Risk of SOFA Deterioration in Conservative Treatment for Emphysematous Pyelonephritis: Pitfalls of Current Trends in Therapeutics from Multicenter Clinical Experience.

INTRODUCTION: We investigated relationships between therapeutic outcomes of patients with emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) and changes in the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated EPN patients treated in our hospitals using the SOFA score incorporated in the Sepsis-3 updated in 2016. RESULTS: Seventeen typical EPN patients were included in this study, and were treated with medical management with no drainage (n = 3), retrograde stenting (n = 10), or percutaneous drainage (n = 3). One patient without drainage died of sepsis, yielding an overall mortality rate of 5.9%. Twelve patients recovered without increase in the SOFA score during hospitalization. However, the SOFA score deteriorated in the other patients from admission, with the initial scores not significantly different from those of the 12 cases. The changes in the SOFA score were significantly affected by the selected approaches of drainage (100% patients for no drainage, 22% for stenting, and 0% for percutaneous drainage, p = 0.029), but not by other clinical data. CONCLUSION: Most EPN patients can currently be conservatively managed successfully. However, it should be noted that less-invasive management could cause deterioration in SOFA after admission, yielding a risk of septic mortality.

Influence of plaque control on the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontal health status among Japanese rheumatoid arthritis patients.

BACKGROUND: Functional disability of the finger joints in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients could affect their oral hygiene and periodontal status because of poor plaque control. We examined the influence of plaque control on the relationship between the severity of RA and periodontal status in RA patients. METHODS: This study recruited 89 Japanese RA patients who reported no difficulty in performing oral hygiene. We assessed RA severity using four indices: the Steinbrocker stage and class, the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) and the Disease Activity Score (DAS). Probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were taken as parameters of periodontal status. Oral hygiene status was assessed using the plaque index (PlI). We examined the association between the severity of RA and periodontal parameters using multivariable linear regression analyses. RESULTS: In multivariable linear regression analyses not including PlI, Steinbrocker stage III-IV patients had significantly higher PlI scores and greater PD compared with those of stage I. The class III-IV patients had significantly higher PlI scores and greater PD. Patients with an HAQ score ≥0.5 had a significantly higher PlI score than those with an HAQ score of 0. However, when PlI was added to each multivariable model as an independent variable, no significant relationship between RA severity and periodontal status was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that it is important to consider the influence of plaque control when assessing the relationship between RA severity and periodontal health status in RA patients.

Rise in ambient temperature predisposes aging, male Japanese patients to renal colic episodes due to upper urolithiasis.

OBJECTIVE: Urolithiasis is a common urological problem, and its incidence has been increasing worldwide, including in Japan. Relationships between stone etiology and rise in ambient temperature have been reported, but it remains unclear how age and gender affect these relationships. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective examination was conducted of the medical archives of 1005 patients (aged ≥15 years) with acute renal colic diagnosed with urolithiasis upon image examination who consecutively visited emergency departments in three hospitals. The patients were categorized into six groups according to age: younger than 30, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 years and older. The net difference and fold increase in the number of patients in summer (July to September) versus in winter (December to February) were calculated. RESULTS: Overall, the actual number of the patients varied according to the temperature rise throughout the year and among the age groups. Net increases in the number of patients were observed in all age groups for both genders, apart from 30-39-year-old women. The age group of 50-59 years considerably outnumbered all other groups. A significant statistical correlation was detected between the fold increase and male aging using Spearman's rank correlation analysis (ρ = 0.94, p = 0.017), but not in females (ρ = -0.03, p = 1). CONCLUSIONS: These results support a positive association between ambient temperature rise and increase in the incidence of renal colic due to urolithiasis in Japan, and indicate that aging and gender affect the association differently.

Comparison of semi-extended and standard lymph node dissection in radical prostatectomy: A single-institute experience.

