The aim of this research was to develop a solid regenerable catalytic adsorbent capable of removing aniline from aqueous solutions. A H-Beta zeolite was first loaded with copper in an ion-exchange ...process to enhance its catalytic activity. Experimental results indicated an aniline adsorption level of approximately 106–114
mg
g
−1 for each of the unmodified H-Beta, the 0.5% (w/w) Cu-Beta or the 1.4 % (w/w) Cu-Beta zeolites. The adsorption processes followed the Langmuir model and the level of aniline adsorbed was largely unaffected by a change in temperature. Assessment of the aqueous stability of the exchanged copper on the Beta zeolites indicated minimum copper leaching in the range pH 5–11 thus providing a stable working pH range for both the 0.5% (w/w) and 1.4% (w/w) Cu-Beta adsorbent materials. Catalytic oxidation studies on the adsorbed aniline indicated that the presence of copper in the zeolites significantly enhanced the degradation of aniline to predominantly carbon dioxide, water and nitrogen. Five successive adsorption/catalytic oxidation cycles did not diminish the aniline adsorption capacity of the copper loaded zeolites but there was a small loss in the efficacy of the catalytic oxidation of the adsorbed aniline by the end of the 5th cycle.
Our objective is to present a short series of four rare cases of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma. Our methods present four case reports of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma and a review of the ...literature for management and treatment of this disease. The results indicate short case series reports of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma arising from the anterior ethmoidal sinuses, the nasopharynx, the lateral nasal wall and the floor of the nose. The discussion focuses on likely origins of ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma, its clinical features and management. We conclude that ectopic olfactory neuroblastoma is a rare disease. Treatment principles are the same for non-ectopic disease and guided by extension into adjacent structures such as the orbit or anterior cranial fossa and usually involves surgery with or without adjuvant radiotherapy.
The prognostic significance of identifying lymph node(LN) metastases following surgical resection for colon and rectal cancer is well recognized and is reflected in accurate staging of the disease.An ...established body of evidence exists,demonstrating an association between a higher total LN count and improved survival,particularly for node negative colon cancer.In node positive disease,however,the lymph node ratios may represent a better prognostic indicator,although the impact of this on clinical treatment has yet to be universally established.By extension,strategies to increase surgical node harvest and/or laboratory methods to increase LN yield seem logical and might improve cancer staging.However,debate prevails as to whether or not these extrapolations are clinically relevant,particularly when very high LN counts are sought.Current guidelines recommend a minimum of 12 nodes harvested as the standard of care,yet the evidence for such is questionable as it is unclear whether an increasing the LN count results in improved survival.Findings from modern treatments,including down-staging in rectal cancer using pre-operative chemoradiotherapy,paradoxically suggest that lower LN count,or indeed complete absence of LNs,are associated with improved survival;implying that using a specific number of LNs harvested as a measure of surgical quality is not always appropriate.The pursuit of a sufficient LN harvest represents good clinical practice;however,recent evidence shows that the exhaustive searching for very high LN yields may be unnecessary and has little in? uence on modern approaches to treatment.
To explore the influence of obesity on outcomes of exercise capacity and disease impact in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in response to pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) and ...to compare outcomes to those of normal weight and overweight counterparts.
Secondary data analysis of clinical database.
St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
155 participants with a primary diagnosis of COPD who completed a PR programme between 2012 and 2014.
Exercise capacity evaluated using the Six Minute Walk Test (6MWT) and the COPD Assessment Test (CAT) evaluated disease impact.
Walking distance in the 6MWT improved significantly mean difference of 55m (95% CI: 42 to 68; p<0.001) and similarly F(2, 92)=1.434, p=0.24 across all BMI categories, although the level of improvement reached clinical significance in the normal/underweight and overweight categories only. Disease impact on the CAT score improved across all body mass index (BMI) classifications by 2.3 points (95% CI: 0.9 to 3.6; p<0.050) which reached clinical significance and did not vary across BMI categories F(2, 80)=0.534, p=0.58.
