Silver adsorption on biochar produced from spent coffee grounds: validation by kinetic and isothermal modelling

This study investigates silver adsorption on biochar produced from pyrolysis of spent coffee grounds (SCGs). Biochars were produced from SCGs at temperatures between 500 and 1000 °C. SCG-derived biochars were then characterised by different analytical methods, such as Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and investigated for silver removal. The results revealed that the biochar produced at 500 °C offered a maximum surface area of 40.1 m2/g with a yield of 23.48% biochar and the highest silver adsorption capacity of 49.0 mg/g with 99.9% silver removal efficiency. The morphology of adsorbed silver on biochar was determined using scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS), and XRD analyses, which showed an even distribution of silver on the biochar surface. Furthermore, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) confirmed that part of the silver ions was reduced to form metallic silver (Ag0)/silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) during adsorption. The kinetics and isothermal evaluation suggested that silver adsorption was dominated by the pseudo-second-order model and Langmuir isotherm, which means that silver adsorption was mainly dominated by chemisorption and monolayer on biochar surface. Overall, this study suggests that 500 °C was the most feasible pyrolysis temperature to produce SCG-derived biochar with suitable physicochemical properties that can efficiently adsorb silver species from wastewater

Interstitial Lung Disease and Profound Hypoxaemia in a Severely-malnourished Child with Very Severe Pneumonia and Potential Lymph-node Tuberculosis: An Uncommon but Serious Co-morbidity

A nine-month old boy was initially admitted at the Acute Respiratory Infection Unit of Dhaka Hospital of icddr,b and soon after transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the same hospital. The boy had problems of very severe pneumonia (confirmed by radiology), severe hypoxaemia, severe malnutrition, and Down\u92s syndrome. The patient was treated according to the hospital protocol for the management of pneumonia and malnutrition. During the hospital stay, hypoxaemia was persistent with very little improvement of pneumonia; a number of differentials, such as pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, lymph-node tuberculosis, were added to the problems. Subsequently, the patient\u92s hypoxaemia improved with the empirical use of antitubercular drugs. However, the patient again developed persistent hypoxaemia and, after unsuccessful treatment for a hospital-acquired pneumonia, the problems further expanded to include interstitial lung disease (ILD). This was confirmed by high-resolution computed tomography, and the patient was treated with prednisolone for 6 months, along with antitubercular drugs. He fully recovered from ILD, hypoxaemia, and pneumonia both clinically and radiologically. Therefore, severely-malnourished children having wet cough and pneumonia with persistent hypoxaemia should be assessed for the possible existence of interstitial lung disease. This may help provide a prompt and appropriate management to reduce morbidity and deaths in such patients

Anthropometric Indices of Giardia-Infected Under-Five Children Presenting with Moderate-to-Severe Diarrhea and Their Healthy Community Controls: Data from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study

Among all intestinal parasitosis, giardiasis has been reported to be associated with delayed growth in malnourished children under 5 living in low- and middle-income countries. Relevant data on the nutritional status of children aged 0-59 months presenting with moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) and giardia infection were collected from sentinel health facilities of the Global Enteric Multicenter Study's (GEMS) seven field settings, placed in diverse countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia between, December 2007 and February 2011. Then, this study analyzed a robust dataset of study participants (n = 22,569). Children having giardiasis with MSD constituted as cases (n = 1786), and those without MSD constituted as controls (n = 3470). Among the seven field sites, symptomatic giardiasis was 15% and 22% in Asian and African sites, respectively, whereas asymptomatic giardia infection (healthy without MSD) in Asian and African sites was 21.7% and 30.7%, respectively. Wasting and underweight were more frequently associated and stunting less often associated with symptomatic giardiasis (for all, p < 0.001). Symptomatic giardiasis had a significant association with worsening of nutritional status in under-five children. Improved socio-economic profile along with proper sanitation and hygienic practices are imperative to enhance child nutritional status, particularly in resource limited settings

Vaccination following the expanded programme on immunization schedule could help to reduce deaths in children under five hospitalized for pneumonia and severe pneumonia in a developing country

