Nodal involvement evaluation in advanced cervical cancer: a single institutional experience

Purpose: To assess the usefulness of different imaging techniques in the detection of nodal involvement in patients with advanced cervical carcinoma. Moreover, to analyze the correlation between the presurgical (FIGO) and postsurgical (pTNM) staging classifications. Materials and Methods: All patients diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer (FIGO Stages IIB-IV) from 2005 to 2012 were selected. The medical charts of 51 patients that underwent presurgical assessment with posterior surgical staging by means of paraaortic lymphadenectomy, were reviewed. Nodal status assessment by computed tomography scan (CT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and sonography was compared, as well as the size given in imaging techniques compared to the final pathologic report information. Results: Presurgical analysis by CT scan, MRI, PET, and sonography showed pelvic nodal involvement in 51.3% of patients, and para-aortic involvement in 30.8% of cases. CT scan showed positive pelvic nodes in 35% of cases, but pathologic confirmation was observed in just 17.6% of cases. However, MRI resulted in higher rates of up to 48.8% of cases. Concerning para-aortic nodal involvement, CT scan showed positive nodes in 25% of cases, MRI in 3.2% of cases, and the pathologic report in 15.6% of cases. The authors found significant differences between staging groups among both classifications (FIGO vs. pTNM; p < 0.001). Eight cases (15.7%) were understaged by FIGO classification. Conclusions: Despite all imaging techniques available, none has demonstrated to be efficient enough to avoid the systematic study of para-aortic nodal status by means of surgical evaluatio

Evidence of non-thermal X-ray emission from HH 80

Protostellar jets appear at all stages of star formation when the accretion process is still at work. Jets travel at velocities of hundreds of km/s, creating strong shocks when interacting with interstellar medium. Several cases of jets have been detected in X-rays, typically showing soft emission. For the first time, we report evidence of hard X-ray emission possibly related to non-thermal processes not explained by previous models of the post-shock emission predicted in the jet/ambient interaction scenario. HH 80 is located at the south head of the jet associated to the massive protostar IRAS 18162-2048. It shows soft and hard X-ray emission in regions that are spatially separated, with the soft X-ray emission region situated behind the region of hard X-ray emission. We propose a scenario for HH 80 where soft X-ray emission is associated to thermal processes from the interaction of the jet with denser ambient matter and the hard X-ray emission is produced by synchrotron radiation at the front shock.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

Turbulence Time Series Data Hole Filling using Karhunen-Loeve and ARIMA methods

Measurements of optical turbulence time series data using unattended instruments over long time intervals inevitably lead to data drop-outs or degraded signals. We present a comparison of methods using both Principal Component Analysis, which is also known as the Karhunen--Loeve decomposition, and ARIMA that seek to correct for these event-induced and mechanically-induced signal drop-outs and degradations. We report on the quality of the correction by examining the Intrinsic Mode Functions generated by Empirical Mode Decomposition. The data studied are optical turbulence parameter time series from a commercial long path length optical anemometer/scintillometer, measured over several hundred metres in outdoor environments.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, submitted to ICOLAD 2007, City University, London, U

Evaluación de las condiciones de mezcla y su influencia sobre el cloro residual entanques de compensación de un sistema de distribución de agua potable

We performed a real scale evaluation of mixing conditions and its influence on water quality in a compensation tank of drinking-water distribution system located in the city of Cali, Colombia. The hydrodynamic study with continuous injection of tracer, and temperature and free chlorine measurements for identifying the mixing regime in the tank’s interior, residence time, thermal stratification, and chlorine variations in the stored water showed the typical characteristics of a compensation tank. We concluded that water recirculation, inadequate water exchange, low moment fluxes associated with low velocity flows, and punctual thermal stratification could lead to high water age, high residence times in the tank, inadequate mixing, and important loss of free residual chlorine. The methodology developed is suitable for evaluation and optimization of compensation tanks of drinking water distribution systems.Realizamos una evaluación a escala real de las condiciones de mezcla y su influencia en la calidad del agua en un tanque de compensación del sistema de distribución de agua potable ubicado en la ciudad de Cali, Colombia. El estudio hidrodinámico con inyección continua de marcador y mediciones de temperatura y cloro libre para identificar el régimen de mezcla en el interior del tanque, el tiempo de residencia, la estratificación térmica y las variaciones de cloro en el agua almacenada mostraron las características típicas de un tanque de compensación. Llegamos a la conclusión de que la recirculación de agua, el intercambio de agua inadecuado, los flujos de momento bajos asociados con los flujos de baja velocidad y la estratificación térmica puntual podrían conducir a una alta edad del agua, tiempos de residencia elevados en el tanque, mezcla inadecuada y pérdida importante de cloro residual libre. La metodología desarrollada es adecuada para la evaluación y optimización de tanques de compensación de sistemas de distribución de agua potable

