Background Gourgerot-Sjögren syndrome (GSS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the exocrine glands leading to dryness of the mucous membranes. It may also involve other organs and organ systems. GSS can be primary (pGSS) or secondary due to other autoimmune diseases. pSGS mainly affects women over 40 years old, but can occur at any age. GSS is rare in children and is often secondary to other diseases. We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with primary Gougerot-Sjögren Syndrome Methods and results A 12-year-old girl from Batna (Algeria) presented to her pediatrician in 2016 for a rash with arthralgia. She had no relevant past medical history and is the child of a non-consanguineous marriage. Clinical examination found a well-nourished child with a purpuric rash on her lower limbs. She complained of arthralgia without clinical signs of arthritis. The child also complained of a sensation of a foreign body and burning in both eyes. The eye exam was normal except for a positive Schirmer’s test. There were no signs of parotitis. Laboratory tests showed an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 84 mm the first h and a negative C-reactive protein (CRP). She was also Leukopenic. Serological testing resulted in a positive Anti SS-A and Anti SS-B. The abdominal pelvic ultrasound was normal. The patient was diagnosed with primary Gougerot-Sjögren Syndrome. Artificial tears and hydroxychloroquine were started as initial therapy. One year later we added an immunosuppressant (Methotrexate) due to the persistence of clinical signs. Conclusion Our case is particular in that primary Gougerot-Sjögren Syndrome is rare in children. Routine follow- up with this patient is important to determine whether it is indeed pGSS with pediatric onset or GSS secondary to another autoimmune disease.

With the huge increase of large-scale multimedia over Internet, especially images, building Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) systems for large-scale images has become a big challenge. One of the drawbacks associated with CBIR is the very long execution time. In this article, we propose a fast Content-Based Image Retrieval system using Spark (CBIR-S) targeting large-scale images. Our system is composed of two steps. (i) image indexation step, in which we use MapReduce distributed model on Spark in order to speed up the indexation process. We also use a memory-centric distributed storage system, called Tachyon, to enhance the write operation (ii) image retrieving step which we speed up by using a parallel k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) search method based on MapReduce model implemented under Apache Spark, in addition to exploiting the cache method of spark framework. We have showed, through a wide set of experiments, the effectiveness of our approach in terms of processing time.

Background Pediatric Rheumatology is an orphan specialty in Africa which is gradually gaining importance across the continent. Main body This commentary discusses the current state of affairs in the sphere of Pediatric Rheumatology across Africa and offers practical strategies to navigate the challenges encountered in research, models of care, education and training. We outline the establishment, opportunities of growth and achievements of the Pediatric Society of the African League Against Rheumatism (PAFLAR). Conclusion This commentary lays the foundation for establishment of a formidable framework and development of partnerships for the prosperity of Pediatric Rheumatology in Africa and beyond.