Pilot scale evaluation of the BABIU process--upgrading of landfill gas or biogas with the use of MSWI bottom ash

Biogas or landfill gas can be converted to a high-grade gas rich in methane with the use of municipal solid waste incineration bottom ash as a reactant for fixation of CO2 and H2S. In order to verify results previously obtained at a laboratory scale with 65-90 kg of bottom ash (BA), several test runs were performed at a pilot scale, using 500-1000 kg of bottom ash and up to 9.2 Nm(3)/h real landfill gas from a landfill in the Tuscany region (Italy). The input flow rate was altered. The best process performance was observed at a input flow rate of 3.7 Nm(3)/(htBA). At this flow rate, the removal efficiencies for H2S were approximately 99.5-99%.

Clinical consequences of analytical variance and calculation strategy in oral busulfan pharmacokinetics

BACKGROUND

Busulfan pharmacokinetic (PK) monitoring of the area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) is necessary to minimize adverse events associated with both under- and over-dosing of busulfan during hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Three strategies are frequently used to calculate the AUC including in-house polynomial methods, the trapezoidal method (also called noncompartmental analysis), and the single compartment model with first-order elimination method. We compared these 3 methods, their clinical performance, and the relationship of AUC variance to analytical variance when each of these methods is used.

METHODS

Clinical busulfan PK data was reviewed from 159 patients receiving the first dose of oral busulfan while undergoing HSCT. These data were used as templates to simulate AUC results and actions with varying amounts of analytical precision.

RESULTS

Based on a predefined goal therapeutic target, the method for calculating AUC significantly changed the number of recommended busulfan dose adjustments (p<0.000001). Overall, the number of dose adjustments would be expected to drop by approximately 10% due to calibration optimization of the busulfan concentration measurement method.

CONCLUSION

Analytical variance and the AUC calculation method play a considerable role in the clinical management of busulfan dosing during HSCT. With better understanding and optimization of the analytical method, the reliability of clinically actionable information from busulfan PK can increase.

Distinct mechanisms for aerenchyma formation in leaf sheaths of rice genotypes displaying a quiescence or escape strategy for flooding tolerance

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Rice is one of the few crops able to withstand periods of partial or even complete submergence. One of the adaptive traits of rice is the constitutive presence and further development of aerenchyma which enables oxygen to be transported to submerged organs. The development of lysigenous aerenchyma is promoted by ethylene accumulating within the submerged plant tissues, although other signalling mechanisms may also co-exist. In this study, aerenchyma development was analysed in two rice (Oryza sativa) varieties, 'FR13A' and 'Arborio Precoce', which show opposite traits in flooding response in terms of internode elongation and survival.

METHODS

The growth and survival of rice varieties under submergence was investigated in the leaf sheath of 'FR13A' and 'Arborio Precoce'. The possible involvement of ethylene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated in relation to aerenchyma formation. Cell viability and DNA fragmentation were determined by FDA/FM4-64 staining and TUNEL assay, respectively. Ethylene production was monitored by gas chromatography and by analysing ACO gene expression. ROS production was measured by using Amplex Red assay kit and the fluorescent dye DCFH(2)-DA. The expression of APX1 was also evaluated. AVG and DPI solutions were used to test the effect of inhibiting ethylene biosynthesis and ROS production, respectively.

KEY RESULTS

Both the varieties displayed constitutive lysigenous aerenchyma formation, which was further enhanced when submerged. 'Arborio Precoce', which is characterized by fast elongation when submerged, showed active ethylene biosynthetic machinery associated with increased aerenchymatous areas. 'FR13A', which harbours the Sub1A gene that limits growth during oxygen deprivation, did not show any increase in ethylene production after submersion but still displayed increased aerenchyma. Hydrogen peroxide levels increased in 'FR13A' but not in 'Arborio Precoce'.

