Gonococcal endocarditis: A rare manifestation of a common disease in the COVID-19 era.

Gonococcal infections have been increasing worldwide and in the United States. Rarely, Neisseria gonorrhoeae can cause disseminated disease, including endocarditis. We present a case of gonococcal endocarditis, confirmed by blood cultures and 16S rRNA sequencing on excised valvular tissue. Prior to presentation with heart failure, our patient was asymptomatic. Most gonococcal infections are diagnosed through routine screening of individuals at risk. During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare contact for nonurgent complaints has decreased, and test kit shortage has been a factor. With increased incidence and decreased opportunities for screening, healthcare providers should be aware of rising gonococcal infections, as well as potential complications.

Ocular Syphilis: Clinical Manifestations and Treatment Course.

INTRODUCTION: We report 3 ocular syphilis cases that highlight the increasing incidence, variable presentation, diagnostic challenges, and treatment considerations of this potentially visionthreatening disease. CASE SERIES: A 39-year-old woman with diabetes and intravenous (IV) drug use presented with 3 weeks of decreased vision, left-eye photopsia, and rash. A 52-year-old man who has sex with men (MSM), presented with a 1-month history of upper respiratory infection-like symptoms, right-eye scotoma, redness, headache, and muffled hearing. A 24-year-old man with a history of MSM presented with right-eye scotoma and a history of transaminitis, rash, and systemic symptoms months prior. DISCUSSION: Syphilis rates are increasing. Each patient presented with nonspecific symptoms that, in retrospect, were early signs of infection. Vision recovery depends on the extent of ocular involvement, early recognition, and prompt initiation of appropriate therapy. CONCLUSION: Ocular syphilis must be considered in at-risk groups, but systemic signs may precede vision changes. Diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion and treatment with IV penicillin is effective.

Development of a niobium-doped titania inert anode for titanium electrowinning in molten chloride salts.

The direct electrochemical reduction of solid titanium dioxide in a chloride melt is an attractive method for the production of titanium metal. It has been estimated that this type of electrolytic approach may reduce the costs of producing titanium sponge by more than half, with the additional benefit of a smaller environmental footprint. The process utilises a consumable carbon anode which releases a mixture of CO2 and CO gas during electrolysis, but suffers from low current efficiency due to the occurrence of parasitic side reactions involving carbon. The replacement of the carbon anode with a cheap, robust inert anode offers numerous benefits that include: elimination of carbon dioxide emissions, more efficient cell operation, opportunity for three-dimensional electrode configurations and reduced electrode costs. This paper reports a study of Nb-doped titania anode materials for inert anodes in a titanium electrolytic reduction cell. The study examines the effect of niobium content and sintering conditions on the performance of Nb-doped TiO2 anodes in laboratory-scale electrolysis tests. Experimental findings, including performance in a 100 h laboratory electrolysis test, are described.

A furnace and environmental cell for the in situ investigation of molten salt electrolysis using high-energy X-ray diffraction.

This paper describes the design, construction and implementation of a relatively large controlled-atmosphere cell and furnace arrangement. The purpose of this equipment is to facilitate the in situ characterization of materials used in molten salt electrowinning cells, using high-energy X-ray scattering techniques such as synchrotron-based energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction. The applicability of this equipment is demonstrated by quantitative measurements of the phase composition of a model inert anode material, which were taken during an in situ study of an operational Fray-Farthing-Chen Cambridge electrowinning cell, featuring molten CaCl(2) as the electrolyte. The feasibility of adapting the cell design to investigate materials in other high-temperature environments is also discussed.