Bone metastasis from malignant phyllodes of the breast

Cystosarcoma phyllodes was described first in 1838 and originally was considered to be a benign tumor. It was not until 1931 that metastasis from a cystosarcoma phyllodes was reported. The incidence of cystosarcoma phyllodes is estimated to be 0.3% to 0.9% of all breast tumors. Sites most commonly affected by metastases are the lungs and bones. We present a case report  29-year old female patient presented with a voluminous breast mass at both of them  which was completely resected. The right side presented of malignant phyllodes and the left side is borderline phyllodes. Six months later, both of her legs became paralyzed and accompanied by swelling over her right upper arm. Biopsy was performed, and the diagnosis was metastatic malignant phyllodes tumor. Histologic review of the breast tumor revealed stromal overgrowth

Growth space requirements models for Prosopis africana (Guill & Perr) Taub tree species in Makurdi, Nigeria

All parts of Prosopis africana (Guill & Perr) Taub are used by rural communities in Nigeria, and this exposes it to degradation and a regeneration problems. There is lack of information on inventory on natural forest estates for management and decision-making. This species is facing a regeneration problem and overexploitation. The aim of this study was to developed model that can predict the growth space requirements for P. africana plantation establishment. Growing space was associated with crown size; seven crown and stem diameter relation models were tested on data recorded from P. africana trees in Makurdi-Nigeria; simple random sampling technique was used to collect data. The linear model (crown-stem diameter relation) provided the best model fitted with R2 values of 0.778 with adjusted R2 0.777. For optimum planting, fast growth and high production/yield the tree species would require a planting spacing of 4 x 4 meters; for example, that a dominant free-growing tree of diameter 52.90 cm would required 0.008 hectare of growing space with a stocking of 125 tree per hectare for P. africana. Stand density converges around 0.000016 m2. The baseline information provided by this study could serve as a guide for optimum planting distances and tree stocking in large scale plantations of P. africana species in Nigeria and international, this to avoid extinction of the economic tree

Alpha Diversity and Species Status of Uneven Forests in Eco-Zones of Taraba State, Nigeria

Alpha diversity indices quantify the uncertainty in predicting the species identity of an individual. Quantitative indices on species composition and distribution are vital to understanding the trend and species status of an ecosystem for conservation management. However, among the forest ecosystems in Taraba state, Bakin Dutse and Wasaji uneven forests are one of the least studied areas, especially in terms of tree species status. This research work aims at assessing alpha diversity and species status of selected uneven forests in Taraba state, Nigeria; to provide baseline knowledge for conservation management. In total, 102 tree species from 74 genera and 41 families were present. Wasaji forest had the highest number (51) of tree species with a diversity index of 3.01, followed by Ngel-Nyaki uneven forest which had 32 tree species, and Bakin Dutse forest had 19 species. The tree species were evenly distributed in Wasaji forest (0.631) and Bakin dutse (0.625). The study area is rich in tree species. Strict policies should be maintained, this could improve the growth and productivity of forest ecosystems of the study area. The tree growth variables had an optimum tree stand density in all the natural forests. If effective conservation efforts are made, the lower tree diameter class would grow into mature trees and eventually replace those at the upper tree diameter class in the forests, which showed an inverse J-shape diameter distribution

Rapid methods of landslide hazard mapping : Fiji case study

A landslide hazard probability map can help planners (1) prepare for, and/or mitigate against, the effects of landsliding on communities and infrastructure, and (2) avoid or minimise the risks associated with new developments. The aims of the project were to establish, by means of studies in a few test areas, a generic method by which remote sensing and data analysis using a geographic information system (GIS) could provide a provisional landslide hazard zonation map. The provision of basic hazard information is an underpinning theme of the UN’s International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). It is an essential requirement for disaster preparedness and mitigation planning. This report forms part of BGS project 92/7 (R5554) ‘Rapid assessment of landslip hazards’ Carried out under the ODA/BGS Technology Development and Research Programme as part of the British Government’s provision of aid to developing countries. It provides a detailed technical account of work undertaken in a test area in Viti Levu in collaboration with Fiji Mineral Resources Department. The study represents a demonstration of a methodology that is applicable to many developing countries. The underlying principle is that relationships between past landsliding events, interpreted from remote sensing, and factors such as the geology, relief, soils etc provide the basis for modelling where future landslides are most likely to occur. This is achieved using a GIS by ‘weighting’ each class of each variable (e.g. each lithology ‘class’ of the variable ‘geology’) according to the proportion of landslides occurring within it compared to the regional average. Combinations of variables, produced by summing the weights in individual classes, provide ‘models’ of landslide probability. The approach is empirical but has the advantage of potentially being able to provide regional scale hazard maps over large areas quickly and cheaply; this is unlikely to be achieved using conventional ground-based geotechnical methods. In Fiji, landslides are usually triggered by intense rain storms commonly associated with tropical cyclones. However, the regional distribution of landslides has not been mapped nor is it known how far geology and landscape influence the location and severity of landsliding events. The report discusses the remote sensing and GIS methodology, and describes the results of the pilot study over an area of 713 km2 in south east Viti Levu. The landslide model uses geology, elevation, slope angle, slope aspect, soil type, and forest cover as inputs. The resulting provisional landslide hazard zonation map, divided into high, medium and low zones of landslide hazard probability, suggests that whilst rainfall is the immediate cause, others controls do exert a significant influence. It is recommended that consideration be given in Fiji to implementing the techniques as part of a national strategic plan for landslide hazard zonation mapping

