Recovery of ilmenite mud as an additive in commercial Portland cements

Abstract

This work is focused on the manufacture of commercial cement using as additive ilmenite mud, a waste generated during TiO₂ pigment production. The cements were produced by adding different proportions of mud (2.5, 5 and 10 wt%) to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). The ilmenite mud and the ilmenite mud cements (IMCs) were characterised physico-chemically by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Moreover, the technological properties of the IMCs were evaluated and compared with a reference material (OPC). Since waste from the TiO₂ industry is classified as a NORM (naturally occurring radioactive material), the concentrations of radionuclides were measured by high-resolution low-background gamma and alpha spectrometry techniques. Finally, the TCLP leaching test (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure, USEPA), the radiological index ("I") and the Ra equivalent concentration were also calculated to evaluate the environmental risks. As a final conclusion, it can be pointed out that the addition of ilmenite mud to OPC plays a beneficial role since it reduces the heat of hydration, the final setting time, the expansion and the linear retraction compared to standard OPC. The compression strength improves with the addition of up to 5 wt% mud. Moreover, the environmental impact of IMC2.5 and IMC5 can be considered negligible.

Novel capsaicin-induced parameters of microcirculation in migraine patients revealed by imaging photoplethysmography

The non-invasive biomarkers of migraine can help to develop the personalized medication of this disorder. In testing of the antimigraine drugs the capsaicin-induced skin redness with activated TRPV1 receptors ...

Effects of sildenafil and calcitonin gene-related peptide on brainstem glutamate levels: a pharmacological proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study at 3.0 T

Studies involving human pharmacological migraine models have predominantly focused on the vasoactive effects of headache-inducing drugs, including sildenafil and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). However...

An investigation of the effects of capping on internal phosphorus release from sediments under rooted macrophytes ( Phragmites australis ) revegetation

Abstract

In eutrophic lake restorations, in situ capping is an often considered method to control sediment internal phosphorus (P) pollution for mitigating eutrophication status. Subsequent aquatic macrophyte revegetation can directly derive P from the sediment for growth. However, the effects of capping with clean soils on internal P release from sediments under rooted aquatic macrophyte revegetation are still unclear. In the present study, the influences of sediment P remobilization by P. australis revegetation on P inactivation by capping were investigated based on an entire growth simulation study. Our findings showed during the growth of P. australis, tests conducted on total phosphorous (TP), calcium-bound P (Ca-P), loosely bound P (loose-P), organic P (Org-P), and iron-adsorbed P (Fe-P) found significant changes (p < 0.001). Specifically, the mean contents of TP and Ca-P decreased by 291.1 and 224.2 mg kg⁻¹, respectively, while those of Fe-P increased from 26.4 to 124.8 mg kg⁻¹. In addition, sediment mobile-P contents increased coincidentally with the growth of P. australis during the whole course of experiment. Further analysis indicated calculated diffusion fluxes of soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) generally increased with incubation time, although capping effectively induced the reduction of SRP concentration in pore water and its release to waters. Therefore, sediment P remobilization by P. australis revegetation was able to enhance P lability in lake sediments, with intermediate activation ability compared to other correlated water bodies. This phenomenon was most likely attributed to solubilization of sediment P by organic acids secreted from P. australis rhizosphere. Overall, sediment P remobilization by rooted macrophytes is unfavorable for capping to control internal P release to water column during eutrophic lake restorations.

CADM1 is a diagnostic marker in early-stage mycosis fungoides: Multicenter study of 58 cases

Cell adhesion molecule 1 (CADM1) has been reported as a diagnostic marker for Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Our study suggests that CADM1 is expressed not only in ATLL but also in mycosis fungoides (MF). CADM1 can be useful for differentiating MF from inflammatory skin disorders.

Prevalence of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational and clinical studies

Wide-ranging estimates have been reported for the occurrence of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis. We found an overall pooled prevalence of 19.7% for psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis and 24.6% in patients with moderate-to-severe disease.Screening psoriasis patients for psoriatic arthritis may be warranted, especially for those with moderate-to-severe disease..

