Exophthalmos as a First Manifestation of Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Long-Term Follow-Up

Small cell lung cancer is characterized by rapid growth and early metastasis. Despite its sensitivity to cytotoxic therapy, until now treatments have failed to control or cure this disease in most patients. Orbital metastases are a rare manifestation of systemic malignancies. Breast and lung cancers represent more than two thirds of the primary cancer sites. Metastases to the eye and orbit develop in approximately 0.7–12% of patients with lung cancer. Here, we report a rare case of exophthalmos as the first manifestation of a metastatic carcinoma due to small cell lung cancer, and a 6-months follow-up with complete exophthalmic response to chemotherapy

A rapid and simple fluorimetric determination of iodide in iodized table salts

A new, simple and rapid fluorimetric method is proposed for the determination of iodide in iodized table salts based on the fluorescence exhibited by the ionic complex formed between AgI$_2^-$ and the brilliant green cation (ë$_{\rm exc}=256$ nm, ë$_{\rm em}=521$ nm) at pH 3.0 and Ag$^+$ concentration of 0.8 mg/L. The relationship between fluorescent response expressed as Fluorescence Intensity Units (FIU) and KI concentration of standards in 20 g NaCl/L was linear in the range of 0.15 to 1.2 mg KI/L. The sensitivity of the method was 300 FIU for 1 mg KI/L with a detection limit of 0.15 mg KI/L. The proposed method was applied in commercial iodized table salts and the results obtained were correlated closely to those obtained by the official method of the AOAC

Mn-feroxyhyte: The role of synthesis conditions on As(III) and As(V) removal capacity

This study evaluates the critical parameters of synthesizing nanocrystalline tetravalent Mn-feroxyhyte, a single-phase arsenic adsorbent equally efficient against As(III) and As(V). The production of such Fe/Mn oxy-hydroxides is based on the oxidative coprecipitation of ferrous and manganese ions through a continuous flow process. In particular, the effect of different reaction pH, redox potential and Mn incorporation percentage on the determination of structural and surface properties and sequentially on material arsenic uptake is examined. According to the experimental observations, total arsenic adsorption is maximized at acidic synthesis pH where the surface charge density is multiplied (2.7 mmol OH-/g at pH 4) and the chemisorbed sulfate's exchange with As(V) oxy-anions is activated. Besides, the capture of As(III) which lies on the intermediate oxidation of As(III) to As(V) provided by Mn(IV) surface ions, demands a high synthesis redox potential to obtain the tetravalent state and a Fe-to-Mn ratio around 3:1. The potential technological application of the studied materials was further investigated for the case which simultaneously optimize As(III) and As(V) removal capacity (synthesis pH 4, redox potential 600 mV and 12 wt% Mn). Rapid small scale column experiments indicate an almost equal adsorption capacity for As(III) (7.6 mu g/mg) and As(V) (8.7 mu g/mg) at the breakthrough point (10 mu g/L). Spent adsorbent of this procedure is categorized as non-hazardous waste according to TCLP or inert waste according to EN12457. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Rapid small-scale column tests for Cr(VI) removal by granular magnetite

This study evaluates the possibility of using magnetite as an adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) in a bed column setup under continuous flow conditions. For this purpose, granular magnetite was synthesized on a large scale and tested in both batch and rapid small-scale column experiments using reliable conditions of drinking water treatment. Column tests, which were designed to scaledown larger adsorption systems in terms of size, time and water flow, indicate a higher removal capacity compared to that observed during batch experiments with magnetite powder, reaching 9.2 mg/g at pH 6.4 before residual Cr(VI) exceeds 10 μg/L. The main parameters of this process, including pH, contact time and granular size, were also examined under similar column tests suggesting the improvement of the overall effectiveness and operation time at lower water pH, higher empty bed contact times and larger particle dimensions. © IWA Publishing 2016

Inorganic engineered nanoparticles in drinking water treatment: A critical review

This review summarizes the recent research in the field of inorganic engineered nanoparticle development with direct or potential interest for drinking water treatment. The incorporation of engineered nanoparticles into drinking water treatment technologies against the removal of heavy metals, microorganisms and organic pollutants appears as a very dynamic branch of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles owe their potential to the high specific surface area and surface reactivity compared to conventional bulk materials. Depending on the mechanism of uptake, nanoparticles can be designed to establish high selectivity against specific pollutants and provide the required efficiency for application. However, despite early encouraging results, nanoparticles meet a number of limitations to get promoted and become part of large-scale water treatment plants. The most important is their availability in the required large quantities and their efficiency to fulfil the strict regulations for drinking water consumption and environmental safety. Both deal with the particle preparation cost and the cost of treatment operation with respect to the increase in supplied water price for the consumers. Under this view, this work attempts to evaluate reported studies according to their possibility to meet the reliable requirements of water technology and also suggests an experimental approach to allow validation of tested nanoparticles. © 2016 The Royal Society of Chemistry