Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: what normalisation for improved understanding of epidemic trends?

SARS-CoV-2 RNA quantification in wastewater has emerged as a relevant additional means to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the concentration can be affected by black water dilution factors or movements of the sewer shed population, leading to misinterpretation of measurement results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of different indicators to accurately interpret SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Weekly/bi-weekly measurements from three cities in France were analysed from February to September 2021. The concentrations of SARS-CoV-2 gene copies were normalised to the faecal-contributing population using simple sewage component indicators. To reduce the measurement error, a composite index was created to combine simultaneously the information carried by the simple indicators. The results showed that the regularity (mean absolute difference between observation and the smoothed curve) of the simple indicators substantially varied across sampling points. The composite index consistently showed better regularity compared to the other indicators and was associated to the lowest variation in correlation coefficient across sampling points. These findings suggest the recommendation for the use of a composite index in wastewater-based epidemiology to compensate for variability in measurement results

Concentrations and size distributions of fungal bioaerosols in a municipal landfill

The object of this research was to study the behavior of fungal bioaerosols during a sampling period of 12 months (April 2015–April 2016), in each treatment stages of a landfill located in Atlántico Department, Colombia. The fungi bioaerosol samples were collected using a Six-Stage Viable Andersen Cascade Impactor - Thermo Fisher Scientific, a vacuum pump with a flow rate of 28.3 L/min–1, and ammeter KESTREL 4500 for the weather conditions. With the large amount of data obtained, a database was made in excel and analyzed using Statgraphics Centurion XVI software. The processing of data mining was carried out applying to a generalized linear regression model and Multifactorial ANOVA. Golden Surfer 11 program was used to stablish the distribution of temporal and spational mold airborne. The Variables: sampling campaign, stage, taxa, temperature and relative humidity presented a statistically significant correlation with the concentration P-value = 0. The concentrations of fungal bioaerosols varied considerably over the whole sampling period with average concentrations from 73.02 ± 26, 75 CFUs/m3 to 1830.38 ± 971.28 CFUs/m3. The fungal bioaerosols presented in both the coarse and fine fraction; but the fraction of 2.1–3.3 μm (stage 4) was the fraction of the dominant size in terms of higher concentration. According to the taxa identification, there was a higher prevalence of Aspergillus: the highest concentration corresponds to A. fumigatus, associated to toxins that may be cytotoxic [1, 2]

Comparative assessment of image quality for coronary CT angiography with iobitridol and two contrast agents with higher iodine concentrations: iopromide and iomeprol. A multicentre randomized double-blind trial.

To demonstrate non-inferiority of iobitridol 350 for coronary CT angiography (CTA) compared to higher iodine content contrast media regarding rate of patients evaluable for the presence of coronary artery stenoses. In this multicentre trial, 452 patients were randomized to receive iobitridol 350, iopromide 370 or iomeprol 400 and underwent coronary CTA using CT systems with 64-detector rows or more. Two core lab readers assessed 18 coronary segments per patient regarding image quality (score 0 = non diagnostic to 4 = excellent quality), vascular attenuation, signal and contrast to noise ratio (SNR, CNR). Patients were considered evaluable if no segment had a score of 0. Per-patient, the rate of fully evaluable CT scans was 92.1, 95.4 and 94.6 % for iobitridol, iopromide and iomeprol, respectively. Non-inferiority of iobitridol over the best comparator was demonstrated with a 95 % CI of the difference of [-8.8 to 2.1], with a pre-specified non-inferiority margin of -10 %. Although average attenuation increased with higher iodine concentrations, average SNR and CNR did not differ between groups. With current CT technology, iobitridol 350 mg iodine/ml is not inferior to contrast media with higher iodine concentrations in terms of image quality for coronary stenosis assessment. • Iodine concentration is an important parameter for image quality in coronary CTA. • Contrast enhancement must be balanced against the amount of iodine injected. • Iobitridol 350 is non-inferior compared to CM with higher iodine concentrations. • Higher attenuation with higher iodine concentrations, but no SNR or CNR differences

Auditory-Motor Mapping Training as an Intervention to Facilitate Speech Output in Non-Verbal Children with Autism: A Proof of Concept Study

Although up to 25% of children with autism are non-verbal, there are very few interventions that can reliably produce significant improvements in speech output. Recently, a novel intervention called Auditory-Motor Mapping Training (AMMT) has been developed, which aims to promote speech production directly by training the association between sounds and articulatory actions using intonation and bimanual motor activities. AMMT capitalizes on the inherent musical strengths of children with autism, and offers activities that they intrinsically enjoy. It also engages and potentially stimulates a network of brain regions that may be dysfunctional in autism. Here, we report an initial efficacy study to provide ‘proof of concept’ for AMMT. Six non-verbal children with autism participated. Prior to treatment, the children had no intelligible words. They each received 40 individual sessions of AMMT 5 times per week, over an 8-week period. Probe assessments were conducted periodically during baseline, therapy, and follow-up sessions. After therapy, all children showed significant improvements in their ability to articulate words and phrases, with generalization to items that were not practiced during therapy sessions. Because these children had no or minimal vocal output prior to treatment, the acquisition of speech sounds and word approximations through AMMT represents a critical step in expressive language development in children with autism

