An Ion Exchange Membrane Crystallisation reactor for Magnesium recovery from brines

CrIEM technology is a novel ion exchange application that allows reactive crystallization for separation of valuable species (e.g. Mg from brines) with a large flexibility in the choice of reactants

Effects of Coupling in Human-Virtual Agent Body Interaction

International audienceThis paper presents a study of the dynamic coupling between a user and a virtual character during body interaction. Coupling is directly linked with other dimensions, such as co-presence, engagement, and believability, and was measured in an experiment that allowed users to describe their subjective feelings about those dimensions of interest. The experiment was based on a theatrical game involving the imitation of slow upper-body movements and the proposal of new movements by the user and virtual agent. The agent's behaviour varied in autonomy: the agent could limit itself to imitating the user's movements only, initiate new movements, or combine both behaviours. After the game, each participant completed a questionnaire regarding their engagement in the interaction, their subjective feeling about the co-presence of the agent, etc. Based on four main dimensions of interest, we tested several hypotheses against our experimental results, which are discussed here

Transcranial cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) over ventral premotor-motor pathways enhances action performance and corticomotor excitability in young adults more than in elderly adults

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) methods such as cortico-cortical paired associative stimulation (ccPAS) can increase the strength of functional connectivity between ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) via spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP), leading to enhanced motor functions in young adults. However, whether this STDP-inducing protocol is effective in the aging brain remains unclear. In two groups of young and elderly healthy adults, we evaluated manual dexterity with the 9-hole peg task before and after ccPAS of the left PMv-M1 circuit. We observed that ccPAS enhanced dexterity in young adults, and this effect was anticipated by a progressive increase in motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during ccPAS administration. No similar effects were observed in elderly individuals or in a control task. Across age groups, we observed that the magnitude of MEP changes predicted larger behavioral improvements. These findings demonstrate that left PMv-to-M1 ccPAS induces functionally specific improvements in young adults' manual dexterity and an increase in corticomotor excitability, but altered plasticity prevents the effectiveness of ccPAS in the elderly

A pilot-plant for the selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from waste brines

The problem of brines disposal has raised great interest towards new strategies for their valorisation through the recovery of minerals or energy. As an example, the spent brine from ion exchange resins regeneration is often discharged into rivers or lakes, thus impacting on the process sustainability. However, such brines can be effectively reconcentrated, after removal of bivalent cations, and reused for the resins regeneration. This work focuses on developing and testing a pilot plant for selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from spent brines exploiting a novel proprietary crystallization unit. This is part of a larger treatment chain for the complete regeneration of the brine, developed within the EU-funded ZERO BRINE project. The pilot crystallizer was tested with the retentate of the nanofiltration unit processing the spent brine from the industrial water production plant of Evides Industriewater B.V. (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Magnesium and calcium hydroxide were selectively precipitated by adding alkaline solution in two consecutive steps and controlling reaction pH. Performance was assessed in terms of recovery efficiency and purity of produced crystals, observing in most investigated cases a recovery of about 100% and 97% and a purity above 90% and 96%, for magnesium and calcium hydroxide, respectively

Neurophysiological Markers of Premotor–Motor Network Plasticity Predict Motor Performance in Young and Older Adults

Aging is commonly associated with a decline in motor control and neural plasticity. Tuning cortico–cortical interactions between premotor and motor areas is essential for controlling fine manual movements. However, whether plasticity in premotor–motor circuits predicts hand motor abilities in young and elderly humans remains unclear. Here, we administered transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and primary motor cortex (M1) using the cortico–cortical paired-associative stimulation (ccPAS) protocol to manipulate the strength of PMv-to-M1 connectivity in 14 young and 14 elderly healthy adults. We assessed changes in motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) during ccPAS as an index of PMv-M1 network plasticity. We tested whether the magnitude of MEP changes might predict interindividual differences in performance in two motor tasks that rely on premotor-motor circuits, i.e., the nine-hole pegboard test and a choice reaction task. Results show lower motor performance and decreased PMv-M1 network plasticity in elderly adults. Critically, the slope of MEP changes during ccPAS accurately predicted performance at the two tasks across age groups, with larger slopes (i.e., MEP increase) predicting better motor performance at baseline in both young and elderly participants. These findings suggest that physiological indices of PMv-M1 plasticity could provide a neurophysiological marker of fine motor control across age-groups

