Emissions and transport of urban biocides from facades to topsoil at the district-scale.

Urban biocides used in facade paints and renders to prevent algae and fungal growth are released into the environment during rainfall, subsequently contaminating groundwater. However, quantitative data on the emission, transport and infiltration of urban biocides at the district scale are generally lacking. In this study, we quantified the fluxes of the urban biocide terbutryn and its major transformation product, terbutryn-sulfoxide, from building facades into stormwater, sediment, soil, and vegetation within a seven-year-old district employing sustainable stormwater management such as infiltration trenches and ponds.

Depth-resolved characterization of Meissner screening breakdown in surface treated niobium.

We report direct measurements of the magnetic field screening at the limits of the Meissner phase for two superconducting niobium (Nb) samples. The samples are processed with two different surface treatments that have been developed for superconducting radio-frequency (SRF) cavity applications-a "baseline" treatment and an oxygen-doping ("O-doping") treatment. The measurements show: (1) that the screening length is significantly longer in the "O-doping" sample compared to the "baseline" sample; (2) that the screening length near the limits of the Meissner phase increases with applied field; (3) the evolution of the screening profile as the material transitions from the Meissner phase to the mixed phase; and (4) a demonstration of the absence of any screening profile for the highest applied field, indicative of the full flux entering the sample.

Emissions of the Urban Biocide Terbutryn from Facades: The Contribution of Transformation Products.

Biocides are added to facade paints and renders to prevent algal and fungal growth. The emissions of biocides and their transformation products from building facades during wind-driven rain can contaminate surface waters, soil, and groundwater. Although the emissions of biocide transformation products may be higher than those of the parent biocide, knowledge of the emissions of transformation products over time is scarce.

Risk-Adapted Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Rectal Cancer: Final Report of the OCUM Study.

Purpose: We investigated whether neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with rectal cancer can be restricted to those at high risk of locoregional recurrence (LR) without compromising oncological outcomes.

Patients And Methods: In a prospective multicenter interventional study, patients with rectal cancer (cT2-4, any cN, cM0) were classified according to the minimal distance between the tumor, suspicious lymph nodes or tumor deposits, and mesorectal fascia (mrMRF). Patients with a distance >1 mm underwent up-front total mesorectal excision (TME; low-risk group), whereas those with a distance ≤1 mm and/or cT4 and cT3 tumors in the lower rectal third received nCRT followed by TME surgery (high-risk group).

Measuring neutron capture cross sections of radioactive nuclei: From activations at the FZK Van de Graaff to direct neutron captures in inverse kinematics with a storage ring at TRIUMF.

Measuring neutron capture cross sections of radioactive nuclei is a crucial step towards a better understanding of the origin of the elements heavier than iron. For decades, the precise measurement of direct neutron capture cross sections in the "stellar" energy range (eV up to a few MeV) was limited to stable and longer-lived nuclei that could be provided as physical samples and then irradiated with neutrons. New experimental methods are now being developed to extend these direct measurements towards shorter-lived radioactive nuclei ( 1 y).

A new high parallel-field spectrometer at TRIUMF's β-NMR facility.

A new high field spectrometer has been built to extend the capabilities of the β-detected nuclear magnetic resonance (β-NMR) facility at TRIUMF. This new beamline extension allows β-NMR spectroscopy to be performed with fields up to 200 mT parallel to a sample's surface (perpendicular to the ion beam), allowing depth-resolved studies of local electromagnetic fields with spin polarized probes at a much higher applied magnetic field than previously available in this configuration. The primary motivation and application is to allow studies of superconducting radio frequency (SRF) materials close to the critical fields of Nb metal, which is extensively used to fabricate SRF cavities.

Simple extraction methods for pesticide compound-specific isotope analysis from environmental samples.

Compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) is a powerful approach to evaluate the transformation of organic pollutants in the environment. However, the application of CSIA to micropollutants, such as pesticides, remains limited because appropriate extraction methods are currently lacking. Such methods should address a wide range of pesticides and environmental matrices, while recovering sufficient mass for reliable CSIA without inducing stable isotope fractionation.

Transformation and stable isotope fractionation of the urban biocide terbutryn during biodegradation, photodegradation and abiotic hydrolysis.

