Gastric Mucormycosis with Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome

Mucormycosis, is an emerging fungal infection in immunocompromised and diabetic individuals, usually affects rhino-orbito-cerebral, cutaneous and pulmonary regions. But mucormycosis in immunocompetent environment is rare and occurrence of gastric mucormycosis is unusual. We report a case of 19 year old female, with no pre-existing co-morbidities, presented with fever, dysentery, vomiting, and melena for 4 days. On evaluation she was found to have pancytopenia, acute kidney injury, hemolytic anemia, coagulopathy and hepatic derangement and treated with hemodialysis, plasmapheresis along with antibiotics and packed cell RBC transfusion. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed presence of extensive esophageal and gastric ulcer. In view of persistent bleeding despite endoscopic sclerotherapy, repetition of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and CT abdomen with oral contrast was done, which revealed perforated gastric ulcer. Exploratory laparotomy and excision of ulcer was done. The biopsy of gastric ulcer had shown the presence of granulomatous necrotic areas positive for mucormycosis. Then she was managed with amphotericin-B, posoconazole with which she improved.

Impact of Ni(II), Zn(II) and Cd(II) on biogassification of potato waste

A study was conducted on anaerobic digestion of potato waste and cattle manure mixture, inoculated with 12% inoculum and diluted to 1:1 substrate water ratio at 37 +/- 1 degrees C. Initially pH of substrate was found to be 4.5 to 5.0. Lime and sodium bicarbonate solutions were employed to adjust the pH to 7.5. Biogas production continued up to 10 and 7 days, when lime and sodium bicarbonate solutions were used to adjust the pH, respectively. Biogassification potential was studied in response to different ratio of waste and cattle manure. Biogas production rate was higher when potato waste and cattle manure were used in 50:50 ratio. Effect of two different concentrations (2.5 and 5.0 ppm) of three heavy metals viz. (Ni (II), Zn (II) and Cd (II)) on anaerobic digestion of substrate (potato waste--cattle manure, 50:50) was studied. At 2.5 ppm, all the three heavy metals increased biogas production rate over the control value. The percentage increase in biogas production over the control was highest by Cd, followed by Ni and Zn. In all the treatments, methane content of biogas increased with increase in time after feeding. Various physico-chemical parameters viz. total solids, total volatile solids, total organic carbon and chemical oxygen demand considerably declined after 7 days of digestion and decline was greater in presence of heavy metals as compared to control. The physico-chemical parameters revealed maximum decrease in the presence of 2.5-ppm concentrations of heavy metals with the substrate. Among all the three heavy metals employed in the study, Cd++ at 2.5 ppm was found to produce maximum biogas production rate. The use of three heavy metals to enhance biogas production from potato and other horticultural waste is discussed.