Association between intratumoral lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) and clinicopathologic features in endometrial cancer: a retrospective cohort study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Lymph node metastasis in endometrial cancer significantly decreases survival rate. Few data on the influence of intratumoral lymphatic microvessel density (LMVD) on survival in endometrial cancer are available. Our aim was to assess the intratumoral LMVD of endometrial carcinomas and to investigate its association with classical pathological factors, lymph node metastasis and survival.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-seven patients with endometrial carcinoma diagnosed between 2000 and 2008 underwent complete surgical staging and evaluation of intratumoral LMVD and other histologic variables. Lymphatic microvessels were identified by immunohistochemical staining using monoclonal antibody against human podoplanin (clone D2-40) and evaluated by counting the number of immunostained lymphatic vessels in 10 hot spot areas at 400× magnification. The LMVD was expressed by the mean number of vessels in these 10 hot spot microscopic fields. We next investigated the association of LMVD with the clinicopathologic findings and prognosis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mean number of lymphatic vessels counted in all cases ranged between 0 and 4.7. The median value of mean LMVD was 0.5, and defined the cut-off for low and high LMVD. We identified low intratumoral LMVD in 27 (47.4%) patients and high LMVD in 30 (52.6%) patients. High intratumoral LMVD was associated with lesser miometrial and adnaexal infiltration, lesser cervical and peritoneal involvement, and fewer fatal cases. Although there was lower lymph node involvement among cases with high LMVD, the difference did not reach significance. No association was seen between LMVD and FIGO staging, histological type, or vascular invasion. On the other hand, low intratumoral LMVD was associated with poor outcome. Seventy-five percent of deaths occurred in patients with low intratumoral LMVD.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results show association of high intratumoral LMVD with features related to more localized disease and better outcome. We discuss the role of lymphangiogenesis as an early event in the endometrial carcinogenesis.</p

On Multi-Index Filtrations Associated to Weierstraß Semigroups

This paper is a survey on the main techniques involved in the computation of the Weierstraß semigroup at several points of curves defined over perfect fields, with special emphasis on the case of two points. Some hints about the usage of some packages of the computer algebra software Singular are also given; these are however only valid for curves defined over Fp with p a prime number

Slepton mass-splittings as a signal of LFV at the LHC

Precise measurements of slepton mass-splittings might represent a powerful tool to probe supersymmetric (SUSY) lepton flavour violation (LFV) at the LHC. We point out that mass-splittings of the first two generations of sleptons are especially sensitive to LFV effects involving $\tau-\mu$ transitions. If these mass-splittings are LFV induced, high-energy LFV processes like the neutralino decay {\nt}_2\to\nt_1\tau^{\pm}\mu^{\mp} as well as low-energy LFV processes like $\tau\to\mu\gamma$ are unavoidable. We show that precise slepton mass-splitting measurements and LFV processes both at the high- and low-energy scales are highly complementary in the attempt to (partially) reconstruct the flavour sector of the SUSY model at work. The present study represents another proof of the synergy and interplay existing between the LHC, i.e. the {\em high-energy frontier}, and high-precision low-energy experiments, i.e. the {\em high-intensity frontier}.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures. v2: added discussion on backgrounds, added references, version to be published on JHE

