Production and characterization of chars from cherry pulp via pyrolysis.

Pyrolysis is an eco-friendly process to achieve valuable products like bio-oil, char and gases. In the last decades, biochar production from pyrolysis of a wide variety of industrial and agricultural wastes become popular, which can be utilized as adsorbent instead of the expensive activated carbons. In this study, cherry pulp was pyrolyzed in a fixed bed tubular reactor at five different temperatures (400, 500,550, 600 and 700 °C) and three different heating rates (10, 100 and 200 °C/min) to obtain biochar. Proximate, ultimate, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed on cherry pulp and its chars to examine the chemical alterations after the pyrolysis process. Biochar yields were decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature and heating rate, based on experimental results. Porous biochars are carbon rich and includes high potassium content. The aromaticity of biochars increased and O/C mass ratio reduced with an increase in the pyrolysis temperature as a result of the development of compact aromatic structure in char. Pyrolysis provides a promising conversion procedure for the production of high energy density char which has promising applications in existing coal-fired boilers without any upgrading.

A rarely seen case among retroperitoneal mass lesions: paraganglioma.

Pheochromocytomas are rarely seen cathecolamine-secreting neuroendocrine tumors. Diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of this rarely seen condition have been discussed. In this study, a retroperitoneal paraganglioma with a diameter of 27 mm was detected in a 29-years old nephrectomized male patient. In our case, in reevaluations performed after definitive establishment of the diagnosis, any abnormal radiological signs suggesting a metastatic lesion were not detected. During the postoperative period the patient was referred to the clinics of endocrinology, and oncology for medical follow-up. In the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal mass lesions, pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma should not be forgotten. Besides, for malignant tumors chemoradiotherapy, and for benign functional tumors medical treatment should be applied.

A rare entity of benign bladder neoplasm: female lipoma.

Although benign bladder neoplasms constitute less than 5% of all bladder neoplasms, they should be taken into consideration because they can be symptomatic, and have the risk of confusing with other malignant neoplasms. Herein, we reported a 59-year-old female patient consulted to our outpatient clinic with the incidents of hematuria. During cystoscopic examination, a yellow-coloured mass lesion with smooth contours on the right posterolateral wall of the bladder was observed. Histopathological examination of the specimen demonstrated mature adipose tissue contained within submucosal layer without bladder wall invasion. Bladder lipomas are rarely seen pure benign masses which almost all reported ones were men. We think that female cases should also be taken into consideration for differential diagnosis presenting with hematuria.