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A middle aged man presented with fever for 14 days, dry cough for 10 days and shortness of breath for 6 days. He tested positive for RT-PCR for COVID-19 on 5th day of illness. Patient was maintaining home isolation until he developed shortness of breath. After hospitalization patient was treated with standard dose of Remdesivir, dexamethasone and antibiotics. But his oxygen demand was increasing day by day. Inflammatory markers including serum ferritin, CRP level was also increasing. Patient was having a cytokine storm. At this point of treatment anti IL6 Tocilizumab was being considered. But patient’s wellbeing was improved and tocilizumab was not given. Our patient gradually recovered from severe COVID-19 pneumonia and cytokine storm without tocilizumab. J MEDICINE JUL 2020; 21 (2) : 119-122

Arsenotrophic bacteria play an essential role in lowering arsenic contamination by converting toxic arsenite [As (III)] to less toxic and less bio-accumulative arsenate [As (V)]. The current study focused on the qualitative and electrocatalytic detection of the arsenite oxidation potential of an arsenite-oxidizing bacteria A. xylosoxidans BHW-15 (retrieved from As-contaminated tube well water), which could significantly contribute to arsenic detoxification, accumulation, and immobilization while also providing a scientific foundation for future electrochemical sensor development. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value for the bacteria was 15 mM As (III). Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) investigation validated its intracellular As uptake capacity and demonstrated a substantial association with the MIC value. During the stationary phase, the strain’s As (III) transformation efficiency was 0.0224 mM/h. Molecular analysis by real-time qPCR showed arsenite oxidase ( aio A) gene expression increased 1.6-fold in the presence of As (III) compared to the untreated cells. The immobilized whole-cell also showed As (III) conversion up to 18 days. To analyze the electrochemical oxidation in water, we developed a modified GCE/P-Arg/ErGO-AuNPs electrode, which successfully sensed and quantified conversion of As (III) into As (V) by accepting electrons; implying a functional As oxidase enzyme activity in the cells. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the electrochemical observation of the As-transformation mechanism with Achromobacter sp . Furthermore, the current work highlighted that our isolate might be employed as a promising candidate for arsenic bioremediation, and information acquired from this study may be helpful to open a new window for the development of a cost-effective, eco-friendly biosensor for arsenic species detection in the future.

The emergence of virulent extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) including carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in hospital-acquired infections has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors associated with ESBL-KP and CRKP in tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh and explored their ability to form biofilm. A total of 67 ESBL-KP were isolated from 285 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from environmental and patient samples from January 2019 to April 2019. For ESBL-KP isolates, molecular typing was carried out using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), antibiotic susceptibility testing, PCR for virulence and drug-resistant genes, and biofilm assays were also performed. All 67 isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) to different antibiotics at high levels and 42 isolates were also carbapenem-resistant. The most common β-lactam resistance gene was blaCTX-M-1 (91%), followed by blaTEM (76.1%), blaSHV (68.7%), blaOXA-1 (29.9%), blaGES (14.9%), blaCTX-M-9 (11.9%), and blaCTX-M-2 (4.5%). The carbapenemase genes blaKPC (55.2%), blaIMP (28.4%), blaVIM (14.9%), blaNDM-1 (13.4%), and blaOXA-48 (10.4%) and virulence-associated genes such as fimH (71.6%), ugeF (58.2%), wabG (56.7%), ureA (47.8%) and kfuBC (28.4%) were also detected. About 96.2% of the environmental and 100% of the patient isolates were able to form biofilms. ERIC-PCR-based genotyping and hierarchical clustering of K. pneumoniae isolates revealed an association between environmental and patient samples, indicating clonal association with possible transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes. Our findings can help in improving patient care and infection control, and the development of public health policies related to hospital-acquired infections.

