM patients had paradoxical response and 38.9 % had paradoxical tuberculoma. • IL6 and TNFα expressions were higher at the time of paradoxical response. • TNFα expression was higher at the time paradoxical tuberculoma compared to baseline. • Severity of meningitis and hydrocephalous at admission predicted paradoxical response. • Higher proportion of patients with paradoxical response had poor recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared ion spectroscopy (IRIS) requires reproducibility and standard protocols in order to be fully appreciated as an analytical tool. An important parameter in IRIS measurements is the infrared laser power (energy per pulse), which is often difficult to control precisely on a day-to-day basis. We have developed an automatic variable attenuator to keep the laser power at a well-defined value, independent of IR frequency and time, while maintaining full overlap of the laser beam with the ion cloud in our quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. The device has been used to record IR spectra of the metabolite prostaglandin D2 at different laser pulse energies, allowing us to assess the effects on the IRMPD spectra of excessive ion depletion, a threshold pulse energy below which dissociation is not observed, and unobserved fragments due to electron detachment or fragmentation to below the low mass cut-off of the trap. Image 1 • IRMPD intensities are reproducible when an automatic variable laser attenuator is used to control the laser pulse energy. • IRMPD spectra are recorded as a function of laser pulse energy in a quadrupole ion trap mass spectrometer. • Effects on the IR spectra due to an elevated dissociation threshold and excessive ion depletion are discussed. • Effects due to electron detachment and the formation of fragment ions below the low mass cut-off of the MS are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Plasma signatures of TB immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) can be identified. • Arachidonic acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism pathways were perturbed in TBIRIS group. • Metabolic profiling has the potential as a new tool for early diagnosis of TB-IRIS. Diagnosis of paradoxical tuberculosis-associated immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (TB-IRIS) is challenging and new tools are needed for early diagnosis as well as to understand the biochemical events that underlie the pathology in TB-IRIS. Plasma samples were obtained from participants from a randomized HIV/TB treatment strategy study (AIDS Clinical Trials Group [ACTG] A5221) with (n = 26) and without TB-IRIS (n = 22) for an untargeted metabolomics pilot study by liquid-chromatography mass spectrometry. The metabolic profile of these participants was compared at the study entry and as close to the diagnosis of TB-IRIS as possible (TB-IRIS window). Molecular features with p < 0.05 and log 2 fold change ≥0.58 were submitted for pathway analysis through MetaboAnalyst. We also elucidated potential metabolic signatures for TB-IRIS using a LASSO regression model. At the study entry, we showed that the arachidonic acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism were altered in the TB-IRIS group. Sphingolipid and linoleic acid metabolism were the most affected pathways during the TB-IRIS window. LASSO modeling selected a set of 8 and 7 molecular features with the potential to predict TB-IRIS at study entry and during the TB-IRIS window, respectively. This study suggests that the use of plasma metabolites may distinguish HIV-TB patients with and without TB-IRIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Iris dichotoma and I. domestica are allopatric sister species which can be readily crossed by artificial pollination. But no natural hybrids of the two species were detected even under the sympatric condition. • Iris dichotoma and I. domestica had good cross compatible overlapped daily flowering times, common legitimate pollinators. But pollinators visiting time did not overlap and I. domestica 's pollen quantity was down to 0 before I. dichotoma open. • Four legitimate pollinated honeybees (Apis cerana) could visit both of them as I. domestica had pollen in the net house, but their pollens were deposited on different parts of the honeybee's body. • The temporal isolation caused complete reproductive isolation, and the difference in flower structure also played an important role in reproductive isolation. This study presented evidence of other prezygotic isolating mechanisms in addition to geographical isolation in allopatric sister species. In allopatric species, the geographical isolation is generally disregarded as a legitimate cause of isolation. Beside geographical isolation, the other prezygotic isolating mechanisms in allopatric species have not been well proved to cause isolation. In order to explore if two allopatric sister species Iris dichotoma and I. domestica (Iridaceae) have other prezygotic isolating mechanisms, the natural hybrids, the positions of pollen deposited on the honeybee's body, the insect visiting period and frequency, and the daily dynamic changes of pollen quantity