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Transition metal oxides like ZnO nanostructures are pivotal in various scientific and technological fields due to their chemical stability, high electrochemical coupling efficiency, and broad radiation absorption spectrum. This study offers an in-depth examination of ZnO nanostructures synthesized via the green route using Piper Longum L, emphasizing their photocatalytic efficacy in degrading organic pollutants such as Sulphanilamide and Chromium. The ZnO nanostructures with a rod-like morphology exhibited an average crystallite size of 26 nm and an optical bandgap of 2.8 eV. Solid state structure of ZnO was investigated by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). Zinc in the synthesized organo zinc complex and zinc oxide was estimated to 324.325 and 133.02 ppm, respectively. The saturation magnetization obtained from Superconducting Quantum Interference Device-Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (SQUID-VSM) for organo zinc complex and ZnO is 2.1 × 10−3 and 1.7 × 10−3 emu/g, respectively. These nanostructures achieved 99 and 93 % degradation of chromium (VI) ions present in solutions of two different concentrations in about 30 and 80 min, respectively, under UV and visible radiation, a remarkable achievement. Almost the same efficiency was maintained during three consecutive runs and then deactivation of the catalyst was observed. Additionally, a rapid 84 % degradation of Sulphanilamide was observed in 42 min, underscoring the potential of ZnO nanostructures as efficient photocatalysts for environmental remediation.

The study on reading habits among higher secondary school students is a paper thought to access the use of library service and reading habits of higher secondary school students the findings from the table are differentiated into various categories and the table shows that the most of the students are very much enjoyable in reading books with fervor. therefore the study concluded that the reading habits of secondary school students should be given rapt attention because of the imminent danger of losing reading habits in the era of information & communication technology .the study recommends that there must be a fixed time for reading a variety of reading material that will appeal to students and that adopting different methods to arouse the interest of students could enhance their reading habit. Keywords: Habits, Paper, School, Technology, ICT, Reading, 1. INTRODUCTION Besides learning, reading strategies, readers learn good reading habits. These behaviors should come naturally, just like eating every day. If students understand why it is important to implement [...]

Cutaneous Coccidioidomycosis (CC) infection can present with a wide variety of clinical presentations and is well known as a 'great imitator'. We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with CC in a large referral center in Central Valley, California, from 2010 to 2022 using the ICD9 and ICD10 codes for coccidioidomycosis and CC. We identified 40 patients with CC during the study period. The mean age of the study population was 43 years (with standard deviation of 14.08). Among these, 60% were men and 40% women. The appearance of the lesions varied from ulcers, plaques, nodules, blisters, cellulitis, and abscesses. The most common site of CC lesions was in the lower extremities (42.5%), followed by upper extremities (30%), chest and abdomen, head and neck (25% each). Only 22.5% of the 40 cases were diagnosed as CC and 15% were diagnosed as erythema nodosum. Rest were diagnosed initially as bacterial cellulitis in 37.5%, tinea in 7.5%, and others in 12.5%. There was resolution of the cutaneous lesions in all patients with antifungal treatment. The mean time of diagnosis from onset of symptoms on an average was 12 weeks (8-16 weeks) in our study with 75% cases initially misdiagnosed. Comprehensive knowledge about the manifestations and evaluation of CC among primary care providers and emergency room physicians is essential to prevent delays in diagnosis and treatment., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The International Society for Human and Animal Mycology.)

Background: Coccidioidal meningitis (CM) is the most severe form of disseminated coccidioidomycosis. Despite years of clinical experience, it remains a difficult condition to treat, often requiring surgical procedures, such as placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, in addition to lifelong antifungal therapy., Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients with CM seen in a large referral center in Central Valley, California, from 2010 to 2020. Data pertinent to CM were collected and analyzed., Results: Among 133 patients with CM identified in the 10-year period, nonadherence to antifungal therapy was noted in 43% of patients. Of the 80 patients who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for management of intracranial pressure, shunt failure requiring revision surgery occurred in 42 (52.5%). Rehospitalizations due to CM-related reasons occurred in 78 of 133 patients (59%). Twenty-three percent of patients (n = 29) died due to complications from CM, on an average 22 months after the diagnosis of CM. Encephalopathy at presentation was associated with a significantly higher risk of death., Conclusions: Patients with CM in central California are predominantly rural agricultural workers with elevated levels of poverty and low health literacy and many barriers to care, leading to high rates of medication nonadherence and loss to follow-up outpatient care. Management challenges are frequent, such as failure of antifungal therapy, high rates of rehospitalization, and the need for repeated shunt revision surgeries. In addition to the development of curative new antifungal agents, understanding the barriers to patient adherence to care and antifungal therapy and identifying means to overcome such barriers are of paramount importance., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. G. S. is on the advisory board for Mycovia Pharmaceuticals and F2G. All other authors report no potential conflicts., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.)

