Cooperschmidt4759

Aiming the simultaneous determination of widely used organic plastic additives in complex marine matrices, this work proposes a fast and "green" analytical protocol based on quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) technology. The validation of this innovative method on real matrices (i.e., sediments, mussel, fish, and Posidonia oceanica) indicated a general good performance in all of them for phthalate esters (PAEs), with low blank levels and average method recoveries varying from 54 ± 11 to 71 ± 12%. The best method performance for organophosphate ester (OPE) flame retardants and plasticizers was in biotic matrices (recoveries 52 ± 31 to 86 ± 38%). This application represents an innovative QuEChERS sequence of two dispersive solid-phase extraction (SPE) steps enabling this approach for the determination of important families of organic plastic additives in the marine environment. Indeed, our method allowed the fast screening and simultaneous determination of OPE and PAEs in various sites and matrices subject to different anthropogenic pressure in coastal NW Mediterranean Sea for the first time. ∑7PAE and ∑9OPE concentrations of 19-83 and 27-116 ng g-1 dw (fish), of 80-714 and 42-71 ng g-1 dw (mussels), of 192-908 and 47-151 ng g-1 dw (Posidonia oceanica), and of 11-328 and 4-10 ng g-1 dw (sediment) were measured, respectively. Our approach was sensible enough as to detect differences in the (bio)accumulation patterns of the target compounds in various species and/or sites. This application opens new perspectives for environmentally friendly marine environment monitoring and screening campaigns for organic plastic additives. Graphical abstract.This paper investigates the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and output growth among African OPEC countries (Libya, Nigeria, Angola, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon) using the panel autoregressive distributed lag model (PARDL) estimated by means of mean group (MG) and pooled mean group (PMG) for the period 1970-2016. The paper estimated three panel models comprising the components of greenhouse gasses which includes nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane and examined their relationship with economic growth and energy consumption. The findings of the study showed evidence of a positive impact of economic growth on both CO2 and methane emissions in the long run. Its impact on nitrous oxide emissions although positive was found to be statistically insignificant. Energy consumption was also found to produce an insignificant positive impact on CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions in the long run. In the short run, economic growth exerts a significant positive effect on methane emissions; however, its effect on CO2 and nitrous oxide emissions although positive was found to be statistically insignificant. Energy consumption produces an insignificant impact on all components of greenhouse gasses in the short run. In addition, our empirical results showed the presence of a non-linear relationship between methane emissions and economic growth, confirming the existence of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) only in the case of methane emissions model.In this study, the adsorption of roxarsone (ROX) onto corncob-derived activated carbon (AC) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Following this, the AC was comprehensively characterized by FT-IR, SEM, and EDS analysis. The results showed that the highest ROX adsorption efficiency of 304.34 mg/g was obtained at the contact time of 262 min, initial pH of 2.5, adsorbent dosage of 0.4 g/L, and initial concentration of 240 mg/L. Besides, it was found that the adsorption equilibrium data was fitted well to the Langmuir and Sips isotherm models. The thermodynamic parameters (e.g., ΔG, ΔH, and ΔS) revealed the spontaneous and exothermic nature of ROX adsorption. EN4 supplier As indicated by pseudo second-order kinetics model, the adsorption of ROX onto AC could be achieved through the hydrogen bond, π-π adsorbate-adsorbent interaction, and electrostatic interaction between AC surface functional group and molecular species variations of ROX at different pH values. Overall, it can be concluded that corncob-derived AC is an alternative option for removing ROX from aqueous solution.Early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) are important for improving patients' survival. Metadherin is an oncogene that plays a pivotal role in carcinogenesis and can be suggested as a cancer biomarker. This study aimed to elucidate the efficacy of serum Metadherin mRNA expression as a potential non-invasive biomarker for early diagnosis of CRC in relation to other screening markers as carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA19.9) and Fecal occult blood (FOB) and also to assess its relationship with the tumor stage and survival rate. A convenience series of 86 CRC cases (group I) were recruited with 78 subjects as controls (group II). Serum Metadherin mRNA expression level was determined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Serum Metadherin mRNA expression level was significantly elevated in CRC cases when compared with controls (P  less then  0.001). For CRC diagnosis; Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed that the diagnostic accuracy of serum Metadherin mRNA (AUC = 0.976) was significantly higher than other routine CRC screening markers as CEA, CA19.9 and FOB. The combined accuracy of these markers (AUC = 0.741) was increased when used with serum Metadherin mRNA (AUC = 0.820). High serum Metadherin mRNA expression was associated with poorly differentiated histological grade, advanced tumor stage and lower survival rate. AUC of Metadherin was 0.820 for differentiating advanced