were detected; the daily flowering times were compared; the interspecific crossing and the pollen transfer were tested; the flower-visiting insects were categorized and identified. No natural hybrids of the two species were detected under the sympatric condition. Their daily flowering times were significantly different but had 2.6 h overlap, during which they had good cross compatibility. They had common legitimate pollinators, but the visiting time did not overlap and I. domestica 's pollen quantity was down to 0 before I. dichotoma open. The same honeybee could visit both of them as I. domestica had pollen in the net house, but their pollens were deposited on different parts of the honeybee's body. The temporal isolation caused complete reproductive isolation, and the difference in flower structure also played an important role in reproductive isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The timecourse and extent of changes in pupil area in response to light are reviewed in all classes of vertebrate and cephalopods. Although the speed and extent of these responses vary, most species, except the majority of teleost fish, show extensive changes in pupil area related to light exposure. The neuromuscular pathways underlying light-evoked pupil constriction are described and found to be relatively conserved, although the precise autonomic mechanisms differ somewhat between species. In mammals, illumination of only one eye is known to cause constriction in the unilluminated pupil. Such consensual responses occur widely in other animals too, and their function and relation to decussation of the visual pathway is considered. Intrinsic photosensitivity of the iris muscles has long been known in amphibia, but is in fact widespread in other animals. The functions of changes in pupil area are considered. In the majority of species, changes in pupil area serve to balance the conflicting demands of high spatial acuity and increased sensitivity in different light levels. In the few teleosts in which pupil movements occur they do not serve a visual function but play a role in camouflaging the eye of bottom-dwelling species. The occurrence and functions of the light-independent changes in pupil size displayed by many animals are also considered. Finally, the significance of the variations in pupil shape, ranging from circular to various orientations of slits, ovals, and other shapes, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discovery and approved treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) for a variety of cancers has changed dramatically the morbidity and mortality rates for these patients. Despite the obvious benefits, their use is associated with unique immune-related adverse effects (irAEs), including autoimmune conditions such as: inflammatory arthritis, myositis, vasculitis and Sicca syndrome. The appearance of ICIs-induced autoimmune irAE requires from oncologists and rheumatologists a different approach to the identification and treatment of these conditions, which may differ from the classic and traditional approach to rheumatologic diseases. It should be taken into consideration that ICIs therapy in patients with preexisting autoimmunity could be possible, but with a cost of causing disease exacerbation. In this extensive review, we present the autoimmune irAEs, mostly as phenomena, but also as classic autoimmune diseases as well as therapeutic options for the side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iris recognition is an automated method of biometric identification that uses mathematical pattern-recognition techniques on video images of the irises of an individual's eyes, whose complex random patterns are unique and can be seen from some distance. Now days, Iris is being used widely by several organizations, including governments, for identification and authentication purposes. Aadhar, India's UID project uses Iris scan along with fingerprints to uniquely identify people and allocate a Unique Identification Number. Most of the work done in the area of Iris pattern recognition systems emphasizes only on matching of the patterns with the stored templates. Security aspects of the system are still unexplored. The available security algorithms provide only some cryptographic solutions that keeps the template database in a secret cryptographic form. We successfully enhanced the detection of fake iris images and add the provision of detection of false of scanned iris images as template. This enhanced significantly the performance of the system in terms of security and reliability. We use Flash and motion detection of natural eye to detect the liveliness of real iris images before matching from stored templates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A histochemical three-step approach is applied for processing a panel of sections that covers the different regions of fixed anterior segment of the adult chicken eye. This analysis gains insight into the presence of binding partners for functional pairing by galectin/lectin recognition in situ. Glycophenotyping with 11 fungal and plant lectins (step 1) revealed a complex pattern of reactivity