The tip of the iceberg: a giant pelvic atypical lipoma presenting as a sciatic hernia

BACKGROUND: This case report highlights two unusual surgical phenomena: lipoma-like well-differentiated liposarcomas and sciatic hernias. It illustrates the need to be aware that hernias may not always simply contain intra-abdominal viscera. CASE PRESENTATION: A 36 year old woman presented with an expanding, yet reducible, right gluteal mass, indicative of a sciatic hernia. However, magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large intra- and extra-pelvic fatty mass traversing the greater sciatic foramen. The tumour was surgically removed through an abdomino-perineal approach. Subsequent pathological examination revealed an atypical lipomatous tumour (synonym: lipoma-like well-differentiated liposarcoma). The patient remains free from recurrence two years following her surgery. CONCLUSION: The presence of a gluteal mass should always suggest the possibility of a sciatic hernia. However, in this case, the hernia consisted of an atypical lipoma spanning the greater sciatic foramen. Although lipoma-like well-differentiated liposarcomas have only a low potential for recurrence, the variable nature of fatty tumours demands that patients require regular clinical and radiological review

Decitabine impact on the endocytosis regulator RhoA, the folate carriers RFC1 and FOLR1, and the glucose transporter GLUT4 in human tumors.

BackgroundIn 31 solid tumor patients treated with the demethylating agent decitabine, we performed tumor biopsies before and after the first cycle of decitabine and used immunohistochemistry (IHC) to assess whether decitabine increased expression of various membrane transporters. Resistance to chemotherapy may arise due to promoter methylation/downregulation of expression of transporters required for drug uptake, and decitabine can reverse resistance in vitro. The endocytosis regulator RhoA, the folate carriers FOLR1 and RFC1, and the glucose transporter GLUT4 were assessed.ResultsPre-decitabine RhoA was higher in patients who had received their last therapy >3 months previously than in patients with more recent prior therapy (P = 0.02), and varied inversely with global DNA methylation as assessed by LINE1 methylation (r = -0.58, P = 0.006). Tumor RhoA scores increased with decitabine (P = 0.03), and RFC1 also increased in patients with pre-decitabine scores ≤150 (P = 0.004). Change in LINE1 methylation with decitabine did not correlate significantly with change in IHC scores for any transporter assessed. We also assessed methylation of the RFC1 gene (alias SLC19A1). SLC19A1 methylation correlated with tumor LINE1 methylation (r = 0.45, P = 0.02). There was a small (statistically insignificant) decrease in SLC19A1 methylation with decitabine, and there was a trend towards change in SLC19A1 methylation with decitabine correlating with change in LINE1 methylation (r = 0.47, P <0.15). While SLC19A1 methylation did not correlate with RFC1 scores, there was a trend towards an inverse correlation between change in SLC19A1 methylation and change in RFC1 expression (r = -0.45, P = 0.19).ConclusionsIn conclusion, after decitabine administration, there was increased expression of some (but not other) transporters that may play a role in chemotherapy uptake. Larger patient numbers will be needed to define the extent to which this increased expression is associated with changes in DNA methylation

Lower Bounds for Heights in Relative Galois Extensions

The goal of this paper is to obtain lower bounds on the height of an algebraic number in a relative setting, extending previous work of Amoroso and Masser. Specifically, in our first theorem we obtain an effective bound for the height of an algebraic number $\alpha$ when the base field $\mathbb{K}$ is a number field and $\mathbb{K}(\alpha)/\mathbb{K}$ is Galois. Our second result establishes an explicit height bound for any non-zero element $\alpha$ which is not a root of unity in a Galois extension $\mathbb{F}/\mathbb{K}$, depending on the degree of $\mathbb{K}/\mathbb{Q}$ and the number of conjugates of $\alpha$ which are multiplicatively independent over $\mathbb{K}$. As a consequence, we obtain a height bound for such $\alpha$ that is independent of the multiplicative independence condition

Strain and orientation modulated bandgaps and effective masses of phosphorene nanoribbons