Exercise capacity and self-report disease impact of individuals with COPD improved similarly in response to PR irrespective of BMI.
Pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) is a rare tumor of appendiceal origin. Treatment is major cytoreductive surgery but morbidity is high. PMP is considered chemo-resistant; its molecular biology is ...understudied; and presently, there is no platform for pre-clinical drug testing. Here, we performed exon array analysis from laser micro-dissected PMP tissue and normal colonic epithelia. The array analysis identified 27 up-regulated and 34 down-regulated genes: candidate up-regulated genes included SLC16A4, DSC3, Aldolase B, EPHX4, and ARHGAP24; candidate down-regulated genes were MS4A12, TMIGD1 and Caspase-5. We confirmed differential expression of the candidate genes and their protein products using in-situ hybridization and immuno-histochemistry. In parallel, we established two primary PMP cell lines, N14A and N15A, and immortalized with an SV40 T-antigen lentiviral vector. We cross-checked for expression of the candidate genes (from the array analyses) using qPCR in the cell lines and demonstrated that the gene profiles were distinct from those of colorectal tumor libraries and commonly used colon cell lines. N14A and N15A were responsiveness to mitomycin and oxaliplatin. This study characterizes global gene expression in PMP, and the parallel development of the first immortalized PMP cell lines; fit for pre-clinical testing and PMP oncogene discovery.
People with dementia are publicly sharing their experiences of living with the condition and acting collectively to produce social change. Social media could support them in doing this, but no ...previous studies have comprehensively analysed their use of Twitter. The aims of this study were to identify how people with dementia use Twitter and examine the illness identities they create and promote online. Tweetcatcher was used to collect 2774 tweets posted over six months by 12 account holders with dementia, across three countries. Tweets were analysed thematically. Six themes were identified through the analysis: nothing about us without us, collective action, experts by experience, living with dementia not suffering from it, community, and stories of dementia. On Twitter, people with dementia are developing a collective illness identity to further a social movement that is focused on improving the lives of people with dementia. They are also communicating their personal identities by documenting their lived experiences. Twitter is being used to convey positive, rather than negative, messages about dementia. The findings of this study also show that thematic analysis can be applied to micro texts that can combine over time to form longer narratives.
•People with dementia are using Twitter to fight for representation, fundraise, lobby politicians, and raise awareness.•People with dementia are using Twitter to challenge stigma, educate others, and provide support.•The interactions of people with dementia on Twitter have engendered a collective illness identity.•People with dementia are communicating their personal identities on Twitter by documenting their lived experiences.•People with dementia are using Twitter to convey positive messages about dementia.
The aim of this research was to examine the effect of copper cation-exchanged zeolites on the adsorption uptake of organic pollutants. Two beta zeolites with silica-to-alumina ratios of 25:1 and ...150:1 were modified by copper cation exchange and their potential for the removal of phenol from aqueous solutions was investigated. It was found that copper loading could be increased by increasing the pH of the exchange to 7. The exchanged copper was found to be relatively resistant to leaching between 5 and 11. An increase in copper loading or silica content resulted in an increase in the adsorption capacity of the zeolite for phenol. Overall, it was found that the adsorption showed best fit to the generalized Langmuir–Freundlich isotherm model. The adsorption process was exothermic and yielded thermodynamic parameters that were contiguous with phenol adsorption.
Vascular endothelial growth factor-C (VEGF-C) and VEGF-D are members of the VEGF family of cytokines and have angiogenic and lymphangiogenic actions. In gastric adenocarcinoma, VEGF-C mRNA and tissue ...protein expression correlate with lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastasis and in some reports, venous invasion and reduced 5-year survival. Patients with gastric adenocarcinomas containing high levels of VEGF-C expression have significantly reduced 5-year survival rates, and VEGF-C expression is an independent prognostic risk factor for death. The role of VEGF-C in oesophageal squamous and colorectal cancer and VEGF-D in colorectal cancer is not clear, with conflicting reports in the published literature. In order to exploit potential therapeutic applications, further research is necessary to define the precise roles of these cytokines in health and disease.
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