Co‐existing monophasic teratoma and uterine adenocarcinoma in a female dog

Ovarian teratomas are occasionally reported in dogs; the rarest type is the monophasic teratoma,composed of tissues originating from only one germ layer. Canine endometrial adenocarcinomas are also rare in dogs and mainly affect geriatric females. This report describes case of co-existing ovarian teratoma and uterine adenocarcinoma in a 10-year old nulliparous female Boxer presented with lethargy, anorexia and purulent vaginal discharge. Abdominal ultrasonography evidenced pyometra and a mass in the left ovary. This was composed of a uniform whitish tissue with multiple cystic structures. The histology revealed an atrophy of the ovarian parenchyma, compressed by a proliferation of well-differentiated nervous tissue staining positively to vimentin, S100 and neuronal specific enolase (NSE), and negatively to keratin and inhibin. The left uterine horn, whose diameter was markedly increased, showed foci of endometrial cellular atypia, evident nucleoli and mitoses, at light microscopy. To our best knowledge, this is the first report of a coexisting ovarian monophasic teratoma and endometrial adenocarcinoma, two rare reproductive neoplasia in dogs

A Comparison of Phycocyanins from Three Different Species of Cyanobacteria Employing Resonance-Enhanced Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Spectroscopy

Resonance-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectra are recorded for monomers and trimers of phycocyanin from three different cyanobacteria: Westiellopsis prolifica, Mastigocladus laminosus and Spirulina platensis. It is shown that upon aggregation from monomer to trimer the electronic structures of both the α84 and β84 chromophores are changed. The spectra of the trimers originating from S. platensis and M. laminosus are very similar to each other, but distinctly different from the spectrum of W. prolifica

[Accepted Manuscript] Worldwide comparison of ovarian cancer survival: Histological group and stage at diagnosis (CONCORD-2)

Ovarian cancer comprises several histological groups with widely differing levels of survival. We aimed to explore international variation in survival for each group to help interpret international differences in survival from all ovarian cancers combined. We also examined differences in stage-specific survival. The CONCORD programme is the largest population-based study of global trends in cancer survival, including data from 60 countries for 695,932 women (aged 15-99years) diagnosed with ovarian cancer during 1995-2009. We defined six histological groups: type I epithelial, type II epithelial, germ cell, sex cord-stromal, other specific non-epithelial and non-specific morphology, and estimated age-standardised 5-year net survival for each country by histological group. We also analysed data from 67 cancer registries for 233,659 women diagnosed from 2001 to 2009, for whom information on stage at diagnosis was available. We estimated age-standardised 5-year net survival by stage at diagnosis (localised or advanced). Survival from type I epithelial ovarian tumours for women diagnosed during 2005-09 ranged from 40 to 70%. Survival from type II epithelial tumours was much lower (20-45%). Survival from germ cell tumours was higher than that of type II epithelial tumours, but also varied widely between countries. Survival for sex-cord stromal tumours was higher than for the five other groups. Survival from localised tumours was much higher than for advanced disease (80% vs. 30%). There is wide variation in survival between histological groups, and stage at diagnosis remains an important factor in ovarian cancer survival. International comparisons of ovarian cancer survival should incorporate histology

[Accepted Manuscript] Worldwide comparison of ovarian cancer survival: Histological group and stage at diagnosis (CONCORD-2)

