A Fluorescent Covalent Organic Cage for Ultrafast Detection of Picric Acid and HCl Vapor Sensing.

Covalent organic cages (COCs) have recently gained massive attention owing to their solution processability and structural flexibility. Herein, we report an amine-linked fluorescent COC (COC2) synthesized by adopting dynamic covalent imine chemistry followed by imine bond reduction and characterized with different spectroscopic techniques. The COC2 was utilized for highly sensitive, selective, and ultrafast detection of picric acid at the nanomolar level.

The Beneficial Effect of Three-month Induction Therapy with High-dose Prednisone and Mycophenolate Mofetil Followed by Maintenance Therapy in Acute Non-crescentic Nephritis Associated with Immunoglobulin A Deposition Disease in Adults.

The data available on immunoglobulin A (IgA) deposition disease indicate an inherited predisposition to the disease with autoimmune triggering. Hence, we prospectively evaluated the role of a new autoimmune regimen in the treatment of severe nephrotic or nephritic flares associated with noncrescentic nephritis in adult patients. Thirty-six patients were included, and the regimen consisted of an initial 3-month induction phase of prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), followed by a maintenance phase of MMF alone for 21 months.

Acquired Perforating Dermatosis: A Disorder Treatable with Mycophenolate Mofetil.

Acquired perforating dermatosis (APD) is an adult skin disease characterized by an umbilicated papulonodular rash with transepidermal elimination of dermal components such as collagen and/or elastin. It is frequently associated with multiple medications and diseases such as diabetes and chronic renal failure. It is a disabling disease with severe pruritus in 83.

Narrow-band dazzling red-emitting (LiCaLa(MoO):Eu) phosphor with scheelite structure for hybrid white LEDs and LiCaLa(MoO):Sm,Eu-based deep-red LEDs for plant growth applications.

Presently, the preparation of dazzling narrow-band red-emitting phosphors for solid-state lighting is still a challenge. In this context, herein, a series of pure narrow-band red-emitting LiCaLaEu(MoO) phosphors was synthesized and characterized, and their spectroscopic properties were systematically studied. In addition, a series of orange-red-emitting LiCaLaSm(MoO) phosphors with the simultaneous doping of Eu was synthesized for plant growth applications.

Long-term Rituximab Therapy in Adult Patients with Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome.

Patients with refractory idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) are at risk of infections, renal failure, and the inherent side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of yearly rituximab therapy in adult patients with this syndrome over 5-10 years. In the minimal change disease group, 14 of the 15 patients had complete remission (CR) and one had partial remission (PR).

Complementary bodybuilding: A potential risk for permanent kidney disease.

We report our experience of renal disease associated with bodybuilders who had been on high-protein diet, anabolic androgenic steroids (AASs), and growth hormone (GH) for years. A total of 22 adult males who volunteered information about use of high protein diet and AAS or GH were seen over a six-year period with renal disease. Kidney biopsy revealed focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in eight, nephroangiosclerosis in four, chronic interstitial nephritis in three, acute interstitial nephritis in two, nephrocalcinosis with chronic interstitial nephritis in two, and single patients with membranous glomerulopathy, crescentic glomerulopathy, and sclerosing glomerulonephritis.

Biopsy of small kidneys: A safe and a useful guide to potentially treatable kidney disease.

Over the past four years, all patients with unexplained rapid progression of their renal disease were subjected to kidney biopsy, despite their small size (<9 cm), to define its etiology. Children, pregnant women, morbidly obese patients, and those with an unstable cardiovascular state, septicemia, bleeding diathesis as well as those kidney size with size <6 cm were excluded from the study. Doppler ultrasound was used to exclude renovascular/ischemic nephropathy.

Synthesis of new chromeno-carbamodithioate derivatives and preliminary evaluation of their antioxidant activity and molecular docking studies.

New chromeno carbamodithioates (7a-i), have been synthesized from 2, 3-dimethyl-7-(oxiran-2-ylmethoxy)-4H-chromen-4-one (5), carbondisulphide and commercially available acyclic and cyclic secondary amines in acetonitrile with good to excellent yields. The free radical scavenging activity of novel chromone-carbamodithioate analogues was quantitatively estimated by spectrophotometric method. Whereas, molecular docking studies were performed with the active site of cyclooxygenase-2 to identify hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic and ionic interactions between protein and ligands.

