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Poly(vinyl alcohol- co -ethylene) was compounded with 2–10% post-harvest tomato (PHT) plant powder and processed by single-screw extrusion to yield composite films. Upon increasing the filler content, the values of the mechanical properties indicators were found to decrease as follows: Young's modulus from 1797 to 750 MPa, stress at yield from 36 to 15 MPa, maximal stress from 39 to 15 MPa, stress at break from 35 to 14 MPa, and strain at break from 6.6 to 4.3%. The results are discussed in comparison with other composite films containing poly(vinyl alcohol- co -ethylene) and water soluble biopolymers obtained by alkaline hydrolysis of fermented municipal biowastes, and with other commercial materials, such as starch based and low density polyethylene mulch films. Depending on the intended application, the post-harvest tomato blend films may be competitive for cost, performance and sustainability.

Porous materials are powerful functional devices that can find applications in many fields, from nanotechnology to biomedicine, from catalysis to membrane separation. In general, porous materials can be processed in various forms, but a rising interest is growing around inorganic thin films and coatings, due to the increased number of applications based on their use. Among the different strategies proposed till now for preparing inorganic porous thin layers/coatings, a simple and versatile route consists in the combined use of sol-gel chemistry, templating, and spin-coating deposition. Therefore, in order to provide a helpful toolbox for users, an extended discussion around the physico-chemical principles behind each of these steps is here reported, also highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each procedure, together with critical points.

International audience; Post-harvest tomato plants were used to manufacture fireboards by thermopressing. Four plant materials were investigated: exhausted tomato plants ground to 5-10 mm (PHTr), tomato (PHT) and maize (PHM) plants ground to

Herein, porous photoactive nanocomposites are prepared by a simple one-pot synthesis approach using a salt and aqueous media. Within this reactive hypersaline route, the salt not only serves in the structuring of the composite but also becomes an integral active part of it. Here, the addition of sodium thiocyanate to a titania precursor guides, on the one hand, the formation of needle-shaped nanoparticles and, on the other hand, forms yellow compound isoperthiocyanic acid, which is homogeneously incorporated into the porous nanocomposite. Compared to a pure titania reference, this material reveals a 7-fold-increased photodegradation rate of Rhodamine B as a model compound. This reveals the reactive hypersaline route to be a promising and facile synthesis route toward photoactive porous materials.

During multiple sclerosis (MS) inflammatory attacks, and in subsequent clinical recovery phases, immune cells contribute to neuronal and oligodendroglial cell survival and tissue repair by secreting growth factors. Animal studies showed that growth factors also play a substantial role in regulating synaptic plasticity, and namely in long-term potentiation (LTP). LTP could drive clinical recovery in relapsing patients by restoring the excitability of denervated neurons. We recently reported that maintenance of synaptic plasticity reserve is crucial to contrast clinical deterioration in MS and that the platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) may play a key role in its regulation. We also reported that a Hebbian form of LTP-like cortical plasticity, explored by paired associative stimulation (PAS), correlates with clinical recovery from a relapse in MS. Here, we explored the role of PDGF in clinical recovery and in adaptive neuroplasticity in relapsing-remitting MS (RR-MS) patients. We found a correlation between the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) PDGF concentrations and the extent of clinical recovery after a relapse, as full recovery was more likely observed in patients with high PDGF concentrations and poor recovery in subjects with low PDGF levels. Consistently with the idea that PDGF-driven synaptic plasticity contributes to attenuate the clinical consequences of tissue damage in RR-MS, we also found a striking correlation between CSF levels of PDGF and the amplitude of LTP-like cortical plasticity explored by PAS. CSF levels of fibroblast growth factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor did not correlate with clinical recovery nor with measures of synaptic transmission and plasticity.

