Advances in the Applications of Clinoptilolite-Rich Tuffs.

Adsorptive, catalytic, and antibacterial properties of clinoptilolite-rich tuffs (ZT) are presented here. ZT transformed into Fe-containing ZT (Fe-ZT) removes various organic and inorganic anions from water. Fe-ZT, which contains selenium, is beneficial for growing Pleurotus ostreatus mushrooms. The fungi convert inorganic Se from Fe-ZT into a more useful organically bonded form. ZT and Fe-ZT as supplements retain nitrogen and potassium in sandy, silty loam and silty clay soils. ZT shows an affinity toward toxic metal cations, which are essential for cleaning contaminated water. The adsorption of atenolol, acetylsalicylic, and salicylic acid onto M-ZT (M-Cu2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, or Zn2+) from water solutions suggests that both the natures of M and pharmaceuticals have a significant impact on the adsorption mechanism and determine the adsorption capability of the ZT. ZT is an excellent carrier for ultrafine (2-5 nm) nano oxide particles, which have been shown to have catalytic activity in different chemical processes and photodegradation reactions of organic pollutants. ZT can also be transformed into SO4-SnO2-ZT, which is catalytically active as a solid acid. M-ZT is an effective carrier of valuable bacteria. Ag-ZT possesses beneficial bactericidal activity in disinfecting water and soil remediation.

Barriers to addressing perinatal mental health issues in midwifery settings.

BACKGROUND: poor perinatal mental health is linked to various adverse pregnancy and child outcomes. Despite having a holistic philosophy of care, similar to other maternity care settings, perinatal mental health issues often remain under-diagnosed and untreated in midwifery settings. AIM: to determine midwives' perceived barriers to the screening, referral, and management of perinatal mental health issues. DESIGN: integrative review. METHODS: the following databases were searched: MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. We included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies published in a peer-reviewed journal in English. Two reviewers independently extracted data and subsequently integrated the extracted data into a single data matrix. The data matrix was compared iteratively across primary data sources to identify themes and sub-themes. The identified barriers to screening, management and referrals were subsequently categorized into provider-level and system-level barriers. The relevance and methodological quality of the included studies were evaluated using appropriate checklists. FINDINGS: three hundreds and fifty six articles were retrieved. Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. Insufficient/lack of training, lack of clarity regarding the scope of practice and time constraints were common provider level barriers across various stages of addressing mental health issues from identification to management. The system-level barriers were more complex and diverse and included unclear pathways and unlinked services, lack of local guidelines or policies, continuity of care, structured office procedures, clinical support and supervision and accessible educational resources, scarcity of available referral resources, complex bureaucratic processes and challenges related to expansion of the scope of practice. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: training, expansion of the scope of practice and collaborative care are central for successful screening, management and appropriate and timely referrals of perinatal mental health issues. An integrative model of care may address fragmentation in perinatal mental health services and enable a holistic midwifery care.

Binding of transition metals to monosilicic acid in aqueous and xylem (Cucumis sativus L.) solutions: a low-T electron paramagnetic resonance study.

The supplementation of monosilicic acid [Si(OH)4] to the root growing medium is known to protect plants from toxic levels of iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn), but also to mitigate deficiency of Fe and Mn. However, the physicochemical bases of these alleviating mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we applied low-T electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to examine the formation of complexes of Si(OH)4 with Mn(2+), Fe(3+), and Cu(2+) in water and in xylem sap of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown without or with supply of Si(OH)4. EPR, which is also useful in establishing the redox state of these metals, was combined with measurements of total concentrations of metals in xylem sap by inductive coupled plasma. Our results show that Si(OH)4 forms coordination bonds with all three metals. The strongest interactions of Si(OH)4 appear to be with Cu(2+) (1/1 stoichiometry) which might lead to Cu precipitation. In line with this in vitro findings, Si(OH)4 supply to cucumber resulted in dramatically lower concentration of this metal in the xylem sap. Further, it was demonstrated that Si(OH)4 supplementation causes pro-reductive changes that contribute to the maintenance of Fe and, in particular, Mn in the xylem sap in bioavailable 2+ form. Our results shed more light on the intertwined reactions between Si(OH)4 and transition metals in plant fluids (e.g. xylem sap).