A thorough analysis of the occurrence, removal and environmental risks of organic micropollutants in a full-scale hybrid membrane bioreactor fed by hospital wastewater.

The Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive recent draft issued last October 2022 pays attention to contaminants of emerging concern including organic micropollutants (OMPs) and requires the removal of some of them at large urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) calling for their upgrading. Many investigations to date have reported the occurrence of a vast group of OMPs in the influent and many technologies have been tested for their removal at a lab- or pilot-scale. Moreover, it is well-known that hospital wastewater (HWW) contains specific OMPs at high concentration and therefore its management and treatment deserves attention.

High cell-free DNA is associated with disease progression, inflammasome activation and elevated levels of inflammasome-related cytokine IL-18 in patients with myelofibrosis.

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorder classified among chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, characterized by exacerbated myeloid and megakaryocytic proliferation and bone marrow fibrosis. It is induced by driver (//) and high molecular risk mutations coupled to a sustained inflammatory state that contributes to disease pathogenesis. Patient outcome is determined by stratification into risk groups and refinement of current prognostic systems may help individualize treatment decisions.

Global Surgeon Opinion on the Impact of Surgical Access When Using Endocutters Across Specialties.

Despite design enhancements in endocutters, key challenges related to limited surgical access and space can impact stapling and, potentially, surgical outcomes. This study aimed to develop consensus statements outlining the clinical value of precise articulation and greater anatomical access in minimally invasive surgery performed by bariatric, colorectal, and thoracic surgeons. Colorectal, bariatric, and thoracic surgeons from Japan, the United States, United Kingdom, and France participated in a 2-round modified Delphi panel.

Study of the Influence of the Wastewater Matrix in the Adsorption of Three Pharmaceuticals by Powdered Activated Carbon.

The use of powdered activated carbon (PAC) as an absorbent has become a promising option to upgrade wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) that were not designed to remove pharmaceuticals. However, PAC adsorption mechanisms are not yet fully understood, especially with regard to the nature of the wastewater. In this study, we tested the adsorption of three pharmaceuticals, namely diclofenac, sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim, onto PAC under four different water matrices: ultra-pure water, humic acid solution, effluent and mixed liquor from a real WWTP.

High-Quality /O-Terminated Diamond Interface: Band-Gap, Band-Offset and Interfacial Chemistry.

Silicon oxide atomic layer deposition synthesis development over the last few years has open the route to its use as a dielectric within diamond electronics. Its great band-gap makes it a promising material for the fabrication of diamond-metal-oxide field effects transistor gates. Having a sufficiently high barrier both for holes and electrons is mandatory to work in accumulation and inversion regimes without leakage currents, and no other oxide can fulfil this requisite due to the wide diamond band-gap.

Removal of micropollutants using a membrane bioreactor coupled with powdered activated carbon - A statistical analysis approach.

The occurrence of micropollutants in wastewater is largely documented as well as the environmental risk posed by their residues in the aquatic environment. Many investigations have been carried out and plan to study and improve their removal efficiency in existing wastewater treatment plants. At the same time, efforts are being made to develop new technologies or upgrade existing ones to increase the removal of a selection of micropollutants.

Activated carbon coupled with advanced biological wastewater treatment: A review of the enhancement in micropollutant removal.

This study consists of a review on the removal efficiencies of a wide spectrum of micropollutants (MPs) in biological treatment (mainly membrane bioreactor) coupled with activated carbon (AC) (AC added in the bioreactor or followed by an AC unit, acting as a post treatment). It focuses on how the presence of AC may promote the removal of MPs and the effects of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in wastewater. Removal data collected of MPs are analysed versus AC dose if powdered AC is added in the bioreactor, and as a function of the empty bed contact time in the case of a granular activated carbon (GAC) column acting as a post treatment.

Improved Field Electron Emission Properties of Phosphorus and Nitrogen Co-Doped Nanocrystalline Diamond Films.

Nanocrystalline diamond (NCD) field emitters have attracted significant interest for vacuum microelectronics applications. This work presents an approach to enhance the field electron emission (FEE) properties of NCD films by co-doping phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) using microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. While the methane (CH) and P concentrations are kept constant, the N concentration is varied from 0.

Responses of resident (DNA) and active (RNA) microbial communities in fluvial biofilms under different polluted scenarios.

Pollution from human activities is a major threat to the ecological integrity of fluvial ecosystems. Microbial communities are the most abundant organisms in biofilms, and are key indicators of various pollutants. We investigated the effects some human stressors (nutrients and heavy metals) have on the structure and activity of microbial communities in seven sampling sites located in the Ter River basin (NE Spain).

Positive cancer care in Peru: Patient and provider perspectives.

Peruvian women experience high mortality from reproductive cancers, partially due to suboptimal cancer care utilization and experiences. In this qualitative study, we examined factors contributing to positive cancer care experiences. Our sample included 11 cancer patients and 27 cancer providers who attended the First International Cancer Symposium survivorship conference in Lima, Peru in 2015.

Control of the Alumina Microstructure to Reduce Gate Leaks in Diamond MOSFETs.

In contrast to Si technology, amorphous alumina cannot act as a barrier for a carrier at diamond MOSFET gates due to their comparable bandgap. Indeed, gate leaks are generally observed in diamond/alumina gates. A control of the alumina crystallinity and its lattice matching to diamond is here demonstrated to avoid such leaks.

Fullerenes Influence the Toxicity of Organic Micro-Contaminants to River Biofilms.