Through the addition of inorganic salts as porogens during an alcohol-based sol–gel process high surface area silica glasses and aerogels with varying pore sizes are synthesized. In the presence of ZnCl2 and CaCl2 respectively, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) dissolved in ethanol hydrolyzes also in the absence of any acid or base catalysts, eventually forming high surface area monolithic silica networks. The porosity can be controlled by the gel ageing step as well as the salt nature. Two different gel drying conditions were investigated, i.e., room temperature (RT) air drying at ambient pressure and supercritical (sc) CO2 drying. While a reference solution which only contains ethanol and TEOS does not gel at all, the addition of ZnCl2 leads to mesoporous aerogels with high surface areas of 1400 m2 g−1 after sc CO2 drying. Interestingly, the utilization of CaCl2 however, produces aerogel-like materials of high porosity for both drying methods under preservation of the nano-and macroscopic features. Thereby, it is shown that inorganic salts can influence the structure formation during the sol–gel process where the type of salt controls the framework connectivity/stability and tunes the porosity towards smaller pore sizes than usually obtained. At the same time, the herein presented hypersaline aerogel-synthesis is very simple, fast and in the case of CaCl2 drying can even be performed in air.

In this work, metallic silver flower-like and aerogel-like nanostructures deposited onto hydrophobic dielectric substrates (HF-treated Si and PDMS) showed interesting potentialities as solid SERS substrates aimed to high sensitive molecular detection and quantitation. In detail, the nanostructures were incubated in 4-MBA solutions at 10−2 M–10−9 M concentrations. The quantitative analysis confirmed a monotonic increase of the SERS signal intensity as a function of the 4-MBA concentration, following a Langmuir model, thus suggesting a chemisorption phenomenon. The best homogeneity and adhesion strength in liquid media of Ag nanostructures to the solid substrates were reached for the flower-like systems and the aerogel-like ones compared to traditional polyhedral nanostructures (taken as reference substrate), thus making them extremely appealing as a solution for the development of SERS-based sensors.

Atmospheric pressure plasma-dielectric barrier discharge (APP-DBD, open chamber configuration) was used to functionalize polypropylene (PP) fibers surface in order to generate oxidized-reactive groups such as hydroperoxides, alcohols and carbonyl species (i.e. ketones and others). Such a species increased the surface polarity, without causing material degradation. Three different types of plasma mixture (He, He/O 2 , He/O 2 /H 2 O) under three different values of applied power (750, 1050, 1400 W) were investigated. The formed plasma species (O 2 + , O single atom and OH radical) and their distribution were monitored via optical emission spectrometry (OES) measurements, and the plasma effects on PP surface species formation were followed by X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS). Results allowed to better understand the reaction pathways between plasma phase and PP fibers. In fact, two reaction mechanisms were proposed, the first one concerning the plasma phase reactions and the second one involving material surface modifications.

ProNGF, the precursor of mature nerve growth factor (NGF), is the most abundant form of NGF in the brain. ProNGF and mature NGF differ significantly in their receptor interaction properties and in their bioactivity. ProNGF increases markedly in the cortex of Alzheimer's disease (AD) brains and proNGF\NGF imbalance has been postulated to play a role in neurodegeneration. However, a direct proof for a causal link between increased proNGF and AD neurodegeneration is lacking. In order to evaluate the consequences of increased levels of proNGF in the postnatal brain, transgenic mice expressing a furin cleavage-resistant form of proNGF, under the control of the neuron-specific mouse Thy1.2 promoter, were derived and characterized. Different transgenic lines displayed a phenotypic gradient of neurodegenerative severity features. We focused the analysis on the two lines TgproNGF#3 and TgproNGF#72, which shared learning and memory impairments in behavioral tests, cholinergic deficit and increased Aβ-peptide immunoreactivity. In addition, TgproNGF#3 mice developed Aβ oligomer immunoreactivity, as well as late diffuse astrocytosis. Both TgproNGF lines also display electrophysiological alterations related to spontaneous epileptic-like events. The results provide direct evidence that alterations in the proNGF/NGF balance in the adult brain can be an upstream driver of neurodegeneration, contributing to a circular loop linking alterations of proNGF/NGF equilibrium to excitatory/inhibitory synaptic imbalance and amyloid precursor protein (APP) dysmetabolism.

