Synthesis of zinc-carboxylate metal-organic frameworks for the removal of emerging drug contaminant (amodiaquine) from aqueous solution

We herein report the removal of amodiaquine, an emerging drug contaminant from aqueous solution using [Zn2(fum)2(bpy)] and [Zn4 O(bdc)3](fum = fumaric acid; bpy =4,4-bipyridine; bdc = benzene-1,4-dicarboxylate) metal–organic frameworks(MOFs) as adsorbents. The adsorbents were characterized by elemental analysis, Fourier transform infrared(FT-IR) spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction(PXRD). Adsorption process for both adsorbents were found to follow the pseudo-first-order kinetics, and the adsorption equilibrium data fitted best into the Freundlich isotherm with the R~2 values of 0.973 and0.993 obtained for [Zn_2(fum)_2(bpy)] and [Zn_4 O(bdc)_3] respectively. The maximum adsorption capacities foramodiaquine in this study were found to be 0.478 and 47.62 mg/g on the[Zn_2(fum)_2(bpy)] and [Zn_4 O(bdc)_3] MOFs respectively, and were obtained at p H of 4.3 for both adsorbents. FT-IR spectroscopy analysis of the MOFs after the adsorption process showed the presence of the drug. The results of the study showed that the prepared MOFs could be used for the removal of amodiaquine from wastewater.     

Prenatal diagnosis of gastrointestinal obstruction: A correlation between prenatal ultrasonic findings and postnatal operative findings

The impact of prenatal sonographic diagnosis of oesophageal and gastrointestinal obstructions has been analysed over a 10-year period. Three groups of patients were evaluated. The first group consisted of 46 newborns with abnormal prenatal sonogratns, 41 of which were confirmed to have intestinal obstruction postnatally. The second group consisted of 17 neonates with normal prenatal sonograms who had intestinal obstruction postnatally. The third group included 56 newborns who did not undergo a prenatal sonogram but who had intestinal obstruction confirmed at surgery. Polyhydramnios without the appearance of a stomach on ultrasound was diagnostic of pure oesophageal atresia. Polyhydramnios with intestinal dilation was diagnostic of intestinal obstruction. Although surgery was performed earlier in the infants diagnosed prenatally with ultrasound, mortality was no less than in the group that did not undergo a prenatal sonogram, probably because of the high incidence of associated anomalies.     

Women's opinions on the offer and use of maternal serum screening

We studied the opinions and experiences concerning maternal serum screening of two groups of women: (A) women who were not eligible for prenatal diagnosis; and (B) women for whom prenatal diagnosis was available because of advanced maternal age, and who either underwent chorionic villus sampling or amniocentesis. Many of the women were in favour of the availability of serum screening and would apply for this test in a future pregnancy. This applied also to many respondents who had previously undergone prenatal diagnosis. Most of these women, however, did not intend to decline diagnostic amniocentesis if the screening results did not indicate an increased risk. The majority of the group of respondents of 36 years and over did not consider it acceptable if age indication was dropped altogether. A system based on serum screening will have other implications than a policy based on age indication, since specific individual risk assessment is perceived as being of more significance than a risk statistically derived from age alone. Serum screening is often seen as a means of reassurance and many women are not aware of the possible drawbacks. As technology becomes increasingly complicated, counselling has to be adjusted correspondingly. Further research is needed to establish whether and how distress can be minimized and well-considered individual choice can be achieved.     

Remote monitoring of vibrational information in spider webs

Spiders are fascinating model species to study information-acquisition strategies, with the web acting as an extension of the animal’s body. Here, we compare the strategies of two orb-weaving spiders that acquire information through vibrations transmitted and filtered in the web. Whereas Araneus diadematus monitors web vibration directly on the web, Zygiella x-notata uses a signal thread to remotely monitor web vibration from a retreat, which gives added protection. We assess the implications of these two information-acquisition strategies on the quality of vibration information transfer, using laser Doppler vibrometry to measure vibrations of real webs and finite element analysis in computer models of webs. We observed that the signal thread imposed no biologically relevant time penalty for vibration propagation. However, loss of energy (attenuation) was a cost associated with remote monitoring via a signal thread. The findings have implications for the biological use of vibrations by spiders, including the mechanisms to locate and discriminate between vibration sources. We show that orb-weaver spiders are fascinating examples of organisms that modify their physical environment to shape their information-acquisition strategy.     

Discordant fetal sex on NIPT and ultrasound

Prenatal diagnosis of sex discordance is a relatively new phenomenon. Prior to cell-free DNA testing, the diagnosis of a disorder of sexual differentiation was serendipitous, either through identification of ambiguous genitalia at the midtrimester morphology ultrasound or discovery of genotype-phenotype discordance in cases where preimplantation genetic diagnosis or invasive prenatal testing had occurred. The widespread integration of cfDNA testing into modern antenatal screening has made sex chromosome assessment possible from 10 weeks of gestation, and discordant fetal sex is now more commonly diagnosed prenatally, with a prevalence of approximately 1 in 1500-2000 pregnancies. Early detection of phenotype-genotype sex discordance is important as it may indicate an underlying genetic, chromosomal or biochemical condition and it also allows for time-critical postnatal treatment. The aim of this article is to review cfDNA and ultrasound diagnosis of fetal sex, identify possible causes of phenotype-genotype discordance and provide a systematic approach for clinicians when counseling and managing couples in this circumstance.     

Characterizing spatial structure of sediment E. coli populations to inform sampling design

Escherichia coli can persist in streambed sediments and influence water quality monitoring programs through their resuspension into overlying waters. This study examined the spatial patterns in E. coli concentration and population structure within streambed morphological features during baseflow and following stormflow to inform sampling strategies for representative characterization of E. coli populations within a stream reach. E. coli concentrations in bed sediments were significantly different (p?=?0.002) among monitoring sites during baseflow, and significant interactive effects (p?=?0.002) occurred among monitoring sites and morphological features following stormflow. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression revealed that water velocity and effective particle size (D ₁₀) explained E. coli concentration during baseflow, whereas sediment organic carbon, water velocity and median particle diameter (D ₅₀) were important explanatory variables following stormflow. Principle Coordinate Analysis illustrated the site-scale differences in sediment E. coli populations between disconnected stream segments. Also, E. coli populations were similar among depositional features within a reach, but differed in relation to high velocity features (e.g., riffles). Canonical correspondence analysis resolved that E. coli population structure was primarily explained by spatial (26.9–31.7 %) over environmental variables (9.2–13.1 %). Spatial autocorrelation existed among monitoring sites and morphological features for both sampling events, and gradients in mean particle diameter and water velocity influenced E. coli population structure for the baseflow and stormflow sampling events, respectively. Representative characterization of streambed E. coli requires sampling of depositional and high velocity environments to accommodate strain selectivity among these features owing to sediment and water velocity heterogeneity.