with regional as well as glycan- and cell-type-dependent differences. When characterizing expression of the complete set of the seven adhesion/growth-regulatory chicken galectins immunohistochemically (step 2), the same holds true, clearly demonstrating profiles with individual properties, even for the CG-1A/B paralogue pair. Testing this set of labeled tissue lectins as probes (step 3) detected binding sites in a galectin-type-dependent manner. The results of steps 2 and 3 reflect the divergence of sequences and argue against functional redundancy among the galectins. These data shape the concept of an in situ network of galectins. As consequence, experimental in vitro studies will need to be performed from the level of testing a single protein to work with mixtures that mimic the (patho)physiological situation, a key message of this report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective Complementary and alternative medicine techniques have shown their potential for the treatment and diagnosis of chronical diseases like diabetes, arthritis etc . On the same time digital image processing techniques for disease diagnosis is reliable and fastest growing field in biomedical. Proposed model is an attempt to evaluate diagnostic validity of an old complementary and alternative medicine technique, iridology for diagnosis of type-2 diabetes using soft computing methods. Methods Investigation was performed over a close group of total 338 subjects (180 diabetic and 158 non-diabetic). Infra-red images of both the eyes were captured simultaneously. The region of interest from the iris image was cropped as zone corresponds to the position of pancreas organ according to the iridology chart. Statistical, texture and discrete wavelength transformation features were extracted from the region of interest. Results The results show best classification accuracy of 89.63% calculated from RF classifier. Maximum specificity and sensitivity were absorbed as 0.9687 and 0.988, respectively. Conclusion Results have revealed the effectiveness and diagnostic significance of proposed model for non-invasive and automatic diabetes diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Combination therapy with oral fluoropyrimidine and irinotecan has not yet been established as first-line treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). We carried out a randomized, open-label, phase III trial to determine whether S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab is noninferior to mFOLFOX6 or CapeOX plus bevacizumab in terms of progression-free survival (PFS). Patients and methods: Patients from 53 institutions who had previously untreated mCRC were randomly assigned (1 : 1) to receive either mFOLFOX6 or CapeOX plus bevacizumab (control group) or S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab (experimental group; a 3-week regimen: intravenous infusions of irinotecan 150 mg/m2 and bevacizumab 7.5 mg/kg on day 1, oral S-1 80 mg/ m2 twice daily for 2 weeks, followed by a 1-week rest; or a 4-week regimen: irinotecan 100 mg/m2 and bevacizumab 5 mg/kg on days 1 and 15, S-1 80 mg/m2 twice daily for 2 weeks, followed by a 2-week rest). The primary end point was PFS. The noninferiority margin was 1.25; noninferiority would be established if the upper limit of the 95% confidence interval (CI) for the hazard ratio (HR) of the control group versus the experimental group was less than this margin. Result: Between June 2012 and September 2014, 487 patients underwent randomization. Two hundred and forty-three patients assigned to the control group and 241 assigned to the experimental group were included in the primary analysis. Median PFS was 10.8 months (95% CI 9.6-11.6) in the control group and 14.0 months (95% CI 12.4-15.5) in the experimental group (HR 0.84, 95% CI 0.70-1.02; P<0.0001 for noninferiority, P=0.0815 for superiority). One hundred and fifty-seven patients (64.9%) in the control group and 140 (58.6%) in the experimental group had adverse events of grade 3 or higher. Conclusion: S-1 and irinotecan plus bevacizumab is noninferior to mFOLFOX6 or CapeOX plus bevacizumab with respect to PFS as first-line treatment of mCRC and could be a new standard treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research have shown that the eye movement data measured by an eye tracker does not necessarily reflect the exact rotations of the eyeball. For example, post-saccadic eye movements may be more reflecting the relative movements between the pupil and the iris rather than the eyeball oscillations. Since, accurate measurement of eye movements is important in many studies, it is crucial to identify different factors that influence the dynamics of the eye movements measured by an eye tracker. Previous studies have shown that deformation of the internal structure of the iris and size of the pupil directly affect the amplitude of the post-saccadic oscillations that are measured by video-based eye trackers that are pupil-based. In this paper, we look at the effect of aging on post-saccadic oscillations. We recorded eye movements from a group of 43 young and 22 older participants during an abstract and a