[Not Available]

Massive weight loss patients are often left with significant excess skin, which is associated with reduced quality of life and physical limitations due to the symptoms from the excess skin including pendulation, skin maceration, wounding, pain, and infection. The arm and thigh plasty are procedures that reduce the patient's physical symptoms and increase the quality of life by removing excess skin and shaping the remaining tissue. The aim of this review is to describe patient selection for the arm and thigh plasty, discuss indications, surgical principles, and common complications.

[Not Available]

Patients with excess skin after massive weight loss often experience skin maceration, infection, wounding and reduced quality of life. Abdominoplasty is a surgical procedure that removes excess skin aiming to relieve physical inconveniences and improve quality of life. The abdominoplasty can be performed with different techniques using a horizontal, vertical and/or a circumferential procedure. The purpose of this review is to describe the indications for the different surgical approaches, the surgical principles and the complications following abdominoplasty in patients after massive weight loss.

[Merkel cell carcinoma]

Merkel cell carcinoma is a neuroendocrine skin carcinoma caused by the Merkel cell virus and ultraviolet radiation. Approximately 25 Danish patients are diagnosed each year. Merkel cell carcinoma is often located on the sun-exposed areas of the skin and definitive diagnosis is made by the pathologist. Patients are treated at the department of plastic surgery and oncology with treatment modalities including surgery, radiotherapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy as summarised in this review.

Tumor Ulceration, Reduced Infiltration of CD8-Lymphocytes, High Neutrophil-to-CD8-Lymphocyte Ratio and Absence of MC Virus are Negative Prognostic Markers for Patients with Merkel Cell Carcinoma

(1) Background: Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is caused by the Merkel cell polyomavirus and UV radiation. Understanding of the underlying biology is limited, but identification of prognostic markers may lead to better prognostic stratification for the patients. (2) Methods: Ninety patients diagnosed with MCC (1996–2012) were included. Virus status was estimated by polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Ulceration status, PD-L1, cd66b neutrophils, cd8 lymphocytes and biomarkers of vascularization (cd34 endothelial cells) and migration (e-cadherin) were estimated by IHC and analyzed with digital pathology. (3) Results: Virus was present in 47% of patient samples and correlated with lower E-cadherin expression (p = 0.0005), lower neutrophil-to-CD8 lymphocyte ratio (N:CD8 ratio) (p = 0.02) and increased PD-L1 expression (p = 0.03). Ulceration was associated with absence of virus (p = 0.03), increased neutrophil infiltration (p < 0.0001) and reduced CD8 lymphocyte infiltration (p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, presence of virus (p = 0.01), ulceration (p = 0.05) and increased CD8 lymphocyte infiltration (p = 0.001) showed independent prognostic impacts on MCC-specific survival. (3) Conclusions: In this study, we found that a high N:CD8 ratio, ulceration, virus-negative status and absence of CD8 lymphocytes are negative prognostic markers. Accurate prognostic stratification of the patients may be important in the clinical setting for determination of adjuvant treatment.

Measuring Radionuclides Concentration in Rice Field Soils using Gamma Spectroscopy in Northern Iran

BACKGROUND

A few elements of soil are radioactive. Soil can transfer radionuclide into plants feeding human. Sometimes their levels are as high as to be concern of human healthy. Rice has an important share for Iranian foods especially in north of Iran. Therefore we decided to obtain radionuclides concentration emitting γ rays in Lahijan City (Northern Iran) rice fields using γ spectroscopy.

METHODS

Twenty eight samples from rice field's soils and 12 samples from superficial soils were collected at a square of 10*10 m2 to get 2kg weight. To make dry samples were put into oven at 105°C for 24h. Then they were milled and 950 gr of each sample was transferred to Marinelli container with 1000(cc) volume, sealed and left for 40 days to get secular equilibrium. After measuring Ph, Electric conductivity and organic carbon, γ spectroscopy was done to get sample gamma spectrum at 2000-6000 sec using HpGe detector.

RESULTS

It was found (226)Ra activity in rice fields of 29.273±0.72 Bqkg-1 and city soil of 31.02±1.1 Bqkg-1 and also 232Th activity of 37.47±1.12 Bqkg-1 for rice fields' soils and 40.47±1.68 Bqkg-1 for city soil were in standard mode.

CONCLUSION

(40)K activities mean value according to UNSCEAR; 2000 was found a little greater than standard. A little value of (137)Cs was found in Lahijan rice fields and city soils that could be as a result of Chernobyl accident. In except of 137Cs, for three other under studied city soil elements, activities were greater than that of rice fields.