Videogaming, including violent video gaming, has become very common and lockdown measures of the COVID-19 pandemic even increased the prevalence rates. In this study we examined if violent videogaming is associated with more adverse childhood experiences and if it impairs pain processing and fear conditioning. We tested three groups of participants (violent video gamers, nonviolent video gamers, and non-gamers) and examined fear conditioning as well as pain perception during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Violent video gamers displayed significantly higher pain thresholds as well as pain tolerance for electric stimulation, pressure pain stimulation, and cold pressor pain measurements compared to nonviolent video gamers and non-gamers. This relationship was moderated by adverse childhood experiences, especially physical neglect. Brain images acquired during the fear conditioning fMRI task showed that violent video gamers display significantly less differential brain activation to stimuli signaling pain versus no pain in the anterior cingulate cortex, the juxtapositional lobule cortex, and the paracingulate gyrus compared to non-gamers. There was also a significant negative correlation between adverse childhood experiences and activation in the precuneus and the intracalcarine cortex for signals of pain versus safety. The results of this study imply that violent video gaming is related to reduced processing of pain and signals of pain in a fear learning task, dependent of adverse childhood experiences. These mechanisms need to be examined in more detail and these data could be helpful in preventing the onset and adverse consequences of violent video gaming.

In recent years, steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) became an increasingly valuable tool to investigate neural dynamics of competitive attentional interactions and brain computer interfaces. This is due to their good signal-to-noise ratio, allowing for single trial analysis and their ongoing oscillating nature that enables to analyze temporal dynamics of facilitation and suppression. Given the popularity of SSVEPs, it is surprising that only a few studies looked at the cortical sources of these responses. This is in particular the case when searching for studies that assessed the cortical sources of attentional SSVEP amplitude modulations. To address this issue, we used a typical spatial attention task and recorded neuromagnetic fields (MEG) while presenting frequency-tagged stimuli in the left and right visual field, respectively. Importantly, we controlled for attentional deployment in a baseline period before the shifting cue. Subjects either attended to a central fixation cross or to two peripheral stimuli simultaneously. Results clearly showed that signal sources and attention effects were restricted to early visual cortex: V1, V2, hMT+, precuneus, occipital-parietal and inferior-temporal cortex. When subjects attended to central fixation first, shifting attention to one of the peripheral stimuli resulted in a significant activation increase for the to-be-attended stimulus with no activation decrease for the to-be-ignored stimulus in hMT+ and inferio-temporal cortex, but significant SSVEF decreases from V1 to occipito-parietal cortex. When attention was first deployed to both rings, shifting attention away from one ring basically resulted in a significant activation decrease in all areas for the then to-be-ignored stimulus.

Electronic gambling machines include a suite of design characteristics that may contribute to gambling related harms and require more careful attention of regulators and policymakers. One strategy that has contributed to these concerns is the presentation of “losses disguised as wins” (LDWs), a type of salient losing outcome in which a gambling payout is less than the amount wagered (i.e., a net loss), but is nonetheless accompanied by the celebratory audio-visual stimuli that typically accompanies a genuine win. These events could thereby be mistaken for gains, or otherwise act as a reward signal, reinforcing persistent gambling, despite being a loss. This study aimed to determine whether LDWs evoke a reward positivity component in a task modelled on slot-machine gambling. A prominent account of the reward positivity event-related potential suggests that it is evoked during the positive appraisal of task related feedback, relative to neutral or negative events, or that it is evoked by neural systems that implement the computation of a positive reward prediction error. We recruited 32 individuals from university recruitment pools and asked them to engage in a simple gambling task designed to mimic key features of a slot machine design. The reward positivity was identified using temporospatial principal components analysis. Results indicated a more positive reward positivity following LDWs relative to clear losses, consistent with the theory that LDWs contribute to positive reinforcement of continued gambling, despite being net losses.Now peer-reviewed, updated and published in psychophysiology. Cite as: Myles, D., Carter, A., Yücel, M., & Bode, S. (2024). Losses disguised as wins evoke the reward positivity event-related potential in a simulated machine gambling task. Psychophysiology, 00, e14541. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.14541

Inaccurate models limit the performance of model-based real-time optimization (RTO) and even cause system instability. Therefore, a RTO framework that can guarantee global convergence with the presence of plant-model mismatch is desired. In this regard, the trust-region framework is simple to implement and guarantees globally convergent for unconstrained problems. However, it remains to be seen if the trust-region strategy can handle inequality constraints directly with the common model adaptation method. This paper addresses this issue and proposes a novel composite-step trust-region framework that guarantees global convergence for constrained RTO problems. The trial step is decomposed into a normal step that improves feasibility and a tangential step that reduces the cost function. In each iteration, the model optimization problem with relaxed constraints is solved. The proof of the global convergence property under structural plant-model mismatch is given.

