Reconsidering the “MR Unsafe” breast tissue expander with magnetic infusion port: A case report and literature review

Breast tissue expanders (TEs) with magnetic infusion ports are labeled “MR Unsafe.” Therefore, patients with these implants are typically prevented from undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We report a patient with a total submuscular breast TE who inadvertently underwent an MRI exam. She subsequently developed expander exposure, requiring explantation and autologous reconstruction. The safety profile of TEs with magnetic ports and the use of MRI in patients with these implants is surprisingly controversial. Therefore, we present our case report, a systematic literature review, and propose procedural guidelines to help ensure the safety of patients with TEs with magnetic ports that need to undergo MRI exams.

Chemistry Inspired by the Colors of Fruits, Flowers and Wine

ABSTRACT An overview is provided of the status of research at the frontiers of investigation of the chemistry and photochemistry of two classes of natural plant pigments, the anthocyanins and the betalains, as well as of the pyranoanthocyanin pigments formed from anthocyanins during the maturation of red wine. Together, anthocyanins and betalains are responsible for almost all of the red, purple and blue colors of fruits and flowers and anthocyanins and pyranoanthocyanins are major contributors to the color of red wines. All three types of pigments are cationic below about pH 3, highly colored, non-toxic, reasonably soluble in water or alcohol and fairly stable to light. They exhibit good antioxidant or antiradical activity and, as part of our diet, confer a number of important health benefits. Systematic studies of model compounds containing the basic chromophoric groups of these three types of pigments are providing a deeper understanding of the often complex chemistry and photochemistry of these pigments and their relationship to the roles in vivo of these pigments in plants. These natural pigments are currently being exploited as starting materials for the preparation of novel semi-synthetic dyes, pigments and fluorescence probes.

Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma: a report from three university centers / Hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático: pesquisa em três centros universitários

Abstract Objective: To determine common imaging findings of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma on magnetic resonance images. Materials and Methods: A search was made of three institutional databases between January 2000 and August 2012. Seven patients (mean age, 47 years; range, 21-66 years; 6 women) with pathology-confirmed diagnosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging were identified. None of the patients had received any treatment for hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma at the time of the initial magnetic resonance imaging examination. Results: Hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma tumors appeared as focal masses in 7/7 patients, greater than 5 in number, with a coalescing lesion in 1/5, and peripheral localization in 6/7. Capsular retraction was present in 4/7, and was associated with peripherally located lesions. Early ring enhancement was appreciated in the majority of lesions in 7/7 patients. Centripetal progressive enhancement was shown in 5/7 patients on venous phase that exhibited a distinctive thick inner border of low signal on venous phase images, and a central core of delayed enhancement. Small lesions did not show this. Conclusion: The combination of multifocal round-configuration lesions that are predominantly peripheral and exhibit early peripheral ring enhancement and late appearance of an inner thick border of low signal and central core of high signal may represent an important feature for hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

Resumo Objetivo: Determinar os achados comuns de hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático em imagens de ressonância magnética. Materiais e Métodos: Uma pesquisa foi feita em três bases de dados institucionais entre janeiro de 2000 e agosto de 2012. Sete pacientes (média de idade, 47 anos; variação, 21-66 anos; 6 mulheres) com diagnóstico confirmado por exame patológico de hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático submetidos a ressonância magnética foram identificados. Nenhum dos pacientes havia recebido tratamento para hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático antes do exame inicial por ressonância magnética. Resultados: Tumores de hemangioendothelioma epitelioide hepático apareceram como massas focais, maiores que 5 em número, em 7/7 pacientes, com uma lesão coalescente em 1/5 e localização periférica em 6/7 pacientes. Retração capsular esteve presente em 4/7 pacientes e foi associada com lesões perifericamente localizadas. Realce precoce em anel foi visto na maioria das lesões, em 7/7 pacientes. Realce progressivo centrípeto foi demonstrado em 5/7 pacientes na fase venosa, que exibia uma borda interna espessa distinta de baixo sinal nas imagens de fase venosa e um núcleo central de realce tardio. As lesões pequenas não mostraram isso. Conclusão: A combinação de lesões de configuração arredondada multifocais que são predominantemente periféricas e exibem realce precoce em anel periférico e aparecimento tardio de uma borda espessa interna de baixo sinal e um núcleo central de alto sinal pode representar uma característica importante para hemangioendotelioma epitelioide hepático.