more natural viewing task. The recording was conducted with a video-based eye tracker using the pupil center and corneal reflection. We anticipated that changes in the muscle strength as an effect of aging might affect, directly or indirectly, the post-saccadic oscillations. Results showed that the size of the post-saccadic oscillations were significantly larger for our older group. The results suggests that aging has to be considered as an important factor when studying the post-saccadic eye movements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Congenital fibrovascular pupillary membranes (CFPMs) represent a rare poorly understood condition that has been sporadically reported in the literature. The presence of such a membrane can cause pupillary block and further complications, therefore must be properly diagnosed and managed. We are presenting the successful treatment of 2 cases with CFPM. The first patient presented 2-days after birth with an absent red reflex and had a less complicated clinical course. The second presented at a later age of 5-months and was referred as a case of congenital cataract. This baby had associated pupillary block glaucoma. Each of these cases was managed surgically by membrane peeling with sparing of the lens, which was found to be clear in the second case. Even though CFPM has been rarely reported, it should be correctly identified since it can progress with the development of glaucoma and lens changes. The etiology of CFPM is not well understood but might be related to the presence of ectopic iris tissue, which was suspected as an etiology in our second case. Several techniques have been described to remove the membrane, and occasionally this might necessitate removal of the lens. We described successful removal of CFPM in 2 cases without affecting the crystalline lens. General Ophthalmologists and Pediatricians should be aware of CFPM, especially when dealing with an absent or dull red reflex in a newborn. Referral for definitive diagnosis and treatment is essential to preserve vision. • Congenital fibrovascular pupillary membranes (CFPMs) are rare. • Histopathologically, CFPMs have vascular, fibrous, and smooth muscle components. • Clinical presentation depends on the age at presentation and surgical removal is advisable to avoid visual complications. • We report 2 infants with CFPM successfully treated by membrane peeling with sparing of the lens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most intensive care unit patients require a feeding tube, but misplacement risk is high due to the presence of artificial airways and because unconsciousness reduces clinical warnings. Predominantly, tubes are placed 'blindly', where position is not known throughout placement. The result is that 1.6% enter the lung, 0.5% cause pneumothorax and potentially 5% are left in the oesophagus. Guided placement, by identifying tube position in real time, may prevent these problems, but undetected misplacements still occur. We review the safety of guided methods of confirming tube position, including rates of pneumothorax, in the context of current unguided methods. During blind tube placement, tube position can only be tracked intermittently. Excepting X-ray and ultra-sound, most methods of checking position are simple. Conversely, guided tube placement can track tube position from the nose to small intestine (IRIS®), or oesophagus to jejunum (Cortrak™, ENvue®). However, this requires expertise. Overall, guided placement is associated with lower rates of pneumothorax. Unfortunately, for Cortrak, low-use centres have higher rates of undetected misplacement compared with blind placement whereas Cortrak use in high-use centres had lower risk compared with blind placement and low use centres. Because guided placement requires high-level expertise manufacturer training packages have been developed but currently appear insufficient. Specifically, Cortrak's package is less accurate in determining tube position compared to the 'gastrointestinal flexure' system. Validation of an evidence-based guide for IRIS placement is underway. Recommendations are made regarding the training of new operators, including minimum numbers of placements required to achieve expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The owner of a work of multimedia content can be uniquely identified by embedding useful data into it. Here, we present a tool which can be used for embedding human biometrics data in multimedia content. Human biometrics are considered unique and cannot be changed unless damaged. Such biometrics can be used as a watermark to determine the exact ownership of a multimedia piece. We used the iris in the human eye for watermark creation. A usable code is generated from the iris known as iriscode. As this structure is specific to each individual, its use allows unique ownership identity of multimedia content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared five human iris characteristics and minor physical anomalies (MPAs) between patients with schizophrenia (n = 32) and controls (n = 31). Correlations between iris characteristics and MPAs were expected, due to their