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Objective: To report an unusual case of systemic non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) with repeated relapse in the lacrimal glands, in spite of complete remission for several years after treatment.Methods: A 78-year-old male with small lymphocytic B cell NHL, stage IV disease (lung invasion), was submitted to surgery and chemotherapy in 2001, with complete remission of the disease. In 2003 he developed a nodular lesion in the right lacrimal fossa. Pathology results revealed a local relapse of NHL. Radiation and chemotherapy were initiated and complete remission was again achieved. In 2012 the patient developed a new nodular lesion located in the left lacrimal fossa, resulting in diplopia, ptosis and proptosis of the left eye. Orbital computerized tomography (CT), ocular ultrasound and incisional biopsy were performed.Results: Orbital CT revealed a lesion infiltrating the left lacrimal gland and encircling the globe. Biopsy results confirmed a local relapse of B cell NHL. The patient was submitted to local radiation therapy with progressive resolution of ptosis, proptosis and diplopia. Response to treatment was monitored with ocular ultrasound. Conclusions: Patients with NHL diagnosis should be immediately investigated if ophthalmic or orbital symptoms develop. NHL extension to the orbit and adnexa is infrequent (5% of NHL cases) but may occur at any stage of the disease, including as a relapse site. In such cases, radiation and chemotherapy achieve good results, inducing long periods of remission.

[english] Introduction: Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe demyelinating syndrome characterized by optic neuritis (ON) and acute myelitis. The NMO spectrum is actually recognized to typically evolve as a relapsing disorder that also includes patients with atypical unilateral ON and those with index events of ON and myelitis occurring weeks or even years apart (Jarius/Wildemann 2013). NMO was previously assumed to be a variant of multiple sclerosis (MS), but the discovery of aquaporin-4 antibodies in patients with neuromyelitis optica has led to this view being revised (Mandler 2006, Barnett/Sutton 2012, Wingerchuk et al. 2007). The cause of the condition is still unknown, but it has been shown that the antibodies bind selectively to a water channel expressed mainly on astrocytes at the blood-brain-barrier, which has an important role in the regulation of brain volume and ion homeostasis. However, there are some patients with NMO that are antibodies negative. The diagnosis is made on the basis of case history, clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and spinal cord, analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), visual evoked potentials and a blood test with analysis of aquaporin-4 antibodies (Barnett/Sutton 2012, Wingerchuk et al. 2007, Thornton et al. 2011). This suggests that periodical revisions of established concepts and diagnostic criteria are necessary.Purpose: The authors describe an extremely rare case of neuromyelitis optica and the aim of this paper is to call attention for the cases of NMO whith NMO-IgG negative.Methods: The selected method is a case report.Results: To date the patient showed partial recovery of left eye acuity and improvement of muscle strength of upper and lower limbs and does not show recurrence of the disease.Conclusion: NMO has a distinct clinical, imaging and immunopathological features sufficient to distinguish it from MS. This distinction is essential, because the treatment and the prognosis is different.

