Longer Treatment Times Research Articles

Efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background:Cancer-related fatigue, a common symptom of cancer patients caused by the interaction of multiple factors, runs through the whole process of tumorigenesis, development, treatment, and prognosis. The main clinical manifestations are weakness, tiredness, exhaustion, fatigue, or slow movement, heavy limbs, low mood or irritability, sleep disturbance or lethargy, lack of attention, etc. CRF is different from the fatigue after daily body fatigue. It has no obvious relief or relief after rest or sleep, and exists for a long time in the relevant treatment and rehabilitation process. It seriously affects the physiological, psychological and social functions of patients, and reduces the quality of life of patients. Moxibustion therapy has shown strong advantages in the treatment of CRF, and the curative effect is accurate. Therefore, this paper will carry out a systematic evaluation and meta analysis of the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of CRF.Methods:we will searching 8 electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database, Wanfang Database, and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database. We will search above electronic databases from the beginning to January 2021, without any language restriction. Clinical efficacy, including total effective rate or cure rate, clinical symptom integral, and recurrence rate will be accepted as the primary outcomes. The fatigue scale score, quality of life improvement rate will be used as secondary outcomes. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for statistical analysis. The result about the curative effect and safety of moxibustion for cancer-related fatigue will be presented as risk ratio for dichotomous data and mean differences with a 95% confidence interval for continuous data.Results:When this research program is completed, the relevant results can be obtained.Conclusions:The results of this study will provide reliable evidence for the efficacy and safety of moxibustion in the treatment of cancer-related fatigue.Ethics and dissemination:This article does not need to pass the ethics committee review, because this article does not involve the ethics question, only collates the related literature research.INPLASY Registration number:INPLASY202110072.

Extraction of Nanofibrillated Cellulose from Water Hyacinth Using a High Speed Homogenizer

ABSTRACT Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crasspies) was used as a renewable cellulose source to prepare nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC). Due to the porous structure and low lignin content of water hyacinth, a 10 min-treatment time using the high-speed homogenization was sufficient to disintegrate nanofibers. The average width of the NFC treated for 40 min was 16.8 nm. With longer treatment times, a slight decrease in thermal stability of NFC was found while no changes in the crystallinity index of NFC were detected. Moreover, paper was formed from NFC with respect to mechanical treatment times. Results showed NFC treated with longer treatment times could prepare the paper with lower pore sizes between adjacent fibrils and porosity, resulting in higher wettability and mechanical properties. The contact angle of the 40 min-treated NFC paper was 36.0° while this contact angle result could not be measured from the samples of 0 min-treated NFC due to occurrence of large pores between fibers. The tensile strength of the NFC paper with 40 min-treatment time was ~18 times stronger than that of the 0 min-treated NFC paper. Mechanical energy consumption of the high-speed homogenization used to disintegrate NFC was also compared to that of the industrial defibrillation techniques.

Effect of Active Screen Plasma Nitriding on Mechanical Properties of Spheroidal Graphite Cast Iron

Spheroidal graphite cast iron is a material with a wide range of uses such as in automobile parts. By applying active screen plasma nitriding (ASPN) treatment, the use of spheroidal graphite cast iron is expanded, and it can be expected to be used under special load conditions. In this study, we evaluated the effect of ASPN treatment on the mechanical properties of spheroidal graphite cast iron. With ASPN treatment, a nitride layer was formed on the sample surface and a diffusion layer was formed further inside the nitride layer. The thickness of nitride layer increased as the treatment temperature increased. The hardness was improved by ASPN treatment. The abrasion resistance was improved by ASPN treatment, and longer treatment time resulted in higher abrasion resistance. The fatigue strength was improved by ASPN treatment, and longer treatment time resulted in higher fatigue strength. ASPN treatment also improved the corrosion resistance.

