Surgery Today the Japanese Journal of Surgery, Dec 1, 2011
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females. Common sites of metastases include the li... more Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females. Common sites of metastases include the liver, lung, bone, and brain, while metastases to the extrahepatic digestive system are very rare. This report presents a patient diagnosed with breast carcinoma metastasis in the terminal ileum. The patient underwent breast-conserving surgery on both breasts because of breast cancer at the age of 46 years. Both breast cancers were consistent with stage I invasive ductal carcinomas. Colonoscopy during an investigation for hematochezia revealed a 2-cm ulceration in the terminal ileum 22 months later, and microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen of the ulceration revealed a poorly differentiated mass that was strongly suggestive of metastatic adenocarcinoma with endolymphatic tumor emboli. She underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic ileocecectomy because of ileal metastasis. She had a family history of breast cancer (sister) and colon cancer (brother). She exhibited HER2/neu discordance and carried the BRCA2 gene mutation. Surgeons should remain aware that breast cancer can metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract.
Acapulco meteorite is thought to have cooled extremely fast ({ ~}100oC/Ma) at high T ({ ~}1000oC)... more Acapulco meteorite is thought to have cooled extremely fast ({ ~}100oC/Ma) at high T ({ ~}1000oC) followed by very slow cooling ({ ~}2oC/Ma) without any significant later-stage reheating. The timing, temperature and cause of the dramatic change of cooling rate are still controversial. The most important evidence of slow cooling at low T is from extinct-Pu fission track dating for orthopyroxene, whitlockite and apatite crystals. Because the parent 244Pu is extinct, this method yields only relative ages that may differ for different minerals as a result of differential track retentivity. Determining absolute ages from the fission track method is hampered by several fundamental uncertainties in estimating U and Pu concentrations, and in distinguishing fission tracks from other tracks produced by cosmic ray and spallation/recoil processes. One way to anchor the drifting (i.e. relative) fission track ages is dating the same sample with other chronometers which can give absolute ages in the same T range. For this purpose, we have applied single grain (U-Th)He dating techniques to apatite grains which have almost identical closure T as that of fission track retention. Four apatite grains with 150 micrometer { ~} 230 micrometer size were analyzed for U, Th (with ICP-MS) and 4He (laser extraction Quadrapole MS) concentrations, and one grain ca. 200 micrometer \times 200 micrometer was step-heated to determine diffusion parameters. Imaging of the sample shows anhedral crystal shapes such that for most apatites it's almost impossible to reconstruct the original crystal morphology from the mineral separates, preventing precise estimation of alpha particle ejection loss (FT) for each sample. The uncorrected ages, therefore minimum ages, are: 4462 \pm 51 (analytical error only; 1\sigma) Ma, 4326 \pm 51 Ma, 4386 \pm 52 Ma and 2718 \pm 39 Ma. The first three ages are indistinguishable when considering possible large variation of FT values for those samples. The oldest age of 4462 \pm 51 Ma is interpreted as the minimum age for helium closure in the Acapulco apatites. The step heating analyses revealed a simple volume diffusion at temperatures below 300oC, yielding closure T of 90oC at a cooling rate of 2oC Ma. The 110 Ma age difference between apatite (closure T ={ ~}90oC) and orthopyroxene ({ ~}280oC) fission track is combined with the new (U-Th)/He data (> 4462 \pm 51 Ma at 90oC). According to this simple comparison, significant retention of fission tracks in orthopyroxene began as early as approximately 4570 \pm 50 Ma which is identical with PbPb isochron age of 4557 Ma. This calculation suggests rapid cooling down to 300oC , around the closure T of plagioclase Ar diffusion, then followed by slow cooling. This interpretation suggests that the younger 40Ar/39Ar age (4507 \pm 9 Ma) obtained from Acapulco plagioclase, which should reflect cooling through { ~}300\degC, is spuriously young due to systematic errors (i.e., decay constants and/or standard data) in the 40Ar/39Ar method, as suggested by comparison between high-precision 40Ar/39Ar and U/Pb ages for terrestrial volcanic rocks.
ABSTRACT The contamination of water by organic pollutants viz. phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chlo... more ABSTRACT The contamination of water by organic pollutants viz. phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chlorophenol (2-CPh) and 4-chlorophenol (4-CPh)) is a worldwide environmental problem due to their highly toxic nature. The use of non-living Schizophyllum commune fungus (S. commune fungus) to remove phenol, 2-CPh and 4-CPh from water under equilibrium and column flow experimental conditions was evaluated. The resulting biosorbent was characterized by BET surface area analysis, Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The effect of experimental parameters such as effect of pH, contact time, initial concentration of adsorbate and amount of biosorbent dosage was evaluated. The experimental data were fitted to various isotherm models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of S. commune fungus for phenol, 2-CPh and 4-CPh was found to be 120, 178 and 244 mg/g, respectively, at 25 ± 2 °C according to Langmuir model. The equilibrium time was found to be 2 h for all adsorbates to complete saturation. Kinetic studies showed the adsorption process followed pseudo second-order kinetic model. The column regeneration studies were carried out for three adsorption–desorption cycles. The eluant used for the regeneration of the adsorbent was 0.1 M NaOH. Based on the results obtained such as good uptake capacity, rapid kinetics, and its low cost, S. commune fungus appears to be a promising biosorbent material for the removal of phenolic compounds from aqueous media.
