A rare case of schwannomatosis with meningioma: a case report.

Introduction: Schwannomatosis is characterized by multiple schwannomas without vestibular schwannomas or any other stigmata of neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Schwannomatosis is a rare disorder, with a reported incidence ranging from 1 in 40 000 to 1 in 1.7 million. Meningioma is also associated with schwannomatosis in around 5% of cases. Case presentation: We describe a case of a 20-year-old female presenting with progressive weakness of the right lower limb for 7 months with a tingling sensation and numbness of the same limb for 6 months and was found to have schwannomatosis with multiple spinal and right cerebellopontine angle (CPA) (9th/10th cranial nerve) schwannomas and left anterior cranial fossa meningioma. Discussion: Schwannomas in schwannomatosis are seen along the cranial, spinal, and peripheral nerves but not along the vestibular nerve, as is characteristically seen in NF2. The occurrence of meningiomas is about 5% in individuals with schwannomatosis, and the patient in our case also had an associated meningioma. The tumor was confirmed to be a schwannoma based on features on an MRI examination and histological examination. Conclusion: It is of great significance to identify the entire spectrum of the disease in a patient with schwannomatosis, and to differentiate it from related conditions in order to track and surgically manage the patient appropriately based on symptomatology and imaging findings.

Development of Meta-Chemical Surface by Dip-Pen Nanolithography for Precise Electrochemical Lead Sensing.

Dip-pen nanolithography (DPN) is a powerful and unique technique for precisely depositing tiny nano-spherical cap shapes (nanoclusters) onto a desired surface. In this study, a meta-chemical surface (MCS; a pattern with advanced features) is developed by DPN and applied to electrochemical lead sensing, yielding a calibration curve in the ppb range. An ink mixture of PMMA and NTPH (which binds to Pb (II), as supported by DFT calculations) is patterned over a Pt surface. The average height of the nanoclusters is ≈13 nm with a high surface area-to-volume ratio, which depends on the ink composition and the MCS surface. This ratio affected the sensitivity of the MCS as a detecting tool. The results indicate that the sensor's features can be controlled by the ability to control the size of the nanoclusters, attributed to the unique properties of the DPN production method. These results are significant for the water-source purification industry.

Radiolucent foreign body leading to complete small bowel obstruction: a diagnostic dilemma - a case report.

Introduction and importance: Foreign body ingestion leading to luminal obstruction in both the small and large bowels is rare, especially in children. The authors present a case of a 7-year-old patient who presented with a small bowel obstruction caused by an ingested radiolucent foreign body. The previous herniotomy surgery 1 year back led to initial diagnostic confusion, highlighting the need for a broad differential diagnosis. Case presentation: A 7-year-old child with a history of herniotomy presented with symptoms of small bowel obstruction. Radiological imaging revealed a soft tissue mass mimicking a polyp or cystic lesion. During exploratory laparotomy, a cystic structure was discovered in the terminal ileum. The foreign body, identified as a fluid-filled balloon, was inaccessible to endoscopy and was gently maneuvered into the ascending colon. It was punctured and removed during on-table colonoscopy. Clinical discussion: This case underscores the challenges of diagnosing and managing luminal obstruction caused by radiolucent foreign bodies in children. The presence of previous surgery can mislead clinicians, necessitating a broad differential diagnosis. Radiological imaging played a crucial role in identifying the foreign body. Surgical intervention guided by an on-table colonoscopy allowed successful removal. Conclusion: Foreign body ingestion leading to luminal obstruction should be considered, even in cases with previous abdominal surgery. Radiological imaging aids in identification, and timely surgical intervention, guided by on-table colonoscopy, facilitates foreign body removal. Awareness of such cases is essential for optimal care in pediatric patients with luminal obstruction caused by foreign body ingestion.

Anaerobic growth and drug susceptibility of versatile fungal pathogen Scedosporium apiospermum.

Although severe cases of invasive mycoses of different hypoxic and anoxic body parts have been reported, growth and drug susceptibility of fungal pathogens under anaerobic conditions remains understudied. The current study evaluated anaerobic growth potential and drug susceptibility of environmental Scedosporium apiospermum isolates under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. All tested strains showed equivalent growth and higher sensitivity to tested antifungal drugs under anaerobic conditions with lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) as compared to aerobic conditions. Antifungal azoles were effective against isolates under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Most strains were resistant to antifungal echinocandins and polyenes under aerobic conditions but exhibited sensitivity under anaerobic conditions. This study provides evidence that resistance of S. apiospermum to antifungal drugs varies with oxygen concentration and availability and suggests re-evaluating clinical breakpoints for antifungal compounds to treat invasive fungal infections more effectively.

A culture-based and culture-independent approach to the study of landfill leachate bacterial and archaeal communities.