International audience; Single-screw extrusion allows obtaining composite films containing poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol), hereinafter EVOH, and water-soluble lignin-like biopolymers (SLP) isolated from the alkaline hydrolysate of two materials sampled from an urban waste treatment plant. During extrusion, a condensation reaction occurs between the EVOH and SLP. The products are heterogeneous. They contain a mix of EVOH-SLP copolymers with different composition and solubility properties. The films were characterized for tensile strength and water sorption properties. Young modulus and strain at break, respectively, were 2.8 GPa and 14% for neat EVOH vs. 2.1-0.9 GPa and 17–4% for the blends containing 2–15% SLP, with values decreasing upon increasing the % SLP. The blends were more hydrophilic than neat EVOH; their water sorption capacity was found to increase upon increasing the SLP content. Compared to previously reported similar blends obtained by twin-screw extrusion and solvent casting, the data for the single-screw extruded films allows discussing several aspects connected to the valorisation of blends obtained from fossil and biowaste sourced polymers.

In order to confer adhesive properties to commercial polypropylene (PP) meshes, a surface plasma-induced deposition of poly-(acrylic acid) (PPAA) is performed. Once biomaterials were functionalized, different post-deposition treatments (i.e. water washing and/or thermal treatments) were investigated with the aim of monitoring the coating degradation (and therefore the loss of adhesion) after 3 months of aging in both humid/oxidant (air) and inert (nitrogen) atmospheres. A wide physicochemical characterization was carried out in order to evaluate the functionalization effectiveness and the adhesive coating homogeneity by means of static water drop shape analysis and several spectroscopies (namely, FTIR, UV-Visible and X-ray Photoemission Spectroscopy). The modification of the adhesion properties after post-deposition treatments as well as aging under different storage atmospheres were investigated by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) used in Force/Distance (F/D) mode. This technique confirms itself as a powerful tool for unveiling the surface adhesion capacity as well as the homogeneity of the functional coatings along the fibers. Results obtained evidenced that post-deposition treatments are mandatory in order to remove all oligomers produced during the plasma-treatment, whereas aging tests evidenced that these devices can be simply stored in presence of air for at least three months without a meaningful degradation of the original properties.

Large-mesopore silica films with a narrow pore size distribution and high porosity have been obtained by a sol–gel reaction of a silicon oxide precursor (TEOS) and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) copolymers as templates in an acidic environment. PS-b-PEO copolymers with different molecular weight and composition have been studied in order to assess the effects of the block length on the pore size of the templated silica films. The changes in the morphology of the porous systems have been investigated by transmission electron microscopy and a systematic analysis has been carried out, evidencing the dependence between the hydrophilic/hydrophobic ratio of the two polymer blocks and the size of the final silica pores. The obtained results prove that by tuning the PS/PEO ratio, the pore size of the templated silica films can be easily and finely predicted.

International audience; Water-soluble biopolymers (SBO) were isolated from the alkaline hydrolysate of two materials sampled from an urban waste treatment plant; that is, an anaerobic fermentation digestate and a compost. The digestate biopolymers contained more lipophilic and aliphatic C, and less acidic functional groups than the compost biopolymers. The SBO were blended with poly (vinyl alcohol-co-ethylene), hereinafter EVOH. The blends were extruded and characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography (SEC)-multi angle static light scattering (MALS) analysis, and for their thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties. The blends behavior depended on the type of SBO and its relative content. Evidence was obtained for a condensation reaction occurring between the EVOH and SBO. The best results were obtained with the blends containing up to 10% SBO isolated from the biowaste anaerobic digestate. Compared with the neat EVOH, these blends exhibited lower melt viscosity and no significant or great difference in mechanical properties. The results on the extrudates, compared with those previously obtained on the same blends obtained by solvent casting, indicate that the blends properties depend strongly also on the processing technology.

