Rationally construction of 2D & 3D material on h-BN @ SnO2/TiO2 micro-sphere enables for photocatalytic debasement of textile cloth dyes in waste water treatment

Affordable and swiftly available h-BN@SnO2/TiO2 photocatalysts are being developed through an easy hydrothermally approach was used urea as boric acid precursors. With their constructed photo catalysts, the effect of h-BN@SnO2/TiO2 has been investigated under the assessment of Adsorption agents utilizing X-ray diffraction pattern (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersive spectroscopic analysis (SEM/EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and Burner Emit Teller (BET) isotherm testing methods, which also indicated that SnO2/TiO2 and h-BN have been tightly bound together. Because turquoise blue (TB) and Methyl orange (MO) fabric dyes can be found in the industrial wastewater being processed, the photo catalytic degradation process happens to be applied. According to the advantageous linkages of h-BN@SnO2/TiO2 photocatalysts, fantastic efficacy in breakdown towards hazardous compounds has been found. For the decomposition of Turquoise blue (TB) and Methyl orange (MO), the h-BN@SnO2/TiO2 catalysts proved the best performance stability (0.0386 min-1 and 1.524min-1) but were significantly 22 times quicker. Optical catalysis has additionally demonstrated extraordinary resilience and durability throughout five reprocessed efforts. On top of that, an approach enabling photocatalytic breakdown of harmful substances upon h-BN@SnO2/TiO2 has been presented.

Pyto-Architechture of Ag, Au and Ag-Au bi-metallic nanoparticles using waste orange peel extract for enable carcinogenic Congo red dye degradation

Ecologically inspired to develop silver, gold and silver/gold bimetallic nanoparticles from discarded orange peel extract. The plant-derived compounds included in discarded orange peel extract have been accountable for the development of Ag, Au and Ag-Au bimetallic nanoparticles, that might be used in the biosynthetic process. The qualitative assessment of developed silver, gold and silver/gold bimetallic nanoparticles has been performed by UV-visible, XRD pattern, FT IR analysis, TEM/HRTEM, EDX and BET isotherm analysis. In this investigation, the photocatalytic effect of developed silver, gold and silver/gold bimetallic nanoparticles on Congo red dye breakdown efficiency was achieved at 96%, 94%, and 99.2%, respectively. Due to prolonged electron-hole recombination process was investigated using UV irradiation and reused for up to 5 consecutive runs without significant loss of photocatalytic activity. Moreover, silver, gold, and silver/gold bimetallic nanoparticles manufactured in an environmentally benign manner could potentially contribute to the ecological cleanup.

Green waste immobilized Ag/Cu feather like Bi-matrix on garment dye decomposes and their bio-efficacy

This paper describes a simple phyto-remediation of feather-like silver/copper bi-matrix (BMs) was constructed by employing pommagrant waste peel (PWP) extract as crucial role of reducing agent and chelating agents. Numerous strategies, including UV-Visible, XRD, SEM-EDX, and TEM and BET isotherm were used to analysis the optical, structural, surface area and functional properties. Ag/Cu BPNMs of TEM characterization shows feather-like architectural features with constrained size and shape. The Ag/Cu co-catalytic nanoparticles have a particle size of 34-64 nm. The photocatalytic efficiency of Ag/Cu BMs was investigated using a garment dye, Congo red (CR), at successive time intervals under halogen lamp exposure. For Ag/Cu bimetallic nanoparticles, the photocatalytic degradation rate was recorded to be 100% after 40 min which is caused by adsorption of Congo red dye molecules on Ag/Cu and their degradation by reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are free hydroxyl radicals such as •OH and O2• ions that have high oxidizing capacity. The developed Ag/Cu BMs shown effective bacteriostatic action against many infections.

Toward Burnout Prevention: Can One Short Virtual Reality Relaxation and Mindfulness Training Session for Staff and Patients Decrease Stress and Improve Subjective Sense of Wellbeing?