Membranous glomerulopathy and massive cervical lymphadenopathy due to immunoglobulin G4-disease.

A 32-year-old male presented with acute and severe nephrotic syndrome as well as massive right cervical lymphadenopathy for <2 years. Computed tomography scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis did not reveal any lymphadenopathy. Histopathology and immunohistochemical testing of his lymph node biopsy showed infiltrate enriched with immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-positive plasma cells.

Hilar and para-aortic necrotizing lymphadenopathy associated with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-negative pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis.

Lymph node involvement as a part of systemic vasculitis is rare. We report a case of women with rapidly progressive renal disease associated with recurrent epigastric pain, weight loss, and massive hilar as well as para-aortic lymphadenopathy. Ultrasound-guided biopsy of her scarred kidneys revealed antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-negative crescentic glomerulonephritis and that of lymph nodes showed severe necrotizing vasculitis.

Primary hyperoxaluria in an adult male: A rare cause of end-stage kidney disease yet potentially fatal if misdiagnosed.

Primary hyperoxaluria is an autosomal recessive disorder due to a deficiency in the activity of the peroxisomal hepatic enzyme alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase. It is a common cause of urolithiasis and end-stage kidney disease in children contrary to the adult phenotypic presentation which is considered a mild disorder with occasional urolithiasis. In this case report, we describe a 25-year-old man who presented with advanced and irreversible kidney failure within three months following strenuous physical training in the police academy.

Synthesis of novel chromeno-annulated cis-fused pyrano[3,4-c]benzopyran and naphtho pyran derivatives via domino aldol-type/hetero Diels-Alder reaction and their cytotoxicity evaluation.

New chromeno-annulated cis-fused pyrano[3,4-c]benzopyran and naphtho pyran derivatives have been synthesized by domino aldol-type reaction/hetero Diels-Alder reaction generated from o-quinone methide in situ from 7-O-prenyl derivatives of 8-formyl-2,3-disubstituted chromenones with resorcinols/naphthols in the presence of 20 mol% ethylenediamine diacetate (EDDA), triethylamine (2 mL) as co-catalyst in CH3CN under reflux conditions in good yields. The structures were established based on spectroscopic data, and further confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The results showed that compounds 4h and 4j exhibited very potent cytotoxicity against human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa).

Splenectomy complicated by sustained extreme thrombocytosis and extensive portosplenomesenteric vein thrombosis in pyrimidine 5'-nucleotidase deficiency.

Reactive and redistributional thrombocytosis is a well-known postsplenectomy occurrence .Usually it is transient and it rarely reaches extreme levels. We report a rare case of haemolytic anaemia where splenectomy was carried out following trauma to a massively enlarged spleen and was followed by extreme sustained thrombocytosis associated with extensive portal, splenic and mesenteric vein thrombosis despite standard antithrombotic prophylaxis.

Synthesis of new chromeno-annulated cis-fused pyrano[4,3-c]isoxazole derivatives via intramolecular nitrone cycloaddition and their cytotoxicity evaluation.

New cis-fused chromeno pyrano[4,3-c]isoxazole derivatives have been synthesized by intramolecular [1,3]-cycloaddition of the nitrones generated in situ from hydroxylamine derivatives and 7-O-prenyl derivatives of 8-formyl-2,3-disubstituted chromenones using PEG-400 as a reaction medium under catalyst-free conditions good to excellent yields. The structures were established by spectroscopic data and further confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The results showed that compounds 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e and 4k exhibit very potent antiproliferative activity against MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.

Rituximab therapy for severe cutaneous leukocytoclastic angiitis refractory to corticosteroids, cellcept and cyclophosphamide.

We report our clinical experience with rituximab in the treatment of 2 patients with idiopathic cutaneous angiitis who relapsed after treatment with high-dose corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. A 39-year-old woman and a 51-year-old man presented with ulcerating maculopapular rash in both lower limbs which relapsed 6 months after treatment with a combination of high-dose corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. After treatment with 2 g of rituximab, the first patient has still been in clinical remission for 32 months while the second has finished 28 months.

Primary hydatid cyst of the supraspinatus muscle: complete removal of the germinal layer and cytodiagnosis by fine-needle aspiration.

Primary hydatid disease of the skeletal muscle without systemic involvement is rare. The purpose of this report is to document the novel clinical presentation and the interesting facets of fine-needle aspiration in a case of hydatid disease. It was a case of primary hydatid cyst of the left supraspinatus muscle in an Indian woman living in Kuwait, which was clinically diagnosed as a lipoma.

