Zno/NiO coated multi-walled carbon nanotubes for textile dyes degradation

The nanocomposites of ZnO/NiO loaded Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes (MWNTs) were successfully fabricated using co-precipitation method. The synthesized photocatalyst were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, Diffused reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for the determination of crystal structure, morphology, elemental composition and optical properties respectively. The photocatalytic activity of as prepared photocatalyst was determined by monitoring the degradation of methyl orange (an azo dye) under ultra-violet (280 nm) and visible (480 nm) irradiation. The Diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) exhibits absorbance tail around 400 nm, in the near UV region. SEM analysis shows the homogenous dispersion of ZnO and NiO on the surface of MWNTs. The efficiency for Photodegradation of ZnO coated MWNTs is shown to be greater than the efficiency of pristine ZnO. When NiO was loaded on the surface of MWNTs having ZnO coated layer, the activity was further enhanced and reached maximum for 3% NiO loading. The degradation in visible region is believed to be proceeding through self-sensitized degradation of pre-adsorbed dye. A different behavior for degradation was observed for ZnO coated MWNTs and ZnO/NiO coated MWNTs, which suggests that complete mineralization of azo dyes can be achieved in a self-sensitized degradation process after employing ZnO/NiO coated MWNTs. Keywords: ZnO/NiO coated MWNTs, Co-precipitation method, Photocatalyst, Dyes degradatio

Safety and Efficacy of Ferric Carboxymaltose in Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Iron Deficiency.

Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction (HFpEF) is a prevalent cardiovascular condition characterized by a complex pathophysiology and limited therapeutic options. Coinciding iron deficiency often compounds the clinical picture, contributing to symptom burden and adverse outcomes. The review underscores the urgency for effective treatments in light of its increasing incidence and considerable healthcare burden. It highlights the clinical significance of addressing iron deficiency in HFpEF patients. FCM emerges as a promising therapeutic modality, demonstrating the ability to rapidly restore iron stores and enhance patients\u27 quality of life while reducing hospitalization rates and mortality. The review thoroughly elucidates the impact of iron deficiency on HFpEF symptoms and outcomes, elucidating how FCM effectively mitigates these challenges. Detailed discussions encompass FCM\u27s mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, and safety profile. Notably, FCM\u27s adaptability to diverse patient profiles and clinical settings is emphasized, reinforcing its clinical utility. Clinical evidence, including study designs, patient cohorts, and key findings, affirms FCM\u27s potential as a valuable therapeutic option. Real-world data analysis further underscores FCM\u27s practicality and safety beyond controlled clinical trials.The review concludes by addressing future research directions and critical research gaps, accentuating the need for mechanistic insights, long-term outcome studies, and refined patient selection criteria. As FCM increasingly integrates into clinical practice, it offers promise in revolutionizing HFpEF management, addressing an unmet need in this intricate cardiovascular condition

Significant challenges of COPD Management in developing countries

To explore the challenges faced by each stakeholder for COPD management, including the patients, their family/caretakers, healthcare professionals, and healthcare policymakers & organizations, the authors conducted a survey during the International Respiratory Forum conference 2022 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. A total of 140 pulmonologists from 11 countries participated in the study. A predesigned structured questionnaire was developed pertaining to questions related to challenges faced by each stakeholder for COPD management in Low-middle income countries (LMIC). Each group received one of the four sections of the questionnaire. It was found that 47% of doctors thought that patients couldn't understand the early symptoms as indicators of a serious illness and were afraid of forming a dependency on long-term drugs. According to 64% of doctors, the most frequent implications experienced by caregivers when caring for COPD patients were the financial burden of lifelong therapies and disappointments from treatment failure brought on by a lack of access to high-quality or specialized healthcare. Of the difficulties experienced by healthcare professionals, 50% said that misusing investigations for diagnosis resulted in delayed or underdiagnoses of COPD. The biggest issue with COPD referrals in developing nations was general practitioners' ignorance of recognizing highrisk patients and the need for their referrals. Approximately 80% of respondents said that a sizeable percentage of annual healthcare spending was consumed by expenses related to exacerbations and repeated ER visits. It is concluded that the questionnaire responses reflect physicians' perceptions and experiences in routine clinical practice. Increased knowledge of COPD diagnosis and treatment recommendations, as well as proactive identification of patients at higher risk of developing COPD due to environmental or lifestyle exposures, will help with prompt, accurate diagnoses and efficient treatments, ultimately improving patient outcomes. Keywords: COPD Management, Challenges, Developing Countries

Predicting stroke and mortality in mitral stenosis with atrial flutter: A machine learning approach

