A case of esophageal granular cell tumor diagnosed by mucosal incision-assisted biopsy

For an esophageal submucosal mass suspicious of granular cell tumor (GCT) based on gross appearance and endoscopic ultrasound findings, a sufficient number of biopsy specimens is required for a definite diagnosis using immunohistochemical examination. When the specimen obtained by forceps biopsy is insufficient, endoscopic ultrasound-fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is believed to be an useful alternative. However, it may be difficult to obtain an adequate amount of tumor material using EUS-FNA. Mucosal incision-assisted biopsy (MIAB) is a simple method that can collect larger amounts of specimens. This procedure is helpful for physicians who encounter the problem of obtaining an adequate amount of biopsy material from esophageal tumors suspicious for GCT. We present a case of esophageal GCT that was successfully diagnosed through MIAB.

Analysis of Photopic and Melanopic Lighting in Teaching Environments

Daylight and lighting seem to be a key tool for people’s well-being, however, there are no specific and agreed recommendations that address both photopic and melanopic aspects in educational environments. The present work analyzed melanopic light in four teaching environments considering photopic indoor lighting, daylight depending on the window orientation, location of the observer in the room, and their line of view. The façade direction, daylight at 11.00 a.m. for six months from October to March, and the characteristics of each classroom, such as reflectance of the surfaces, location of the luminaires and their spectral and spatial power distributions, or calculation points affecting the melanopic light reaching the corneal vertical plane of a hypothetical control observer were studied. For this evaluation, classrooms were experimentally treated and simulated using DialuxEvo software, and the computer-generated values resembled the experimental values. Once the study was performed, an improvement proposal, based on LED lighting, was made to optimize the classroom lighting considering the melanopic requirements, which we ensured that users who passed through these classrooms had an adequate amount light at any time of the day. Our results simplify to the greatest lighting projects and enable designers to carry out optimized evaluations of specific environments from both the photometric and circadian perspectives.

DC-FUDA: Improving Deep Clustering via Fully Unsupervised Domain Adaptation

<div>By transferring knowledge from a source domain, the performance of deep clustering on an unlabeled target domain can be improved. When achieving this, traditional approaches make the assumption that adequate amount of labeled data is available in a source domain. However, this assumption is usually unrealistic in practice. The source domain should be carefully selected to share some characteristics with the target domain, and it can not be guaranteed that rich labeled samples are always available in the selected source domain.</div><div>We propose a novel framework to improve deep clustering by transferring knowledge from a source domain without any labeled data. To select reliable instances in the source domain for transferring, we propose a novel adaptive threshold algorithm to select low entropy instances. To transfer important features of the selected instances, we propose a feature-level domain adaptation network (FeatureDA) which cancels unstable generation process. With extensive experiments, we validate that our method effectively improves deep clustering, without using any labeled data in the source domain. Besides, without using any labeled data in the source domain, our method achieves competitive results, compared to the state-of-the-art methods using labeled data in the source domain.</div>

DC-FUDA: Improving Deep Clustering via Fully Unsupervised Domain Adaptation

<div>By transferring knowledge from a source domain, the performance of deep clustering on an unlabeled target domain can be improved. When achieving this, traditional approaches make the assumption that adequate amount of labeled data is available in a source domain. However, this assumption is usually unrealistic in practice. The source domain should be carefully selected to share some characteristics with the target domain, and it can not be guaranteed that rich labeled samples are always available in the selected source domain.</div><div>We propose a novel framework to improve deep clustering by transferring knowledge from a source domain without any labeled data. To select reliable instances in the source domain for transferring, we propose a novel adaptive threshold algorithm to select low entropy instances. To transfer important features of the selected instances, we propose a feature-level domain adaptation network (FeatureDA) which cancels unstable generation process. With extensive experiments, we validate that our method effectively improves deep clustering, without using any labeled data in the source domain. Besides, without using any labeled data in the source domain, our method achieves competitive results, compared to the state-of-the-art methods using labeled data in the source domain.</div>

Estimations of the Erythemal UV Doses and the Amount of the Sun-Synthesized Vitamin D by Adults during the Cruise to Spitsbergen–Polar Measurement Campaign (2–21 July 2017)

UV index (UVI) measurements were carried out by the hand-held instrument Solarmeter 6.5 onboard of MS Horyzont II during the cruise from Poland (Gdynia) to Spitsbergen (and back) in the period from 2 to 21 July 2017. A method is proposed to estimate the erythemal doses and sun-synthesized amount of vitamin D from a limited number of daily UVI observations. This study shows that the erythema could appear in a person with Caucasian type of skin characterized by Minimum Erythema Dose (MED) ~250 J m−2 after ~1 h exposure near the polar circle and up to few hours in the Svalbard. During this time, it was possible to get the dose of vitamin D3 equivalent to ~1000 IU of oral intake. The protection against UV overexposure should be applied even if UVI values during the cruise in the Arctic were always below the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) warning threshold of 3. To provide adequate amount of vitamin D, the exposure should be continued until getting 1 MED, after which the vitamin supplementation (or a diet rich in vitamin D) is necessary.