Decline of Spectacled Eiders Nesting in Western Alaska

Spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri) populations in western Alaska are now less than 4% of the numbers estimated in the early 1970s. In 1992, an estimated 1721 nesting pairs remained on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. Causes of this rapid and continuing decline of -14% per year are undocumented. Many aspects of spectacled eider biology remain unknown, including their marine foraging habitats, food items, migratory movements, and population ecology. A review of some biological characteristics and possible threats to the species suggests the importance of quantifying potential impacts from parasites and disease, subsistence harvest, predation during brood rearing, and alteration of Bering Sea food resources. Factors causing the population decline of spectacled eiders must be determined and appropriate actions taken to reverse the trend.Key words: Alaska, declining species, Somateria fischeri, spectacled eider, waterfowl, Yukon-Kuskokwim DeltaLes populations d'eider à lunettes (Somateria fischeri) de l'Alaska occidental s'élèvent maintenant à moins de 4 p. cent du total estimé au début des années 70. En 1992, on a estimé à 1721 le nombre de paires nicheuses qui restaient dans le delta du Yukon-Kuskokwim. Les causes de ce déclin rapide et continu de -14 p. cent par an ne sont pas documentées. Bien des aspects de la biologie de l'eider à lunettes restent inconnus, y compris l'habitat marin où il trouve sa nourriture, ses aliments, ses déplacements migratoires et l'écologie de la population. Un examen de certaines caractéristiques biologiques et des menaces dont l'espèce pourrait faire l'objet suggère l'importance qu'il y a à quantifier les retombées potentielles des parasites et des maladies, des récoltes destinées à assurer la subsistance, de la prédation durant l'élevage de la couvée et des changements dans les ressources alimentaires de la mer de Béring. Il faut déterminer les facteurs responsables du déclin de la population de l'eider à lunettes et prendre les mesures qui s'imposent pour renverser la tendance.Mots clés : Alaska, espèce en déclin, Somateria fischeri, eider à lunettes, oiseau aquatique, delta du Yukon-Kuskokwi

Water oxidation catalysis – role of redox and structural dynamics in biological photosynthesis and inorganic manganese oxides

Water oxidation is pivotal in biological photosynthesis, where it is catalyzed by a protein-bound metal complex with a Mn4Ca-oxide core; related synthetic catalysts may become key components in non-fossil fuel technologies. Going beyond characterization of the catalyst resting state, we compare redox and structural dynamics of three representative birnessite-type Mn(Ca) oxides (catalytically active versus inactive; with/without calcium) and the biological catalyst. In the synthetic oxides, Mn oxidation was induced by increasingly positive electrode potentials and monitored by electrochemical freeze-quench and novel time-resolved in situ experiments involving detection of X-ray absorption and UV-vis transients, complemented by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. A minority fraction of Mn(III) ions present at catalytic potentials is found to be functionally crucial; calcium ions are inessential but tune redox properties. Redox-state changes of the water- oxidizing Mn oxide are similarly fast as observed in the biological catalyst (<10 ms), but 10–100 times slower in the catalytically inactive oxide. Surprisingly similar redox dynamics of biological catalyst and water-oxidizing Mn(Ca) oxides suggest that in both catalysts, rather than direct oxidation of bound water species, oxidation equivalents are accumulated before onset of the multi-electron O–O bond formation chemistry in Mn(III)–Mn(IV) oxidation steps coupled to changes in the oxo-bridging between metal ions. Aside from the ability of the bulk oxide to undergo Mn oxidation-state changes, we identify two further, likely interrelated prerequisites for catalytic activity of the synthetic oxides: (i) the presence of Mn(III) ions at catalytic potentials preventing formation of an inert all-Mn(IV) oxide and (ii) fast rates of redox-state changes approaching the millisecond time domain

Antecedentes feministas de los grupos de apoyo mutuo en el movimiento loco: un análisis histórico-crítico

Mutual support groups are one of the most important collective actions in the psychiatric survivors movement or mad movement. Among its precursors, different proposals from social movements and community perspectives on collective health have been mainly well-known. In this article we carry out a historical overview of their antecedents, pointing out different actions from the Women’s Liberation Movement and the Women’s Health Movement. From this, we perform a critical analysis considering three axes to understand the emergence of collective actions in mental health: personal experience in relation to the sociopolitical structure; the construction of political subjects in this field; and power relationships in the management of madness and psychological discomfort. We show how mutual support groups, in the context of the mad movement, give continuity to the trajectories of collective and feminist health actions, and are positioned as tools for the creation of political processes in different sociocultural contexts.Los grupos de apoyo mutuo son una de las acciones colectivas más presentes en el movimiento de salud mental en primera persona o movimiento loco. Entre sus precursores se han destacado, principalmente, distintas propuestas de movimientos sociales y de perspectivas comunitarias y colectivas en salud. En este artículo realizamos un recorrido histórico señalando, como antecedentes, diferentes acciones del movimiento de liberación de las mujeres y el movimiento de salud de las mujeres. A partir de dicho recorrido, realizamos un análisis crítico considerando tres ejes para comprender la emergencia de acciones colectivas en salud mental: la experiencia personal en relación con lo sociopolítico; la construcción de sujetos políticos y de conocimiento; y las relaciones de poder en la gestión de la locura y el malestar psíquico. Mostramos cómo los grupos de apoyo mutuo, en el contexto del movimiento loco, dan continuidad a las trayectorias de gestión colectiva y feminista de la salud, y se posicionan como herramientas para la creación de procesos políticos en distintos contextos socioculturales