Passivated phosphorene nanoribbons, armchair (a-PNR), diagonal (d-PNR), and zigzag (z-PNR), were investigated using density functional theory. Z-PNRs demonstrate the greatest quantum size effect, tuning the bandgap from 1.4 to 2.6 eV when the width is reduced from 26 to 6 Å. Strain effectively tunes charge carrier transport, leading to a sudden increase in electron effective mass at +8% strain for a-PNRs or hole effective mass at +3% strain for z-PNRs, differentiating the (mh*/me*) ratio by an order of magnitude in each case. Straining of d-PNRs results in a direct to indirect band gap transition at either -7% or +5% strain and therein creates degenerate energy valleys with potential applications for valleytronics and/or photocatalysis

Hand harvesting of seaweed: evidence review to support sustainable management

Natural Resources Wales commissioned this literature review to improve understanding of the range of potential impacts of hand gathering seaweed and to review potential management measures. The report will support managers to provide clear, evidence based and consistent advice to applications while protecting the seaweed resource. The majority of hand harvesting activity is for food use, with limited amount taken for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. Little evidence for collection of beach cast weed was found in Wales and England, which is thought to be opportunistic and seasonal following winter storms, with applications as fertilizer or soil conditioner. A small amount of mature adult plants are also hand harvested to provide fertile material for seaweed cultivation. Commercially in Wales and England, Sea spaghetti (Himanthalia elongata), dulse (Palmaria palmata), Ulva spp., Porphyra spp., carrageen (Chondrus crispus), Fucus serratus (some F. vesiculosus) and the kelps Laminaria digitata and Saccharina latissima are the key species targeted. Recreational harvesting activity targets a range of species, with some overlaps with commercially harvested species. Of these, Laver, (Porphyra spp). is of particular importance to recreational harvesters in South Wales, followed by F. vesiculosus, pepper dulse (Osmundea spp), kelps, carrageen (C. crispus and Mastocarpus stellatus) and P. palmata). Growth rates, life history, seasonality and reproduction underpin recovery from harvesting. These are species and site specific and may vary over time. Dispersal potential of propagules is poorly understood, but is a key recovery mechanism and is thought to be low for most species. For key targeted species, evidence for distribution and these life history parameters is presented in the appendices as a series of species dossiers. The report identifies how management should take these into consideration and highlights differences between species. The wrack Ascophyllum nodosum is the most slow growing and long lived of harvested species, followed by the kelp Laminaria hyperborea, other kelp and wrack species, and perennial red seaweeds. Conversely Ulva spp. and Porphyra spp. are fast growing and quick to mature and able to rapidly colonise newly cleared rock. Seaweeds support the natural ecosystem and people through primary production/ carbon fixation and nutrient cycling that underpins marine food webs. Seaweeds provide and modify habitats for a wide range of organisms, including commercially targeted fish and shellfish species. The contribution to ecosystem function and services varies with kelps and brown seaweeds being of particular ecological importance. The impact of harvesting varies according to species, scale, technique and local environmental conditions. By removing seaweeds, harvesting reduces growth rates and population dynamics, this reduces nutrient cycling and reduces habitat availability and provision. While recovery may take place in some instances, changes in community composition can occur as a result of competition and grazing pressure. These impacts should be considered within harvesting management plans to mitigate adverse effects. Invasive non-native species are a key risk for native species and habitats. A rapid evidence assessment identified 33 invasive species of concern, likely to be associated with harvested seaweeds, these include thirteen invasive seaweeds, thirteen attached or 19 fouling species and seven mobile species that may shelter amongst seaweeds. The risks from these were prioritised based on impact on native species and habitats, relevance of seaweed harvesting to dispersal and current distribution. Fourteen priority species were identified, three of which may be of commercial interest. Measures to reduce risk of spread include avoiding or reducing by-catch and ‘check clean dry’ equipment are suggested. Existing harvesting guidance documents are centred around codes of conduct which are not legally binding. Effective management will be site and species specific. Management approaches may be voluntary (e.g. codes of conduct) or statutory (e.g. quotas), and can be summarised as follows. • Harvesting methods - Cutting height, leave a proportion of the plant (holdfast and some frond) remaining at the base; - Selectively cut with scissors rather than plucking or uprooting to support recovery and reduce by-catch; - Avoid by-catch of epiphytes and vulnerable species - Avoid harvesting reproductive material if possible (or only take half from each plant in the case of H. elongata); - For certain species (e.g. for F. serratus and F. vesiculosus), only harvest part of mature plants • Harvesting period - Harvest during active growing season; - Avoid harvesting during the reproductive season; • Harvesting frequency - Fallow periods for recovery of canopy in A. nodosum and perennial kelps • Harvest limits - Quotas, volumes or bag limits; - Proportion of standing stock biomass removed/left remaining • Harvesting spatial considerations - Harvest sparsely, leaving unharvested plants between those taken; - Shape, size and spacing of harvested areas (i.e. between harvested plants or patches); Knowledge of the available resource is essential for sustainable management of hand harvesting of seaweeds. Simple methods of assessing and monitoring biomass were discussed and some initial estimates of biomass of intertidal seaweed provided. Due to gaps in evidence uncertainty remains regarding the lifecycle and recovery capacity of certain species, particularly red seaweeds and the standing stock biomass of all species available for harvest. This report has identified management approaches that are well supported and based on ecological considerations such as life-history and recovery mechanisms. However, it is recognised that advice and action by managers for those seaweeds where uncertainty exists regarding biomass and recoverability will need to be precautionary. Effective management will be site and species specific, utilising a combination of management approaches. Seaweed harvesting activities provide an opportunity to involve stakeholders to conduct applied research projects, monitoring sites before, during and after harvesting and to trial effective management issues. Continued monitoring in some form by harvesters could be a condition of any license to exploit wild stocks

