BACKGROUND Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir + 2 ng/mL, also known as the Phoenix definition, is the definition most commonly used to establish biochemical failure (BF) after external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer management. The purpose of this study is to compare BF rates between permanent prostate brachytherapy (PPB) and radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) as a function of PSA...

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a very rare intrathoracic malignancy in childhood. It is an aggressive embryonal or blastemic neoplasm usually occurring in children younger than five years of age. PPB is treated with aggressive multimodal therapies consisting of surgery and chemotherapy. We present a case with PPB type II successfully treated with complete surgical resection following neoadju...

We have begun assessing the toxicology of commercially available fluorescent semiconductor nanocrystals that contain toxic metals. We have found that: 1) Fluorescence of the aquatic invertebrate Cerodaphnia dubia increased significantly after a 4 hr exposure to 200 ppt nanocrystals. Changes in fluorescence were time and dose dependent. 2) 48-h acute toxicology endpoint assessment of these nanoc...

Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare malignant dysontogenetic neoplasm primarily affecting children and is characterized histologically by a variably mixed blastematous and sarcomatous patterns. We herein report a very exceptional adult case of PPB. A 21-yr-old male patient presented with a left chest pain of two weeks' duration. A computed tomography scan revealed a large, multicystic tumo...

Excess lead in drinking water is a neglected source of lead toxicity in Pakistan. A cross-sectional survey in 2007/08 was made of water samples from drinking water sources in Karachi, a large industrial city. This study aimed to compare lead levels between untreated ground water and treated surface (tap) water in 18 different districts. Of 216 ground and surface water samples collected, 86% had...

A high-performance continuous-flow analyser is used for the analysis of nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ion in potable waters. The results demonstrate that (1) the analyser allows the sequential determination of a number of analytes without requiring modification to the manifold; (2) the use of programmed slicing of the reaction mixture allows a wide range of analyte concentrations to be handled;...

Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma (NCMH) is an extremely rare benign lesion arising in the sino-nasal tract. They usually affect children below one year of age. The pathogenesis of these lesions is poorly understood however, they have been associated with pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB). Although benign, malignant transformation has been reported in the literature. On literature review, we foun...

High-temperature iridium-gated field effect transistors based on silicon carbide have been used for sensitive detection of specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in concentrations of health concern, for indoor air quality monitoring and control. Formaldehyde, naphthalene, and benzene were studied as hazardous VOCs at parts per billion (ppb) down to sub-ppb levels. The sensor performance and...

Many field experiments have found high nitrous acid (HONO) mixing ratios in both urban and rural areas during daytime, but these high daytime HONO mixing ratios cannot be explained well by gas-phase production, HONO emissions, and nighttime hydrolysis conversion of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) on aerosols, suggesting that an unknown daytime HONO source (Punknown) could exist. The formula Punknown ≈ 1...

A method for the determination of perchlorate anion at sub ppb levels using ion chromatography/mass spectrometry (IC/MS) is described. The IC/MS method follows EPA Method 314 methodology originally developed for IC with conductivity detection at the single ppb range [1]. The IC/MS method is not affected by the addition of the interference matrix described in Method 314 on perchlorate recoveries...