BioMOF@PAN Mixed Matrix Membranes as Fast and Efficient Adsorbing Materials for Multiple Heavy Metals' Removal.

Heavy metal ions are a common source of water pollution. In this study, two novel membranes with biobased metal-organic frameworks (BioMOFs) embedded in a polyacrylonitrile matrix with tailored porosity were prepared via nonsolvent induced phase separation methods and designed to efficiently adsorb heavy metal ions from oligomineral water. Under optimized preparation conditions, stable membranes with high MOF loading up to 50 wt % and a cocontinuous sponge-like morphology and a high water permeability of 50-60 L m h bar were obtained.

Dibenzomethanopentacene-Based Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity for Use in Gas-Separation Membranes.

Dibenzomethanopentacene (DBMP) is shown to be a useful structural component for making Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity (PIMs) with promise for making efficient membranes for gas separations. DBMP-based monomers for PIMs are readily prepared using a Diels-Alder reaction between 2,3-dimethoxyanthracene and norbornadiene as the key synthetic step. Compared to date for the archetypal PIM-1, the incorporation of DBMP simultaneously enhances both gas permeability and the ideal selectivity for one gas over another.

Thin Film Composite Membranes Based on the Polymer of Intrinsic Microporosity PIM-EA(Me)-TB Blended with Matrimid5218.

In this work, thin film composite (TFC) membranes were fabricated with the selective layer based on a blend of polyimide Matrimid5218 and polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM) composed of Tröger's base, TB, and dimethylethanoanthracene units, PIM-EA(Me)-TB. The TFCs were prepared with different ratios of the two polymers and the effect of the PIM content in the blend of the gas transport properties was studied for pure He, H, O, N, CH, and CO using the well-known time lag method. The prepared TFC membranes were further characterized by IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Green H Production by Water Electrolysis Using Cation Exchange Membrane: Insights on Activation and Ohmic Polarization Phenomena.

Low-temperature electrolysis by using polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM) can play an important role in hydrogen energy transition. This work presents a study on the performance of a proton exchange membrane in the water electrolysis process at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. In the perspective of applications that need a device with small volume and low weight, a miniaturized electrolysis cell with a 36 cm active area of PEM over a total surface area of 76 cm of the device was used.

PEEK-WC-Based Mixed Matrix Membranes Containing Polyimine Cages for Gas Separation.

Membrane-based processes are taking a more and more prominent position in the search for sustainable and energy-efficient gas separation applications. It is known that the separation performance of pure polymers may significantly be improved by the dispersion of suitable filler materials in the polymer matrix, to produce so-called mixed matrix membranes. In the present work, four different organic cages were dispersed in the poly(ether ether ketone) with cardo group, PEEK-WC.

Microbial co-occurrence network and its key microorganisms in soil with permanent application of composted tannery sludge.

Soil microbial communities act on important environmental processes, being sensitive to the application of wastes, mainly those potential contaminants, such as tannery sludge. Due to the microbiome complexity, graph-theoretical approaches have been applied to represent model microbial communities interactions and identify important taxa, mainly in contaminated soils. Herein, we performed network and statistical analyses into microbial 16S rRNA gene sequencing data from soil samples with the application of different levels of composted tannery sludge (CTS) to assess the most connected nodes and the nodes that act as bridges to identify key microbes within each community.

Optical Analysis of the Internal Void Structure in Polymer Membranes for Gas Separation.

Global warming by greenhouse gas emissions is one of the main threats of our modern society, and efficient CO capture processes are needed to solve this problem. Membrane separation processes have been identified among the most promising technologies for CO capture, and these require the development of highly efficient membrane materials which, in turn, requires detailed understanding of their operation mechanism. In the last decades, molecular modeling studies have become an extremely powerful tool to understand and anticipate the gas transport properties of polymeric membranes.

Synergistic effect of adding bioglass and carbon nanotubes on poly (lactic acid) porous membranes for guided bone regeneration.

Polymer membranes have been widely used in guided bone regeneration (GBR), especially when it comes to their use in dentistry. Poly (lactic acid) (PLA) have good mechanical properties such as flexibility, which allows the material to be moldable and also has biocompatibility and biodegradation. Besides that, bioglass (BG) incorporated into the polymer matrix can promote osteoinduction properties and osteoconduction properties to the polymer-ceramic biocomposite.

