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Background: Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer affecting females. It represents leading cause of death from all cancers in females. Traditionally, axillary staging was surgically assessed by axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), which is associated with complications. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a minimally invasive surgical method for axillary staging in patients with primary breast cancer with lower morbidity and better quality of life. Clinical examination of the axilla is usually associated with a high false negative rate, so role of imaging is crucial to identify lymph nodes with or without suspicious features, to predict the pathological state of the lymph nodes and to direct the diagnostic and therapeutic process toward SLNB, ALND, or chemotherapy. Aim of this study was to assess axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients by magnetic resonance imaging and functional MRI preoperatively to determine its nature and eliminate invasive procedures as invasive dissection used in diagnosis. Results: Lymph node size cannot significantly predict malignant infiltration with p value 0.425, using cut-off value of 21.5 mm, with a sensitivity of 14.6% and specificity of 100%. Cortical thickness of lymph nodes can significantly predict malignant infiltration with p value 0.006, using cut-off value of 4.5 mm, with a sensitivity of 68.8%, specificity of 62.5%, and diagnostic accuracy of 64.1%. ADC can significantly predict lymph node infiltration with p value 0.011, using a cut-off value of 0.99, with sensitivity of 43.85, specificity of 100%, diagnostic accuracy of 57.8%, and AUC of 71.4%. There was a statistically significant correlation between pathological findings and DCE-MRI curve type III with p value 0.0001, showing a sensitivity of 37.5%, specificity of 100%, and diagnostic accuracy of 84.4% for detection of malignant lymph nodes. Conclusions: Cortical thickness and effaced fatty hilum of lymph nodes can significantly predict malignant infiltration, while lymph node size cannot significantly predict malignant infiltration. Diffusion weighted images and ADC maps can be of significant value in predicting metastatic lymph nodes with approximate ADC cut-off value of 0.99. Kinetic MRI features of the axillary lymph nodes are not reliable enough to be used alone in the clinical management of breast cancer patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The behavior of tin based copper alloy in sea water was studied by immersion of alloy samples in sea water for six months. The samples were inspected by stereo microscope and the corrosion behavior was evaluated by mass loss, scanning electron microscopy SEM and electrochemical impedance EIS spectroscopy techniques. Nano ethyl methacrylate-methyl acrylate (EMAMA) copolymer coating was applied to protect the copper alloy from corrosion. The efficiency of using nano EMAMA copolymer coating for protection of copper alloy from corrosion was tested by electrochemical impedance EIS spectroscopy technique. The nano structured EMAMA copolymer film resulted in the formation of a structure that can act as a barrier layer from corrosion. Exposure of the tin based copper alloy samples with and without the EMAMA copolymer coating to sodium chloride solution led to a remarkable inhibition of corrosion for the coated samples only. The inhibition efficiency obtained from samples coated with EMAMA copolymer coatings revealed the very high protection efficiency reaching 98.0% during six months of exposure. The durability of the film formed by EMAMA copolymer coating was tested and found to be 0.98. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D, a hormone involved in the regulation of mineral homeostasis, protects skeletal integrity and modulates cell growth and differentiation. Recently, its potential antifibrotic effects have also been identified. Children with chronic liver disease mostly suffer from vitamin D deficiency. However, little knowledge is known regarding the optimum regimen that can be utilized effectively and safely to correct vitamin D deficiency in these patients and whether it could be effective in reversal or at least halting the progressive process of liver fibrosis. This study is conducted to answer these questions. Results: Twenty-four children with chronic liver disease (13 boys and 11 girls) were included in the study. Their age ranged from 4.5 to 11.5 years with median age of 8 years. The aetiology of liver disease was heterogenous with autoimmune hepatitis, glycogen storage disease, or chronic hepatitis, and hepatitis C affects the majority. The patients were divided into two matched groups: group A (n:12) that received stoss parenteral intramuscular vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) therapy (200,000 IU) once followed by 600 IU/day orally for 6 months (this is equivalent to the RDA as maintenance therapy) and group B (n:12) that received 50,000 IU/week oral vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) therapy in divided daily doses adding on the maintenance dose 600 IU/day for the first 4 weeks followed by only 600 IU/day orally for the rest of the 6 months (5 months). Following vitamin D3 supplementation, in group A (vitamin D stoss therapy group) and group B (vitamin D oral therapy group), there were statistically significant improvement of Ca, alkaline phosphatase, and vitamin D levels, though there was no difference in between both groups. No significant correlation could be found between vitamin D changes and fibroscan changes in either group. Conclusion: Vitamin D therapy using stoss dose followed by oral therapy or oral vitamin D therapy from the start was equally safe and effective in improving the clinical and laboratory metabolic bone profile abnormalities. Vitamin D effect on liver fibrosis progression or reversion in children is still not understood, and further studies are needed in this field taking in consideration the various causes of liver disease in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medial temporal lobe structures especially amygdala have been hypothesized to be important in emotional intelligence. There is some evidence associating temporal lobe epilepsy with impairment in emotional intelligence. Objective: Compare emotional intelligence and other psychosocial abilities in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy and patients with extra- temporal lobe epilepsy and correlate the findings with electroencephalogram and magnetic resonance imaging in two patients groups. Methods: Forty patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, thirty patients with extra temporal lobe epilepsy and thirty healthy subjects were studied for emotional intelligence scale, general health questionnaire and social readjustment rating scale. EEG and brain MRI were done for patients groups only. Results: We could not find any significant difference between both epileptic groups regarding emotional intelligence. A highly statistically significant difference was found when comparing emotional intelligence between control subjects and temporal lobe epileptic patients (p<0.00) also between control subjects and extra-temporal lobe epileptic patients (p<0.00). There is significant negative correlation between emotional intelligence and social stressors in both epileptic groups. Conclusion: Emotional intelligence was impaired in both epileptic groups and was associated with marked stressors. This may lead us to the conclusion that the two patients groups are exposed to the same CNS dysfunction and to the same psychosocial stressors however, the paucity of mesial temporal lobe sclerosis in our patients with temporal lobe epilepsy can explain these results. [Egypt J Neurol Psychiat Neurosurg. 2013; 50(2): 121-126] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]