Search

Abstract: The Effect of Si addition on In2O3 crystallization in a soda-boro-aluminosilicate glass was investigated. Si was found to be an essential component for obtaining glass material because the Si-free batch did not vitrify under the same condition. Transmission electron microscopy measurements on the glasses synthesized revealed that In2O3 particles with diameter 5nm size precipitated by an annealing for 3h at more than 550°C and their size increased with an increase of heat-treatment temperature. From the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement, the binding energy of In2O3 for as prepared glass shifted to higher binding energy after annealing in air. The band gap of In2O3 particles decreased from 3.9eV for as prepared glass samples to 2.6eV for the glass sample annealed at 600°C. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is an emerging global disease with tuberculosis (TB) being the most important risk factor. Epidemiologic data on the seroprevalence of Aspergillus IgG and prevalence of CPA in different areas, especially in country with intermediate burden of TB, are lacking. We prospectively recruited healthy volunteers, TB close contacts, active TB patients and participants with old pulmonary TB in Taiwan during 2012–2019. We measured serum Aspergillus fumigatus and niger -specific IgG levels and assessed if the participants were having CPA. A total of 1242 participants (including 200 healthy volunteers, 326 TB close contacts, 524 active TB patients and 192 old TB cases) were recruited. Using 27 mgA/L (milligrams of antigen-specific antibodies per liter) as cut-off level, the seropositive rate of A. fumigatus -specific IgG was 33.0% (66/200), 37.7% (123/326), 26.5% (139/524) and 43.2% (83/192) among the four groups, respectively. In multivariate logistic regression, pulmonary cavitation (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.07–2.80), female sex (OR 1.49; 95% CI 1.14–1.95), old TB (OR 1.59; 1.05–2.42) were independent risk factors for Aspergillus IgG positivity. One (0.2%) active TB patient and four (2.1%) old TB patients developed CPA. Correlation between A. fumigatus and A. niger -specific IgG was high (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.942). Geographic variation in Aspergillus IgG seroprevalence and CPA prevalence exists. A universal cut-off value for Aspergillus IgG may not exist. In areas and populations in which background Aspergillus IgG level is unknown, Aspergillus IgG may be better used as a test of exclusion for CPA using prespecified cut-off level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]