Standard lymphadenectomy for prostate cancer is limited to the obturator lymph nodes (LNs), although the internal and external iliac LNs represent the primary landing zone for prostatic lymphatic drainage. We performed anatomically semi-extended pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) to assess the incidence of LN metastasis in cases of clinically localized prostate cancer. A total of 730 consecutive patients underwent radical prostatectomy with either semi-extended PLND, comprising 6 selective fields, namely the external iliac, internal iliac and obturator LNs bilaterally, or standard LND (obturator LNs alone). A total of 131 patients undergoing semi-extended PLND were compared with 599 patients undergoing standard LND. The patients were stratified into high-risk [prostate-specific antigen (PSA)>20 ng/ml, Gleason score (GS)≥8], intermediate-risk (PSA 10-20 ng/ml, GS=4+3) and low-risk (PSA<10 ng/ml, GS≤3+4) subgroups. Following semi-extended LND, positive LNs were detected in 12/61 (20%) of the high-risk, 1/30 (3%) of the intermediate-risk and 0/40 (0%) of the low-risk cases. Following standard LND, positive LNs were detected in 13/182 (7%) of the high-risk, 1/164 (0.6%) of the intermediate-risk and 0/253 (0%) of the low-risk cases. In high-risk patients, the detection rate of LN metastasis was significantly higher following extended LND compared with standard LND (P<0.01). In 9 of 13 patients (69%), metastases were identified in the internal and external iliac regions, despite negative obturator LNs. There were no significant differences regarding intraoperative and postoperative complications or blood loss in the two groups. There was no lymphocele formation in patients undergoing either standard or semi-extended LND. Extended pelvic LND (PLND) is associated with a high rate of LN metastasis detection outside the fields of standard LND in cases with clinically localized prostate cancer. Therefore, LND including the internal and external iliac LNs should be performed in all patients with high-risk prostate cancer; however, in the low-risk group, PLND may be omitted.

Long term survival in a case of concurrent retroperitoneal liposarcoma and renal cell carcinoma: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Liposarcoma is one of the most common soft tissue sarcomas found in adults. It has a predilection for retroperitoneal space. Renal cell carcinoma is the most common tumor of the kidney. CASE PRESENTATION: Concurrent retroperitoneal liposarcoma and renal cell carcinoma were found in a 34-year-old Japanese man. The renal tumor was first detected by ultrasonography, it was confirmed by computed tomography, which also identified a presumptive retroperitoneal liposarcoma, and the tumors were further assessed with magnetic resonance imaging. The patient was treated by surgical resection of retroperitoneal liposarcoma and left nephrectomy and has been disease-free for 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: The concomitant occurrence of a renal tumor and a primary primary liposarcoma is rare. The major factors promoting a good prognosis in this case were the favorable histology and the small size of the tumors.

[Three-year follow-up of 12 patients with prostate cancer treated with monthly degarelix in a phase II clinical trial].

The efficacy and safety of degarelix, a luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone(LH-RH)antagonist, in patients with prostate cancer(PCa)were evaluated in a phase II, open-label, multicenter clinical trial. In this trial, a total of 13 patients were accrued at the Yamagata Prefectural Central Hospital from 2007 to 2008. The median age was 80 years(range, 65-85 years), and clinical stages were T1c, T2, T3, and T4 in 1, 4, 6, and 2 patients, respectively. Nodal(N)status was N0 in 9 patients and N1 in 4 patients. Distant metastases were absent(M0)in 12 patients and present(M1b)in 1 patient. The median prostate- specific antigen(PSA)level was 29.1 ng/mL(range, 6.3-427 ng/mL). All but one patient, who died of an unrelated cause, received a monthly dose(80 or 160mg)of degarelix for 12 months and were followed-up for 3 years. The PSA level declined in all patients. One patient died of an unrelated cause during the phase II trial. After completion of the phase II trial, 5 patients were treated with combined and rogen blockade(CAB)(leuprolide plus anti-androgen therapy), 2 patients were treated with single-agent leuprolide, 2 patients received single-agent bicalutamide, and 1 patient was followed-up without additional treatment. Radical prostatectomy was performed in 2 patients. Among the 5 patients treated with CAB, 2 died of metastatic cancer. CAB was effective in suppressing PSA levels in 3 patients. In 1 patient with T3aN1M1b PCa, colon cancer with lung metastases was detected during the follow-up period. Treatment with chemotherapy for colon cancer was effective in suppressing PSA levels for 12 months. In 1 patient with cT3aN1M0 PCa, the PSA level declined to <0.02 ng/mL, and a reduction in size of the prostate gland and metastatic lymph nodes was observed. This effect persisted for 3.5 years after the completion of the 12-month degarelix regimen, and no additional treatment was required.

Association between oral health and the risk of lacunar infarction in Japanese adults.

