A simple hydrothermal route is employed to synthesize pure copper indium disulfide (CIS) and CIS nanoparticles (NPs) mediated by various natural plant extracts. The plant extracts used to mediate are Azadirachta indica (neem), Ocimum sanctum (basil), Cocos nucifera (coconut), Aloe vera (aloe), and Curcuma longa (turmeric). The tetragonal unit cell structure of as-synthesized NPs is confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The analysis by energy-dispersive X-rays shows that all the samples are nearstoichiometric. The morphologies of the NPs are confirmed by high-resolution scanning and transmission modes of electron microscopy. The thermal stability of the synthesized NPs is determined by thermogravimetric analysis. The optical energy band gap is determined from the absorption spectra using Tauc's equation. The antimicrobial activity analysis and the estimation of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value of the samples are performed for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus pathogens. It shows that the aloe-mediated CIS NPs possess a broad inhibitory spectrum. The best inhibitory effect is observed against S. aureus, whereas the least effect was exhibited against P. vulgaris. The least MIC value is found for aloe-mediated CIS NPs (0.300 mg/mL) against S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. aerogenes, along with basil-mediated NPs against E. coli. The antioxidant activity study showed that the IC 50 value to inhibit the scavenging activity is maximum for the control (vitamin C) and minimum for pure CIS NPs. The in vivo cytotoxicity study using brine shrimp eggs shows that the pure CIS NPs are more lethal to brine shrimp than the natural extract-mediated CIS NPs. The in vitro cytotoxicity study using the human lung carcinoma cell line (A549) shows that the IC 50 value of turmeric extract-mediated CIS NPs is minimum (15.62 ± 1.58 μg/mL). This observation reveals that turmeric extract-mediated CIS NPs are the most potent in terms of cytotoxicity toward the A549 cell line.

Background and Objectives: Student-run clinics (SRCs) provide primary care access to low-income patients who would otherwise pursue more expensive care, such as visits to emergency departments (ED). Decreasing inappropriate ED utilization offers an opportunity to create value in the health care system. However, to date, no SRC has rigorously studied this. This study examines whether increased access to ambulatory care through an SRC, the Crimson Care Collaborative (CCC), is associated with decreased ED utilization, providing value to payers and providers, and justifying investment in SRCs. Methods: We conducted a 5-year retrospective analysis of 796 patients to determine if ED utilization changed after patients enrolled in CCC. We used patient-level ED visit data to estimate the average change in ED utilization. A regression analysis examined the impact of demographic and clinical variables on changes in ED utilization. Results: Average per-patient ED utilization significantly (P<0.001) decreased by 23%, 50%, and 48% for patients enrolling in CCC from 2013 to 2015, respectively. Following enrollment in CCC, average ED utilization decreased by 0.39 visits per patient per year. This translates to 62.01 avoided ED visits annually, and estimated payer savings of $84,148, representing 68% of the clinic’s direct operating costs. Conclusions: CCC created value to payers and providers from 2013-2015 by providing a lower-cost source of care and increasing ED capacity for more emergent and appropriate care. This study suggests that SRCs can create financial value for both payers and providers while also providing an avenue to teach value-based care in medical education.

The strategy of chemical coprecipitation is implemented to synthesize nanoparticles of pristine CuSe, 5 and 10% Nidoped CuSe, and 5 and 10% Zn-doped CuSe. All of the nanoparticles are found to be near stoichiometric by the evaluation of X-ray energy using electron dispersion spectra, and the elemental mapping shows uniform distribution. By X-ray diffraction examination, all of the nanoparticles are identified as being single-phase and having a hexagonal lattice structure. Field emission microscopy with electrons in both scanning and transmission modes affirmed the spherical configuration of the nanoparticles. The crystalline nature of the nanoparticles is confirmed by the presence of spot patterns observed in the selected area electron diffraction patterns. The observed d value matches well with the d value of the CuSe hexagonal (102) plane. Findings from dynamic light scattering reveal the size distribution of nanoparticles. The nanoparticle's stability is investigated by ζ potential measurements. Pristine and Ni-doped CuSe nanoparticles exhibit ζ potential values in the preliminary stability band of ±10 to ±30 mV, while Zn-doped nanoparticles feature moderate stability levels of ±30 to ±40 mV. The potent antimicrobial effects of synthesized nanoparticles are studied against Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Escherichia coli bacteria. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging test is used to investigate the nanoparticle's antioxidant activities. The results showed the highest activity for control (Vitamin C) with an IC 50 value of 43.6 μg/mL, while the lowest for Nidoped CuSe nanoparticles with an IC 50 value of 106.2 μg/mL. Brine shrimps are utilized for in vivo cytotoxicity evaluation of the synthesized nanoparticles, which demonstrates that 10% Ni-and 10% Zn-doped CuSe nanoparticles are more damaging on brine shrimp instead on other nanoparticles with a 100% mortality rate. The lung cancer cell line of human (A549) is used to investigate in vitro cytotoxicity. The results indicate that pristine CuSe nanoparticles are more effective in the context of cytotoxicity against the A549 cell lines, possessing an IC 50 of 488 μg/mL. The particulars of the outcomes are explained in depth.

No abstract

No abstract