Synthesis of gamma irradiated acrylic acid-grafted-sawdust (SD-g-AAc) for trivalent chromium adsorption from aqueous solution.

Water pollution caused by chromium released from tannery is a serious concern to the environment and public health. Chromium removal from tannery effluent is a crying need before discharging to the surface water. In this study, acrylic acid-grafted sawdust was prepared by Tectona grandis sawdust grafting with acrylic acid employing gamma irradiation in the presence of air and Mohr's salt. It was treated with NaOH and the characterization of surface morphology and functional groups of modified sawdust was studied by SEM and FTIR.. The effects of solution pH, adsorbent dosage, adsorption time, and initial Cr(III) ion concentration were investigated by batch sorption studies. The process was found to be pH, temperature and concentration dependent. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied to realize the adsorption process in depth, and it was found that the Langmuir isotherm model fitted well with experimental data (R2 value of 0.983). The maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of acrylic acid-grafted sawdust for Cr(III) from aquous solution was found to be 21.55 mg g-1 at 25 °C. Pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were employed to analyze the kinetics of the process, and it was found that the experimental process followed the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, i.e. chemisorption. This study revealed that acrylic acid-grafted sawdust has a decent potential for the removal of Cr(III) from tannery effluents.

The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study in Bangladesh.

Background: Shigella is an important cause of diarrhea in Bangladeshi children <5 years of age, with an incidence rate of 4.6 per 100 person-years. However, the report was more than a decade old, and data on Shigella consequences are similarly outdated and heterogeneously collected. Methods: Facility-based disease surveillance is planned to be carried out under the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella Surveillance Study consortium for 2 years with aims to optimize and standardize laboratory techniques and healthcare utilization and coverage survey, clinical and anthropometric data collection, safety monitoring and responsiveness, and other related activities. The EFGH is a cohesive network of multidisciplinary experts, capable of operating in concert to conduct the study to generate data that will pave the way for potential Shigella vaccine trials in settings with high disease burden. The study will be conducted within 7 country sites in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Conclusions: We outline the features of the Bangladesh site as part of this multisite surveillance network to determine an updated incidence rate and document the consequences of Shigella diarrhea in children aged 6-35 months, which will help inform policymakers and to implement the future vaccine trials.

Exploring Natural Immune Responses to Shigella Exposure Using Multiplex Bead Assays on Dried Blood Spots in High-Burden Countries: Protocol From a Multisite Diarrhea Surveillance Study.

Background: Molecular diagnostics on human fecal samples have identified a larger burden of shigellosis than previously appreciated by culture. Evidence of fold changes in immunoglobulin G (IgG) to conserved and type-specific Shigella antigens could be used to validate the molecular assignment of type-specific Shigella as the etiology of acute diarrhea and support polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based microbiologic end points for vaccine trials. Methods: We will test dried blood spots collected at enrollment and 4 weeks later using bead-based immunoassays for IgG to invasion plasmid antigen B and type-specific lipopolysaccharide O-antigen for Shigella flexneri 1b, 2a, 3a, and 6 and Shigella sonnei in Shigella-positive cases and age-, site-, and season-matched test-negative controls from all sites in the Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella surveillance study. Fold antibody responses will be compared between culture-positive, culture-negative but PCR-attributable, and PCR-positive but not attributable cases and test-negative controls. Age- and site-specific seroprevalence distributions will be identified, and the association between baseline antibodies and Shigella attribution will be estimated. Conclusions: The integration of these assays into the EFGH study will help support PCR-based attribution of acute diarrhea to type-specific Shigella, describe the baseline seroprevalence of conserved and type-specific Shigella antibodies, and support correlates of protection for immunity to Shigella diarrhea. These insights can help support the development and evaluation of Shigella vaccine candidates.

Microbiological Methods Used in the Enterics for Global Health Shigella Surveillance Study.

Background: Shigella is a major cause of diarrhea in young children worldwide. Multiple vaccines targeting Shigella are in development, and phase 3 clinical trials are imminent to determine efficacy against shigellosis. Methods: The Enterics for Global Health (EFGH) Shigella surveillance study is designed to determine the incidence of medically attended shigellosis in 6- to 35-month-old children in 7 resource-limited settings. Here, we describe the microbiological methods used to isolate and identify Shigella. We developed a standardized laboratory protocol for isolation and identification of Shigella by culture. This protocol was implemented across all 7 sites, ensuring consistency and comparability of results. Secondary objectives of the study are to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles of Shigella, compare isolation of Shigella from rectal swabs versus whole stool, and compare isolation of Shigella following transport of rectal swabs in Cary-Blair versus a modified buffered glycerol saline transport medium. Conclusions: Data generated from EFGH using culture methods described herein can potentially be used for microbiological endpoints in future phase 3 clinical trials to evaluate vaccines against shigellosis and for other clinical and public health studies focused on these organisms.

Unusual presentation of gastric cancer during treatment of hairy cell leukemia: Exploring the etiological basis of this rare phenomenon.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Patients typically present with cytopenia and splenomegaly. We describe the case of a 78-year-old patient with refractory HCL who acutely developed a cystic lesion on the back while receiving moxetumomab pasudotox therapy. Biopsy of the lesion revealed the presence of adenocarcinoma, which prompted a detailed evaluation resulting in a diagnosis of stage IV gastric cancer. Nevertheless, to establish any association between moxetumomab pasudotox therapy and secondary cancer development, a satisfactory number of studies need to be conducted.