Treatment of source-separated urine by a combination of bipolar electrodialysis and a gas transfer membrane.

Urine contains nutrients which can be applied usefully as a fertiliser in agriculture, but the relatively high pH can lead to ammonia evaporation. Electrodialysis with bipolar membranes was combined with an additional mass transfer unit in order to render a product containing ammonium and phosphate at a low pH. In one case, the additional mass transfer unit consisted of bubble columns placed in acid and basic concentrate streams, connected with a circulating gas phase. In the other case, the unit consisted of a gas-filled (hydrophobic) membrane placed in between the circulating acid and basic concentrate streams. The results showed that ammonia was transferred through the gas phase, but also carbonate, which is present in stored urine originating from the hydrolysis of urea. Although the pH in the product stream decreases initially, it rises above pH 7 at longer operation times. This pH increase can be attributed to a combination of proton compensating effects. The use of ammonia-selective membranes for the transfer into the acid concentrate could provide a solution to generate an ammonium phosphate product at low pH and high recoveries.     

Alzheimer’s Disease: Treatment Strategies and Their Limitations

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most frequent case of neurodegenerative disease and is becoming a major public health problem all over the world. Many therapeutic strategies have been explored for several decades; however, there is still no curative treatment, and the priority remains prevention. In this review, we present an update on the clinical and physiological phase of the AD spectrum, modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for AD treatment with a focus on prevention strategies, then research models used in AD, followed by a discussion of treatment limitations. The prevention methods can significantly slow AD evolution and are currently the best strategy possible before the advanced stages of the disease. Indeed, current drug treatments have only symptomatic effects, and disease-modifying treatments are not yet available. Drug delivery to the central nervous system remains a complex process and represents a challenge for developing therapeutic and preventive strategies. Studies are underway to test new techniques to facilitate the bioavailability of molecules to the brain. After a deep study of the literature, we find the use of soft nanoparticles, in particular nanoliposomes and exosomes, as an innovative approach for preventive and therapeutic strategies in reducing the risk of AD and solving problems of brain bioavailability. Studies show the promising role of nanoliposomes and exosomes as smart drug delivery systems able to penetrate the blood–brain barrier and target brain tissues. Finally, the different drug administration techniques for neurological disorders are discussed. One of the promising therapeutic methods is the intranasal administration strategy which should be used for preclinical and clinical studies of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Pharmacological Dissection of the Crosstalk between NaV and CaV Channels in GH3b6 Cells

Thanks to the crosstalk between Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ channels, Na⁺ and Ca²⁺ homeostasis interplay in so-called excitable cells enables the generation of action potential in response to electrical stimulation. Here, we investigated the impact of persistent activation of voltage-gated Na⁺ (Na_V) channels by neurotoxins, such as veratridine (VTD), on intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration ([Ca²⁺]_i) in a model of excitable cells, the rat pituitary GH3b6 cells, in order to identify the molecular actors involved in Na⁺-Ca²⁺ homeostasis crosstalk. By combining RT-qPCR, immunoblotting, immunocytochemistry, and patch-clamp techniques, we showed that GH3b6 cells predominantly express the Na_V1.3 channel subtype, which likely endorses their voltage-activated Na⁺ currents. Notably, these Na⁺ currents were blocked by ICA-121431 and activated by the β-scorpion toxin Tf2, two selective Na_V1.3 channel ligands. Using Fura-2, we showed that VTD induced a [Ca²⁺]_i increase. This effect was suppressed by the selective Na_V channel blocker tetrodotoxin, as well by the selective L-type Ca_V channel (LTCC) blocker nifedipine. We also evidenced that crobenetine, a Na_V channel blocker, abolished VTD-induced [Ca²⁺]_i elevation, while it had no effects on LTCC. Altogether, our findings highlight a crosstalk between Na_V and LTCC in GH3b6 cells, providing a new insight into the mode of action of neurotoxins.     

Polyurethanes Based on Castor Oil: Kinetics,Chemical, Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Polyurethanes based on vegetable oil were synthesized with castor oil and toluene diisocyanate, isophorone diisocyanate or hexamethylene diisocyanate, using dibutyltin dilaurate as a catalyst. The effects of the nature of the diisocyanate on the evolution of the kinetics, as well as the physical and mechanical properties and the thermal stability, of the different synthesized polyurethanes were investigated, and these complement data from the literature on equivalent systems. The polymerization kinetics, degree of swelling and mechanical properties were greatly affected by the diisocyanate nature, whereas the rheological properties and thermal stability were found to be similar for all polyurethanes.

     

有机-无机杂化核壳型乳胶粒的制备及其粒径控制

以苯乙烯乳液聚合合成种子,再在种子外生成苯乙烯与甲基丙烯酸-3-三甲氧基硅丙酯（MPS）的共聚物,利用MPS中硅氧烷基的水解-缩合反应,形成交联的壳,得到有机-无机杂化型核壳乳胶粒.然后用溶剂将聚苯乙烯模板溶解,可得到空心微胶囊.通过透射电镜（TEM）和动态光散射粒径仪（DLS）观测乳胶粒及微胶囊的形态.并研究了乳化剂种类、介质pH值、MPS用量和加入方式对粒径、粒子数和体系稳定性的影响.发现非离子型乳化剂、酸性或碱性介质、MPS用量过多均促进乳胶粒子数减少,减弱了乳液稳定性.而采取连续滴加MPS的方法则可提高乳液的稳定性,且粒径可控.     

Coarsening mechanisms in a dendritic Al–10% Cu alloy

Coarsening of a dendritic Al–10 wt.% Cu alloy at 570 °C was investigated by fast in situ X-ray tomography. The variation of the specific solid–liquid interface area as a function of time was found to follow a power-law relation with an exponent close to ?1/4. Three coarsening mechanisms operate in the alloy: (i) melting of small dendrite arms to the benefit of the adjacent arms (small arm melting), similar to Ostwald ripening; (ii) gradual movement of the base of the interdendritic grooves towards the tips (interdendritic groove advancement); (iii) coalescence of dendrites near the tips leading to the entrapment of liquid tubes or droplets (coalescence and groove advancement). The coarsening models proposed in the literature do not adequately resemble or predict the behaviour observed in the experiments. New models were developed for the first two coarsening mechanisms and predict the coarsening rate with very good agreement.     

Developmental changes in the time-dependent nature of memory retrieval.

Six-month-old infants trained in an operant conditioning procedure were allowed to forget the contingency and were presented with a reminder in a memory-reactivation paradigm. The time course of memory retrieval after the reminder, the relation between the forgetting functions of the newly acquired and the reactivated memory, and the potential contribution of the context to retention after long delays were investigated. Memory retrieval was found to be a time-locked process at 6 months, as at 3 months. Although retrieval was more rapid at the older age, the reactivated memory was more transient than the newly acquired memory at 6 months and remained accessible for a briefer period than at 3 months. A distinctive context was requisite for memory reactivation at 6 months but did not insure it. These studies reveal that the temporal parameters of memory processing change with age. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)