Characterization of Calcium Hydroxide-treated Zalacca Fibers for Improving Properties as Reinforcement for Composites

Chemical treatment is done to enhance characteristics of plant fibers and its interfacial compatibility with polymer matrix. Calcium hydroxide is an environmental-friendly alternative. This research aims to explore the influence of calcium hydroxide treatment on chemical, physical, thermal, morphological, and mechanical characteristics of zalacca fibers as reinforcements for composites. The time of treatment were varied for 24, 48, and 72 h. Fiber content analysis, XRD, FTIR, TGA-DTA, SEM, density, and single fiber tensile testing were performed. The percentage of cellulose was decreased meanwhile hemicellulose and lignin were increased. There was a decrease in crystallinity and crystallinity index after Ca(OH)2 treatment. The treatment induced some chemical groups correlated to the slight increase of lignin and hemicellulose percentage. There was an improvement of thermal stability of the fiber up to 200°C. The observation using SEM revealed that there were cleaning and roughing effect on fiber surface. There was no significant change in fiber density due to the treatment. However, the tensile strength and elastic modulus were improved after Ca(OH)2 treatment but the decline happened in a longer time of treatment. Accordingly, Ca(OH)2 treatment up to 24 h is appropriate in enhancing the properties of zalacca fibers as composite reinforcements.

Plasma-Catalytic Fischer–Tropsch Synthesis at Very High Pressure

This study explored Fischer–Tropsch synthesis (FTS) by combining a non-thermal plasma (NTP), generated by an arc discharge reactor at pressures >> 1 MPa, coupled with a mullite-coated 2 wt%-Co/5 wt%-Al2O3 catalyst. The FTS product yields and electrical energy consumption for the pure plasma (no catalyst) and plasma-catalytic FTS processes were compared under the scope of various reactor operating parameters, namely, pressure (0.5 to 10 MPa), current (250 to 450 mA) and inter-electrode gap (0.5 to 2 mm). The major products, obtained in low concentrations for both processes, were gaseous C1–C3 hydrocarbons, synthesised in the order: methane >> ethane > ethylene > propane. The hydrocarbon product yields were observed to increase, while the specific required energy generally decreased with increasing pressure, decreasing current and increasing inter-electrode gap. Plasma-catalysis improved the FTS performance, with the optimum conditions as: (i) 10 MPa at 10 s and 2 MPa at 60 s for the pressure variation study with the longer treatment time producing higher yields; (ii) 250 mA for the current variation study; (iii) 2 mm for the inter-electrode gap variation study. Plasma-catalysis at a gap of 2 mm yielded the highest concentrations of methane (15,202 ppm), ethane (352 ppm), ethylene (121 ppm) and propane (20 ppm), thereby indicating the inter-electrode gap as the most influential parameter.

Medical stretching devices are effective in the treatment of knee arthrofibrosis: A systematic review.

AimsThis systematic review examines the available evidence on the use of medical stretching devices to treat knee arthrofibrosis, it suggests a focus for future studies addressing limitations in current research and identifies gaps in the published literature to facilitate future works.Materials and methodsArticles were identified using the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, PubMed and SCOPUS databases. Articles from peer reviewed journals investigating the effectiveness of medical stretching devices to increase range of movement when treating arthrofibrosis of the knee were included.ResultsA total of 13 studies (558 participants) met the inclusion criteria with the devices falling into the following categories; CPM, load control or displacement control stretching devices. A statistically significant increase in range of movement was demonstrated in CPM, load-control and displacement-control studies (p ​< ​0.001). The results show that the stretch doses applied using the CPM, load-control devices were performed over a considerably longer treatment time and involved significantly more additional physiotherapy compared to the displacement-control and patient actuated serial stretching devices.ConclusionThe systematic review indicates that load-control and displacement-control devices are effective in increasing range of movement in the treatment of knee arthrofibrosis. Displacement-control devices involving patient actuated serial stretching techniques, may be more effective in increasing knee flexion than those utilising static progressive stretch.The paucity of research in this field indicates that more randomised controlled trials are required to investigate the superiority of the different types of displacement-control stretching devices and which of these would be most effective for use in clinical practice and to compare these with standard physiotherapy treatment.

