Development and application of metal organic framework/chitosan foams based on ultrasound-assisted solid-phase extraction coupling to UPLC-MS/MS for the determination of five parabens in water.

In this work, a variety of highly porous metal organic framework/chitosan (MOF/CS) foams (MIL-53(Al)/CS, MIL-53(Fe)/CS, MIL-101(Cr)/CS, MIL-101(Fe)/CS, UiO-66(Zr)/CS, and MIL-100(Fe)/CS) were designed and prepared by an ice-templating process. The introduction of MOFs made these foams achieve excellent inherent characters in terms of strength, stability, and adsorption ability. The MOFs incorporated in the foams retained their unique properties. Additionally, the foams were durable and their adsorption abilities had only a little loss after being recycled several times. MIL-53(Al)/CS foam was selected as an adsorbent candidate to develop an ultrasound-assisted solid-phase extraction (UA-SPE) method for the first time, owing to its particularly noteworthy performance among the prepared MOF/CS foams. The method was then successfully applied to extract trace amount of five parabens (methylparaben, ethylparaben, propylparaben, butylparaben, benzylparaben) in water samples, followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) detection. Several experimental parameters were investigated. Under the optimal conditions, the linear ranges were 0.5-200 µg/L with regression coefficients (r2) from 0.9948 to 0.9983. The method detection limits were between 0.09 and 0.45 µg/L. The recoveries ranged from 78.75 to 102.1% with relative standard deviations (RSDs) < 7.4%. Furthermore, the molecular interactions and free binding energies between MOFs and parabens were calculated by means of molecular docking to explain the adsorption mechanism deeply. The novel method proposed in this work exhibited many benefits such as easy operation, high enrichment efficiency, less solvent consuming, and higher sensitivity. Such a strategy would expand the application prospect of MOFs in sample pretreatment. Graphical abstract ᅟ.

External validation of an algorithm to personalize nerve sparing approaches during robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in men with unilateral high-risk prostate cancer.

Limited evidence exists about preserving neurovascular bundles during radical prostatectomy (RP) for high-risk prostate cancer (HRPCa) patients. Hence, we validated an existing algorithm predicting contralateral extraprostatic extension (cEPE) risk in unilateral high-risk cases. This algorithm aims to assist in determining the suitability of unilateral nerve-sparing RP. Among 264 patients, 48 (18%) had cEPE. The risk of cECE varied: 8%, 17.2%, and 30.8% for the low, intermediate, and high-risk groups, respectively. Despite a higher risk of cECE among individuals classified as low-risk in the development group compared to the validation group, our algorithm's superiority over always/never nerve-sparing RP was reaffirmed by decision curve analysis. Therefore, we conclude that bilateral excision may not always be justified in men with unilateral HRPCa. Instead, decisions can be based on our suggested nomogram.

Bioreactor performance using biochar and its effect on aerobic granulation.

The effects that rice husk (biochar-rh), rice bran (biochar-rb) and walnut shell (biochar-ws) biochar had on aerobic granulation and reactor performance during the treatment of petroleum wastewater have been investigated. The different biochars reduced aerobic granulation time by 15 days compared with the control and also increased resistance to shock loading. The average COD and TN removal increased by 3.2%-5.1% and 10%-13%, respectively. Bacteria having functional metabolisms associated with the treatment of petroleum wastewaters were enriched in granular sludge that contained biochars. The reactor containing biochar-rb was the most stable and removed the most nutrients. The reactor containing biochar-rh had the largest initial granule size. This study provides insights into how the physicochemical properties of different biochars influence aerobic granular sludge systems.

Characterization of aerobic granular sludge used for the treatment of petroleum wastewater.

The application of aerobic granular sludge (AGS) is a promising biological method for wastewater treatment. In the present study, the AGS method was used for the treatment of petroleum wastewater. The granulation process and organic/nitrogen compound removal efficiencies were determined and correlated with the microbiological communities. Granulation of the aerobic sludge occurred after 35 days of operation. The compacted granules had a diameter of 0.46-0.9 mm. Extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) contents increased as granulation progressed and reached 128 mg/g·VSS. The granulated sludge efficiently reduced COD by 95% and petroleum compound contents by 90%. NH4+-N and TN removal were inefficient due to the inhibition of nitrobacteria and denitrificans, but were significantly improved by the addition of glucose. The microorganisms in the granules capable of degrading petroleum chemicals consisted of the genera Propioniciclava, Micropruina, Alphaproteobacteria, Flavobacterium, and Sulfuritalea.