Rare earth elements (REEs), comprising seventeen metallic elements, including lanthanides, scandium, and yttrium, are indispensable for modern technological industries due to their unique properties. However, their supply is critically risky for the European Union, with 95% of global production concentrated in China, Brazil, Vietnam, Russia, India, and Australia. This mini-review examines the adsorption of REEs onto pyrolytic carbon-based materials as a sustainable recovery method from secondary raw materials. The review covers different types of carbon-based adsorbents used in several research works, such as activated carbon, chars, and biochar, and discusses their adsorption mechanisms and influencing factors. Comparative analyses of adsorption capacities highlight the significance of surface area and functionalization in enhancing adsorption efficiency. Despite promising results, the variability in adsorption performance due to experimental conditions and the scarcity of real-world application studies are noticed. This review underscores the need for further research using real e-waste leachates to validate the practical applicability of pyrolytic carbon-based adsorbents for REEs' recovery, aiming for an economically and environmentally sustainable solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, it is urgent to develop new energy production and utilisation routes to achieve sustainable development with low environmental impact. Gasification of biomass wastes followed by biomethane production may contribute to achieve these goals. The objective of this paper is to study hot cleaning and upgrading processes of gasification gas to allow it to be suitable for biomethane production. Gas produced by gasification of eucalyptus wastes at 750 ºC and 850 ºC was used to study the hot gas conditioning process. For this, two sequential fixed bed steps with different catalysts or sorbents and at different temperatures were tested. In Pathway A, a low cost natural mineral, limestone, was used in both steps at temperatures from 500 º to 700 ºC. In Pathway B, limestone was used in the first step and in the second one, a nickel-based catalyst was tested. The effect of temperature was also studied by using temperatures between 500 ºC and 700 ºC. Pathway B showed to be the best option, especially at the highest temperature tested, producing a syngas richer in H2 and CO2, with very low contents of tar and heavier gaseous hydrocarbons. Pathway B was also effective for great NH3 and H2S reductions, around 90 %, leading to final NH3 and H2S concentrations of around 158 and 21 mg/m3, respectively. Further reductions will be studied by testing new multi-functional and more specific catalysts in the next studies, accordingly with new biomethanation catalysts requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A methodology was developed to assess the allocation of different types of endogenous waste biomass to eight technologies for producing electricity, heat, biogas and advanced biofuels. It was based on the identification of key physicochemical parameters for each conversion process and the definition of limit values for each parameter, applied to two different matrices of waste biomass. This enabled the creation of one Admissibility Grid with target values per type of waste biomass and conversion technology, applicable to a decision process in the routing to energy production. The construction of the grid was based on the evaluation of 24 types of waste biomass, corresponding to 48 sets of samples tested, for which a detailed physicochemical characterization and an admissibility assessment were made. The samples were collected from Municipal Solid Waste treatment facilities, sewage sludges, agro-industrial companies, poultry farms, and pulp and paper industries. The conversion technologies and energy products considered were (trans)esterification to fatty acid methyl esters, anaerobic digestion to methane, fermentation to bioethanol, dark fermentation to biohydrogen, combustion to electricity and heat, gasification to syngas, and pyrolysis and hydrothermal liquefaction to bio-oils. The validation of the Admissibility Grid was based on the determination of conversion rates and product yields over 23 case studies that were selected according to the best combinations of waste biomass type versus technological solution and energy product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is an energy-efficient technology that converts biomass with high moisture content, such as lignocellulosic material and aquatic biomass, into bio-oil which can be used as a precursor in the production of renewable biofuels. The current state of technology is mostly at a laboratory scale with relatively low Technology Readiness Levels (TRL). Most HTL research takes place in batch reaction systems, but there is growing interest in scaling up the technology through the use of continuous units. The process is influenced by several factors and operational parameters, which affect the performance of the process in terms of production and bio-oil quality. HTL is highly dependent on the type of biomass used. The main advantages in relation to other thermochemical processes is the possibility of using wet biomass, avoiding the high cost of the drying process. In this work several types of biomasses were studied, different types of micro algae (i. e. Spirulina, Chlorella Vulgaris, algae grown in industrial effluents), and grass. Growing microalgae has a significant cost in the production process of liquid biofuels. So, it was also tested algae cultivated in industrial effluents which has advantages from an economic and environmental point of view. Also, the grass wastes, have high moisture content and so its adequate to be process in