Sand/Polyethyleneimine Composites with Enhanced Sorption/Desorption Properties toward Pollutants

The direct deposition of polyethyleneimine (PEI), a weak polycation with a large content of amino groups, onto sand fractions with different sizes (F70, F100, F200, and F355), resulted in versatile core-shell sorbents for water cleaning. Herein, PEI and the weak polyanion poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) were directly precipitated as an nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complex ([PEI]:[PAA] = 2:1) onto a sand surface followed by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde (GA) at three molar ratios ([CHO]:[amine] = 1:10; 1:5; 1:1 = r). Non-crosslinked polyelectrolyte chains were washed out in strongly basic (pH 14) and acidic (pH 0) media. The sand/PEI-GA composites were evaluated to determine the organic shell stability using swelling experiments and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The sorbed/desorbed amount of two model pollutants (copper ions and bromocresol green) in column experiments depended on the sand fraction size and cross-linking degree of the PEI shell. The maximum recorded values, after five loading/release cycles of pollutant species onto F70/PEI-GAr, F100/PEI-GAr, F200/PEI-GAr, and F355/PEI-GAr, were situated between the 0.7–5.5 mg Cu2+/mL column and 3.7–15 mg BCG/mL column. Sand/PEI-GAr composites could act as promising sorbents, low-cost and eco-friendly, which could be applied for water purification procedures

Effects of (complementary) polyelectrolytes characteristics on composite calcium carbonate microparticles properties

This study follows the possibility to tune the thermal stability of some CaCO3/polymer composites by crystal growth from supersaturated solutions controlled by polymer structure or by using nonstoichiometric polyelectrolyte complexes (NPECs). As the ratio between the organic and inorganic parts in the composites controls the Ca2+/polymer network crosslinking density, the CaCO3/polymer weight ratio was kept constant at 50/1, varying the initial concentration of the polyanions solutions (0.05 or 0.06 wt.%), the NPECs molar ratio , n+/n- (0.2 or 0.4), or the inorganic precursors concentration (0.25 or 0.3 M). Poly(2-acrylamido-2-methylpropanesulfonic acid-co-acrylic acid) (PSA) and chondroitin-4-sulfate (CSA) were used as polyanions. Some NPEC dispersions, prepared with the same polyanions and poly(allylamine hydrochloride) (PAH), were also used for calcium carbonate crystallization. The characteristics of the prepared composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), flow particle image analysis (FPIA), particles charge density (CD), zeta-potential (ZP). The thermal stability of the composite particles was investigated as compared to bare CaCO3 microparticles prepared at the same initial inorganic concentrations

THE SOFTWARE APPLICATION FOR MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF TECHNOLOGICAL PROCESS IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

This paper presents a statistical processing program of the experimental data by a program a second degree central composite rotatable in order to obtain a mathematical model and the graphic representation thereof. The paper presents a software application, designed so that it can be used by any individual, without requiring specific knowledge of computer, because every step is accompanied by messages in clear. The application is used by students in the last year of study, by PhD. students and researchers, because it appeals to the deep knowledge of textile technology and mathematical statistics. In the first stage will select, after specific criteria, the values of those technological parameters that influence the outcome of the analyzed process, which are input values for OPTEX application (the acronym of expression OPTIMIZATION OF TEXTILE). Like output values, may be hourly production, yield, etc. The application generates a second degree mathematical relationship, which has in the right part of the equal sign, the technological parameters, denoted by x, accompanied by numerical coefficients and in the left part of the same sign, the result of the analyzed process, denoted by y. The application executes automatically the significance analysis of numerical coefficients and checks the veracity of the mathematical model. It is eliminated from relation, those coefficients whose values are insignificant. The accuracy of new model is show through a clear message and also is displayed the correct form of the mathematical relation. On demand are realized the graphics in 3D and 2D, which to allow finding, according to certain rules, the optimal values of the process and it obtain the calculated value of the output variable. With these technological parameters, in natural values, regulate the real process and it obtained the measured value of the output variable. The measured value obtained is compared with the value calculated and if the difference between these is acceptable, it considered that the analyzed textile process is optimized. If this difference is considered unacceptable, it resumes the OPTEX application with other input values. After completing the entire program data can be saved as independent files or can list printed in alphanumeric reports (text) or graphics. The "Optex" is easy to operate, requires a little time to perform processing of experimental results and has the advantage of being based on the algorithm used to solve a mathematical model manually. The application performed can be a useful tool in empirical studies on optimization of technological processes