Large Steel Tank Fails and Rockets to Height of 30 meters - Rupture Disc Installed Incorrectly

At a brewery, the base plate-to-shell weld seam of a 90-m3 vertical cylindrical steel tank failed catastrophically. The 4 ton tank "took off" like a rocket leaving its contents behind, and landed on a van, crushing it. The top of the tank reached a height of 30 m. The internal overpressure responsible for the failure was an estimated 60 kPa. A rupture disc rated at < 50 kPa provided overpressure protection and thus prevented the tank from being covered by the European Pressure Equipment Directive. This safeguard failed and it was later discovered that the rupture disc had been installed upside down. The organizational root cause of this incident may be a fundamental lack of appreciation of the hazards of large volumes of low-pressure compressed air or gas. A contributing factor may be that the standard piping and instrumentation diagram (P&ID) symbol for a rupture disc may confuse and lead to incorrect installation. Compressed air systems are ubiquitous. The medium is not toxic or flammable. Such systems however, when operated at "slight overpressure" can store a great deal of energy and thus constitute a hazard that ought to be addressed by safety managers.

Multiple transcripts of anoctamin genes expressed in the mouse submandibular salivary gland

PURPOSE: Salivary fluid formation is primarily driven by Ca2+-activated, apical efflux of chloride into the lumen of the salivary acinus. The anoctamin1 protein is an anion channel with properties resembling the endogenous calcium-activated chloride channels. In order to better understand the role of anoctamin proteins in salivary exocrine secretion, the expression of the ten members of the anoctamin gene family in the mouse submandibular gland was studied. METHODS: Total RNA extracted from mouse submandibular salivary glands was reverse transcribed using primer pairs to amplify the full-length coding regions of each anoctamin gene and was subcloned into plasmid vectors for DNA sequencing. Alternative splice variants were also screened by polymerase chain reaction using primer pairs that amplified six overlapping regions of the complementary DNA of each anoctamin gene, spanning multiple exons. RESULTS: Multiple anoctamin transcripts were found in the mouse submandibular salivary gland, including full-length transcripts of anoctamin1, anoctamin3, anoctamin4, anoctamin5, anoctamin6, anoctamin9, and anoctamin10. Exon-skipping splicing in the N-terminal exons of the anoctamins1, anoctamin5, and anoctamin6 genes resulted in multiple alternative splice variants. No expression of anoctamin2, anoctamin7, or anoctamin8 was found. CONCLUSIONS: The predominant anoctamin transcript expressed in the mouse submandibular gland is anoctamin1ac. The chloride channel protein produced by anoctamin1ac is likely responsible for the Ca2+-activated chloride efflux, which is the rate-limiting step in salivary exocrine secretion.

Angular scale expansion theory and the misperception of egocentric distance in locomotor space

Perception is crucial for the control of action, but perception need not be scaled accurately to produce accurate actions. This paper reviews evidence for an elegant new theory of locomotor space perception that is based on the dense coding of angular declination so that action control may be guided by richer feedback. The theory accounts for why so much direct-estimation data suggests that egocentric distance is underestimated despite the fact that action measures have been interpreted as indicating accurate perception. Actions are calibrated to the perceived scale of space and thus action measures are typically unable to distinguish systematic (e.g., linearly scaled) misperception from accurate perception. Whereas subjective reports of the scaling of linear extent are difficult to evaluate in absolute terms, study of the scaling of perceived angles (which exist in a known scale, delimited by vertical and horizontal) provides new evidence regarding the perceptual scaling of locomotor space.

