Treatment of highly concentrated tannery wastewater using electrocoagulation: Influence of the quality of aluminium used for the electrode.

This paper deals with the ability of electrocoagulation (EC) to remove simultaneously COD and chromium from a real chrome tanning wastewater in a batch stirred electro-coagulation cell provided with two aluminium-based electrodes (aluminium/copper/magnesium alloy and pure aluminium). Effects of operating time, current density and initial concentration of Cr(III) and COD have been investigated. The concentrations of pollutants have been successfully reduced to environmentally acceptable levels even if the concentrated effluent requires a long time of treatment of around 6h with a 400A/m(2) current density. The aluminium alloy was found to be more efficient than pure aluminium for removal of COD and chromium. Dilution of the waste has been tested for treatment: high abatement levels could be obtained with shorter time of treatment and lower current densities. Energy consumption of the electrocoagulation process was also discussed. The dilution by half of the concentrated waste leads to a higher abatement performance of both COD and chromium with the best energy efficiency.

Activated sludge pilot plant: comparison between experimental and predicted concentration profiles using three different modelling approaches.

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of an activated sludge channel pilot plant. Concentration profiles of oxygen, COD, NO(3) and NH(4) have been measured for several operating conditions. These profiles have been compared to the simulated ones with three different modelling approaches, namely a systemic approach, CFD and compartmental modelling. For these three approaches, the kinetics model was the ASM-1 model (Henze et al., 2001). The three approaches allowed a reasonable simulation of all the concentration profiles except for ammonium for which the simulations results were far from the experimental ones. The analysis of the results showed that the role of the kinetics model is of primary importance for the prediction of activated sludge reactors performance. The fact that existing kinetics parameters in the literature have been determined by parametric optimisation using a systemic model limits the reliability of the prediction of local concentrations and of the local design of activated sludge reactors.

Long-term survivors of small-cell lung cancer (SCLC): a French multicenter study. Groupe d'Oncologie de Langue Française.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze SCLC patients beyond 30 months, particularly their outcome, their way of life, and factors which could influence relapses, second-primary cancers and death. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 1986 and May 1995, 263 SCLC patients who survived longer than 30 months were included from 52 French institutions. The analysis was performed on the 155 cases confirmed by a pathologic review. RESULTS: Physical, mental and psychological states were considered as normal at 30 months in respectively 70.3%, 87.7% and 67.7% of patients, not influenced by prophylactic cranial irradiation, number of chemotherapy cycles, CCNU or cisplatin. Therapeutic sequelae were neurological impairment (13%), pulmonary fibrosis (18%) and cardiac disorders (11%) at 30 months. Return to work was possible for 40% of patients in the first two years following diagnosis. Among 43 relapsing patients, 33 benefited from a second-line treatment. Their median survival was 12 months since retreatment, and seven patients have survived again longer than 30 months. Age > 60 at the time of diagnosis was found as an independent factor increasing the risk of relapse beyond 30 months (OR = 2.46, IC 95% (1.16-5.26), P = 0.01). The risk of relapse became less than 10% beyond five years. Twenty patients (13%) developed a second primary cancer in a mean time of 58.6 months. The risk of second primary cancer was increased by a number of chemotherapy cycles > 6 (OR = 3.25, IC 95% (1.08-9.8) P = 0.02) and by an age > 60 (OR = 2.92, IC 95% (1.07-7.97), P = 0.03). Five- and 10-year survival rates were respectively 68% and 44%. In these patients having reached a 30-month survival, three independent factors were predictive of a survival longer than five years: age < or = 60 at the time of diagnosis (OR = 2.85, IC 95% (1.23-6.6), P = 0.01), chest radiotherapy (OR = 3.1, IC 95% (1.28-7.69), P = 0.006) and absence of relapse (OR = 4.5, IC 95% (1.75-12.5), P = 0.002). This study suggests that: 1) therapeutic sequelae are rather mild, allowing return to work in 40% of patients; 2) relapsing 30-month survivors can benefit from second-line treatment; 3) SCLC cure can be achieved with a 10-year follow-up.

Digestive tract and renal small vessel hyalinosis, idiopathic nonarteriosclerotic intracerebral calcifications, retinal ischemic syndrome, and phenotypic abnormalities. A new familial syndrome.