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Mental wellness of healthcare workers has deteriorated recently, increasing burnout rates. Cancer patients are also often highly distressed, reporting fear, pain, and fatigue. Relaxation and mindfulness training have been shown to decrease stress and anxiety. Currently, the use of virtual reality (VR) for relaxation and mindfulness for cancer patients and oncology clinical staff is an ongoing area of research. We aimed to test the preliminary efficacy of incorporating an innovative digital therapeutic (DTx) we developed at our center in this population.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Cancer patients and clinic staff from one institution's Gastrointestinal and Radiation Oncology departments participated in the immersive VR-enhanced relaxation and mindfulness experience for this IRB-exempt study. Users completed a pre-VR survey via iPad assessing baseline knowledge and practice of stress reduction techniques, baseline stress, and familiarity with VR. In the VR app deployed on an Oculus Quest 2, users chose a relaxing water scene (e.g., stream, beach) and optional soothing background music. Users could also choose a relaxation or mindfulness training audio track. A post-VR survey assessed whether the experience affected their subjective stress and sense of wellbeing ("Yes" or "No") as well as the feasibility of using the app. A binomial test on a single proportion was used to test whether more participants (>50%) indicated their stress was reduced following the VR training than did not. Post-VR qualitative verbal feedback was also collected to identify future changes to the VR app.

RESULTS

Six patients, a patient's son, and forty-three employees used the VR app. Users were aged ≤ 30 years old (18%), 30-50 years (60%), and 50-70 years (22%). Users completed the VR experience in a median of 14 min (IQR: 11-19 min). In the pre-survey, most (78%) reported they felt stress at this point in their lives. In the post-survey, significantly more than the expected proportion of participants (>50%) reported feeling less stressed after using the VR app (88%, n = 44, p <0.001). Most (90%) reported that the VR app improved their subjective sense of wellbeing. All (100%) users reported it was easy to learn the VR controls. Nearly all (96%) reported they would be interested in using this VR app again, including 30% and 38% who reported they would be "extremely likely" and "very likely," respectively, to use the app again.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest our VR relaxation and mindfulness training was well accepted and could be integrated into the hospital setting in short sessions. Further work should be done based on participant feedback to expand the offerings of this VR app to offer a wider range of relaxation experiences and gamified psychological interventions that can help de-stress, recharge, and build resiliency.

Automatic Segmentation of Psoriasis Skin Images Using Adaptive Chimp Optimization Algorithm-Based CNN

Psoriasis is a severe skin disease that is surveyed outwardly by dermatologists. In recent years, computer vision is the major solution for diagnosing the psoriasis skin disease by segmenting the infected skin images. Besides, many researchers had presented efficient machine learning techniques for segmenting the psoriasis skin images. Nevertheless, accuracy and time consumption of the model are further to be improved. Thus, in this work, we present adaptive chimp optimization algorithm (AChOA)-based convolutional neural network (CNN) which is introduced for automatic segmentation of psoriasis skin images. After pre-processing, the input images are segmented using AChOA-CNN model where weight and bias values of CNN are optimized with the AChOA. The search ability of ChOA is enhanced by adapting the chaotic sequence based on tent map. At final, from the segmented output images, artifacts are removed by applying the threshold module. From the simulation, we attain 97% of accuracy.

Outcome of Management of Mandibular Sub condylar Fractures Based on Classification System Using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the amount of ramal height shortening and degree of displacement of sub condylar fracture that should be considered for effective management of mandibular sub condylar fractures using cone-beam computed tomography.

Patients and Methods

A prospective study of forty-two patients, who presented with unilateral sub condylar fracture was done. All patients were classified into Class I, II and III based on the degree of displacement of fractured segment and amount of ramal height shortening measured using cone-beam computed tomography. The treatment protocol was closed reduction and maxillomandibular fixation for Class I patients and open reduction and internal fixation for Class II and III patients. Outcomes of treatment were measured postoperatively 2 weeks, 1 and 3 months clinically. The variables, such as mouth opening, lateral and protrusive movements, deviation, pain and occlusion were studied.

