Effect of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type on agricultural properties and stability of biochars.

Pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type used to produce biochar influence the physicochemical properties of the obtained product, which in turn display a range of results when used as soil amendment. From soil carbon (C) sequestration strategy to nutrient source, biochar is used to enhance soil properties and to improve agricultural production. However, contrasting effects are observed from biochar application to soil results from a wide range of biochar?s properties in combination with specific environmental conditions. Therefore, elucidation on the effect of pyrolysis conditions and feedstock type on biochar properties may provide basic information to the understanding of soil and biochar interactions. In this study, biochar was produced from four different agricultural organic residues: Poultry litter, sugarcane straw, rice hull and sawdust pyrolysed at final temperatures of 350°C, 450°C, 550°C and 650°C. The effect of temperature and feedstock type on the variability of physicochemical properties of biochars was evaluated through measurements of pH, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, macronutrient content, proximate and elemental analyses, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analyses. Additionally, an incubation trial was carried under controlled conditions to determine the effect of biochar stability on CO2-eq emissions. Results showed that increasing pyrolysis temperature supported biochar stability regardless of feedstock, however, agricultural properties varied widely both as an effect of temperature and feedstock. Animal manure biochar showed higher potential as nutrient source rather than a C sequestration strategy. Improving the knowledge on the influence of pyrolysis temperature and feedstock type on the final properties of biochar will enable the use of better tailored materials that correspond to the expected results while considering its interactions with environmental conditions

Copy number alterations associated with clinical features in an underrepresented population with breast cancer

As the most incident tumor among women worldwide, breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Tremendous efforts have been made to understand how tumor characteristics as histological type, molecular subtype, and tumor microenvironment collectively influence disease diagnosis to treatment, which impact outcomes. Differences between populations and environmental and cultural factors have impacts on the origin and evolution of the disease, as well as the therapeutic challenges that arise due to these factors. We, then, compared copy number variations (CNVs) in mucinous and nonmucinous luminal breast tumors from a Brazilian cohort to investigate major CNV imbalances in mucinous tumors versus non‐mucinous luminal tumors, taking into account their clinical and pathological features.48 breast tumor samples and 48 matched control blood samples from Brazilian women were assessed for CNVs by chromosome microarray. Logistic regression and random forest models were used in order to assess CNVs in chromosomal regions from tumors.CNVs that were identified in chromosomes 1, 5, 8, 17, 19, and 21 classify tumors according to their histological type, ethnicity, disease stage, and familial history.Copy number alterations described in this study provide a better understanding of the landscape of genomic aberrations in mucinous breast cancers that are associated with clinical features.77FAPESP – Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa Do Estado De São Paulo2013/25683-3; 2015/18830-

Dent's disease and prevalence of renal stones in dialysis patients in Northeastern Italy.

Abstract Dent's disease (DD) involves nephrocalcinosis, urolithiasis, hypercalciuria, LMW proteinuria, and renal failure in various combinations. Males are affected. It is caused by mutations in the chloride channel CLCN5 gene. It has been suggested that DD is underdiagnosed, occurring in less overt forms, apparently without family history. A possible approach to this problem is to search for CLCN5 mutations in patients who may have a high prevalence of mutations: end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with previous calcium, struvite, or radio-opaque (CSR) stones. We looked for CLCN5 mutations in 25 males with ESRD-CSR stones selected from all of the patients (1,901 individuals, of which 1,179 were males) of 15 dialysis units in the Veneto region. One DD patient had a new DD mutation (1070 G > T) in exon 7. The new polymorphism IVS11-67 C > T was detected in intron 11 in one patient and one control. We also found 28 females with ESRD and stone history, and seven more males with ESRD and non-CSR stones. The prevalence of stone formers among dialysis patients in our region was 3.2%, much lower than the prevalence observed in older studies. Struvite stones continue to play a major role in causing stone-associated ESRD

Development and characterization of 5% mol Zn bioceramic in granular form

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is capable of accepting substitute ions within its lattice, including zinc ions. Zinc is a trace element that activates the osteogenesis of osteoblastic cells and therefore plays an important role in the activity of alkaline phosphatase enzyme. The purpose of this work was to produce and characterize 5% mol Zn bioceramic in granular form (Zn-granules) for clinical applications and compare it with granules made from HA by using the same production route. Granules with addition of porogen agents were produced from powders of HA and zinc-containing HA by uniaxial pressing and heat treatment. The granules were subsequently ground and sieved. The results indicated that zinc contributed to the reduction of sample crystallinity and formed a biphasic structure after calcination at 1200 °C. Additionally, zinc release from granular material may have clinical applications as bone graft