Eosinophilic ulcer of oral mucosa: a case report

Eosinophilic Ulcer (EU) is a rare self-limiting chronic benign lesion of the oral mucosa with pathogenesis still unclear, however it may resemble malignancies, traumatic ulcerations and some infections such as deep fungal infections, tuberculosis and primary syphilis. This is a case report of a patient with EU in the lateral border of the tongue with no history of associated trauma and refractory to treatment with drugs. The ulcer rapidly healed after an incisional biopsy and the definite diagnosis was achieved only combining histologic findings and the clinical follow-up.     

Soluble IL-15/IL-15Rα complexes in human serum

In this issue of Blood, Bergamaschi and colleagues demonstrate that effectively all circulating IL-15 found in the serum of humans and mice is associated with the soluble IL-15Rα.(1)     

Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita in a Patient with Limited Mouth Opening: A Case Report

This report describes a case of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita and concomitant bruxism with limited mouth opening and pain in the temporomandibular joints (TMJ). A conservative treatment with a myorelaxing splint and physiotherapeutic exercises was prescribed resulting in improvement to the muscular and joint conditions and a reduction in pain.     

Severe acute pancreatitis with abscess after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy: a rare complication

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is a widely accepted procedure for urolithiasis. However, the shock waves do not pass through the body without damage. Here, we reported a 57-year-old man who underwent ESWL four times before, and immediately developed acute pancreatitis and peritoneal abscess after ESWL for a right renal stone. Although the possibility of post-ESWL acute pancreatitis is extremely low, urologists must be aware of this vital complication.     

Structural and pharmacological profile of generic enoxaparins used in Brazil

Generic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) have been commonly used in Brazil, since 1999, but most of them are synthetic and small molecules. Recently, a large number of generic enoxaparins were introduced into the market raising concerns related to product-to-product interchangeability, efficiency, and drug counterfeiting. These drugs are produced from biological sources and their production involves complex procedures and purification processes. The present article evaluates several generic enoxaparins, structurally and pharmacologically, and compares them with the branded products. Structural analysis showed that the generic products are, indeed, quite similar to the branded products, however, this similarity cannot be extended to their pharmacological activities. The results showed that generic products must go through extensive structural, pharmacological, and clinical evaluation in order to assess their quality, efficacy and, ultimately, avoid drug counterfeiting before clinical use. Variation was also observed between the branded products, showing that such drugs must be at constant surveillance.     

Electron beam irradiation for the formation of thick Ag film on Ag3PO4

This study demonstrates that the electron beam irradiation of materials, typically used in characterization measurements, could be employed for advanced fabrication, modification, and functionalization of composites. We developed irradiation equipment using an electron beam irradiation source to be applied in materials modification. Using this equipment, the formation of a thick Ag film on the Ag₃PO₄ semiconductor is carried out by electron beam irradiation for the first time. This is confirmed by various experimental techniques (X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. Our calculations demonstrate that, at the earlier stages, metallic Ag growth is initiated preferentially at the (110) surface, with the reduction of surface Ag cations forming metallic Ag clusters. As the (100) and (111) surfaces have smaller numbers of exposed Ag cations, the reductions on these surfaces are slower and are accompanied by the formation of O₂ molecules.

This study demonstrates that the electron beam irradiation of materials, typically used in characterization measurements, could be employed for advanced fabrication, modification, and functionalization of composites.