A new familial syndrome that affected 3 of 7 siblings is described. All 3 patients were young women with a very peculiar phenotype, poikilodermia and hair greying, and idiopathic nonarteriosclerotic cerebral calcifications. Pathological studies demonstrated a marked and progressive hyalinosis involving capillaries and often arterioles and small veins of the digestive tract, kidneys, and calcified areas of the brain. Using electron microscopy, we found that the hyalin substance in the intestinal capillaries consisted of several concentric layers of basal membrane-like deposits within a finely granular fluffy material. Huge deposits of this material were present in the subepithelial and mesangial spaces of the kidneys. Endothelial cells and, in the kidneys, mesangial cells were markedly abnormal, and a true mesangiolysis pattern was present in 2 patients. The clinical and biologic expression of these vascular changes was variable. Diarrhea, rectal bleeding, malabsorption, and protein-losing enteropathy were the main and lethal clinical problems in the proband. Hypertension appeared in the early stage of a second pregnancy in 1 sister, and mild proteinuria was found in all 3 affected patients. Peripheral retinal ischemic syndrome and chorioretinal scars were found in the ocular fundi of both affected sisters of the proband. A subarachnoid hemorrhage, due to a right sylvian aneurism, also occurred in both sisters and was lethal in 1 sister. None of the known causes of distal vessel hyalinosis could be ascertained.

[Intestinal involvement and exudative enteropathy in Waldenström's macroglobulinemia]. / Atteinte intestinale et entéropathie exsudative au cours de la macro-globulinémie de Waldenström.

The case of a 60 year old man in whom diarrhea, steatorrhea and protein losing enteropathy developed one year after the diagnosis of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia is reported. Histological study of multilevel peroral biopsies of the small bowel mucosa showed the following features: a) lymphangiectasia, b) intralymphatic and interstitial deposits composed of lipids and immunoglobulin M of the kappa type (as demonstrated by specific histoimmunofluorescence), c) a mild lymphoplasmocytoid infiltrate, corresponding to the location of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia. The patient died six months later, in spite of improvement of his digestive tract functional abnormalities by a low-fat diet. Sixteen cases of small intestinal involvement have been reported during the course of Waldenström's macroglobulinemia, of which only one showed features similar to those found in our case. Lymphangiectasia appear to be due to mesenteric lymph node involvement by the tumoral process, and/or to increased blood viscosity; in turn the lymphangiectasia seem to be responsible for steatorrhea and plasma protein losses, since in our case both lipids and the immunoglobulin M-kappa were shown to cross the villous epithelium by immunohistochemistry.

[Aortic insufficiency in Takayasu's disease. Apropos of 3 surgically treated cases and review of the literature]. / Insuffisance aortique dans la maladie de Takayasu. A propos de 3 cas opérés et revue de la littérature.

The author report the cases of three women with aortic regurgitation associated with aneurysmal dilatation of the ascending thoracic aorta. Aortic valve replacement was carried out in the 3 cases, with resection of the aortic aneurysm in 2 cases. Histological examination of the aortic wall in all 3 cases showed non-specific aortitis in the adventitia and media, appearances comparable to those described in Takayasu's disease. The incidence of aortic regurgitation in Takayasu's disease is about 10%. These 3 cases are compared with 30 other cases with histological confirmation in the medical literature, only 9 of which have undergone aortic valve replacement. The mechanism of the aortic regurgitation is analysed: dilatation of the aortic ring, inflammation of the valve cusps, commissural dysjunction or dilatation of the ascending aorta involving the line of commissural insertion. Aortic regurgitation is usually associated with other arterial localisations of the disease, but may also be found alone when the disease seems limited to the ascending aorta. Coronary artery disease, especially ostial, is observed in 30% of patients with this type of aortic regurgitation. Coronary angiography is therefore mandatory before surgery. The arterial involvement may be investigated initially and followed-up by 2 non-invasive investigations = digitalised intravenous angiography (DIVA) and M mode and 2D echocardiography. The two investigations give comparable results with regards to the study of the aorta, but the branches of the aorta and pulmonary arteries can only be investigated by DIVA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Interatrial septal aneurysm. Echocardiographic diagnosis]. / Anévrysme de la cloison interauriculaire. Diagnostic échocardiographique.

Interatrial septal aneurysm is a rare abnormality and can now be diagnosed by echocardiography. We report the case of a 52 year old woman in whom this condition was diagnosed after an embolic cerebrovascular accident. M mode recordings showed a linear echo in the left atrial cavity in early and mid systole. The aneurysm was directly visualised by 2D echo as a hemispherical bulge in the mid portion of the interatrial septum, which was mobile and had a to-and-fro motion between the two atria in relation to the different phases of the cardiac cycle. The diagnosis was confirmed by angiography, and at surgery. A feature of this case was the close correlation between echocardiographic, angiographic and operative findings. The pathogenesis of this type of aneurysm remains conjectural as does its role in the production of cerebral embolism, the evidence for which was circumstantial in the absence of other demonstrable causes and in the light of previously reported cases.

Prosthetic valve endocarditis caused by Trichosporon cutaneum.