Sixty-two years of change in subtropical wet forest structure and composition at El Verde, Puerto Rico / Sesenta y dos Años de Cambio de Estructura y Composición Forestal HÚMEda Subtropical en El Verde, Puerto Rico / Sessenta e dois anos de mudança de estrutura e composição florestal úmida subtropical em El Verde, Puerto Rico

A plot established in 1943 in a subtropical wet forest at the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Puerto Rico has been assessed periodically for changes in species and size of all trees >4cm diameter. Forest dynamics on a 0.72ha plot (EV-3) at 400masl at El Verde show recovery principally from hurricanes of 1928 and 1932, timber stand improvement in 1958, and from Hurricanes Hugo and Georges in 1989 and 1998. Damage from Hurricane Hugo only temporarily slowed aboveground biomass accretion of the developing forest. Stand increases in basal area and biomass continue to be due principally to growth of the dominant overstory species, Dacryodes excelsa and Manilkara bidentata, ingrowth of which was stimulated by Hugo. The pioneer species Cecropia schreberiana filled gaps abundantly following the Hurricane and the understory tree Psychotria berteriana proliferated. Ingrowth of Prestoea montana has been greater than for all other species since 1976 and was stimulated by Hugo and Georges as well as prior hurricanes, so that by 2005 it was the most abundant species. Hurricane Hugo caused low mortality among the largest trees on the plot. As a few species have become more dominant species evenness has declined. Species richness is only slightly greater today than in 1943. Results are discussed in terms of "building" and "thinning" phases associated with major hurricanes. Hurricanes have stimulated the addition of species to the forest in "building years," but have maintained that richness in the intervening "thinning years", lending credence to the "intermediate disturbance hypothesis".

Una parcela de crecimiento establecida en 1943 en un bosque subtropical húmedo en Puerto Rico ha sido evaluada periódicamente en relación a cambios en las especies y tamaño de los árboles con diámetro >4cm. La dinámica forestal en una parcela de 0,72ha (EV-3, situada en El Verde a 400msnm) muestra principalmente la recuperación de los huracanes de 1928 y 1932, de aclareos para el mejoramiento de rodales madereros en 1958 y de los huracanes Hugo y Georges en 1989 y 1998. Los daños de Hugo disminuyeron solo temporalmente la acumulación de biomasa arbórea del bosque en desarrollo. Se siguieron registrando aumentos de área basal y biomasa del rodal, principalmente por crecimiento de las especies dominantes Dacryodes excelsa y Manilkara bidentata, cuya renovación fue estimulada. La pionera Cecropia schreberiana se estableció abundantemente en espacios abiertos por el huracán y en el sotobosque proliferó Psychotria berteriana. El crecimiento de la regeneración de Prestoea montana ha sido el mayor registrado desde 1976 y fue estimulado por Hugo y George, así como por huracanes anteriores, siendo la especie más abundante en 2005. Hugo causó poca mortalidad de árboles grandes. En la medida en que pocas especies han llegado a ser dominantes, la uniformidad de las parcelas ha declinado. La riqueza de especies es ligeramente mayor que en 1943. Los resultados se discuten en términos de fases de "construcción" y "aclareo" asociadas con el paso de huracanes. Éstos han estimulado la adición de especies en "años de construcción", pero han mantenido la riqueza en "años de aclareo", añadiendo credibilidad a la hipótesis de perturbaciones intermedias.

Uma parcela de crescimento estabelecida em 1943 em um bosque subtropical úmido em Puerto Rico tem sido avaliada periodicamente em relação às mudanças nas espécies e tamanho das árvores com diâmetro >4 cm. A dinâmica florestal em uma parcela de 0,72ha (EV-3, situada em El Verde a 400msnm) mostra principalmente a recuperação dos furacões de 1928 e 1932, de clareiras para o melhoramento de lotes madeireiros em 1958 e dos furacões Hugo e Georges em 1989 e 1998. Os danos de Hugo diminuíram somente temporalmente a acumulação de biomassa arbórea do bosque em desenvolvimento. Seguiram-se registrando aumentos de área basal e biomassa do lote, principalmente por crescimento das espécies dominantes Dacryodes excelsa e Manilkara bidentata, cuja renovação foi estimulada. A pioneira Cecropia schreberiana se estabeleceu abundantemente em espaços abertos pelo furacão e no sotobosque proliferou Psychotria berteriana. O crescimento da regeneração de Prestoea montana tem sido o maior registrado desde 1976 e foi estimulado por Hugo e George, assim como por furacões anteriores, sendo a espécie mais abundante em 2005. Hugo causou pouca mortalidade de árvores grandes. Na medida em que poucas espécies têm chegado a ser dominantes, a uniformidade das parcelas tem declinado. A riqueza de espécies é ligeiramente maior que em 1943. Os resultados se discutem em termos de fases de "construção" e "clareiras" associadas com a passagem de furacões. Estes têm estimulado a adição de espécies em "anos de construção", mas tem mantido a riqueza em "anos de clareiras", acrescentando credibilidade à hipótese de perturbações intermediarias.