Aerosols Generated during Endodontic Treatment: A Special Concern during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

IntroductionThe aims of this study were to investigate aerosolized microorganisms generated during endodontic emergencies and nonsurgical root canal therapy (NSRCT), to assess the spread of airborne microbes, and to verify the spatial distribution of airborne microbial spread. MethodsA total of 45 endodontic procedures were sampled, including full pulpotomy (n = 15), pulpectomy (n = 15), and NSRCT (n = 15). Samples were collected during room resting and after treatment. The passive air sampling technique using settle plates was applied. Agar plates were set at different locations in the operatory. The colony-forming unit (CFU) was counted in brain-heart infusion blood agar plates. A set of agar plates containing selective chromogenic culture media was used for the isolation and presumptive identification of target microorganisms. Fungi were investigated using Sabouraud dextrose agar. ResultsPulpotomy generated the lowest mean CFU count (P < .05). There was no difference between the mean CFU counts found in pulpectomy and NSRCT (P > .05). A higher mean CFU count was found close to the patient's mouth (0.5 m) than at a 2-m distance in pulpectomy and NSRCT (P < .05). There was no difference between the mean CFU count found in front of the patient's mouth versus diagonal in pulpectomy and NSRCT (P > .05). Staphylococcus aureus (22/45, 48.8%) was the most frequent bacteria species. Longer treatment times were associated with higher CFU counts. ConclusionsOur findings indicated that pulpotomy generates less aerosolized microorganisms than pulpectomy and NSRCT. The proximity to the patient's mouth and the treatment duration were implicated in the level of contamination.

Infection with HIV-1 subtype D adversely affects the live expectancy independently of antiretroviral drug use.

HIV-1 subtypes have been associated with less favourable clinical profiles, differences in disease progression and higher risk of neurocognitive deficit. In this study we aimed to analyse the long term survival disparities between patients infected with the most common HIV-1 variants observed in Poland. For the study data from 518 Caucasian non-immigrant patients of Polish origin infected with divergent HIV subtypes and variants [subtype A (n=35, 6.8%), subtype B (n=386, 74.5%), subtype C (n=13, 2.5%), subtype D (n=58, 11.19%) or other non-A,B,C,D (n=26, 5.01%)variants] were analysed. Subtyping was performed using the partial pol (reverse transcriptase and protease) sequencing. HIV variant was coupled with clinical, virologic and survival data censored at 20years of observation. Overall survival and on antiretroviral treatment survival was analysed using Kaplan-Meyer as well as unadjusted and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models. Significantly higher mortality was observed among subtype D (28.8%) infected subjects compared to subtype B (11.7%, p=0.0004). Increased risk of death among subtype D cases remained significant when cART treated individuals were analysed, with on-treatment mortality of 26.9% for subtype D (p=0.006) compared to 10.73% in subtype B infected cases. Kaplan-Meyer survival estimates differed significantly across all investigated HIV-1 variant groups when overall 20year mortality was analysed (log rank p=0.029), being non-significant for the cART treated group. In multivariate model of overall 20year survival, adjusted for age at diagnosis, gender, HCV and AIDS status, lymphocyte CD4 count, transmission route and HIV viral load, only age and subtype D were independently associated with higher likelihood of death [HR: 1.08 (95%CI: 1.03-1.14, p=0.002) and HR: 7.91 (95%CI:2.33-26.86), p<0.001, respectively]. In the on-treatment (cART) multivariate model of 20year survival adjusted for the same parameters only subtype D remained as the independent factor associated with higher mortality risk [HR: 4.24 (95%CI:1.31-13.7), p=0.02]. Subtype D has an independent deleterious effect of survival, even in the setting of antiretroviral treatment. Observed effect indicated higher clinical vigilance for patients infected with this subtype even after long time of stable antiretroviral treatment.