Abstract Background Our study hypothesized that an intelligent gradient boosting machine (GBM) model can predict cerebrovascular events and all‐cause mortality in mitral stenosis (MS) with atrial flutter (AFL) by recognizing comorbidities, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters. Methods The machine learning model was used as a statistical analyzer in recognizing the key risk factors and high‐risk features with either outcome of cerebrovascular events or mortality. Results A total of 2184 patients with their chart data and imaging studies were included and the GBM analysis demonstrated mitral valve area (MVA), right ventricular systolic pressure, pulmonary artery pressure (PAP), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, and surgery as the most significant predictors of transient ischemic attack (TIA/stroke). MVA, PAP, LVEF, creatinine, hemoglobin, and diastolic blood pressure were predictors for all‐cause mortality. Conclusion The GBM model assimilates clinical data from all diagnostic modalities and significantly improves risk prediction performance and identification of key variables for the outcome of MS with AFL

Outcomes of primary leadless pacemaker implantation: A systematic review

Abstract Background During the last decade, leadless pacemakers (LPMs) have turned into a prevalent alternative to traditional transvenous (TV) pacemakers; however, there is no consolidated data on LPM implantation in emergencies. Methods Digital databases were searched for this review and four relevant studies, including 1276 patients were included in this review with procedure duration, fluoroscopic time, major complications, and mortality as primary outcomes and pacing threshold, impedance, sensing of LPM, and hospital stay as secondary outcomes. Results Gonzales et al. and Marschall et al. showed the duration of the procedure to be 180 ± 45 versus 324.6 ± 92 and 39.9 ± 8.7 versus 54.9 ± 9.8, respectively. Zhang et al. demonstrated the duration of the procedure and fluoroscopy time to be 36 ± 13.4 and 11.1 ± 3.1, respectively. Similarly, Schiavone et al. exhibited intermediate times of implantation at 60 (45–80) versus 50 (40–65) and fluoroscopic times at 6.5 (5–9.7) versus 5.1 (3.1–9). Hospital stay was more with a temp‐perm pacemaker as compared to LPM and pacing parameters were not significantly different in all the studies. Conclusion For underlying arrhythmias, whenever appropriate, our review shows that LPMs may be a better option than temporary pacemakers, even as an urgent treatment

Echocardiography‐ versus intracardiac electrocardiogram‐based optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy: A systematic review

Abstract Objective This systematic review aimed to evaluate the performance of echocardiography‐based programming in comparison with the intracardiac electrocardiogram (IEGM)‐based method for the optimization of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Methods A literature review was conducted using digital databases to systematically identify the studies reporting CRT optimization through echocardiography compared with IEGM. Detailed patient‐level study characteristics including the type of study, sample size, therapy, the New York Heart Classification (NYHA) status, lead placement, and other parameters were abstracted. Finally, postprogramming outcomes were extracted for each article. Results In a total of 11 studies, 919 patients were recruited for the final analysis. Overall, 692 (75.29%) were males. The mean duration of the QRS complex in our study population ranged from 145.2 ± 21.8 ms to 183 ± 19.9 ms. There was an equal improvement in the NYHA class between the two methods while the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) demonstrated an improvement by IEGM. Many studies supported IEGM to increase the 6‐minute walk test and left ventricular outflow tract velocity time interval (LVOT VTI) when compared to echocardiography. The mean time for echocardiography‐based optimization was 60.15 min while that of IEGM‐based optimization was 6.65 min. Conclusion IEGM is an alternative method for CRT optimization in improving the NYHA class, LVEF, and LVOT VTI, and is less time‐consuming when compared to the echocardiography‐based methods

Depression Stigma and Depression Stigma Among University Students: A Five Nation Survey

Depression disorders have increased markedly as a source of disability worldwide. These trends are broadly mirrored in the university setting. Moreover, most students do not seek treatment for depression in-part due to social stigma surrounding depression. However, how depression severity and social stigma vary between universities worldwide remains unknown. As a result, this cross-sectional study was performed to determine differences in depressive disorders and stigmatized beliefs between students from five countries. A survey containing Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) was distributed to universities in the United States, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Czech Republic. Depression, stigmatized of personal views, and stigmatized perceptions about depression were compared between students in each nation using ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests. Responses were obtained from the United States (n=593), Taiwan (n=217), United Arab Emirates (n=134), Egypt (n=105), and Czech Republic (n=238). Of 1287 responses, 30.7% screened positive for a depressive disorder. Students from the United Arab Emirates exhibited more depression followed by students from the Czech Republic, Untied States, and Taiwan (