Terrigenous humic substances regulate the concentrations of dissolved Fe and Cu (but not Al, Mn, Ni or Zn) in the Gaoping River plume.

The small mountainous rivers of Oceania discharge a large fraction of their dissolved and particulate load of materials within a very small percentage of the time. As a result, the yearly inputs and physicochemical forms of dissolved metals exported to the ocean by these rivers are poorly quantified. We investigated the wet-season distribution patterns of metals and fluorescent organic substances in the surface waters of the Gaoping River plume, SW Taiwan, under both moderate (Sep 2020) and strong flow conditions (Aug 2021).

A study of peatland-derived dissolved organic matter from headstream to sea using multiple analytical tools.

The River Thurso, North Scotland, receives substantial terrestrial deliveries of dissolved organic matter (DOM) leached from Europe's most extensive blanket bogs. The relatively short distance between peatlands and coastal ocean offers potential for research to investigate source-to-sea processing of terrigenous dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Here, we determined DOC concentrations in the bulk (< 0.

Awakening the control of the ankle dorsiflexors in the post-stroke hemiplegic subject to improve walking activity and social participation: the WAKE (Walking Ankle isoKinetic Exercise) randomised, controlled trial.

Background: Stroke is the leading cause of acquired disability in France. While 90% of patients recover the ability to walk, it is often limited with a steady speed of approximately 0.7 m/s.

The effects of low pH on the taste and amino acid composition of tiger shrimp.

Recent research has revealed that shrimp sensory quality may be affected by ocean acidification but we do not exactly know why. Here we conducted controlled pH exposure experiments on adult tiger shrimp, which were kept in 1000-L tanks continuously supplied with coastal seawater. We compared survival rate, carapace properties and flesh sensory properties and amino acid composition of shrimp exposed to pH 7.

Controlled Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles in Copolymers Nanomolds by X-ray Radiolysis.

We show by X-ray and neutron small-angle scattering that gold nanoparticles with controlled sizes and morphologies can be obtained by the metallic reduction of AuCl ions trapped in 3D organic molds by X-ray radiolysis. The molds are spherical frozen micelles of polystyrene-poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate) (PS-PDMAEMA) block copolymer in acidic aqueous solution with a PS spherical core surrounded by a corona of PDMAEMA chains in good solvent. The behavior of micelles is controlled by the [AuCl]/[DMAEMA] ratio .

Effects of a 6-month self-rehabilitation programme in addition to botulinum toxin injections and conventional physiotherapy on limitations of patients with spastic hemiparesis following stroke (ADJU-TOX): protocol study for a randomised controlled, investigator blinded study.

Introduction: Home-based self-rehabilitation programmes combined with botulinum toxin injections (BTIs) appear to be a relevant approach to increase the recommended intensive rehabilitation of patients with spasticity following a stroke. The literature highlights a lack of evidence of beneficial effects of this adjuvant therapy to reduce limitations of patients with stroke. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of a 6-month self-rehabilitation programme in adjunction to BTI, in comparison with BTI alone, to reduce limitations of patients with spasticity following a stroke.

Interplay between bulk self-assembly, interfacial and foaming properties in a catanionic surfactant mixture of varying composition.

The self-aggregation, surface properties and foamability of the catanionic surfactant mixture cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/sodium octyl sulfonate (SOSo) have been investigated to obtain insight on the relation between bulk nanostructures, surfactant packing, and foam stability and aging. Light microscopy, SANS, cryo-TEM, DLS, surface tension, rheometry and direct photography were used to characterize mixtures with varying CTAB molar fraction, x. In the bulk, self-assembly is richer in the excess CTAB region than in the excess SOSo one.

How exfoliated graphene oxide nanosheets organize at the water interface: evidence for a spontaneous bilayer self-assembly.

In this study, we have characterized graphene oxide films formed at the air-water interface by X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction using synchrotron sources. Surprisingly, the results of both measurements show that at non zero surface pressures, the film is organized as a bilayer of sheets interfaced between air and water with water molecule bridges. Such a spontaneous bilayer structure and its evolution with respect to the surface pressure has been observed for the first time.