Results

Among forty-two patients, twenty had Class I fractures, twelve had Class II fractures and ten had Class III fractures. Overall, no statistically significant differences were found between Class I and Class II groups in terms of functional outcomes and there were statistically significant differences between Class I and III groups. Class I fractures can be considered for closed method and open reduction is recommended for Class II and III fractures. The sample was composed of 42 patients grouped as follows: Class I (n = 20), Class II (n = 12), and Class III (n = 10) for treatment of sub condylar fractures. There were no significant differences between the three groups for the study variables at baseline, except for mouth opening and pain. There was significant difference in mouth opening between Class I and III cases (p 0.001) and insignificant difference in mouth opening in Class I and II cases (p 0.98). Persistent pain was elicited more in surgical Class II and III (n = 5) than non-surgical cases Class I (n = 0) on 3 months follow-up.

Conclusion

The study emphasises on use of three-dimensional diagnostic modality like cone-beam computed tomography for accurately classifying sub condylar fractures. The results favour closed reduction for mildly displaced Class I cases and surgical management of significantly displaced Class III fractures. The need for open reduction for Class II patients classified using CBCT is negligible assessing risks associated with surgical procedure which is contradictory to our protocol which requires a further comparative evaluation among Class II group.

Assessment of the efficacy of olopatadine 0.1% in the treatment of vernal keratoconjunctivitis in terms of clinical improvement based on total ocular symptom score and ocular surface disease index

Purpose

The main objective of this study is to explore the efficacy of olopatadine 0.1% treatment in the resolution of symptoms of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) among the Indian population.

Methods

This single-center, prospective cohort study involved 234 patients with VKC. Patients were treated with olopatadine 0.1%, twice daily for a period of 12 weeks and then followed up in 1^st week, 4^th week, 3^rd month, and 6^th month. The extent of relief in the symptoms of VKC was measured using total ocular symptom score (TOSS) and ocular surface disease index (OSDI).

Results

In the present study, the dropout rate was 5.6%. Total of 136 males and 85 females with a mean age of 37.68 ± 11.35 years completed the study. TOSS score reduced from 58.85 to 5.06 and the OSDI score reduced from 75.41 to 11.2 with statistical significance (P < 0.01) from 1^st week to 6^th week after olopatadine 0.1% treatment. The data showed relief in subjective symptoms of itching, tearing, and redness, and relief in discomfort in functions related to ocular grittiness, visuals like reading, and environmental like tolerability in dry conditions. Further, olopatadine 0.1% was effective in both males and females, and patients across ages 18-70 years.

Conclusion

Based on TOSS and OSDI scores, the findings of this study validate safety and tolerability as revealed by low adverse effects and moderate efficacy of olopatadine 0.1% in reducing VKC symptoms in a broader age group (18-70 years) of both genders.

Spectral characterization and biological evaluation of biomolecules from the peels of three orange fruits: a comparative study

The present work was designed to investigate the presence of bioactive chemicals in the reaction mixtures (RMs) of peels of Valencia, Mandarin, and African navel oranges, through GC-MS and FT-IR studies. Limonene, a unique compound, is present in the RMs of the three orange peels. Moreover, hexadecanoic acid 2-hydroxy-1-(hydroxymethyl) ethyl ester was identified in the RMs of all the three-orange peels. The RM of Mandarin orange exhibited potent cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 ATCC human breast cancer cells (HBC). All the three RMs exhibited moderate antibacterial activity against the human pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 25923), Staphylococcus epidermidis (ATCC 12228), Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922), Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 700603), Salmonella choleraesis (ATCC 10708), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 27853), and Proteus mirabilis (ATCC 299).