The Analgesic Effects of Static Magnetic Fields.

Pain is one of the most common reasons why people seek medical care, which is related to most disease states. Magnetic fields (MFs) can be applied locally to specific parts of human bodies with high penetration and temporal control, which have a long-debated history in folk therapy. The purpose of this review is to collect and analyze experimental data about the analgesic effects of static magnetic fields (SMFs) so that we can have a scientific understanding regarding this topic. We collected 28 studies (25 English and 3 Chinese papers) with proper sham controls that investigated the effects of SMFs on pain relief in humans or mice. We found that 64% of the human studies and all mice studies in the literature showed positive analgesic effects of SMFs, which are related to factors including SMF intensity, treatment time, and pain types. Higher intensity and/or longer treatment time, as well as some specific pain types, may have better pain relief effects. Initial mechanistic studies indicated that membrane receptors, such as capsaicin receptor VR1/TRPV1, opioid receptors, and P2X3 receptors, might be involved. By describing experimental evidence and analysis, we found that SMFs actually hold considerable promise for managing some specific types of pain if proper SMF parameters are used. More studies comprehensively evaluating the parameters of SMF and its corresponding analgesic effects on different pain types, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms, will be necessary to further validate its therapeutic potential in pain management in the future. Bioelectromagnetics. 00:00-00, 2021. © 2021 Bioelectromagnetics Society.

Investigation of the genotoxic effects of patent blue V (E131) in human peripheral lymphocytes and in silico molecular docking

Patent Blue V (PBV) is a water-soluble synthetic dyestuff that is used as a coloring agent in the food industry and for medical imaging in health monitoring. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro clastogenic, aneugenic and cytotoxic effects of PBV in human peripheral lymphocytes using micronucleus assay, comet assay, as well as plasmid DNA interaction and bacterial AMES tests. In addition to in vitro tests, the affinity of PBV against DNA was determined by molecular docking analysis in silico. PBV produced significant MN formation only at high doses and longer treatment time, however, it did not significantly affect the nuclear division index (NDI). Furthermore, PBV was unable to cause DNA single-strand breaks and significant oxidative damage on the pBR322 plasmid DNA and it didn’t reverse the harmful effects caused by the clastogenic treatment of UV + H2O2 on plasmid DNA. In the Ames test, no significant increase was detected in the number of revertant colonies of mutant strains, TA98 and TA100, following PBV treatment. No significant molecular interaction between B-DNA and PBV occured in molecular docking simulations. In conclusion, PBV had no significant genotoxic and cytotoxic effects in this study. However, considering that the information intensity related to the genotoxic effects of PBV in the literature is still insufficient, reports of further studies with different genotoxicity endpoints will be needed to elucidate the exact genotoxic feature.

Mortalidad en una cohorte de pacientes de Atención Primaria tratados con anticoagulantes antagonistas de la vitamina K

Introduction and objectivesThe use of anticoagulants to prevent embolic events in Spain is very high, tending to a progressive increase. For this reason, we intend to analyse the mortality of patients from a metropolitan area of Granada treated with vitamin K antagonist anticoagulants (VKA), over 2 non-consecutive years. Patients and methodsLongitudinal, observational, retrospective study of 205 patients treated with VKA. Sociodemographic data, previous clinical conditions, pathology causing VKA treatment, degree of control and mortality were collected 2 years after the start of the study. ResultsAverage age, 76±11.8 years (57.56% women). Two-year mortality was 22.4%, with a significant increase depending on age (p<.001) and years of treatment (p<.001). Patients with dementia (p<.05), with chronic kidney disease (p<.01) or with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (p<.01) also presented higher mortality. Multivariate analysis showed significant effect of chronic kidney disease (odds ratio=4.075), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (odds ratio=3.694), and years of treatment (odds ratio=1.236). ConclusionsAt 2 years of follow-up, 1 in 5 patients treated with VKA died. The presence of chronic kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and a longer treatment time were independently associated with this increase of mortality. Most of the patients were anticoagulated by atrial fibrillation, they were elderly and had a high prevalence of comorbidities.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy in Cyberknife® for partial breast irradiation: a review