Probing foam with neutrons.

Foams are multiscale materials that have an enormous number of uses. As the relevant structural length-scales span from a few nanometres up to millimetres a number of characterisation methods need to be combined to obtain the full material structure. In this review we explain how foams can be explored using Small Angle Neutron Scattering (SANS).

Alteration of the Copper-Binding Capacity of Iron-Rich Humic Colloids during Transport from Peatland to Marine Waters.

Blanket bogs contain vast amounts of Sphagnum-derived organic substances which can act as powerful chelators for dissolved iron and thus enhance its export to the coastal ocean. To investigate the variations in quantity and quality of these exports, adsorptive cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV) was used to characterize the metal binding properties of molecular weight-fractionated dissolved organic matter (MW-fractionated DOM) in the catchment and coastal plume of a small peat-draining river over a seasonal cycle. Within the plume, both iron- and copper-binding organic ligands showed a linear, conservative distribution with increasing salinity, illustrating the high stability of peatland-derived humic substances (HS).

Varying the counter ion changes the kinetics, but not the final structure of colloidal gels.

We show that, while the gelation of colloidal silica proceeds much faster in the presence of added KCl than NaCl, the final gels are very similar in structure and properties. We have studied the gelation process by visual inspection and by small angle X-ray scattering for a range of salt and silica particle concentrations. The characteristic times of the early aggregation process and the formation of a stress-bearing structure with both salts are shown to collapse onto master curves with single multiplicative constants, linked to the stability ratio of the colloidal suspensions.

Precipitating Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate to Create Ultrastable and Stimulable Foams.

Ultrastable foams are made very simply by adding salt (NaCl or KCl) to sodium dodecyl sulfate. The addition of high concentrations of salt leads to the precipitation of the surfactant on the bubble surfaces and as crystals in the interstices between the bubbles. As a consequence, the ageing of the foams is stopped to make them stable indefinitely, or until they are heated above the melting temperature of the crystals.

Probing structure in submicronic aqueous assemblies of emulsified microemulsions and charged spherical colloids using SANS and cryo-TEM.

The spatial distribution of charged spherical colloids when used as stabilizers of phytantriol-based emulsified microemulsions (EME, L2 symmetry group) is investigated. The coverage of the lipid-based mesophases by the colloids is monitored using small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) in contrast matching conditions and visualized using cryogenic transmission electron microscopy (cryo-TEM) imaging. The results demonstrate that, despite the stability of the emulsion droplets, very few colloids are ever found on the droplets.

Seasonal variations in surface water chemistry at disturbed and pristine peatland sites in the Flow Country of northern Scotland.

Weekly monitoring of surface water chemistry took place over a one-year period in a small boggy sub-catchment of the River Thurso, northern Scotland. Monitoring started 6 months after the felling to waste of plantation conifers. The chemistry of ground surface waters was monitored at four bog sites situated in former forestry plots as well as one control site situated in an intact bog.

Safety and self-reported efficacy of botulinum toxin for adult spasticity in current clinical practice: a prospective observational study.

Objective: To determine the safety and the self-reported efficacy of botulinum toxin injections for adult spasticity in current clinical practice.

Design: A prospective observational study.

Subjects: A total of 406 adult patients with focal spasticity received of 1136 series botulinum toxin injections at Bordeaux University Hospital from January 2007 to December 2009.

SANS measurements of semiflexible xyloglucan polysaccharide chains in water reveal their self-avoiding statistics.

We explored the behavior and the characteristics of xyloglucan polysaccharide chains extracted from tamarind seeds in aqueous media. The initial solubilization is achieved by using a 0.01 M NaOH solution.

Botulinum toxin treatment in neurological practice: how much does it really cost? A prospective cost-effectiveness study.

Botulinum toxin (BTA) is a safe and effective therapeutic tool for many neurological conditions but few studies have investigated its real cost in neurological practice. We evaluated the daily cost of botulinum toxin type A (BTA) treatment through a cost effectiveness analysis alongside a prospective study of BTA injections at a French University Hospital over a 2-year follow-up period. The data of 3,108 BTA injections performed in 870 adult patients presenting with dystonia, facial hemispasm, or spasticity were entered in the database.

