Search

Highlights: [•] 10 pyrazines issued from MEA degradation were identified and quantified. [•] A new analytical method based on HS-SPME and GC–MS was developed. [•] A mechanism was proposed to explain pyrazines formation. [•] Toxicity of pyrazines was assessed with TOPKAT and DEREK SARs. [•] Identified pyrazines are currently not indicating toxicological concern. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Post-combustion CO2 capture based on CO2 absorption by aqueous amine solutions is the most mature gas separation technology. A main problem is amine degradation due to heat, CO2, O2, NO x and SO x . This review proposes to make a critical survey of literature concerning degradation, to list degradation products and to discuss mechanisms proposed by authors. Benchmark molecule is monoethanolamine (MEA) but diethanolamine (DEA), N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), piperazine (PZ) and 2-amino-2-methylpropan-1-ol (AMP) are also studied. Uses of other amines and amine blends are also considered. In the case of MEA, ammonia, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-piperazin-3-one (HEPO) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-(2-hydroxyethylamino) acetamide (HEHEAA) are the main identified degradation products in pilot plants. Among lab studies, the most cited degradation products are ammonia, carboxylic acids, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-formamide (HEF), N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-acetamide (HEA) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-imidazole (HEI) for oxidative degradation, and oxazolidin-2-one (OZD), N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-ethylenediamine (HEEDA) and N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-imidazolidin-2-one (HEIA) for thermal degradation. Numerous degradation products have been identified but some are still unknown. A lot of degradation mechanisms have been proposed but some are missing or need proofs. SO x and NO x effects are still few examined and much work remains to be done concerning volatile degradation products potentially emitted to atmosphere: their identification and their formation mechanisms need further investigations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Determination of microsatellite instability (MSI)/mismatch repair (MMR) status in cancer has several clinical implications. Our aim was to integrate MSI/MMR status from patients tested in Greece to assess the prevalence of MSI-high (MSI-H)/deficient MMR (dMMR) per tumor type, testing patterns over time and concordance between MSI and MMR status. We retrospectively recorded MSI/MMR testing data of patients with diverse tumor types performed in pathology and molecular diagnostics laboratories across Greece. Overall, 18 of 22 pathology and/or molecular diagnostics laboratories accepted our invitation to participate. In the 18 laboratories located across the country, 7916 tumor samples were evaluated for MSI/MMR status. MSI/MMR testing significantly increased in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) and other tumor types overtime ( p < 0.05). The highest prevalence was reported in endometrial cancer (47 of 225 patients, 20.9%). MSI-H/dMMR was observed in most tumor types, even in low proportions. Among 904 tumors assessed both for MSI and MMR status, 21 had discordant results (overall discordance rate, 2.3%). We reported MSI-H/dMMR prevalence rates in patients with diverse cancers, while demonstrating increasing referral patterns from medical oncologists in the country overtime. The anticipated high rate of concordance between MSI and MMR status in paired analysis was confirmed.

Raloxifene agonism of estrogen receptor (ER) in post-menopausal endometrium is not negligible. Based on a rational drug design workflow, we synthesized 14 analogues of raloxifene bearing a polar group in the aromatic ring of the basic side chain (BSC) and/or changes in the bulkiness of the BSC amino group. Analogues with a polar BSC aromatic ring and amino group substituents of increasing volume displayed increasing ER antagonism in Ishikawa cells. Analogues with cyclohexylaminoethoxy (13a) or adamantylaminoethoxy BSC (13b) lacking a polar aromatic ring displayed high ER-binding affinity and ER antagonism in Ishikawa cells higher than raloxifene and similar to fulvestrant (ICI182,780). The endometrial surface epithelium of immature female CD1 mice injected with 13b was comparable to that of vehicle-treated mice, while that of mice treated with estradiol, raloxifene or 13b in combination with estradiol was hyperplastic. These findings indicate that raloxifene analogues with a bulky BSC amino group could provide for higher endometrial safety treatment of the menopausal syndrome., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Preclinical evidence has been accumulating on the impact of the DNA repair status on the sensitivity/resistance to anticancer agents in different tumor types, including lung cancer. The possibility to predict the response to therapy, and specifically to platinum agents, based on tumor specific DNA repair functionality would enable to tailor its use only in those patients with maximum chances to respond, avoiding the burden of toxicity in those ones with lesser chances. We here reviewed the clinical evidence on the prognostic role of DNA repair markers and/or functional assays in predicting the response to a platinum-based chemotherapy in lung cancer patients. Consequently, we focused on those proteins involved in pathways repairing platinum induced DNA inter-strand and intra-strand crosslinks. Most promising clinical trials targeting the nucleotide repair protein ERCC1 in non-small cell lung cancer later on suffered from serious drawbacks. Nevertheless, these results spurred a variety of preclinical studies on a multitude of alternative DNA repair markers. However so far, no one of the analyzed DNA repair markers can be considered a reliable and mature biomarker for selecting patients. We discuss the reasons for such failure which discloses novel strategies for the future., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In this paper, we present a theoretical derivation of the amplification in a longitudinally pumped amplifier with a doping gradient concentration optimized for obtaining a constant longitudinal gain. This technique makes it possible to reduce both the effect of the amplification of the spontaneous emission (ASE) and the temperature gradient. We will express the longitudinal concentration profile as a function of the amplifier parameters and the launched pump intensity. Our computations show the limits of such a technique for controlling the ASE. We will also make a proposal for a technique to achieve such a controlled concentration profile.

