Nodular fasciitis (NF) is a benign myofibroblastic neoplasm rarely found in the oral cavity. It typically presents with regional pain, numbness or paresthesia. Due to its high mitotic rate, rapid growth and local invasiveness, NF is often misdiagnosed as a malignancy. We report a case of NF in the oral cavity of a 55-year-old male. Two weeks prior to admission, a rapidly growing swelling appeared in his right buccal area, accompanied by low-grade afternoon fever. Clinical examination revealed a 4×5 cm mulberry-like mass with a pedicle and mucosal ulceration. The mass enlarged rapidly post biopsy. Histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of NF. The patient underwent local resection, resulting in resolution of the fever. No recurrence was observed during a 3-month follow-up. This is the first reported case of NF associated with a periodic fever, which may improve understanding of NF's inflammatory nature and aid in differential diagnosis.

Organizing pneumonia is a condition first described in 1941. Its symptoms are nonspecific (fever, arthromyalgia, etc.), and its diagnosis relies primarily on histology, when this is not feasible, it is based on a combination of clinical, laboratory, and radiological findings, in the absence of a differential diagnosis particularly active infections. It is a rare condition that may be secondary to another condition or primary and referred to as cryptogenic. Numerous causes of organized pneumonia have been described: post-infectious, associated with connective tissue diseases, drug-induced, etc. It affects all age groups, with the idiopathic form predominantly occurring between the ages of 50 and 60. A non-contrast chest CT scan may be suggestive but remains nonspecific and must rule out infection. Bronchoalveolar lavage can help rule out active infectious causes and provide diagnostic clues; however, the gold standard remains histological examination, which reveals endoalveolar buds, an inflammatory infiltrate of the alveolar walls, and thickening of the alveolar walls. Treatment is usually based on corticosteroid therapy for the cryptogenic form but must be tailored to the underlying condition when the disease is secondary. The prognosis is generally favorable in the cryptogenic form and depends on the cause in the secondary form.

Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) is an increasingly recognised opportunistic infection among non-HIV immunocompromised patients receiving prolonged corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy who may present with progressive dyspnoea and fever and are initially treated for community-acquired pneumonia. Rapid clinical deterioration led to respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Imaging revealed diffuse ground-glass opacities with bilateral pneumothoraces. Microbiological testing of sputum confirmed PJP. Despite targeted antimicrobial therapy and pleural drainage, the clinical course was complicated by persistent air leak, ventilator-associated pneumonia and refractory hypoxaemia, resulting in death. This case highlights the importance of early suspicion for PJP in non-HIV immunosuppressed patients and underscores bilateral pneumothorax as a rare but life-threatening complication. Consideration of prophylaxis and prompt evaluation for structural complications are essential to improve outcomes in high-risk populations.

Septic arthritis is an orthopaedic emergency typically presenting with inflammatory clinical signs. Atypical presentations of septic arthritis are defined in this report specifically as those lacking the classic clinical signs (erythema, swelling, joint warmth and fever) despite an active intra-articular infection. Atypical presentations may delay diagnosis due to diagnostic uncertainty and cause avoidable damage to affected joints. This case report describes an elderly patient with diabetes mellitus who presented with bilateral shoulder pain and raised inflammatory markers without fever, overlying erythema, joint swelling or joint warmth. The clinical course, differential diagnosis, management with bilateral shoulder washout and antibiotics and efforts to identify a central source of infection are detailed in this report. This case highlights the need for a high index of suspicion for septic arthritis when patients present with joint pain lacking common clinical signs of septic arthritis. Early joint aspiration, antibiotic therapy and surgical management are critical to optimising outcomes, even in the absence of classic clinical signs.

We describe two patients in Far North Queensland with acute Q fever. One patient had their infection complicated by a splenic abscess, the other developed a hepatic abscess. Both patients had contact with small Australian marsupials in the weeks before presentation and both required prolonged doxycycline to treat their infection.

Thermochromic coatings have been widely investigated, with most studies focusing on novel microcapsule systems. However, the thermochromic performance of coatings under a spatially separated heat source, as well as the influence of coating parameters on thermochromic behavior, remains insufficiently explored. In this study, an earplug structure embedded with a thermochromic coating was prepared, and the effects of coating filler content, coating thickness, and dye concentration on thermochromic behavior were systematically investigated. A distinct color transition was successfully achieved even when the coating was positioned away from the heat source. Simulation results indicate that, under a 40 °C heat source, the effective color‑transition temperature of the coating within the earplug structure should be maintained at approximately 34 °C. The incorporation of HBN accelerates the transition process and narrows the color-transition temperature range, enabling complete color change at around 34 °C. In addition, the effective color-changing distance is extended from 2.2 cm to 3.7 cm; however, a high HBN content reduces the ΔE color difference. Increasing coating thickness prolongs the transition time and darkens both the initial and final colors, with a thickness of 30 μm yielding the maximum ΔE value. The addition of blue dye generates visually distinguishable pre-transition and post-transition states. Although increasing blue dye concentration decreases the ΔE value between pre-transition and post-transition colors, it increases the ΔE* value between the post-transition color and pig skin color. Under a 40 °C heat source, the thermochromic coating in the earplug rapidly changes from light purple to blue. These results suggest that thermochromic coatings hold potential for low-cost, visually intuitive earplugs for fever detection in swine, although further validation is required.