A New Method for Mild Blepharoptosis Correction using Orbital Septum

Blepharoptosis greatly affects the eyelid appearance. Moderate to severe ptosis is easily distinguished. However, mild ptosis is often overlooked or easily missed. The normal upper eyelid is located in the middle horizontal line between the upper edge of the pupil and the upper edge of the cornea while the patient looks straight ahead; that is, the upper eyelid covers 1.5 to 2.0 mm of the cornea. Mild blepharoptosis is diagnosed when the upper eyelid covers the cornea over the normal level to the upper edge of the pupil; the upper eyelid falls about 1 to 2 mm.

Anatomical Variability of the Infra-mammary Fold and its Dynamics in Relation to Lejour Mammoplasty

The IMF is a defining element in the shape and structure of the female breast. 1 The anatomy and tissue components of the IMF have been a matter of controversy among plastic surgeons and anatomists. Some have attributed formation of the fold to a distinct ligament, 2,3 while others described a superficial fascial system. 4,5 Despite this controversy; most of the plastic surgeons settled on a thought that the preservation of the integrity of the IMF is an important goal in enhancing the aesthetic result in all breast surgeries.

BAPRAS and BAAPS Scientific Meetings: Are we sticking our noses up at rhinoplasty?

Dear Sir,

Arsenic contamination, subsequent water toxicity, and associated public health risks in the lower Indus plain, Sindh province, Pakistan

Abstract

Arsenic (As) contamination in drinking water is a global public health risk. The present study highlighted the geological and anthropogenic causes of As contamination in groundwater (GW) and surface water (SW) and assessment of their potential health risks in Sindh province of Pakistan. Upon analyzing 720 GW and SW samples from 18 different sites, the estimates of As in groundwater and surface water was observed in the range of 0 to 125 and 0 to 35 μg/L with mean values of 46.8 and 15.43 μg/L respectively. Majority of the samples exceeded WHO permissible limit of As (10 μg/L) with higher concentration detected in groundwater samples compared to surface water. Moreover, both of these sample sources were found not potable based on physicochemical characteristics. The results of statistical analysis (correlation analysis, principal component analysis (PCA), and hierarchy cluster analysis (HCA)) indicate that natural mobilization of As in groundwater is believed to be enhanced by the pH-based reductive dissolution of iron hydroxide (FeOH) and competitive sorption of bicarbonate minerals in the presence of microorganisms along with evaporative enrichment while water logging, coal mining, and excessive use of pesticides are believed to be the anthropogenic causes of As enrichment. Furthermore, enormous health risk was associated with As in terms of chronic daily intake (CRI), hazard quotient (HQ), and cancer risk probability (CR) in GW and SW. Mean HQ values in GW were 4.47 mg/kg/day in adults and 3.89 mg/kg/day in children (standard HQ ≤ 1) and was 1.43 and 1.28 mg/kg/day in SW. Mean CR value in both GW and SW was found higher than the safe limit (10⁻⁶) having a mean of 2 × 10⁻³ in GW and 7 × 10⁻⁴ (mg/kg/day) in SW. These findings suggest that majority of the sampling sites carry serious public health risk due to high As values and hence demands exigent remedial and management measures.

Forthcoming Meetings

Edited by Albert H. Kim and Jennie W. Taylor

Precision oncology in the era of radiogenomics: the case of D-2HG as an imaging biomarker for mutant IDH gliomas

See the article by Branzoli and Di Stefano et al pp. 907–916.

Highlights from the Literature

Different menopausal hormone regimens and risk of breast cancer

ABSTRACT

Background

There are considerable knowledge gaps concerning different estrogen and progestin formulations, regimens, and modes of administration of menopausal hormone therapy and the risk of breast cancer. Our objective was to assess the different treatment options for menopausal hormone therapy and the risk of breast cancer.

