Hierarchically Porous, Biphasic, and C-Doped TiO2 for Solar Photocatalytic Degradation of Dyes and Selective Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol.

Macroporous TiO2 monoliths were synthesized by self-sustained combustion reactions of molded pellets made up of a mixture of TiCl4 as a precursor, urea as a fuel, ammonium nitrate as an oxidizer, and starch as a binder. The porous TiO2 monoliths were found to be a heterostructure of anatase and rutile phases, in addition to being doped with carbon. Variation in the amount of starch yielded porous monoliths of different anatase-rutile ratios (increasing rutile component from 0 to 40%) but comparable Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area (∼30 m2 g-1). The porous monoliths obtained, where the TiCl4/starch mass ratio was 2.17, exhibit exceptional photocatalytic activity in the degradation of dyes (methylene blue and methyl orange) and selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol to benzaldehyde under natural sunlight. The synergistic combination of high surface area, porous network, lowered band gap due to heterostructured anatase-rutile polymorphs, and the presence of doped carbon renders the macroporous TiO2 an efficient photocatalyst.

Predictors of no-reflow phenomenon following percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

OBJECTIVES: No reflow during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is a complex issue with serious outcomes. Multiple studies have studied predictors of no-reflow during primary PCI, but data on patients with the late presentation is sparse, which constitutes the majority of patients in peripheral centers. This study aimed to determine predictors of no-reflow during PCI in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 7 days. METHODS: It was a single-center prospective case-control study performed at a tertiary care center and included 958 patients with STEMI who underwent PCI within 7 days of symptom onset. Baseline and angiographic data of patients undergoing PCI were recorded and patients divided into reflow and no-reflow group. RESULTS: Of 958 who underwent PCI, 182 (18.9%) showed no-reflow by myocardial blush grade (MBG)<2. No-reflow group had a higher mean age (66.46±10.71 vs. 61.36±9.94 years), lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) on admission (100.61±26.66 vs. 112.23±24.35, P<0.0001), a higher level of peak Troponin I level (9.37±2.81 vs. 7.66±3.11ng/dL, P<0.0001), low left ventricular ejection fraction (36.71±3.89 vs. 39.58±4.28% respectively P<0.0001). Among angiographic data and procedural features, multivariable logistic regression analysis identified that advanced age, reperfusion time>6hours, SBP<100mmHg on admission, functional status of Killip class for heart failure≥3, lower EF (≤35%), low initial myocardial blush grade (≤1) before PCI, long target lesion length, larger reference diameter of vessel (>3.5mm) and high thrombus burden on angiography were found to be independent predictors of no-reflow (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: No-reflow phenomenon after PCI for STEMI is complex and multifactorial and can be identified by simple clinical, angiographic, and procedural features. Preprocedural characters of the lesion and early perfusion decides the fate of the outcome.

Critical behavior and magnetocaloric effect across the magnetic transition in Mn1+xFe4-xSi3.

The nature of the magnetic transition, critical scaling of magnetization, and magnetocaloric effect in Mn1+xFe4-xSi3 (x = 0 to 1) are studied in detail. Our measurements show no thermal hysteresis across the magnetic transition for the parent compound which is in contrast with the previous report and corroborate the second order nature of the transition. The magnetic transition could be tuned continuously from 328 K to 212 K with Mn substitution at the Fe site. The Mn substitution leads to a linear increase in the unit cell volume and a slight reduction in the effective moment. A detailed critical analysis of the magnetization data for x = 0.0 and 0.2 is performed in the critical regime using the modified Arrott plots, Kouvel-Fisher plot, universal curve scaling, and scaling analysis of magnetocaloric effect. The magnetization isotherms follow modified Arrott plots with critical exponent (ß [Formula: see text] 0.308, γ [Formula: see text] 1.448, and δ [Formula: see text] 5.64) for the parent compound (x = 0.0) and (ß [Formula: see text] 0.304, γ [Formula: see text] 1.445, and δ [Formula: see text] 5.64) for x = 0.2. The Kouvel-Fisher and universal scaling plots of the magnetization isotherms further confirm the reliability of our critical analysis and values of the exponents. These values of the critical exponents are found to be same for both the parent and doped samples which do not fall under any of the standard universality classes. The exchange interaction decays as J(r) ~ r-3.41 following the renormalization group theory and the observed critical exponents correspond to lattice dimensionality d = 2, spin dimensionality n = 1, and the range of interaction σ = 1.41. This value of σ(<2) indicates long-range interaction between magnetic spins. A reasonable magnetocaloric effect ΔSm [Formula: see text] -6.67 J/Kg-K and -5.84 J/Kg-K for x = 0.0 and 0.2 compounds, respectively, with a huge relative cooling power (RCP ~ 700 J/Kg) for 9 T magnetic field change is observed. The universal scaling of magnetocaloric effect further mimics the second order character of the magnetic transition. The obtained critical exponents from the critical analysis of magnetocaloric effect agree with the values deduced from the magnetic isotherm analysis.

