Thermal Decomposition of Bamboo Phyllostachys Edulis Pretreated with Ionic Liquids-Water Mixtures

The ionic liquid (IL)-water mixture pretreated bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) samples were applied in the research of thermal decomposition. [BMIM]Cl (1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride)- water and [BMIM]BF4 (1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate)-water were used in pretreatment process. Compositions of the untreated bamboo and pretreated bamboo were compared. The results of X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) were analyzed to explain the effect of ILs mixture on cellulose crystalline structure. The pretreated cellulose with [BMIM]Cl&#45 water mixture was tend to produce the more gaseous products, which were associated with the decomposition rate. The behavior of more CO and CH4 gaseous products and less tar in the thermal decomposition products could be attributed to ILs-water mixture pretreatment process. The potential and some problems of ILs-water mixture pretreatment method applied in thermal chemical conversion methods were also discussed.

Bone markers predict survival in castration-resistant prostate cancer patients treated with docetaxel

AIM: To investigate the relationship between clinicopathological features and bone turnover markers in castration-resistant prostate cancer(CRPC) patients treated with docetaxel.METHODS: Thirty-three patients were enrolled in this study. Serum levels of carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type 1 collagen generated by metalloproteinases(1CTP) and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) were measured at the start of docetaxel chemotherapy. We examined the relationship between clinicopathological features and serum levels of 1CTP and ALP levels in CRPC patients treated with docetaxel.RESULTS: For the total patient group, the mean ± standard deviation(SD) values for docetaxel chemotherapy dose, dose intensity, dosage interval, and num-ber of cycles were 59.3 ± 10.6 mg/m2, 13.9 ± 5.2 mg/m2 per week, 4.7 ± 1.2 wk, and 11.2 ± 7.4, respectively. Fourteen patients died from prostate cancer. Patients were divided into two groups according to mean + SD of serum 1CTP(8.2 ng/m L) and ALP(538.2 IU/L) levels at the start of docetaxel chemotherapy. Patients with lower levels of serum 1CTP and ALP had significantly better survivals than those with higher serum levels(P < 0.05).CONCLUSION: Serum levels of 1CTP and ALP are predictors of survival in patients with CRPC who are treated with docetaxel.

Effect of Water Content on Crystalline Structure of Ionic Liquids Mixture Pretreated Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC)

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) was pretreated by using ionic liquids (ILs)-water mixtures solvent with solid acid catalysts. Different amount of water was considerate as the main variable. The peak shift of pretreated sample was determined by FT-IR related to the water content. The XRD was applied to characterize the change in MCC crystalline structure. Thermal decomposition technique was applied to investigate the thermal stability of pretreated MCC. The result indicated that three state of samples were occurred in pretreated MCC sample which was related the amount of water in ILs mixture system. XRD result suggested that the raw sample was distorted and transformed into a less ordered intermediate structure and the smaller crystallite size in lump state sample was obtained which could lead to lower thermal stability. This study revealed the physical chemicals properties, characteristic of molecular structures in MCC using ILs-water mixtures.

Worsening of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio in patients with prostate cancer after androgen deprivation therapy

Dear Editor, Prostate cancer （PCa） is the most frequently diagnosed male cancer in Western countries, and the number of PCa patients is also rapidly increasing in ]apan.1,2 Simultaneously, androgen deprivation therapy （ADT） has also been increasingly used in PCa patients in recent years2-5 However, the long-term use of ADT is associated with a variety of pivotal adverse events, including diabetes, anemia, osteoporosis, serum lipid profile changes, and cardiovascular disease （CVD）.1,2 Higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol （LDL-C） and/or lower high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （HDL-C） are well-established risk factors for CVD, and control of their levels has been an important goal in the treatment and prevention of CVD.6,7 Recently, another alternative parameter, the LDL-C to HDL-C （L/H） ratio, has been reported to be strongly associated with CVD and is thought to be a better predictor of future CVD than LDL-C alone. Closely monitoring serum lipid profile, including the L/H ratio changes affected by ADT, is a key to preventing CVD in PCa patients. Moreover, we previously suggested that a higher L/H ratio might have an impact on the development of arterial stiffness after ADT administration,r Although some cutoff points of the L/H ratio have been reported in clinical use, it has been suggested that thrombosis can occur when the L/H ratio increases to around 2.5 or more in East Asian populations.6 The aim of the present study was to investigate the changes in serum lipid profile and to identify the clinical factors associated with an increased L/H ratio in PCa patients who received ADT.