Aluminum dispersed bamboo activated carbon production for effective removal of Ciprofloxacin hydrochloride antibiotics: Optimization and mechanism study.

The central composite rotatable design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize aluminum dispersed bamboo activated carbon preparation. The independent variables selected for optimization are activating agent (AlCl) concentration (mol/L), activation temperature (°C), and activation time (min.).

Aqueous Synthesis for Highly Emissive 3-Mercaptopropionic Acid-Capped AIZS Quantum Dots.

Highly fluorescent and color tunable AgInS (AIS) and (AgInS)(ZnS) (AIZS) quantum dots (QDs) were prepared via a facile aqueous-phase synthesis using AgNO, In(NO), Zn(OAc), and NaS as precursors and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) as ligand. Produced AIZS QDs exhibit a small diameter (ca. 2.

High performance Ce-doped ZnO nanorods for sunlight-driven photocatalysis.

Ce-doped ZnO (ZnO:Ce) nanorods have been prepared through a solvothermal method and the effects of Ce-doping on the structural, optical and electronic properties of ZnO rods were studied. ZnO:Ce rods were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, BET, DRS and Raman spectroscopy. 5% Ce-doped ZnO rods with an average length of 130 nm and a diameter of 23 nm exhibit the highest photocatalytic activity for the degradation of the Orange II dye under solar light irradiation.

Insight of ZnS nanoparticles contribution in different biological uses.

Objectives: To evaluate the contributions of the some quantum dots in different biological uses in order to valorizes such nanomaterials for further applications.

Methods: Zinc sulfide ZnS nanoparticles were synthesized in aqueous medium at pH constant, the obtained nanoparticles has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Fourier Transform Infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopies. Zinc sulfide nanoparticles were screened for their antibacterial and antifungal profiling and tested for antioxidant activity using 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), hydroxyl radical (OH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) scavenging activity, ferric reducing power (FRP) assay and ferrous ion chelating (FIC) methods.

A facile method for the preparation of bifunctional Mn:ZnS/ZnS/Fe3O4 magnetic and fluorescent nanocrystals.

Bifunctional magnetic and fluorescent core/shell/shell Mn:ZnS/ZnS/Fe3O4 nanocrystals were synthesized in a basic aqueous solution using 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) as a capping ligand. The structural and optical properties of the heterostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The PL spectra of Mn:ZnS/ZnS/Fe3O4 quantum dots (QDs) showed marked visible emission around 584 nm related to the (4)T1 → (6)A1 Mn(2+) transition.

[Tuberculosis of the breast: a rare often unrecognized diagnosis].

Unlabelled: Tuberculosis of the breast (BT) is a rare extrapulmonary localization for tuberculosis that mainly affects young women during their child-bearing years.

Objective: We report eight cases of BT and describe its clinical characteristics, outcomes, and differential diagnoses.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study collected all cases of BT diagnosed at our hospital's infectious disease department in Tunisia from 2000 through 2009.

[Hereditary complement deficiency in Tunisian adults with purulent meningitis].

Inherited complement deficiency is a rare disease. It predisposes to autoimmune diseases, glomerulonephritis, angioedema, and meningococcal meningitis. A prospective study was conducted over five years.

[Upper urinary tract infections in adults: about 261 episodes].

Background: Upper urinary tract infections are frequent. Escherichia coli is the main pathogen identified from community acquired infections.

Aim: We aim to study epidemiologic, clinical and bacterial features of this infection.

[Profuse subcutaneous nodules in a Tunisian patient: Kaposi sarcoma revealing AIDS].

The purpose of this report is to describe a case involving Kaposi sarcoma as the inaugural manifestation of HIV infection at the full-blown AIDS stage. The patient was a 59-year-old Tunisian man who presented with profuse subcutaneous nodules and multiple lymph nodes. Treatment was based on antiretroviral therapy in association with radiotherapy.

[Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of intestinal microsporidiosis].

Introduction: Intestinal microsporidiosis is an opportunistic parasitological infection affecting mainly immunocompromised patients, particularly those infected with HIV.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyse the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of intestinal microsporidiosis and the treatments available for it.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study examined records collected over a 13-year period (from January 1995 through December 2007).

[Hereditary complement C5 deficiency: study of 3 Tunisian adult cases and literature review].

Background: The complement system is one of the main effectors of both innate and adaptive immunity. Hereditary complement deficiency, mainly those of the terminal pathway (C5-C9), is at increased risk for septic meningitides particularly meningococcal ones.

