Nitrate-assisted photocatalytic efficiency of defective Eu-doped Pr(OH)3 nanostructures.

Pr(OH)3 one-dimensional nanostructures are a less studied member of lanthanide hydroxide nanostructures, which recently demonstrated an excellent adsorption capacity for organic pollutant removal from wastewater. In this study, Pr1-xEux(OH)3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05) defective nanostructures were synthesized by a facile and scalable microwave-assisted hydrothermal method using KOH as an alkaline metal precursor. The phase and surface composition, morphology, vibrational, electronic and optical properties of the as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Raman, infrared (IR), photoluminescence (PL), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). It was deduced that the incorporation of Eu3+ ions promoted the formation of oxygen vacancies in the already defective Pr(OH)3, subsequently changing the Pr(OH)3 nanorod morphology. The presence of KNO3 phase was registered in the Eu-doped samples. The oxygen-deficient Eu-doped Pr(OH)3 nanostructures displayed an improved photocatalytic activity in the removal of reactive orange (RO16) dye under UV-vis light irradiation. An enhanced photocatalytic activity of the Eu-doped Pr(OH)3 nanostructures was caused by the synergetic effect of oxygen vacancies and Eu3+ (NO3-) ions present on the Pr(OH)3 surface, the charge separation efficiency and the formation of the reactive radicals. In addition, the 3% Eu-doped sample exhibited very good adsorptive properties due to different morphology and higher electrostatic attraction with the anionic dye. Pr1-xEux(OH)3 nanostructures with the possibility of tuning their adsorption/photocatalytic properties present a great potential for wastewater treatment.

Psycho-organic symptoms as early manifestation of adult onset POMT1-related limb girdle muscular dystrophy.

We report two siblings of Croatian consanguineous healthy parents with a novel homozygous missense mutation in the POMT1 gene, presenting with intellectual disability and psychotic, in particular hallucinatory symptoms and abnormal brain MRIs, preceding classical symptoms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy by several years. Weakness became apparent in early adulthood and both siblings remained ambulant into the 3rd and 4th decade of life. The muscle biopsy showed reduced α-dystroglycan compatible with the POMT1 defect. This case report extends the phenotypic spectrum of POMT1 associated muscular dystrophies to the adult onset limb girdle muscular dystrophies with psycho-organic deficits.

Superparamagnetism in iron-doped CeO2-y nanocrystals.

We have measured the magnetization of undoped and Fe(2+/3+) doped CeO(2-y) nanocrystals at various temperatures and magnetic fields. The Stoner condition N(0)I > 1 is multiply fulfilled in the case of nano-CeO(2-y), favoring the band ferromagnetism approach. In the case of Fe-doped samples, the magnetization versus magnetic field dependence is well fitted with a weighted Langevin function. A blocking temperature of about 20 K is obtained both from the ZFC/FC curves and from the coercive field against temperature dependence. The temperature and field dependence of the magnetization clearly shows the presence of nanosized particles which exhibit superparamagnetic behavior.

Treatment of relapsed or refractory aggressive non-hodgkin lymphoma with two ifosfamide-based regimens, IMVP and ICE.

We report the outcomes of 45 patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) treated with a combination of ifosfamide, carboplatinum and etoposide (ICE) and 28 patients treated with a combination of ifosfamide, methotrexate and etoposide (IMVP) during two 5-year periods. The response rate (RR) to ICE was 47%, 2-year overall survival (OS) 31% and 2-year event-free survival (EFS) 22%. These results were similar to those obtained with IMVP (RR 39%, 2-year OS 23%, 2-year EFS 13%; p=0.355 for RR, 0.275 for OS, 0.668 for EFS). Higher IPI scores and refractoriness to treatment were negative prognostic factors, immunophenotype (B vs. T) had no influence on prognosis. Changing from IMVP to ICE does not substantially improve the outcome of patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive NHL. Patients with relapsed/refractory aggressive B-NHL do not have a superior outcome in comparison to those with T-NHL if treated with chemotherapy alone.

Assessment of war and accidental nerve injuries in children.

Eleven children with war-related peripheral nerve injury and 16 children with accident-related nerve injury between the ages of 3 and 15 years were assessed clinically and electromyoneurographically for 1-15 months. Lesions of 32 peripheral nerves were registered in children with war injuries. Children with accidentally acquired injuries had lesions of 27 peripheral nerves. A complete loss of voluntary motor unit potentials and signs of total axonal damage were recorded in the upper arms of seven of 11 children with war injuries and in five of 16 children with accidental injuries. There was a diminished number of motor unit potentials and a reduction in compound muscle action potential amplitudes, indicating partial nerve lesions, in 11 of 16 children with accidental injuries (mostly after humeral fracture) and in three of 11 children with brachial plexus war injuries. Reinnervation signs first occurred after 5-9 months (mean = 6.2 months) in war-injured children receiving conservative treatment and after 2-7 months (mean = 3.4 months) in children with accidentally acquired injuries. War-related peripheral nerve injuries in children are more frequently associated with complete denervation followed by slower or delayed nerve regeneration. In children with accidentally acquired nerve injuries the course is significantly better.