CONCLUSIONS

While ethylene controls aerenchyma formation in the fast-elongating 'Arborio Precoce' variety, in 'FR13A' ROS accumulation plays an important role.

Distinct mechanisms for aerenchyma formation in leaf sheaths of rice genotypes displaying a quiescence or escape strategy for flooding tolerance

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Rice is one of the few crops able to withstand periods of partial or even complete submergence. One of the adaptive traits of rice is the constitutive presence and further development of aerenchyma which enables oxygen to be transported to submerged organs. The development of lysigenous aerenchyma is promoted by ethylene accumulating within the submerged plant tissues, although other signalling mechanisms may also co-exist. In this study, aerenchyma development was analysed in two rice (Oryza sativa) varieties, 'FR13A' and 'Arborio Precoce', which show opposite traits in flooding response in terms of internode elongation and survival.

METHODS

The growth and survival of rice varieties under submergence was investigated in the leaf sheath of 'FR13A' and 'Arborio Precoce'. The possible involvement of ethylene and reactive oxygen species (ROS) was evaluated in relation to aerenchyma formation. Cell viability and DNA fragmentation were determined by FDA/FM4-64 staining and TUNEL assay, respectively. Ethylene production was monitored by gas chromatography and by analysing ACO gene expression. ROS production was measured by using Amplex Red assay kit and the fluorescent dye DCFH(2)-DA. The expression of APX1 was also evaluated. AVG and DPI solutions were used to test the effect of inhibiting ethylene biosynthesis and ROS production, respectively.

KEY RESULTS

Both the varieties displayed constitutive lysigenous aerenchyma formation, which was further enhanced when submerged. 'Arborio Precoce', which is characterized by fast elongation when submerged, showed active ethylene biosynthetic machinery associated with increased aerenchymatous areas. 'FR13A', which harbours the Sub1A gene that limits growth during oxygen deprivation, did not show any increase in ethylene production after submersion but still displayed increased aerenchyma. Hydrogen peroxide levels increased in 'FR13A' but not in 'Arborio Precoce'.

CONCLUSIONS

While ethylene controls aerenchyma formation in the fast-elongating 'Arborio Precoce' variety, in 'FR13A' ROS accumulation plays an important role.

Photo-Induced Current Spectroscopy in Undoped Cvd Diamond Films

Combined TSC and PICTS measurements have been used to determine the activation energies (Et) and capture cross-sections (σ) of the trap levels inside the bandgap of CVD diamond in the energy range 0.4−0.7 eV. High temperature TSC analysis has been performed to determine the trap parameters in the energy range from 0.9 to 1.3 eV. A fieldmap in the Et−σ plane has been obtained from the combination of the TSC and PICTS data depicting the regions corresponding to two isolated trap levels and to a continuous distribution of states. The concentrations of defects have been calculated from the TSC signals and the measurement of the charge collection efficiency of the diamond samples.

New molecular targets in bone metastases

Bone metastases have a major impact on morbidity and on mortality in cancer patients. Despite its clinical relevance, metastasis remains the most poorly elucidated aspect of carcinogenesis. The biological mechanisms leading to bone metastasis establishment have been referred as "vicious circle," a complex network between cancer cells and the bone microenvironment. This review is aimed to underline the new molecular targets in bone metastases management other than bisphosphonates. Different pathways or molecules such as RANK/RANKL/OPG, cathepsin K, endothelin-1, Wnt/DKK1, Src have recently emerged as potential targets and nowadays preclinical and clinical trials are underway. The results from those in the advanced clinical phases are encouraging and underlined the need to design large randomised clinical trials to validate these results in the next future. Targeting the bone by preventing skeletal related events (SREs) and bone metastases has major clinical impact in improving survival in bone metastatic patients and in preventing disease relapse in adjuvant setting.

