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To investigate the effect of different levels of bioplex manganese along with probiotics and multi‐enzymes on the performance and immune system of broilers, 640 one‐day‐old male chicks of the Ross 308 strain were reared and the data analysed in a 4 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment with four levels of bioplex manganese (0, 60, 72 and 84 mg per kg of diet), two levels of Parsilact probiotic (0 and 200 mg per kg of diet) and two levels of Combo multi‐enzyme (0 and 1,000 mg per kg of diet) in a completely randomized design with 16 experimental treatments, 4 replicates and 10 chickens per replicate during a period of 42 days. The results showed that the performance of the broiler chickens in the diets containing 72 and 84 mg bioplex manganese along with probiotics and multi‐enzymes had the greatest difference compared to the control (p <.05). Compared to the control with 0 mg/kg manganese; the bursa of Fabricius weight was greater in chickens fed diets containing additional manganese (p <.05). The concentration of antibodies produced against Newcastle disease virus, as well as the concentrations of IgG, IgM and total immunoglobulins produced against SRBC, were highest in the group fed a diet containing 84 mg manganese along with probiotics and multi‐enzymes (p <.05). The results show combining additional manganese with probiotics and multi‐enzymes in chicken diets leads to better performance as well as a stronger immune system of chickens. The results show combining additional manganese with probiotics and multi‐enzymes in chicken diets leads to better performance as well as a stronger immune system of chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Definitive radiotherapy was effectively used for treatment of de novo hypopharyngeal SCC in a previous esophageal cancer patient with a history of Fanconi anemia, resulting in a complete clinical response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Placenta previa, accompanied by placenta percreta, which involves invasion of the bladder, presents a significant risk of excessive bleeding during and after delivery. This case highlights that prophylactic embolization, conservative surgery, and careful monitoring offer an effective approach to avoid hysterectomy in cases of placenta percreta with adjacent organ involvement. Placenta previa complicated by placenta percreta is associated with a high risk of massive intra and post‐partum hemorrhage. We present a case of a 35‐year‐old woman (G2 P1) who was referred to the Akbar‐Abadi hospital at 13 weeks of gestation. Color Doppler ultrasound indicated complete placenta previa‐percreta with bladder invasion. After induction of fetal demise, bilateral uterine and bladder artery endovascular embolization was conducted for the patient. After 48 h, under ultrasound guidance, surgical resection of residual percreta tissue was conducted as much as possible. Eight weeks later, a follow‐up sonography showed the minimum residual placenta tissue and she regained menstrual cycles after 2 months. This case indicated that the combination of prophylactic embolization, conservative surgical management with placenta left in situ, and follow‐up with serial color Doppler monitoring, is an optimum method to avoid hysterectomy in placenta percreta patient with adjacent organ invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migration of Ascaris lumbricoides through the papilla of Vater in humans, and entry into the biliary tree, is well‐recognised. Ascaris suum and Toxocara vitulorum have been recovered from the liver of swine and buffalo. We necropsied a Persian Kurdish filly at age 6 months, weighing ∼100 kg. Death evidently was caused by oleander (Nerium oleander) intoxication. An 8‐cm adult male Parascaris was found at the lobar‐left hepatic bile duct junction. We suggest that the nematode entered anteriorly into the hepatic tree, via the duodenum, major duodenal papilla, bile duct, left hepatic duct and finally the lobar duct. Considering the brief 4‐h elapsed time between death and necropsy, and the 18‐cm distance from the major duodenal papilla to the location of the parasite, we conclude that entry into the biliary tree likely occurred ante‐mortem. We advise consideration of Parascaris infection in differential diagnosis of equine hepatic and pancreatic dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pemphigus disease activity measurements: pemphigus disease area index, autoimmune bullous skin disorder intensity score, and pemphigus vulgaris activity score. Self-assessment Pemphigus Vulgaris Activity Score (SA-PVAS): A new tool for patients to self-assess their disease severity Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering mucocutaneous disease with an unpredictable course.1,2 For assessing the severity of PV, several scoring systems have been developed such as Pemphigus Disease Area Index (PDAI) and Pemphigus Vulgaris Activity Score (PVAS).3 We conducted this study to evaluate the translated simplified version of the PVAS called Self-Assessment PVAS (SA-PVAS) in comparison with the PDAI. [Extracted from the article]

In this study, a new systematic approach is proposed to design the fuzzy controller for a class of Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy‐partial differential equation (TS fuzzy‐PDE) systems which describe the non‐linear distributed parameter system formulated by first‐order semi‐linear hyperbolic PDEs. In this study, non‐quadratic Lyapunov function is utilised and some slack matrices are introduced to derive stability conditions in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). The proposed approach has three main features. First, stability conditions are not derived in the form of spatial differential LMI. Second, conservativeness of LMI conditions is reduced. Third, there is no restriction on the form of semi‐linear hyperbolic PDE systems and therefore more semi‐linear systems classes can be stabilised. Also, the proposed approach is more suitable for practical implementation compared with the recently published papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Clinical trials investigating the effects of addition of oxaliplatin to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancers (LARCs) have brought controversial results for pathologic complete response as an endpoint. This randomized clinical trial investigated downstaging as a short-term surrogate for progression-free survival (PFS). Methods Patients with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) defined T3, T4 or N+ histologically proven adenocarcinoma of rectum within 15 cm from anal verge were randomly assigned to receive 50-50.4 Gy external beam radiation in 25-28 fractions and concurrent capecitabine 825 mg/m2 twice daily 5 days a week with or without oxaliplatin 60 mg/m2 weekly as neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (Capox and Cap group, respectively). T downstage was defined as at least one stage regression in pathologic report after surgery comparing to MRI image before the preoperative treatment. Adverse effects of treatment were recorded on a weekly basis according to National Cancer Institute Common Toxicity Criteria, version 4. Results Sixty-three patients were randomly assigned to Cap ( n = 31) and Capox ( n = 32) groups. There was no grade 4 toxicity. The only grade 3 toxicity that occurred more in Capox group was diarrhea (22% vs 0%; P = 0.006). Histopathologic stage of 52 patients (27 patients in Cap and 25 patients in Capox groups) was compared to their preoperative stage defined by MRI. There was a greater rate of T downstage in Capox group (59% vs 42%; P = 0.037). Eleven patients in Capox group (34%) achieved pathologic complete response, comparing to four in Cap group (13%); P = 0.072. Conclusion The addition of oxalipatin to neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy in LARC led to higher rate of tumor downstaging. Longer follow-up is needed to evaluate PFS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]