Miltefosine Induced Reduced Male Fertility Capacity after Treatment of Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis, Bangladesh.

Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is the sequel of visceral leishmaniasis in Indian subcontinent and may appear among patients with or without previous history of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The aim of the study is to understand the male reproductive safety profile of miltefosine used for the treatment of Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) in Bangladesh. From January 2017 to March 2017, an exploratory study was carried out on male fertility capacity in Bangladesh among male patients above 14 years old with PKDL treated with miltefosine. Twenty nine male patients were included to observe the effect of miltefosine on reproductive health. All PKDL patients had history of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in different time periods. Among them three (10.3%) patients were unable to ejaculate semen. In semen analysis, 3 patients (10.3%) were found azoospermia (sperm count & motility- 0, viscosity- good, pH- 7 to 8), microscopically there was presence of RBC (5-15/HPF), WBC (8-15/HPF). Another 3 patients (10.3%) were found oligospermia (sperm count- 4.2 to 15.3 million/ml, motility- 20 to 50%, viscosity- good, pH- 6 to 9, RBC- 4 to 15/HPF, WBC- 4 to 15/HPF). The study documented some important findings in evaluating male infertility and selection of drug regimens in treating PKDL patients with miltefosine for 12 weeks.

The importance of topical steroids after adhesiolysis in erosive lichen planus and graft versus host disease.

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a postoperative steroid regimen in maintaining vulvovaginal architecture and vaginal patency following surgical adhesiolysis in severe erosive lichen planus (ELP) and genital graft versus host disease (GVHD). Sixteen women applied potent topical steroids to the vulva and vagina from 48 hours after surgery. Sexual and urinary function and vulvovaginal anatomy were assessed at 6 weeks, 6, 12 and 24 months. All of the patients had failed sexual function due to vaginal stenosis. Eleven patients were unable to have cervical smears and three had associated haematocolpos. Vaginal adhesiolysis achieving complete patency occurred in all patients with stenosis. Fifteen (93.7%) patients were compliant with the regimen. After two years, 12 (75%) patients had maintained complete vaginal patency. Four patients (25%) developed vaginal restenosis. This study demonstrates that the potent topical steroids used post-operatively are very effective in maintaining vaginal patency and function. Impact statement What is already known on this subject? Potent topical steroids are the first line treatment for ELP and GVHD and have been reported to be helpful after surgery to release adhesions. What do the results of this study add? Topical steroids used immediately after surgical adhesiolysis in patients with vulvo-vaginal lichen planus and graft-versus-host disease improves the outcomes and maintains function, which can give a prolonged benefit. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? The use of potent topical steroids should be considered as routine practice after surgery in erosive inflammatory disease to control inflammation and improve the long term outcomes for these patients.

Electronic and thermoelectric properties of Zn and Se double substituted tetrahedrite.