The landfill is a convenient and affordable method of municipal solid waste (MSW) management. Landfill leachate contains a heavy load of pollutants and pathogens. Discharge of untreated leachate is the leading cause of surface and groundwater contamination and a threat to public and environmental health. To develop an efficient leachate treatment technology, an in-depth understanding of landfill chemistry and microbiology is essential. In the present manuscript, we conducted a comparative study of three different landfill leachate samples using cultivation-based and culture-independent molecular studies. We cultivated 85 species of aerobic, anaerobic bacteria and archaea from leachate represented by a total of 200 strains using extensive culturomics approaches. Twelve out of 200 cultivated strains of bacteria showed very low 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (84-98.6%) with their closest relatives and could be the potential novel taxa, the first time cultivated from leachate. Members of the six genera only have 2-5 representatives from past studies from other habitats but first time cultivated from leachate. In addition to bacteria, we also cultivated and characterized different groups of methanogenic archaea. Our chemistry data indicate that leachate is a highly stressed ecosystem with an assemblage of many toxic wastes like sulfur, zinc, mercury, chromium, etc. 16S rRNA gene-based amplicon analysis showed the dominance of (30-55%) methanogens and haloarachaea. Our data suggest that archaea are the significant regulators of leachate ecology, and more in-depth studies with multiple leachate samples are required to understand their role in leachate nutrient cycling and the development of effective leachate treatment technology.

Two-Dimensional Cell Separation: a High-Throughput Approach to Enhance the Culturability of Bacterial Cells from Environmental Samples.

Culture-independent sequence data from various environmental samples have revealed an immense microbial diversity of environmental, clinical, and industrial importance that has not yet been cultured. Cultivation is imperative to validate findings emerging from cultivation-independent molecular data and exploit the isolated organisms for biotechnological purposes. Efforts have been made to boost the cultivability of microbes from environmental samples by use of a range of techniques and instrumentation. The manuscript presents a novel yet simple and innovative approach to improving the cultivability of natural microorganisms without sophisticated instrumentation. By employing gradient centrifugation combined with serial dilution ("two-dimensional cell separation"), significantly higher numbers of genera (>2-fold higher) and species (>3-fold higher) were isolated from environmental samples, including soil, anaerobic sludge, and landfill leachate, than from using serial dilution alone. This simple and robust protocol can be modified for any environment and culture medium and provides access to untapped microbial diversity. IMPORTANCE In the manuscript, we have developed a novel yet simple and innovative approach to improving the cultivability of natural microorganisms without sophisticated instrumentation. The method used gradient centrifugation combined with serial dilution (two-dimensional cell separation) to improve taxum recovery from samples. This simple and robust protocol can be modified for any environment and culture medium and provides access to untapped microbial diversity. This approach can be incorporated with less labor and complexity in laboratories with minimal instrumentation. As cultivation is a workflow that is well suited to lower-resource microbiology labs, we believe improvements in cultivability can increase opportunities for scientific collaborations between low-resource labs and groups focused on high-resource cultivation-independent methodologies.

Mechanistic Insights for Photoelectrochemical Ethanol Oxidation on Black Gold Decorated Monoclinic Zirconia.

Surface decoration of metal oxides by metals for enhancing their electrocatalytic properties for organic conversions has attracted a lot of researchers' interest due to their high abundancy, inexpensiveness, and high stability. In the present work, a process for the synthesis of black gold (BG) using a citrate assisted chemical route and m-ZrO2 by a hydrothermal method at 200 °C has been developed. Further, different concentrations of black gold are being used to decorate the surface of zirconia by exploitation of surface potential of zirconia and gold surfaces. The catalyst having 6 mol % concentration of black gold shows excellent electrocatalytic activity for ethanol oxidation with low oxidation peak potential (1.17 V) and high peak current density (8.54 mA cm-2). The current density ratio (jf/jb) is also high (2.54) for this catalyst indicating its high tolerance toward poisoning by intermediate species generated during the catalytic cycle. The enhanced electrocatalytic activity can be attributed to the high tolerance of gold toward CO poisoning and high stability of the ZrO2 support. The black gold decorated zirconia catalyst showed enhanced activity during photoelectrochemical studies when the entire spectrum of light falls on the catalyst. Ultrafast transient studies demonstrated plasmonic excitation of metallic free electrons and subsequent charge separation in the black gold-ZrO2 heterointerface as the key factor for enhanced photoelectrocatalytic activity.

Lead Toxicity: Health Hazards, Influence on Food Chain, and Sustainable Remediation Approaches.

Lead (Pb) toxicity has been a subject of interest for environmental scientists due to its toxic effect on plants, animals, and humans. An increase in several Pb related industrial activities and use of Pb containing products such as agrochemicals, oil and paint, mining, etc. can lead to Pb contamination in the environment and thereby, can enter the food chain. Being one of the most toxic heavy metals, Pb ingestion via the food chain has proven to be a potential health hazard for plants and humans. The current review aims to summarize the research updates on Pb toxicity and its effects on plants, soil, and human health. Relevant literature from the past 20 years encompassing comprehensive details on Pb toxicity has been considered with key issues such as i) Pb bioavailability in soil, ii) Pb biomagnification, and iii) Pb- remediation, which has been addressed in detail through physical, chemical, and biological lenses. In the review, among different Pb-remediation approaches, we have highlighted certain advanced approaches such as microbial assisted phytoremediation which could possibly minimize the Pb load from the resources in a sustainable manner and would be a viable option to ensure a safe food production system.

