Atypical presentation of angiosarcoma of the scalp in the setting of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Angiosarcoma of the head and neck is an uncommon, aggressive malignant entity most commonly found in elderly Caucasian males. We present a case in a young black female with co-existing HIV. The atypical gender, age and race of the patient reflect the unusual clinical presentation of this case of angiosarcoma, attributable to the patient's HIV status.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 22 year old patient presented with a large unresectable lesion over the occiput with surrounding ulceration, satellite lesions and associated lymphadenopathy. She is HIV-infected with a CD4 count of 360 cells/μl. She was not on antiretroviral treatment based on South African treatment guidelines advocating antiretroviral treatment when the CD4 count is below 200 cells/μl, in the absence of other AIDS-defining illnesses.</p> <p>The patient was treated with a course of ifosfamide and anthracyline based chemotherapy. Disease progression was noted on chemotherapy and she was subsequently palliated with a course of radiotherapy. She had a satisfactory response with an improvement in local symptoms. She is currently receiving symptomatic care.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>South Africa is at the epicenter of the HIV epidemic. Consequently, the management of patients in the field of oncology in our clinical practice is often burdened with malignancies manifesting with an atypical disease presentation and clinical course.</p

Artificial and Natural Radioactivity Measurements and Radiation Dose Assessment in the Vicinity of Ghana Nuclear Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1)

Radioactivity concentrations of &lt;sup&gt;226&lt;/sup&gt;Ra, &lt;sup&gt;232&lt;/sup&gt;Th, &lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;K and &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs in soil samples and water sources around the Ghana Research Reactor-1 (GHARR-1) and the immediate surroundings have been measured using gamma spectrometry. The primary aim of the study was to establish baseline radioactivity levels in the environs of GHARR-1. The average activity concentration of &lt;sup&gt;226&lt;/sup&gt;Ra, &lt;sup&gt;232&lt;/sup&gt;Th, &lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;K and &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs were 22.3 &#177; 1.12 Bq kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, 49.8 &#177; 1.60Bq kg-1, 99.60 &#177; 5.81 Bq kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; and 1.48 &#177; 0.25 Bq kg&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; for soil and 0.60 &#177; 0.11 Bq l&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, 2.13 &#177; 0.21 Bq l&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, 10.75 &#177; 0.84 Bq l&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; and 0.47 &#177; 0.05 Bq l&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;for the water, respectively. The &lt;sup&gt;226&lt;/sup&gt;Ra and &lt;sup&gt;232&lt;/sup&gt;Th concentrations compare quite well with world averages, whilst the &lt;sup&gt;40&lt;/sup&gt;K concentration was lower than the world average. The levels of &lt;sup&gt;137&lt;/sup&gt;Cs observed in the samples are within the range of &#8216;background&#8217;&#160; concentrations. The estimated average annual effective doses from external exposure to soil and ingestion of water samples were calculated to be 0.06 mSv and 0.53 mSv, respectively. The estimated outdoor&#160; external gamma dose rate measured in air ranged from 20-430 nGy h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; with an average value of 100 nGy h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, which is higher than the world average value of 59 nGy h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;. In the case of water samples, the average value was higher than the guidance level of 0.1 mSv y&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, as recommended by the European Union and the World Health Organization

SPARC 2017 retrospect & prospects : Salford postgraduate annual research conference book of abstracts

Welcome to the Book of Abstracts for the 2017 SPARC conference. This year we not only celebrate the work of our PGRs but also the 50th anniversary of Salford as a University, which makes this year’s conference extra special. Once again we have received a tremendous contribution from our postgraduate research community; with over 130 presenters, the conference truly showcases a vibrant PGR community at Salford. These abstracts provide a taster of the research strengths of their works, and provide delegates with a reference point for networking and initiating critical debate. With such wide-ranging topics being showcased, we encourage you to exploit this great opportunity to engage with researchers working in different subject areas to your own. To meet global challenges, high impact research inevitably requires interdisciplinary collaboration. This is recognised by all major research funders. Therefore engaging with the work of others and forging collaborations across subject areas is an essential skill for the next generation of researchers

Decision support tools for site-specific fertilizer recommendations and agricultural planning in selected countries in sub-Sahara Africa

Peer Revie