The activation barrier to axial torsion in 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)biphenyl

After selective deuteration of 2,2'-bis(diphenylphosphino)biphenyl, it was possible to det. the NMR coalescence temp. of the diastereotopic Ph groups. On this basis, a torsional barrier of 22 kcal/mol was calcd. Thus, the bisphosphine, even if it could be resolved into pure enantiomers, would rapidly re-racemize at temps. around or >25 Deg. [on SciFinder (R)

2,2'-Bis(diphenylphosphino)biphenyl revisited

The reaction between 2,2'-dilithiobiphenyl and two equiv. of chlorodiphenylphosphine is confirmed to afford equal amts. of 9-phenyl-9-phosphafluorene (2) and PPh3. 2,2'-Bis(diphenylphosphino)biphenyl (1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-diylbis(diphenylphosphine) (1)) can be conveniently prepd. by Ullmann coupling of 2-iodophenyldiphenylphosphine oxide and subsequent redn. with trichlorosilane. [on SciFinder (R)

The preparation of pure allyl- and benzyl-type organoalkali intermediates via organotin compounds

Superbase metalation of alkenes or alkylbenzenes and subsequent condensation with trialkylstannyl chloride affords allyl- or benzyl-type organotin compds. that can be isolated in pure form. Treatment with sol. reagents such as methyllithium, trimethylsilylmethylpotassium and trimethylsilylmethylcesium generates the corresponding organoalkali derivs., almost quant. and in high purity, suitable for kinetic or spectroscopic studies. E.g., treating Me3SiC(:CH2)Me with KOCMe3 and BuLi in THF and then with Me3SnCl gave 45% CH2:C(SiMe3)CH2SnMe3, which when treated with Me3SiCH2Cs gave 95% of the Cs deriv. [on SciFinder (R)

How advantageous is the intramolecular aggregation of 1,4-organodilithio compounds?

1,11-Dilithio-5,5,7,7-tetramethyl-5,7-dihydrodibenz[c,e]oxepin (3; shown as I) is a conformationally confined analog of o,o'-dilithiobiphenyl (1). A temp. variable NMR study of this model compd., monitoring the coalescence of its diastereotopic Me groups, has revealed a barrier of about 12 kcal/mol to planarization, just 2 kcal/mol less than that found with the metal-free heterocycle. Thus, the energetic benefit of intramol. aggregation of o,o'-dilithiobisaryls is significantly smaller than that predicted by ab initio calcns. [on SciFinder (R)

1,(w-1)-Dienes: solvent controlled unilateral or bilateral metalation

In hexane, i.e. under heterogeneous conditions, 1,(w - 1)-dienes readily undergo double deprotonation to give bis(allylmetal) intermediates. In THF at -75 or -50 Deg, however, only monometalation occurs with dienes having <C12 chains. Thus, treatment of 1,7-octadiene with BuLi-KOCMe3 in hexane, followed by MeI, gave (Z)-3-methyl-1,6-nonadiene and (3Z,7Z)-3,7-decadiene; whereas, in THF, with hexane stripped from the BuLi, 3-methyl-1,7-octadiene and (Z)-1,6-nonadiene were obtained. The practical potential of the selective monosubstitution reaction is demonstrated by two novel pheromone syntheses. [on SciFinder (R)

Metal-bearing and trifluoromethyl-substituted pyrimidines: generation and functionalization

5-Pyrimidyllithium species are fairly stable when the metal is flanked by two electron-withdrawing substituents such as trifluoromethyl and chlorine or bromine. Thus, the corresponding 5-carboxylic acids are produced in high yields from 4,5-dibromo-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine and 5-bromo-4-chloro-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine upon halogen/metal permutation accomplished with isopropylmagnesium chloride or butyllithium followed by carboxylation. Satisfactory or excellent yields of 5-carboxylic acids are equally obtained when 4-chloro-, 2,4-dichloro- and 2,4-dibromo-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine are deprotonated with lithium diisopropylamide before being allowed to react with dry ice. In contrast, consecutive treatment of 2-bromo-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine and 2-chloro-5-iodo-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine with butyllithium affords the expected carboxylic acids in only poor yields and not even trace amts. of acid were detected when 4-bromo-6-(trifluoromethyl)pyrimidine served as the substrate. The formation of bipyrimidines, emerging from either one of two competing mechanistic pathways, is a permanently menacing side reaction. [on SciFinder (R)