Fishery-Induced Selection for Slow Somatic Growth in European Eel

Both theoretical and experimental studies have shown that fishing mortality can induce adaptive responses in body growth rates of fishes in the opposite direction of natural selection. We compared body growth rates in European eel (Anguilla anguilla) from three Mediterranean stocks subject to different fishing pressure. Results are consistent with the hypotheses that i) fast-growing individuals are more likely to survive until sexual maturity than slow-growing ones under natural conditions (no fishing) and ii) fishing can select for slow-growing individuals by removing fast-growing ones. Although the possibility of human-induced evolution seems remote for a panmictic species like such as the European eel, further research is desirable to assess the implications of the intensive exploitation on this critically endangered fish

Transgénesis: una moderna biotecnología reproductiva en animales de interés zootécnico

Los continuos avances en el conocimiento de la biología molecular han permitido un gran progreso de la ciencia, mediante la modificación genética tanto de virus, bacterias como de organismos superiores. Estos procedimientos de alta complejidad que comprenden a la ingeniería genética permiten identificar, reproducir, modificar y transferir material genético en células, tejidos u organismos. A su vez, las modernas técnicas reproductivas que han logrado incrementar progresivamente su eficiencia en los últimos años (inseminación artificial, sincronización hormonal de estros, fecundación "in vitro", fertilización asistida, transferencia de embriones, clonación, etc.), constituyen herramientas indispensables para seguir avanzando en las nuevas investigaciones referidas a la modificación genética en los animales. Se describen brevemente las diversas metodologías empleadas para la realización de transgénesis en animales de interés zootécnico.Continuous advances in the understanding of molecular biology have allowed great progress of science, through genetic modification of viruses, bacteria and higher organisms. These highly complex procedures that include genetic engineering enable to identify, reproduce, modify and transfer genetic material into cells, tissues or organisms. In turn, modern reproductive techniques that have managed to gradually increase their efficiency in recent years (artificial insemination, hormonal synchronization of estrus, fertilization "in vitro", assisted fertilization, embryo transfer, cloning, etc.) are essential tools for continue advancing in new research concerning genetic modification in animals. The various methodologies used to carry out transgenesis in animals of zootechnical interest are briefly described.Fil: Gibbons, A.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Bevacqua, Romina Jimena. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomia. Departamento de Producción Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Martin, R.. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomia. Departamento de Producción Animal; ArgentinaFil: Pereyra Bonnet, Federico Alberto. Hospital Italiano; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Cueto, M.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; ArgentinaFil: Bruno Galarraga, María Macarena. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; ArgentinaFil: Salamone, Daniel Felipe. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomia. Departamento de Producción Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Pillole di clavic... ultura

The paper presents the cases of tree children with clavicular swelling and a different final diagnosis that offered the opportunity to discuss the key points for the differential diagnosis of clavicular swelling and to draw a rational diagnostic work-up underlining the decisive role of MRI. Although several causes (in order: Chronic Recurrent Multifocal Osteomyelitis, Ewing sarcoma, Tietze syndrome) of clavicular swelling are proposed, it is essential to highlight that main causes are represented by neoplastic and inflammatory causes. However, even if clinical and anamnestic assessment are suitable to disentangle from diagnostic incertitude, imaging is often useful to obtain a diagnosis, before (or even without) biopsy. It is anyway mandatory to rule out neoplasia in all non-traumatic clavicular swelling

Larger spatial footprint of wintertime total precipitation extremes in a warmer climate

The simultaneous occurrence of extremely wet winters at multiple locations in the same region can contribute to widespread flooding and associated socio-economic losses. However, the spatial extent of precipitation extremes (i.e. the area in which nearby locations experience precipitation extremes simultaneously) and its future changes are largely overlooked in climate assessments. Employing new multi-thousand-year climate model simulations, we show that under both 2.0C and 1.5C warming scenarios, wintertime total precipitation extreme extents would increase over about 80-90% of the Northern Hemisphere extratropics (i.e. the latitude band 28-78N). Stabilising at 1.5C rather than 2.0C would reduce the average magnitude of the increase by 1.7-2 times. According to the climate model, the increased extents are caused by increases in precipitation intensity rather than changes in the spatial organisation of the events. Relatively small percentage increases in precipitation intensities (e.g., by 4%) can drive disproportionately larger, by 1-2 orders of magnitude, growth in the spatial extents (by 93%)