Sexual solicitation of Latino male day laborers by other men / Solicitación sexual de hombres jornaleros latinos por otros hombres

OBJECTIVE: To examine the likelihood of Latino day laborers being solicited for sex by other men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 450 Latino day laborers were recruited in Los Angeles, California, from July to September 2005. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine which day laborers were more likely to be solicited and subsequently to have sex. RESULTS: Thirty-eight percent reported being solicited for sex by another man while seeking work. Those solicited were more likely to live longer in the US, be more educated and screen positive for drug dependence. Of those solicited, 9.4 percent had sex with their solicitors. Those screening positive for drug dependence were more likely to have sex. Most of the day laborers who had anal sex with their solicitors did not always use condoms. CONCLUSIONS: HIV prevention efforts should target drug dependent day laborers, who may place themselves at risk for HIV through sex with male solicitors.

OBJETIVO: Examinar hasta qué punto los jornaleros latinos son solicitados por otros hombres para tener relaciones sexuales. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Cuatrocientos cincuenta jornaleros latinos fueron reclutados en Los Ángeles, California, de julio a septiembre de 2005. Un análisis de regresión logística fue utilizado para determinar cuáles jornaleros tenían más probabilidades de que fueran solicitados y, subsecuentemente, de que tuvieran sexo. RESULTADOS: Treinta y ocho por ciento reportaron que fueron solicitados para sexo por otros hombres mientras buscaban trabajo. Estos hombres que fueron solicitados tenían más probabilidades de haber vivido más tiempo en los Estados Unidos, tener más educación formal y dar resultados positivos en dependencia de drogas. De los solicitados, 9.4 por ciento tuvieron sexo con los solicitadores. Aquellos que dieron resultados positivos para dependencia de drogas tenían más probabilidades de tener sexo. La mayoría de los jornaleros que tuvieron sexo anal con los solicitadores no siempre usaron condón. CONCLUSIONES: Esfuerzos de prevención del VIH deben dirigirse a jornaleros dependientes de drogas quienes pueden estar exponiéndose al riesgo de contraer VIH al tener sexo con solicitadores masculinos.

Relationship between acrosin activity of human spermatozoa and oxidative stress / 亚洲男科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>AIM</b>To study the association between seminal oxidative stress and human sperm acrosin activity.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>It is a prospective study consisting of 30 infertile men and 12 fertile normozoospermic volunteers. A full history, clinical examination and scrotal ultrasound were done to exclude other related factors such as smoking and varicocele. Presence of white blood cells (WBCs) in semen samples was evaluated by peroxidase staining. Lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa was induced after incubating with ferrous sulphate (4 mmol/L) and sodium ascorbate (20 mmol/L). Induced peroxidation of spermatozoa was assessed by determining the production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Acrosin activity was measured using the gelatinolysis technique. The halo diameters around the sperm heads and the percentages of spermatozoa showing halo formation were evaluated. An acrosin activity index was calculated by multiplying the halo diameter by the halo formation rate.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A significant difference was observed in acrosin activity parameters and TBARS levels between samples with WBCs (1 multiply 10(6)/mL of ejaculate) and those without. This difference was also noted between the normozoospermic and the oligoasthenoteratozoospermic semen samples. The TBARS production by spermatozoa had a significant negative correlation with the acrosin activity index (r = -0.89, P 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The presence of oxidative stress in an individual with leukocytospermia and/or abnormal semen parameters is associated with impaired sperm function as measured by its acrosin activity.</p>

Malaria antibody titres as measured by the indirect fluorescent antibody test in relation to parasitaemia and treatment.

Two hundred and two sera from Orang Asli patients living in malarious areas were tested by the washed-cell, thick smear malaria IFA test. These patients were infected with P.vivax, P.falciparum and some with both parasites. Antibodies to the homologous antigens were detected at titres of 1 : 16-1 : 4096 about 60 days after onset of treatment. Eighteen months after cure antibody levels had fallen to lower levels of reactivity.