The promising structural properties of fiber-reinforced polymer composites make them widely popular in the energy, automotive, defense, and aerospace industries. One of the most challenging limitations associated with the application of composites is their maintenance and repair. In this study, a polymer cold spray approach is introduced as an efficient alternative for the structural repair of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, without the use of additional repair media. Damage in the form of circular tapered holes is created in glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composite substrates using conventional drilling. This damage is repaired by cold spray with thermoplastic (nylon 6) and thermosetting (polyester epoxy resin) materials. The fundamental adhesion mechanisms near the repair surface are investigated through microstructural observations and highlight the role of adiabatic shear instability due to the occurrence of severe plastic deformation in the particle impact zone. Microstructural examinations also suggest that no significant fiber damage or surface degradation occurs due to the repair by cold spray. Mechanical tests performed on neat, damaged, and repaired composites reveal the partial recovery of structural performance and load-bearing capacity after cold spray repair. Additionally, the cold spray-repaired GFRP samples are compared with conventional epoxy resin repair methods. Results obtained in this work highlight cold spray as a promising and rapid technique for the on-site repair of composite structures with minimal pre-/post-processing requirements.

IntroductionEfficient treatment of fecal sludge in densely populated settings is essential as it has a direct impact on public health and the environment. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of fecal sludge treatment technologies in Rohingya camps at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, focusing on removal efficiencies and compliance with regulatory standards.MethodsSeventeen treatment plants of five different technologies were evaluated based on removal efficiency and standard discharge guidelines for various physicochemical and microbiological parameters.ResultsWaste Stabilization Pond (WSP) was the top performer compared to four other different treatment technologies evaluated, achieving notable removal rates: 97.3% reduction in E. coli, 100% in helminth eggs, 98.3% for COD, 97.8% for BOD, 98.7% for TSS, 92.1% for TS, 82.8% for phosphate, and 93.3% for total nitrogen. Lime Stabilization Ponds showed lower removal rates, except for E. coli (98.9%), with reductions of 99.7% for helminth eggs, 81.6% for COD, 80.9% for BOD, 86.3% for TSS, 68.6% for TS, and 49.2% for phosphate. Upflow Filters demonstrated good removal efficiencies for E. coli (99.7%), TSS (95.9%), COD (91.7%), BOD (93.5%), and helminth eggs (93.7%). WSP consistently outperformed other technologies across all seasons. Despite these, none of the technologies fully met discharge standards.DiscussionThese findings highlight the need for a comprehensive approach, the combination of physicochemical and biological processes, to enhance efficacy. Promoting improved fecal sludge management technologies through awareness campaigns and technical support can mitigate environmental health risks in densely populated humanitarian settings.

The emergence of virulent extended spectrum β-lactamase producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (ESBL-KP) including carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) in hospital-acquired infections has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. We investigated the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors associated with ESBL-KP and CRKP in tertiary care hospitals in Bangladesh and explored their ability to form biofilm. A total of 67 ESBL-KP were isolated from 285 Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates from environmental and patient samples from January 2019 to April 2019. For ESBL-KP isolates, molecular typing was carried out using enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR), antibiotic susceptibility testing, PCR for virulence and drug-resistant genes, and biofilm assays were also performed. All 67 isolates were multidrug-resistant (MDR) to different antibiotics at high levels and 42 isolates were also carbapenem-resistant. The most common β-lactam resistance gene was bla[sub.CTX-M-1] (91%), followed by bla[sub.TEM] (76.1%), bla[sub.SHV] (68.7%), bla[sub.OXA-1] (29.9%), bla[sub.GES] (14.9%), bla[sub.CTX-M-9] (11.9%), and bla[sub.CTX-M-2] (4.5%). The carbapenemase genes bla[sub.KPC] (55.2%), bla[sub.IMP] (28.4%), bla[sub.VIM] (14.9%), bla[sub.NDM-1] (13.4%), and bla[sub.OXA-48] (10.4%) and virulence-associated genes such as fimH (71.6%), ugeF (58.2%), wabG (56.7%), ureA (47.8%) and kfuBC (28.4%) were also detected. About 96.2% of the environmental and 100% of the patient isolates were able to form biofilms. ERIC-PCR-based genotyping and hierarchical clustering of K. pneumoniae isolates revealed an association between environmental and patient samples, indicating clonal association with possible transmission of antimicrobial resistance genes. Our findings can help in improving patient care and infection control, and the development of public health policies related to hospital-acquired infections.

This study is an attempt to reexamine the causal ordering between the two variables in the developing countries. The study investigates unit root, cointegration and exogeneity tests between military expenditure and economic growth in 14 developing countries for the period 1981-2006 considering panel data analysis. Results reported herein suggest that military expenditure is an exogenous variable and this variable influences economic growth in these countries. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]