Trace Organic Contaminant Removal from Municipal Wastewater by Styrenic ß-Cyclodextrin Polymers.

Trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) present major removal challenges for wastewater treatment. TrOCs, such as perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), are associated with chronic toxicity at ng L-1 exposure levels and should be removed from wastewater to enable safe reuse and release of treated effluents. Established adsorbents, such as granular activated carbon (GAC), exhibit variable TrOC removal and fouling by wastewater constituents. These shortcomings motivate the development of selective novel adsorbents that also maintain robust performance in wastewater. Cross-linked ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) polymers are promising adsorbents with demonstrated TrOC removal efficacy. Here, we report a simplified and potentially scalable synthesis of a porous polymer composed of styrene-linked ß-CD and cationic ammonium groups. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrate that the polymer is a selective adsorbent exhibiting complete removal for six out of 13 contaminants with less adsorption inhibition than GAC in wastewater. The polymer also exhibits faster adsorption kinetics than GAC and ion exchange (IX) resin, higher adsorption affinity for PFAS than GAC, and is regenerable by solvent wash. Rapid small-scale column tests show that the polymer exhibits later breakthrough times compared to GAC and IX resin. These results demonstrate the potential for ß-CD polymers to remediate TrOCs from complex water matrices.

Dairy Fat Intake, Plasma Pentadecanoic Acid, and Plasma Iso-heptadecanoic Acid Are Inversely Associated With Liver Fat in Children.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate the relevance of pediatric dairy fat recommendations for children at risk for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) by studying the association between dairy fat intake and the amount of liver fat. The effects of dairy fat may be mediated by odd chain fatty acids (OCFA), such as pentadecanoic acid (C15:0), and monomethyl branched chain fatty acids (BCFA), such as iso-heptadecanoic acid (iso-C17:0). Therefore, we also evaluated the association between plasma levels of OCFA and BCFA with the amount of liver fat. METHODS: Observational, cross-sectional, community-based sample of 237 children ages 8 to 17. Dairy fat intake was assessed by 3 24-hour dietary recalls. Plasma fatty acids were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Main outcome was hepatic steatosis measured by whole liver magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF). RESULTS: Median dairy fat intake was 10.6 grams/day (range 0.0--44.5 g/day). Median liver MRI-PDFF was 4.5% (range 0.9%-45.1%). Dairy fat intake was inversely correlated with liver MRI-PDFF (r = -0.162; P = .012). In multivariable log linear regression, plasma C15:0 and iso-C17:0 were inverse predictors of liver MRI-PDFF (B = -0.247, P = 0.048; and B = -0.234, P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Dairy fat intake, plasma C15:0, and plasma iso-C17:0 were inversely correlated with hepatic steatosis in children. These hypothesis-generating findings should be tested through clinical trials to better inform dietary guidelines.

Treatment adherence and transitioning youth in pediatric multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Transitioning youth with multiple sclerosis (MS) represent a vulnerable group to potentially poor outcomes. It is unknown how pediatric MS patients transition into adult care. OBJECTIVES: To describe self-management skills that include adherence to disease-modifying therapies, quality of life measures, illness perception, transition readiness and healthcare skills assessments in patients with pediatric MS and associations with clinical and cognitive outcomes. METHODS: This is a prospective cross-sectional study at the pediatric MS center and transitional MS clinic at the University of California, San Francisco. Patients and one of their parents completed validated surveys for self-management skills. Non-adherence is defined as not taking their medication more than 20% of the time in the past 1 month. Wilcoxin matched-pairs rank test and McNemar's tests were used for comparison of patient and parent responses. Univariate and multivariate regression models were used for analyses adjusting for disease duration and socio-economic status. RESULTS: Thirty patients were enrolled with a mean (+/-SD) age of 15.8 years+/-2.8, 53% was female and 47% Hispanic. The rate of non-adherence was 37%. The most common reason for non-adherence was forgetting to take their medication reported in 50% of patients. In adjusted regression models, higher EDSS was associated with a lower score on patient's quality of life (13 points decrease, 95% CI 6­18, p<0.0001), and lower healthcare skills (15 points decrease, 95% CI5­26, p=0.006). Four points increase in Symbol Digit Modalities Test score was associated a 0.1 increase in transition readiness score (95% CI0.07­0.2, p=0.001) and 3.9 points increase in health care skills scores (95% CI 1.7­6, p=0.008).