Terbutryn is a widely used biocide in construction materials like paint and render to prevent the growth of microorganisms, algae and fungi. Terbutryn is released from the facades into the environment during rainfall, contaminating surface waters, soil and groundwater. Knowledge of terbutryn dissipation from the facades to aquatic ecosystems is scarce.

No interface energy barrier and increased surface pinning in low temperature baked niobium.

Superconducting Radio-Frequency cavities are currently made out of niobium. Niobium cavities are limited by the magnetic field on the cavity walls due to the entry of vortices at the field of first vortex penetration, H[Formula: see text]. Low temperature baking in vacuum or low pressure gas atmosphere removes the strong decrease of the quality factor with accelerating gradient (high field Q-slope).

Selection of patients with rectal cancer for neoadjuvant therapy using pre-therapeutic MRI - Results from OCUM trial.

Purpose: No consensus is available on the appropriate criteria for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy selection of patients with rectal cancer. The purpose was to evaluate the accuracy of MRI staging and determine the risk of over- and undertreatment by comparing MRI findings and histopathology.

Method: In 609 patients of a multicenter study clinical T- and N categories, clinical stage and minimal distance between the tumor and mesorectal fascia (mrMRF) were determined using MRI and compared with the histopathological categories in resected specimen.

Avoidance of Overtreatment of Rectal Cancer by Selective Chemoradiotherapy: Results of the Optimized Surgery and MRI-Based Multimodal Therapy Trial.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in patients with rectal cancer carries a high risk of adverse effects. The aim of this study was to examine the selective application of nCRT based on patient risk profile, as determined by MRI, to find the optimal range between undertreatment and overtreatment.

Study Design: In this prospective multicenter observational study, nCRT before total mesorectal excision (TME) was indicated in high-risk patients with involved or threatened mesorectal fascia (≤1 mm), or cT4 or cT3 carcinomas of the lower rectal third.

Local excision followed by early radical surgery in rectal cancer: long-term outcome.

Background: In rectal cancers, radical surgery should follow local excisions, in cases of unexpected, unfavorable tumor characteristics. The oncological results of this completion surgery are inconsistent. This retrospective cohort study assessed the clinical and long-term oncological outcomes of patients that underwent completion surgery to clarify whether a local excision compromised the results of radical surgery.

MRI-Based Use of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy in Rectal Carcinoma: Surgical Quality and Histopathological Outcome of the OCUM Trial.

Background: Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows highly reliable imaging of the mesorectal fascia (mrMRF) and its relationship to the tumor. The prospective multicenter observational study OCUM uses these findings to indicate neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) in rectal carcinoma.

Methods: nCRT was indicated in patients with positive mrMRF (≤ 1 mm) in cT4 and cT3 carcinomas of the lower rectal third.

The Link Between Local Recurrence and Distant Metastases in Patients With Rectal Cancer.

Background/aim: The relationships between local recurrence (LR), the development of distant metastases (DM) and prognosis in patients with rectal cancer remain unclear.

Patients And Methods: In 606 patients who underwent curative resection, the role of LR was assessed retrospectively by time-dependent multivariate Cox models with inverse probability of treatment weighting taking into account competing risks.

Results: Patients with LR had more DM than patients without LR (49/79, 62% vs.

Oncological outcome after MRI-based selection for neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy in the OCUM Rectal Cancer Trial.

Background: It is not clear whether all patients with rectal cancer need chemoradiotherapy. A restrictive use of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT) based on MRI findings for rectal cancer was investigated in this study.

Methods: This prospective multicentre observational study included patients with stage cT2-4 rectal cancer, with any cN and cM0 status.

Long-term results of transanal endoscopic microsurgery after endoscopic polypectomy of malignant rectal adenoma.

Background: There is no consensus on the treatment and prognosis of malignant rectal polyps. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) after endoscopic complete polypectomy of malignant rectal adenomas with long-term follow-up.

Methods: Of 105 patients with pT1 rectal carcinoma in 32 patients TEM followed complete endoscopic polypectomy while 73 had primary TEM.

Analysis of local recurrences after transanal endoscopic microsurgery for low risk rectal carcinoma.

