Histopathological characteristics of metastasizing squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and lips

Quaedvlieg P J F, Creytens D H K V, Epping G G, Peutz-Kootstra C J, Nieman F H M, Thissen M R T M & Krekels G A (2006) Histopathology 49, 256–264 Histopathological characteristics of metastasizing squamous cell carcinoma of the skin and lips AIMS: The reported incidence of metastasis from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin and lip varies between 0.5% and 16%. Clinical and histopathological criteria have been proposed to identify tumours that may have an increased risk of metastasis. The aim of this study was to define such high-risk tumours, especially since the incidence of SCC of the skin is increasing. METHODS AND RESULTS: Histopathological features of metastasized skin and lip tumours and a matched group of non-metastasizing tumours were reassessed. Characteristics studied were: tumour width, excision margins, histological subtype, Clark level, Breslow depth, tumour differentiation, inflammation, perineural and angio-invasive growth, ulceration and desmoplasia. Data were statistically analysed separately for skin and labial lesions. Desmoplasia, Clark level, Breslow depth, maximum diameter, angio-invasion, grading, perineural invasion, plasma cells and eosinophilic inflammatory response proved to be statistically significantly related to metastasis of skin tumours. Breslow depth, plasma cells and grading appeared to be statistically significantly related to metastasis of SCC of the lips. CONCLUSIONS: A typical metastatic SCC showed: a tumour width of at least 15 mm, a vertical tumour thickness (= Breslow) of at least 2 mm, less differentiation, presence of desmoplasia and an inflammatory response with eosinophils and plasma cells

The epidemiology of injuries across the weight-training sports

Background: Weight-training sports, including weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding, strongman, Highland Games, and CrossFit, are weight-training sports that have separate divisions for males and females of a variety of ages, competitive standards, and bodyweight classes. These sports may be considered dangerous because of the heavy loads commonly used in training and competition. Objectives: Our objective was to systematically review the injury epidemiology of these weight-training sports, and, where possible, gain some insight into whether this may be affected by age, sex, competitive standard, and bodyweight class. Methods: We performed an electronic search using PubMed, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Embase for injury epidemiology studies involving competitive athletes in these weight-training sports. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed journal articles only, with no limit placed on date or language of publication. We assessed the risk of bias in all studies using an adaption of the musculoskeletal injury review method. Results: Only five of the 20 eligible studies had a risk of bias score ≥75 %, meaning the risk of bias in these five studies was considered low. While 14 of the studies had sample sizes >100 participants, only four studies utilized a prospective design. Bodybuilding had the lowest injury rates (0.12–0.7 injuries per lifter per year; 0.24–1 injury per 1000 h), with strongman (4.5–6.1 injuries per 1000 h) and Highland Games (7.5 injuries per 1000 h) reporting the highest rates. The shoulder, lower back, knee, elbow, and wrist/hand were generally the most commonly injured anatomical locations; strains, tendinitis, and sprains were the most common injury type. Very few significant differences in any of the injury outcomes were observed as a function of age, sex, competitive standard, or bodyweight class. Conclusion: While the majority of the research we reviewed utilized retrospective designs, the weight-training sports appear to have relatively low rates of injury compared with common team sports. Future weight-training sport injury epidemiology research needs to be improved, particularly in terms of the use of prospective designs, diagnosis of injury, and changes in risk exposure

Nummular keratopathy in a patient with Hyper-IgD Syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Purpose</p> <p>To report a case of recurrent nummular keratitis in a pediatric patient with Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A retrospective chart review.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>A 14-year-old boy with Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D syndrome (HIDS) presented with photophobia and ocular irritation concomitant with disease exacerbation. He was found on exam to have significant nummular keratitis, which responded to a short course of topical steroids. Despite acute response to local immunosuppression, the patient had several recurrent attacks and eventually developed a large corneal scar and decreased vision. After initiation of infliximab therapy his ocular sequelae improved dramatically and his vision returned to 20/20.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>One possible form of end-organ damage associated with HIDS is vision threatening nummular keratopathy.</p