Pepsin and Lysozyme Immobilization onto Daisogel Particles Functionalized with Chitosan Cross-linked Multilayers

One type of cross-linked multilayer, based on chitosan (CHI) has been prepared usin

Use of high performance technologies in the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain

Spinal cord neurostimulation is a minimally invasive treatment method for chronic neuropathic pain that is refractory to treatment, and is part of top technology in field. Relatively recent introduction of this method in the Neurosurgery Clinic "Prof. Dr. N. Oblu "of Iasi has aligned the clinic's therapeutic arsenal to world standards. This has made it possible to treat in Romania a category of patients who would be treated abroad until now. Our clinic has entered the "National Program for diagnostic and treatment using high performance equipment "- Subprogram of treatment of neuropathic pain by implant of a spinal cord neurostimulator and is currently the only one in Romania where this treatment can be done. This represents a new step in the transformation process of the Clinical Hospital Emergency "Prof. Dr. N. Oblu" Iasi in a real Center of Excellence in the field Neurosurgery. The team dealing with the implant consists of 3 neurosurgeons, a neurologist, pa sychologist and an anesthetist, trained in a specialized foreign center

Non-Native Forest Tree Species in Europe: The Question of Seed Origin in Afforestation

Non-native forest tree species have been introduced in Europe since the 16th century, but only in the second half of the 20th century the significance of the seed source origin for their economic use was recognized, resulting in the establishment of numerous provenance trials at a national, regional, European and International level, as those led by IUFRO. Breeding programs have also been launched in the continent for the most economically important species. Aim of this work is the formulation of provenance recommendations for planting of five non-native tree species in Europe (Douglas fir, grand fir, Sitka spruce, lodgepole pine and black locust), based on the information obtained from twenty countries, in the frame of the EU FP-1403 NNEXT Cost Action. The survey revealed that official and non-official national recommendations, based on provenance research results, have been elaborated and followed at a different level and extend for the above five species, but only for Douglas fir recommendations exist in almost all the participating to the survey countries. The compilation of provenance recommendations across Europe for each species is presented in the current work. Besides the recommended introduced seed sources, European seed sources are also preferred for planting, due to ease of access and high availability of forest reproductive material. European breeding programs yielding genetic material of high productivity and quality constitute currently the seed source of choice for several species and countries. Consolidation of trial data obtained across countries will allow the joint analysis that is urgently needed to draw solid conclusions, and will facilitate the development of ‘Universal-Response-Functions’ for the species of interest, rendering possible the identification of the genetic material suitable for global change. New provenance trial series that will test seed sources from the entire climatic range of the species, established in sites falling within and outside the environmental envelopes of their natural ranges, are urgently needed to pinpoint and understand the species-specific climate constraints, as well as to correlate functional traits to the seed origin and the environmental conditions of the test sites, so that the selection of suitable forest reproductive material of non-native tree species in the face of climate change can be feasible.publishedVersio

Search for dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks in √s = 13 TeV pp collisions with the ATLAS detector

A search for weakly interacting massive particle dark matter produced in association with bottom or top quarks is presented. Final states containing third-generation quarks and miss- ing transverse momentum are considered. The analysis uses 36.1 fb−1 of proton–proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at √s = 13 TeV in 2015 and 2016. No significant excess of events above the estimated backgrounds is observed. The results are in- terpreted in the framework of simplified models of spin-0 dark-matter mediators. For colour- neutral spin-0 mediators produced in association with top quarks and decaying into a pair of dark-matter particles, mediator masses below 50 GeV are excluded assuming a dark-matter candidate mass of 1 GeV and unitary couplings. For scalar and pseudoscalar mediators produced in association with bottom quarks, the search sets limits on the production cross- section of 300 times the predicted rate for mediators with masses between 10 and 50 GeV and assuming a dark-matter mass of 1 GeV and unitary coupling. Constraints on colour- charged scalar simplified models are also presented. Assuming a dark-matter particle mass of 35 GeV, mediator particles with mass below 1.1 TeV are excluded for couplings yielding a dark-matter relic density consistent with measurements