Highly selective silica membranes with controlled porosity can be obtained by employing organic/inorganic mixed micellar solutions based on the use of commercial templates. Among others, amphiphilic block copolymers are very attractive materials as structure directing agents [1]: when mixed with organic solvents selective for one of the blocks, they can self-assemble into micelles with the insoluble blocks constituting the micellar core. The morphology and size of self-assembled micelles depend on the size (length) and nature (polarity) of the template blocks, and on solution parameters. Silica porous films described in this contribution were obtained by sol-gel reaction of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-oxide) (PS-b-PEO) copolymers as templates. In order to modulate both pore sizes and alignment in the final material, many different variables were changed: e.g. block copolymer chain length, block copolymer/TEOS ratio, hydrophilic/hydrophobic solvent ratio and use of additives (i.e. polystyrene homopolymer). Moreover, by changing the block copolymer/TEOS ratio, it was possible to obtain reverse micellization and formation of silica nanoparticles. By spin-coating deposition of such nanoparticles onto a macroporous inorganic substrate (followed by calcination) [2] an organized porous layer was obtained, thus generating a depth filter system whose porosity is due to inter-particle voids. Transport measurements involving these porous functionalized devices were realized and promizing results were obtained for applications in the field of microfluidics for separation, detection and dosing of chemicals. [1] R. Nisticò, D. Scalarone. G. Magnacca, Microporous and Mesoporous Materials 190 (2014) 208-214. [2] R.G. Juez, V. Boffa, D.H.A. Blank, J.E. ten Elshof, Journal of Membrane Science 323 (2008) 347-351.

The use of bio-based substances (BBS) obtained from composted biowaste as stabilizers for the production of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in substitution to citrate is investigated herein, evaluating the functionalization of natural fibers for textile antibacterial applications. The results obtained evidenced that BBS can substitute citrate as reducing/stabilizing agent in the synthesis, inducing a geometrical control (in shape and size) of the AgNPs. Two different substrates were selected (wool and cotton) and two dip-coating deposition techniques investigated. The release of AgNPs from the supports in water was evaluated under two different experimental conditions: 1) soaking (static conditions) for 7 and 15 days, simulating the contact with sweat, and 2) centrifugation (dynamic conditions), simulating a washing machine treatment. A wide physicochemical characterization was carried out to evaluate the effects of BBS on the morphology and stability of AgNPs suspensions as well as the functionalization effectiveness.

Hernia diseases are among the most common and diffuse causes of surgical interventions. Unfortunately, still nowadays there are different phenomena which can cause the hernioplasty failure, for instance post-operative prostheses displacements and proliferation of bacteria in the surgical site. In order to limit these problems, commercial polypropylene (PP) and polypropylene/Teflon (PP/PTFE) bi-material meshes were surface functionalised to confer adhesive properties (and therefore reduce undesired displacements) using polyacrylic acid synthesized by plasma polymerisation (PPAA). A broad physico-chemical and morphological characterisation was carried out and adhesion properties were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM) used in force/distance (F/D) mode. Once biomedical devices surface was functionalised by PPAA coating, metallic silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with antimicrobial properties were synthesised and loaded onto the polymeric prostheses. The effect of the PPAA, containing carboxylic functionalities, adhesive coating towards AgNPs loading capacity was verified by means of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Preliminary measurement of the Ag loaded amount and release in water were also investigated via inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). Promising results were obtained for the functionalised biomaterials, encouraging future in vitro and in vivo tests.

Selective composite membranes with high and controlled porosity have been fabricated using patterned silicon microsieves as support and nanoporous polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) membranes as selective layer. The desired morphology of the block copolymer layer is obtained by a supramolecular approach based on the hydrogen bonding of the PEO block with resorcinol. The formation of PS-b-PEO/resorcinol complexes allows to easily control the self-assembly of the block copolymer and to obtain normally oriented PEO/resorcinol nanocylinders by spin coating PS-b-PEO/resorcinol solutions. In a further step resorcinol works as a porogen and by its selective dissolution densely packed, normally oriented nanochannels coated by PEO chains have been obtained. These hydrophilic nanochannels have a diameter of approximately 20 nm and cross the membranes from top to bottom. The nanoporous polymer layer is crack-free and well adheres to the support microsieve. The composite membrane is permeable to methylene blue while blocks larger molecules, such as bovine serum albumin.