Ovarian cancer comprises several histological groups with widely differing levels of survival. We aimed to explore international variation in survival for each group to help interpret international differences in survival from all ovarian cancers combined. We also examined differences in stage-specific survival. The CONCORD programme is the largest population-based study of global trends in cancer survival, including data from 60 countries for 695,932 women (aged 15-99years) diagnosed with ovarian cancer during 1995-2009. We defined six histological groups: type I epithelial, type II epithelial, germ cell, sex cord-stromal, other specific non-epithelial and non-specific morphology, and estimated age-standardised 5-year net survival for each country by histological group. We also analysed data from 67 cancer registries for 233,659 women diagnosed from 2001 to 2009, for whom information on stage at diagnosis was available. We estimated age-standardised 5-year net survival by stage at diagnosis (localised or advanced). Survival from type I epithelial ovarian tumours for women diagnosed during 2005-09 ranged from 40 to 70%. Survival from type II epithelial tumours was much lower (20-45%). Survival from germ cell tumours was higher than that of type II epithelial tumours, but also varied widely between countries. Survival for sex-cord stromal tumours was higher than for the five other groups. Survival from localised tumours was much higher than for advanced disease (80% vs. 30%). There is wide variation in survival between histological groups, and stage at diagnosis remains an important factor in ovarian cancer survival. International comparisons of ovarian cancer survival should incorporate histology

Glomerulopatia do Transplante: Análise Clínico-Patológica

Transplant glomerulopathy is a sign of chronic kidney allograft damage. It has a distinct morphology and is associated with poor allograft survival. We aimed to assess the prevalence and clinic-pathologic features of transplant glomerulopathy, as well as determine the functional and histological implications of its severity. We performed a single-centre retrospective observational study during an eight-year period. Kidney allograft biopsies were diagnosed and scored according to the Banff classification, coupled with immunofluorescence studies. The epidemiology, clinical presentation, outcomes (patient and graft survival) and anti-HLA alloantibodies were evaluated. Transplant glomerulopathy was diagnosed in 60 kidney transplant biopsies performed for clinical reasons in 49 patients with ABO compatible renal transplant and a negative T-cell complement dependent cytotoxicity crossmatch at transplantation. The estimated prevalence of transplant glomerulopathy was 7.4% and its cumulative prevalence increased over time. C4d staining in peritubular capillaries (27.6%) was lower than the frequency of anti-HLA antibodies (72.5%), the majority against both classes I and II. Transplant glomerulopathy was associated with both acute (mainly glomerulitis and peritubular capillaritis) and chronic histologic abnormalities. At diagnosis, 30% had mild, 23.3% moderate and 46.7% severe transplant glomerulopathy. The severity of transplant glomerulopathy was associated with the severity of interstitial fibrosis. Other histological features, as well as clinical manifestations and graft survival, were unrelated to transplant glomerulopathy severity

Systemic sclerosis without antinuclear antibodies or Raynaud's phenomenon: a multicentre study in the prospective EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database

Objective. To assess patients with SSc who present without circulating ANAs or RP. Methods. Five thousand three hundred and ninety patients who fulfilled the ACR criteria for SSc and were enrolled in the EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database were screened for the absence of both RP and circulating ANA. To differentiate SSc from its mimics, additional information was gathered using a standardized questionnaire. Results. Five thousand three hundred and seventy-eight (99.8%) of the 5390 SSc patients in the EUSTAR database had either detectable ANA or a history of RP. Twelve (0.2%) patients lacked both circulating ANA and RP. Details of the medical history could be obtained for seven patients. Three cases were compatible with ANA-negative and RP-negative SSc and were not typical of any known SSc mimic. Four patients had a malignancy: two had breast cancer, one had multiple myeloma with possible scleromyxoedema and one had bladder carcinoma. There was no temporal relationship between the onset of skin fibrosis and that of the tumour. Although no patient with confirmed nephrogenic systemic fibrosis was identified among the cases of ANA-negative and RP-negative SSc, the presentation of one patient could be compatible with that of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis other than for the absence of chronic kidney disease or of known prior gadolinium exposure. Conclusion. We have identified a very small subgroup of SSc patients who lack both circulating ANA and RP, none of whom fulfils the diagnostic criteria for any known SSc mimic. Prospective studies are needed to elucidate the clinical presentation, evolution and outcome of such patient

