Migration of dissolved organic carbon in biochars and biochar-mineral complexes

The objective of this work was to determine the contribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from a biochar mineral complex (BMC), so as to better understand the interactions between DOC, biochar, clay, and minerals during thermal treatment, and the effects of BMC on amended soils. The BMC was prepared by heating a mixture of a H3PO4-treated saligna biochar from Acacia saligna, clays, other minerals, and chicken manure. The BMC was applied to a sandy loam soil in Western Australia, where wheat was grown. Liquid chromatography-organic carbon detection (LC-OCD) tests were carried out on water extracts from the untreated biochar, the BMC, the BMC-amended soil, and on a control soil to measure the DOC concentration. LC-OCD tests provide a fingerprint of the DOC, which allows the fractions of DOC to be determined. Thermal processing enhanced the reaction of the A. saligna biochar with manure, clays and minerals, and affected the distribution of the DOC fractions. Notably, the process leads to immobilization of hydrophobic DOC and to an increase in the concentration of low-molecular-weight neutrals in the BMC. The application of the BMC to soil increases the DOC in the amended soil, especially the biopolymer fraction.

Anthracene-tethered ruthenium(II) arene complexes as tools to visualize the cellular localization of putative organometallic anticancer compounds.

Anthracene derivatives of ruthenium(II) arene compounds with 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1]decane (pta) or a sugar phosphite ligand, viz., 3,5,6-bicyclophosphite-1,2-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranoside, were prepared in order to evaluate their anticancer properties compared to the parent compounds and to use them as models for intracellular visualization by fluorescence microscopy. Similar IC(50) values were obtained in cell proliferation assays, and similar levels of uptake and accumulation were also established. The X-ray structure of [{Ru(η(6)-C(6)H(5)CH(2)NHCO-anthracene)Cl(2)(pta)] is also reported.

Psychopharmacology in supportive care of cancer: a review for the clinician. IV. Other psychotropic agents

Besides benzodiazepine, antidepressant and neuroleptic agents, all of which have established roles in supportive care, other psychotropic drugs deserve consideration in selected conditions affecting patients with advanced cancer. This article briefly reviews relevant aspects of miscellaneous psychotropics available for secondline treatment, including nonbenzodiazepine sedative, hypnotic and anxiolytic drugs, anaesthetic agents, stimulants, and analgesic adjuvants acting on the central nervous system. The proper use of such subsidiary psychotropic agents requires that both their specificities and the particular characteristics of palliative care patients are taken into account.

Torre Diagonal 682 : IV Edición de los Premios Veteco-Asefa Ave

Renovació integral d’un edifici existent conservant solament la seva estructura, per a la seva adequació als requeriments i prestacions propis dels actuals edificis d’oficines.

Nouvelles armes thérapeutiques contre le mélanome de stade IV [New therapeutic weapons in stage IV melanoma].

The treatment of stage IV melanoma has been revolutionized over the last years with the development of immunotherapies that, for the first time, have shown a significant benefit in overall survival, as well as with extremely effective targeted therapies, that also led to improved survival. These results are the fruits of an important translational research effort that allowed a rational approach with a very fast clinical development. The treatment of metastatic melanoma is, therefore, an illustration of the new paradigms of modern molecular research in oncology. In this review, we will present the various agents that have made the proof of their clinical benefit, as well as the scientific discoveries that allowed their development. Some of the remaining questions will be touched upon with the ongoing clinical trials. Inclusion of patients in these studies remains the top priority to improve on the clinical care.

Immunomarquage des collagènes I, III et IV, de la laminine et de la fibronectine dans la capsule cristallinienne humaine [Immunolabelling of collagen types I, III and IV, laminin and fibronectin in the human lens capsule].

PURPOSE: To localize collagen types I, III, and IV, laminin and fibronectin in the anterior human lens capsule. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-one anterior capsules were sampled by capsulorhexis during extracapsular cataract extraction (mean age 71.5). All capsules were labelled by an immunostaining specific for each antibodies. Immunostaining of four capsules was revealed with immunoperoxydase and seventeen using indirect immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Labelling of collagen types I and III was observed throughout the entire thickness of the capsule for each technique, the strongest labelling was found in the base of the epithelial cells with immunofluorescence. Collagen type IV was observed at the base of the epithelial cells whichever technique was used. Laminin could be detected in the inner layer of the capsule, using immunoperoxydase or immunofluorescence. No specific labelling was found for fibronectin using the two techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Different kinds of collagens have been found in capsules, more particularly the type III. The latter does not appear on other ocular basement membrane. Because of this uneven distribution in the capsule's thickness, each collagen might have a specific function.

Consolidation whole abdomen irradiation following adjuvant carboplatin-paclitaxel based chemotherapy for advanced uterine epithelial cancer: feasibility, toxicity and outcomes.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate feasibility and preliminary outcomes associated with sequential whole abdomen irradiation (WAI) as consolidative treatment following comprehensive surgery and systemic chemotherapy for advanced endometrial cancer. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients treated at our institution from 2000 to 2011. Inclusion criteria were stage III-IV endometrial cancer patients with histological proof of one or more sites of extra-uterine abdomen-confined disease, treated with WAI as part of multimodal therapy. Endpoints were feasibility, acute toxicity, late effects, recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). Twenty patients were identified. Chemotherapy consisted of 3 to 6 cycles of a platinum-paclitaxel regimen in 18 patients. WAI was delivered using conventional technique to a median total dose of 27.5 Gy. RESULTS: No grade 4 toxicities occurred during chemotherapy or radiotherapy. No radiation dose reduction was necessary. Three patients developed small bowel obstruction, all in the context of recurrent intraperitoneal disease. Kaplan-Meier estimates and 95% confidence intervals for RFS and OS at one year were 63% (38-80%) and 83% (56-94%) and at 3 years 57% (33-76%) and 62% (34-81%), respectively. On univariate Cox analysis, stage IVB and serous papillary (SP) histology were found to be statistically significantly (at the p = 0.05 level) associated with worse RFS and OS. The peritoneal cavity was the most frequent site of initial failure. CONCLUSIONS: Consolidative WAI following chemotherapy is feasible and can be performed without interruption with manageable acute and late toxicity. Patients with endometrioid adenocarcinoma, especially stage FIGO III, had favorable outcomes possibly meriting prospective evaluation of the addition of WAI following chemotherapy in selected patients. Patients with SP do poorly and do not routinely benefit from this approach.