Low-background gamma spectroscopy at the Boulby Underground Laboratory

The Boulby Underground Germanium Suite (BUGS) comprises three low-background, high-purity germanium detectors operating in the Boulby Underground Laboratory, located 1.1 km underground in the north-east of England, UK. BUGS utilises three types of detector to facilitate a high-sensitivity, high-throughput radio-assay programme to support the development of rare-event search experiments. A Broad Energy Germanium (BEGe) detector delivers sensitivity to low-energy gamma-rays such as those emitted by 210 Pb and 234 Th. A Small Anode Germanium (SAGe) well-type detector is employed for efficient screening of small samples. Finally, a standard p-type coaxial detector provides fast screening of standard samples. This paper presents the steps used to characterise the performance of these detectors for a variety of sample geometries, including the corrections applied to account for cascade summing effects. For low-density materials, BUGS is able to radio-assay to specific activities down to 3.6mBqkg −1 for 234 Th and 6.6mBqkg −1 for 210 Pb both of which have uncovered some significant equilibrium breaks in the 238 U chain. In denser materials, where gamma-ray self-absorption increases, sensitivity is demonstrated to specific activities of 0.9mBqkg −1 for 226 Ra, 1.1mBqkg −1 for 228 Ra, 0.3mBqkg −1 for 224 Ra, and 8.6mBqkg −1 for 40 K with all upper limits at a 90% confidence level. These meet the requirements of most screening campaigns presently under way for rare-event search experiments, such as the LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) dark matter experiment. We also highlight the ability of the BEGe detector to probe the X-ray fluorescence region which can be important to identify the presence of radioisotopes associated with neutron production; this is of particular relevance in experiments sensitive to nuclear recoils

Effective Theory Approach to the Spontaneous Breakdown of Lorentz Invariance

We generalize the coset construction of Callan, Coleman, Wess and Zumino to theories in which the Lorentz group is spontaneously broken down to one of its subgroups. This allows us to write down the most general low-energy effective Lagrangian in which Lorentz invariance is non-linearly realized, and to explore the consequences of broken Lorentz symmetry without having to make any assumptions about the mechanism that triggers the breaking. We carry out the construction both in flat space, in which the Lorentz group is a global spacetime symmetry, and in a generally covariant theory, in which the Lorentz group can be treated as a local internal symmetry. As an illustration of this formalism, we construct the most general effective field theory in which the rotation group remains unbroken, and show that the latter is just the Einstein-aether theory.Comment: 45 pages, no figures

Constraints from muon g-2 and LFV processes in the Higgs Triplet Model

Constraints from the muon anomalous magnetic dipole moment and lepton flavor violating processes are translated into lower bounds on v_Delta*m_H++ in the Higgs Triplet Model by considering correlations through the neutrino mass matrix. The discrepancy of the sign of the contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic dipole moment between the measurement and the prediction in the model is clarified. It is shown that mu to e gamma, tau decays (especially, tau to mu e e), and the muonium conversion can give a more stringent bound on v_Delta*m_H++ than the bound from mu to eee which is expected naively to give the most stringent one.Comment: 18 pages, 16 figure

Accreting Protoplanets in the LkCa 15 Transition Disk

Exoplanet detections have revolutionized astronomy, offering new insights into solar system architecture and planet demographics. While nearly 1900 exoplanets have now been discovered and confirmed, none are still in the process of formation. Transition discs, protoplanetary disks with inner clearings best explained by the influence of accreting planets, are natural laboratories for the study of planet formation. Some transition discs show evidence for the presence of young planets in the form of disc asymmetries or infrared sources detected within their clearings, as in the case of LkCa 15. Attempts to observe directly signatures of accretion onto protoplanets have hitherto proven unsuccessful. Here we report adaptive optics observations of LkCa 15 that probe within the disc clearing. With accurate source positions over multiple epochs spanning 2009 - 2015, we infer the presence of multiple companions on Keplerian orbits. We directly detect H{\alpha} emission from the innermost companion, LkCa 15 b, evincing hot (~10,000 K) gas falling deep into the potential well of an accreting protoplanet.Comment: 35 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, 9 extended data item

Topological Photonics

Topology is revolutionizing photonics, bringing with it new theoretical discoveries and a wealth of potential applications. This field was inspired by the discovery of topological insulators, in which interfacial electrons transport without dissipation even in the presence of impurities. Similarly, new optical mirrors of different wave-vector space topologies have been constructed to support new states of light propagating at their interfaces. These novel waveguides allow light to flow around large imperfections without back-reflection. The present review explains the underlying principles and highlights the major findings in photonic crystals, coupled resonators, metamaterials and quasicrystals.Comment: progress and review of an emerging field, 12 pages, 6 figures and 1 tabl