Reuse of spent FCC catalyst, waste serpentine and kiln rollers waste for synthesis of cordierite and cordierite-mullite ceramics.

Spent fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) was gathered from several petrochemical plants and calcined in a rotary furnace between 1000 and 1100°C in order to remove sulphur and hydrocarbon based impurities. Calcining process on FCC led to formation of AlVO4 ceramic phase, so converted the hazardous waste to non-hazardous applicable raw material. In this study, two ceramic bodies as cordierite and cordierite-mullite were synthesized with calcined spent FCC, waste serpentine, kiln rollers waste and high grade kaolin as raw materials. The XRD results showed that the cordierite and cordierite-mullite were synthesized successfully so that 96.4% of F1 (cordierite) sample fired at 1400°C was cordierite phase and F2 (cordierite-mullite) sample fired at 1450°C was completely cordierite and mullite phases. The synthesized cordierite and cordierite-mullite samples had lower porosity values and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) than similar industrial products. The negative CTE value that obtained from the cordierite sample up to 800°C is favorable for some applications. The considerable results of the synthesized cordierite and cordierite-mullite from this work present cost reduction of the two ceramic bodies production and may help to solve the environmental problems with the use of three waste sources in large scales.

[Imaging diagnostics of breast metastases from extramammary tumors]. / Bildgebende Diagnostik bei Brustmetastasen extramammärer Tumoren.

Breast metastases of solid extramammary tumors are very rare in comparison to primary malignancies of the breast and account for only 0.33-6.3% of all malignant neoplasms of the breast. The most common primary tumors are malignant melanoma, distant sarcomas, lung cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell cancer and thyroid cancer in decreasing order of frequency. This review article summarizes the clinical features and the different imaging findings of breast metastases from different extramammary solid tumors. Breast metastases are often incidental findings in computed tomography (CT) or positron emission tomography CT (PET-CT) imaging. Mammography shows two different imaging patterns, namely focal lesions and diffuse architectural distortion with skin thickening. Breast metastases presenting as focal masses usually occur as solitary and more rarely as multiple round lesions with a smooth edge boundary. Associated calcifications are rare findings. Diffuse architectural distortion with skin thickening is more common in breast metastases from most gastric tumors, ovarian cancer and rhabdomyosarcoma. Using ultrasound most lesions are hypoechoic, oval or round with smooth boundaries and posterior acoustic enhancement. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) criteria of breast metastases show an inconstant signal behavior that cannot be safely classified as benign or malignant. In summary, in patients with known malignancies the presence of breast metastases should be considered even with imposing clinically and radiologically benign findings.

Legionellosis must be kept in mind in case of pneumonia with lung abscesses in children receiving therapeutic steroids.

A 10-year-old boy, who had received recurrent short-course treatments with steroids to control severe autoimmune thrombocytopaenia, developed Legionnaires' disease as community-acquired pneumonia. Legionella pneumophila pneumonia was complicated by an extended abscess of the right inferior lobe, leading to residual lung cavities. Legionellosis must be kept in mind as the differential diagnosis in the case of severe pneumonia and with lung abscesses in children receiving therapeutic steroids. Legionella-specific diagnostic tests (polymerase chain reaction [PCR] in respiratory samples or urine antigen assay) and, also, specific empirical antibiotic combination therapy are required for the early detection and treatment of L. pneumophila pneumonia in childhood.

Recent Developments in Design and Application of Plant Virus-based Gene Vectors.

A new horizon is lit up by exploiting plant viruses as the vectors to deliver foreign genes into plants for various purposes such as production of valuable pharmaceutical proteins, to understand pathogenesis of a plant virus, and to establish gene silencing for blocking, for example, production of an undesirable intermediate metabolite in a metabolic pathway. Here, the recent patents concerning the design of new gene vectors on the basis of the genomes of the viruses including Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), Potato virus X (PVX), Tobacco rattle virus (TRV), Cowpea mosaic virus (CPMV), Bean Yellow dwarf virus (BeYDV), Beet soil-borne mosaic virus (BSbMV) and Potato mop top virus (PMTV) will be reviewed. Also, applications of the recently designed vectors for production of foreign proteins such as human lysosomal enzymes expressed from TMV-based vectors, human and animal viral vaccines expressed from CPMV-based vectors and glucose oxidase from BSbMV-based vector will be reported. In addition, gene silencing capabilities of the vectors based on PVX and the seed coating gene delivery system will be considered.

Plasma oxalate and creatinine and oxalate/creatinine clearance ratios in normal subjects and in primary hyperoxaluria. Evidence for renal hyperoxaluria.

Plasma oxalate and creatinine were measured repeatedly in healthy individuals and in 12 patients with type 1 primary hyperoxaluria unresponsive to pyridoxine. The mean ratios were 0.025 (SD 0.006) and 0.120 (SD 0.048), respectively. One patient repeatedly had normal plasma oxalate despite markedly raised urinary oxalate and it seems unlikely that this excess oxalate could have come from the liver. Oxalate/creatinine clearance ratios in the normal group had an overall mean of 0.59 (SD 0.27) in 24 h urine collections and 0.741 (SD 0.297) in repeated short clearance periods. Both renal tubular absorption and secretion of oxalate apparently occurred on different days, but this did not depend upon urinary flow rate. Oxalate/creatinine clearance ratios in type 1 primary hyperoxaluria had a mean of 2.88 (SD 3.11). The raised oxalate/creatinine clearance ratios in the patients were not correlated with either plasma oxalate or creatinine. A few patients showed much higher clearance ratios and in some were sufficiently high to indicate that oxalate was generated and secreted in the kidneys.

Effects of oral pyridoxine upon plasma and 24-hour urinary oxalate levels in normal subjects and stone formers with idiopathic hypercalciuria.

The effect of pyridoxine hydrochloride, 200 mg/day (0.97 mmol/day) for 3 weeks, upon plasma and urinary oxalate has been determined in ten normal subjects and seven patients with idiopathic hypercalciuria while both groups were on low-oxalate diets. Patients had higher basal urinary oxalate levels than normal subjects. In normal subjects pyridoxine administration decreased plasma oxalate levels and raised urinary oxalate. The patients showed no change in either plasma or urinary oxalate.