In this study, a magnetic iron oxide–chitosan composite film is synthesized by one-step method and thoroughly investigated in order to better understand its inorganic/organic properties. A deep physico-chemical characterization of the magnetic films has been performed. In particular, the material composition was evaluated by means of XRD and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, whereas the thermal stability and the subsequent inorganic phase transitions involving iron oxide species were followed by TGA analyses carried out at different experimental conditions (i.e. inert and oxidative atmosphere). The magnetic properties of the films were tested at the bulk and at the surface level, performing respectively magnetization hysteresis curve and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) surface mapping. Results indicate that the synthesized material can be prepared through a very simple synthetic procedure and suggests that it can be successfully applied for instance to environmental applications, such as the adsorption of contaminants from solid and liquid media thanks to its pronounced magnetic properties, which favour its recover. Fil: Cesano, Federico . Universita Di Torino; Italia Fil: Fenoglio, Gaia . Universita Di Torino; Italia Fil: Carlos, Luciano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo En Ingeniería de Procesos, Biotecnología y Energías Alternativas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Comahue; Argentina Fil: Nisticò, Roberto. Universita Di Torino; Italia

Highly selective membranes with controlled porosity can be obtained by growing thin films of mesoporous oxides on an appropriate support. This can be achieved employing organic/inorganic mixed micellar solutions based on metal oxide precursors and commercial templates. In particular amphiphilic block copolymers are very attractive materials as soft-templating agents because they self-assemble into micelles whose morphology and size depend on block composition and solution parameters. Large-mesopore silica films with narrow pore size distribution and high porosity have been obtained by sol–gel reaction of a silicon oxide precursor (TEOS) and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-oxide) (PS-b-PEO) copolymers as templates. In order to modulate size, shape and alignment of the pores, many variables were changed: block copolymer chain length, TEOS/block copolymer ratio, solvent ratio, additives (i.e. polystyrene homopolymer addition). The effect of the different parameters on the porous system was studied by microscopy techniques and gas-volumetric analyses. Final aim of this work is the preparation of silica membranes to be used as selective gates for controlled dosing and transport of chemical species in solution.

Nonostante l’ernioplastica sia una procedura chirurgica routinaria pressoché consolidata, esistono a tutt’oggi molte problematiche ancora da risolvere, una su tutte il sopraggiungere di infezioni post-intervento dovute alla proliferazione di batteri. La crescita batterica tra le maglie dei dispositivi biomedicali usati può comportare, infatti, non solo dolori e/o disturbi addominali, ma anche il rigetto della protesi stessa. Come soluzione a tale problema si somministrano cure antibiotiche orali, ma un trattamento antibiotico in situ è comunque da considerare. Anche il posizionamento della protesi può essere causa di problemi dovuti ad eventuali spostamenti nel sito chirurgico: questo attualmente viene evitato utilizzando punti di sutura e/o colle, ma le procedure si semplificherebbero nettamente avendo a disposizione un dispositivo adesivo. In questo lavoro viene presentato uno studio legato alla preparazione di reti protesiche commerciali in polipropilene (PP) funzionalizzate in superficie per conferire proprietà antibatteriche e/o adesive ed alla loro caratterizzazione chimico-fisica. I trattamenti di superficie delle reti sono stati effettuati via plasma, procedura che permette di ottimizzare le proprietà di superficie del PP inducendo nuove funzionalità smart, senza tuttavia perdere le proprietà meccaniche di bulk e strutturali tipiche delle fibre polimeriche. Sono state testate le seguenti procedure: 1) utilizzo del plasma atmosferico per l’attivazione delle fibre in PP e successiva deposizione di un film bioriassorbibile a base di chitosano/ciprofloxacina con cinetica di rilascio controllata e proprietà battericide o batteriostatiche; 2) deposizione di uno strato di poli(acido acrilico) (PAA) direttamente via plasma polymerization in vuoto e successiva funzionalizzazione con nanoparticelle di argento (AgNPs) sintetizzate da citrato, per conferire proprietà adesive ed antibatteriche alla rete garantendo altresì la capacità del dispositivo di esercitare funzione antibatterica controllata a livello superficiale. Entrambe le soluzioni sono state sviluppate e caratterizzate dal punto di vista chimico-fisico.

