Characterisation of hydraulic and hydrogeochemical processes in a reducing and alkalinity-producing system (RAPS) treating mine drainage, South Wales, UK

A series of tracer tests has been carried out in the compost and limestone Tan-y-Garn Reducing and Alkalinity-Producing System (RAPS), designed to treat iron-rich net acidic mine water (mean pH 6.18, Fe = 47 mg L-1, alkalinity 1.70 meq L-1 and mineral acidity 1.82 meq L-1) in South Wales, UK. Conservative tracer breakthrough time in the RAPS basal effluent is approximately inversely related to throughflow rate. Repeat tracer tests indicate a long term decrease in hydraulic conductivity, but not in total porosity. A specific sodium chloride tracer test from June 2008 is reported, when 15 kg salt was added to a raw mine water inflow rate of 0.87 L s-1. Electrical conductivity and major ion chemistry were monitored for a 170 hour period. Sodium exhibited a retardation of 1.15 to 1.2 in the RAPS medium relative to chloride, due to cation exchange. Simple 1-D advection-diffusion analytical modelling succeeded in simulating the early portion of tracer breakthrough in the RAPS effluent. More complex analytical modelling, accounting for (i) mixing and dilution effects in the supernatant water input signature and (ii) matrix diffusion effects, was found to be required to adequately simulate the later-stage tail of the breakthrough curve in the RAPS effluent

Nitrogen fixation and soil nitrogen in organic ley arable rotations

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Nitrogen (N) fixation in a white clover/ryegrass mixture was measured in 1,2,3 and 4-year-old organically managed leys during 2000. N fixation varied between 73.7 in 1-year-old leys and 33.5 kg ha-1 in 4-year-old leys. Soil nitrate-N, grass N yield and N content of grass and clover were all lowest in 2-year-old leys and highest in 3-year-old leys. The proportion of clover nitrogen derived from the atmosphere (pNdfa) was significantly lower in 3-year-old leys

An Uncommon Presentation of Breast Implant Rupture

Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. on behalf of The American Society of Plastic Surgeons. All rights reserved. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially.Summary: Late periprosthetic seroma has lately been concerning for breast implant-associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma. The authors present an uncommon presentation of breast implant rupture with a seroma and skin rash forming 2 years after insertion of the implant

Tumoral Calcinosis: An Uncommon Cause for a Mass in a Reconstructed Breast

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially.The appearance of a mass in a reconstructed breast is always of concern for local recurrence of breast cancer and can cause worry and anxiety in a patient. We present an uncommon cause for a mass in a reconstructed breast

A Case Report of Candida albicans Costochondritis after a Complicated Esophagectomy

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives License 4.0 (CCBY-NC-ND), where it is permissible to download and share the work provided it is properly cited. The work cannot be changed in any way or used commercially.We present an unusual case of Candida albicans costochondritis after a complicated Ivor Lewis esophagectomy. This case exhibits that pain, erythema, and swelling over the costal cartilages should alert the possibility of infective costochondritis, especially in a postoperative patient. If a fungal agent is identified, aggressive surgical debridement and early commencement of antifungal therapy are likely determinants for a satisfactory outcome

microRNAs and Esophageal Cancer - Implications for Pathogenesis and Therapy

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.There are several microRNAs that have been consistently reported to be differentially expressed in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma vs. normal squamous tissue, with prognostic associations for miR-21 (invasion, positive nodes, decreased survival), miR-143 (disease recurrence, invasion depth), and miR-375 (inversely correlated with advanced stage, distant metastasis, poor overall survival, and disease-free survival). There is also evidence that miR-375 regulates gene expression associated with resistance to chemotherapy. Hence, microRNA expression assays have the potential to provide clinically relevant information about prognosis and potential response to chemotherapy in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Results are inconsistent, however, for microRNAs across different studies for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) vs. its precursor lesion Barrett’s esophagus. These inconsistencies may partly result from pathological and/or molecular heterogeneity in both Barrett’s esophagus and EAC, but may also result from differences in study designs or different choices of comparator tissues. Despite these inconsistencies, however, several mRNA/protein targets have been identified, the cancer related biology of some of these targets is well understood, and there are clinico-pathological associations for some of these mRNA targets. MicroRNAs also have potential for use in therapy for esophageal cancers. The development of new delivery methods, such as minicells and autologous microvesicles, and molecular modifications such as the addition of aromatic benzene pyridine analogs, have facilitated the exploration of the effects of therapeutic microRNAs in vivo. These approaches are producing encouraging results, with one technology in a phase I/IIa clinical trial