The influence of Zn and Se double substitution on the electronic and thermoelectric properties of tetrahedrite was investigated in this study. The samples Cu11Zn1Sb4S13-xSex (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1, and 2) were prepared via solid state synthesis followed by field assisted sintering. The density functional theory (DFT) results showed that Se substitution introduces additional bands near the Fermi level (EF), with lower effective mass compared to Zn (only) substituted sample Cu11Zn1Sb4S13. Consequently, the electrical resistivity decreased with the increase in Se content which is attributed to the enhanced charge carrier mobility caused by the more dispersive Se states as indicated by DFT results. But the Seebeck coefficient was invariant with x, due to the enhancement of the density of states (DOS) at EF. The overall effect was an increase in power factor of the Cu11Zn1Sb4S13-xSex samples compared to Cu11Zn1Sb4S13. The Zn2+ substitution at the Cu1+ tetrahedral site resulted in a decrease of the carrier thermal conductivity due to the decrease in charge carrier concentration. Whereas Se substitution resulted in the decrease of lattice thermal conductivity due to additional phonon scattering caused by the S-Se mass difference. Simultaneous optimization of the power factor and thermal conductivity could thus be achieved via double substitution at Cu and S sites. A maximum thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) of 0.86 at 673 K was exhibited by the Cu11Zn1Sb4S12.75Se0.25 sample due to its relatively high power factor among the samples (0.9 mW m-1 K-2 at 673 K) coupled with very low total thermal conductivity (0.67 W m-1 K-1 at 673 K).

Biomethanation of water hyacinth biomass.

The aim of this study was to test practical solutions to improve biogas yield during the anaerobic digestion of water hyacinth (WH) biomass. Increasing the WH (whole plant) solid content to ∼40% through sun drying (6 h), and its subsequent digestion increased biogas yield by 14% with a higher biogas methane (75%) content. Ensilation of dried WH (40% moisture) was found effective for its preservation to ensure its continuous availability even during offseasons, but the biogas yield from six months ensilated biomass was 20% less compared with fresh WH. Co-digestion of WH with waste activated sludge and food waste revealed ∼150 and ∼400 ml biogas/g VS respectively against ∼140 ml/g VS of WH alone. The practical approaches tested in this study like pre-treatment, preservation, and co-digestion of WH found to be effective to make its bio methanation more feasible.

Embolized Guidewire into Central Aorta: A Nightmare in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

A 4-month-old preterm, critically ill infant weighing 3.8 kg was admitted to our pediatric intensive care unit with congestive cardiac failure due to a large ventricular septal defect and its sequelae. During an attempt to insert a central line into the right subclavian vein at bedside, the guidewire inadvertently entered the subclavian artery and embolized distally. After multiple failed retrieval attempts, including surgical femoral cut-down to retrieve the wire, it was removed finally by fluoroscopic-guided percutaneous catheterization with the help of a cardiac bioptome and a gooseneck snare utilizing a novel maneuver.

Quantum Fluctuations in Quasi-One-Dimensional Dipolar Bose-Einstein Condensates.

Recent experiments have revealed that beyond-mean-field corrections are much more relevant in weakly interacting dipolar condensates than in their nondipolar counterparts. We show that in quasi-one-dimensional geometries quantum corrections in dipolar and nondipolar condensates are strikingly different due to the peculiar momentum dependence of the dipolar interactions. The energy correction of the condensate presents not only a modified density dependence, but it may even change from attractive to repulsive at a critical density due to the surprising role played by the transversal directions. The anomalous quantum correction translates into a strongly modified physics for quantum-stabilized droplets and dipolar solitons. Moreover, and for similar reasons, quantum corrections of three-body correlations, and hence of three-body losses, are strongly modified by the dipolar interactions. This intriguing physics can be readily probed in current experiments with magnetic atoms.

Structural and magnetic properties of spin-1/2 dimer compound Cu2(IPA)2(DMF)(H2O) with a large spin gap.