Adjuvant colon cancer chemotherapy: where we are and where we'll go

Many patients with early-stage colon cancer are cured with surgery alone, even if the standard of care remains an uniform approach to adjuvant chemotherapy based primarily on tumour stage. Consequently, it is important to individualize decision-making in this subset of patients with the aim to identify potential prognostic and predictive markers in colon cancer. While 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, and oxaliplatin are widely known as gold treatment in the post-operative of stage III, well-validated molecular markers might help define which patients with stage II disease are likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy as well. Herein we review the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in colon cancer and analyzed the date on the clinical development of molecular markers to individualize another therapeutic approach in colon cancer.

Quality of life and motor impairment in ALS: Italian validation of ALSAQ

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the validity and reliability of the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis assessment questionnaire (ALSAQ) in an Italian cohort of ALS patients and to further characterize the relationship between motor impairment and quality of life (QoL) in ALS.

METHODS

Seventy-six patients completed the Italian version of ALSAQ-40 and ALSAQ-5. To verify test-retest reliability, 30 patients were revaluated after 3 months. The medical outcome study short form 36 (MOS SF-36) questionnaire and revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFR-R) scale were used to assess Italian ALSAQ-40 construct validity. The limb muscles' Medical Research Council (MRC) score and forced vital capacity (FVC) were used to measure the degree of motor impairment.

RESULTS

The Italian ALSAQ-40 showed a very good internal consistency (all subscales Cronbach's alpha>0.86) and a good construct validity as shown by the patterns of correlation between the subscales and SF-36 (resp. ALSFRS-R) scores. ALSAQ-5 showed a positive correlation with the corresponding ALS patient total score and subscale scores of the ALSAQ-40 (Spearman's correlation coefficient>0.73). The emotional functioning subscale did not correlate with any motor impairment measures.

DISCUSSION

Italian ALSAQ-40 and ALSAQ-5 psychometric properties are reliable and similar to those showed by the original English version. We observed emotional aspects to be distinct from physical involvement.

Overexpression of interleukin-12 and T helper 1 predominance in lupus nephritis

Imbalance of cytokine homeostasis is a prominent feature of both experimental and human systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Because interleukin (IL)-12 promotes interferon (IFN)-gamma production leading to polarization of peripheral cells toward a T helper (Th) 1 phenotype, we investigated its role in lupus nephritis (LN). Soluble Th1 and Th2 cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera and urines of SLE patients and controls. Th1/Th2 peripheral lymphocyte polarization was determined by flow cytometry. Glomerular accumulation of IL-12 was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, whereas urinary IL-12 was evaluated by ELISA. Higher serum IL-12 levels in SLE were associated with LN, whereas IL-4 was unrelated to the renal damage. Peripheral cells from LN patients showed a Th1 phenotype with a high IFN-gamma expression that paralleled the severity of renal damage. IL-12 was present within glomerular mononuclear cells in classes IV and V LN, and its accumulation was correlated strongly with urinary levels. IL-12 overexpression in SLE may contribute to the development of LN. Both serum and urinary IL-12 elevation reflect its glomerular production and parallel Th1 polarization of peripheral T cells and high IFN-gamma production. In SLE patients, IL-12 measurement may thus be predictive of the development of LN.

[Placental insufficiency and intrauterine growth retardation]

AIM

Placental insufficiency is a pathological condition consisting of a placental functional deficit with multifactorial etiology; it can cause maternal complications such as edema, proteinuria, hypertension, etc. Our study aims to establish if placenta analysis after birth can lead to the identification of basic morphological alterations which can be easily documented and useful for the diagnosis of feto-neonatal pathologies.

METHODS

We examined 60 pregnant women (45 primipara, 15 multipara). They were hospitalized in the period from March 1998 to March 2004 in different pregnancy periods because of fetus growth delay. After birth, a careful examination of the placenta has been carried out soon after spontaneous birth (weight, thickness, possible morphological alterations which could be macroscopically observed) and it was followed by an anatomo-pathological examination carried out at the Anatomopathology Unit of Ospedali Riuniti in Foggia.