AbstractIntroduction:Partial breast irradiation (PBI) can reduce the volume of treatment and number of treatment sessions in low-risk breast cancer patients. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) allows the administration of high doses per fraction thereby reducing the number of fractions and reducing the dose to the surrounding tissues. The objective of this study is to review the literature on the use of SBRT in PBI using the Cyberknife® (CK) unit.Material and methods:In this review, we analysed the literature in PubMed and MEDLINE with articles published in the last 10 years. All citations were evaluated for relevant content and validity.Results:We include articles in the English language with information about PBI, SBRT in PBI, the use of the CK unit in PBI and other applications of SBRT in breast carcinoma. A total of 68 articles were found and 28 articles were selected for inclusion in this review.Conclusions:The treatment of PBI using the CK unit has clear advantages in reducing the treatment volume, and therefore theoretically reducing side effects and good cosmetic results with adequate tumour control. However, the placement of fiducial markers is necessary, requiring an adequate learning curve for the placement of the markers and longer treatment times.

Clinical effectiveness of liraglutide on weight loss in South Koreans: First real-world retrospective data on Saxenda in Asia.

Among Asian countries, South Korea was the first to approve liraglutide as a treatment for obesity. Thus, the clinical effectiveness of liraglutide has not been studied in Asian populations.In this study, we retrospectively analyzed obese patients [body mass index (BMI) >27 kg/m2] who were treated with liraglutide between March 2018 and March 2019 in a single clinic. Weight, BMI, HbA1c, and clinical data were collected before liraglutide treatment. Changes in body weight and composition and their relationships with clinical variables were examined at re-prescription dates within 30, 60, 90, and 180 days.A total of 169 subjects were studied. The average age was 41.5 years, and 42% of the subjects were male. The average weight was 85.2 kg, and the average BMI was 30.8 kg/m2. Weight reduction was significant (-5.5 ± 3.4 kg, 30 days: -3.2 ± 1.8 kg, 60 days: -4.5 ± 2.3 kg, 90 days: -6.3 ± 2.6 kg, 180 days: -7.8 ± 3.5 kg) during the follow-up period and increased with longer treatment time (P < .001). The percentages of subjects that showed ≥ 5% and ≥ 10% body weight reduction were 62.1% and 17.2%, respectively. In the body composition analysis, skeletal muscle weight loss was -3.56 ± 29.7%, which was significantly smaller than fat weight loss of -11.06 ± 10.4% (P = .03). Weight loss was not significantly related to age, sex, baseline BMI, baseline HbA1c, smoking status, alcohol consumption, coffee intake.In conclusion, Liraglutide treatment led to meaningful weight loss in South Korean patients, and fat mass reduction was prominent during treatment. Furthermore, liraglutide showed greater clinical effectiveness with longer treatment time.