Congenital papulonodular eruption: presenting sign of congenital leukaemia cutis.

Congenital leukaemia (CL) is a rare malignancy that accounts for < 1% of cases of childhood leukaemias. Leukaemia cutis (LC) refers to cutaneous infiltration with leukaemic cells, and is seen in 30-50% of CL cases. It may precede, follow or occur simultaneously with leukaemia.

Radiologic features of granulomatous mastitis.

Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a recognized, but an uncommon cause of breast mass. Awareness of this condition is important, because it can clinically as well as radiologically mimic breast carcinoma. In this study, we present the imaging features of a series of 10 cases with proved diagnosis of granulomatous mastitis with emphasis on magnetic resonance (MR) findings.

Inflammatory bowel disease in children, an evolving problem in Kuwait.

Background/aims: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) was previously thought a rare disease among children in Kuwait since most diarrhea cases were attributed to infections. In the past few years we observed an increase in the number of patients presenting with IBD. In this study we aimed to determine the epidemiology of IBD among children in the State of Kuwait.

Papillary thyroid carcinoma: how much should the surgeon read from fine needle aspiration cytology reports?

Objective: During routine fine needle aspiration cytodiagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), a number of cases are diagnosed as suspicious; or it is suggested that PTC or a neoplasm be ruled out by histopathology. Since these diagnostic labels are likely to put the clinicians in a difficult situation while planning the management, this study aims to find out how much the surgeon should read from these reports.

Materials And Methods: The patients were divided into two groups.

Accuracy of the Fischer scoring system and the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System in identification of malignant breast lesions.

Background And Objectives: Fischer developed a scoring system in 1999 that made identifying malignant lesions much easier for inexperienced radiologists. Our study was performed to assess whether this scoring system would help beginners to accurately diagnose breast lesions on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to assess the correlation between the magnetic resonance mammography Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (MRM BI-RADS) grade and the final diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: The lesion morphology and contrast kinetics of 63 masses in 41 patients were evaluated on MRI and accorded a MRM BI-RADS final assessment category using the Fischer scoring system.

Accuracy of the Fischer scoring system and the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System in identification of malignant breast lesions.

Background And Objectives: Fischer developed a scoring system in 1999 that made identifying malignnant lesions much easier for inexperienced radiologists. Our study was performed to assess whether this scoring system would help beginners to accurately diagnose breast lesions on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and to assess the correlation between the magnetic resonance mammography Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (MRM BI-RADS) grade and the final diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: The lesion morphology and contrast kinetics of 63 masses in 41 patients were evaluated on MRI and accorded a MRM BI-RADS final assessment category using the Fischer scoring system.

Hodgkin's lymphoma: diagnostic difficulties in fine-needle aspiration cytology.

It is commonly believed that cytodiagnosis of Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) is much easier than that of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). However, recognition of certain NHL subtypes with Reed-Sternberg (R-S)-like cells and results of immunohistochemical studies point to the contrary. To study the limitations of cytology in diagnosis of HL, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) smears of 130 lymphoma or suspected lymphoma cases were reviewed.

Breast magnetic resonance imaging: initial experience in Kuwait.

Objective: To report our initial experience of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Kuwait in order to identify and characterize breast lesions.

Subjects And Methods: In 58 patients ranging in age from 25 to 64 years, breast MRI was performed as a problem-solving tool (29); for suspicious local relapse of the treated breast (6); to search for a primary breast cancer in patients with metastatic axillary lymph nodes (5); for local staging of breast cancer (5); breast implants (6); screening in high-risk patients (3), and differentiation between inflammation and inflammatory carcinoma (4). Sagittal fat-saturated T(2) and axial T(1) images were obtained before, and axial fat-saturated T(1) and dynamic sagittal fat-saturated T(1)-weighted images after contrast enhancement in a 1.

Chyluria associated with renal vasculitis.

Chyluria is usually associated with abnormal retrograde or collateral flow of lymph from intestinal lymphatics into lymphatics of the kidney, ureter or bladder. Chyluria has been described in patients with lymphoma, carcinoma, trauma, abscess, tuberculosis, filariasis, pregnancy and stenoses of the thoracic duct. In this case report we describe a patient who presented with chyluria associated with severe hyperlipidemia due to nephrotic syndrome induced by microscopic polyangiitis.