Aeromonas Pneumonia in a Trauma Patient Requiring Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Case Report and Literature Review

Background: Aeromonas species, particularly Aeromonas hydrophila, cause a wide spectrum of diseases in human being such as gastroenteritis; soft tissue infections including necrotizing fasciitis, meningitis, peritonitis, and bacteremia; but pneumonia and respiratory tract infections are uncommon. Methods: Case report and literature review. Results: A 30-year-old victim of a motor vehicle crash sustained pelvic fractures and splenic injury. Delayed splenic rupture caused sudden cardiorespiratory arrest. The patient was resuscitated but suffered septic shock and severe hypoxemia refractory to advanced mechanical ventilatory strategies. Aeromonas hydrophila was isolated as the causative pathogen of severe bilateral pneumonia. Venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was used temporarily. The patient recovered uneventfully. Conclusion: This is the first case, to our knowledge, of the use of ECMO in a trauma patient with severe fulminant A. hydrophila pneumonia. Clinicians should be aware of the characteristics of this pathogen and associated clinical infections.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90457/1/sur-2E2010-2E037.pd

Inexpensive organic dyes-sensitized zinc oxide nanoparticles photoanode for solar cells devices

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using a hydrothermal route. The prepared ZnO NPs were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV–vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns confirmed the standard hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs, and the calculated value of the average particle size was 23.34 nm. HR-TEM micrographs of ZnO NPs showed semispherical particle morphologies and their sizes lie between 10 and 40 nm. The estimated average size distribution of ZnO NPs was 21.35 6.01 nm. UV–vis spectrum of ZnO NPs revealed the highest absorption band at 360.5 nm, and the Eg was 3.70 0.01 eV. The PL spectrum emission was deconvoluted by eight peaks into two regions [near-ultraviolet (NUV) and visible that caused from the defects]. Two groups of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) thin film devices based on ZnO NPs were sensitized in different concentration solutions of 0.1, 0.32, and 0.5 mM of eosin B (EB) and eosin Y (EY) dyes. The sensitized DSSCs device with 0.32-mM dye of EY displayed higher efficiency and its performance parameters are much better among all other fabricated DSSCs devices. The short current density (Jsc) increased from 1.59 to 4:97 mA∕cm2 and the Voc enhanced from 0.36 to 0.46 V. The conversion efficiency from light to electricity showed a significant improvement from 0.29% to 0.94%. The transient open circuit photovoltage decay (TOCPVD) was measured to estimate the apparent electron lifetime or response time (τn) or the electron recombination rate (krec), using the double exponential function for first time to fit the experiment data of TOCPVD. The results revealed that the EY dye can be used as an efficient and an inexpensive dye for DSSCs.This research activity carried out between Gaza and Cairo-Egypt was financially supported by Qatar Charity IBHATH Project grant funded by the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Reconstruction of Gaza through the Islamic Development Bank.Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) were synthesized using a hydrothermal route. The prepared ZnO NPs were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), UV–vis spectroscopy, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The XRD patterns confirmed the standard hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs, and the calculated value of the average particle size was 23.34 nm. HR-TEM micrographs of ZnO NPs showed semispherical particle morphologies and their sizes lie between 10 and 40 nm. The estimated average size distribution of ZnO NPs was 21.35 6.01 nm. UV–vis spectrum of ZnO NPs revealed the highest absorption band at 360.5 nm, and the Eg was 3.70 0.01 eV. The PL spectrum emission was deconvoluted by eight peaks into two regions [near-ultraviolet (NUV) and visible that caused from the defects]. Two groups of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) thin film devices based on ZnO NPs were sensitized in different concentration solutions of 0.1, 0.32, and 0.5 mM of eosin B (EB) and eosin Y (EY) dyes. The sensitized DSSCs device with 0.32-mM dye of EY displayed higher efficiency and its performance parameters are much better among all other fabricated DSSCs devices. The short current density (Jsc) increased from 1.59 to 4:97 mA∕cm2 and the Voc enhanced from 0.36 to 0.46 V. The conversion efficiency from light to electricity showed a significant improvement from 0.29% to 0.94%. The transient open circuit photovoltage decay (TOCPVD) was measured to estimate the apparent electron lifetime or response time (τn) or the electron recombination rate (krec), using the double exponential function for first time to fit the experiment data of TOCPVD. The results revealed that the EY dye can be used as an efficient and an inexpensive dye for DSSCs

