Biochars from animal wastes as alternative materials to treat colored effluents containing Basic Red 9

Bovine bones (BB) and fish scales (FS) were used as alternative precursors to produce biochars, which in turn, were applied for the removal of Basic Red 9 (BR9) from aqueous solutions. BB and FS were pyrolyzed generating a solid (biochars), a liquid (pyrolytic oils) and a gas fraction. All fractions were characterized to evaluate the pyrolysis process. The biochars presented different functional groups and a mesoporous structure with surface areas around 90 m2 g–1. Both biochars demonstrated potential to adsorb BR9, with maximum adsorption capacities of 49.5 (BB–biochar) and 52.3 mg g–1 (FS–biochar). Pyrolytic oils were composed mainly by palmitic acid (BB) and imidazolidinedione (FS), which are compounds with biological and antioxidant activity. Pyrolysis of BB generated CO2 while pyrolysis of FS generated H2. In summary, bovine bones and fish scales are promising precursors to concomitantly produce biochars with great adsorbent potential and oils with interesting characteristics

Scintigraphic evaluation of oesophageal transit during radiotherapy to the mediastinum

Background: To quantitatively evaluate radiation-induced impaired oesophageal transit with oesophageal transit scintigraphy and to assess the relationships between acute oesophagitis symptoms and dysmotility.\ud \ud Methods: Between January 1996 and November 1998, 11 patients affected by non-small-cell carcinoma of the lung not directly involving the oesophagus, requiring adjuvant external beam radiotherapy (RT) to the mediastinum were enrolled. Oesophageal transit scans with liquid and semisolid bolus were performed at three pre-defined times: before (T0) and during radiation at 10 Gy (T1) and 30 Gy (T2). Two parameters were obtained for evaluation: 1) mean transit time (MTT); and 2) ratio between peak activity and residual activity at 40 seconds (ER-40s). Acute radiation toxicity was scored according to the joint EORTC-RTOG criteria. Mean values with standard deviation were calculated for all parameters. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests and paired t-Tests for all values were performed.\ud \ud Results: An increase in the ER-40s from T0 to T1 or T2 was seen in 9 of 11 patients (82%). The mean ER-40s value for all patients increased from 0.8306 (T0) to 0.8612 (T1) and 0.8658 (T2). These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05) in two paired t-Tests at T0 versus T2 time: overall mean ER-40s and upright ER-40s (p = 0.041 and p = 0.032, respectively). Seven patients (63%) showed a slight increase in the mean MTT value during irradiation but no statistically significant differences in MTT parameters were found between T0, T1 and T2 (p > 0.05).\ud \ud Conclusion: Using oesophageal scintigraphy we were able to detect early alterations of oesophageal transit during the third week of thoracic RT

Accreditation for excellence of cancer research institutes: recommendations from the Italian Network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers

A panel of experts from Italian Comprehensive Cancer Centers defines the recom- mendations for external quality control programs aimed to accreditation to excellence of these institutes. After definition of the process as a systematic, periodic evaluation performed by an external agency to verify whether a health organization possesses certain prerequisites regarding structural, organizational and operational conditions that are thought to affect health care quality, the panel reviews models internationally available and makes final recommendations on aspects considered of main interest. This position paper has been produced within a special project of the Ministry of Health of the Italian Government aimed to accredit, according to OECI model, 11 Ital- ian cancer centers in the period 2012-2014. The Project represents the effort under- taken by this network of Comprehensive Cancer Centers to find a common denomi- nator for the experience of all Institutes in external quality control programs. Fourteen shared \u201cstatements\u201d are put forth, designed to offer some indications on the main aspects of this subject, based on literature evidence or expert opinions. They deal with the need for \u201caccountability\u201d and involvement of the entire organization, the effectiveness of self-evaluation, the temporal continuity and the educational val- ue of the experience, the use of indicators and measurement tools, additionally for in- tra- and inter-organization comparison, the system of evaluation models used, the provision for specific requisites for oncology, and the opportunity for mutual ex- change of evaluation experiences