Influence of activation conditions on textural properties and performance of activated biochars for pyrolysis vapors upgrading

The main aim of the present study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the effects of process activation conditions on the textural properties of the resulting activated carbons, which were produced from wheat straw-derived biochar through chemical activation (with K2CO3 at different pressures and mass impregnation ratios) and physical activation (with CO2 at different temperatures and pressures). For chemically activated biochars, it was found that specific surface area and pore size distribution were both only positively affected by increasing the carbonate loading. However, physically activated biochars produced at the highest pressure and lowest temperature (1.0 MPa and 700 °C) had the highest surface areas and widest pore size distributions. The materials with the most appropriate textural properties were then tested as catalysts for steam and dry reforming of the aqueous phase of pyrolysis oil. The best catalytic performance (a total gas yield of 74% and a selectivity toward H2 of almost 40%) was observed for a physically activated biochar. This good performance was ascribed to the high availability of K0 on the catalyst surface, which could effectively promote the reactions involved in the upgrading proces

Identification of viral infections in the prostate and evaluation of their association with cancer

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Several viruses with known oncogenic potential infect prostate tissue, among these are the polyomaviruses BKV, JCV, and SV40; human papillomaviruses (HPVs), and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections. Recently, the Xenotropic Murine Leukemia Virus-related gammaretrovirus (XMRV) was identified in prostate tissue with a high prevalence observed in prostate cancer (PC) patients homozygous for the glutamine variant of the RNASEL protein (462Q/Q). Association studies with the R462Q allele and non-XMRV viruses have not been reported. We assessed associations between prostate cancer, prostate viral infections, and the RNASEL 462Q allele in Mexican cancer patients and controls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>130 subjects (55 prostate cancer cases and 75 controls) were enrolled in the study. DNA and RNA isolated from prostate tissues were screened for the presence of viral genomes. Genotyping of the RNASEL R462Q variant was performed by Taqman method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>R/R, R/Q, and Q/Q frequencies for R462Q were 0.62, 0.38, and 0.0 for PC cases and 0.69, 0.24, and 0.07 for controls, respectively. HPV sequences were detected in 11 (20.0%) cases and 4 (5.3%) controls. XMRV and HCMV infections were detected in one and six control samples, respectively. The risk of PC was significantly increased (Odds Ratio = 3.98; 95% CI: 1.17-13.56, p = 0.027) by infection of the prostatic tissue with HPV. BKV, JCV, and SV40 sequences were not detected in any of the tissue samples examined.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We report a positive association between PC and HPV infection. The 462Q/Q RNASEL genotype was not represented in our PC cases; thus, its interaction with prostate viral infections and cancer could not be evaluated.</p

Sensitivity of single wall carbon nanotubes to oxidative processing: structural modification, intercalation and functionalisation

The effect of oxidation on modification of single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) through successive purification steps has been studied. The efficient elimination of metal impurities has been followed by induced coupled plasma spectroscopy. Upon acid treatment, Raman spectroscopy clearly proofed that HNO3 molecules were intercalated into the bundles of SWCNTs. At the same time, SWCNTs also have suffered a high degree of degradation and defects were introduced. The subsequent thermal processes led to the removal of further defect carbon materials and to the almost complete de-intercalation of the HNO3 molecules. Changes in the structure of the SWCNT bundles have been observed by transmission electron microscopy. While bundles tend to separate upon acid treatment, after the complete purification process, the remaining SWCNTs tend to form thick bundles again. The existence of functional groups in the raw single wall carbon nanotubes material and their modification and almost complete removal after the final annealing step has been studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and temperature programmed desorption. Nitrogen adsorption isotherms analysed according to Brunauer–Emmet–Teller showed important changes in the pore volume and surface area through the purification steps.This work was supported by the European Commission under the Research Training Network contract NANOCOMP (HPRN-CT-2000-00037).Peer reviewe

HER2 expression in cervical cancer as a potential therapeutic target

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against the HER2 receptor is currently being used in breast and other tumor types. Early studies have shown that a variable proportion of cervical carcinoma tumors overexpress the HER2 receptor as evaluated by diverse techniques and antibodies. Currently it is known that a tumor response to trastuzumab strongly correlates with the level of HER2 expression evaluated by the Hercep Test, thus, it seems desirable to evaluate the status of expression of this receptor using the FDA-approved Hercep Test and grading system to gain insight in the feasibility of using trastuzumab in cervical cancer patients. METHODS: We analyzed a series of cervical cancer cell lines, the primary tumors of 35 cases of cervical cancer patients and four recurrent cases, with the Hercep Test in order to establish whether this tumor type overexpress HER2 at level of 2+/3+ as trastuzumab is currently approved for breast cancer having such level of expression. RESULTS: The results indicate that only 1 out of 35 primary tumors cases overexpress the receptor at this level, however, two out of four recurrent tumors that tested negative at diagnosis shifted to Hercep Test 2+ and 3+ respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The low frequency of expression in primary cases suggests that trastuzumab could have a limited value for the primary management of cervical cancer patients, however, the finding of "conversion" to Hercep Test 2+ and 3+ of recurrent tumors indicates the need to further evaluate the expression of HER2 in the metastatic and recurrent cases