Based on recent investigations, the use of inorganic salts is a new powerful route for obtaining high surface area mesoporous materiaIs in a facile one-step approach, also called “salt-templating”. Here, high surface area aerogels were synthesized adding simple inorganic water soluble salts as pore forming agents during the sol-gel process. The model oxide precursor (i.e.,TEOS for silica) hydrolyses in the presence of a salt, e.g. ZnCl2, without using any acid/base catalysts, forming the silica network and producing monoliths with high surface area. The porosity can be controlled by the gel-ageing step (the less the time, the higher the porosity). Two different gel-drying conditions were investigated: room temperature (RT) air drying and CO2 supercritical drying. Supercritically dried silica aerogels reach the impressive BET surface area value of ca. 1400 m2 g-1, but also the simple air-drying procedure produces highly porous monoliths with BET surface areas in the range of 700-800 m2 g-1, thanks to the stabilizing salting-in effect of zinc ions (according to Hofmeister series). Compared to standard sol-gel processes, the herein presented synthesis is extremely simple: it only consists of dissolution of both oxidic precursors and inorganic salts in the selected solvent (i.e. ethanol), gel formation induced by solvent evaporation, salt removal through simple washing with water/ethanol. This way, no organic templates need to be employed and the overall approach is highly efficient and sustainable. In this regard, the salt-templating solution could principally be recovered for following syntheses afterwards, thus reducing by-products. Moreover, the synthesis of highly porous monoliths by RT air drying is of high interest since no special equipment is required, it simplifies the standard procedure and gives access to advanced materials at low cost.

Polypropylene nets are widely used as hernioplasty prostheses. The reproduction of bacteria within the net fibers intersections can occur after the application of the prosthesis causing infections. For this reason, bacteria have to be removed in the very early stage of surgical implantation. Activation of the prosthesis surface was done by an innovative oxidizing plasma treatment (APP-DBD) working under atmospheric conditions in order to favor the deposition of an antibacterial coating of chitosan (biocompatible carbohydrate) and ciprofloxacin (broad spectrum antibiotic). Two different coating mixtures were realised and the antibacterial properties of such functionalised nets were investigated, together with their effectiveness. Physico-chemical characterisations of meshes were carried out before and after functionalisation by SEM-EDS and infrared spectroscopy. The release of both chitosan and ciprofloxacin, under controlled experimental conditions, was followed respectively by colorimetric determination (using UV-Visible spectroscopy) and chromatographic analysis (using HPLC). In vitro tests allow verifying antimicrobial activity (inoculation of specimens in a Staphylococcus aureus suspension).

Un approccio supramolecolare per la fabbricazione di membrane polimeriche nano e isoporose a base di copolimeri a blocchi.

Preparation and physico-chemical characterization of ordered large-pore silica films for membranes applications

The immune system shapes synaptic transmission and plasticity in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), the mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). These synaptic adaptations are believed to drive recovery of function after brain lesions, and also learning and memory deficits and excitotoxic neurodegeneration; whether inflammation influences synaptic plasticity in MS patients is less clear. In a cohort of 59 patients with MS, we found that continuous theta-burst transcranial magnetic stimulation did not induce the expected long-term depression (LTD)-like synaptic phenomenon, but caused persisting enhancement of brain cortical excitability. The amplitude of this long-term potentiation (LTP)-like synaptic phenomenon correlated with the concentration of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the cerebrospinal fluid. In MS and EAE, the brain and spinal cord are typically enriched of CD3(+) T lymphocyte infiltrates, which are, along with activated microglia and astroglia, a major cause of inflammation. Here, we found a correlation between the presence of infiltrating T lymphocytes in the hippocampus of EAE mice and synaptic plasticity alterations. We observed that T lymphocytes from EAE, but not from control mice, release IL-1β and promote LTP appearance over LTD, thereby mimicking the facilitated LTP induction observed in the cortex of MS patients. EAE-specific T lymphocytes were able to suppress GABAergic transmission in an IL-1β-dependent manner, providing a possible synaptic mechanism able to lower the threshold of LTP induction in MS brains. Moreover, in vivo blockade of IL-1β signaling resulted in inflammation and synaptopathy recovery in EAE hippocampus. These data provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of MS.