Comparative Study of Conventional and Zero-joint Edgebanding

Edgebanding affects both the visual appearance and edge protection of wood-based panels. In order for edgebanding to provide the desired protection, it must adhere strongly to the entire surface of the panel edges and maintain this adhesion throughout the life of the product. The present research compares conventional and so-called zero-joint edgebandings in terms of water and steam resistance, and examines the environmental impacts of edgebanding technologies using Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). In-line with our hypothesis, our test results showed that corners are the critical points of edgebanded furniture fronts, especially when exposed to moisture. Due to high variations in measurements, there is no significant difference between the two edgebanding methods at the beginning. However, differences become more significant after longer treatment times. These differences amount to two quality categories after 6 hours and three quality categories after 12 and 24 hours. The edgebanded fronts exposed to water for less than 30 minutes experience no significant deteriorations with any of the edgebanding methods. In the case of steam resistance, zero-joint edgebanding provides better protection, especially after the second and third treatment cycle. We can state that the surplus costs of zero-joint technology are 1.45 times greater than costs associated with conventional technology. Both show the considerable costs of edging materials, chipboard, and electrical energy. The applied environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) method corresponds to the requirements of ISO 14040:2006 and ISO 14044:2006 standards. We built up the environmental inventory and the life cycle model of the manufacturing technology using the GaBi Professional LCA software. In the impact assessment, we analysed the specific environmental impact categories of the differing production processes by technology according to the operation order of the manufacturing technology. In relation to traditional and the zero-joint edging technologies, according to all impact assessment methods, the life-cycle contribution rate was uniformly 47% traditional – 53% zero-joint by impact category. The higher indicator values of the zero-joint method are due to larger edge material consumption and higher energy demand. Zero-joint technology appears to avoid the application of conventional hot melt adhesives, but replacing these adhesives does not necessarily result in better environmental indicators. Nevertheless, zero-joint egdebanding does not just improve aesthetic appearance but also exceeds the durability provided by conventional edgebanding technology.

Tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus: sociodemographic and clinical profile in Brazilian municipalities.

To analyze the sociodemographic and clinical profile of tuberculosis cases with Diabetes Mellitus in Brazilian municipalities in the states of São Paulo, Paraná and Rio Grande do Norte. This is a cross-sectional study, whose population consisted of tuberculosis cases notified between 2010 and 2014. Data were collected from secondary sources. In the data analysis, descriptive analysis and multiple correspondence analysis techniques were used. The prevalence of diabetes among tuberculosis cases ranged from 4.5% to 13.4% in the municipalities. Evidence of an association was observed between tuberculosis/diabetes comorbidity and female population, age of 61 years or more, low schooling, negative HIV/AIDS, longer treatment time, self-administered treatment and cure. The study showed a greater cure outcome in the profile of people with tuberculosis/diabetes comorbidity, even among those on a self-administered regime, which could favor the development of specific guidelines for the management of tuberculosis in these people.

A Phase 1 Dose-Escalation Study of LH031, a Kinesin Spindle Protein Inhibitor, in Patients with Refractory/Resistance Multiple Myeloma

PURPOSE: Kinesin spindle protein is an attractive target for cancer treatment since it plays an important role in mitosis without directly affecting microtubules. LH031 is a highly selective inhibitor of kinesin spindle protein, which has demonstrated preclinical antimyeloma activity.. This phase 1 study was conducted to evaluated dose limiting toxicities (DLTs) and determined a maximum tolerated dose (MTD) for LH031 in Chinese patients with Refractory/Resistance Multiple Myeloma (RRMM).The pharmacokinetics (PK) and preliminary efficacy of LH031 were also evaluated. METHODS: A non-randomized, single-center, open-label, dose-escalation phase 1 trial was conducted to evaluate the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics and efficacy of single or multiple escalation dose (20 mg, 30 mg, 40 mg, 50 mg) of LH031 given as schedule of oral once a day. LH031 was administered on Day 1~5 of each week for 3 weeks (21 days) per cycle. A standard 3+3 dose escalation design was employed. An expansion cohort was conducted at the MTD. Pharmacokinetics was evaluated in plasma. A major efficacy evaluation was performed at the end of each treatment cycle. RESULTS: The study is still on going, at present there are 6 patients received LH031 and completion of all visits, divided equally into 20mg and 30mg cohort. Patients in each cohort had received a median of 6 prior therapies. DLTs reported in two patients dosed at 30mg. Both of the DLTs were neutropenia. The most commonly reported treatment-related AEs were hematological toxicity (e.g. neutropenia, lymphocytopenia, leukocytopenia) that were similar to other Eg5 inhibitors. The main severe adverse events (CTCAE grade 3 or 4) in the 20mg and 30 mg dose groups were leukocytopenia and neutropenia, and they were all reversible. Neurotoxicity related to LH031 was not observed. Efficacy data demonstrated that the best response was Stable Disease(SD) and Disease Control Rate (DCR, ≥SD[≥8 weeks]) was 50%. The longest treatment time was 177 days, even though PFS was determined according to the last tumor evaluation before the COVID period (D88). The PK data shows that T1/2 are approximately 20h in Chinese patients, which is longer than Caucasian (10h); Chinese AUC for 20mg is also higher than that of Caucasian (1996 h*ng/ml vs. 476 h*ng/ml) ; the exposure at 20mg dose group is close to that at 50 mg dose in Caucasian. These PK parameter indicates that the elimination of LH031 is slower in Chinese patients compared with Caucasian. CONCLUSIONS: The current phase 1 study showed that LH031 was an accepted safety profile at 20mg. DLTs was expected and reversible. MTD is to be determined by recruiting 3 more subjects at 20mg dose. It demonstrated that the elimination rate of LH031 in Chinese patients was slower than Caucasian. The monotherapy showed some benefit to RRMM, Phase 2 clinical trials are being planned to include various combination therapies with existing treatments (e.g. lenalidomide, dexamethasone, bortezomib) for MM to benefit more potential refractory/resistance MM patients. Disclosures Song: Link Health Group: Current Employment.