Extraction of nanostructured sodium nitrate from industrial effluent and their thermal properties.

This study describes a process of extraction of high purity sodium nitrate from corrosive chemical industry effluents. Here, we have designed a process to convert highly corrosive effluents of ceramic industries having pH ~13.1 into sodium nitrate nanoparticles. The extraction of sodium nitrate has been carried out via neutralization of industrial effluent by nitric acid. We have also studied the effect of low boiling point co-solvent during recrystallization of sodium nitrate. TEM studies of sodium nitrate extracted from the filtrate in the absence of co-solvent show the formation of nanoparticle of ~70 nm. Further, a drastic decrease in particle size to 10 nm has been observed when co-solvents (methanol, ethanol, and acetone) were used in combination with filtrate during the recrystallization process of sodium nitrate. Thermal properties of sodium nitrate extracted from filtrate have been investigated. Our result indicates that the nanoparticles extracted from filtrate having very high heat storage density (453 J/g) without hampering the melting point and boiling point of the materials. PRACTITIONER POINTS: The new chemical process has been developed to treat the industrial effluent Extraction of nanostructured sodium nitrate has been carried from industrial effluent The particle size of sodium nitrate drastically influenced by the used co-solvent for recrystallization The highest heat storage density is 453 J/g, which was obtained from the recrystallization of the filtrate.

Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL1RA) gene polymorphism and levels associated with adverse outcome in severe community-acquired pneumonia in children: A hospital-based study in India.

BACKGROUND: High morbidity and mortality due to community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is seen in children under 5 years of age in India. Besides identified risk factors for CAP, there may be a phenotype-genotype association with cytokines, resulting in enhanced inflammatory response resulting in the adverse outcome (AO), namely complications and death. AIM: To assess the association of IL1RA gene polymorphism on serum levels of IL1RA and with AO in children under 5 years of age hospitalized with WHO-defined severe CAP. METHOD: A prospective cohort study with nested case-control design conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital after obtaining institutional ethical approval. Included were children between 2 and 59 months of age hospitalized with WHO-defined severe CAP with consistent radiological abnormalities. Excluded were those with suspected or proven cystic fibrosis, pulmonary tuberculosis, malignancy, immunodeficiency, and congenital heart disease. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to analyze the Variable Number of Tandem Repeats (VNTRs) of IL1RA gene polymorphism and ELISA test to detect serum levels of IL1RA. RESULTS: From 2014 to 2016, of 420 screened cases, 350 were eligible and included, of which 132 (37.7%) had no complication and 218 (62.3%) had AO, which included complications like empyema, pyopneumothorax, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and septic shock of these 24 (6.9%) expired. Higher risk of AO was seen in A2A2 genotype (OR 11.18, p 0.0001) and lower in A1A1 genotype (OR 0.18, P < 0.0001). Serum IL1RA (ng/mL) was statistically significantly elevated in CAP with AO (2.55 ± 1.44) versus uncomplicated (0.87 ± 0.52) (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In IL1RA gene, A1A1 genotype was associated with lower risk and A2A2 genotype with increased the risk of AO. Higher serum levels of IL1RA were found in A2A2 genotype indicating possibly enhanced inflammatory response resulting in AO of CAP.

Flocculating property of extracellular polymeric substances produced by a biofilm-forming bacterium Acinetobacter junii BB1A.

Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) produced by a biofilm-producing bacterium Acinetobacter junii BB1A were characterized. Purified EPS on analysis revealed neutral sugar (73.21 %), uronic acid (10.12 %), amino sugars (0.23 %), α- amino acids (11.13 %), and aromatic amino acids (1.23 %). Infrared spectrometry revealed the presence of hydroxyl, carboxyl, and amide groups. The average molecular weight of the polysaccharide (PS) fraction of EPS was ~2×10(5). Gas liquid chromatography analysis of PS revealed the presence of three main sugar residues, namely, mannose, galactose, and arabinose (molar ratio of 3:1:1). Cation-independent flocculation above 90 % was observed in the pH range of 4-5 with EPS dosage of 30 mgl(-1) at 20 °C. The emulsifying activity of EPS was 66.6 % with toluene, 60 % with n-hexadecane, 53.3 % with olive oil, and least activity of 13.3 % with kerosene. Proteinase K- and trichloroacetic acid-treated EPS showed reduction in flocculation and emulsification, suggesting the significant role of protein component. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy was used to provide direct evidence of biosorption of Co(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II) by EPS.