Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia after radiation therapy for lung cancer. A case report

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP), also known as cryptogenic organizing pneumonia, has mainly been described in patients with breast cancer who received radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery. In this rare case, a 70-year-old man with left apical squamous lung cancer developed BOOP after radiotherapy and only one cycle of concomitant chemotherapy. This case report draws attention to the development of this syndrome in the unusual setting of lung cancer, advising prompt steroid treatment when diagnostic images reveal the characteristic signs of the disease

Active case-finding for TB among incarcerated women in Peru

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Dynamic titanium prosthesis based on 3D-printed replica for chest wall resection and reconstruction

3D-printing technologies can assist the surgical planning and prosthesis engineering for the management of extended chest wall resection. Different types of prosthesis have been utilized over time, but some concerns remain about their impact on the respiratory function. Here we present a new kind of 3D-printed titanium prosthesis designed to be either strong and flexible. The prosthesis was created on a 1:1 3D-printed anatomic replica of the chest, used to delineate surgical margins and to define the reconstructive requirements

Removal of antiretroviral drugs stavudine and zidovudine in water under UV254 and UV254/H2O2 processes: Quantum yields, kinetics and ecotoxicology assessment

The concentration of antiretroviral drugs in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) effluents and surface waters of many countries has increased significantly due to their widespread use for HIV treatment. In this study, the removal of stavudine and zidovudine under UV254 photolysis or UV254/H2O2 was investigated in a microcapillary film (MCF) photoreactor, using minimal water samples quantities. The UV254 quantum yield of zidovudine, (2.357 ± 0.0589)·10−2 mol ein−1 (pH 4.0–8.0), was 28-fold higher that the yield of stavudine (8.34 ± 0.334)·10−4 mol ein−1 (pH 6.0–8.0). The second-order rate constant kOH,iof reaction of hydroxyl radical with the antiretrovirals (UV254/H2O2 process) were determined by kinetics modeling: (9.98 ± 0.68)·108 M−1 s−1 (pH 4.0–8.0) for zidovudine and (2.03 ± 0.18)·109 M−1 s−1 (pH 6.0–8.0) for stavudine. A battery of ecotoxicological tests (i.e. inhibition growth, bioluminescence, mutagenic and genotoxic activity) using bacteria (Aliivibrio fischeri, Salmonella typhimurium), crustacean (Daphnia magna) and algae (Raphidocelis subcapitata) revealed a marked influence of the UV dose on the ecotoxicological activity. The UV254/H2O2 treatment process reduced the ecotoxicological risk associated to direct photolysis of the antiretrovirals aqueous solutions, but required significantly higher UV254 doses (≥2000 mJ cm−2) in comparison to common water UV disinfection processes

p-Type semiconducting properties in lithium-doped MgO single crystals

The phenomenally large enhancement in conductivity observed when Li-doped MgO crystals are oxidized at elevated temperatures was investigated by dc and ac electrical measurements in the temperature interval 250-673 K. The concentration of ([Li]^{0}) centers (Li^{+} ions each with a trapped hole) resulting from oxidation was monitored by optical absorption measurements. Both dc and ac experiments provide consistent values for the bulk resistance. The electricalconductivity of oxidized MgO:Li crystals increases linearly with the concentration of ([Li]^{0}) centers. The conductivity is thermally activated with an activation energy of (0.70 +/- 0.01) eV, which is independent of the ([Li]^{0}) content. The \textit{standard semiconducting} mechanism satisfactorily explains these results. Free holes are the main contribution to band conduction as they are trapped at or released from the ([Li]^{0})-acceptor centers. In as-grown MgO:Li crystals, electrical current increases dramatically with time due to the formation of ([Li]^{0}) centers. The activation energy values between 1.3 and 0.7 eV are likely a combination of the activation energy for the creation of ([Li]^{0}) centers and the activation energy of ionization of these centers. Destruction of ([Li]^{0}) centers can be induced in oxidized crystals by application of an electric field due to Joule heating up to temperatures at which ([Li]^{0}) centers are not stable.Comment: LaTeX, 20 pages, 9 Encapsulated Postscript Format Figures, use the version 4.0 of REVTEX 4 macro packag

Impact of water matrix on the removal of micropollutants by advanced oxidation technologies

Micropollutants (MPs) in the aquatic compartments are originated from many sources and particularly from the effluents of urban wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs). Advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) usually applied after biological processes, have recently emerged as effective tertiary treatments for the removal of MPs, but the oxidation rates of the single compounds may be largely affected by the constituent species of the water matrix. These species include dissolved organic matter and inorganic species (e.g., carbonate, bicarbonate, nitrite, sulphate, chloride). This review analyses the impact of such substances on common AOTs including photolysis, UV/H2O2, Fenton, photocatalysis, and ozone-based processes. The degradation efficiency of single MPs by AOTs results from the combined impact of the water matrix constituents, which can have neutral, inhibiting or promoting effect, depending on the process and the mechanism by which these water components react. Organic species can be either inhibitors (by light attenuation; scavenging effects; or adsorption to catalyst) or promoters (by originating reactive oxygen species (ROS) which enhance indirect photolysis; or by regenerating the catalyst). Inorganic species can also be either inhibitors (by scavenging effects; formation of radicals less active than hydroxyl radicals; iron complexation; adsorption to catalyst or decrease of its effective surface area) or promoters (e.g., nitrate ions by formation of ROS; iron ions as additional source of catalyst). The available data reviewed here is limited and the role and mechanisms of individual water components are still not completely understood. Further studies are needed to elucidate the wide spectrum of reactions occurring in complex wastewaters and to increase the adoption of AOTs in UWWTPs

TRPA1 mediates aromatase inhibitor-evoked pain by the aromatase substrate androstenedione

Aromatase inhibitors (AI) induce painful musculoskeletal symptoms (AIMSS), which are dependent upon the pain transducing receptor TRPA1. However, as the AI concentrations required to engage TRPA1 in mice are higher than those found in the plasma of patients, we hypothesized that additional factors may cooperate to induce AIMSS. Here we report that the aromatase substrate androstenedione, unique among several steroid hormones, targeted TRPA1 in peptidergic primary sensory neurons in rodent and human cells expressing the native or recombinant channel. Androstenedione dramatically lowered the concentration of letrozole required to engage TRPA1. Notably, addition of a minimal dose of androstenedione to physiologically ineffective doses of letrozole and oxidative stress byproducts produces AIMSS-like behaviors and neurogenic inflammatory responses in mice. Elevated androstenedione levels cooperated with low letrozole concentrations and inflammatory mediators were sufficient to provoke AIMSS-like behaviors. The generation of such painful conditions by small quantities of simultaneously administered TRPA1 agonists justifies previous failure to identify a precise link between AIs and AIMSS, underscoring the potential of channel antagonists to treat AIMSS