Hydroxychloroquine retinopathy in a 23-year-old male.

Purpose: To report a case of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) retinopathy after long-term exposure in a 23-year-old male.

Methods: Multimodal imaging including fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and en face OCT were performed, in addition to functional testing with full-field electroretinography (ERG) and Humphrey visual field (HVF).

Results: A 23-year-old man with a history of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus and HCQ treatment for 13 years at a dosage of 200 mg/d (cumulative dose: 949 grams) presented to the retinal clinic (DS).

Evaluation of particle tracking codes for dispersing particles in porous media.

Particle tracking (PT) is a popular technique in microscopy, microfluidics and colloidal transport studies, where image analysis is used to reconstruct trajectories from bright spots in a video. The performance of many PT algorithms has been rigorously tested for directed and Brownian motion in open media. However, PT is frequently used to track particles in porous media where complex geometries and viscous flows generate particles with high velocity variability over time.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Postoperative Neurosurgical Infections at a Reference Center in México.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major global impact on the treatment of hospitalized surgical patients. Our study retrospectively evaluates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic at a neurosurgical reference center in Mexico City. We compared the number of neurosurgeries, the rate and type of postoperative infections, the causative microorganisms and in-hospital mortality rates in a 4-year period, from the pre-pandemic year 2019 until 2022.

Internal Biofilm Heterogeneities Enhance Solute Mixing and Chemical Reactions in Porous Media.

Bacterial biofilms can form in porous media that are of interest in industrial applications ranging from medical implants to biofilters as well as in environmental applications such as in situ groundwater remediation, where they can be critical locations for biogeochemical reactions. The presence of biofilms modifies porous media topology and hydrodynamics by clogging pores and consequently solutes transport and reactions kinetics. The interplay between highly heterogeneous flow fields found in porous media and microbial behavior, including biofilm growth, results in a spatially heterogeneous biofilm distribution in the porous media as well as internal heterogeneity across the thickness of the biofilm.

Relating mechanistic fate with spatial positioning for colloid transport in surface heterogeneous porous media.

Hypotheses: The transport behavior of colloids in subsurface porous media is altered by surface chemical and physical heterogeneities. Understanding the mechanisms involved and distribution outcomes is crucial to assess and control groundwater contamination. The multi-scale processes that broaden residence time distribution for particles in the medium are here succinctly described with an upscaling model.

RAPID PENTOSAN POLYSULFATE SODIUM MACULOPATHY PROGRESSION.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to report a unique case of pentosan polysulfate sodium (PPS) maculopathy with remarkable rapid progression over 2 years. These findings show the importance of early detection of macular disease to limit toxic exposure and reduce the risk of progression.

Methods: Multimodal retinal imaging including fundus autofluorescence, near-infrared reflectance with pseudocolor, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography was performed in an elderly patient with a history of PPS therapy (cumulative dose of 1,205 g) at baseline and 2 years later.

Efficient Removal of Hg(II) from Water under Mildly Acidic Conditions with Hierarchical SiO Monoliths Functionalized with -SH Groups.

In this work, novel adsorbents based on 3D hierarchical silica monoliths functionalized with thiol groups were used for the removal of Hg(II) ions from an acidic aqueous solution (pH 3.5). Silica monoliths were synthesized by using two different pluronic triblock polymers (P123 and F127) to study the effect of porous structure on their sorption capacity.

Engaging Latino parents: An outcome evaluation of the Academia de Cultura Latina Para Padres.

Social capital interventions have been linked to various health and well-being outcomes in children and families. This study evaluated the Academia de Cultura Latina Para Padres (ACLP), a grass roots women-led parent engagement program that aimed to increase its participants' understanding and access to information about their children's education to support their academic success. Cross-sectional data were collected from 100 Latino caregivers who were on average 40.

Direct Measurements of the Forces between Silver and Mica in Humic Substance-Rich Solutions.

Deposition of engineered nanoparticles onto porous media from flowing suspensions is important for soil and groundwater quality. The deposition mechanism is controlled by interaction forces between particles and collectors. We investigated the origin and magnitude of opposing forces between silver and mica surfaces (representing nanosilver and sand grains) in solutions relevant to agricultural soils with direct measurements using a surface force apparatus.

Fungal mycotic aneurysm in a patient with chronic meningoencephalitis.

Background: Central nervous system involvement due to aspergillosis is an extremely serious entity, particularly in patients with severe neutropenia, hematological diseases, or post-transplant cases. Immunocompetent patients can be infected by intense exposure, particularly iatrogenic after invasive procedures.

Case Description: We present the case of a 26-year-old male with a 1 year appendectomy background, which required epidural anesthesia.

Morphology of Shear-Induced Colloidal Aggregates in Porous Media: Consequences for Transport, Deposition, and Re-entrainment.

Colloid deposition in granular media is relevant to numerous environmental problems. Classic filtration models assume a homogeneous pore space and largely ignore colloid aggregation. However, substantial evidence exists on the ubiquity of aggregation within porous media, suggesting that deposition is enhanced by it.

Lossy Compression of Quality Values in Sequencing Data.

The dropping cost of sequencing human DNA has allowed for fast development of several projects around the world generating huge amounts of DNA sequencing data. This deluge of data has run up against limited storage space, a problem that researchers are trying to solve through compression techniques. In this study we address the compression of SAM files, the standard output files for DNA alignment.

[A standardized objective structured clinical examination to assess clinical competencies in medical students].

Background: Outcomes-based education is a trend in medical education and its assessment is one of the main challenges. The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) is one of the tools used to assess clinical competencies. Although Chilean medical schools have used OSCEs for 18 years, there is a vast variability in the way these examinations are administered.