Nanoplasmonic for Solar Energy Conversion Devices

The effect of nanoplasmonic (Ag) on the performance of DSSCs has been studied in doped and undoped ZnO (DZ and UZ) NPs, which were prepared by the urea-assisted combustion route. Different techniques were conducted to characterize DZ and UZ NPs. XRD patterns were indexed to the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs (ICSD-52362). The values of average crystalline size of UZ and DZ (1.0 mol% Ag) NPs were 20.45 and 22.30 nm, respectively. HR-TEM micrograph revealed good crystallization with an intermediate or poor agglomeration with distribution of semispherical morphologies of ZnO NPs. The energy bandgap of UZ and DZ NPs was changed from 3.21 to 3.31 eV. The deconvolution of the PL spectra recognized eight peaks into near ultraviolet (NUV) and visible regions. The PL emission of visible region overshadowed NUV transition. The photovoltaic cell with the doped photoanode DZ:1.0 mol% Ag exhibited the best performance parameters: Voc = 0.46 V, Jsc = 7.81 mA.cm−2, Pm = 1.91, FF = 51%, and η = 1.91%. A double exponential function was used as a powerful fitting function for the TOCVD data. The results revealed that τn in the UZ NPs photoanode was longer than that in the DZ:1.0 mol% Ag NPs photoanode

Molecular diagnosis in recessive pediatric neurogenetic disease can help reduce disease recurrence in families.

BackgroundThe causes for thousands of individually rare recessive diseases have been discovered since the adoption of next generation sequencing (NGS). Following the molecular diagnosis in older children in a family, parents could use this information to opt for fetal genotyping in subsequent pregnancies, which could inform decisions about elective termination of pregnancy. The use of NGS diagnostic sequencing in families has not been demonstrated to yield benefit in subsequent pregnancies to reduce recurrence. Here we evaluated whether genetic diagnosis in older children in families supports reduction in recurrence of recessive neurogenetic disease.MethodsRetrospective study involving families with a child with a recessive pediatric brain disease (rPBD) that underwent NGS-based molecular diagnosis. Prenatal molecular testing was offered to couples in which a molecular diagnosis was made, to help couples seeking to prevent recurrence. With this information, families made decisions about elective termination. Pregnancies that were carried to term were assessed for the health of child and mother, and compared with historic recurrence risk of recessive disease.ResultsBetween 2010 and 2016, 1172 families presented with a child a likely rPBD, 526 families received a molecular diagnosis, 91 families returned to the clinic with 101 subsequent pregnancies, and 84 opted for fetal genotyping. Sixty tested negative for recurrence for the biallelic mutation in the fetus, and all, except for one spontaneous abortion, carried to term, and were unaffected at follow-up. Of 24 that genotyped positive for the biallelic mutation, 16 were electively terminated, and 8 were carried to term and showed features of disease similar to that of the older affected sibling(s). Among the 101 pregnancies, disease recurrence in living offspring deviated from the expected 25% to the observed 12% ([95% CI 0·04 to 0·20], p = 0·011).ConclusionsMolecular diagnosis in an older child, coupled with prenatal fetal genotyping in subsequent pregnancies and genetic counselling, allows families to make informed decisions to reduce recessive neurogenetic disease recurrence

MYOD-1 in normal colonic mucosa : role as a putative biomarker?

Background DNA methylation of promoter-associated CpG islands of certain genes may play a role in the development of colorectal cancer. The MYOD-1 gene which is a muscle differentiation gene has been showed to be significantly methylated in colorectal cancer which, is an age related event. However the role of this gene in the colonic mucosa is not understood and whether methylation occurs in subjects without colon cancer. In this study, we have determined the frequency of methylation of the MYOD-1 gene in normal colonic mucosa and investigated to see if this is associated with established colorectal cancer risk factors primarily ageing. Results We analysed colonic mucosal biopsies in 218 normal individuals and demonstrated that in most individuals promoter hypermethylation was not quantified for MYOD-1. However, promoter hypermethylation increased significantly with age (p < 0.001 using regression analysis) and this was gender independent. We also showed that gene promoter methylation increased positively with an increase in waist to hip (WHR) ratio – the latter is also a known risk factor for colon cancer development. Conclusions Our study suggests that promoter gene hypermethylation of the MYOD-1 gene increases significantly with age in normal individuals and thus may offer potential as a putative biomarker for colorectal cancer

Influence of Metal Ion Doping of Zinc Oxide Photoanode on the Efficiency of Dye Sensitized Solar Cell

Doping zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) and doped with Niobium (Nb5+) and Aluminium (Al3+) ions were synthesized to use as a photoanode for the Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs). The structural of the synthetized samples were examined via X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD patterns for all samples confirmed the hexagonal wurtzite structure. The DSSCs based on the undoped and doped ZnO NPs were fabricated and assembled. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) images were measured for all fabricated devices. The doping Nb5+ and Al3+ ions influenced the performance of the DSSCs. ZnO NPs doped Nb5+ led to higher surface area and hence more dye loading and retard the recombination of charges, which enhanced the open circuit voltage