Spinal Cord Sarcoidosis Occurring at Sites of Spondylotic Stenosis, Mimicking Spondylotic Myelopathy: A Case Series and Review of the Literature

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease, with intramedullary spinal cord involvement seen in <1% of cases. This case series illustrates the clinical presentations and imaging findings of 5 patients with intramedullary spinal neurosarcoidosis occurring at sites of spondylotic spinal canal stenosis, which can be indistinguishable from spondylotic myelopathy with cord enhancement. Both entities are most common in middle-aged men and present with weeks to months of motor and sensory symptoms. On imaging, both can have focal spinal cord enhancement and longitudinally extensive signal abnormality centered at or just below the level of spinal canal stenosis. On the basis of our experience, we suggest that in patients with cord enhancement centered at or just below a site of spinal canal stenosis, consideration should be given to chest imaging and lymph node biopsy when applicable, to assess for the possibility of underlying sarcoidosis before surgical decompression.

Embedded Foreign Bodies in the Maxillofacial Region: Our Experience

Impacted Foreign Bodies (FB) within the maxillofacial region are often inadequately diagnosed during the initial examination. Proper evaluation and management are mandatory to avoid untoward consequences. We depict a series of five cases with impacted FBs, managed case-specifically, along with an algorithm for dealing FBs in the maxillofacial region.

Intraarticular steroids as DMARD-sparing agents for juvenile idiopathic arthritis flares: Analysis of the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry

BACKGROUND

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) who achieve a drug free remission often experience a flare of their disease requiring either intraarticular steroids (IAS) or systemic treatment with disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs). IAS offer an opportunity to recapture disease control and avoid exposure to side effects from systemic immunosuppression. We examined a cohort of patients treated with IAS after drug free remission and report the probability of restarting systemic treatment within 12 months.

METHODS

We analyzed a cohort of patients from the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) Registry who received IAS for a flare after a period of drug free remission. Historical factors and clinical characteristics and of the patients including data obtained at the time of treatment were analyzed.

RESULTS

We identified 46 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Of those with follow up data available 49% had restarted systemic treatment 6 months after IAS injection and 70% had restarted systemic treatment at 12 months. The proportion of patients with prior use of a biologic DMARD was the only factor that differed between patients who restarted systemic treatment those who did not, both at 6 months (79% vs 35%, p < 0.01) and 12 months (81% vs 33%, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

While IAS are an option for all patients who flare after drug free remission, it may not prevent the need to restart systemic treatment. Prior use of a biologic DMARD may predict lack of success for IAS. Those who previously received methotrexate only, on the other hand, are excellent candidates for IAS.

New Thiazole Acetic Acid Derivatives: A Study to Screen Cardiovascular Activity Using Isolated Rat Hearts and Blood Vessels

Cardiovascular diseases are one of the major causes of mortalities worldwide. In the present research, new synthetic derivatives of thiazole were studied using isolated hearts and blood vessels of rats. The heart and thoracic aorta were tested with six new synthesized thiazole acetic acid derivatives (SMVA-10, SMVA-35, SMVA-40, SMVA-41, SMVA-42 and SMVA-60), and the data obtained were statistically analyzed and compared. Isolated rat hearts were used to record the changes in developed tension and heart rate, while thoracic aortas were used to measure the contractile response, before and after treatments. Analysis of the results indicated a significant (p < 0.01) increase in developed tension with the addition of SMVA-35, SMVA-40, SMVA-41 and SMVA-42, which was augmented in the presence of adrenaline without affecting the heart rate. On the other hand, acetylcholine significantly decreased the developed tension, which was significantly reversed (p < 0.01) in the presence of compounds (SMVA-35 and SMVA-60). However, in the presence of SMVA-35 and SMVA-40, acetylcholine-induced bradycardia was significantly (p < 0.01) reduced. Furthermore, only SMVA-42 induced a dose-dependent contractile response in the isolated blood vessel, which was abolished in the presence of prazosin. Therefore, it can be concluded that some of the new synthesized thiazole derivatives exhibited promising results by raising the developed tension without changing the heart rate or blood vessel function, which could be helpful in failing heart conditions. However, more research is required to fully comprehend the function, mechanism and effectiveness of the compounds.