A stoma forms by a series of asymmetric divisions of a stomatal lineage precursor cell and the terminal division of a guard mother cell (GMC). The symmetric division of the GMC is rigidly restricted to only once through complex genetic regulation mechanisms. Here, we show that nitric oxide (NO) is involved in the regulation of the GMC terminal division. NO donor treatment results in the formation of single guard cells (SGCs). SGCs are also produced in plants that accumulate high NO, whereas clustered guard cells (GCs) appear in plants with low NO accumulation. NO treatment promotes the formation of SGCs in the stomatal cell signaling mutants sdd1, epf1 epf2, tmm1, erl2 and yda-1, reduces the cell number per stomatal cluster in the fama-1 and flp-1 myb88, but has no effect on stomatal cells of cdkb1;1 cyca2;2 cyca2;3 cyca2;4 quadruple mutants. Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC), a positive regulator of GMC division, reduces the NO-induced SGC formation. Further investigation found that NO inhibits ACC synthesis by repressing the expression of several ACC SYNTHASE ( ACS) genes, and in turn ACC represses NO accumulation by promoting the expression of HEMOGLOBIN 1 ( HB1) which encodes a NO scavenger. This work shows that NO plays a role in the regulation of the GMC terminal division by modulating ACC accumulation in the Arabidopsis cotyledon.

In conclusion, we present this case in order to complement CFTR gene mutations data of Chinese children with cystic fibrosis and improve clinicians' understanding of this disease in China. Besides, with the development of molecular biology technology, gene detection was expected to play an important role in the early diagnosis, early treatment, and prognosis improvement of the disease.

Eco-friendly and sustainable energy harvests that can alleviate concerns on the energy crisis and environmental pollution are in demand. Exploiting nature-derived biomaterials is imperative to develop these carbon-neutral energy harvesters. In this study, lignin/polycaprolactone nanofiber (NF)-based triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) are fabricated using an electrospinning technique. Nanotextured morphology of electrospun lignin/polycaprolactone NFs and wettability modification of lignin into hydrophilicity can significantly enhance electron transfer between tribopositive and tribonegative materials, resulting in the highest energy-harvesting efficiency in their class. The output voltage of the lignin-based TENG exceeds 95 V despite relatively low tapping force of 9 N and frequency of 9 Hz. Various mechanical and physicochemical characterizations, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, and atomic force microscopy (AFM), are performed, confirming the mechanical durability, biocompatibility, and industrial viability of lignin-based TENG developed here.

Examining how plant traits respond to and affect herbivory is a common approach to exploring plant-herbivore interactions and their impact on ecosystem processes and functioning. Despite plants being potentially exposed to both vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores simultaneously, fundamental differences in the ecology and evolution of these two herbivore guilds results in them often being studied separately. A synthesis of the literature is needed to understand the types of plant traits examined and their response to, and effect on (in terms of forage selection) vertebrate and invertebrate herbivory, and to identify associated knowledge gaps. Focusing on grassland systems and species, we found 139 articles that met our criteria: 40 invertebrate, 97 vertebrate and 2 focussed on both vertebrate and invertebrate herbivores. Invertebrate focussed research, research conducted in the Southern Hemisphere and research on non-domesticated herbivores was significantly underrepresented based on our search. Differences in study focus (trait response or trait affect), along with considerable differences in the types of traits examined, led to limited capacity for comparison between the two herbivore guilds. For both invertebrates and vertebrates however, plant traits related to growth, such as leaf nitrogen and photosynthetic capacity, were often positively associated with herbivory. Future research should prioritise understanding how invertebrates, and the combined impact of both invertebrates and vertebrates’ respond to and affect plant traits. This review can be used as a guide for future research to select plant traits which are commonly measured either within one, or across both guild/s, as to help improve comparability and the broader significance of results, while also extending research breadth and knowledge.