BACKGROUND: Poor oral health is associated with an increased risk of dementia in the elderly. One possible pathway linking these two phenomena is lacunar infarction, a potential cause of dementia. An association between poor oral health and an increased risk of ischaemic stroke has been recognised through the oral infection-inflammation pathway. However, little is known about whether poor oral health is associated with the progression of lacunar infarction. OBJECTIVE: We examined the association between variables related to oral health and lacunar infarction, as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: A total of 110 subjects (52 men, 58 women), aged 27-76 years, who visited our periodontology clinic participated in this study. The subjects underwent dental radiography, periodontal examinations and brain MRI. One experienced specialist in cardiovascular disease and one experienced neurosurgeon determined the number of lacunar infarctions on brain MRI. Periodontologists performed clinical periodontal examinations. Variables related to oral health were determined from the radiographs by an oral radiologist. Information on the subjects' lifestyles and disease histories were obtained using a structured questionnaire and confirmed by clinical records. Adjacent categories logit regression analysis with backward elimination was used to determine variables associated with three groups based on the number of lacunar infarctions. RESULTS: Of the 110 subjects, 61 had lacunar infarctions. Nineteen had multiple (≥7) lesions. Aging (p = 0.0004), increased time spent in physical activity per day (p = 0.042), the presence of hypertension (p = 0.006), the absence of hyperlipidaemia (p = 0.045), the presence of diabetes mellitus (p = 0.025) and low alveolar bone height (p = 0.026) were significantly associated with an increased number of lacunar infarctions in the final regression model. The significance of hyperlipidaemia and alveolar bone height disappeared in an unadjusted model. An increased pocket depth, which indicates current periodontal disease progression, tended to be associated with an increased number of lacunar infarctions (p = 0.058). This tendency did not disappear in an unadjusted model. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that lacunar infarction may be associated with current periodontal disease in Japanese adults.

Tetracyclines convert the osteoclastic-differentiation pathway of progenitor cells to produce dendritic cell-like cells.

Tetracyclines, such as doxycycline and minocycline, are used to suppress the growth of bacteria in patients with inflammatory diseases. Tetracyclines have been shown to prevent bone loss, but the mechanism involved is unknown. Osteoclasts and dendritic cells (DCs) are derived from common progenitors, such as bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs). In this article, we show that tetracyclines convert the differentiation pathway, resulting in DC-like cells not osteoclasts. Doxycycline and minocycline inhibited the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis of BMMs, but they had no effects on cell growth and phagocytic activity. They influenced neither the proliferation nor the differentiation of bone-forming osteoblasts. Surprisingly, doxycycline and minocycline induced the expression of DC markers, CD11c and CD86, in BMMs in the presence of RANKL. STAT5 is involved in DC differentiation induced by GM-CSF. Midostaurin, a STAT5-signaling inhibitor, and an anti-GM-CSF-neutralizing Ab suppressed the differentiation induced by GM-CSF but not by tetracyclines. In vivo, the injection of tetracyclines into RANKL-injected mice and RANKL-transgenic mice suppressed RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and promoted the concomitant appearance of CD11c(+) cells. These results suggested that tetracyclines prevent bone loss induced by local inflammation, including rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis, through osteoclast-DC-like cell conversion.

Lineage-committed osteoclast precursors circulate in blood and settle down into bone.

Osteoclasts are derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage, but little is known about osteoclast precursors in circulation. We previously showed that cell cycle-arrested quiescent osteoclast precursors (QOPs) were detected along bone surfaces as direct osteoclast precursors. Here we show that receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK)-positive cells isolated from bone marrow and peripheral blood possess characteristics of QOPs in mice. RANK-positive cells expressed c-Fms (receptors of macrophage colony-stimulating factor) at various levels, but scarcely expressed other monocyte/granulocyte markers. RANK-positive cells failed to exert phagocytic and proliferating activities, and differentiated into osteoclasts but not into dendritic cells. To identify circulating QOPs, collagen disks containing bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP disks) were implanted into mice, which were administered bromodeoxyuridine daily. Most nuclei of osteoclasts detected in BMP-2-induced ectopic bone were bromodeoxyuridine-negative. RANK-positive cells in peripheral blood proliferated more slowly and had a much longer lifespan than F4/80 (a macrophage marker)-positive macrophages. When BMP disks and control disks were implanted in RANK ligand-deficient mice, RANK-positive cells were observed in the BMP disks but not in the controls. F4/80-positive cells were distributed in both disks. Administration of FYT720, a sphingosine 1-phosphate agonist, promoted the egress of RANK-positive cells from hematopoietic tissues into bloodstream. These results suggest that lineage-determined QOPs circulate in the blood and settle in the bone.