Background: Coccidioidomycosis meningitis (CM) is the most aggressive form of coccidioidomycosis, requiring lifelong antifungal treatment and often cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. Long-standing CM can be associated with spinal complications such as arachnoiditis. However, studies describing the frequency, clinical, and imaging characteristics of arachnoiditis in patients with CM are limited. Methods: We identified 133 patients with CM based on CSF culture, PCR, or serology between January 2010 and December 2020. Of these, 37 patients underwent spinal imaging. Data on demographics, risk factors, symptoms, antifungal therapy, surgical management, follow-up visits, adherence, serological trends, and imaging findings were reviewed. Results: Abnormal findings were observed in 30 of the 37 patients with CM who underwent spinal imaging. The imaging abnormalities noted in our study included leptomeningeal enhancement (53%), arachnoiditis (53%), syringomyelia (23%), cord signal abnormalities (10%), and osteomyelitis (7%). Of the 30 patients, 90% had symptoms, such as weakness, numbness, or urinary retention. The incidence of arachnoiditis in the present study was 12%. Higher initial CSF protein levels and intra cranial pressure were associated with a higher risk of developing arachnoiditis/syringomyelia. Management of CM was challenging, as evidenced by shunt failure (46%), medication non-compliance (57%), and lack of adequate follow-up (60%). Persistent disabilities were noted in 62% of the patients. Conclusions: Patients with CM develop spinal complications such as arachnoiditis, or syringomyelia. Many cases may go undetected due to lack of symptoms in early stages. CM management challenges such as shunt failure, lack of follow-up care, and medication noncompliance, were frequent.

Abstract: Infection caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a global health concern. Occasionally, gonococcal infections may disseminate and cause clinical syndromes, such as arthritis, tenosynovitis, and skin lesions. Here, we report a very rare presentation of a liver abscess due to N. gonorrhoeae in a 29-year-old woman with sickle cell disease without prior genitourinary complaints. The patient was successfully treated using drainage and antimicrobial therapy. Evaluation did not reveal any inherited defects in complement deficiency. It is possible that the underlying immune defects from sickle cell disease and unknown bacterial virulence factors could have contributed to this dissemination. Further research is needed to understand the immunopathogenesis of disseminated gonococcal infections, and efforts to screen and prevent primary infections are ongoing., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest and Sources of Funding: None declared., (Copyright © 2022 American Sexually Transmitted Diseases Association. All rights reserved.)

Widespread use of corticosteroids for COVID-19 treatment has led to Strongyloides reactivation and severe disease in patients from endemic areas. We describe a US patient with COVID-19 and Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome and review other reported cases. Our findings highlight the need for Strongyloides screening and treatment in high-risk populations.

Introduction: Invasive aspergillosis is associated with high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. It is now increasingly reported in critically ill patients, including those with respiratory viral infections, such as influenza and COVID-19. Antifungal management is challenging due to diagnostic delay, adverse drug reactions, drug-drug interactions, narrow therapeutic window, and the emergence of resistance. Isavuconazole is the most recent FDA approved azole for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis, with data continuing to accumulate., Areas Covered: The authors review the safety and efficacy of isavuconazole in the management of invasive aspergillosis based on the currently available evidence. The authors also report on the structure, mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic properties, in vitro and in vivo studies as well as clinical safety and efficacy reports of isavuconazole since its FDA approval., Expert Opinion: Isavuconazole is non-inferior to voriconazole and is a safe, effective, and better tolerated option for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. It offers several advantages over other antifungal agents, including having a better adverse event profile with respect to hepatotoxicity, neuro-visual toxicity, QTc prolongation, as well as a stable pharmacokinetic profile obviating the need for therapeutic drug monitoring. Further studies are needed to evaluate its performance in prophylaxis against invasive aspergillosis as well as in the treatment of aspergillosis in critically ill patients without underlying cancer or transplant.