Our limited knowledge about the ecological drivers of global arthropod decline highlights the urgent need for more effective biodiversity monitoring approaches. Monitoring of arthropods is commonly performed using passive trapping devices, which reliably recover diverse communities, but provide little ecological information on the sampled taxa. Especially the manifold interactions of arthropods with plants are barely understood. A promising strategy to overcome this shortfall is environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding of arthropods from plant material they have interacted with. However, the accuracy of this approach has not been sufficiently tested. In four experiments, we exhaustively test the comparative performance of plant-derived eDNA from surface washes of plants and homogenized plant material against traditional monitoring approaches. We show that the recovered communities of plant-derived eDNA and traditional approaches only partly overlap, with eDNA recovering various additional cryptic taxa. This suggests eDNA as a useful complementary tool to traditional monitoring. Despite the differences in recovered taxa, estimates of community α- and β-diversity between both approaches are well correlated, highlighting the utility of eDNA as a broad scale tool for community monitoring. Last, eDNA outperforms traditional approaches in the recovery of plant-specific arthropod communities. Unlike traditional monitoring, eDNA revealed fine-scaled community differentiation between individual plants and even within plant compartments. Especially specialized herbivores are better recovered with eDNA. Our results highlight the value of plant derived eDNA analysis for large-scale biodiversity assessments that include information about community level interactions.

The study of luminescence phenomena in non-conjugated systems, namely clusteroluminescence, has gained significant attention for the development of advanced luminescent materials. While conventional strategies to manipulate the luminescent performances are based on complicated chemical reactions. In contrast, nature employs complexation to modulate luminescence, inspiring researchers to adopt an engineering approach for the construction of efficient clusteroluminogens. In this work, we explore the complexation-induced clusteroluminescence of carbonyl-based polymers with nitrogen-containing organic bases, exemplified by polyamide, polyester, polycarbonate, and poly(monothiocarbonate). The results demonstrate an increase in the intrinsic 440 nm emission of carbonyl groups and the emergence of new emission peaks upon complexation. The study proposes a through-space n‧‧‧π complex mechanism, highlighting the potential of complexation as a strategy for modulating the clusteroluminescent properties of non-conjugated systems. Further research is necessary to unravel underlying mechanisms, optimize cluster structures, and explore new materials for complexation, thereby advancing optoelectronics and photonics fields and enabling practical applications of clusteroluminescent materials.

The isopentenol utilization pathway (IUP) is potential in terpenoids synthesis. This study aimed to construct IUP-employed E. coli chassis for stably synthesizing terpenoids. As to effectiveness, promotor engineering strategy was employed to regulate IUP expression level, while ribosome-binding site (RBS) library of the key enzyme was constructed for screening the optimal RBS, followed by optimization of concentration of inducer and substrates, the titer of reporting production, lycopene, from 0.087 to 8.67 mg/OD600. As about stability, the IUP expression cassette was integrated into the genome through transposition tool based on CRISPR-associated transposases. Results showed that the strain with 13 copies produced 1.78-fold lycopene titer that of the controlled strain with IUP-harbored plasmid, and it exhibited stable expression after ten successions while the plasmid loss was observed in the controlled strain in the 3rd succession. This strategy provides valuable information for rapid construction of highly effective and stable chassis employing IUP for terpenoids production.

Title PageSubmission Category: Case ReportTitle: Case Report: Coexistence of Jacob Syndrome, congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia, and Ambiguous Genitalia in a Male Infant.Qaisar Ali Khan1; Faiza Amatul-Hadi, BS2; Amritpal Kooner, MA3; Amber Lee4, Rahma Ahmed5, Adithya Nadella6 Harshawardhan  Pande 7 , Yaxel Levin- Carrion 8,Muhammad Afzal9,Moses Alfaro, BSA10

When two putative cryptic species meet in nature, hybrid zone analysis can be used to estimate the extent of gene flow between them. Two recently recognized cryptic species of banded newt (genus Ommatotriton) are suspected to meet in parapatry in Anatolia but a formal hybrid zone analysis has never been conducted. We sample populations throughout the range, with a focus on the supposed contact zone, and genotype them for 31 nuclear DNA SNP markers and mtDNA. We determine the degree of genetic admixture, introgression and niche overlap. We reveal an extremely narrow hybrid zone, suggesting strong selection against hybrids, in line with species status. The hybrid zone does not appear to be positioned at an ecological barrier and there is significant niche overlap. Therefore, the hybrid zone is best classified as a tension zone, maintained by intrinsic selection against hybrids. While the two banded newt species can evidently backcross, we see negligible introgression and the pattern is symmetric, which we interpret as supporting that the hybrid zone has been practically stationary since its origin (while extensive hybrid zone movement has been suggested in other newt genera in the region). Our study illustrates the use of hybrid zone analysis to test cryptic species status.

Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura After Receiving AstraZeneca Coronavirus Disease-2019 Vaccine in A Patient with A Past History of the Same Disease: A Case ReportSaba Seyedia, Shadan Navidb,Zahra Saadatianc*Department of Medical laboratory sciences, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Science, Gonabad, Iran.Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Diseases Research Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran.Corresponding author: Zahra Saadatian. Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, [email protected]@gmu.ac.irkey words: AstraZeneca, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, AZD1222, case report, covid-19Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura After Receiving AstraZeneca Coronavirus Disease-2019 Vaccinein A Patient with A Past History of the Same Disease: A Case ReportKey Clinical Message: Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a low platelets count, petechiae, purpura, and conjunctival hemorrhage. In this paper, we present a relapse of ITP in an Iranian 31-year-old woman as a potential complication of the AstraZeneca vaccine.IntroductionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-Cov-2)classified in the coronaviridae family is characterized as a pandemic, and the virus is spreading increasingly worldwide (1). Accelerated efforts to develop safe and effective vaccines commenced immediately to control this pandemic (2). AstraZeneca/Oxford’s AZD1222, a vaccine candidate that entered phase 1 clinical trial in mid-May 2020, was injected intramuscularly in two doses to the participants aged 18-55 years at least 28 days intervals (3). Early observations insinuate that exposure to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine might trigger the expression of antiplatelet antibodies, resulting in a condition with thrombocytopenia and venous thrombotic events (e.g., intracranial venous sinus thrombosis) (4). ITP is a rare autoimmune disorder with reduced circulating platelets and occasionally impaired megakaryopoiesis (5). Platelets, as the smallest cell fragments of the human blood, are central players in the processes of hemostasis and thrombosis (6). The normal human platelets count ranges from 150 × 109 to 450 × 109platelets per liter of blood, and its insufficient count elevates the risk of spontaneous bleeding (7). In this case report, we confer the relapse of immune thrombocytopenic purpura after the first vaccination with ”the COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca” the first time.Case historyAn Iranian 31 years old female with a previous history of ITP presented with progressive, vast, and diffuse ecchymosis, increased scattered petechia purpura, and fatigue three weeks after receiving the first dose of AstraZeneca. As a result of symptoms persistence, she was referred to an outpatient laboratory to evaluate her complete blood count (CBC) 28 days after vaccine injection. CBC result showed a platelet count of &lt2000 / Mm3 and demonstrated ITP relapse. Considering her previous medical history, she had experienced a platelet decrease (9000/ Mm3 platelet count) when she was 25. On that occasion, various tests including autoimmune diseases tests (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and antiphospholipid syndrome), and bone marrow aspiration had ruled out other causes of platelets decrease and confirmed ITP. She had been treated with dexamethasone injection for three days in the hospital and taking prednisolone pills for six months. She had periodic checkups of CBCs, and the range of platelets was different between 210-100× 103/ Mm3. The last CBC monitoring was carried out in 2019.Differential diagnosis, investigations and treatmentAfter the COVID-19 pandemic, nevertheless, our case did not perform routine checkups, nor did she have any symptoms of platelet depletion such as scattered ecchymoses and fatigue before receiving the vaccine. Since she previously had ITP, she was given high dose dexamethasone and then saw a physician who recommended hospital admission when her platelet count came back at 25000/ Mm3. Other hematological, biochemical, and immunological tests did not reveal any other disease except intensive thrombocytopenia (Table 1).In addition, her CRP was negative, and ESR was normal, ruling out any infection and inflammation existence that could be related to other causes of ITP. In the hospital, she received intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG)(50gr) and dexamethasone (40mg) for four days, and after her platelet count reached above 100× 103/ Mm3, she was discharged. On completion of treatment, she had been prescribed 40mg per day of dexamethasone for four days at intervals of two weeks with periodic monitoring of her CBC. Figure1 illustrates platelet counts considering before and after disease diagnosis and treatment.Outcome and follow-upConsidering the persistence of platelet count in the normal range and with due attention to the previous finding that expresses the benefit of vaccination is more than its risks (8), our case received the next dose of AstraZeneca vaccine three months after the first dose and about 1.5 months after treatment completion. Nevertheless, her platelet stability did not collapse (210× 103/ Mm3), nor did she present signs of ITP. Moreover, she got vaccinated with the same vaccine for the third time about six months later and she did not experience any side effects (platelet count: 213× 103/ Mm3).DiscussionImmune thrombocytopenic purpura is an autoimmune blood disorder characterized by platelet reduction followed by petechiae, purpura, conjunctival hemorrhage, or other types of mucocutaneous bleeding (9). The incidence of the disorder is about 100 in 1milion people each year, and most of the patients are children (9). However, it is developed in acute form lasting about six months in children and adults. It is generally chronic and occurs more in women than men (9). Early detection of ITP is critical because intracranial hemorrhage could be the major cause of fatal bleeding in these patients (9). Immune thrombocytopenic purpura usually appears following autoimmune conditions and viral infections (6). In addition, considering many reports, ITP could be manifested as a result of vaccines (6).More than 100 COVID-19 vaccine candidates are currently under development, and the number is increasing (10). Various types of vaccines are classified into recombinant protein vaccines, mRNA-based vaccines, DNA- based vaccines, and vector-based vaccines (10). The AstraZeneca vaccine is from the adenovirus category, and the vaccine candidate is ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 (10). The advantages of this vaccine are a high transfection efficacy, as the viral vector imitates the natural infection process. Disadvantages are that the vaccine may promote thrombocytopenia and intracranial venous sinus thrombosis (4). In addition, there are some reports of post vaccine ITP (11).Previously, Koch and his colleagues described a 41 years old male with ITP, 14 days after the first dose of vaccination with AstraZeneca from Germany (5). Furthermore, there were other reports of ITP three and two days after receiving AstraZeneca in a Korean 66 years old female and an Iraqi 25 years old male respectively (16, 17). In a case series, 17 cases were reported with secondary ITP related to AstraZeneca. All of them had onset within 28 days after vaccine administration, but one case diagnosed with ITP after 78 days (11).According to the information from previous vaccines, various mechanisms could trigger ITP after vaccination, such as impairment regulation of T cells, elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and increased macrophage-mediated eradication (12). Although the mechanism of vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia (VITT) post-AstraZeneca vaccine has been elucidated in some research (13), there isn’t much known about the mechanism of immune thrombocytopenia post-AstraZeneca vaccine. It seems IgG antibodies against platelet factor 4 (PF4) are responsible for VITT (14). On the other hand, IgG is the principal antibody in ITP, which is opposed to platelet membrane glycoproteins such as GPIIb/IIIa (15). Moreover, spike protein is the antigenic target for vaccines such as SARS-CoV-1 and MERS (15). But it’s unclear whether spike protein and the PF4 have any cross-reactions with each other (15). Altogether, more information is required to determine if the underlying mechanism of other vaccines can be the same as post-COVID19 vaccine ITP.In this paper we introduced an Iranian 31 years old female with a past history of ITP who developed petechia purpura and ecchymosis following AstraZeneca first dose administration and diagnosed with thrombocytopenia. After completion of treatment the next doses of the same vaccine are injected and there were no side effects. To the best of our knowledge, this paper may be the first case report presenting a patient with a past history of vaccine complication receiving the second and booster doses of the same vaccine without any incident.ConclusionSome patients with past history of ITP may be more susceptible to immune thrombocytopenia from drugs or inciting agents as well as AstraZeneca Coronavirus Disease-2019 Vaccine. Physicians should always be cautious administering new agents to ITP patients since that disorder, a prior indicated altered immune response. In addition, measuring platelet count before and after vaccine reception is suggested. Furthermore, it is indispensable to pay attention to any early signs of ITP to primarily manage the condition and prevent disease deterioration that could be life-threatening.DeclarationsEthics approval and consent to participateThis study was approved by the ethics committee of the Infectious Diseases Center, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran. (IR.GMU.REC.1400.207).Author contributionsSaba Seyedi: Conceptualization, Writing – original draftShadan Navid: investigation, data curationZahra Saadatian: Supervision, writing – review and editingAcknowledgementsWe would like to thank the patient for agreeing to share her clinical information with the readers of this article.Funding informationThis research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.Conflict of interest statementAll authors have approved the manuscript for submission and have no competing interests to declare.ConsentWritten informed consent was obtained from the patient for publication of this case report.Availability of data and materialNot applicableReferences1. Hu B, Guo H, Zhou P, Shi Z-L. Characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19. Nature Reviews Microbiology. 2021;19(3):141-54.2. Heath P, Galiza E, Baxter D, Boffito M, Browne D, Burns F, et al. Safety and efficacy of NVX-CoV2373 Covid-19 vaccine. The New England journal of medicine. 2021;385.3. Sharma O, Sultan AA, Ding H, Triggle CR. A Review of the Progress and Challenges of Developing a Vaccine for COVID-19. Front Immunol. 2020;11:585354.4. Wolf ME, Luz B, Niehaus L, Bhogal P, Bazner H, Henkes H. Thrombocytopenia and Intracranial Venous Sinus Thrombosis after ”COVID-19 Vaccine AstraZeneca” Exposure. J Clin Med. 2021;10(8).5. Koch M, Fuld S, Middeke JM, Fantana J, von Bonin S, Beyer-Westendorf J. Secondary Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) Associated with ChAdOx1 Covid-19 Vaccination - A Case Report. TH Open. 2021;5(3):e315-e8.6. Idogun PO, Ward MC, Teklie Y, Wiese-Rometsch W, Baker J. Newly Diagnosed Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Post COVID-19 Vaccine Administration. Cureus. 2021;13(5):e14853.7. Msaouel P, Lam AP, Gundabolu K, Chrysofakis G, Yu Y, Mantzaris I, et al. Abnormal platelet count is an independent predictor of mortality in the elderly and is influenced by ethnicity. Haematologica. 2014;99(5):930.8. Simpson CR, Shi T, Vasileiou E, Katikireddi SV, Kerr S, Moore E, et al. First-dose ChAdOx1 and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines and thrombocytopenic, thromboembolic and hemorrhagic events in Scotland. Nat Med. 2021;27(7):1290-7.9. Cines DB, Blanchette VS. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(13):995-1008.10. Wang J, Peng Y, Xu H, Cui Z, Williams RO, 3rd. The COVID-19 Vaccine Race: Challenges and Opportunities in Vaccine Formulation. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2020;21(6):225-.11. Gordon SF, Clothier HJ, Morgan H, Buttery JP, Phuong LK, Monagle P, et al. Immune thrombocytopenia following immunisation with Vaxzevria ChadOx1-S (AstraZeneca) vaccine, Victoria, Australia. Vaccine. 2021;39(48):7052-7.12. Perricone C, Ceccarelli F, Nesher G, Borella E, Odeh Q, Conti F, et al. Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) associated with vaccinations: a review of reported cases. Immunol Res. 2014;60(2-3):226-35.13. Greinacher A, Thiele T, Warkentin TE, Weisser K, Kyrle PA, Eichinger S. Thrombotic Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCov-19 Vaccination. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(22):2092-101.14. Schultz NH, Sørvoll IH, Michelsen AE, Munthe LA, Lund-Johansen F, Ahlen MT, et al. Thrombosis and Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccination. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(22):2124-30.15. A Ali E, Al-Maharmeh Q, Rozi WM, Habib MB, Yassin M. Immune thrombocytopenia purpura flare post COVID-19 vaccine. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2022;75:103164-.16. Kim G, Choi EJ, Park HS, Lee JH, Lee JH, Lee KH. A Case Report of Immune Thrombocytopenia after ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 Vaccination. J Korean Med Sci. 2021;36(43):e306.17. Razzaq AK, Al-Jasim A. Oxford-AstraZeneca Coronavirus Disease-2019 Vaccine-Induced Immune Thrombocytopenia on Day Two. Case Reports in Hematology. 2021;2021:2580832.