MODELLING OF COMPOSITIONS BASED ON WOOD-FIBER USING POLYETHYLENE AND Pinus sp. SAWDUST

Neste trabalho, foi estudado o efeito da composi\ue7\ue3o de diferentes misturas de polietileno de alta densidade (HDPE) virgem, HDPE reciclado e serragem de Pinus sp., nas propriedades f\uedsico-mec\ue2nicas de placas confeccionadas pelo processo de compress\ue3o. As misturas foram homogeneizadas em um misturador tipo Drais, sem controle de temperatura e moldadas por compress\ue3o em prensa hidr\ue1ulica a 150\ub0C. Partindo das placas, foram confeccionados corpos-de-prova para ensaios de tra\ue7\ue3o, flex\ue3o, impacto e dureza, segundo normas ASTM, e tamb\ue9m foram determinadas as densidades m\ue9dias das placas. A modelagem estat\uedstica foi realizada segundo o planejamento centr\uf3ide simplex, utilizando sete misturas dos tr\ue9s componentes e tr\ue9s repeti\ue7\uf5es de cada mistura. Os resultados mostraram que a resist\ue9ncia \ue0 tra\ue7\ue3o, a resist\ue9ncia \ue0 flex\ue3o, a dureza e a densidade das placas, s\ue3o explicadas pelo modelo linear, enquanto a resist\ue9ncia ao impacto \ue9 explicada pelo modelo quadr\ue1tico. N\ue3o houve diferen\ue7a significativa nas propriedades f\uedsico-mec\ue2nicas dos comp\uf3sitos confeccionados com HDPE virgem, daqueles confeccionados com HDPE reciclado, exceto para resist\ue9ncia ao impacto, no qual o HDPE virgem apresentou maiores valores.In this work, the effect of different compositions of virgin and recycled high density polyethylene/ Pinus sp. on physical-mechanical properties of sheets made by compression molding was studied. The compositions were blended in a thermokinetic mixer (Draiss) and compression molded at 150\ub0C. ASTM samples for tensile, flexural, impact and hardness tests were taken from the sheets. The density of the sheets were determined. The statistical model used was a centroid simplex with seven compositions and three repetitions. Results showed that tensile and flexural strength as well as hardness and density followed a linear model, while impact strength is explained by a quadratic model. Physical-mechanical properties of compositions using virgin and recycled HDPE did not show significative changes, except for impact strength, when virgin HDPE showed higher numerical results

Evaluation of prenatal care in unit with family health strategy

We analyzed prenatal care (PN) provided at a unit of the Family Health Strategy Service in São Paulo, according to the indicators of the Program for the Humanization of Prenatal and Birth (PHPB). We compared adequacy of PN in terms of sociodemographic variables, procedures, examinations and maternal and perinatal outcomes. Cross-sectional study with data from records of 308 pregnant women enrolled in 2011. We observed early initiation of PN (82.1%), conducting of a minimum of six consultations (84.1%), puerperal consultation (89.0%); to the extent that there is a sum of the actions, there is a significant drop in the proportion of adequacy. Prenatal care was adequate for 67.9%, with a significant difference between adequacy groups in relation to gestational age and birth weight. Prenatal care deficiencies exist, especially in regards to registration of procedures, exams and immunization. The difference between adequacy groups with respect to perinatal outcomes reinforces the importance of prenatal care that adheres to the parameters of the PHPB

VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN PETROLINA, STATE OF PERNAMBUCO, BRAZIL, 2007-2013

Visceral leishmaniasis is a life-threatening disease of great public health relevance in Brazil. The municipality of Petrolina is an endemic area in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil. This study was designed to assess the recent expansion of VL in the municipality ofPetrolina, Pernambuco. Patients data were obtained from the Brazilian National Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN). A total of 111 records from 2007 to 2013 were investigated, of which 69 were residents in Petrolina. The disease has predominantly affected 1-4 year old children (34.8%). Most of the patients were males (59.4%). Co-infection with human immunodeficiency virus occurred in 14.5% of the cases. The criterion most frequently used was the clinical and epidemiological confirmation (59.4%), with clinical cure in 78.3% of cases and one fatal outcome. Visceral leishmaniasis is endemic in Petrolina with transmission levels varying from moderate to high. The present study has shown the precariousness of the use of diagnostic tests in primary healthcare units, and this misuse has interfered with the diagnosis and treatment of cases

Zinc/copper imbalance reflects immune dysfunction in human leishmaniasis: an ex vivo and in vitro study

BACKGROUND: The process of elimination of intracellular pathogens, such as Leishmania, requires a Th1 type immune response, whereas a dominant Th2 response leads to exacerbated disease. Experimental human zinc deficiency decreases Th1 but not Th2 immune response. We investigated if zinc and copper levels differ in different clinical forms of leishmaniasis, and if these trace metals might be involved in the immune response towards the parasite. METHODS: Blood was collected from 31 patients with either localized cutaneous (LCL), mucosal (ML) or visceral (VL) leishmaniasis, as well as from 25 controls from endemic and non-endemic areas. Anti-Leishmania humoral and cellular immune response were evaluated by quantifying specific plasma IgG, lymphoproliferation and cytokine production, respectively. Plasma levels of Cu and Zn were quantified by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: A significant decrease in plasma Zn was observed in all three patient groups (p < 0.01 for LCL and ML, p < 0.001 for VL), as compared to controls, but only VL (7/10) and ML (1/7) patients displayed overt Zn deficiency. Plasma Cu was increased in LCL and VL (p < 0.001) but not in ML, and was strongly correlated to anti-Leishmania IgG (Spearman r = 0.65, p = 0.0028). Cu/Zn ratios were highest in patients with deficient cellular (VL<<LCL<ML) and exacerbated humoral (VL>LCL>ML) immune response. Ex vivo production of parasite-induced IFN-γ was negatively correlated to plasma Cu levels in LCL (r = -0.57, p = 0.01). In vitro, increased Cu levels inhibited IFN-γ production. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Zn deficiency in VL and ML indicate possible therapeutic administration of Zn in these severe forms of leishmaniasis. 2. Plasma Cu positively correlates to humoral immune response across patient groups. 3. Environmentally or genetically determined increases in Cu levels might augment susceptibility to infection with intracellular pathogens, by causing a decrease in IFN-γ production

