Primary Fibrosarcoma of the Breast: A Case Report

A primary fibrosarcoma of the breast is a rare tumor. Here we report on a case of a primary fibrosarcoma of the breast that presented as a palpable left breast mass in a 47-year-old woman. The physical examination revealed a 3 cm sized, round mass in the left upper outer breast. The mammograms revealed a 3 cm sized, partially circumscribed and partially obscured, high density mass in the upper outer quadrant of the left breast. An ultrasonogram demonstrated a 3 cm sized, ovoid, circumscribed and hypoechoic mass with peripheral increased vascularity on Doppler imaging. Surgical excision was performed and the pathology revealed a low grade fibrosarcoma

State of the Art Review: Emerging Therapies: The Use of Insulin Sensitizers in the Treatment of Adolescents with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

PCOS, a heterogeneous disorder characterized by cystic ovarian morphology, androgen excess, and/or irregular periods, emerges during or shortly after puberty. Peri- and post-pubertal obesity, insulin resistance and consequent hyperinsulinemia are highly prevalent co-morbidities of PCOS and promote an ongoing state of excess androgen. Given the relationship of insulin to androgen excess, reduction of insulin secretion and/or improvement of its action at target tissues offer the possibility of improving the physical stigmata of androgen excess by correction of the reproductive dysfunction and preventing metabolic derangements from becoming entrenched. While lifestyle changes that concentrate on behavioral, dietary and exercise regimens should be considered as first line therapy for weight reduction and normalization of insulin levels in adolescents with PCOS, several therapeutic options are available and in wide use, including oral contraceptives, metformin, thiazolidenediones and spironolactone. Overwhelmingly, the data on the safety and efficacy of these medications derive from the adult PCOS literature. Despite the paucity of randomized control trials to adequately evaluate these modalities in adolescents, their use, particularly that of metformin, has gained popularity in the pediatric endocrine community. In this article, we present an overview of the use of insulin sensitizing medications in PCOS and review both the adult and (where available) adolescent literature, focusing specifically on the use of metformin in both mono- and combination therapy

Learning from the value of your mistakes: evidence for a risk sensitive process in movement adaptation

Effective movements largely depend on adaptation, an error-driven process that corrects error from movement to movement. Adaptation is traditionally assumed to depend on the magnitude of movement error. However, not all movement errors of a given magnitude have the same subjective value. Here we examined whether the subjective value of error influenced how participants adapted their control from movement to movement. Seated human participants grasped the handle of a force-generating robotic arm and made horizontal reaching movements in two novel dynamic environments that penalized errors of the same magnitude differently, changing the subjective value of the errors. We expected that adaptation in response to errors of the same magnitude would differ between these environments. In the first environment, Stable, errors were not penalized. In the second environment, Unstable, rightward errors were penalized with the threat of unstable, cliff-like forces. We found that adaptation indeed differed. Specifically, in the Unstable environment, we observed reduced adaptation to leftward errors, an appropriate strategy that reduced the chance of a penalizing rightward error. These results demonstrate that adaptation is influenced by the subjective value of error, rather than solely the magnitude of error, and therefore is risk-sensitive. In other words, we may not simply learn from our mistakes, we may also learn from the value of our mistakes

Canopy Structural Alterations to Nitrogen Functions of the Soil Microbial Community in a \u3cem\u3eQuercus virginiana\u3c/em\u3e Forest

Forest canopy structure controls the timing, amount and chemical character of precipitation supply to soils through interception and drainage along crown surfaces. Yet, few studies have examined forest canopy structural connections to soil microbial communities (SMCs), and none have measured how this affects SMC Nitrogen functions. The maritime Quercus virginiana Mill. (southern live oak) forests of St Catherine’s Island, GA, USA provide an ideal opportunity to examine canopy structural alterations to SMCs and their functioning, as their throughfall varies substantially across space due to dense Tillandsia usneoides L. (spanish moss) mats bestrewn throughout. To examine the impact of throughfall variability on SMC N functions, we examined points along the canopy coverage continuum: large canopy gaps (0%), bare canopy (50-60%), and canopy of heavy T. usneoides coverage (\u3e=85%). Five sites beneath each of the canopy cover types were monitored for throughfall water/ions and soil leachates chemistry for one storm each month over the growing period (7 months, Mar-2014 to Sep-2014) to compare with soil chemistry and SMC communities sampled every two months throughout that same period (Mar, May, Jul, Sep). DGGE and QPCR analysis of the N functioning genes (NFGs) to characterize the ammonia oxidizing bacterial (AOB-amoA), archaea (AOA-amoA), and ammonification (chiA) communities were used to determine the nitrification and decomposition potential of these microbial communities. PRS™-probes (Western Ag Innovations Inc., Saskatoon, Canada) were then used to determine the availability of NO3-N and NH4+N in the soils over a 6-week period to evaluate whether the differing NFG abundance and community structures resulted in altered N cycling