Purpose: Despite appropriate therapy 10 to 100% of patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the lower limbs will develop post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of PTS in the EDITH cohort and to estimate the association between initial patients' characteristics and the risk of development of PTS., Methods: One hundred and eighty patients included in the EDITH study for a first event of DVT of the lower limbs without clinical signs of venous insufficiency were recalled 4 years after their initial thrombotic event. PTS was diagnosed according to the Villalta score., Results: Ninety-five patients (45 men, mean age 50.7 ± 16.9 years) were evaluated for PTS. Among them, 28.4% (95% CI 19.3-37.5) developed PTS but none had severe PTS. The most frequent clinical signs of PTS were varicose veins (59%), corona phlebectatica (48%), swelling leg (30%) and pigmented dermatitis (26%). No single risk factor was associated with PTS development (age, sex, BMI thrombophilia, etiology, localization, recurrence, symptomatic DVT and familial history of DVT)., Conclusion: PTS is a frequent disease. However, lack of uniformity of diagnosis criteria in the different studies does not make possible the estimation of PTS risk factors., (Copyright © 2010 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Benign natal haemangiomatosis is characterised by the presence of multiple congenital haemangiomas restricted to the skin. It is differentiated from diffuse neonatal haemangiomatosis in which there is both cutaneous and visceral involvement, with higher morbidity and mortality., Patients and Methods: Two identical twins, I and II (monochorionic placenta, biamniotic), born prematurely at 30 weeks' amenorrhoea, presented twin-transfusion syndrome resulting in retarded intrauterine growth in twin I, the donor, and incipient anasarca in twin II, the recipient. Twin I weighed 960 g while twin II weighed 1 200 g. At birth, miliary haemangiomatosis was observed in both infants (16 haemangiomas in I, 19 in II). Abdominal ultrasound and whole-body MRI performed in the two children revealed multiple angiomatous hepatic nodular lesions in I. Subsequent routine clinical and ultrasound monitoring (hepatic and cardiac) showed increased size of the haemangiomatous lesions over the first 4 months followed by stabilisation and gradual regression. No systemic therapy was required. In twin I an episode of ulceration of a neck haemangioma occurred at 5 months and a favourable outcome was obtained on administration of topical hydrocolloid therapy., Discussion: Twin-transfusion syndrome affects 15 to 30% of monochorionic biamniotic pregnancies. It is a serious complication of twin pregnancies resulting from a dynamic process of interfoetal blood transfusion as a result of venous-venous or arteriovenous vascular anastomoses. In the present case, which appears to be the first reported case, it seems that these monochorionic twins, who shared the same placenta, presented haemangiomatosis simultaneously in utero, if we accept the hypothesis of grafting of emboli of placental microvessels in the formation of congenital haemangiomas.

Introduction: We report on a patient who progressively developed polymorphic expressions of neutrophilic dermatosis (Sneddon-Wilkinson subcorneal pustulosis and pyoderma gangrenosum) associated with p-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (p-ANCA), while receiving propylthiouracil for hyperthyroidism. To our knowledge, such associations have never been published so far., Case-Report: A 40 year-old woman was treated with propylthiouracil for Graves'disease. After 16 months of therapy, she noted flares of pustular lesions surrounded with erythematous halo mainly localized on the trunk. The lesions became chronic, and were not improved by potent topical corticosteroids. When first seen in our department in February 2003, the eruption was typical of Sneddon-Wilkinson subcorneal pustulosis. This diagnosis was confirmed by the histological examination of a skin biopsy of a pustule. One month later, she developed an inflammatory progressively ulcerative lesion on the right ankle, typical of pyoderma gangrenosum. The diagnosis was confirmed by the histological examination of a skin biopsy taken on the evolving border of the lesion and showed polynuclear neutrophilic infiltration without vasculitis. Direct immunofluorescence was negative. The presence of serum anti-myeloperoxydase p-ANCA was known for this patient since October 2002. No IgA monoclonal gammapathy was revealed on extensive biological check-up. Systemic oral corticosteroid therapy (1 mg/kg/day) dramatically improved skin lesions with complete healing within 8 weeks., Discussion: Propylthiouracil is well known to induce the occurrence of ANCA in 20 to 64p. 100 of patients treated for Graves'disease. The mechanisms involved are badly recognized so far. Cutaneous vasculitis, glomerulonephritis and polychondritis may be clinically associated with those antibodies. Rare observations of neutrophilic dermatosis, mostly Sweet's syndrome, have been described in patients with propylthiouracil-induced ANCA. One case-report described a 44 year-old woman who developed pyoderma gangrenosum associated with propylthiouracil-induced p-ANCA. These manifestations usually appear within 2 years, as our patient. The data in the literature, allows us to report the polymorphic expressions of neutrophilic dermatosis in this patient with p-ANCA which could be related to propylthiouracil. Such association of Sneddon-Wilkinson subcorneal pustulosis and pyoderma gangrenosum with p-ANCA has never been described in this endocrinologic context so far. Furthermore we propose that neutrophilic dermatosis should be inscribed in the list of side effects induced by propylthiouracil therapy.