same ectodermic origin. Iris macro photos were taken and quantified in five categories mentioned before. MPAs were also examined in both groups. Our results show significant differences in the frequency of pigment dots of the iris and total number of MPAs between groups. Other significant differences were found in the extension of concentric furrows, as they were more common in healthy subjects, while Wolfflin nodules occurred significantly more often in patients with schizophrenia. Expected difference in Fuch's crypts could not be observed between groups. Light eye color was positively correlated to pigment dots and Wolfflin nodules, and negatively correlated with concentric furrows. Dark eye color showed positive correlation with concentric furrows, and negative correlation with pigment dots and concentric furrows. A gender effect could also been observed: male individuals showed moderate positive correlations between pigment dots and total MPAs frequency, while this couldn’t be observed in the female group. Our findings suggest possible connections between iris characteristics and MPAs, where males are more prone to deviations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First reported from the Pacific Northwest of U.S.A. as causal agents of blue mold on edible and/or ornamental bulbs are Penicillium albocoremium (from Tulipa sp.; pathogenic on Allium sativum , A. cepa , A. stipitatum , Iris hollandica and Tulipa sp.), P. crustosum (from Narcissus ; pathogenic on A. cepa and I. hollandica ), P. paraherquei (from A. cepa ; pathogenic on A. sativum and A. cepa ), and P. radicicola (from Iris Casablanca; pathogenic on A. sativum , A. cepa and I. hollandica ). Penicillium expansum and P. glabrum , from A. cepa , were verified as pathogens of A. sativum, A. cepa and Iris hollandica , and P. expansum was also pathogenic on Tulipa sp. Pronounced differences between Penicillium agents of blue mold in host range and in virulence have implications for crop rotation, postharvest storage and marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2016 International Conference on Pattern Recognition hosted the MICHE-II Contest, with the aim at biometric identification on mobile devices. This paper describes the ideas behind one of the contest submissions, in particular the one ranked 6th (4th in cross-device), including different novelties in relation to the original proposal. Our approach is based on the extraction of local descriptors previous to classification. In this sense, starting from a common iris segmentation information, different normalization procedures are considered, analyzing the use of both iris and periocular patterns. A collection of local descriptors is computed on those patterns, evaluating their performance by means of different classification paradigms in a 10-fold cross validation experiment. Our results suggest the great utility of the periocular area for this problem and dataset. Finally, periocular based classifiers are evaluated on the test set, evidencing an improvement in relation to our original submission, with a promising close future improvement if a fusion approach is adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye iris has been widely recognized as one of the strongest biometrics attributed to its high accuracy performance. However, templates in conventional iris recognition systems are unprotected and highly vulnerable to numerous security and privacy attacks. Despite a number of cancellable biometric schemes have been proposed but at the expense of substantially decreased accuracy performance. In this paper, we introduce a new cancellable iris scheme, coined as “Indexing-First-One” (IFO) hashing. IFO hashing is inspired from the Min-hashing that primarily used in text retrieval domain. However, IFO hashing has been further strengthened by two novel mechanisms, namely P-order Hadamard product and modulo threshold function. The IFO hashing scheme strikes the balance between accuracy performance and privacy/security protection. Comprehensive experiments on CASIA-v3 iris benchmark database and rigorous analysis demonstrate decent accuracy performance with respect to its original counterparts yet offer strong resilience against several major security and privacy attacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Résumé Objectifs L’aggravation paradoxale de tuberculose (TB), un exemple de syndrome inflammatoire de reconstitution immunitaire (IRIS), est un phénomène croissant que l’on observe désormais dans plusieurs contextes et récemment rapporté à l’arrêt de l’anti- tumor necrosis factor (TNF) chez les patients ayant développé une TB sous biothérapie. Afin de mieux reconnaître ce phénomène, nous avons analysé l’incidence et recherché les facteurs de risque favorisant la survenue de l’IRIS-TB chez les patients traités par anti-TNF. Méthodes Étude cas-témoin portant sur des patients ayant développé une TB sous anti-TNF. Les cas d’IRIS, définis selon les critères ci-dessous, ont été appariés à deux témoins (TB sous anti-TNF sans IRIS). L’incidence de l’IRIS était calculée à partir du registre français Recherche sur les anti-TNF et Infections