Patients and methods

This Swedish prospective nationwide cohort study included all women who received ≥1 hormone therapy prescription during the study period 2005–2012 (290,186 ever–users), group–level matched (1:3) to 870,165 never–users; respectively 6,376 (2.2%) and 18,754 (2.2%) developed breast cancer. Hormone therapy, ascertained from the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register, was subdivided by estrogen and progestogen formulation types, regimens (continuous vs. sequential) and modes of administration (oral vs. transdermal). The risk of invasive breast cancer was presented as adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Current use of estrogen-only therapy was associated with a slight excess breast cancer risk (odds ratio=1.08 (1.02–1.14)). The risk for current estrogen plus progestogen therapy was higher (odds ratio=1.77 (1.69–1.85)) and increased with higher age at initiation (odds ratio=3.59 (3.30–3.91) in women 70+ years). In contrast, past use was associated with reduced breast cancer risk. Current continuous estrogen/progestin use was associated with higher risk (odds ratio=2.18 (1.99–2.40) for progesterone-derived; odds ratio=2.66 (2.49–2.84) for testosterone-derived) than sequential use (odds ratio=1.37 (0.97–1.92)) for progesterone-derived; odds ratio=1.12 (0.96–1.30) for testosterone-derived). The odds ratio for current use was 1.12 (1.04–1.20) for estradiol, 0.76 (0.69–0.84) for estriol, 4.47 (2.67–7.48) for conjugated estrogens, and 1.68 (1.51–1.87) for tibolone. Oral and cutaneous hormone therapy showed similar associations.

Conclusion

Different hormone therapy regimens have profoundly different effects on breast cancer risk. Because of registry limitations some confounders could not be assessed. This knowledge may guide clinical decision-making when hormone therapy is considered.

Breast cancer brain metastases show increased levels of genomic aberration based homologous recombination deficiency scores relative to their corresponding primary tumors

Abstract

Background

Based on its mechanism of action, PARP inhibitor therapy is expected to benefit mainly tumor cases with homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). Therefore, identification of tumor types with increased HRD is important for the optimal use of this class of therapeutic agents. HRD levels can be estimated using various mutational signatures from next generation sequencing data and we used this approach to determine whether breast cancer brain metastases show altered levels of HRD scores relative to their corresponding primary tumor.

Patients and methods

We used a previously published next generation sequencing dataset of twenty-one matched primary breast cancer/brain metastasis pairs to derive the various mutational signatures/HRD scores strongly associated with HRD. We also performed the myChoice HRD analysis on an independent cohort of seventeen breast cancer patients with matched primary/brain metastasis pairs.

Results

All of the mutational signatures indicative of HRD showed a significant increase in the brain metastases relative to their matched primary tumor in the previously published whole exome sequencing dataset. In the independent validation cohort the myChoice HRD assay showed an increased level in 87.5% of the brain metastases relative to the primary tumor, with 56% of brain metastases being HRD positive according to the myChoice criteria.

Conclusions

The consistent observation that brain metastases of breast cancer tend to have higher HRD measures may raise the possibility that brain metastases may be more sensitive to PARP inhibitor treatment. This observation warrants further investigation to assess whether this increase is common to other metastatic sites as well, and whether clinical trials should adjust their strategy in the application of HRD measures for the prioritization of patients for PARP inhibitor therapy.

Management of toxicities from immunotherapy: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up

Ann Oncol 2017; 28: iv119–iv142 (doi:10.1093/annonc/mdx225)

Sensory Hair Cells: An Introduction to Structure and Physiology

Synopsis

Sensory hair cells are specialized secondary sensory cells that mediate our senses of hearing, balance, linear acceleration, and angular acceleration (head rotation). In addition, hair cells in fish and amphibians mediate sensitivity to water movement through the lateral line system, and closely related electroreceptive cells mediate sensitivity to low-voltage electric fields in the aquatic environment of many fish species and several species of amphibian.Sensory hair cells share many structural and functional features across all vertebrate groups, while at the same time they are specialized for employment in a wide variety of sensory tasks. The complexity of hair cell structure is large, and the diversity of hair cell applications in sensory systems exceeds that seen for most, if not all, sensory cell types. The intent of this review is to summarize the more significant structural features and some of the more interesting and important physiological mechanisms that have been elucidated thus far. Outside vertebrates, hair cells are only known to exist in the coronal organ of tunicates. Electrical resonance, electromotility, and their exquisite mechanical sensitivity all contribute to the attractiveness of hair cells as a research subject.