BackgroundWorldwide, pneumonia is the leading cause of mortality in children under the age of five. An expanded program on immunization (EPI) is one kind of evidence-based tool for controlling and even eradicating infectious diseases.ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the impact of EPI vaccination, including BCG, DPT-Hib-Hep B, OPV, IPV, and PCV-10, among children from the age of 4 to 59 months hospitalized for pneumonia and severe pneumonia. Additionally, we evaluated the role of 10 valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines alone on clinical outcomes in such children.MethodsIn this retrospective chart review, children from the age of 4 to 59 months with WHO-defined pneumonia and severe pneumonia admitted to the Dhaka Hospital of the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) between August 2013 and December 2017 who had the information on immunization as per EPI schedule by 4 months of age were included in the analysis. A comparison was made between the children who were fully immunized (immunization with BCG, DPT-Hib-Hep B, OPV, and IPV from 2013 to 2015 and PCV-10 from 2015 to 2017) and who were not immunized (consisting of partial immunization and no immunization) during the study period.ResultsA total of 4,625 children had pneumonia and severe pneumonia during the study period. Among them, 2,605 (56.3%) had received the information on immunization; 2,195 (84.3%) were fully immunized by 4 months of age according to the EPI schedule and 410 were not immunized. In the log-linear binomial regression analysis, immunization of children from 4 to 59 months of age was found to be associated with a lower risk of diarrhea (p = 0.033), severe pneumonia (p = 0.001), anemia (p = 0.026), and deaths (p = 0.035). Importantly, the risk of developing severe pneumonia (1054/1,570 [67%] vs. 202/257 [79%], p &lt; 0.001) and case-fatality rate (57/1,570 [3.6%] vs. 19/257 [7.4%], p = 0.005) was still significantly lower among those who were immunized with PCV-10 than those who were not.ConclusionChildren immunized as per the EPI schedule were at a lower risk of diarrhea, severe pneumonia, anemia, and death, compared to unvaccinated children. In addition, PCV-10 was found to be protective against severe pneumonia and deaths in vaccinated children. The overall results underscored the importance of the continuation of immunization, scrupulously adhering to the EPI schedule to reduce the risk of morbidities and mortalities in children, especially in resource-limited settings

Toxoplasma gondii Infection Is Associated with Low Birth Weight: Findings from an Observational Study among Rural Bangladeshi Women

Gestational Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection may cause substantial adverse effects on developing fetuses, newborns and also mothers. This study aims to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii among rural Bangladeshi pregnant women and determine the risk of a low birth weight (LBW). We followed a longitudinal design where 208 pregnant women were followed until the birth of their infants. Levels of IgG and IgM of T. gondii were assessed using chemiluminescent immunoassay. Modified Poisson regression was used to estimate crude and adjusted associations and multiple regression analysis was performed to understand the confounding and modifying effects of the variables. Thirty-nine (19%) children were born with LBW, among whom 15 (39%) mothers were positive for T. gondii IgG during pregnancy. After adjusting for several confounders and modifiers, pregnant women with T. gondii IgG or IgM seropositivity were significantly associated with LBW of infants (aRR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.17-3.42). The strength of this association increased after adjusting for maternal education (aRR: 4.88, 95% CI: 1.74-13.69). The final model had an AROC of 0.84 with a sensitivity of 36% and specificity of 97%. Although causality is yet to be established, the study observed an association between T. gondii infection during pregnancy among rural Bangladeshi women and LBW of newborns

Effect of 3 Days of Oral Azithromycin on Young Children With Acute Diarrhea in Low-Resource Settings A Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance: World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines do not recommend routine antibiotic use for children with acute watery diarrhea. However, recent studies suggest that a significant proportion of such episodes have a bacterial cause and are associated with mortality and growth impairment, especially among children at high risk of diarrhea-associated mortality. Expanding antibiotic use among dehydrated or undernourished children may reduce diarrhea-associated mortality and improve growth. Objective: To determine whether the addition of azithromycin to standard case management of acute nonbloody watery diarrhea for children aged 2 to 23 months who are dehydrated or undernourished could reduce mortality and improve linear growth. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Antibiotics for Children with Diarrhea (ABCD) trial was a multicountry, randomized, double-blind, clinical trial among 8266 high-risk children aged 2 to 23 months presenting with acute nonbloody diarrhea. Participants were recruited between July 1, 2017, and July 10, 2019, from 36 outpatient hospital departments or community health centers in a mixture of urban and rural settings in Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Pakistan, and Tanzania. Each participant was followed up for 180 days. Primary analysis included all randomized participants by intention to treat. Interventions: Enrolled children were randomly assigned to receive either oral azithromycin, 10 mg/kg, or placebo once daily for 3 days in addition to standard WHO case management protocols for the management of acute watery diarrhea. Main Outcomes and Measures: Primary outcomes included all-cause mortality up to 180 days after enrollment and linear growth faltering 90 days after enrollment. Results: A total of 8266 children (4463 boys [54.0%]; mean [SD] age, 11.6 [5.3] months) were randomized. A total of 20 of 4133 children in the azithromycin group (0.5%) and 28 of 4135 children in the placebo group (0.7%) died (relative risk, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.40-1.27). The mean (SD) change in length-for-age z scores 90 days after enrollment was -0.16 (0.59) in the azithromycin group and -0.19 (0.60) in the placebo group (risk difference, 0.03; 95% CI, 0.01-0.06). Overall mortality was much lower than anticipated, and the trial was stopped for futility at the prespecified interim analysis. Conclusions and Relevance: The study did not detect a survival benefit for children from the addition of azithromycin to standard WHO case management of acute watery diarrhea in low-resource settings. There was a small reduction in linear growth faltering in the azithromycin group, although the magnitude of this effect was not likely to be clinically significant. In low-resource settings, expansion of antibiotic use is not warranted. Adherence to current WHO case management protocols for watery diarrhea remains appropriate and should be encouraged. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03130114.publishedVersionPeer reviewe