Opportunistes (RATIO). Les facteurs de risque de développer un IRIS étaient identifiés par régression logistique conditionnelle. Résultats Quatorze patients traités par anti-TNF ont développé un IRIS-TB dans un délai médian de 45 jours [IQR 22–131] après instauration des anti-TB et de 110 jours [IQR 63–164] suivant la dernière injection d’anti-TNF. Chaque cas était apparié à deux témoins selon l’année du diagnostic de TB. Les facteurs de risque de survenue de l’IRIS étaient ( odds ratio [IC95 %]) : une TB disséminée (11,4 [1,4–92,2], p = 0,03), des antécédents d’exposition au Mycobacterium tuberculosis (12,7 [1,6–103,0], p = 0,02) et la prise de corticoïdes au diagnostic de TB (4,6 [1,2–17,2], p = 0,02). L’incidence de l’IRIS dans le registre RATIO était de 7 %. Conclusion Après interruption de la biothérapie, l’aggravation paradoxale de la TB liée aux anti-TNF était plus fréquente chez les patients atteints d’une forme disséminée de TB. Bien que son diagnostic reste difficile, les cliniciens doivent apprendre à détecter les signes évocateurs d’IRIS sachant que la prolongation du traitement anti-TB n’est pas nécessaire, alors que paradoxalement, la réintroduction d’un immunosuppresseur peut l’être. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocular biometrics encompasses the imaging and use of characteristic features extracted from the eyes for personal recognition. Ocular biometric modalities in visible light have mainly focused on iris, blood vessel structures over the white of the eye (mostly due to conjunctival and episcleral layers), and periocular region around eye. Most of the existing studies on iris recognition use the near infrared spectrum. However, conjunctival vasculature and periocular regions are imaged in the visible spectrum. Iris recognition in the visible spectrum is possible for light color irides or by utilizing special illumination. Ocular recognition in the visible spectrum is an important research area due to factors such as recognition at a distance, suitability for recognition with regular RGB cameras, and adaptability to mobile devices. Further these ocular modalities can be obtained from a single RGB eye image, and then fused together for enhanced performance of the system. Despite these advantages, the state-of-the-art related to ocular biometrics in visible spectrum is not well known. This paper surveys this topic in terms of computational image enhancement, feature extraction, classification schemes and designed hardware-based acquisition set-ups. Future research directions are also enumerated to identify the path forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pax6 transcription factor is essential for development of the brain, eye, olfactory and endocrine systems. Haploinsufficiency of PAX6 in humans and mice causes the congenital condition aniridia, with defects in each of these organs and systems. Identification of the PAX6 transcription networks driving normal development is therefore critical in understanding the pathophysiology observed with loss-of-function defects. Here we have focused on identification of the downstream targets for Pax6 in the developing iris and ciliary body, where we used laser capture microdissection in mouse eyes from E12.5–E16.5, followed by chromatin immunoprecipitation, promoter-reporter assays and immunohistochemistry. We identified 6 differentially expressed genes between wildtype and Pax6 heterozygous mouse tissues and demonstrated that Bmp4 , Tgfβ2 , and Foxc1 were direct downstream targets of Pax6 in developing iris/ciliary body. These results improve our understanding of how mutations in Bmp4 , Tgfβ2 , and Foxc1 result in phenocopies of the aniridic eye disease and provide possible targets for therapeutic intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orbit contains many delicate and vulnerable structures, but with a solid knowledge of the anatomy one can minimize the chance of complications and better understand how regional blocks work. This article discusses anatomy of the orbit and eye, and includes rudimentary ocular physiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground surface analysis of CO 2 emissions with δ13C determination is experimentally demonstrated to be a potential methodology to monitor, on line, the dynamics of petroleum-hydrocarbon biodegradation in soil aquifers, thanks to the improvement of the Isotopic Ratio Infra Red Spectroscopy technique. Biodegradation rate of remaining hydrocarbon substrates in groundwater can be quantified using basic application of the Rayleigh equations, by δ13C CO2 analysis released at ground surface above the pollution plume instead of usual approaches based on groundwater hydrocarbons δ13C analysis, when physical and chemical properties for the contaminated site meet appropriate conditions. The validation approach for that gasoline contaminated specific site is discussed and verified by comparison of first order attenuation rate constant determined from δ13C CO2 analysis emitted at ground surface and from δ13C TOLUENE analysis in ground water. A kinetic fractionation factor α of 0.9979 (or ε value of −2.1 ± 0.5‰) is estimated for the biodegradation