POS0267 OUTCOMES DURING AND AFTER LONG-TERM TOCILIZUMAB TREATMENT IN PATIENTS WITH GIANT CELL ARTERITIS

Background

Data on the long-term efficacy and safety of tocilizumab (TCZ) for giant cell arteritis (GCA), including incidence and timing of disease relapse after TCZ discontinuation, is limited.

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of GCA patients treated with TCZ in a real-world setting.

Methods

Retrospective analysis of GCA patients treated with TCZ for >9 months at a single center between 2010-2021. Time to relapse and annualized relapse rate during and after TCZ treatment, prednisone use and safety were assessed. Relapse was defined as the re-appearance of clinical manifestations of GCA that required treatment intensification regardless of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) or C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. The duration of TCZ treatment was determined as per the best clinical judgement of the treating rheumatologist.

Results

A total of 57 GCA patients were followed for a mean (SD) period of 3.4 (1.7) years. Baseline characteristics and treatments received are shown in Table 1. Patients were maintained on their initial TCZ course for a mean (SD) period of 2.0 (1.3) years. The initial TCZ course lasted >12 months in 50 (88%) patients. During the initial TCZ course, 8 (14.0%) patients relapsed. Kaplan-Meier (KM) estimated relapse rates on TCZ were 10.5% and 14.9% at 12 and 18 months, respectively (Figure 1A). TCZ was discontinued due to long-term remission in 37 (64.9%) patients and after an adverse event in 6 (10.5%) patients. Of the 43 patients stopping TCZ due to remission or adverse event, 19 (44.2%) subsequently relapsed. KM estimated relapse rates after TCZ discontinuation were 30.4% and 44.0% at 12 and 18 months, respectively (Figure 1B). Overall, 12 patients received more than one TCZ course. The aggregation of all TCZ courses (mean 2.5 years) and all periods off TCZ following the initial TCZ treatment (mean 0.9 years) showed that 11 (19.3%) patients relapsed while on TCZ and 20 (35.1%) patients relapsed during time off TCZ. An analysis adjusting for age, sex, prednisone dose at initiation of first TCZ course, and disease type (new onset vs. relapsing) at initiation of first TCZ course showed an annualized relapse rate (95% CI) of 0.1 (0.0-0.2) during TCZ treatment and 0.4 (0.3-0.7) off TCZ (rate ratio 0.2, p<0.0001). By the end of follow up, 42 (73.7%) patients were able to wean off prednisone. During the study, 12 serious adverse events occurred in 11 (19.3%) patients. Among those 12 events, 3 (25%) were related or possibly related to TCZ exclusively (i.e., soft tissue infection, bacteremia, and COVID-19), 3 (25%) to prednisone exclusively (i.e., osteoporotic fracture, diabetic ketoacidosis and stroke), and 2 (16.7%) to either TCZ or prednisone (i.e., pneumonia and sepsis).

Table 1.

Baseline characteristics and treatments

GCA patients(n = 57)Age, mean (SD)70.1 (9.3)Female sex39 (68.4)New onset disease at TCZ initiation18 (31.6)Initial TCZ treatment 4 mg/Kg intravenously monthly2 (3.5) 8 mg/Kg intravenously monthly13 (22.8) 162 mg subcutaneously every 2 weeks6 (10.5) 162 mg subcutaneously weekly36 (63.2)On prednisone at TCZ initiation57 (100)Prednisone dose (mg) at TCZ initiation, mean (SD)32.3 (21.7)Patients receiving >1 TCZ course12 (21.1)Duration of initial TCZ course (years), mean (SD)2.0 (1.3)Total duration of TCZ treatment (years), mean (SD)2.5 (1.6)*

Values represent number and (%) unless otherwise specified. *Aggregated time on tocilizumab (TCZ)

for those patients that received more than 1 TCZ course. GCA, giant cell arteritis; SD, standard deviation.

Conclusion

Long-term TCZ treatment was efficacious in maintaining disease remission and sparing the use of prednisone in patients with GCA. Over 40% of patients stopping TCZ after long-term remission or adverse event relapsed following TCZ discontinuation.