Surgery Today the Japanese Journal of Surgery, Dec 1, 2011
Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females. Common sites of metastases include the li... more Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in females. Common sites of metastases include the liver, lung, bone, and brain, while metastases to the extrahepatic digestive system are very rare. This report presents a patient diagnosed with breast carcinoma metastasis in the terminal ileum. The patient underwent breast-conserving surgery on both breasts because of breast cancer at the age of 46 years. Both breast cancers were consistent with stage I invasive ductal carcinomas. Colonoscopy during an investigation for hematochezia revealed a 2-cm ulceration in the terminal ileum 22 months later, and microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen of the ulceration revealed a poorly differentiated mass that was strongly suggestive of metastatic adenocarcinoma with endolymphatic tumor emboli. She underwent hand-assisted laparoscopic ileocecectomy because of ileal metastasis. She had a family history of breast cancer (sister) and colon cancer (brother). She exhibited HER2/neu discordance and carried the BRCA2 gene mutation. Surgeons should remain aware that breast cancer can metastasize to the gastrointestinal tract.
Acapulco meteorite is thought to have cooled extremely fast ({ ~}100oC/Ma) at high T ({ ~}1000oC)... more Acapulco meteorite is thought to have cooled extremely fast ({ ~}100oC/Ma) at high T ({ ~}1000oC) followed by very slow cooling ({ ~}2oC/Ma) without any significant later-stage reheating. The timing, temperature and cause of the dramatic change of cooling rate are still controversial. The most important evidence of slow cooling at low T is from extinct-Pu fission track dating for orthopyroxene, whitlockite and apatite crystals. Because the parent 244Pu is extinct, this method yields only relative ages that may differ for different minerals as a result of differential track retentivity. Determining absolute ages from the fission track method is hampered by several fundamental uncertainties in estimating U and Pu concentrations, and in distinguishing fission tracks from other tracks produced by cosmic ray and spallation/recoil processes. One way to anchor the drifting (i.e. relative) fission track ages is dating the same sample with other chronometers which can give absolute ages in the same T range. For this purpose, we have applied single grain (U-Th)He dating techniques to apatite grains which have almost identical closure T as that of fission track retention. Four apatite grains with 150 micrometer { ~} 230 micrometer size were analyzed for U, Th (with ICP-MS) and 4He (laser extraction Quadrapole MS) concentrations, and one grain ca. 200 micrometer \times 200 micrometer was step-heated to determine diffusion parameters. Imaging of the sample shows anhedral crystal shapes such that for most apatites it's almost impossible to reconstruct the original crystal morphology from the mineral separates, preventing precise estimation of alpha particle ejection loss (FT) for each sample. The uncorrected ages, therefore minimum ages, are: 4462 \pm 51 (analytical error only; 1\sigma) Ma, 4326 \pm 51 Ma, 4386 \pm 52 Ma and 2718 \pm 39 Ma. The first three ages are indistinguishable when considering possible large variation of FT values for those samples. The oldest age of 4462 \pm 51 Ma is interpreted as the minimum age for helium closure in the Acapulco apatites. The step heating analyses revealed a simple volume diffusion at temperatures below 300oC, yielding closure T of 90oC at a cooling rate of 2oC Ma. The 110 Ma age difference between apatite (closure T ={ ~}90oC) and orthopyroxene ({ ~}280oC) fission track is combined with the new (U-Th)/He data (> 4462 \pm 51 Ma at 90oC). According to this simple comparison, significant retention of fission tracks in orthopyroxene began as early as approximately 4570 \pm 50 Ma which is identical with PbPb isochron age of 4557 Ma. This calculation suggests rapid cooling down to 300oC , around the closure T of plagioclase Ar diffusion, then followed by slow cooling. This interpretation suggests that the younger 40Ar/39Ar age (4507 \pm 9 Ma) obtained from Acapulco plagioclase, which should reflect cooling through { ~}300\degC, is spuriously young due to systematic errors (i.e., decay constants and/or standard data) in the 40Ar/39Ar method, as suggested by comparison between high-precision 40Ar/39Ar and U/Pb ages for terrestrial volcanic rocks.
ABSTRACT The contamination of water by organic pollutants viz. phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chlo... more ABSTRACT The contamination of water by organic pollutants viz. phenolic compounds (phenol, 2-chlorophenol (2-CPh) and 4-chlorophenol (4-CPh)) is a worldwide environmental problem due to their highly toxic nature. The use of non-living Schizophyllum commune fungus (S. commune fungus) to remove phenol, 2-CPh and 4-CPh from water under equilibrium and column flow experimental conditions was evaluated. The resulting biosorbent was characterized by BET surface area analysis, Fourier transformer infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) techniques. The effect of experimental parameters such as effect of pH, contact time, initial concentration of adsorbate and amount of biosorbent dosage was evaluated. The experimental data were fitted to various isotherm models. The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of S. commune fungus for phenol, 2-CPh and 4-CPh was found to be 120, 178 and 244 mg/g, respectively, at 25 ± 2 °C according to Langmuir model. The equilibrium time was found to be 2 h for all adsorbates to complete saturation. Kinetic studies showed the adsorption process followed pseudo second-order kinetic model. The column regeneration studies were carried out for three adsorption–desorption cycles. The eluant used for the regeneration of the adsorbent was 0.1 M NaOH. Based on the results obtained such as good uptake capacity, rapid kinetics, and its low cost, S. commune fungus appears to be a promising biosorbent material for the removal of phenolic compounds from aqueous media.
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