Introduction:Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the causative agent of chickenpox, a viral rash that is generally benign and self-limiting, requiring minimal treatment. However, in rare cases, complications can arise. Although chickenpox is commonly associated with mild thrombocytopenia in children, severe thrombocytopenia resulting in bleeding is uncommon [1]. Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) is a blood disorder characterized by the destruction of platelets through immune-mediated mechanisms, leading to a decrease in platelet count below 100×10^9/L. Viral infections and live virus vaccinations are frequent triggers of ITP. It presents as acute, self-limiting episodes of bleeding, usually minor, but with the potential for intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Compared to other causes of thrombocytopenia, ITP typically results in less severe bleeding. Diagnosis is based on clinical presentation and laboratory findings, and it is a diagnosis of exclusion [2]. The primary goal of treating a patient with ITP is to raise their platelet count to a safer level, reducing the risk of severe bleeding, particularly intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). Corticosteroids have been effectively used since the 1950s, reducing the production of anti-platelet antibodies and enhancing the clearance of opsonized platelets. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), introduced by Imbach et al., has also shown high efficacy in increasing platelet counts in over 80% of patients, with a faster onset of action compared to steroids [3].The coexistence of chickenpox and ITP presents a clinical conundrum, as the underlying mechanisms linking these conditions remain elusive. Although there are sporadic reports in the medical literature of patients developing ITP following chickenpox, the incidence of this simultaneous presentation is exceedingly rare. Furthermore, the majority of these reported cases lack comprehensive hematologic data, hindering a thorough understanding of the clinical course and management strategies.We thus present one such intriguing and rare case of chickenpox with simultaneous ITP purpura.

