• Although there is a worldwide surge of interest in conservation, many justifications rest on shaky or ephemeral grounds. • Arguments for conservation of biodiversity often include strong ethical or aesthetic components which are superficially attractive but depend on potentially changeable social circumstances. • Economic justifications based on undiscovered potential are susceptible to chang...

We prove Iqbal’s conjecture on the relationship between the free energy of closed string theory in local toric geometry and the Wess-ZuminoWitten model. This is achieved by first reformulating the calculations of the free energy by localization techniques in terms of suitable Feynman rule, then exploiting a realization of the Feynman rule by free bosons. We also use a formula of Hodge integrals...

An 8-year-old child presented with history of fainting attacks while playing, which lasted for a few seconds, followed by spontaneous recovery. He had two such witnessed episodes in the preceding week, which prompted the present consultation. He was developing normally, studied in class III, and never had any previous episodes of dizziness, syncope, breathlessness or cyanosis. He did not report...

In this case report we provide evidence that supports a link between mycobacteria and Crohn's disease. The patient in question, KG, presented on three separate occasions over a ten years period with features suggestive of intestinal tuberculosis. He was treated successfully on each occasion with antimycobacterial drugs. When he presented a fourth time with the same symptoms, he was diagnosed wi...

We present the case of a 28-year-old man who presented with chest pain and elevated cardiac biomarkers, with no evidence of acute ischaemia. He had a pronounced eosinophilia, abnormal echocardiographic, cardiac MRI and CT findings. He underwent transbronchial biopsy of carinal lymph nodes and of lung parenchyma. Endomyocardial biopsy yielded an eosinophilic infiltrate. He was treated with high ...

A 24-year-old gentleman presented with a history of severe throbbing headache preceded by sore throat. He was noted to have a nasal twang and dysphagia. He progressively developed weakness of all four limbs associated with ophthalmoplegia. He, subsequently, had to be intubated and ventilated in view of the involvement of the respiratory muscles. His anti-GQ1b antibodies were positive and the di...

An interim disease evaluation was suggestive for a complete clinical, metabolic and radiologic response. Three weeks after the completion of the 4th cycle of chemotherapy, he presented a rapid progression of dyspnea and severe hypoxemia with dry cough. The CT scan showed diffuse interstitial and alveolar in iltrates associated with a pneumomediastinum. Because of acute respiratory failure, he r...

The case of a 20 years old male, diagnosed as supracristal ventricular septal defect (VSD) for last 6 years is being presented. He came in emergency department with decompensated congestive cardiac failure. After initial stabilization, he underwent transthoracic echocardiogram which showed large supracristal VSD, severely prolapsing right coronary cusp, severe aortic regurgitation and severe pu...