Poly[3-ethyl-1-vinyl-imidazolium] diethyl phosphate/Pebax 1657 Composite Membranes and Their Gas Separation Performance.

Poly(ionic liquid)s are an innovative class of materials with promising properties in gas separation processes that can be used to boost the neat polymer performances. Nevertheless, some of their properties such as stability and mechanical strength have to be improved to render them suitable as materials for industrial applications. This work explored, on the one hand, the possibility to improve gas transport and separation properties of the block copolymer Pebax 1657 by blending it with poly[3-ethyl-1-vinyl-imidazolium] diethyl phosphate (PEVI-DEP).

Tailoring the Thermal and Mechanical Properties of PolyActive Poly(Ether-Ester) Multiblock Copolymers Via Blending with CO-Phylic Ionic Liquid.

The last decade has seen an exponential increase in the number of studies focused on novel applications for ionic liquids (ILs). Blends of polymers with ILs have been proposed for use in fuel cells, batteries, gas separation membranes, packaging, etc., each requiring a set of specific physico-chemical properties.

Microporous Organic Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications.

The presence of a certain degree of porosity in polymers is a feature that provides them with unique properties and with opportunities to be exploited in a number of technologically important applications [...

A Preliminary, Randomized-Controlled Trial of Mindfulness and Game-Based Executive Function Trainings to Promote Self-Regulation in Internationally-Adopted Children.

Although many children adopted internationally show remarkable recovery once placed in families, as a group they continue to exhibit persisting developmental deficits and delays in self-regulation. The current study uses a stratified, randomized, controlled trial to evaluate the effects of mindfulness-based and executive function trainings (EFTs) on internationally adopted (IA) children's self-regulation, including effortful/inhibitory control, attention, delay of gratification, and emotion-regulation. IA children ages 6-10 years were randomized into mindfulness training (MT), EFT, or no intervention (NI) groups.

Temperature Dependence of Gas Permeation and Diffusion in Triptycene-Based Ultrapermeable Polymers of Intrinsic Microporosity.

A detailed analysis of the basic transport parameters of two triptycene-based polymers of intrinsic microporosity (PIMs), the ultrapermeable PIM-TMN-Trip and the more selective PIM-BTrip, as a function of temperature from 25 to 55 °C, is reported. For both PIMs, high permeability is based on very high diffusion and solubility coefficients. The contribution of these two factors on the overall permeability is affected by the temperature and depends on the penetrant dimensions.

A Novel Time Lag Method for the Analysis of Mixed Gas Diffusion in Polymeric Membranes by On-Line Mass Spectrometry: Pressure Dependence of Transport Parameters.

This paper presents a novel method for transient and steady state mixed gas permeation measurements, using a quadrupole residual gas analyser for the on-line determination of the permeate composition. The on-line analysis provides sufficiently quick response times to follow even fast transient phenomena, enabling the unique determination of the diffusion coefficient of the individual gases in a gas mixture. Following earlier work, the method is further optimised for higher gas pressures, using a thin film composite and a thick dense styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer membrane.

Synthesis and Transport Properties of Novel MOF/PIM-1/MOF Sandwich Membranes for Gas Separation.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) were supported on polymer membrane substrates for the fabrication of composite polymer membranes based on unmodified and modified polymer of intrinsic microporosity (PIM-1). Layers of two different MOFs, zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) and Copper benzene tricarboxylate ((HKUST-1), were grown onto neat PIM-1, amide surface-modified PIM-1 and hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) -modified PIM-1. The surface-grown crystalline MOFs were characterized by a combination of several techniques, including powder X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to investigate the film morphology on the neat and modified PIM-1 membranes.

On the Effects of Artificial Feeding on Bee Colony Dynamics: A Mathematical Model.