Laboratorio di traduzione collettiva

Quattro laboratori di traduzione collettiva che si svolgono a Trieste e rientrano all'interno di #altrestorie lab. Nello specifico il 25 ottobre e il 15 novembre si terranno presso I.S.I.S. Carducci-Dante; il 29 novembre si svolge presso la Casa internazionale delle donne e infine, il 5 dicembre si svolge presso la Biblioteca Statale Stelio Crise. Durante questi laboratori sono stati gli immigrati presenti sul territorio i protagonisti, con le loro competenze e conoscenze non legate solo agli aspetti di vita quotidiana

Taramon

traduzione di parte del romanzo di Selina Hossain, Juddh

Interstitial Lung Disease and Profound Hypoxaemia in a Severely-malnourished Child with Very Severe Pneumonia and Potential Lymph-node Tuberculosis: An Uncommon but Serious Co-morbidity

A nine-month old boy was initially admitted at the Acute Respiratory Infection Unit of Dhaka Hospital of icddr,b and soon after transferred to the Intensive Care Unit of the same hospital. The boy had problems of very severe pneumonia (confirmed by radiology), severe hypoxaemia, severe malnutrition, and Down s syndrome. The patient was treated according to the hospital protocol for the management of pneumonia and malnutrition. During the hospital stay, hypoxaemia was persistent with very little improvement of pneumonia; a number of differentials, such as pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, lymph-node tuberculosis, were added to the problems. Subsequently, the patient s hypoxaemia improved with the empirical use of antitubercular drugs. However, the patient again developed persistent hypoxaemia and, after unsuccessful treatment for a hospital-acquired pneumonia, the problems further expanded to include interstitial lung disease (ILD). This was confirmed by high-resolution computed tomography, and the patient was treated with prednisolone for 6 months, along with antitubercular drugs. He fully recovered from ILD, hypoxaemia, and pneumonia both clinically and radiologically. Therefore, severely-malnourished children having wet cough and pneumonia with persistent hypoxaemia should be assessed for the possible existence of interstitial lung disease. This may help provide a prompt and appropriate management to reduce morbidity and deaths in such patients

Silver ions and silver nanoparticles removal by coffee derived biochar using a continuous fixed-bed adsorption column

Even low concentration monovalent silver (Ag+) and silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) are emerging environmental threats, seeking an eco-friendly and cost-effective continuous treatment process to mitigate their pollution. In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the potential of spent coffee grounds (SCGs) biochar in a fixed-bed column, to remove silver ions and silver nanoparticles from wastewater. A series (adsorption and desorption) of fixed-bed column experiments were performed under different operating conditions to determine the breakthrough curves (BTCs) and understand the effect of initial concentration (50-100 mg/L), the quantity of biochar (0.5-1 g), and the form of silver Ag+ and Ag NPs on biochar removal capacity. Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models were applied to simulate different column parameters, such as breakthrough time, saturation time, the volume of treated effluent, and percentage of removal. These simulated results could assist in the scale-up of the process for an actual industrial operation. Experimental data showed good agreement with both Thomas and Yoon-Nelson models, where the simulated values were closely matched with the experimental values. Biochar was collected after the adsorption and characterised to confirm the morphology, crystal structure, and ionic state of silver. The saturated column was regenerated by 0.05 M HNO3 as eluent and used at least 3 times with 15% capacity loss compared to initial performance, which demonstrated the viability and effectiveness of the biochar adsorption process