HTL. In all the tests, four different products were obtained: gases, aqueous and organic (biocrude) products and solids. All these fractions were characterized to suggest their most favourable application. The gases were mainly composed of Hydrogen, Oxygen, Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide and Hydrocarbons until C4. Bio oil composition was the parameter most affected by biomass type. So, when microalgae were used, it was observed higher content of nitrogenous compounds, like pyrroles, indoles, pyrazines and other nitrogen-containing compounds, probably formed from the protein fraction of the algae. In all the bio-oils it was also detected the presence of oxygenated compounds, such as ketones, esters, phenols, fatty acids, alcohols, that maybe were produced from the lipids and carbohydrates. Hydrocarbons, including alkanes, alkenes, alkynes and aromatics compounds were also present. The composition of the biomass used has a higher effect on the bio-oil composition, so it is important an extensive characterization of the feedstock in order to select the best raw material to be used in HTL process depending on the intended application. This paper analyses the effect of biomass composition in the HTL to assess its viability to be used to produce biofuels or valuable chemicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of hydrogen (H2) as an energy carrier may have an important role in the near future. Nowadays, H2 is mostly produced from fossil fuels, thus, it is urgent to prove the viability of alternative and sustainable processes to obtain H2. Gasification of renewable sources like biomass that are widely available, inexpensive and carbonneutral is considered a viable technical, economic and environmental alternative for H2 production. The first step of biohydrogen (bio-H2) production through biomass gasification is the production of syngas (gasification gas). Syngas cleaning and upgrading procedures are essential to remove undesirable compounds and to increase bio-H2 content. Steam reforming and water gas shift reactions are also crucial to increase bio-H2 content in syngas. Next, bio-H2 separation from other gaseous compounds is needed to finally obtain bio-H2 at the required purification level. Although some of the mentioned technologies are proven and available on the market for similar applications, some drawbacks and technological challenges for the overall process need to be overcome to improve the overall techno-economic feasibility. This paper aims to analyse and discuss different bio-H2 production routes from biomass gasification to c the most promising ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work evaluated the effects of condensable syngas impurities on the cell viability and product distribution of Butyribacterium methylotrophicum in syngas fermentation. The condensates were collected during the gasification of two technical lignins derived from wheat straw (WST) and softwood (SW) at different temperatures and in the presence or absence of catalysts. The cleanest syngas with 169 and 3020 ppmv of H2S and NH3, respectively, was obtained at 800 °C using dolomite as catalyst. Pyridines were the prevalent compounds in most condensates and the highest variety of aromatics with cyanide substituents were originated during WST lignin gasification at 800 °C without catalyst. In contrast with SW lignin-based condensates, the fermentation media supplemented with WST lignin-derived condensates at 1:100 vol. only supported residual growth of B. methylotrophicum. By decreasing the condensate concentration in the medium, growth inhibition ceased and a trend toward butyrate production over acetate was observed. The highest butyrate-to-acetate ratio of 1.3 was obtained by supplementing the fermentation media at 1:1000 vol. with the condensate derived from the WST lignin, which was gasified at 800 °C in the presence of olivine. B. methylotrophicum was able to adapt and resist the impurities of the crude syngas and altered its metabolism to produce additional butyrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work was focused on converting plastic mixtures of LDPE (low density polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PS (polystyrene) with incorporation of small amounts of organic matter and paper, via catalytic pyrolysis into valuable products. The small incorporation of these materials was due to its low presence in the MPW used in this study. The results were compared with those of thermal pyrolysis. Mixture composition was set to obtain olefins/aromatic ratio of approximately 1 for the success of the next alkylation step. As in thermal pyrolysis, this ratio was difficult to obtain, FCC catalyst was tested. No significant impact in product yields and composition was observed with the incorporation of small amounts of the mentioned materials and with the use of this type of catalysts. The solid seems to contain the incorporated materials in the initial plastic waste mixture. The use of FCC increased the gas and solid content of about 3.7 % and 27.1 %. The liquid-oil decreased 30.8 %. Regarding liquid-oil composition, the use of FCC increased the aromatic compounds. Catalyst increased the quality of the liquid-oils, however it was not observed a significant impact in other products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only around 30 % of the 27.1 million tonnes of plastic waste recovered annually in Europe is being recycled efficiently into new products. The most common way to recycle plastics nowadays is through mechanical recycling methods that involve sorting plastics by type, melting them and reprocessing into recycled products. Mechanical recycling requires clean, high-purity mono-material streams, that must be obtained by separation