[Fourteen-year attitude survey on cancer disclosure to new outpatients of urology department].

PURPOSE: To investigate if timing of first visit, ages, sex, family history of cancer, and smoking history would cause any differences in patients' attitude toward cancer disclosure. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Subjects were 10,552 patients who first visited Urology Department of Nihonkai Hospital between 1993 and 2007, and were asked to fill in the questionnaire. The questionnaire contents are as follows: "If you were diagnosed as having cancer, would you like to be informed about the diagnosis of your disease?", and "If your families were diagnosed as having cancer, would you like to inform them about the diagnosis of their disease?". The subjects were asked to select their answers from the following options: (1) "fully informed", (2) "informed only when it is curable", (3) "not informed", and (4) "can not decide now". The relation of patients' attitude toward cancer disclosure with the timing of first visit, ages, sex, family history of cancer, and smoking history was investigated. RESULTS: The response rate was approximately 80%. If the subjects would have cancer, 71.5% preferred to be informed ("fully informed" or "informed if it is curable"), and 9.2% did not. If the subjects' family would have cancer, 55.5% preferred their family to be informed ("fully informed" or "informed if it is curable"), and 14.9% did not. As it became more recent, both the rate of subjects who did not prefer to be informed (11.5% in 1993-1995, and 8.0% in 2005-2007) and the rate of those who did not prefer their family to be informed (18.6% in 1993-1995, and 11.0% in 2005-2007) decreased. Young subjects, men, and smokers more preferred to be informed. The subjects who had family history of cancer more preferred to inform them, but less to inform their family. CONCLUSIONS: As it became more recent, both the subjects who did not prefer to be informed and those who did not prefer their family to be informed decreased. The idea that cancer disclosure was necessary to select the treatment methods based on each patient's preference and decision had been pervasive.

[Relationship between operative factors and postoperative renal function in laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery].

We retrospectively investigated the relationship between postoperative renal function and operative factors. We performed (99m)Tc-mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG) 3 renography for 10 patients after they underwent laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma in our institute from 2003 to 2008. We used serum creatinine level and (99m)Tc-MAG 3 renogram to assess the postoperative renal function, and assessed whether the findings correlated with physical and operative factors. There was no relationship between the rate of increase in creatinine level and other factors ; the % reduction determined from the preoperative and postoperative renograms showed a significant correlation with the operation time and the ischemic time. It is important to shorten the duration of operation and ischemia to preserve the renal function after laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery.

Identification of cell cycle-arrested quiescent osteoclast precursors in vivo.

How are sites suitable for osteoclastogenesis determined? We addressed this issue using in vivo and in vitro experimental systems. We first examined the formation of osteoclasts in ectopic bone induced by BMP-2. When collagen disks which contained BMP-2 (BMP-2-disks) or vehicle (control-disks) were implanted into wild-type mice, osteoclasts and osteoblasts appeared in the BMP-2-disks, but not in the control disks. RANKL-deficient (RANKL(-/-)) mice exhibited osteopetrosis, with an absence of osteoclasts. BMP-2 and control disks were implanted into RANKL(-/-) mice, which were intraperitoneally injected with RANKL. Osteoclasts formed in the BMP-2-disks, but not in the control disks. In the BMP-2-disks, osteoclasts were observed in the vicinity of osteoblasts. Cell cycle-arrested quiescent osteoclast precursors (QOP) were identified as the committed osteoclast precursors in vitro. Experiments in vivo showed that QOPs survived for several weeks, and differentiated into osteoclasts in response to M-CSF and RANKL. QOPs were identified as RANK and c-Fms double-positive cells, and detected along bone surfaces in the vicinity of osteoblasts in RANKL(-/-) mice. QOPs were also observed in the ectopic bone induced by BMP-2 implanted into RANKL(-/-) mice, suggesting that QOPs were circulating. These results imply that osteoblasts support the homing of QOPs to bone tissues. In response to bone-resorbing stimuli, QOPs promptly differentiate into osteoclasts. Therefore, the distribution of QOPs appears to determine the correct site of osteoclastic development.