Aim: Rates of local recurrence (LR) after transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) for rectal carcinoma vary; the reasons remain unclear. We analyzed LR after TEM for low-risk pT1 (G1/2/X, L0/X) rectal carcinoma to investigate the influence of completeness of resection and occult lymph node metastasis on risk of LR.

Method: LR location and stage, completeness of resection of primary carcinoma (minimal distance between tumor and resection line ≤1 mm vs >1 mm), and incidence of involved lymph nodes in resected LR specimens were collected, and tumor characteristics of LR were compared with primary carcinoma.

Influence of Local Recurrence and Distant Metastasis on Prognosis After Local Excision of Rectal Carcinoma.

Background: Influence of local recurrence (LR) on prognosis after a local excision (LE) for rectal cancer is unclear.

Patients And Methods: A total of 152 patients were retrospectively assigned to one of three groups: Groups 1 and 2: complete and incomplete resection respectively, for low-risk carcinoma; group 3: high-risk carcinoma. We evaluated LR, distant metastasis (DM), overall survival, and cancer-specific survival (CSS).

Long-term Oncologic Outcome After Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery for Rectal Carcinoma.

Background: Transanal endoscopic microsurgery is superior to other methods of local excision of rectal cancer, but few studies report long-term follow-up data.

Objective: This study investigated the use of transanal endoscopic microsurgery alone as curative and compromise therapy based on long-term disease recurrence and mortality.

Design: This was a retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Use of Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Select Patients with Rectal Cancer for Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation--Interim Analysis of the German OCUM Trial (NCT01325649).

Introduction: Introduction of total mesorectal excision (TME) surgery for rectal cancer decreased local recurrence dramatically. Additional neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCR) is frequently given in UICC II and III tumors based on TNM staging which is of limited accuracy. We aimed to evaluate determination of circumferential margin by magnetic resonance imaging (mrCRM) as an alternative criterium for nCR.

[Spincter preservation after selective chemoradiotherapy of rectal cancer. Interim results of the OCUM study].

Background: In a prospective multicenter observational study (OCUM) neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nRCT) was selectively administered depending on the risk of local recurrence and based on the distance between tumor and mesorectal fascia in pretherapeutic high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Objective: Frequency and quality of abdominoperineal excision (APE) and sphincter preserving operations.

Patients And Methods: Of 642 patients treated in 13 hospitals 389 received surgery alone and 253 nRCT followed by surgery.

[Lymph node dissection after primary surgery and neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy of rectal cancer. Interim analysis of a multicenter prospective observational study (OCUM)].

Introduction: The OCUM trial (NCT01325649) aims to clarify whether low rates of local recurrence are also achieved when the indications for neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy are not based on the clinical TNM staging but on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging with measurement of the tumor distance to the circumferential resection margin. In this interim analysis the lymph node status in OCUM patients was investigated as a surrogate parameter for quality of surgery and histopathological work-up.

Material And Methods: Until now a total of 560 patients have been included in this study.

The prognostic value of lymph node ratio and updated TNM classification in rectal cancer patients with adequate versus inadequate lymph node dissection.

Background: The aim of this study was to clarify whether the lymph node ratio (LNR) is superior to the updated TNM classification regarding the prognosis of stage III rectal cancer patients who have not undergone neoadjuvant therapy. The TNM system is based on the absolute number of lymph nodes involved, and the LNR takes into account involved and examined nodes.

Methods: In 237 patients with stage III rectal cancer, we evaluated prognostic factors for 5-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and risk of distant metastases (DM) using the Kaplan-Meier method, with patients divided based on adequate versus inadequate lymph node dissection (≥12 vs.

Rectal cancer: dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI correlates with lymph node status and epidermal growth factor receptor expression.

Purpose: To evaluate correlations between dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and clinicopathologic data as well as immunostaining of the markers of angiogenesis epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and CXC-motif chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) in patients with rectal cancer.

Materials And Methods: Presurgical DCE-MRI was performed in 41 patients according to a standardized protocol. Two quantitative parameters (k21 , A) were derived from a pharmacokinetic two-compartment model, and one semiquantitative parameter (TTP) was assessed.