We report, to our knowledge, the first case of Trichosporon cutaneum endocarditis which developed in a 58-year-old woman 14 months after mitral valve replacement. The patient had not had antibiotic therapy. She was treated with an oral antifungal agent, ketoconazol, and prosthetic valve replacement. The initial outcome was favorable, but she died 5 months later of aortic valve endocarditis. Fungal infection was documented by isolation of the fungus from blood cultures, by anatomical and pathological examination and by the changes in serology.

Immunofluorescence study of the distribution of A, B and H cell surface antigens in bladder tumors.

The distribution of A, B and H cell surface antigens was studied in 30 patients with bladder tumors using indirect immunofluorescence. These antigens, normally present at the surface of the healthy urothelium, disappear in various degrees in a large number of bladder tumors. Nevertheless, no close correlation exists between this loss of antigens, and the grade and stage of the vesical tumor, although when A, B and H antigens persist the prognosis generally seems better.

[Immunofluorescence study of the distribution of ABH cell surface antigens in bladder tumours (author's transl)]. / Etude de la distribution des antigènes de surface ABH dans les tumeurs de vessie par immunofluorescence indirecte.

ABH antigens are normally present at the surface of the healthy urothelium. In many cases of bladder tumours, the urothelium loses its antigens. While this loss would not seem to be associated with the grade or stage of the tumour, the persistence of the ABH antigens would seem to provide a more favourable prognosis.

[Distribution of ABH antigens in tumours of the bladder. A retrospective immunofluorescence study (author's transl)]. / Distribution des antigènes A, B, H dans les tumeurs de la vessie. Etude rétrospective par immunofluorescence.

ABH antigens are normally present on the surface of the healthy urinary epithelium. In a significant number of patients with tumour of the bladder the epithelium loses these antigens. The loss appears to be unrelated to the grade or stage of the tumour, but the prognosis seems to be brighter when the ABH antigens are retained.

[Visceral histologic lesions of lethal acute colchicine poisoning. Apropos of 12 cases]. / Lésions viscérales histologiques des intoxications aiguës mortelles par la colchicine. A propos de 12 observations.

The authors reported histological characteristics (on post-mortem examination) of 12 cases of lethal acute colchicine intoxication and compare these results with the 5 previous anatomical studies of such cases in the literature. Abnormal mitosis (stathmocinesis, "caryomerie", caryorrhexis and mitonecrosis) are constant and essentially seen in the bone marrow and digestive mucosae, especially in oesophagus which squamous epithelium is more resistant to autolysis than others digestive mucosae. Biological or histological symptoms or lesions of intravascular diffuse coagulation are present 7 cases but both biological and histological manifestations in only one case. Hematological disorders are constant when more than 0.5 mg/kg (of corporeal weight) of colchicine has been ingested. Granulocytic elements are most affected both by hypoplasia (essentially in the first four days) and maturation troubles. A microvacuolar non systematized and diffuse liver fatty change is found in 10 cases, probably related to alteration of lipoproteins synthesis and secretion by hepatocytes. Interstitial myocardial oedema is a constant feature; in addition true interstitial myocarditis (with infiltration by polymorphs) is seen in two cases. These cardiac lesions may be related to the cardiogenic shock which is often observed in these patients.

Scanning electron microscopy of normal, malignant and post radiotherapeutic oral mucosal cells.

A scanning electron microscopic study of 40 oral mucosal smears from healthy controls or patients with cancer of the mouth has enabled a comparison of the "external" characteristics of normal, malignant and dysplastic (post-radiotherapeutic) cells. Normal cells, particularly the cells of the superficial epithelial layers, were characterized by well-defined polarized external protrusions with ridges on the upper surface and microvilli on the under surface. In cancer cells, both the shape and arrangement of these formations were profoundly altered. Dysplastic cells presented an intermediate appearance which was sufficiently characteristic to allow them to be distinguished from neoplastic cells.

[Relapsing polychondritis. Histochemical, histoenzymological, immunoflourescent and ultrastructural studies of ear cartilage in three cases (author's transl)]. / La polychondrite chronique atrophiante. Etude du cartilae auriculaire par histochimie, histoenzymologie, immunoflourescence et microscopie électronique. (A propos de 3 observations).

Ear cartilage has been studied by histochemistry, histoenzymology, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy in three cases of relapsing polychondritis. The most significant lesions have been observed at the cellular level, both by enzymology and electron microscopy : chondrocytes of peripheral zones seem to be first hypertrophic and then necrotic ; at the opposite, there is no correlation between histochemical and electron microscopic studies about the chondroid intercellular substance whose lesions are probably secondary to the cellular ones. A few chondrocytes are positive with antiimmunoglobulins sera (IgM and IgA) ; this fact could be a proof of the dysimmune nature of this disease.