at source (by the citizen or industry) or by manual or automated sorting of mixed waste streams. However, this degree of separation is very difficult or even impossible due to composition or contamination of the plastic waste, such is the case for example of complex materials like composites, made of more than one material that in most cases cannot be separated, and of highly contaminated plastic residues (e.g. food packaging). In economic terms, plastic recycling is not always cost-efficient since many times recycling costs are not covered by the prices of the recycled plastics. As a result, approximately 70 % of European plastic waste is not recycled due to technical or economic reasons, so, they are sent to landfill or to incineration. One of the possible solutions to deal with this type of plastic wastes is the pyrolysis process which allows taking profit of plastics organic matter and tolerates a certain degree of contamination. Pyrolysis products have good quality. Gases have high calorific value and liquids have high energetic content and stability characteristics, including well-defined distillation point, stability of physical properties, low acidity, and high miscibility with conventional fuels. However, products obtained by plastic waste pyrolysis depend on the operational conditions and are strongly affected by the type of plastic waste used. The main purpose of this study is to validate the application of the pyrolysis process for treatment and transformation of plastic mix (essentially derived from MSW and from end-of-life composites) into mainly profitable liquids, together with gases and solid by using thermal (or catalytic) pyrolysis. The raw materials studied were waste streams from municipal solid waste (MSW), containing mainly plastic (i.e. PE, PP, PS, and small amounts of PET and PVC) separated from organic waste pool, as well as end-of-life composites (i.e. packages, electrical wastes, vehicles, etc.). After sorting of these waste materials, plastic fractions of different composition were processed in the pyrolysis reactor. The pyrolysis experiments were carried out in batch 5.5 L reactor using different mixtures, operational conditions and catalysts. All gaseous hydrocarbons produced were measured and collected for direct analysis by gas chromatography (GC), whilst liquid hydrocarbons were distilled and solids were extracted with hexane. Liquid fractions were analysed using a GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) to identify their main compounds, which were quantified by GC. The experimental results obtained showed that, for instance, the use of polystyrene favoured highly the formation of aromatic compounds, mainly toluene, ethylbenzene and xylene, while in presence of polyethylene the hydrocarbons produced are mainly paraffins. Also, the presence of PS, PET and PVC increases the solid content, decreasing the liquid yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The main objective of this paper is to carry out a techno‐economic evaluation for the direct coal liquefaction (DCL) process based on the two primary conversion options under consideration: (a) catalytic coal liquefaction (CCL) – the use of non‐donor solvents with added hydrogen pressure and (b) thermal coal liquefaction (TCL) – the use of solvents with some H‐donor properties without hydrogen pressure. For this purpose, steady‐state process models for the CCL and TCL are developed. The process modules addresses only the primary DCL process and do not include any upgrading to transport fuels as this will be conducted at refinery facilities. To better understand the process parameters and benefits of each option, detailed simulations have been conducted using the ECLIPSE modelling software. Technical results showed that daily oil yields (light and middle distillates) were around 1208 barrels from the CCL process and 924 barrels from the TCL process when the feed rate of brown coal was 256 t/d (on dry and ash free basis). Based on economic assumptions, the break‐even oil price would be €47.10/barrel with the CCL and €57.81/barrel with the TCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the contribution of orbital biopsy for the management of patients with an orbital mass of unknown etiology using the Greenwich Grading System (GGS). Methods: This was a retrospective case series conducted at a tertiary hospital over a period of 10 years (2007-2017). Case records of all patients with an orbital mass were reviewed. All relevant data collected from the medical records electronic database were analyzed. The GGS was used to assess the contribution of orbital biopsy for the diagnosis, investigation, and treatment of each patient. Results: Ninety-two medical records were reviewed; 34 patients underwent orbital biopsy. The mean age was 53 ± 26 years and 58.7% were female. In the biopsied group, the most common histopathological diagnoses were lymphoma (44.1%), nonspecific orbital inflammation (14.4%), and squamous cell carcinoma (8.8%). After the biopsy, a new diagnosis was obtained in 41.2%, although in most patients (58.8%), the biopsy confirmed the suspected diagnosis. Regarding the therapeutic management, 32.4% started a new treatment, 29.4% did not change their treatment, 32.4% altered/stopped their treatment, and 5.9% allowed reassurance and explanation for the patients. Conclusions: Orbital biopsy was considered a valuable investigation for the management of patients with an orbital mass of unknown etiology. In most cases (58.8%), the result of the biopsy confirmed the suspected diagnosis, and in around 41.2%, a new diagnosis was made. Most of the patients (64.8%) changed their treatment or started a new one based on the histopathological result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]