Organic micro-contaminants (OMCs) enter in freshwaters and interact with other contaminants such as carbon nanoparticles, becoming a problem of unknown consequences for river ecosystems. Carbon nanoparticles (as fullerenes C) are good adsorbents of organic contaminants and their interaction can potentially affect their toxicity to river biofilms. We tested the C interactions with selected OMCs and their effects on river biofilms in different short-term experiments.

Frequency of EBV LMP-1 Promoter and Coding Variations in Burkitt Lymphoma Samples in Africa and South America and Peripheral Blood in Uganda.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is linked to several cancers, including endemic Burkitt lymphoma (eBL), but causal variants are unknown. We recently reported novel sequence variants in the LMP-1 gene and promoter in EBV genomes sequenced from 13 of 14 BL biopsies. Alignments of the novel sequence variants for 114 published EBV genomes, including 27 from BL cases, revealed four LMP-1 variant patterns, designated A to D.

Proton radiation effect on InAs avalanche photodiodes.

Unlabelled: With increasing interest over the past decade in space-related remote sensing and communications using near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths, there is a need for radiation studies on NIR avalanche photodiodes (APDs), due to the high radiation environment in space. In this work, we present an experimental study of proton radiation effects on performance parameters of InAs APDs, whose sensitivity extends from visible light to ~3.5 μm.

"The disease is mine, the body is mine, I decide": Individual, interpersonal, and institutional barriers and facilitators among survivors of women's cancers in Andean countries.

Recent national cancer plans address high cancer mortality in Latin America, particularly in Andean countries. Little is known about which individual, interpersonal, and institutional facilitators and barriers persist, particularly from the perspective of cancer survivors. We conducted 15 semi-structured interviews with survivors of breast and cervical cancers during and after a Pan American Health Organization sponsored conference on women's cancers in Lima, Peru.

[Guidelines for molecular monitoring of BCR-ABL1 in chronic myeloid leukemia patients by RT-qPCR].

Current clinical guidelines for managing chronic myeloid leukemia include molecular monitoring of BCR-ABL1 transcript quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. Despite the proven prognostic significance of molecular response, it is not widely appreciated that quantitative reverse-transcription PCR potentially produces highly variable data, which may affect the validity of results, making comparability between different laboratories difficult. Therefore, standardized reporting of BCR-ABL1 measurements is needed for optimal clinical management.

Epstein-Barr virus from Burkitt Lymphoma biopsies from Africa and South America share novel LMP-1 promoter and gene variations.

Epstein Barr virus (EBV) sequence variation is thought to contribute to Burkitt lymphoma (BL), but lack of data from primary BL tumors hampers efforts to test this hypothesis. We directly sequenced EBV from 12 BL biopsies from Ghana, Brazil, and Argentina, aligned the obtained reads to the wild-type (WT) EBV reference sequence, and compared them with 100 published EBV genomes from normal and diseased people from around the world. The 12 BL EBVs were Type 1.

Long-term follow-up of essential thrombocythemia patients treated with anagrelide: subgroup analysis according to JAK2/CALR/MPL mutational status.

Background: Anagrelide represents a treatment option for essential thrombocythemia, although its place in therapy remains controversial.

Aim: To assess the impact of mutational status in response rates and development of adverse events during long-term use of anagrelide.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 67 patients with essential thrombocythemia treated with anagrelide during 68 (4-176) months.

Optical coherence tomography-based scanning system for shape determination, wall thickness mapping, and inner inspection of glass containers.

In this work we present a method that enables simultaneous measurement of shape and wall parameters of glass containers. The system is based on the optical coherence tomography technique, employing the spectral domain configuration. The data were obtained by measuring the spatial coordinates of a sequence of points in a predefined region of a sample that includes points on the surface and in the interior of the material.

Epstein-Barr virus BZLF1 gene promoter variants in pediatric patients with acute infectious mononucleosis: its comparison with pediatric lymphomas.

Epstein-Barr virus genotypes can be distinguished by polymorphic variations in the genes encoding EBNA2, 3A, 3B, and 3C. The immediate early gene BZLF1 plays a key role in modulating the switch from latency to lytic replication and therefore enabling viral propagation. The aim of this study was to investigate and compare BZLF1 promoter sequence (Zp) variation in pediatric infectious mononucleosis (IM) and in pediatric EBV positive lymphoma biopsies.

The CT-element of the c-myc gene does not predispose to chromosomal breakpoints in Burkitt's lymphoma.

Background: Chromosomal translocations are causally related to the development of many tumors. In Burkitt's lymphoma, abnormalities involving the c-myc gene are essential. The CT-element of the c-myc promoter adopts non-B-conformation in vivo and in vitro, and therefore provides a potential fragile site.

High level expression of N-acetylgluosamine-6-O-sulfotransferase is characteristic of a subgroup of paediatric precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Microarray analysis is a powerful technology, but its impact on routine diagnosis for the near future maybe in revealing individual genes, which are useful diagnostic markers. Recently microarray analysis has identified a novel subgroup of childhood precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) from a unique gene expression profile of over 30 genes. We have evaluated the four most highly expressed genes from this profile, by quantitative real time RT-PCR, to determine whether any of these genes by itself could be useful as a diagnostic indicator.

Childhood and adult ALL: differences in epigenetic lesions associated with cell cycle genes.

The impact of silencing tumor suppressor genes involved in cell proliferation in adult and pediatric ALL is still unknown. We analyzed methylation of the master regulators (p73, p53, Rb), CDKIs (p27, p57), and the INK4 locus (p15) in childhood ALLs and describe a relatively low frequency. Comparisons with adult ALL showed that p57 clearly differed in children (7% methylation) and adults (50% methylation).