Acknowledgements

This study was sponsored by Genentech, Inc.

Disclosure of Interests

Mark Matza: None declared, Nicholas Dagincourt Employee of: Working for Genentech, Inc., as employees of Everest Clinical Research, Shalini Mohan Shareholder of: Genentech, Inc., Employee of: Genentech, Inc., Andrey Pavlov Employee of: Working for Genentech, Inc. as an employee of Everest Clinical Research, Jian Han Shareholder of: Genentech, Inc., Employee of: Genentech, Inc., John H. Stone Consultant of: Roche, Grant/research support from: Roche, Sebastian Unizony Grant/research support from: Research funding from Genentech, Inc.

One-pot and Solvent-free Synthesis of Carbodiimide Modified Chitosan; Extraordinary Thermally Stability

A facile, one-pot, and solvent-free synthesis was developed to obtain a thermally stable chitosan biopolymer. The bifunctional isocyanate by interaction with chitosan formed urea and urethane bonds between chitosan chains. Subsequently, the designed chemistry facilitated the formation of carbodiimide bonds between chitosan chains via dehydration of the urea bond. The modified chitosan was proved to be superior in thermal properties and could be used as a thermally stable bio-filler. This synthetic methodology is a facile route to achieve improved thermal stability in biopolymers.

Strategic analysis of intimate partner violence (IPV) and cycle of violence in the autobiographical text -When I Hit You

Objectives

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a globally recognized societal problem that requires intensive research to raise public awareness.

Aim

Accordingly, the purpose of the study is to analyze IPV at the physical, psychological, and social aspects of abuse.

Method

The methodology of the study correlates IPV to the personal experiences of notable Indian writer, Meena Kandasamy, according to the autobiographical account of her abusive married life in the award-winning novel When I Hit You, which depicts the horrible treatment of women by their perpetrators within a closed sphere. To substantiate, the selected autobiographical work is compared with Lenore Edna Walker’s prominent Cycle of Violence theory, which best describes why women become victims and also the abuser’s tactics in controlling the women in a violent relationship.

Results

The study’s findings suggest that IPV, a serious global problem, requires government intervention and severe legal enforcement to protect women’s lives from the clutches of the abuser.

The Importance of Weakly Co-Evolving Residue Networks in Proteins is Revealed by Visual Analytics

Small changes in a protein’s core packing produce changes in function, and even small changes in function bias species fitness and survival. Therefore individually deleterious mutations should be evolutionarily coupled with compensating mutations that recover fitness. Co-evolving pairs of mutations should be littered across evolutionary history. Despite longstanding intuition, the results of co-evolution analyses have largely disappointed expectations. Regardless of the statistics applied, only a small majority of the most strongly co-evolving residues are typically found to be in contact, and much of the “meaning” of observed co-evolution has been opaque. In a medium-sized protein of 300 amino acids, there are almost 20 million potentially-important interdependencies. It is impossible to understand this data in textual format without extreme summarization or truncation. And, due to summarization and truncation, it is impossible to identify most patterns in the data. We developed a visualization approach that eschews the common “look at a long list of statistics” approach and instead enables the user to literally look at all of the co-evolution statistics simultaneously. Users of our tool reported visually obvious “clouds” of co-evolution statistics forming distinct patterns in the data, and analysis demonstrated that these clouds had structural relevance. To determine whether this phenomenon generalized, we repeated this experiment in three proteins we had not previously studied. The results provide evidence about how structural constrains have impacted co-evolution, why previous “examine the most frequently co-evolving residues” approaches have had limited success, and additionally shed light on the biophysical importance of different types of co-evolution.

Social determinants of health influence disease activity and functional disability in Polyarticular Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

BACKGROUND

Social determinants of health (SDH) greatly influence outcomes during the first year of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis, a disease similar to polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis (pJIA). We investigated the correlation of community poverty level and other SDH with the persistence of moderate to severe disease activity and functional disability over the first year of treatment in pJIA patients enrolled in the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance Registry.

