Lymphoscintigraphy and triangulated body marking for morbidity reduction during sentinel node biopsy in breast cancer

Current trends in patient care include the desire for minimizing invasiveness of procedures and interventions. This aim is reflected in the increasing utilization of sentinel lymph node biopsy, which results in a lower level of morbidity in breast cancer staging, in comparison to extensive conventional axillary dissection. Optimized lymphoscintigraphy with triangulated body marking is a clinical option that can further reduce morbidity, more than when a hand held gamma probe alone is utilized. Unfortunately it is often either overlooked or not fully understood, and thus not utilized. This results in the unnecessary loss of an opportunity to further reduce morbidity. Optimized lymphoscintigraphy and triangulated body marking provides a detailed 3 dimensional map of the number and location of the sentinel nodes, available before the first incision is made. The number, location, relevance based on time/sequence of appearance of the nodes, all can influence 1) where the incision is made, 2) how extensive the dissection is, and 3) how many nodes are removed. In addition, complex patterns can arise from injections. These include prominent lymphatic channels, pseudo-sentinel nodes, echelon and reverse echelon nodes and even contamination, which are much more difficult to access with the probe only. With the detailed information provided by optimized lymphoscintigraphy and triangulated body marking, the surgeon can approach the axilla in a more enlightened fashion, in contrast to when the less informed probe only method is used. This allows for better planning, resulting in the best cosmetic effect and less trauma to the tissues, further reducing morbidity while maintaining adequate sampling of the sentinel node(s)

A Report of Nausea and Vomiting with Discontinuation of Chronic Use of Salvia divinorum

Introduction. This is the first reported case of gastrointestinal symptoms associated with withdrawal after chronic use of this substance. Case Presentation. A 51-year-old Caucasian woman was referred to a hospital with a 3-day history of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal discomfort. She reported no sick family members or contact with anyone who was ill. She did report smoking 3–5 cigarettes of the herb “Salvia” consistently for 3-4 months and quit approximately 48 hours before symptoms appeared. Her use of the herb had been consistent; she smoked several cigarettes each day. Laboratory results were essentially normal including the white blood cell count. She received symptomatic treatment and was released after one day. Discussion. Salvinorin A, a kappa-opioid receptor agonist, is the major active ingredient of S. divinorum. The unique opioid properties of this herb may explain its ability to cause changes in intestinal transit time. Conclusion. A 51-year-old woman possibly developed gastrointestinal manifestations suggestive of withdrawal from Salvia divinorum after smoking the substance consistently for 3 to 4 months. The widespread use of this herb will make the potential for withdrawal syndromes more commonplace

Territorial Tactics: The Socio-spatial Significance of Private Policing Strategies in Cape Town

This paper analyses the policing strategies of private security companies operating in urban space. An existing literature has considered the variety of ways that territory becomes of fundamental importance in the work of public police forces. However, this paper examines territory in the context of private security companies. Drawing on empirical research in Cape Town, it examines how demarcated territories become key subjects in private policing. Private security companies are responsible for a relatively small section of the city, while in contrast the public police ultimately have to see city space as a whole. Hence, private policing strategy becomes one of displacement, especially of so-called undesirables yielding a patchworked public space associated with private enclaves of consumption. The conclusions signal the historical resonances and comparative implications of these political-legal-security dynamics. © 2013 Urban Studies Journal Limited

Identifying a Test to Monitor Weightlifting Performance in Competitive Male and Female Weightlifters

Monitoring tests are commonly used to assess weightlifter’s preparedness for competition. Although various monitoring tests have been used, it is not clear which test is the strongest indicator of weightlifting performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to (1) determine the relationships between vertical jump, isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) and weightlifting performance; and (2) compare vertical jumps to IMTP as monitoring tests of weightlifting performance in a large cohort of male and female weightlifters. Methods: Fifty-two competitive weightlifters (31 males, 21 females) participated in squat and countermovement jump testing (SJ, CMJ), and IMTP testing performed on force plates. All laboratory testing data was correlated to a recent competition where the athletes had attempted to peak. Results: Squat jump height (SJH) was the strongest correlate for men and women with the Sinclair Total (r = 0.686, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.487, p ≤ 0.05, respectively) compared to countermovement jump height (r = 0.642, p ≤ 0.01; r = 0.413, p = 0.063), IMTP peak force allometrically scaled to body mass (r = 0.542, p ≤ 0.01; r = −0.044, p = 0.851) and rate of force development at 200 ms (r = 0.066, p = 0.723; r = 0.086, p = 0.711), respectively. Further, SJH was a stronger correlate of relative weightlifting performance compared to IMTP peak force in females (p = 0.042), but not male weightlifters (p = 0.191). Conclusions: Although CMJ and IMTP are still considered strong indicators of weightlifting performance, SJH appears to be the most indicative measure of weightlifting performance across a wide-range of performance levels. Thus, SJH can be used as a reliable measure to monitor weightlifting performance in male and female weightlifters