Reports of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) have been widely published across the world since the onset of the pandemic with varying incidence rates. We retrospectively studied all patients with severe COVID-19 infection who were admitted to our tertiary care center's intensive care units between January 2020 and March 2021, who also had respiratory cultures positive for Aspergillus species. Among a large cohort of 970 patients admitted to the ICU with severe COVID-19 infections during our study period, 48 patients had Aspergillus species growing in respiratory cultures. Based on the 2020 European Confederation of Medical Mycology and the International Society for Human and Animal Mycology (ECMM/ISHAM) consensus criteria, 2 patients in the study had proven CAPA, 9 had probable CAPA, and 37 had possible CAPA. The incidence of CAPA was 5%. The mean duration from a positive COVID-19 test to Aspergillus spp. being recovered from the respiratory cultures was 16 days, and more than half of the patients had preceding fever or worsening respiratory failure despite adequate support and management. Antifungals were given for treatment in 44% of the patients for a mean duration of 13 days. The overall mortality rate in our study population was extremely high with death occurring in 40/48 patients (83%).

Patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection may have bacterial co-infections, including pneumonia and bacteremia. Bordetella hinzii infections are rare, may be associated with exposure to poultry, and have been reported mostly among immunocompromised patients. We describe B. hinzii pneumonia and bacteremia in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 patient.

New series of polymer composite membranes were prepared from sulfonated polystyrene- block -poly(ethylene-ran-butylene)- block -polystyrene (S-PSEBS) and copper oxide loaded in graphitic carbon nitride (CuO@N-C) embedded with an ionic liquid, 2,4,6-triphenylpyrylium tetrafluoroborate. The structural and physicochemical properties of the composite membranes were studied in detail. Electrolyte membrane loaded with 8.0 wt% of CuO@N-C exhibited the maximum ion-exchange capacity of 3.1 meq. g -1 , whereas that of the pristine membrane was restricted to 1.8 meq. g -1 . From the TGA profile of the composite membrane, it was found to exhibit adequate thermal stability to be employed as electrolyte in fuel cells. Proton conductivity of the composite membranes was found to be in the range between 0.0179 S cm -1 and 0.0229 S cm -1 . Indeed, the substantial results achieved with the S-PSEBS/CuO@N-C composite membranes were indicative of the notable features of the membranes for use in fuel cells.

Central nervous system (CNS) involvement occurs in 5 to 10% of individuals with disseminated histoplasmosis. Most experience has been derived from small single center case series, or case report literature reviews. Therefore, a larger study of central nervous system (CNS) histoplasmosis is needed in order to guide the approach to diagnosis, and treatment.A convenience sample of 77 patients with histoplasmosis infection of the CNS was evaluated. Data was collected that focused on recognition of infection, diagnostic techniques, and outcomes of treatment.Twenty nine percent of patients were not immunosuppressed. Histoplasma antigen, or anti-Histoplasma antibodies were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in 75% of patients. One year survival was 75% among patients treated initially with amphotericin B, and was highest with liposomal, or deoxycholate formulations. Mortality was higher in immunocompromised patients, and patients 54 years of age, or older. Six percent of patients relapsed, all of whom had the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), and were poorly adherent with treatment.While CNS histoplasmosis occurred most often in immunocompromised individuals, a significant proportion of patients were previously, healthy. The diagnosis can be established by antigen, and antibody testing of the CSF, and serum, and antigen testing of the urine in most patients. Treatment with liposomal amphotericin B (AMB-L) for at least 1 month; followed by itraconazole for at least 1 year, results in survival among the majority of individuals. Patients should be followed for relapse for at least 1 year, after stopping therapy.