Fins as mechanosensors for movement and touch-related behaviors

Abstract

Mechanosensation is a universal feature of animals that is essential for behavior, allowing detection of animals' own body movement and position as well as physical features of the environment. Fish fins provide a key vertebrate system for studying mechanosensation. The extraordinary morphological and behavioral diversity that exists across fish species provide rich opportunities for comparative mechanosensory studies in fins. The fins of fishes have been found to function as proprioceptors, by providing feedback on fin ray position and movement, and as tactile sensors, by encoding pressures applied to the fin surface. Across fish species, and among fins, the afferent response is remarkably consistent, suggesting that the ability of fin rays and membrane to sense deformation is a fundamental feature of fish fins. While fin mechanosensation has been known in select, often highly specialized, species for decades, only in the last decade have we explored mechanosensation in typical propulsive fins and considered its role in behavior, particularly locomotion. In this paper, we synthesize the current understanding of the anatomy and physiology of fin mechanosensation, looking toward key directions for research. We argue that a mechanosensory perspective informs studies of fin-based propulsion and other fin-driven behaviors and should be considered in the interpretation of fin morphology and behavior. In addition, we compare the mechanosensory system innervating the fins of fishes to the systems innervating the limbs of mammals and wings of insects in order to identify shared mechanosensory strategies and how different organisms have evolved to meet similar functional challenges. Finally, we discuss how understanding the biological organization and function of fin sensors can inform the design of control systems for engineered fins and fin-driven robotics.

Specializations for fast signaling in the amniote vestibular inner ear

Synopsis

During rapid locomotion, the vestibular inner ear provides head-motion signals that stabilize posture, gaze, and heading. Afferent nerve fibers from central (striolar) and peripheral (extrastriolar) zones of vestibular sensory epithelia use temporal and rate encoding, respectively, to emphasize different aspects of head motion: central- and striolar-zone afferents adapt faster to sustained head position and favor higher stimulus frequencies, reflecting specializations at each stage from motion of the accessory structure to spike propagation to the brain. One specialization in amniotes is an unusual nonquantal synaptic mechanism by which type I hair cells transmit to large calyceal terminals of afferent neurons. Its reduced synaptic delay suggests that it may have evolved to serve reliable and fast input to reflex pathways that ensure stable locomotion on land.

Inference of developmental gene regulatory networks beyond classical model systems: new approaches in the post-genomic era

Synopsis

The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies has revolutionized the way we understand the transformation of genetic information into morphological traits. Elucidating the network of interactions between genes that govern cell differentiation through development is one of the core challenges in genome research. These networks are known as developmental gene regulatory networks (dGRNs) and consist largely of the functional linkage between developmental control genes, cis-regulatory modules and differentiation genes, which generate spatially and temporally refined patterns of gene expression. Over the last 20 years, great advances have been made in determining these gene interactions mainly in classical model systems, including human, mouse, sea urchin, fruit fly, and worm. This has brought about a radical transformation in the fields of developmental biology and evolutionary biology, allowing the generation of high-resolution gene regulatory maps to analyse cell differentiation during animal development. Such maps have enabled the identification of gene regulatory circuits and have led to the development of network inference methods that can recapitulate the differentiation of specific cell-types or developmental stages. In contrast, dGRN research in non-classical model systems has been limited to the identification of developmental control genes via the candidate gene approach and the characterization of their spatiotemporal expression patterns, as well as to the discovery of cis-regulatory modules via patterns of sequence conservation and/or predicted transcription-factor binding sites. However, thanks to the continuous advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies, this scenario is rapidly changing. Here, we give a historical overview on the architecture and elucidation of the dGRNs. Subsequently, we summarize the approaches available to unravel these regulatory networks, highlighting the vast range of possibilities of integrating multiple technical advances and theoretical approaches to expand our understanding on the global of gene regulation during animal development in non-classical model systems. Such new knowledge will not only lead to greater insights into the evolution of molecular mechanisms underlying cell identity and animal body plans, but also into the evolution of morphological key innovations in animals.

Semantic self-knowledge and the vat argument

Abstract

Putnam's vat argument is intended to show that I am not a permanently envatted brain. The argument holds promise as a response to vat scepticism, which depends on the claim that I do not know that I am not a permanently envatted brain. However, there is a widespread idea that the vat argument cannot fulfil this promise, because to employ the argument as a response to vat scepticism I would have to make assumptions about the content of the premises and/or conclusion of the argument that beg the question against the sceptic. In this paper, I show that this idea is mistaken.