Characterization and analysis of activated carbons prepared from furfural residues by microwave-assisted pyrolysis and activation

Activated carbons (ACs) were prepared from furfural residues (FRs) by microwave-assisted pyrolysis and activation under CO2 atmosphere in this study. At microwave activation temperature of 800 °C and activation time of 20 min, KOH impregnated ACs (MKFRAC*) reached the maximum adsorption ability. While water-washed FRs (MWFRAC*) needed higher processing temperature and longer treatment time (850 °C/60 min) to attain its maximum adsorption capacity. Raman showed MKFRAC* had a high R-value, indicating the graphite structure's low crystallinity caused by the porous structure. The iodine adsorption value, Methylene Blue (MB) number, and yield of MKFRAC* were 1159.1 mg/g, 448.0 mg/g and 26.8% wt%, respectively. The mesopore volume of MKFRAC* was >48%, more than those of other ACs mainly due to the synergistic effect of chemical reagents, carbon structure and microwave irradiation. The investigation on the adsorption mechanism of MB on ACs revealed that MB adsorption capacities of MKFRAC were well described by the Langmuir model, showing a maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 562.9 mg/g, while MB adsorption kinetics of MKFRAC followed a pseudo-second-order model. The results showed microwave preparation of FR-based ACs was a feasible technique with potential industrial applications.

Patient Outcomes With Dose Escalation Using Modern Radiotherapy Techniques: A Retrospective Review of Anal Cancer Treated at a Large Academic Institution Between 2010 and 2016