Evidence for strong but dynamic iron-humic colloidal associations in humic-rich coastal waters.

This study investigated the physicochemical forms of dissolved iron in the coastal plume (salinity = 28-35) of a small river draining a peat-rich catchment. Speciation information was obtained through a combination of fractionation by crossflow filtration (CFF) along with voltammetric detection of either naturally occurring iron-humic complexes (July survey) or known, synthetic complexes (September survey) formed by titrating the samples with the competing ligand 2-(2-thiazolylazo)-p-cresol (TAC). The majority of colloidal iron (>5000 Da) was present as iron-humic complexes supplied by the river and showing uniform conditional stability constants throughout the plume (log K′(Fe′HS) = 11.

Internally self-assembled submicrometer emulsions stabilized by spherical nanocolloids: finding the free nanoparticles in the aqueous continuous phase.

This article reports on the behavior of colloids during the stabilization of internally liquid-crystalline droplets. The ability and limitations of spherical silica colloids to act as stabilizers of liquid-crystalline bulk phases have been demonstrated for monoglyceride/tetradecane/water and phytantriol/tetradecane/water systems using small-angle X-ray scattering and dynamic light scattering as probes. It has been demonstrated that these nanoparticles are very good stabilizers of phytantriol-based phases.

Phase behavior of Phytantriol/water bicontinuous cubic Pn3m cubosomes stabilized by Laponite disc-like particles.

The present article reports on the specific effects of temperature on Phytantriol-based cubosomes stabilized by inorganic stabilizers as opposed to organic stabilizers. The ability of Laponite to stabilize Phytantriol-based parent bulk phase is first demonstrated. The sub-micron-sized Laponite-stabilized particles were found to be both physically and chemically stable over time.

Exploring theory of mind after severe traumatic brain injury.

Previous studies have reported a dissociation between social behavioral impairments after severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) and relatively preserved performances in traditional tasks that investigate cognitive abilities. Theory of mind (ToM) refers to the ability to make inferences about other's mental states and use them to understand and predict others' behavior. We tested a group of 15 patients with severe TBI and 15 matched controls on a series of four verbal and non-verbal ToM tasks: the faux pas test, the first-order and second-order false belief task, the character intention task and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test.

Estimating the organic acid contribution to coastal seawater alkalinity by potentiometric titrations in a closed cell.

This paper examines the performance of a previously reported, closed cell, potentiometric titration technique [J.M. Hernández-Ayón, S.

Dispersions of internally liquid crystalline systems stabilized by charged disklike particles as pickering emulsions: basic properties and time-resolved behavior.

The present paper reports on dispersions of internally liquid crystalline particles, formed from monoglyceride and oil mixtures, stabilized with discrete disklike particles of Laponite clay. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to probe the presence of dispersed particles as well as their internal liquid crystalline structure. The data were compared to scattering results of reference systems, namely, from the bulk as well as from well-defined particles formed with a polymer as the emulsifier.

Unexpected stability of phospholipid langmuir monolayers deposited on Triton X-100 aqueous solutions.

We studied at the molecular level the interaction between neutral detergent Triton X-100 aqueous solution and a phospholipid Langmuir monolayer deposited on top using surface pressure measurement and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD). Macroscopically, the detergent-phospholipid system follows the Gibbs law. However, GIXD shows that the detergent and the phospholipid segregate at the interface.

Cluster, glass, and gel formation and viscoelastic phase separation in aqueous clay suspensions.

We have systematically investigated the phase diagram of clay particles in water to understand the relation between the local and macroscopic properties and the structures of clay suspensions. We focused, in particular, on sodium Cloisite (CNa) particles at concentrations typically used in nanocomposites (concentrations from 1 to 4 wt %) and at an extended range of ionic strengths (10(-5) to 10(-2) M NaCl). The suspensions have been characterized using rheology and a combination of scattering techniques (neutrons, X-rays, and light).