On the formation of a protic ionic liquid in nature.

The practical utility of ionic liquids (ILs) makes the absence (heretofore) of reported examples from nature quite puzzling, given the facility with which nature produces many other types of exotic but utilitarian substances. In that vein, we report here the identification and characterization of a naturally occurring protic IL. It can be formed during confrontations between the ants S.

Cervical length screening in patients who have undergone loop electrosurgical excision procedure.

Objective: To determine whether cervical length measurements in patients who have undergone a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) is a predictor of spontaneous preterm delivery (PTD) at < 35 weeks.

Study Design: A retrospective chart review of 97 pregnant patients with a history of prior LEEP undergoing cervical length screening by transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) was done. Of these, 87 were included in the study.