of the most reactive hydrocarbon substrates (TEX). The treatment of this Rayleigh equations by linear regression of δ13C CO2 values along the predominant direction of groundwater flow leads to the following results and conclusions for that site: (i) first order biodegradation rate constants (and annual variation) are maximum after the activation of a Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) in May 2014: 0.92(+0.29–0.17) year−1, and during July and October: 0.46(+0.14–0.09) year−1 and minimum in mid-winter in February 2015: 0.17(+0.05–0.03) year−1, given by the estimation range for ε. These results are in the lower range with reported in literature for similar contaminated sites (1.6–18 year−1) considering natural attenuation under sulfate reducing conditions and (ii) the seasonal variation of the first order biodegradation rate constant is mainly correlated with the seasonal variation of the CO 2 flux, where maximum values are in summers and minimum values in winters. Both seasonal variations are mainly due to the annual cycle of the natural biodegradation activity at the scale of the pollution plume, rather than the activation of the PRB. This work demonstrates that δ13C CO2 analysis released at ground surface from biodegradation of groundwater hydrocarbons could provide, under characterized and appropriate conditions, a non-intrusive (without soil samplings), fast, and low-cost online method to monitor and therefore to optimize soil remediation processes in real time. (Monitored Natural Attenuation or Enhanced Bioremediation). • Real-time monitoring of gasoline hydrocarbons biodegradation by δ13C CO2 analysis released at ground surface. • Biodegradation rate of gasoline hydrocarbons from Keeling plot method using movable CO 2 flux chambers set at ground surface. • Rayleigh eqs applied for biodegradation kinetic monitoring: ground surface δ13C CO2 versus groundwater hydrocarbons δ13C. • A new approach for fast and real-time monitoring of soil treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cosmetic alteration of iris colour with implants, along with its secondary complications, is already well described in the literature. However the use of cosmetic iris laser is relatively novel. We report on a rare case of bilateral secondary pigmentary glaucoma, in a young patient who underwent such a treatment to cause a change in iris pigmentation. Data on the safety of such procedures are lacking. Ophthalmic healthcare professionals should be aware of the potentially devastating consequences and encourage caution in patients seeking this novel treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iridaceae, the Iris family, is well-known for its magnificent flowers which come in a breathtaking array of colors. Iridaceae is widely used by several cultures as food, condiment or medicinal plants. Members of this family were investigated over the past decades for their chemical composition and pharmacological properties. Iris, Gladiolus and Belamcanda are among the most popular genera of this family. Other well-known genera include Moraea, Eleutherine and Cipura . Numerous novel compounds were isolated and interesting biological activities were reported for plants belonging to Iridaceae. The major secondary metabolites isolated from Iridaceae include isoflavonoids, flavonoids, triterpenoids, quinones, xanthones and simple phenolics. Extracts and pure compounds of the above mentioned genera were reported to possess anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, phytoestrogenic, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, hypolipidemic, immunomodulating, antimutagenic, antimicrobial, anti-tumor, cytotoxic, antidepressant, anticholinesterase and molluscicidal activities. Hence, this review provides a comprehensive overview on the isolated phytochemicals and reported biological activities for the most popular genera of Iridaceae. Moreover, the large scale cultivation of the economically important members is highlighted herein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) contributes significantly to high early mortality in the setting of advanced HIV. In resource poor settings, the current HIV disease management approach is focused on commencing antiretroviral therapy (ART) on the same day of HIV diagnosis ('Test and Treat'). The HIV program in Nigeria does not currently provide CrAg screening for patients with newly diagnosed and advanced HIV disease. We report a case of severe cryptococcal meningitis presenting following the commencement of ART. There is clear benefit in the early commencement of ART among HIV infected patients and to prevent patients lost to follow-up as aimed with the 'Test & Treat' approach. However, this approach needs to be balanced against the risk of IRIS and its associated morbidity and mortality when those patients are not being properly evaluated for opportunistic infections being present without overt symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an integral and modular pressurized water reactor (PWR), the international reactor innovative and secure (IRIS) eliminates the threat of large break LOCAs (LBLOCAs) by