COX-2 mRNA is increased in oesophageal mucosal cells by a proton pump inhibitor

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.Introduction: Barrett’s oesophagus develops in some individuals with gastro-oesophageal reflux, and is the precursor to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) suppress gastric acid production and are used to treat reflux. Clinical trials suggest that COX inhibitors might prevent oesophageal cancer, although PPIs could offset this by increasing COX-2 expression in Barrett’s oesophagus. To investigate this, we evaluated the impact of a PPI on COX expression in oesophageal mucosal cells. Methods: The effect of the PPI esomeprazole on COX-1 and COX-2 mRNA levels in oesophageal cells was determined. Oesophageal cell lines OE33 (adenocarcinoma derived) and HET-1A (immortalized squamous cells), and a control intestinal cell line - HT29 (colon carcinoma), were treated for 24 hours with increasing concentrations of the esomeprazole. Results: COX-2, but not COX-1, mRNA levels, dose dependently increased in OE33 and HET-1A cells vs. esomeprazole concentration. COX-2 mRNA levels did not increase in HT29 cells. Conclusions: Exposure to esomeprazole increases COX-2 mRNA in oesophageal cells. This might contribute to the lack of benefit for COX inhibitors for oesophageal cancer prevention in recent clinica

Molecular biomarkers and ablative therapies for Barrett’s esophagus

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy.Barrett’s esophagus is the major risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma. Endoscopic interventions which ablate Barrett’s esophagus mucosa lead to replacement with a new squamous (neosquamous) mucosa, but it can be difficult to achieve complete ablation. Knowing whether cancer is less likely to develop in neosquamous mucosa or residual Barrett’s esophagus after ablation is critical for determining the efficacy of treatment. This issue can be informed by assessing biomarkers that are associated with an increased risk of progression to adenocarcinoma. Although there are few post-ablation biomarker studies, evidence suggests that that neosquamous mucosa may have a reduced risk of adenocarcinoma in patients who have been treated for dysplasia or cancer, but some patients who do not have complete eradication of non-dysplastic Barrett’s esophagus may still be at risk. Biomarkers could be used to optimize endoscopic surveillance strategies following ablation, but this needs to be assessed by clinical studies and economic modeling

Ablation of Barrett's oesophagus: towards improved outcomes for oesophageal cancer?

This is the accepted version of the following article: Mayne, G. C., Bright, T., Hussey, D. J. and Watson, D. I. (2012), Ablation of Barrett's oesophagus: towards improved outcomes for oesophageal cancer?. ANZ Journal of Surgery, 82: 592–598, which has been published in final form at doi:10.1111/j.1445-2197.2012.06151.xBarrett's oesophagus is the major risk factor for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The management of Barrett’s oesophagus entails treating reflux symptoms with acid-suppressing medication or surgery (fundoplication). However neither form of anti-reflux therapy produces predictable regression, or prevents cancer development. Patients with Barrett’s oesophagus usually undergo endoscopic surveillance which aims to identify dysplastic changes or cancer at its earliest stage, when treatment outcomes should be better. Alternative endoscopic interventions are now available and are suggested for the treatment of early cancer, and prevention of progression of Barrett’s oesophagus to cancer. Such treatments could minimize the risks associated with oesophagectomy. The current status of these interventions is reviewed. Various endoscopic interventions have been described, but with long term outcomes uncertain, they remain somewhat controversial. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of dysplastic Barrett’s oesophagus might reduce the risk of cancer progression, although cancer development has been reported after this treatment. Endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) allows a 1.5 to 2 cm diameter piece of oesophageal mucosa to be removed. This provides better pathology for diagnosis and staging, and if the lesion is confined to the mucosa and fully excised, EMR can be curative. The combination of EMR and RFA has been used for multifocal lesions, but long term outcomes are unknown. The new endoscopic interventions for Barrett’s oesophagus and early oesophageal cancer have potential to improve clinical outcomes, although evidence which confirms superiority over oesphagectomy is limited. Longer term outcome data and data from larger cohorts is required to confirm the appropriateness of these procedure

Circulating microRNAs: emerging biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis in patients with gastrointestinal cancers

Author version made available in accordance with the publisher's policy. Under embargo for 6 months from time of publication. The final version of record is available at http://www.clinsci.org/cs/128/0001/cs1280001.htmTo identify novel non-invasive biomarkers for improved detection, risk assessment and prognostic evaluation of cancer, expression profiles of circulating microRNAs are currently under evaluation. Circulating microRNAs are highly promising candidates in this context, as they present some key characteristics for cancer biomarkers: they are tissue-specific with reproducible expression and consistency among individuals from the same species, they are potentially derived directly from the tumor and therefore might correlate with tumor progression and recurrence, and they are bound to proteins or contained in sub-cellular particles such as microvesicles or exosomes, making them highly stable and resistant to degradation. This review highlights the origin of circulating microRNAs, their stability in blood samples, and techniques to isolate exosomal microRNAs, and then addresses the current evidence supporting potential clinical applications for circulating miRNAs for diagnostic and prognostic purposes