METHODS

In this cohort study, unadjusted and adjusted generalized linear mixed effects models analyzed the effect of community poverty and other SDH on disease activity, using the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score-10, and disability, using the Child Health Assessment Questionnaire, measured at baseline, 6, and 12 months.

RESULTS

One thousand six hundred eighty-four patients were identified. High community poverty (≥20% living below the federal poverty level) was associated with increased odds of functional disability (OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.28-2.60) but was not statistically significant after adjustment (aOR 1.23, 95% CI 0.81-1.86) and was not associated with increased disease activity. Non-white race/ethnicity was associated with higher disease activity (aOR 2.48, 95% CI: 1.41-4.36). Lower self-reported household income was associated with higher disease activity and persistent functional disability. Public insurance (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.06-2.29) and low family education (aOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.14-3.12) was associated with persistent functional disability.

CONCLUSION

High community poverty level was associated with persistent functional disability in unadjusted analysis but not with persistent moderate to high disease activity. Race/ethnicity and other SDH were associated with persistent disease activity and functional disability.

Development of nanoporous textile sludge based adsorbent for the dye removal from industrial textile effluent

The development of a novel textile sludge based activated carbon (TSBAC) adsorbent and its performance for the treatment of textile dyeing effluent, have been explained in this paper. TSBAC was prepared by the thermal treatment of textile effluent treatment sludge followed by the chemical activation using phosphoric acid. Characterization of TSBAC resulted in enhanced specific surface area (123.65 m²/g) along with the presence of active surface functional groups including -OH, -COOH, -CO. TSBAC showed superior adsorption capacity for methylene blue (123.6 mg/g), reactive red 198 (101.4 mg/g), and reactive yellow 145 (96.8 mg/g) individually, and from the synthetic textile effluent (106 mg/g). The pseudo-second order model and Langmuir isotherm model were found to be fitted well with batch experimental data. The results of the continuous column studies showed that adsorption capacity for methylene blue, reactive red 198, reactive yellow 145 are 101.8 mg/g, 76.6 mg/g, and 75.1 mg/g respectively, and the synthetic textile effluent resulted in an adsorption capacity value of 79.1 mg/g. The reuse potential of TSBAC was proved by effective dye removal up to six reuse cycles. The leachability studies proved that the used adsorbent could be safely disposed of without any harmful effect to the environment.

COVID-19 and tobacco cessation: lessons from India

OBJECTIVES

The Government of India prohibited the sale of tobacco products during the COVID-19 lockdown to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study assessed the tobacco cessation behaviour and its predictors among adult tobacco users during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period in India.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 801 adult tobacco users (both smoking and smokeless tobacco) in two urban metropolitan cities of India over a 2-month period (July to August 2020). The study assessed complete tobacco cessation and quit attempts during the lockdown period. Logistic and negative binomial regression models were used to study the correlates of tobacco cessation and quit attempts, respectively.

RESULTS

In total, 90 (11.3%) tobacco users reported that they had quit using tobacco after the COVID-19 lockdown period. Overall, a median of two quit attempts (interquartile range 0-6) was made by tobacco users. Participants with good knowledge on the harmful effects of tobacco use and COVID-19 were significantly more likely to quit tobacco use (odds ratio [OR] 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-4.0) and reported more quit attempts (incidence risk ratio 5.7; 95% CI 2.8-11.8) compared to those with poor knowledge. Participants who had access to tobacco products were less likely to quit tobacco use compared to those who had no access (OR 0.3; 95% CI 0.2-0.5].

CONCLUSIONS

Access restrictions and correct knowledge on the harmful effects of tobacco use and COVID-19 can play an important role in creating a conducive environment for tobacco cessation among users.