We present the synthesis and a detailed investigation of structural and magnetic properties of metal-organic compound Cu2(IPA)2(DMF)(H2O) by means of x-ray diffraction, magnetization, and heat capacity measurements. Single crystals of the title compound were synthesized by judicious selection of organic ligand and employing a selective hydrothermal reaction route. It crystallizes in an orthorhombic structure with space group Cmca. The structural analysis revealed that two Cu2+ ions are held together by the organic component (-O-C-O-) in a square paddle-wheel to form spin dimers which are aligned perpendicular to each other and are further coupled through organic ligands (isophthalic acid) forming two-dimensional layers. Temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility [Formula: see text] could be described well using spin-1/2 dimer model. The spin susceptibility [Formula: see text] shows an exponential decrease in the low temperature region, below the broad maximum, confirming the singlet ground state with a large spin gap of [Formula: see text] K. The heat capacity C p measured as a function of temperature also confirms the absence of magnetic long-range-order down to 2 K.

Double phase transition in the triangular antiferromagnet Ba3CoTa2O9.

Here, we report the synthesis and magnetic properties of a new triangular lattice antiferromagnet Ba3CoTa2O9. The effective spin of Co2+ is found to be J = 1/2 at low temperatures due to the combined effect of crystal field and spin-orbit coupling. Ba3CoTa2O9 undergoes two successive magnetic phase transitions at [Formula: see text] K and [Formula: see text] K in zero applied field, which is typical for triangular antiferromagnets with the easy-axis magnetic anisotropy. With increasing field, the transition anomalies are found to shift toward low temperatures, confirming the antiferromagnetic nature of the transitions. At higher fields, the transition peaks in the heat capacity data disappear and give way to a broad maximum, which can be ascribed to a Schottky anomaly due to the Zeeman splitting of spin levels. The H - T phase diagram of the compound shows three distinct phases. The possible nature of these phases is discussed.

Ruptured submitral aneurysm.

Submitral aneurysm is a rare entity, with around few hundred cases reported till date. Presentation can be varied. We describe here a case of submitral aneurysm in a young male with rupture into the left atrium cavity.

Study on the safety and efficacy of miltefosine for the treatment of children and adolescents with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis in Bangladesh, and an association of serum vitamin E and exposure to arsenic with post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis: an open clinical trial and case-control study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a dermatological complication that occurs primarily among treated visceral leishmaniasis (VL) patients, and sporadically in a few without a history of VL. It mostly affects children and adolescents but is also common in adults. The conventional treatment with 120 intramuscular injections of sodium stibogluconate (SSG) is phasing out. Miltefosine (MF) is the only eventual alternative to SSG; however, its efficacy and safety profiles for treatment of children and adolescents with PKDL are lacking. In addition, risk factors for PKDL are poorly investigated. Host genetic, nutritional and environmental factors could be potential risk factors. As such, here we propose to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MF for 12 weeks at an allometric dose for children and adolescents with PKDL, and also to explore potential risk factors for PKDL. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A cross-sectional survey will look for suspected participants with PKDL among treated VL children and adolescents, a subsequent open clinical trial with MF at allometric dose, with a follow-up at 12 months. A case-control study will be carried out for PKDL risk factors. Assuming 95% cure rate, 95% CI and α=0.05, a sample size of 73 children with PKDL is needed. Considering an attrition rate of 10%, the final sample size is 80 children in each group. Descriptive and analytical analyses will be performed. Primary outcome is safety and cure rate of 12 weeks of treatment with MF. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) Ethical Review Committee (ERC) approved the protocol (PR#013045). Written informed consent will be taken from all participants and their guardians (in case of minor). A Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) of ICDDR,B ERC will monitor all study activities to ensure the safety of the participants. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02193022; Pre-results.

Salmonella Weltevreden food poisoning in a tea garden of Assam: An outbreak investigation.

