Schizophyllum Commune a Causative Agent of Fungal Sinusitis: A Case Report

We present a case of maxillary sinusitis caused by Schizophyllum commune, in a 50-year-old female. The patient presented with nasal obstruction, purulent nasal discharge from right side of the nose, cough, headache, and sneezing. Computed tomography revealed extensive opacity of the right maxillary sinus as well as erosion of the nasal wall and maxillary bone. Functional endoscopic sinus surgery was done, and fungal debris present on right side of the maxillary sinus was removed and sent to laboratory. Potassium hydroxide (KOH) examination of the nasal discharge showed hyaline, septate hyphae. Primary isolation on Sabouraud's dextrose agar (SDA) yielded a white woolly mould. Banana peel culture after 8 weeks showed macroscopically visible fan-shaped fruiting bodies. Lactophenol cotton blue (LPCB) mount of the same revealed hyaline septate hyphae, often with clamp connections. Identification was confirmed by the presence of clamp connections formed on the hyphae and by vegetative compatibility with known isolates

T-Lymphocyte subpopulation in tuberculosis

Tuberculosis is associated with both qualitative and quantitative defects in the cell mediated immune response. The changes that occur in the lymphocyte profile in blood in children with tuberculosis are not well understood. Design: Prospective study. Setting: Referral hospitals. Methods: Lymphocyte subpopulations were determined by flow cytometry in 17 healthy tuberculin positive children, in 22 children with newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis and in 8 of these children after antituberculosis therapy, Results: Absolute numbers and percentages of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells were reduced in children with tuberculosis, compared to controls. CD4+ counts increased significantly following antituberculosis treatment, compared to baseline values. In contrast, the proportion of T cells expressing the gd T cell receptor was similar in tuberculosis patients and controts. Conclusion: Children with tuberculosis have a systemic decrease in the proportion and number of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells which reverses during therapy

La cuerda dulce – a tolerability and acceptability study of a novel approach to specimen collection for diagnosis of paediatric pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: Recent data demonstrate the utility of the string test for the diagnosis of sputum-scarce HIV-associated TB in adults. We hypothesized that, if well-tolerated by children, this simple tool might offer a breakthrough in paediatric TB diagnosis. Thus the objective of this study, undertaken in the paediatric service of the Hospital Nacional Dos de Mayo, Lima, Perú, was to determine the tolerability and acceptability of the string test to paediatric TB suspects, their parents and nursing staff. METHODS: 22 paediatric subjects aged 3–14 years (median 8) under investigation for TB were invited to undergo 2 string tests (four-hour downtime each). Subjective and objective pain and discomfort rating scales were used to assess the perception of the subject, parent and attending nurse. RESULTS: Patients as young as 4 years tolerated the procedure extremely well with 84% willing to undergo a second procedure. Peak discomfort at the time of swallowing and of string retrieval was mild (30% of maximum possible score) and brief as judged by visual analogue ratings and objective indicators. Good concordance of parent/child and objective/subjective ratings strengthened the validity of these findings. CONCLUSION: The string test is well tolerated and achievable for most paediatric TB suspects as young as 4 years. A formal prospective paediatric efficacy study is now needed

Template Directed Assembly of Polymer Blends into Nonuniform Geometries at Multiple Length Scales

CHN has developed a suite of templates and assembly processes for directing the assembly of a variety of nanoelements. These assembly processes utilize both electric fields and/or chemical functionalization. Chemically functionalized templates have been used to direct the assembly of polymer blends into uniform and nonuniform patterns. The selective assembly process can be finished in 30 seconds directly from a solution of the two polymers. Using a short solvent annealing step allows the assembly of multiple length scales on a single template. Electrophoretic and Dielectrophoretic assembly processes have been used to pattern conducting polymers followed by transfer to a secondary substrate. Conducting polymers and carbon nanotubes have been successfully transferred to a polymer substrate. The entire process of patterning and transfer takes less than five minutes, which is commercially relevant and can be utilized for real time processing

Tracheostomal Myiasis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

“Myiasis” is considered in Hindu mythology as “God's punishment for sinners.” It is known to infest live human or animal tissue. Literature abounds with reports of myiasis affecting the nasal cavity, ear, nonhealing ulcers, exophytic malignant growth, and cutaneous tissue. But report of myiasis of the tracheal stoma is rare. Only a few cases of tracheal myiasis have been reported in literature. We report a case of tracheostomal myiasis in an elderly male. The species which had infested the stoma was identified as Chrysomya bezziana, an obligate parasite. This is to our knowledge the first case report of an obligate parasite (Chrysomya bezziana) infestation of the tracheostoma from India

Directed Assembly of Polymer Blends Using Nanopatterned Templates

The direct assembly of polymer blends on chemically functionalized surfaces is shown to produce a variety of nonuniform complex patterns. This method provides a powerful tool for easily producing nonuniform patterns in a rapid (30 s), one-step process with high specificity and selectivity for a variety of applications, such as nanolithography, polymeric optoelectronic devices, integrated circuits, and biosensors

Bacteriological Profile of Septicemia and the Risk Factors in Neonates and Infants in Sikkim

Background: Bacterial infections remain an important cause of pediatric mortality and morbidity. It might be possible to reduce these factors by early diagnosis and proper management. Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the bacteriological profiles with their antibiogram, and to register the risk factors for septicemia in neonates and infants. Setting and design: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital at Gangtok, Sikkim, India, and included clinically suspected cases of septicemia in neonates and infants. Materials and Methods: Blood culture reports were studied in 363 cases of clinically suspected septicemia in neonates and infants, using the standard technique of Mackie and McCartney. The antibiotic sensitivity was performed by Kirby-Bauer′s disc diffusion method. Risk factors for sepsis in the children were registered. Results: Blood culture was positive in 22% of cases. Gram-negative septicemia was encountered in 61% of the culture-positive cases. Pseudomonas and Enterobacter species were the predominant pathogens amongst gram-negative organisms. Most gram-negative organisms were sensitive to Amikacin, Ciprofloxacin, and Co-trimoxazole. The most common gram-positive organism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (97%). More than 70% of Staphylococci isolated were resistant to Penicillin, but were sensitive to Clindamycin (70%) and Vancomycin (40%). The most important risk factors of septicemia in our study population were preterm birth (31%), followed by respiratory distress (5%) and low birth weight (4%). Conclusion: As the cultures showed variable antibiogram with complicated patterns of resistance, culture and sensitivity test should be performed in all cases of septicemia