GQ Lup B Visible & Near-Infrared Photometric Analysis

We have re-analyzed archival HST and Subaru data of the recently discovered planetary mass companion (PMC) GQ Lup B. With these we produce the first R and I band photometry of the companion and fit a radius and effective temperature using detailed model atmospheres. We find an effective temperature of 2335 +/- 100K, and a radius of 0.38 +/- 0.05 Rsol and luminosity of log(L/Lsol) = -2.42 +/- 0.07 (at 140pc). Since we fit wavelengths that span most of the emitted radiation from GQ Lup this luminosity estimate is robust, with uncertainty dominated by the distance uncertainty (+/- 50 pc). The radius obtained for 140pc (0.38Rsol) is significantly larger than the one originally derived and larger than model predictions. The mass of the object is much more model-dependent than the radiative properties, but for the GAIA dusty models we find a mass between 10-20 MJup, in the range of the brown dwarf and PMC deuterium burning boundary. Assuming a distance of 140pc, observations fit to 1sigma the Baraffe evolution model for a ~15 MJup brown dwarf. Additionally, the F606W photometric band is significantly overluminous compared to model predictions and other brown dwarfs. Such overluminosity could be explained by a bright Halpha emission from chromospheric activity, interaction with another undetected companion, or accretion. Assuming that GQ Lup B has a bright Halpha emission line, its Halpha emission strength is 10^(-1.71 +/- 0.10) Lbol, significantly larger than field late-type dwarfs. GQ Lup B might be strongly accreting and still be in its formation phase.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, ApJL final accepted versio

Spatially Resolved Outflows in a Seyfert Galaxy at z = 2.39

We present the first spatially resolved analysis of rest-frame optical and UV imaging and spectroscopy for a lensed galaxy at z = 2.39 hosting a Seyfert active galactic nucleus (AGN). Proximity to a natural guide star has enabled high signal-to-noise VLT SINFONI + adaptive optics observations of rest-frame optical diagnostic emission lines, which exhibit an underlying broad component with FWHM ~ 700 km/s in both the Balmer and forbidden lines. Measured line ratios place the outflow robustly in the region of the ionization diagnostic diagrams associated with AGN. This unique opportunity - combining gravitational lensing, AO guiding, redshift, and AGN activity - allows for a magnified view of two main tracers of the physical conditions and structure of the interstellar medium in a star-forming galaxy hosting a weak AGN at cosmic noon. By analyzing the spatial extent and morphology of the Ly-alpha and dust-corrected H-alpha emission, disentangling the effects of star formation and AGN ionization on each tracer, and comparing the AGN induced mass outflow rate to the host star formation rate, we find that the AGN does not significantly impact the star formation within its host galaxy.Comment: 16 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Collections Education: The Extended Specimen and Data Acumen

Biodiversity scientists must be fluent across disciplines; they must possess the quantitative, computational, and data skills necessary for working with large, complex data sets, and they must have foundational skills and content knowledge from ecology, evolution, taxonomy, and systematics. To effectively train the emerging workforce, we must teach science as we conduct science and embrace emerging concepts of data acumen alongside the knowledge, tools, and techniques foundational to organismal biology. We present an open education resource that updates the traditional plant collection exercise to incorporate best practices in twenty-first century collecting and to contextualize the activities that build data acumen. Students exposed to this resource gained skills and content knowledge in plant taxonomy and systematics, as well as a nuanced understanding of collections-based data resources. We discuss the importance of the extended specimen in fostering scientific discovery and reinforcing foundational concepts in biodiversity science, taxonomy, and systematics

Validation of frequency and mode extraction calculations from time-domain simulations of accelerator cavities

The recently developed frequency extraction algorithm [G.R. Werner and J.R. Cary, J. Comp. Phys. 227, 5200 (2008)] that enables a simple FDTD algorithm to be transformed into an efficient eigenmode solver is applied to a realistic accelerator cavity modeled with embedded boundaries and Richardson extrapolation. Previously, the frequency extraction method was shown to be capable of distinguishing M degenerate modes by running M different simulations and to permit mode extraction with minimal post-processing effort that only requires solving a small eigenvalue problem. Realistic calculations for an accelerator cavity are presented in this work to establish the validity of the method for realistic modeling scenarios and to illustrate the complexities of the computational validation process. The method is found to be able to extract the frequencies with error that is less than a part in 10^5. The corrected experimental and computed values differ by about one parts in 10^$, which is accounted for (in largest part) by machining errors. The extraction of frequencies and modes from accelerator cavities provides engineers and physicists an understanding of potential cavity performance as it depends on shape without incurring manufacture and measurement costs