A new coccidian species, Isospora elliotae n. sp., from the Australian magpie Gymnorhina tibicen (Latham, 1801) in Western Australia is described and characterised morphologically and molecularly. Microscopic analysis of a faecal sample identified subspheroidal oöcysts (n = 20), 20–22 × 18–20 (20.7 × 18.7); length/width (L/W) ratio 1.05–1.14 (1.10). Wall bi-layered, 1.0–1.3 (1.2) thick, outer layer smooth, c.2/3 of total thickness. Micropyle and oocyst residuum absent, but usually two polar granules are present. Sporocysts (n = 28) ovoidal, 12–13 × 9–11 (12.6 × 9.7); L/W ratio 1.22–1.35 (1.30). Stieda body present, flattened to half-moon-shaped, c. 0.5 deep × 2.0 wide; sub-Stieda indistinct or barely discernible, c. 1.0 deep × 2.5 wide; para-Stieda body absent; sporocyst residuum present, composed of granules dispersed among the sporozoites. Sporozoites vermiform, with anterior and posterior refractile bodies and nucleus. Segments of three gene loci (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and COI) were sequenced and I. elliotae n. sp. exhibited 99.8% genetic similarity to Isospora sp. MAH-2013a (KF648870) followed by 99.7% genetic similarity to Isospora neochmiae Yang, Brice & Ryan, 2016 (KT224380) at the 18S rRNA gene locus. It shared 97.0% genetic similarity with an unnamed Isospora sp. (AY283852) at the 28S rRNA gene locus and it also shared the highest genetic similarity of 99.8% with the unnamed Isospora sp. from an American crow (OL999120) at the COI gene locus. Based on morphological and molecular data, this isolate is a new species named as I. elliotae n. sp.