Introduction: The use of modern radiotherapy techniques (MRTs) has contributed to reduced treatment-related toxicities through better avoidance of normal structures and dose tapering, and has enabled the delivery of higher doses continuously. The purpose of this study was to review retrospectively (1) outcomes for anal cancer treated at BC Cancer (Canada) using MRT, and (2) the utilization and effect of dose escalation on cancer-related outcomes.Methods: Patients between 2010 and 2016 with biopsy-proven anal cancer, aged >18 years, and treated with primary curative-intent chemoradiation using intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) were included. Primary end points included overall survival (OS), relapse-free survival (RFS), and colostomy-free survival (CFS). Kaplan-Meier curves were created for prognostic factors, as well as dose escalation (>54 Gy vs. ≤54 Gy). Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate predictors of the outcome.Results: A total of 273 patients were assessed. The median age was 61 years with 70% being female, 6% HIV positive, and 68% with locally advanced cancer (T3-4, or node positive). The median follow-up time was 41.3 months. Time from diagnosis to treatment was 60 days, and treatment duration 42 days. Dose escalation was prescribed for 22, of whom 15 were locally advanced cases. A total of 97% completed their radiation, including all who were dose-escalated; 11% required unplanned treatment breaks, with over half of breaks <5 days. More than 90% completed at least half of their chemotherapy; 41% had pre-treatment, and 34% post-treatment positron emission tomography (PET) scans. For primary tumor response, 88% were complete and 10% partial; 23% relapsed, with 15% locoregional, 5% distant, and 3% both, and 12% had salvage surgery. The colostomy rate was 15%, with 4% pre-treatment, 10% relapse related, and only 1% treatment-toxicity related. On univariate analysis, male sex was associated with a higher risk of death (p=0.02) and relapse (p=0.041). Non-squamous histology was consistently a strong predictor of all outcomes (OS, p=0.0089; RFS, p<0.0001; CFS, p<0.0001) as was advanced T stage (OS, p=0.0075; RFS, p=0.0019; CFS, p=0.0099), and node positivity (OS, p=0.0014; RFS, p=0.001; CFS, p=0.0071). Age, HIV status, grade, longer treatment times (>42-day median), and lack of a pre- or post-treatment PET scan were not associated with the outcome. Dose escalation beyond 54 Gy was not significant, even among locally advanced tumors. On multivariate analysis, non-squamous histology (OS, p=0.043; RFS, p<0.001; CFS, p=0.01), T4 (OS, p=0.049; RFS, p=0.026; CFS, p=0.042) and node positivity (OS, p=0.05; RFS, p=0.006) remained significant predictors of the outcome, although node positivity was no longer significant for CFS (p=0.10).Conclusion: BC Cancer outcomes for anal cancer treated with MRTs are comparable to what has been previously reported. Unplanned breaks were notably few, and short. Treatment-related colostomies were rare. Dose-escalated regimens were infrequently prescribed, appeared tolerable, but more often required a break. Prospective trials are needed to clarify efficacy of such regimens.

Impact of UV-induced ozone and low-energy Ar+-ion cleaning on the chemical structure of Cu(In,Ga)(S,Se)2 absorber surfaces

Dry buffer layer deposition techniques for chalcopyrite (CIGSSe)-based thin-film solar cells lack the surface-cleaning characteristics of the commonly used CdS or Zn(O,S) wet-chemical bath deposition. A UV-induced ozone and/or a low-energy Ar+-ion treatment could provide dry CIGSSe surface cleaning steps. To study the impact of these treatments, the chemical surface structure of a CIGSSe absorber is investigated. For this purpose, a set of surface-sensitive spectroscopic methods, i.e., laboratory-based x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and x-ray-excited Auger electron spectroscopy, is combined with synchrotron-based soft x-ray emission spectroscopy. After treatment times as short as 15 s, the UV-induced ozone treatment decreases the amount of carbon adsorbates at the CIGSSe surface significantly, while the oxygen content increases. This is accompanied by the oxidation of all absorber surface elements, i.e., indium, selenium, sulfur, and copper. Short (60 s) low-energy Ar+-ion treatments, in contrast, primarily remove oxygen from the surface. Longer treatment times also lead to a removal of carbon, while extremely long treatment times can also lead to additional (likely metallic) Cu phases at the absorber surface as well.

Dual-Purpose 3D-Printed Surgical Template for Removal of Fractured Implant and New Implant Placement

Dental implants may fracture, and frequently excessive bone removal has to be performed in order to remove the apical fragment. In such instances, staged bone augmentation is indicated, creating more trauma, longer treatment time, and additional cost to the patient. Virtual surgical planning and guided surgery may increase the accuracy of the procedure and reduce treatment time. Through a case report, we show the use of digital planning and guided surgery to optimize implant removal, simultaneous implant placement, and bone augmentation.