integrating all major reactor coolant system components into the reactor vessel and provides compact steel containment with a suppression pool. Unlike large reactor containment, IRIS containment has modest volume and compact internal structure. The analysis of traditional dry containment cannot be applied to the IRIS reactor. Despite the disappearance of LBLOCAs (exceeding 4 in), small steel containment still faces the threat of high–frequency small break LOCAs (SBLOCAs) (e.g., the largest possible 4 in chemical and volume control system (CVCS) line break and the lowest elevation 2 in direct vessel injection (DVI) line break). To identify the impact of these characteristics on the integrity of IRIS reactor containment, a safety assessment framework that combines deterministic and probabilistic methods is proposed for the pressure response of containment under SBLOCAs of IRIS reactor. First in the modeling phase, primary and secondary loop models have been built considering the design of IRIS, and accident consequences under typical SBLOCAs were evaluated using RELAP5/MODE4. A simplified model of containment was presented herein based on the primary structure of IRIS containment. Second in the input parameters identification and uncertainty quantification stage, the responses of containment were simulated using CONTEMPT–LT. Thus, the main factors affecting the depressurization capacity of the containment were identified, and the reasonable probability density distributions were determined. Third, in the uncertainty propagation stage, Monte Carlo method was used to map the uncertainty of input parameters to the output variable. Fourth in the sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis phase, the contribution of each input parameter was measured using sensitivity analysis, and their interactions were investigated. The range of deviations of the containment pressure response was measured using uncertainty analysis, and finally, the calculated results were combined with the containment fragility curve to evaluate containment failure probability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research a new framework for software-based liveness detection for direct attacks in multimodal ocular biometrics across the visible spectrum is proposed. The framework aims to develop a more realistic method for liveness detection compared to previous frameworks proposed in the literature. To fulfil the above highlighted aims in this framework, intra-class level (i.e. user level) liveness detection is introduced. To detect liveness, a new set of image quality-based features is proposed for multimodal ocular biometrics in the visible spectrum. A variety of transformed domain (focus related) aspect and contrast-related quality features are employed to design the framework. Furthermore a new database is developed for liveness detection of multimodal ocular biometrics, which has the prominent presence of multimodal ocular traits (both sclera and iris). Moreover this database is comprised of a larger variety of fake images; those were prepared by employing versatile forging techniques which can be exhibited by imposters. Therefore the proposed schema has dealt with versatile categories of spoofing methods, which were not considered previously in the literature. The database contains a set of 500 fake and 500 genuine eye images acquired from 50 different eyes. An appreciable liveness detection result is achieved in the experiments. Furthermore, the experimental results conclude that this new framework is more efficient and competitive when compared to previous liveness detection schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Periocular refers to the facial region in the vicinity of the eye, including eyelids, lashes and eyebrows. While face and irises have been extensively studied, the periocular region has emerged as a promising trait for unconstrained biometrics, following demands for increased robustness of face or iris systems. With a surprisingly high discrimination ability, this region can be easily obtained with existing setups for face and iris, and the requirement of user cooperation can be relaxed, thus facilitating the interaction with biometric systems. It is also available over a wide range of distances even when the iris texture cannot be reliably obtained (low resolution) or under partial face occlusion (close distances). Here, we review the state of the art in periocular biometrics research. A number of aspects are described, including: ( i ) existing databases, ( ii ) algorithms for periocular detection and/or segmentation, ( iii ) features employed for recognition, ( iv ) identification of the most discriminative regions of the periocular area, ( v ) comparison with iris and face modalities, ( vi ) soft-biometrics (gender/ethnicity classification), and ( vii ) impact of gender transformation and plastic surgery on the recognition accuracy. This work is expected to provide an insight of the most relevant issues in periocular biometrics, giving a comprehensive coverage of the existing literature and current state of the art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]