Rice straw-based activated carbons doped with SiC for enhanced hydrogen adsorption

Activated carbons (ACs) based on rice straw (RS) were synthesised using potassium carbonate as activating agent at three different K2CO3/RS weight ratios. Morphological, chemical, structural as well as textural characterisations were carried out in order to establish relationships between the physicochemical properties of the materials and their hydrogen adsorption capacities. The ACs contained potassium and silicon as the main impurities. Si was identified by XRD in both phases of silicon dioxide and silicon carbide. The presence of SiC was particularly surprising due to the rather low activation temperature, much lower than what is usually required for SiC synthesis. ACs exhibited well-developed surface areas (approximatively 2000–2100 m2 g-1) and high micropore volumes, making them suitable for hydrogen storage applications. RS-based ACs showed higher hydrogen storage capacities than those previously obtained with KOH-activated sucrose. The latter exhibited hydrogen uptakes (excess, 10 MPa, 298 K) up to 0.55 wt. %, whereas 0.65 wt. % was measured for RS-based ACs in the same conditions. The higher hydrogen capacities and isosteric heats of adsorption found here were attributed to the presence of SiC

Global patterns of care in advanced stage mycosis fungoides/Sezary syndrome: a multicenter retrospective follow-up study from the Cutaneous Lymphoma International Consortium

ABSTRACT Background Advanced-stage mycosis fungoides (MF)/Sezary syndrome (SS) patients are weighted by an unfavorable prognosis and share an unmet clinical need of effective treatments. International guidelines are available detailing treatment options for the different stages but without recommending treatments in any particular order due to lack of comparative trials. The aims of this second CLIC study were to retrospectively analyze the pattern of care worldwide for advanced-stage MF/SS patients, the distribution of treatments according to geographical areas (USA versus non-USA), and whether the heterogeneity of approaches has potential impact on survival. Patients and methods This study included 853 patients from 21 specialist centers (14 European, 4 USA, 1 each Australian, Brazilian, and Japanese). Results Heterogeneity of treatment approaches was found, with up to 24 different modalities or combinations used as first-line and 36% of patients receiving four or more treatments. Stage IIB disease was most frequently treated by total-skin-electron-beam radiotherapy, bexarotene and gemcitabine; erythrodermic and SS patients by extracorporeal photochemotherapy, and stage IVA2 by polychemotherapy. Significant differences were found between USA and non-USA centers, with bexarotene, photopheresis and histone deacetylase inhibitors most frequently prescribed for first-line treatment in USA while phototherapy, interferon, chlorambucil and gemcitabine in non-USA centers. These differences did not significantly impact on survival. However, when considering death and therapy change as competing risk events and the impact of first treatment line on both events, both monochemotherapy (SHR = 2.07) and polychemotherapy (SHR = 1.69) showed elevated relative risks. Conclusion This large multicenter retrospective study shows that there exist a large treatment heterogeneity in advanced MF/SS and differences between USA and non-USA centers but these were not related to survival, while our data reveal that chemotherapy as first treatment is associated with a higher risk of death and/or change of therapy and thus other therapeutic options should be preferable as first treatment approach

Chitosan-based activated carbons for CO2 capture and biogas upgrading

International audienc

Characterization and implications of thyroid dysfunction induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors in real-life clinical practice: a long-term prospective study from a referral institution

Purpose: Autoimmune diseases are typically associated with immune checkpoints blockade. This study aims at assessing, in real-life clinical practice, the prevalence and impact of thyroid disorders induced by immune checkpoint inhibitors. Methods: 52 patients (30 F; age 61 \uc2\ub1 13 years) with advanced melanoma treated with ipilimumab (3 mg/kg i.v./3 weeks; 4 doses) were included. For disease progression, 29 (16 F) of them received nivolumab (3 mg/kg i.v./2 weeks) or pembrolizumab (2 mg/kg i.v./3 weeks). Thyroid function and autoimmunity were assessed before, after 6 weeks, at the end of ipilimumab, as well as before and every 3 months during nivolumab/pembrolizumab treatment. Results: During ipilimumab, 7 (4 F) patients developed thyroid dysfunction (4 thyroiditis, 1 associated with hypothyroidism; 2 thyrotoxicosis in a previously euthyroid multinodular goiter; 1 hypothyroidism worsened). During PD1 inhibitors, 7 patients (3 F) developed hypothyroidism with severe manifestations in 6 of them; 3 patients suffered from euthyroid autoimmune thyroiditis from baseline, one after ipilimumab; 2 patients developed after transient thyrotoxicosis. Mean follow-up after anti-CTLA4 inhibitors treatment was 36 \uc2\ub1 28 months. Thyroid disorders occurred 45.1 \uc2\ub1 20.8 and 151 \uc2\ub1 67 days after the initiation of CTLA4 and PD1 inhibitors, respectively. Autoimmune disorders and BRAF mutation were associated with a better clinical response to CTLA4 followed by PD1 treatment. Conclusions: Immune checkpoint blockade is burdened by a high incidence of autoimmune thyroid dysfunction, which is often severe. Therefore, early and careful monitoring and, eventually, treatment are crucial to prevent the negative impact of thyroid dysfunction on the clinical outcome