Simultaneous Screening of 322 Residual Pesticides in Fruits and Vegetables Using GC-MS/MS and Deterministic Health Risk Assessments.

The development of efficient methods for evaluating pesticide residues is essential in order to ensure the safety and quality of agricultural products since the Republic of Korea implemented the Positive List System (PLS). The objective of this research was to establish a method for the simultaneous analysis of 322 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables (such as coffee, potato, corn, and chili pepper), using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) approach in combination with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). This study introduces a robust, high-throughput GC-MS/MS method for screening the target pesticide residues in agricultural products, achieving the PLS criterion of 0.01 mg/kg LOQ. Despite some compounds not aligning with the CODEX recovery guideline, sufficient reproducibility was confirmed, attesting to the method's applicability in qualitative analyses. A health risk assessment conducted using estimated daily intake/acceptable daily intake ratios indicated low risks associated with product consumption (<0.035391%), thereby confirming their safety. This efficient method holds significant implications for the safe distribution of agricultural products, including during import inspections.

8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome with t(1;8)(q25;p11.2): a case report and review of the literature.

8p11 myeloproliferative syndrome (EMS) is a rare disease characterized by myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) associated with eosinophilia and T or B lymphoblastic lymphoma/leukemia. EMS is defined by molecular disruption of the FGFR1 gene at the 8p11-12 chromosome locus, and various partner genes are associated with FGFR1 gene translocation or insertion. The different partner-FGFR1 fusion genes are associated with slightly different disease phenotypes. The present patient showed T lymphoblastic lymphoma in a cervical lymph node, involvement of malignant lymphoma in the skin, and MPN bone marrow morphology with peripheral monocytosis. Chromosome analysis of the patient showed t(1;8)(q25;p11.2). To our knowledge, only 2 cases of EMS with translocation of t(1;8)(q25;p11.2) have been previously reported. Including this case, all 3 cases with EMS with t(1;8)(q25;p11.2) showed MPN bone marrow morphology and peripheral monocytosis. These findings support that t(1;8)(q25;p11.2) is associated with peripheral monocytosis in EMS patients. Of the 2 cases of EMS with t(1;8)(q25;p11.2) which were previously reported, FGFR1 rearrangement was not confirmed in 1 case. Similarly, FGFR1 rearrangement in the present case was not detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization or reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Further study is needed to identify other techniques that could be used to demonstrate FGFR1 rearrangement.

Mesoporous nickel oxide nanowires: hydrothermal synthesis, characterisation and applications for lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors with superior performance.

Mesoporous nickel oxide nanowires were synthesized by a hydrothermal reaction and subsequent annealing at 400 °C. The porous one-dimensional nanostructures were analysed by field-emission SEM, high-resolution TEM and N(2) adsorption/desorption isotherm measurements. When applied as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries, the as-prepared mesoporous nickel oxide nanowires demonstrated outstanding electrochemical performance with high lithium storage capacity, satisfactory cyclability and an excellent rate capacity. They also exhibited a high specific capacitance of 348 F g(-1) as electrodes in supercapacitors.

Preliminary Results of Paclitaxel, Cisplatin and Concurrent High-Dose Radiation Therapy for Locally Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate the feasibility, toxicity and response rate, of concurrent chemoradiation therapy with paclitaxel/cisplatin in stage III locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between May 1999 and December 2000, 80 patients with stage III NSCLC were enrolled in a prospective protocol. Radiotherapy was given to a total dose of 70.2 Gy (daily fraction of 1.8 Gy for 5 days), over an 8 week period, on the gross tumor volume, combined with chemotherapy. The concurrent chemotherapy consisted of paclitaxel (40 mg/m2) and 20 mg/m2 cisplatin per week for 8 consecutive weeks. All patients received 3-D conformal radiotherapy using CT-simulated planning. Acute toxicities were evaluated by the RTOG scale. The median follow-up period was 16 months, ranging from 3 to 29 months. RESULTS: Of the 80 patients, 71 received treatment per protocol, with minor variation of protocol delivery. The median age of the patients was 60 years. Karnofsky Performance status were 100 and 90 in 62 patients, and 80 and 70 in 9, respectively. Weight loss of less than 5% for 6 months was observed in 22 patients. The response to treatment was evaluated from the radiological findings. Complete and partial responses were observed in 8 and 51 patients, respectively. Ultimately, 82% of patients (included complete responses: 8 cases) obtained more than a partial response. Although, radiation induced esophagitis was the most common treatment related toxicity, occurring in 44 patients (69%), severe radiation esophagitis like, grade 3, was observed in only 3 patients, and the most acute toxicities had completely recovered 1 month following treatment. The overall 2-year actuarial and progression free survivals were 56 and 45%, respectively. CONCLUSION: This combined modality has activity with manageable toxicity and 23 months in mean survival time in patients with stage III NSCLC. A longer follow up will be required to realise the expected higher survival of these results.