Identification of cell cycle-arrested quiescent osteoclast precursors in vivo.

Osteoclasts are multinucleated cells that resorb bone. Although osteoclasts originate from the monocyte/macrophage lineage, osteoclast precursors are not well characterized in vivo. The relationship between proliferation and differentiation of osteoclast precursors is examined in this study using murine macrophage cultures treated with macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of NF-kappaB (RANK) ligand (RANKL). Cell cycle-arrested quiescent osteoclast precursors (QuOPs) were identified as the committed osteoclast precursors in vitro. In vivo experiments show that QuOPs survive for several weeks and differentiate into osteoclasts in response to M-CSF and RANKL. Administration of 5-fluorouracil to mice induces myelosuppression, but QuOPs survive and differentiate into osteoclasts in response to an active vitamin D(3) analogue given to those mice. Mononuclear cells expressing c-Fms and RANK but not Ki67 are detected along bone surfaces in the vicinity of osteoblasts in RANKL-deficient mice. These results suggest that QuOPs preexist at the site of osteoclastogenesis and that osteoblasts are important for maintenance of QuOPs.

Novel highly active FSM-16 supported molybdenum catalyst for hydrotreatment.

FSM-16 (Folded Sheet Silica) supported catalysts could accommodate 12 wt% Mo (18% MoO(3)) as a monolayer with higher dispersion than any other silica support; these catalysts showed outstanding HDS and HYD activities compared to gamma-Al(2)O(3), amorphous silica, and other mesoporous silica supported catalysts.

Effect of decabromodiphenyl ether and antimony trioxide on controlled pyrolysis of high-impact polystyrene mixed with polyolefins.

The controlled pyrolysis of polyethylene/polypropylene/polystyrene mixed with brominated high-impact polystyrene containing decabromodiphenyl ether as a brominated flame-retardant with antimony trioxide as a synergist was performed. The effect of decabromodiphenyl ether and antimony trioxide on the formation of its congeners and their effect on distribution of pyrolysis products were investigated. The controlled pyrolysis significantly affected the decomposition behavior and the formation of products. Analysis with gas chromatograph with electron capture detector confirmed that the bromine content was rich in step 1 (oil 1) liquid products leaving less bromine content in the step 2 (oil 2) liquid products. In the presence of antimony containing samples, the major portion of bromine was observed in the form of antimony bromide and no flame-retardant species were found in oil 1. In the presence of synergist, the step 1 and step 2 oils contain both light and heavy compounds. In the absence of synergist, the heavy compounds in step 1 oil and light compounds in step 2 oils were observed. The presence of antimony bromide was confirmed in the step 1 oils but not in step 2 oils.

Case of carcinosarcoma of urinary bladder obtained a pathologically complete response by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Carcinosarcoma of the bladder is an unusual malignancy characterized by an intimate admixture of malignant epithelial elements (carcinoma) and malignant soft tissue elements (sarcoma). To our knowledge, almost 80 cases have been reported, usually as case reports or small series. Patient with carcinosarcoma usually present with a high stage malignancy. Cystectomy or transurethral resection is the preferred treatment, often followed by radiation therapy, although prognosis is very bad. We herein report a case of carcinosarcoma of bladder obtained pathologically complete response by neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. She now shows no evidence of disease 30 months after the operation. To our knowledge, it is the first case where urinary bladder carcinosarcoma obtained a pathologically complete response by chemoradiotherapy.

New 19-nor-(20S)-1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 analogs strongly stimulate osteoclast formation both in vivo and in vitro.

