Application of δ-MnO2 and biochar materials in an arsenic-contaminated groundwater.

Two activated biochar materials, peanut char (δ-MnO2 /A-PC) and corn char (δ-MnO2 /A-CC), were used to treat an arsenic solution containing 97.5% As(III) and 2.5% As(V). After reacting with δ-MnO2 /A-PC for 24 h, 18.8% of As(III) and 35.4% of As(V) remained in the solution, revealing that some As(III) was oxidized to As(V) and the other was removed by adsorption. However, δ-MnO2 /A-CC caused the solution to retain 15.6% of As(III) and 41.7% of As(V) under the same conditions, indicating that δ-MnO2 /A-CC had higher oxidation for arsenic species than δ-MnO2 /A-CC. Adsorption capacities for δ-MnO2 /A-PC and δ-MnO2 /A-CC to arsenic were 1.50 and 1.53 mg/g in a solution with 0.5 ppm As(III), respectively. After coating with δ-MnO2 , the proportion of mesopore surface areas of δ-MnO2 /A-CC increased from 33.3% to 79.0%, but their mesopore volumes increased from 67.6% to 89.4%. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses demonstrated that δ-MnO2 was coated onto the surfaces of the biochars. The 600°C-ACC had a higher specific surface area, 221 m2 /g, than the δ-600°C-APC, 81.5 m2 /g; δ-MnO2 /A-CC could attach more Mn (38.2%) than δ-MnO2 /A-PC (27.8%). The elemental analysis revealed that δ-MnO2 /A-PC and δ-MnO2 /A-CC had similar carbon contents of 26.2%. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The δ-MnO2 /biochar adsorbent can oxidize As(III) into As(V) in the groundwater. δ-MnO2 /biochar adsorbed large amounts of As(III) and As(V). Adsorbent that contains more δ-MnO2 has a higher oxidation capacity. The δ-MnO2 /biochar made from corn stalks could combine with more δ-MnO2 .

A new statistical method for testing hypotheses of neuropsychological/MRI relationships in schizophrenia: partial least squares analysis.

We applied partial least squares (PLS) as a novel multivariate statistical technique to examine neuropsychological correlates of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of brain volumes in a well studied sample of 15 male patients with chronic schizophrenia. In the current study, because the total number of measures far surpassed the total number of subjects, extant multivariate techniques such as canonical correlation could not be used to examine relationships among simultaneous measures of MRI and neuropsychology. Moreover, because MRI measures were expected to be highly inter-correlated, as would be neuropsychological test scores, extant multivariate statistical techniques would be substantially limited because they typically assume statistical independence among sets of measures. PLS, on the other hand, proved to be especially well suited to examining the relationships among function and anatomy measures in this sample, where statistically significant relationships were demonstrated that were entirely consistent with prior studies using univariate correlation techniques. In particular, statistically significant relationships emerged among sets of MRI temporal lobe measures and neuropsychological tests of verbal memory and categorization as well as among MRI frontal measures and neuropsychological tests of working memory.

Zoledronic acid treatment for cancerous bone metastases: a phase IV study in Taiwan.

AIM OF STUDY: To investigate the features, adverse effects, bone marker changes in patients with breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma with bone metastases under Zometa® therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This post-marketing study included 414 Taiwanese patients with bone metastases secondary to breast cancer, prostate cancer, or multiple myeloma who received Zometa® for 48 weeks. The patients' characteristics, medication and adverse events were recorded, meanwhile changes in four serum bone metabolic markers and pain reduction were assessed every three months for one year. RESULTS: A total of 3,711 doses of Zometa® were infused, accounting for 294.5 patient-years. Adverse events occurred in 9.4% of patients, with bone pain, insomnia, constipation, and pyrexia as the most frequently reported. There was no osteonecrosis of the jaw. The incidence of skeletal-related events decreased significantly from 44.9% to 18.8%. Serum NTx, BAP, and TRACP5b steadily decreased to nadir at six months, but serum OPG was persistently elevated until the end of one year. The average decrease in pain score was 14.1, 14.3, and 16.7 for prostate cancer, breast cancer, and multiple myeloma patients, respectively. CONCLUSION: Zometa® can be safely administered in Taiwanese patients with bone metastases secondary to breast cancer, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. There are concomitant decreases in skeletal-related events and bone pain.