Aim: to assess clinical and biochemical features of 3 Tunisian adults with C5 hereditary complement deficiency (C5D), with a familial study performed for two of them.

[Identification of Enterocytozoon bieneusi by PCR in stools of Tunisian immunocompromised patients].

Introduction: Intestinal microsporidiosis is recognised as an important cause of opportunistic parasitosis in immunocompromised patients, especially HIV-infected patients. Enterocytozoon bieneusi is the common causal agent. The diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis has usually based on microscopic detection of the spores of microsporidia species in stool samples, requires additional staining techniques as Modified Weber's trichrome stain.

[Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis in the diabetic: a better known pathology in Tunisia].

This is a retrospective study including 17 patients with rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis diagnosed in a period of 16 years, between 1992 and 2007, in 8 men and 9 women. All patients were diabetic with ketoacidosis diabetes in 8 cases. Necrosis facial and ophthalmic symptoms were the most frequent presenting manifestations.

[Twenty-two cases of neuromeningeal cryptococcosis in Tunisia].

Neuromeningeal cryptococcosis is a serious infection witch occurs essentially in immunodepressed patients and especially AIDS patients. We report 22 cases of cryptococcosis meningitis confirmed by the parasitology laboratory, in the Tunis Rabta hospital, over a 16-year period. Sixteen patients were HIV infected and six were not HIV infected.

[Evaluating the therapeutic care of HIV infection in Tunisia].

Objective: Our aim is to determine different therapeutic response profiles in Tunisian HIV-1 infected patients, to identify those with therapeutic failure and to compare the results of the genotypic resistance test used in Tunisia (INNO LiPA Test) with those of automatic sequencing to evaluate its efficacy.

Methods: The retrospective survey concerns 392 infected patients enrolled from January 2001 to December 2006. Evaluation of HIV INNO LiPA test was performed by comparing these test results with those of automatic sequencing in 36 plasmatic samples for 13 infected patients with therapeutic failure.

[Results of the deltoid flap for surgery of rotator cuff tears].

Aim: Was to evaluate the results of deltoid flap for the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears.

Methods: This retrospective study included 20 shoulders in 20 patients with a painful massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears. The average patient age was 54 years.

[Pnemocystis jiroveci pneumonia: Comparison between conventional PCR and staining techniques].

Diagnosis of pneumocystis pneumonia is usually based on clinical features and X-rays photography and confirmed in the laboratory by visualisation of Pneumocystis organisms in stained preparations of respiratory specimens using several techniques (Gomori-Grocott, May-Grünwald Giemsa, bleu de toluidine O). Actually, PCR has considerably increased sensitivity of detection of Pneumocystis. The aim of this study is to compare conventional PCR results to those of staining techniques (Gomori-Grocott, May-Grünwald Giemsa) in addition to the X-ray and clinical findings in order to evaluate the contribution of each method.

Profile of drug resistance mutations among HIV-1-infected Tunisian subjects failing antiretroviral therapy.

Three years after the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Tunisia (North Africa), we aimed to determine the prevalence of drug resistance mutations in Tunisian HIV-1-infected patients failing ART. Plasma samples of 80 patients were tested for genotypic resistance using two distinct line probe assays, LiPA HIV-1 reverse transcriptase RT and LiPA HIV-1 protease assay. Of the 80 patients, 82.

Mucormycosis: four case reports.

Introduction: Mucormycosis is a rare and invasive fungal infection, but frequently fatal when it occurs. It commonly affects patients with diabetes mellitus. The aim of this study is to assess the clinical presentation, radiological findings, management and prognosis of mucormycosis.

[Stress fracture locations in military personnel].

Background: Physical exercise has beneficial effects on a number of physiologic systems, including the skeleton. However, combined with potential risk factors, unwise training practises may harm theses systems. A stress fracture represents one from of breakdown in the skeletal system.

Epidemiology of infective endocarditis in Tunisia: a 10-year multicenter retrospective study.

Background: Since the first description of infective endocarditis, the profile of the disease has evolved continuously with stable incidence. However, epidemiological features are different in developing countries compared with western countries.

Objective: To describe epidemiological, microbiological and outcome characteristics of infective endocarditis in Tunisia.

MEFV mutations in Tunisian patients suffering from familial Mediterranean fever.

Objectives: To identify the frequency and distribution of familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) gene (MEFV) mutations in Tunisian patients.

Patients And Methods: This study was performed in the Genetic Department of Tunis University Hospital. A clinical diagnosis of FMF was made according to published criteria.