Treatment of triclosan through enhanced microbial biodegradation

Triclosan (TCS) is extensively used in healthcare and personal care products as an antibacterial agent. Due to the persistent and toxic nature of TCS, it is not completely degraded in the biological wastewater treatment process. In this research work, identification of TCS degrading bacteria from municipal wastewater sludge and applying the same as bioaugmentation treatment for wastewater have been reported. Based on the 16S rRNA analysis of wastewater sludge, it was found that Providencia rettgeri MB-IIT strain was active and able to grow in higher TCS concentration. The identified bacterial strain was able to use TCS as carbon and energy source for its growth. The biodegradation experiment was optimized for the operational parameters viz. pH (5-10), inoculum size (1-5% (v/v)) and different initial concentration (2, 5, and 10 mg/L) of TCS. During the TCS degradation process, manganese peroxidase (MnP) and laccase (LAC) enzyme activity and specific growth rate of P. rettgeri strain were maximum at pH=7% and 2% (v/v) inoculum size, resulting in 98% of TCS removal efficiency. A total of six intermediate products were identified from the Liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS) analysis, and the two mechanisms responsible for the degradation of TCS have been elucidated. The study highlights that P. rettgeri MB-IIT strain could be advantageously used to degrade triclosan present in the wastewater.

Diabetic ketoacidosis and mortality in COVID-19 infection

Aim

- Patients with diabetes have increased morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. Case reports describe patients with simultaneous COVID-19 and diabetic acidosis (DKA), however there is limited data on the prevalence, predictors and outcomes of DKA in these patients.

Methods

- Patients with COVID-19 were identified from the electronic medical record. DKA was defined by standardized criteria. Proportional hazard regression models were used to determine risk factors for, and mortality from DKA in COVID-19.

Results

- Of 2366 patients admitted for COVID-19, 157 (6.6%) patients developed DKA, 94% of whom had antecedent type 2 diabetes, 0.6% had antecedent type 1 diabetes, and 5.7% patients had no prior diagnosis of diabetes. Patients with DKA had increased hospital length of stay and in-patient mortality. Higher HbA1c predicted increased risk of incident DKA (HR 1.47 per 1% increase, 95% CI 1.40–1.54). Risk factors for mortality included older age (HR 1.07 per 5 years, 95% CI 1.06–1.08) and need for pressors (HR 2.33, 95% CI 1.82–2.98). Glucocorticoid use was protective in patients with and without DKA.

Conclusion

- The combination of DKA and COVID-19 is associated with greater mortality, driven by older age and COVID-19 severity.

Spectral analysis, in vitro cytotoxicity and antibacterial studies of bioactive principles from the leaves of Conocarpus lancifolius, a common tree of Jazan, Saudi Arabia

The objective of the present study was to analyse the bioactive compounds of the leaves of Conocarpus lancifolius (C. lancifolius). The GC-MS analysis of the hot methanolic extract of the leaves (HMEL) of C. lancifolius exhibited the bioactive compounds such as 1-(3-Methoxy-2-nitrobenzyl) iso quinoline, morphin-4-ol-6,7-dione, 1-bromo-N-methyl-, phytol, hexadecanoic acid, 2,3-dihydroxypropyl ester, 2,2':4',2"-terthiophene, ethyl iso-allocholate, caryophyllene oxide, campesterol, epiglobulol, cholestan-3-ol, 2-methylene-, (3á,5à)-, dasycarpidan-1-methanol, acetate (ester) and oleic acid, eicosyl ester. The FT-IR analysis of HMEL of C. lancifolius showed a unique peak at 3184, 2413, 1657 cm-1 representing coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid and ferulic acid. The HMEL of C. lancifolius was actively inhibiting the proliferation of breast cancer cells MCF-7 ATCC at the concentration of 72.66 ± 8.21 µg/ml as IC50 value. The HMEL of C. lancifolius also revealed a good spectrum of activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial cultures screened in this work. The activity observed has shown more or less similar effects against screened bacteria. However, the magnitude of potentiality was significantly lesser compared to standard ciprofloxacin disc at p< 0.001 level (99% confidence intervals). Furthermore, the study demonstrating the bioactive compounds can be isolated from the leaves of C. lancifolius.