The first legal mortgagor: a consumer without adequate protection?

This article contends that the UK government’s attempt to create a well-functioning consumer credit market will be undermined if it fails to reform the private law framework relating to the first legal mortgage. Such agreements are governed by two distinct regulatory regimes that are founded upon very different conceptions of the mortgagor. The first, the regulation of financial services overseen by the Financial Conduct Authority, derives from public law and is founded upon a conception of the mortgagor as “consumer”. The other is land law, private law regulation implemented by the judiciary and underpinned by a conception of the mortgagor as “landowner”. Evidence suggests that the operation of these two regimes prevents mortgagors from receiving fair and consistent treatment. The current reform of financial services regulation therefore will change only one part of this governance regime and will leave mortgagors heavily reliant upon a regulator that still has to prove itself. What this article argues is that reform of the rules of private law must also be undertaken with the aim of initiating a paradigm shift in the conception of the mortgagor from “landowner” to “consumer”. Cultural shifts of this kind take time but the hope is that this conceptual transformation will occur in time to deter the predicted rise in mortgage possessions

The mu problem and sneutrino inflation

We consider sneutrino inflation and post-inflation cosmology in the singlet extension of the MSSM with approximate Peccei-Quinn(PQ) symmetry, assuming that supersymmetry breaking is mediated by gauge interaction. The PQ symmetry is broken by the intermediate-scale VEVs of two flaton fields, which are determined by the interplay between radiative flaton soft masses and higher order terms. Then, from the flaton VEVs, we obtain the correct mu term and the right-handed(RH) neutrino masses for see-saw mechanism. We show that the RH sneutrino with non-minimal gravity coupling drives inflation, thanks to the same flaton coupling giving rise to the RH neutrino mass. After inflation, extra vector-like states, that are responsible for the radiative breaking of the PQ symmetry, results in thermal inflation with the flaton field, solving the gravitino problem caused by high reheating temperature. Our model predicts the spectral index to be n_s\simeq 0.96 due to the additional efoldings from thermal inflation. We show that a right dark matter abundance comes from the gravitino of 100 keV mass and a successful baryogenesis is possible via Affleck-Dine leptogenesis.Comment: 27 pages, no figures, To appear in JHE