A Proof-Of-Principle Study of Epigenetic Therapy Added to Neoadjuvant Doxorubicin Cyclophosphamide for Locally Advanced Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: Aberrant DNA methylation and histone deacetylation participate in cancer development and progression; hence, their reversal by inhibitors of DNA methylation and histone deacetylases (HDACs) is at present undergoing clinical testing in cancer therapy. As epigenetic alterations are common to breast cancer, in this proof-of-concept study demethylating hydralazine, plus the HDAC inhibitor magnesium valproate, were added to neoadjuvant doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide in locally advanced breast cancer to assess their safety and biological efficacy. METHODOLOGY: This was a single-arm interventional trial on breast cancer patients (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00395655). After signing informed consent, patients were typed for acetylator phenotype and then treated with hydralazine at 182 mg for rapid-, or 83 mg for slow-acetylators, and magnesium valproate at 30 mg/kg, starting from day –7 until chemotherapy ended, the latter consisting of four cycles of doxorubicin 60 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m(2) every 21 days. Core-needle biopsies were taken from primary breast tumors at diagnosis and at day 8 of treatment with hydralazine and valproate. MAIN FINDINGS: 16 patients were included and received treatment as planned. All were evaluated for clinical response and toxicity and 15 for pathological response. Treatment was well-tolerated. The most common toxicity was drowsiness grades 1–2. Five (31%) patients had clinical CR and eight (50%) PR for an ORR of 81%. No patient progressed. One of 15 operated patients (6.6%) had pathological CR and 70% had residual disease <3 cm. There was a statistically significant decrease in global 5(m)C content and HDAC activity. Hydralazine and magnesium valproate up- and down-regulated at least 3-fold, 1,091 and 89 genes, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Hydralazine and magnesium valproate produce DNA demethylation, HDAC inhibition, and gene reactivation in primary tumors. Doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide treatment is safe, well-tolerated, and appears to increase the efficacy of chemotherapy. A randomized phase III study is ongoing to support the efficacy of so-called epigenetic or transcriptional cancer therapy

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

Early Pliocene continental vertebrate Fauna at Puerto de la Cadena (SE Spain) and its bearing on the marine-continental correlation of the Late Neogene of Eastern Betics

In this paper, we synthesize sedimentological, magnetostratigraphic and paleontological data from the continental vertebrate site of Puerto de la Cadena (Murcia, SE Spain), in order to clarify its age. The study site is located on the northern edge of the Carrascoy mountain range, in the upper part of the Cigarrón Unit. The end-Messinian discontinuity has been detected at the base of this unit, which indicates it has an early Pliocene age. Abundant remains of small and large vertebrates, including rodents, lagomorphs, primates, carnivorans, perissodactyls, artiodactyls, proboscideans, testudines, squamats, and crocodiles, have been found in this area. Some of these elements are of African origin, such as Debruijnimys sp., Macaca sp., and Sivatherium cf. hendeyi, and their presence is related to the Messinian Salinity Crisis. In addition, remains found at this site verify the persistence of Crocodylia in the European record beyond the late Miocene. The association includes typical elements of the early Ruscinian terrestrial record (MN14), like Apocricetus cf. barrierei, Sivatherium, Gazella aff. baturra, and Hipparion fissurae. The Puerto de la Cadena site is located in a reversed geomagnetic chron that has been correlated with C3n.3r (from 4.997 to 4.896 Ma). According to this correlation, the MN13/MN14 boundary has a minimum age of 4.9 Ma.This manuscript is the result of the excavations carried out annually under the research project 11891/PHCS/09, funded by the Fundación Séneca - Agencia de Ciencia y Tecnología de la Región de Murcia. We would also like to thank the inestimable collaboration of the Demarcación de Carreteras del Estado in Murcia (Ministerio de Fomento), and the Dirección General de Bienes Culturales of the Comunidad Autónoma de la Región de Murcia. This research has also been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2016-80000-P; CGL2015-68333-P; CGL2016-76431-P; FPDI-2013-18986), the Generalitat de Catalunya (CERCA Program, 2014 SGR 901 and 2014 SGR 416 GRC), and University of the Basque Country/EHU (GIU15/34). P.P. is supported by an FPU Predoctoral Fellowship (FPU12/02668) with the financial sponsorship of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, Spain