The Identity-Enactment Account of associative duties

Abstract

Associative duties are agent-centered duties to give defeasible moral priority to our special ties. Our strongest associative duties are to close friends and family. According to reductionists, our associative duties are just special duties—i.e., duties arising from what I have done to others, or what others have done to me. These include duties to (a) abide by promises and contracts, (b) compensate our benefactors in ways expressing gratitude, and (c) aid those whom we have made especially vulnerable to our conduct. I argue, though, that reductionism faces a problem: special duties are not strong enough to account for the strength of our associative duties. At the bar of associative duties, we are required to do what no special duty can warrant. I then present an alternative reductionist analysis of associative duties—the 'Identity-Enactment Account'—which not only accounts for the peculiar strength of our associative duties, but also characterizes them in an intuitively compelling way. On this account, our strongest associative duties are special duties to protect or promote the welfare of the duty's beneficiary by adopting and enacting a practical identity in which the duty's beneficiary features prominently. There are persons who can legitimately demand a prominent place in our mental lives, for the protection and intimacy it affords. They can, in effect, legitimately demand to be among our nearest and dearest. The correlative of such a demand is, on our part, an associative duty we have toward them.

Combining a Food Frequency Questionnaire With 24-Hour Recalls to Increase the Precision of Estimating Usual Dietary Intakes – Evidence From the Validation Studies Pooling Project

Abstract

Improving estimates of individuals' dietary intakes is key to obtaining more reliable evidence for diet-health relationships from nutritional cohort studies. One approach to improvement is combining information from different self-report instruments. Previous work evaluated the gains obtained from combining information from a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) and multiple 24-hour recalls (24HRs), based on assuming that 24HRs provide unbiased measures of individual intakes. Here, we evaluate the same approach of combining instruments, but based on the better assumption that recovery biomarkers provide unbiased measures of individual intakes. Our analysis uses data from the five large validation studies included in the Validation Studies Pooling Project: the Observing Protein and Energy study (1999–2000), Automated Multiple Pass Method validation study (2002–4), Energetics study (2006–9), Nutrition Biomarker Study (2004–5) and Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Study (2007–9). The data include intakes of energy, protein, potassium, and sodium. Under a time-varying usual intake model analysis, combining a FFQ with 4 24HRs improved correlations with true intake for predicted intakes of protein density, potassium density and sodium density (range 0.39–0.61), over a single FFQ (range 0.35–0.51). Absolute increases in correlation ranged from 0.02 to 0.26, depending on nutrient and sex, with an average increase of 0.14. Based on unbiased recovery biomarker evaluation for these nutrients, we confirm that combining a FFQ with multiple 24HRs modestly improves the accuracy of estimates of individual intakes.

Diet Quality Indices and Leukocyte Telomere Length among Healthy US Adults: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1999-2002

Abstract

Aging is the biggest risk factor for the development of chronic diseases. Telomere length may represent one important mechanism by which dietary intake influences age-related diseases; however, it is unknown which diet pattern is most strongly related to telomere length. We compared the relations between four evidence-based diet quality indices and leukocyte telomere length in a nationally representative sample of healthy adults, and the extent to which these associations differ between men and women. Data came from 4,758 adults, aged 20-65 years, with no prior diagnosis of major chronic disease, from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Diet was assessed using one 24-hour dietary recall. After adjusting for sociodemographic and health characteristics, comparing the top and bottom quintiles showed that higher Healthy Eating Index-2010 (β=0.065, 95% CI 0.018, 0.112, P-trend=0.007), AHEI-2010 scores (β=0.054, 95% CI 0.010, 0.097, P-trend=0.007), Mediterranean Diet scores (β=0.058, 95% CI 0.017, 0.098, P-trend=0.008), and Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) scores (β=0.052, 95% CI 0.014, 0.090, P-trend=0.007) were each associated with longer telomere length in women. These results may provide insight into the complex associations between optimal nutrition and longevity. Further investigation is needed to understand why associations were not observed in men.