2-Methylene-19-nor-(20S)-1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 (2MD), an analog of 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1alpha,25(OH)2D3], has been shown to strongly induce bone formation both in vitro and in vivo. We have synthesized four substituents at carbon 2 of 2MD (2MD analogs), four stereoisomers at carbon 20 of the respective 2MD analogs (2MD analog-C20 isomers) and four 2MD analogs with an oxygen atom at carbon 22 (2MD-22-oxa analogs) and examined their ability to stimulate osteoclastogenesis and induce hypercalcemia. 2MD analogs were 100 times as potent as 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in stimulating the formation of osteoclasts in vitro and in inducing the expression of receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand (RANKL) and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24 hydroxylase mRNAs in osteoblasts. The osteoclast-inducing activities of 2MD analog-C20 isomers and 2MD 22-oxa analogs were much weaker than those of 2MD analogs. In addition, the activity of a 2MD analog in inducing dentine resorption was much stronger than that of 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in the pit formation assay. Affinities to the vitamin D receptor and transcriptional activities of these compounds did not always correlate with their osteoclastogenic activities. Osteoprotegerin-deficient (OPG-/-) mice provide a suitable model for investigating in vivo effects of 2MD analogs because they exhibit extremely high concentrations of serum RANKL. The same amounts of 2MD analogs and 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 were administered daily to OPG-/- mice for 2 days. The elevation in serum concentrations of RANKL and calcium was much greater in 2MD analog-treated OPG-/- mice than in 1alpha,25(OH)2D3-treated ones. A 2MD analog was much more potent than 1alpha,25(OH)2D3 in causing hypercalcemia and in increasing soluble RANKL with enhanced osteoclastogenesis even in wild-type mice. In contrast, the administration of the 2MD analog to c-fos-deficient mice failed to induce osteoclastogenesis and hypercalcemia. These results suggest that new substituents at carbon 2 of 2MD strongly stimulate osteoclast formation in vitro and in vivo, and that osteoclastic bone resorption is indispensable for their hypercalcemic action of 2MD analogs in vivo.

Alkaline hydrothermal treatment of brominated high impact polystyrene (HIPS-Br) for bromine and bromine-free plastic recovery.

A method to recover both Br and Br-free plastic from brominated flame retardant high impact polystyrene (HIPS-Br) was proposed. HIPS-Br containing 15% Br was treated in autoclave at 280 degrees C using water or KOH solution of various amounts and concentrations. Hydrothermal treatment (30 ml water) leads to 90% debromination of 1g HIPS-Br but plastic is strongly degraded and could not be recovered. Alkaline hydrothermal treatment (45 ml or 60 ml KOH 1M) showed similar debromination for up to 12 g HIPS-Br and plastic was recovered as pellets with molecular weight distribution close to that of the initial material. Debromination occurs at melt plastic/KOH solution interface when liquid/vapour equilibrium is attained inside autoclave (280 degrees C and 7 MPa in our experimental conditions) and depends on the plastic amount/KOH volume ratio. The antimony oxide synergist from HIPS-Br remains in recovered plastic during treatment. A pictorial imagination of the proposed debromination process is presented.

Hydrothermal upgrading of biomass: effect of K2CO3 concentration and biomass/water ratio on products distribution.

Catalytic hydrothermal treatment of wood biomass was performed at 280 degrees C for 15 min in the presence of K2CO3 with different concentrations and biomass/water ratio (thermal). Oil products were extracted from both liquid and solid portion by different solvents and analyzed them individually. The biomass to water ratio has an important effect on product distribution and composition of oil products. Oil 1 (ether extract) with K2CO3 contained mainly phenolic compounds. Benzenediol derivatives were observed with 0.94 M K2CO3 concentration and they were not formed at lower concentrations (0.235 and 0.47 M). The decrease of solid residue was achieved to 4% with 0.94 M K2CO3 at 280 degrees C for 15 min. The volatility distribution of hydrocarbons (ether extract) were characterized by using C-NP gram. The distribution of oxygenated hydrocarbons changed depending upon the biomass to water ratio and concentration of K2CO3 solution.

The individual and cumulative effect of brominated flame retardant and polyvinylchloride (PVC) on thermal degradation of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymer.

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) copolymers without and with a polybrominated epoxy type flame retardant were thermally degraded at 450 degrees C alone (10 g) and mixed with polyvinylchloride (PVC) (8 g/2 g). Gaseous and liquid products of degradation were analysed by various gas chromatographic methods (GC with TCD, FID, AED, MSD) in order to determine the individual and cumulative effect of bromine and chlorine on the quality and quantity of degradation compounds. It was found that nitrogen, chlorine, bromine and oxygen are present as organic compounds in liquid products, their quantity depends on the pyrolysed polymer or polymer mixture. Bromophenol and dibromophenols were the main brominated compounds that come from the flame retardant. 1-Chloroethylbenzene was the main chlorine compound observed in liquid products. It was also determined that interactions appear at high temperatures during decomposition between the flame retardant, PVC and the ABS copolymer.