The Benefit of the “And” for Considerations of Language Modality for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children

Purpose Language modality choices for deaf children continue to be an area of debate, but we argue that the dichotomy of “either/or” for language modality is outdated in a world that increasingly values bilingualism. Evidence is provided that a bilingual approach to language for deaf children is not contraindicated and that deaf children can learn both spoken and signed language given an adequate amount of exposure to each language. Conclusions We note that exposure to signed language during the early phases of auditory evaluation and rehabilitation can reduce missed opportunities for language acquisition. We further suggest that professionals who work with these children and their families need to consider their own biases in how language modality choices are presented in order to provide the best possible support services.

Nutritional Composition and Uses of Chia (Salvia hispanica) in Guatemala

Salvia hispanica L. (chia) is a seed native to Mexico and Central America; in Guatemala it is known as “chan”. It is cultivated in small quantities and sold in neighborhood markets in different areas of the country. Little information exists on the nutritional composition of this seed, so chia samples were obtained in five regions of the country and studied for their macronutrients, minerals, and fatty acids, the form of consumption, and the adequate quantity to mix with water. We found an average of 22% for protein, 18.6% for fat, 67% for alpha-linoleic acid, 19% for raw fiber, and 9 mg/100 g of sodium, among other nutrients. The most frequent form of consumption is mixed with lemonade; the primary known benefits are to lose weight, improve digestion, and as a source of fiber; the adequate amount to mix with water is 0.8% of gel equivalent to 0.4% of seeds.

Luteolin: A Dietary Molecule as Potential Anti-COVID-19 Agent

Luteolin (Lut) is an important plant-derived flavonoid that is widely distributed in edible herbs and vegetables. Studies on animal and human models have shown that Lut exhibits various pharmacological properties, viz. anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant, anti-apoptotic, and neurotrophic actions. The ongoing pandemic coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), is a disease of the respiratory tract that consists of mild to severe symptoms of pneumonia including fever, muscle aches, sore throat, coughing, and shortness of breath. It is of particular concern in older people and patients with chronic diseases having cardiovascular and blood clotting issues or who have compromised immune. This situation prompted us to evaluate the bioactive compounds which are being used to prevent respiratory-related illness. Lut is one such compound which is used as an anti-inflammatory agent. Several studies have explained the protective nature of Lut by inhibiting virus entry and fusion with human receptors in old SARS-CoV that had emerged in 2003. Thus, regular consumption of foods having adequate amount of Lut in our diet may be helpful in inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 infection as well and may prevent the consequent symptoms in COVID-19 patients. In present work, we have carried out the molecular docking studies of Lut with six different SARS-CoV-2 encoded key proteins. The FDA-approved drug remdesivir was also evaluated as control to compare the results. Lut showed excellent inhibitory action against papain-like proteinase, a main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Lut was also many times more active than remdesivir. Therefore, the foods which have Lut in adequate amount might be explored further for potential use against COVID-19

Hukum Menyegerakan Penyerahan Zakat Harta dan Zakat Fitrah di Saat Pandemi Covid-19

The objective of this research was to recognize the law of hastening the payment of zakat on wealth and zakat al-fitr in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic. This research used a descriptive qualitative approach which was an attempt to understand various concepts found in the research process by using content analysis techniques and library research. The results of the study show that: first, it is possible to immediately pay zakat on wealth on condition that the ratio must be sufficient, according to a strong opinion namely that is the opinion of the majority of scholars; second, as for zakat al-fitr, the opinion which is a view in the Shafi'i school can be a solution for the current situation that it is permissible to hasten zakat al-fitr since the beginning of Ramadan. But the stronger opinion is that zakat al-fitr can only be paid one day or two days prior to the id according to a clear argument and guidance. As for the urgency of the needs of the Muslims, this does not necessarily become a reason that allows the hastening of zakat al-fitr so that it becomes the only solution that must be taken. However there is another solution, it is enhancing the encouragement for those who have adequate amount to optimize charity and alms aimed at our brothers and sisters who are in need in the midst of Covid-19.