RESULTS

Macroscopic examination, in the group of women at the first pregnancy, showed that there were no morphological alterations in the placenta in all the cases, but the weight was normal (400- 500 g) in 8 cases and it was less than 400 g in the other 37 cases. In the group of multipara, placenta did not shown morphological alterations in all the cases, but the weight was normal in only 3 cases and it was lower in the remaining 12 cases. The placental microscopic examination pointed out: infarct focus in 34 cases (60%), 12 (35%) of which were recent and 22 (65%) were old infarct focuses; immaturity of chorionic villus in 15 (30%) of the examined placentas; increase in the cytotrophoblast mitotic index in 49 cases (90%) and placenta with normal histological appearance in 11 cases (10%).

CONCLUSION

Placental examination, both with macroscopic and microscopic techniques, can lead to the identification of basic morphological alterations which can be easily documented and useful for the diagnosis of feto-neonatal pathologies. A good placental functionality influences both fetal life and postnatal life. Thus, a greater attention to the placental examination in obstetric practice is suggested, especially for maternal and fetal pathologies.

The histone deacetylase inhibitor ITF2357 has anti-leukemic activity in vitro and in vivo and inhibits IL-6 and VEGF production by stromal cells

We have investigated the activity of ITF2357, a novel hydroxamate histone deacetylase inhibitor, on multiple myeloma (MM) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) cells in vitro and in vivo. ITF2357 induced apoptosis in 8/9 MM and 6/7 AML cell lines, as well as 4/4 MM and 18/20 AML freshly isolated cases, with a mean IC(50) of 0.2 microM. ITF2357 activated the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, upregulated p21 and downmodulated Bcl-2 and Mcl-1. The drug induced hyperacetylation of histone H3, H4 and tubulin. When studied in more physiological conditions, ITF2357 was still strongly cytotoxic for the interleukin-6 (IL-6)-dependent MM cell line CMA-03, or for AML samples maximally stimulated by co-culture on mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs), but not for the MSCs themselves. Interestingly, ITF2357 inhibited the production of IL-6, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and interferon-gamma by MSCs by 80-95%. Finally, the drug significantly prolonged survival of severe combined immunodeficient mice inoculated with the AML-PS in vivo passaged cell line already at the 10 mg/kg oral dose. These data demonstrate that ITF2357 has potent anti-neoplastic activity in vitro and in vivo through direct induction of leukemic cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the drug inhibits production of growth and angiogenic factors by bone marrow stromal cells, in particular IL-6 and VEGF.

Neural crest neuroblasts can colonise aganglionic and ganglionic gut in vivo

INTRODUCTION

Neural crest (NC) cells differentiate IN VITRO into neuroblasts, precursors of the enteric nervous system (ENS), when stimulated by specific agents. We developed a study aimed at establishing whether NC-derived neuroblasts can survive and colonise IN VIVO when injected into a recipient mouse gut.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The neuroblast precursors of the ENS were obtained from the vagal portion of the neural tubes of 296 CD-1 and GTROSA26 mouse embryos. The embryonic cells of GTROSA26 mice are identifiable through beta-galactosidase activity which allows recognition by blue staining. The host used in this study was the DOM/+ mouse, an animal model for Hirschsprung's disease (aganglionic megacolon). DOM/+ mouse pups (n = 43) received NC-derived cells inoculated into the seromuscular layer of the gut (33/43) or directly into the peritoneal abdominal cavity (10/43).

RESULTS

All DOM/+ mice survived the procedure and were sacrificed after 7 or 14 days. Histochemical staining detected implanted cells in all mice. These showed specific myenteric colonisation into the aganglionic and ganglionic gut.

CONCLUSION

The striking result of this study was the specific tropism of the injected NC-derived cells to target sites under the action of unknown chemotactic agents. This experimental procedure might represent a possible treatment option for specific forms of human ENS anomaly such as total intestinal aganglionosis.