Coordinated optimization of visual cortical maps (I) Symmetry-based analysis

In the primary visual cortex of primates and carnivores, functional architecture can be characterized by maps of various stimulus features such as orientation preference (OP), ocular dominance (OD), and spatial frequency. It is a long-standing question in theoretical neuroscience whether the observed maps should be interpreted as optima of a specific energy functional that summarizes the design principles of cortical functional architecture. A rigorous evaluation of this optimization hypothesis is particularly demanded by recent evidence that the functional architecture of OP columns precisely follows species invariant quantitative laws. Because it would be desirable to infer the form of such an optimization principle from the biological data, the optimization approach to explain cortical functional architecture raises the following questions: i) What are the genuine ground states of candidate energy functionals and how can they be calculated with precision and rigor? ii) How do differences in candidate optimization principles impact on the predicted map structure and conversely what can be learned about an hypothetical underlying optimization principle from observations on map structure? iii) Is there a way to analyze the coordinated organization of cortical maps predicted by optimization principles in general? To answer these questions we developed a general dynamical systems approach to the combined optimization of visual cortical maps of OP and another scalar feature such as OD or spatial frequency preference.Comment: 90 pages, 16 figure

Long-term mental health and quality of life in women with a history of breast cancer

This thesis focused on the long-term mental health and quality of life of breast cancer survivors, compared to women with no prior cancer. The first study was a systematic review of studies that assessed adverse mental health outcomes in women who had breast cancer and non-cancer controls. This found evidence suggestive of an increased risk of anxiety, depression, suicide, and neurocognitive and sexual dysfunctions in breast cancer survivors. The second study systematically summarised the lists of Read codes and clinical definitions used in previous studies of mental health-related outcomes in primary care databases of electronic health records in the UK. The results showed substantial heterogeneity across studies and informed the definition of the outcomes in this thesis. The third study used data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD primary care database to quantify the risk of adverse mental health-related outcomes in 57,571 breast cancer survivors and 230,067 women with no previous cancer. Breast cancer survivorship was positively associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, pain, sexual dysfunction, sleep disorder and being prescribed opioid analgesics, but there was no evidence of association with cognitive dysfunction or fatal and non-fatal self-harm. The fourth study included 353 breast cancer survivors and 252 women with no prior cancer who replied to questionnaires assessing quality of life and mental health. Compared to women with no prior cancer, breast cancer survivors had poorer quality of life in the domains of cognitive problems, sexual function, and fatigue, but no evidence of difference in negative feelings, positive feelings, pain, or social avoidance. Women with advanced-stage cancer at diagnosis, and/or prior receipt of chemotherapy, had poorer quality of life and mental health. In conclusion, breast cancer survivorship is associated with impaired quality of life and raised risk of adverse mental health-related outcomes, persisting well into the survivorship period

Coverage, Continuity and Visual Cortical Architecture

The primary visual cortex of many mammals contains a continuous representation of visual space, with a roughly repetitive aperiodic map of orientation preferences superimposed. It was recently found that orientation preference maps (OPMs) obey statistical laws which are apparently invariant among species widely separated in eutherian evolution. Here, we examine whether one of the most prominent models for the optimization of cortical maps, the elastic net (EN) model, can reproduce this common design. The EN model generates representations which optimally trade of stimulus space coverage and map continuity. While this model has been used in numerous studies, no analytical results about the precise layout of the predicted OPMs have been obtained so far. We present a mathematical approach to analytically calculate the cortical representations predicted by the EN model for the joint mapping of stimulus position and orientation. We find that in all previously studied regimes, predicted OPM layouts are perfectly periodic. An unbiased search through the EN parameter space identifies a novel regime of aperiodic OPMs with pinwheel densities lower than found in experiments. In an extreme limit, aperiodic OPMs quantitatively resembling experimental observations emerge. Stabilization of these layouts results from strong nonlocal interactions rather than from a coverage-continuity-compromise. Our results demonstrate that optimization models for stimulus representations dominated by nonlocal suppressive interactions are in principle capable of correctly predicting the common OPM design. They question that visual cortical feature representations can be explained by a coverage-continuity-compromise.Comment: 100 pages, including an Appendix, 21 + 7 figure