Canopy Structural Alterations to Nitrogen Functions of the Soil Microbial Community in a \u3cem\u3eQuercus virginiana\u3c/em\u3e Forest

Forest canopy structure controls the timing, amount and chemical character of precipitation supply to soils through interception and drainage along crown surfaces. Yet, few studies have examined forest canopy structural connections to soil microbial communities (SMCs), and none have measured how this affects SMC Nitrogen functions. The maritime Quercus virginiana Mill. (southern live oak) forests of St Catherine’s Island, GA, USA provide an ideal opportunity to examine canopy structural alterations to SMCs and their functioning, as their throughfall varies substantially across space due to dense Tillandsia usneoides L. (spanish moss) mats bestrewn throughout. To examine the impact of throughfall variability on SMC N functions, we examined points along the canopy coverage continuum: large canopy gaps (0%), bare canopy (50-60%), and canopy of heavy T. usneoides coverage (\u3e=85%). Five sites beneath each of the canopy cover types were monitored for throughfall water/ions and soil leachates chemistry for one storm each month over the growing period (7 months, Mar-2014 to Sep-2014) to compare with soil chemistry and SMC communities sampled every two months throughout that same period (Mar, May, Jul, Sep). DGGE and QPCR analysis of the N functioning genes (NFGs) to characterize the ammonia oxidizing bacterial (AOB-amoA), archaea (AOA-amoA), and ammonification (chiA) communities were used to determine the nitrification and decomposition potential of these microbial communities. PRS™-probes (Western Ag Innovations Inc., Saskatoon, Canada) were then used to determine the availability of NO3-N and NH4+N in the soils over a 6-week period to evaluate whether the differing NFG abundance and community structures resulted in altered N cycling

Experimental peritonitis in horses: peritoneal fluid composition Peritonite experimental em eqüinos: composição do líquido peritoneal

Sixteen adult horses were randomly divided into four equal groups of four animals and each group was injected intraperitoneally with one of the following suspension: Group I, 100×10(7) colony-forming units (CFU) of E. coli diluted in 500ml of 0.9% saline; Group II, 100×10(7) CFU of Bacteroides fragilis in 500ml of 0.9% saline; Group III, 100×10(7) CFU of E. coli in combination with 100×10(7) CFU of B. fragilis in 500ml of 0.9% saline; Group IV, 500ml of 0.9% saline. A significant increase in leukocyte number was observed in the peritoneal fluid by four hours after the inoculations in animals of Group I and II, and by eight hours in animals of Group III. The highest cell count observed was 516×10³ leukocytes/mm³. Significant increases in peritoneal fluid fibrinogen (1g/dl) and total protein (9.1%) concentrations were also observed. Horses inoculated with pure cultures of either E. coli or B. fragilis demonstrated mild and self-limiting peritonitis, while those inoculated with a combination of both bacteria demonstrated laboratory findings of higher intensity and duration.<br>Dezesseis eqüinos adultos foram aleatoriamente divididos em quatro grupos de quatro animais que receberam inoculação intraperitoneal das seguintes suspenções: grupo I, 100×10(7) unidades formadoras de colônias (CFU) de E. coli diluídas em 500ml de solução salina a 0,9%; grupo II, 100×10(7) CFU de Bacteroides fragilis em 500ml de solução salina a 0,9%; grupo III, 100×10(7) CFU de E. coli combinados com 100×10(7) CFU de B. fragilis em 500ml de solução salina a 0,9%; grupo IV, 500ml de solução salina a 0,9%. Observou-se aumento significativo do número de leucócitos no líquido peritoneal quatro horas após as inoculações dos animais dos grupos I e II, e oito horas após as inoculações dos animais do grupo III. A contagem mais elevada foi de 516×10³ leucócitos/mm³. Aumentos significativos nas concentrações de fibrinogênio (1g/dl) e proteína total (9,1%) foram também observados. Eqüinos inoculados com culturas puras, tanto de E. coli quanto de B. fragilis, apresentaram peritonites mais brandas e autolimitantes, enquanto que eqüinos inoculados com associação das duas bactérias apresentaram alterações laboratoriais com maior intensidade e duração