This paper proposes a new mathematical model to evaluate the effects of artificial feeding on bee colony population dynamics. The proposed model is based on a classical framework and contains differential equations that describe the changes in the number of hive bees, forager bees, and brood cells, as a function of amounts of natural and artificial food. The model includes the following elements to characterize the artificial feeding scenario: a function to model the preference of the bees for natural food over artificial food; parameters to quantify the quality and palatability of artificial diets; a function to account for the efficiency of the foragers in gathering food under different environmental conditions; and a function to represent different approaches used by the beekeeper to feed the hive with artificial food.

Differential DNA methylation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in adolescents exposed to significant early but not later childhood adversity.

Internationally adopted adolescents who are adopted as young children from conditions of poverty and deprivation have poorer physical and mental health outcomes than do adolescents conceived, born, and raised in the United States by families similar to those who adopt internationally. Using a sample of Russian and Eastern European adoptees to control for Caucasian race and US birth, and nonadopted offspring of well-educated and well-resourced parents to control for postadoption conditions, we hypothesized that the important differences in environments, conception to adoption, might be reflected in epigenetic patterns between groups, specifically in DNA methylation. Thus, we conducted an epigenome-wide association study to compare DNA methylation profiles at approximately 416,000 individual CpG loci from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 50 adopted youth and 33 nonadopted youth.

Early deprivation and autonomic nervous system functioning in post-institutionalized children.

The relations between early deprivation and the development of the neuroendocrine and central components of the mammalian stress response have been examined frequently. However, little is known about the impact of early deprivation on the developmental trajectories of autonomic function. Children adopted between 15-36 months from institutional care were examined during their first 16 months post-adoption (N = 60).

Preventive effects of chitosan coacervate whey protein on body composition and immunometabolic aspect in obese mice.

Unlabelled: Functional foods containing bioactive compounds of whey may play an important role in prevention and treatment of obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate the prospects of the biotechnological process of coacervation of whey proteins (CWP) in chitosan and test its antiobesogenic potential.

Methods: CWP (100 mg · kg · day) was administered in mice with diet-induced obesity for 8 weeks.

Coacervate whey protein improves inflammatory milieu in mice fed with high-fat diet.

Background: Functional foods with bioactive properties may help in treat obesity, as they can lead to a decreased risks of inflammatory diseases. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chitosan coacervate whey protein on the proinflammatory processes in mice fed with high-fat diet.

Methods: Mice were divided into two groups receiving either a normolipidic or high-fat diet; the animals in each of the two diet groups were given a diet supplement of either coacervate (gavage, 36 mg protein/kg of body weight) or tap water for four weeks [groups: normolipidic diet plus water (C); normolipidic diet and coacervate (CC); high-fat diet and water (H); and high-fat diet and coacervate (HC)].

Increased freezing and decreased positive affect in postinstitutionalized children.

Background: Early neglect is associated with increased risk of internalizing disorders in humans and with increased fear behavior in animals. When children are adopted out of orphanages in which they experienced institutional neglect, anxiety and depressive disorders often are not seen until adolescence. What has not been examined is whether even young children adopted from institutional care exhibit heightened fear or behavioral inhibition.

Education in Juvenile Detention Facilities in the State of Connecticut: A Glance at the System.

The state of Connecticut detained 7,444 children and youth and committed approximately 270 to the Department of Children and Families for out of home placement in the 2007-2008 calendar year. A significant number of children and youth have special education needs that are often unidentified by home school districts. State and federal law mandate the provision of special education and related services to this population.

Biotechnological strategies applied to the decontamination of soils polluted with heavy metals.

Soils have been submitted to several contaminants that vary in concentration and composition. Heavy metals can be widely spread and accumulated in those environments due to some inappropriate actions. In this present review some remediation techniques to remediate soils are presented, focusing on the use of plants that are capable of surviving in soils with heavy metals along with the function of some microorganisms in the restoration process.

Protein enrichment of apple pomace and use in feed for Nile tilapia.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the protein enrichment of apple pomace by Gongronella butleri through solid-state cultivation and addition of this material as feed for tilapia fry (Oreochromis niloticus). Factorial experimental design was used for the assessment of culture conditions to determine the effects of the source of nitrogen, initial moisture, and granulometry on the protein enrichment of apple pomace. During culture, the consumption of reducing sugars and the production of soluble protein were determined.