Biofilms in 3D porous media: Delineating the influence of the pore network geometry, flow and mass transfer on biofilm development.

This study investigates the functional correspondence between porescale hydrodynamics, mass transfer, pore structure and biofilm morphology during progressive biofilm colonization of a porous medium. Hydrodynamics and the structure of both the porous medium and the biofilm are experimentally measured with 3D particle tracking velocimetry and micro X-ray Computed Tomography, respectively. The analysis focuses on data obtained in a clean porous medium after 36 h of biofilm growth.

Correction: Biofilm imaging in porous media by laboratory X-Ray tomography: Combining a non-destructive contrast agent with propagation-based phase-contrast imaging tools.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Adult Patients with Pneumococcal Meningitis at a Neurosurgical Neurologic Center: Different Predisposing Conditions?

Background: In previous studies of pneumococcal meningitis in adults within general hospitals or national cohorts, the most common predisposing conditions were otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia, immunosuppression, alcoholism, and diabetes. The epidemiology of pneumococcal meningitis is changing because of the use of vaccines in childhood, and antibiotic resistance has increased.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of patients with diagnoses of pneumococcal meningitis proved by an inflammatory cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with a positive culture, treated during a period of 14 years at an adult neurosurgical neurologic referral center.

Biofilm imaging in porous media by laboratory X-Ray tomography: Combining a non-destructive contrast agent with propagation-based phase-contrast imaging tools.

X-ray tomography is a powerful tool giving access to the morphology of biofilms, in 3D porous media, at the mesoscale. Due to the high water content of biofilms, the attenuation coefficient of biofilms and water are very close, hindering the distinction between biofilms and water without the use of contrast agents. Until now, the use of contrast agents such as barium sulfate, silver-coated micro-particles or 1-chloronaphtalene added to the liquid phase allowed imaging the biofilm 3D morphology.

Reverse engineering of biochar.

This study underpins quantitative relationships that account for the combined effects that starting biomass and peak pyrolysis temperature have on physico-chemical properties of biochar. Meta-data was assembled from published data of diverse biochar samples (n=102) to (i) obtain networks of intercorrelated properties and (ii) derive models that predict biochar properties. Assembled correlation networks provide a qualitative overview of the combinations of biochar properties likely to occur in a sample.

[Latent tuberculosis infection screening in healthcare workers in four large hospitals in Santiago, Chile].

Background: It is currently unknown which is the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in healthcare workers in Chile, but this group has been described as at higher risk of developing active tuberculosis than general population.

Objectives: To determine the prevalence of latent tuberculosis infection in a sample of healthcare workers from at risk areas.

Methodology: A cross-sectional, descriptive study, conducted in health care workers from clinical laboratories or respiratory care areas in four hospitals in Santiago.

Effect of hydrofracking fluid on colloid transport in the unsaturated zone.

Hydraulic fracturing is expanding rapidly in the US to meet increasing energy demand and requires high volumes of hydrofracking fluid to displace natural gas from shale. Accidental spills and deliberate land application of hydrofracking fluids, which return to the surface during hydrofracking, are common causes of environmental contamination. Since the chemistry of hydrofracking fluids favors transport of colloids and mineral particles through rock cracks, it may also facilitate transport of in situ colloids and associated pollutants in unsaturated soils.

Quantification of colloid retention and release by straining and energy minima in variably saturated porous media.

The prediction of colloid transport in unsaturated porous media in the presence of large energy barrier is hampered by scant information of the proportional retention by straining and attractive interactions at surface energy minima. This study aims to fill this gap by performing saturated and unsaturated column experiments in which colloid pulses were added at various ionic strengths (ISs) from 0.1 to 50 mM.

Surfactant-mediated control of colloid pattern assembly and attachment strength in evaporating droplets.

This study demonstrates that the pattern assembly and attachment strength of colloids in an evaporating sessile droplet resting on a smooth substrate can be controlled by adding nonionic solutes (surfactant) to the solution. As expected, increasing the surfactant concentration leads to a decrease in initial surface tension of the drop, σ(0). For the range of initial surface tensions investigated (39-72 mN m(-1)), three distinct deposition patterns were produced: amorphous stains (σ(0) = 63-72 mN m(-1)), coffee-ring stains (σ(0) = 48-53 mN m(-1)), and concentric rings (σ(0) = 39-45 mN m(-1)).

Removal of sulfamethoxazole and sulfapyridine by carbon nanotubes in fixed-bed columns.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and sulfapyridine (SPY), two representative sulfonamide antibiotics, have gained increasing attention because of the ecological risks these substances pose to plants, animals, and humans. This work systematically investigated the removal of SMX and SPY by carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in fixed-bed columns under a broad range of conditions including: CNT incorporation method, solution pH, bed depth, adsorbent dosage, adsorbate initial concentration, and flow rate. Fixed-bed experiments showed that pH is a key factor that affects the adsorption capacity of antibiotics to CNTs.

Effect of surface modification on single-walled carbon nanotube retention and transport in saturated and unsaturated porous media.

This work investigated the effect of different surface modification methods, including oxidization, surfactant coating, and humic acid coating, on single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT) stability and their mobility in granular porous media under various conditions. Characterization and stability studies demonstrated that the three surface modification methods were all effective in solubilizing and stabilizing the SWNTs in aqueous solutions. Packed sand column experiments showed that although the three surface medication methods showed different effect on the retention and transport of SWNTs in the columns, all the modified SWNTs were highly mobile.

Alkyl hydroperoxide reductase: a candidate Helicobacter pylori vaccine.

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is the most important etiological agent of chronic active gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase (AhpC) and mannosylated AhpC (mAhpC) as candidate vaccines in the C57BL/6J mouse model of H.