Reactive infectious mucocutaneous eruption (RIME) is a para-infectious syndrome characterised by prominent mucositis with limited cutaneous involvement, typically following a respiratory illness. Diagnostic uncertainty is common because RIME may mimic erythema multiforme and drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN), particularly when antibiotics have been initiated shortly before onset. We report a 25-year-old woman presenting with fever, generalised maculopapular rash, severe oral erosions with odynophagia, genital involvement, eyelid and lip oedema, and haemorrhagic lip erosions. Chest radiography demonstrated a right lower lobe opacity consistent with pneumonia despite minimal respiratory symptoms. The eruption developed five days after initiation of oral cefuroxime for a presumed respiratory tract infection. There was no epidermal detachment and the Nikolsky sign was negative; ophthalmologic assessment showed no ocular involvement. Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was confirmed by sputum multiplex PCR and supported by serology. The clinical phenotype and microbiologic confirmation supported RIME rather than drug-induced SJS/TEN. The patient improved with intravenous corticosteroids, azithromycin, and supportive care, with complete resolution at one-month follow-up. This case-based review summarises diagnostic clues, highlights the role of multiplex PCR in aetiologic attribution, and outlines pragmatic management principles to reduce morbidity and avoid misclassification as a severe drug reaction.

During the 2013-2016 West African Ebola virus (EBOV) Makona epidemic, genomic surveillance identified an A82V substitution in the viral glycoprotein (GP) early in the outbreak. This mutation was associated with increased infectivity and faster viral spread, yet the host factors underlying this enhanced transmission remained unclear. Using a pseudotyped lentiviral system, we show that GP-A82V increases viral binding and infectivity in dendritic cells (DCs) and macrophages, key early and sustained target cells. This enhancement depends on expression of DC-SIGN, a lectin receptor on DCs. Filovirus-like particles carrying GP-V82 displayed accelerated infection kinetics in DC-SIGN-expressing cells. We identified two N-linked glycosylation sites, Ngly257 and Ngly563, that enhanced GP-V82 infectivity through simultaneous engagement of a DC-SIGN dimer. The A82V substitution increased soluble GP binding to DC-SIGN. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis revealed enrichment of Lewis X (CD15), a known DC-SIGN ligand, in GP-V82. Blocking Lewis X with an anti-CD15 antibody reduced pseudovirus infection, confirming its functional role. These findings identify DC-SIGN as a key host factor contributing to EBOV Makona transmission and highlight viral envelope glycosylation as a mechanism facilitating viral adaptation and enhanced human-to-human spread.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1835140.].

This study focuses on people with diabetic osteoporosis (DOP), exploring the efficacy of triple therapy with liraglutide (LIR), zoledronic acid (ZOL) and Calcium Carbonate and Vitamin D3 (CCD3) and the impact of this regimen on glycometabolism (GM). Ninety-nine eligible DOP patients visiting our hospital (January 2023-December 2025) were selected and assigned to a control group (n=46; receiving ZOL + CCD3) and a research group (n=53; receiving LIR + ZOL + CCD3) based on their treatment regimen. Between-group comparisons were made regarding of: efficacy, electrolyte metabolism (calcium [Ca], phosphorus [P]); bone metabolism (bone-specific alkaline phosphatase [BALP], secreted frizzled-related protein 5 [SFRP5], β-C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen [β-CTX]), GM (glycosylated hemoglobin [HbA1c], fasting plasma glucose [FPG], fasting insulin [FINS]), glycemic variability (mean/largest amplitude of glycemic excursion [MAGE/LAGE], coefficient of variation [CV]), hepatorenal function (alanine aminotransferase [ALT], serum creatinine [SCr]), inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α]) and adverse drug reactions (ADRs; flatulence, nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain and fever). The analysis results showed that compared with controls, the total effective rate of the research group was increased, Ca, BALP and SFRP5 were elevated and the post-medication P, β-CTX, GM indices, glycemic variability parameters and inflammatory markers were decreased (P<0.05). No significant changes in hepatorenal function were observed within (pre- vs. post-treatment) or between groups. The total ADR rate was equivalent across the groups. It is suggested that concomitant administration of LIR, ZOL and CCD3 can significantly improve curative efficacy and ameliorate GM in DOP patients without compromising hepatorenal function.