IntroductionSolitary Fibrous tumours (SFTs) were first described in 1931 by Klemperer et al. as pleural tumours. Since then, it has been reported in many extra-pleural sites but is found to be exceedingly rare. Most of them are reported to arise from the pleura, and only 30% are of extra-pleural origins. Less than a hundred cases of Primary Retroperitoneal Solitary Fibrous Tumours have been described till now. These are rare soft-tissue sarcomas, with mesenchymal origins. The symptoms of these tumours depend on the location. The diagnosis is done mainly by imaging such as ultrasonography, Computed tomography or Magnetic resonance imaging. The standard of treatment for these tumours is by surgical excision with clear margins. The role of adjuvant chemotherapy is controversial.

The enteropathogen Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica sv. Typhimurium str. LT2 (hereafter S. Typhimurium) utilizes a cluster of genes encoded within the pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2) of its genome to proliferate inside macrophages. The expression of SPI-2 is controlled by a complex network of transcriptional regulators and environmental cues, which now include a recently characterized DNA-binding protein named PagR. Growth of S. Typhimurium in low phosphate low magnesium medium mimics conditions inside macrophages. Under such conditions, PagR ensures SPI-2 induction by upregulating the transcription of slyA, a known activator of SPI-2. Here we report that PagR represses the expression of a divergently transcribed polycistronic operon that encodes the two subunits of transketolase TktC ( i.e., tktD, tktE) of this bacterium. Transketolases contribute to the non-redox rearrangements of phosphorylated sugars of the pentose phosphate pathway, which provide building blocks for amino acids, nucleotides, cofactors, etc. We also demonstrate that PagR represses the expression of its own gene and define two PagR binding sites between stm2344 and pagR.