Intranasal melanoma treated with radiation therapy in three dogs

Three dogs were investigated for chronic unilateral nasal discharge. In all cases CT imaging showed an intranasal mass causing turbinate lysis and no evidence of metastasis. Cytology in cases 1 (a 14-year-old neutered male crossbreed dog) and 2 (a five-year-old neutered male German Shepherd dog) demonstrated a pleomorphic cell population with variable intracellular pigment suspicious of melanocytic neoplasia. Histopathology with immunohistochemistry (Melan-A and vimentin, plus PNL-2 in one case) confirmed the diagnosis of melanoma in all dogs. All dogs were treated with megavoltage radiotherapy using linear accelerators. Cases 1 and 3 (a nine-year-old neutered female beagle dog) received a hypofractionated (4 × 8 Gy) protocol and case 2 received a definitive (12 × 4 Gy) protocol. Complete remission was demonstrated on repeat CT scan five months after diagnosis in case 1 and seven months in case 2. Stable disease was documented on CT at four months for case 3; however, clinical signs in this dog remained controlled for 10 months in total. Case 1 died of unrelated causes five months after diagnosis, case 2 was euthanased due to the development of seizures 13 months after diagnosis, and case 3 was lost to follow-up 12 months after diagnosis. Melanoma should be considered as a rare differential diagnosis for primary nasal neoplasia in the dog and radiation therapy can be used as effective local therapy

The Monodromy Matrices of the XXZ Model in the Infinite Volume Limit

We consider the XXZ model in the infinite volume limit with spin half quantum space and higher spin auxiliary space. Using perturbation theory arguments, we relate the half infinite transfer matrices of this class of models to certain $U_q(\hat{sl_2})$ intertwiners introduced by Nakayashiki. We construct the monodromy matrices, and show that the one with spin one auxiliary space gives rise to the L operator.Comment: 19 page

A review of recent determinations of the composition and surface pressure of the atmos- phere of mars

Recent determinations of composition and surface pressure of Mars atmospher

Dynamical trapping and relaxation of scalar gravitational fields

We present a framework for nonlinearly coupled scalar-tensor theory of gravity to address both inflation and core-collapse supernova problems. The unified approach is based on a novel dynamical trapping and relaxation of scalar gravity in highly energetic regimes. The new model provides a viable alternative mechanism of inflation free from various issues known to affect previous proposals. Furthermore, it could be related to observable violent astronomical events, specifically by releasing a significant amount of additional gravitational energy during core-collapse supernovae. A recent experiment at CERN relevant for testing this new model is briefly outlined.Comment: 4 pages; version to appear in PL

Form factors of the XXZ model and the affine quantum group symmetry

We present new expressions of form factors of the XXZ model which satisfy Smirnov's three axioms. These new form factors are obtained by acting the affine quantum group $U_q (\hat{\frak s \frak l_2})$ to the known ones obtained in our previous works. We also find the relations among all the new and known form factors, i.e., all other form factors can be expressed as kind of descendents of a special one.Comment: 11 pages, latex; Some explanation is adde

The salting of brick-work

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Kovacs effects in an aging molecular liquid

We study by means of molecular dynamics simulations the aging behavior of a molecular model of ortho-terphenyl. We find evidence of a a non-monotonic evolution of the volume during an isothermal-isobaric equilibration process, a phenomenon known in polymeric systems as Kovacs effect. We characterize this phenomenology in terms of landscape properties, providing evidence that, far from equilibrium, the system explores region of the potential energy landscape distinct from the one explored in thermal equilibrium. We discuss the relevance of our findings for the present understanding of the thermodynamics of the glass state.Comment: RevTeX 4, 4 pages, 5 eps figure

Effect of phases of the menstrual cycle on biophysical and biochemical parameters of African black women with breast cancer

INTRODUCTION: Many studies on female breast cancer patients do not consider the differences between the follicular and luteal phases when collecting blood samples for laboratory investigations. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the effects of the phases of the menstrual cycle on reproductive and thyroid hormones, endocrine disruptors, blood pressure, and body adiposity. METHODS: Participants (n=107) aged 28-50 years, comprising 54 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (cases were menstrual phase and age-matched to 53 seemingly healthy women without breast cancer that served as controls. Anthropometric indices and blood pressure (BP) were obtained. Serum hormones-estradiol, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), stimulating follicle hormone (FSH), and free thyroxine (FT4) were quantified by enzyme immunoassay. Endocrine disruptors (EDs)- arsenic, lead and cadmium were quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Data were analyzed using Student’s t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient with p<0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Bodyweight, hip circumference, waist-height ratio, and FT3 varied between the luteal and follicular phases, higher in cases than controls. EDs were significantly higher in cases than controls in both phases. Progesterone, estradiol and LH levels were significantly higher in luteal cases and controls when compared with follicular cases and controls.FT3 was significantly lower in luteal controls compared with follicular controls. There were significant direct and inverse correlations among adiposity measures, BP, EDs, and hormones in each phase in both cases and controls. CONCLUSION: The menstrual cycle appears to influence blood pressure, measures of adiposity, endocrine disruptors, and reproductive hormones in women with normal and cancerous breasts. This requires consideration in the collection of blood samples for investigations of these parameters