versus early tumor stages. Serum Metadherin mRNA expression is a useful non-invasive biomarker for CRC. It can be used for screening and early diagnosis of CRC and can increase the efficacy of other routine CRC screening markers when it is estimated in CRC patients with them. It is also associated with advanced tumor stage and a lower survival rate.One of the most lethal malignancies worldwide is colorectal cancer (CRC). Alterations in various signalling pathways, including PI3K-mTOR and NF-κB, have been reported in CRC with subsequent dysregulation of proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and, questionably, autophagy processes. BEZ-235 (dactolisib) is a dual PI3K-mTOR inhibitor with potent anti-tumour activity. However, the observed toxicity of BEZ-235 necessitated the termination of its clinical trials. Hence, we aimed to evaluate the potential long-lasting anti-carcinogenic effects of adding diosmin (DIO, a natural NF-κB inhibitor) to BEZ-235 in HCT-116 CRC cells. The median inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) of BEZ-235 and/or DIO were evaluated in the HCT-116 CRC cell line. Caspase-3 activity was assessed colorimetrically, and p-Akt, NF-κB, CD1, VEGF and LC3B levels were assessed by ELISA. Additionally, LC3-II and P62 gene expression were assessed using qRT-PCR. The observed CIs (combination indices) and DRIs (dose reduction indices) confirmed the synergistic effect of DIO and BEZ-235. Co-administration of both drugs either in combination-1 (1 μM for BEZ-235, 250 μM for DIO) or in combination-2 (0.51 μM for BEZ-235 + 101.99 μM for DIO) inhibited the PI3K/Akt/mTOR/NF-κB axis, leading to the induction of apoptosis (via active caspase-3), and the inhibition of proliferation marker (CD1), angiogenesis marker (VEGF), autophagy protein (LC3B) and altered effects on LC3-IIandP62 gene expression. Our results reveal the synergistic chemotherapeutic effects of DIO combined with BEZ-235 in the HCT-116 CRC cell line and encourage future preclinical and clinical studies of this combination with reduced BEZ-235 concentrations to avoid its reported toxicity.PURPOSE The aim of this study was to systematically analyze the clinical characteristics of a large cohort of parasagittal meningioma (PM) and to evaluate the patients' outcomes and best treatment strategies based on tumor features. METHODS To minimize selection bias we performed a single-institutional review of PM with restricted criteria. One hundred and ninety-two consecutive patients who met criteria for inclusion were reviewed from 2003 to 2011 in our general hospital. RESULTS A total of 131 cases (68.2%) were with WHO grade I, while grade II and grade III PMs constituted 40 (20.8%) and 21 cases (10.9%). Higher histological grade was associated with loss of trimethylation of H3K27 (P = 0.000). For WHO grade I PMs, GTR was significantly associated with a better PFS (P = 0.023); however, adjuvant radiotherapy did not benefit patients with STR (P = 0.215). For de novo high-grade (WHO grade II and III) PMs (n = 37), adjuvant radiotherapy was associated with a significantly longer OS (P = 0.013), while no difference was observed between GTR and STR (P = 0.654). In recurrent high-grade PM patients (n = 24), GTR combined with adjuvant radiotherapy increased PFS (P = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that PMs were a heterogeneous group of tumors with a high proportion of high-grade tumors that often displayed aggressive clinical behaviors. Low-grade PM benefited from radical resection, whereas high-grade de novo PM did not. Adjuvant radiotherapy significantly prolonged OS for high-grade primary PM, but did not impact survival of patients with subtotally resected low-grade tumors. Long-term outcome of high-grade recurrent PMs was dismal. We thus show that extent of tumor resection, tumor grade and tumor recurrent status inform therapeutic decisions for PMs.INTRODUCTION Childhood, adolescent and young adult (CAYA) cancer survivors treated with cranial radiotherapy are at risk for developing subsequent meningiomas. There is insufficient evidence concerning the benefits and harms of screening for subsequent meningiomas, and uncertainty about the most appropriate clinical management of asymptomatic meningiomas. Data describing current clinical decision-making is essential to formulate surveillance recommendations. METHODS We created an online survey to identify the current international clinical practice regarding screening for and management of subsequent asymptomatic meningiomas among CAYA cancer survivors. Fifty-nine physicians from North America and Europe with expertise relevant to meningiomas were invited to participate. RESULTS Thirty-four physicians (58%) completed the survey. The reported number of CAYA cancer survivors that physicians are willing to screen to detect one meningioma varied widely from 0 to 750 (median 50). Physicians expressed concerns regarding harms from MRI screening, including risks of unnecessary interventions (n = 25, 73%) and overdiagnosis (n = 19, 56%). Growth pattern (n = 33, 97%), location (n = 31, 91%) and size (n = 29, 85%) were endorsed as the most important factors influencing the decision to treat asymptomatic meningiomas. A challenging location (n = 14, 52%), indolent tumor growth pattern (n = 13, 48%), and absence of symptoms (n = 12, 44%) were endorsed as the main reasons to monitor without intervention. CONCLUSIONS There is international variation in opinions and clinical practice regarding screening for subsequent asymptomatic meningiomas among at risk CAYA cancer survivors. Decision-making regarding interventions of asymptomatic meningiomas are largely driven by clinical characteristics. These valuable insights into current clinical practice will inform surveillance guidelines for CAYA cancer survivors.