The role of temperature in the magnetic irreversibility of type-I Pb superconductors

Evidence of how temperature takes part in the magnetic irreversibility in the intermediate state of a cylinder and various disks of pure type-I superconducting lead is presented. Isothermal measurements of first magnetization curves and magnetic hysteresis cycles are analyzed in a reduced representation that defines an equilibrium state for flux penetration in all the samples and reveals that flux expulsion depends on temperature in the disks but not in the cylinder. The magnetic field at which irreversibility sets in along the descending branch of the hysteresis cycle and the remnant magnetization at zero field are found to decrease with temperature in the disks. The contributions to irreversibility of the geometrical barrier and the energy minima associated to stress defects that act as pinning centers on normal-superconductor interfaces are discussed. The differences observed among the disks are ascribed to the diverse nature of the stress defects in each sample. The pinning barriers are suggested to decrease with the magnetic field to account for these results

Expedições de coletas de feijão comum (Phaseolus vulgaris) no Brasil.

Objetivando a preservação da diversidade genética ainda existente entre os agricultores tradicionais de feijão comum, foram realizadas expedições de coleta na Região Norte do Rio Grande do Sul e nos Estados de Sergipe, Bahia e Ceará

Análise conjuntural da cultura do arroz nas regiões brasileiras.

O presente trabalho teve por objetivo analisar e demonstrar o movimento migratório da cultura do arroz em termos de área plantada e volume de produção nas regiões Norte, Nordeste, Centro-Oeste, Sudeste e Sul do Brasil nas safras de 1978/79, 1988/89, 1998/1999 e 2008/2009

Noncommutative spaces, the quantum of time and the Lorentz symmetry

We introduce three space-times that are discrete in time and compatible with the Lorentz symmetry. We show that these spaces are no commutative, with commutation relations similar to the relations of the Snyder and Yang spaces. Furthermore, using a reparametrized relativistic particle we obtain a realization of the Snyder type spaces and we construct an action for them.Comment: 8 pages, to appear in PR

The Universal Cut Function and Type II Metrics

In analogy with classical electromagnetic theory, where one determines the total charge and both electric and magnetic multipole moments of a source from certain surface integrals of the asymptotic (or far) fields, it has been known for many years - from the work of Hermann Bondi - that energy and momentum of gravitational sources could be determined by similar integrals of the asymptotic Weyl tensor. Recently we observed that there were certain overlooked structures, {defined at future null infinity,} that allowed one to determine (or define) further properties of both electromagnetic and gravitating sources. These structures, families of {complex} `slices' or `cuts' of Penrose's null infinity, are referred to as Universal Cut Functions, (UCF). In particular, one can define from these structures a (complex) center of mass (and center of charge) and its equations of motion - with rather surprising consequences. It appears as if these asymptotic structures contain in their imaginary part, a well defined total spin-angular momentum of the source. We apply these ideas to the type II algebraically special metrics, both twisting and twist-free.Comment: 32 page

Dynamic Approach to the Fully Frustrated XY Model

Using Monte Carlo simulations, we systematically investigate the non-equilibrium dynamics of the chiral degree of freedom in the two-dimensional fully frustrated XY model. The critical initial increase of the staggered chiral magnetization is observed. By means of the short-time dynamics approach, we estimate the second order phase transition temperature $T_{c}$ and all the dynamic and static critical exponents $\theta$, z, $\beta$ and $\nu$.Comment: 5 pages with 6 figures include