Abstract: The present disclosure concerns a pyrolysis residue-discharge system fluid-tightly connectable to a pyrolysis reactor delimiting a fuel-containing cavity and having a discharge opening extending therethrough, the pyrolysis residue-discharge system comprising a residue discharge duct defining a residue discharge passageway having an inlet port and an outlet port; and a reactor-connecting end portion having a through opening, the reactor-connecting end portion being fluid-tightly connectable to the pyrolysis reactor to fluidly connect the through opening of the reactor-connecting end portion with the discharge opening of the pyrolysis reactor, the reactor-connecting end portion being fluid-tightly connectable to the residue discharge duct at the inlet port thereof to provide a fluid communication between the fuel-containing cavity of the pyrolysis reactor and the residue discharge passageway via the discharge opening.

Abstract: The present invention provides protein-based biomarkers and biomarker combinations that are useful in qualifying breast cancer status in a patient. In particular, the biomarkers of this invention are useful to determine metastasis-free survival of breast cancer patients. The biomarkers can be detected by SELDI mass spectrometry in serum samples fractionated by means of anion exchange chromatography. Some of the biomarkers have been identified as: Apolipoprotein A1; Apolipoprotein A2; Haptoglobin alpha 1; Transferrin; Complement C3a; and truncated forms thereof.