Carboxylate-functionalized sugarcane bagasse as an effective and renewable adsorbent to remove methylene blue.

This study prepared a carboxylate-functionalized sugarcane bagasse (CF-SCB) from sugarcane bagasse (SCB) via a simple and low-toxicity chemical modification to enhance its capacity for adsorbing methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solutions. The success of chemical modification was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), the pore area and porosity, and zeta potential measurement analysis. The adsorption capacity of CF-SCB was investigated at different pHs, ionic strengths, temperatures, contact times and initial dye concentrations. Equilibrium data were best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, and the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of CF-SCB (296.74 mg g-1) was greatly improved compared with SCB (77.16 mg g-1) at 30 °C. The thermodynamic study indicated that MB adsorption onto CF-SCB was a spontaneous, endothermic and entropy increased process. Adsorption kinetics followed a pseudo-second-order mode, and the adsorption mechanism was based on electrostatic interactions. The reusability study showed that CF-SCB had reasonably good reuse potential. All the results suggested that CF-SCB has high potential to be used as an effective and renewable adsorbent for MB removal from wastewater.

FGFR2 mutation in a Chinese family with unusual Crouzon syndrome.

AIM: To describe the clinical characteristics with genetic lesions in a Chinese family with Crouzon syndrome. METHODS: All five patients from this family were included and received comprehensive ophthalmic and systemic examinations. Direct sequencing of the FGFR2 gene was employed for mutation identification. Crystal structure analysis was applied to analyze the structural changes associated with the substitution. RESULTS: All patients presented typical Crouzon features, including short stature, craniosynostosis, mandibular prognathism, shallow orbits with proptosis, and exotropia. Intrafamilial phenotypic diversities were observed. Atrophic optic nerves were exclusively detected in the proband and her son. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) implied a cystic lesion in her sellar and third ventricular regions. A missense mutation, FGFR2 p.Cys342Trp, was found as disease causative. This substitution would generate conformational changes in the extracellular Ig-III domain of the FGFR-2 protein, thus altering its physical and biological properties. CONCLUSION: We describe the clinical presentations and genotypic lesions in a Chinese family with Crouzon syndrome. The intrafamilial phenotypic varieties in this family suggest that other genetic modifiers may also play a role in the pathogenesis of Crouzon syndrome.