The Custodial Randall-Sundrum Model: From Precision Tests to Higgs Physics

We reexamine the Randall-Sundrum (RS) model with enlarged gauge symmetry SU(2)_L x SU(2)_R x U(1)_X x P_LR in the presence of a brane-localized Higgs sector. In contrast to the existing literature, we perform the Kaluza-Klein (KK) decomposition within the mass basis, which avoids the truncation of the KK towers. Expanding the low-energy spectrum as well as the gauge couplings in powers of the Higgs vacuum expectation value, we obtain analytic formulas which allow for a deep understanding of the model-specific protection mechanisms of the T parameter and the left-handed Z-boson couplings. In particular, in the latter case we explain which contributions escape protection and identify them with the irreducible sources of P_LR symmetry breaking. We furthermore show explicitly that no protection mechanism is present in the charged-current sector confirming existing model-independent findings. The main focus of the phenomenological part of our work is a detailed discussion of Higgs-boson couplings and their impact on physics at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. For the first time, a complete one-loop calculation of all relevant Higgs-boson production and decay channels is presented, incorporating the effects stemming from the extended electroweak gauge-boson and fermion sectors.Comment: 74 pages, 13 figures, 3 tables. v2: Matches version published in JHE

Ethical problems experienced by oncology nurses

Objective: to know the ethical problems experienced by oncology nurses. Method: descriptive and exploratory study with a qualitative approach, performed in inpatient units and in chemotherapy out-patients units that provide assistance to oncological patients in two capitals in the South region of Brazil. Eighteen nurses participated in this study, selected by snowball sampling type. For data collection, semi-structured interviews were carried out, which were recorded and transcribed, and then analyzed by thematic analysis. Results: two categories were established: when informing or not becomes a dilemma - showing the main difficulties related to oncological treatment information regarding health staff, health system, and infrastructure; to invest or not - dilemmas related to finitude - showing situations of dilemmas related to pain and confrontation with finitude. Conclusion: for the effective confrontation of the ethical problems experienced by oncology nurses to occur, it is important to invest in the training of these professionals, preparing them in an ethical and human way to act as lawyers of the patient with cancer, in a context of dilemmas related mainly to the possibility of finitude

LHC and lepton flavour violation phenomenology of a left-right extension of the MSSM

We study the phenomenology of a supersymmetric left-right model, assuming minimal supergravity boundary conditions. Both left-right and (B-L) symmetries are broken at an energy scale close to, but significantly below the GUT scale. Neutrino data is explained via a seesaw mechanism. We calculate the RGEs for superpotential and soft parameters complete at 2-loop order. At low energies lepton flavour violation (LFV) and small, but potentially measurable mass splittings in the charged scalar lepton sector appear, due to the RGE running. Different from the supersymmetric 'pure seesaw' models, both, LFV and slepton mass splittings, occur not only in the left- but also in the right slepton sector. Especially, ratios of LFV slepton decays, such as Br(${\tilde\tau}_R \to \mu \chi^0_1$)/Br(${\tilde\tau}_L \to \mu \chi^0_1$) are sensitive to the ratio of (B-L) and left-right symmetry breaking scales. Also the model predicts a polarization asymmetry of the outgoing positrons in the decay $\mu^+ \to e^+ \gamma$, A ~ [0,1], which differs from the pure seesaw 'prediction' A=1$. Observation of any of these signals allows to distinguish this model from any of the three standard, pure (mSugra) seesaw setups.Comment: 43 pages, 17 figure