BACKGROUND: Salmonella enterica serovar Weltevreden has been a rare cause of acute gastroenteritis occurring worldwide. Here, we report an outbreak of food poisoning in a tea garden. OBJECTIVES: To determine the aetiological agent and risk factors responsible for the outbreak and to take necessary steps for prevention of future outbreaks. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Affected area was visited by a team of microbiologists for collecting stool samples/rectal swabs from affected patients. Samples were processed by culture followed by confirmation of the isolates biochemically, automated bacterial identification system, conventional serotyping and molecular typing. Water samples were also processed for detection of faecal contamination. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique according to the Clinical Laboratory Standard Institute guidelines. RESULTS: The isolates were confirmed as S. enterica subspecies enterica serovar Weltevreden. They were found sensitive to ampicillin, amoxycillin-clavulanic acid, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, norfloxacin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, co-trimoxazole and doxycycline. Water samples showed high-level faecal contamination. Source of outbreak was found to be drinking water contaminated with dead livestock. House to house visit was made for early diagnosis and treatment of the cases, awareness campaigning and chlorination of drinking water. CONCLUSIONS: This report emphasises the geographical distribution of this organism in Assam. As S. Weltevreden is widely distributed in domestic animals, people should be made aware of immediate reporting of any unusual death among the livestock and their safe disposal which can significantly reduce the incidence of non-typhoidal salmonellosis in the country.

Magnetic properties of manganese based one-dimensional spin chains.

We have correlated the structure-property relationship of three manganese-based inorganic-organic hybrid structures. Compound 1, [Mn2(OH-BDC)2(DMF)3] (where BDC = 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid and DMF = N,N'-dimethylformamide), contains Mn2O11 dimers as secondary building units (SBUs), which are connected by carboxylate anions forming Mn-O-C-O-Mn chains. Compound 2, [Mn2(BDC)2(DMF)2], contains Mn4O20 clusters as SBUs, which also form Mn-O-C-O-Mn chains. In compound 3, [Mn3(BDC)3(DEF)2] (where DEF = N,N'-diethylformamide), the distorted MnO6 octahedra are linked to form a one-dimensional chain with Mn-O-Mn connectivity. The magnetic properties were investigated by means of magnetization and heat capacity measurements. The temperature dependent magnetic susceptibility of all the three compounds could be nicely fitted using a one-dimensional S = 5/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnetic chain model and the value of intra-chain exchange coupling (J/k(B)) between Mn(2+) ions was estimated to be ∼1.1 K, ∼0.7 K, and ∼0.46 K for compounds 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Compound 1 does not undergo any magnetic long-range-order down to 2 K while compounds 2 and 3 undergo long-range magnetic order at T(N) ≈ 4.2 K and ≈4.3 K, respectively, which are of spin-glass type. From the values of J/k(B) and T(N) the inter-chain coupling (J(⊥)/k(B)) was calculated to be about 0.1J/k(B) for both compounds 2 and 3, respectively.

Relationships between diet-related changes in the gut microbiome and cognitive flexibility.

Western diets are high in fat and sucrose and can influence behavior and gut microbiota. There is growing evidence that altering the microbiome can influence the brain and behavior. This study was designed to determine whether diet-induced changes in the gut microbiota could contribute to alterations in anxiety, memory or cognitive flexibility. Two-month-old, male C57BL/6 mice were randomly assigned high-fat (42% fat, 43% carbohydrate (CHO), high-sucrose (12% fat, 70% CHO (primarily sucrose) or normal chow (13% kcal fat, 62% CHO) diets. Fecal microbiome analysis, step-down latency, novel object and novel location tasks were performed prior to and 2weeks after diet change. Water maze testing for long- and short-term memory and cognitive flexibility was conducted during weeks 5-6 post-diet change. Some similarities in alterations in the microbiome were seen in both the high-fat and high-sucrose diets (e.g., increased Clostridiales), as compared to the normal diet, but the percentage decreases in Bacteroidales were greater in the high-sucrose diet mice. Lactobacillales was only significantly increased in the high-sucrose diet group and Erysipelotrichales was only significantly affected by the high-fat diet. The high-sucrose diet group was significantly impaired in early development of a spatial bias for long-term memory, short-term memory and reversal training, compared to mice on normal diet. An increased focus on the former platform position was seen in both high-sucrose and high-fat groups during the reversal probe trials. There was no significant effect of diet on step-down, exploration or novel recognitions. Higher percentages of Clostridiales and lower expression of Bacteroidales in high-energy diets were related to the poorer cognitive flexibility in the reversal trials. These results suggest that changes in the microbiome may contribute to cognitive changes associated with eating a Western diet.