Degradation of azoxystrobin, methoxyfenozide, and propyzamide by ultrasound treatment.

Ultrasound as a green and efficient process gains special attention in wastewater treatment. The ultrasound-assisted degradation of azoxystrobin, methoxyfenozide, and propyzamide as widely used pesticides for vine treatment was investigated. A wide range of ultrasonic power (40 to 140 W) and a single frequency (20 kHz) were applied. Degradation experiments were carried out according to the parameters set by a central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM) via JMP software. The treatment efficiency was quantified using degradation rates and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) measurements. Results indicated that the pesticide's degradation was negligible at 40 W but by increasing the power setting from 80 to 140 W, the degradation rate constants of azoxystrobin, methoxyfenozide, and propyzamide increased from 3.6 × 10-2 min-1 to 0.2 min-1, from 6.1 × 10-2 min-1 to 0.3 min-1, and from 3.1 × 10-2 min-1 to 0.1 min-1, respectively. The hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) measurements confirmed this trend. Besides, electric energy per order of pollutant removal (EE/O) was also evaluated for the same treatment duration and results revealed that treatment conditions of 20 kHz and 140 W were the less energy-guzzling. Finally, profiles obtained with RSM illustrated linear degradation kinetics for azoxystrobin and propyzamide. Indeed, treatment efficiency increased when increasing both studied parameters. However, both linear and quadratic degradation kinetics occurred for methoxyfenozide degradation indicating a parameter threshold beyond which the trend is reversed. Overall, this study confirms the effectiveness of ultrasound for the degradation of pesticides in aqueous medium.

Concomitant Mediterranean spotted fever and systemic lupus erythematosus: a rare case report.

Infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Mediterranean spotted fever (MSF) is a tick-borne disease caused by Rickettsia conorii. This infection is endemic in Tunisia with summer seasonality. Herein, the case of a 45 years old woman, admitted to hospital with fever and erythema nodosum. On examination, she had a diffuse skin rash, malar rash, and polyarthritis. Serology demonstrated Rickettsia Conoriiinfection. The diagnosis of MSF was made and the patient had a course of doxycycline for 5 days with a prompt improvement of the fever, the skin lesions but she had a persistent malar rash, polyarthritis, and lymphopenia. The immunological profile was positive for antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-DNA antibodies, anti-nucleosomes antibodies, and anti-citrullinated protein antibodies (ACPA). The diagnosis of SLE was established. We report the first case of SLE associated with MSF and with erythema nodosum as the initial presentation.

Case Report: Recurrent retinal vein occlusion as the first clinical manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus in a male patient.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune disease characterized by widespread clinical manifestations and immunological disorders. A myriad of ocular manifestations can be seen in patients with SLE. The most vision-threatening complication is vaso-occlusive retinopathy including retinal vein occlusion (RVO). RVO associated with SLE is well described in the literature and its association with antiphospholipid antibodies is recognized. However, RVO as the initial manifestation of SLE is scarcely reported. Herein, we report the first case of recurrent RVO as the revealing manifestation of SLE in a 40-year-old male patient. He had two consecutive episodes of decreased vision. Ophthalmologic examination disclosed a branch retinal vein occlusion the first time and a central retinal vein occlusion the second time. The diagnosis of SLE was established based on clinical and immunological criteria. He was prescribed antiplatelet therapy, hydroxychloroquine at 5.5 mg/kg/day, and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) antibodies regimen. He slowly improved under treatment.