Neuroplasticity is essential to prevent clinical worsening despite continuing neuronal loss in several brain diseases, including multiple sclerosis (MS). The precise nature of the adaptation mechanisms taking place in MS brains, ensuring protection from disability appearance and accumulation, is however unknown. Here, we explored the hypothesis that long-term synaptic potentiation (LTP), potentially able to minimize the effects of neuronal loss by providing extra excitation of denervated neurons, is the most relevant form of adaptive plasticity in stable MS patients, and it is disrupted in progressing MS patients. We found that LTP, explored by means of transcranial magnetic theta burst stimulation over the primary motor cortex, was still possible, and even favored, in stable relapsing-remitting (RR-MS) patients, whereas it was absent in individuals with primary progressive MS (PP-MS). We also provided evidence that platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) plays a substantial role in favoring both LTP and brain reserve in MS patients, as this molecule: (1) was reduced in the CSF of PP-MS patients, (2) enhanced LTP emergence in hippocampal mouse brain slices, (3) was associated with more pronounced LTP in RR-MS patients, and (4) was associated with the clinical compensation of new brain lesion formation in RR-MS. Our results show that brain plasticity reserve, in the form of LTP, is crucial to contrast clinical deterioration in MS. Enhancing PDGF signaling might represent a valuable treatment option to maintain brain reserve and to attenuate the clinical consequences of neuronal damage in the progressive phases of MS and in other neurodegenerative disorders.

MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE: DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF NANOSTRUCTURED OXIDIC MATERIALS

Highly selective membranes with controlled morphology can be obtained by growing thin mesoporous oxide films on an appropriate support. This can be achieved employing organic/inorganic mixed micellar solutions based on the use of proper templates. Amphiphilic block copolymers are very attractive materials for soft-templating. When mixed with organic solvents selective for one of the blocks, they can self-assembly into micelles with the insoluble blocks constituting the micellar core and the soluble ones the corona. The silica porous membranes described in this contribution were obtained by sol-gel reaction of a silicon oxide precursor (TEOS) and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene-oxide) (PS-b-PEO) copolymers as templates. Morphology and size of the self-assembled micelles and of the final porous oxide depend both on composition parameters (such as the length and nature of the polymer blocks) and on solution parameters (such as the hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance between solvents and cosolvents). This contribution focuses on the effect of composition parameters, namely the chain length of each polymer block, the stoichiometric ratio of the monomers, and the polymer/silica ratio. By changing these parameters silica structures with narrow pore size distribution and pore shapes ranging from spheres to channels were obtained. The final goal of this research will be the preparation of silica membranes with controlled and high porosity to be applied in the field of microfluidic analyses (e.g. Lab-on-a-chip devices) and as selective gates in microchip-based technologies for separation, detection and dosing of molecular or ionic species, charged nanoparticles and biomolecules.

Polypropylene (PP) fibers can be manufactured to form nets which can find application as prosthesis in hernioplasty. One of the most important problem to deal with when nets are applied in vivo consists in the reproduction of bacteria within the net fibers intersections. This occurs right after the application of the prosthesis, and causes infections, thus it is fundamental to remove bacteria in the very early stage of the nets application. This paper deals with the physico-chemical characterization of such nets, pre-treated by atmospheric pressure plasma dielectric barrier discharge apparatus (APP-DBD) and functionalized with an antibiotic drug such as chitosan. The physico-chemical characterization of sterilized nets, before and after the functionalization with chitosan, was carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with EDS spectroscopy, FTIR spectroscopy, drop shape analysis (DSA), X-ray diffraction and thermal analyses (TGA and DSC). The aim of the work is to individuate a good strategy to characterize this kind of materials, to understand the effects of polypropylene pre-treatment on functionalization efficiency, to follow the materials ageing in order to study the effects of the surface treatment for in vivo applications.

In the present study, we demonstrate a direct role for d-aspartate in regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity. These evidences were obtained using two different experimental strategies which enabled a non-physiological increase of endogenous d-aspartate levels in the mouse hippocampus: a genetic approach based on the targeted deletion of d-aspartate oxidase gene and another based on the oral administration of d-aspartate. Overall, our results indicate that increased d-aspartate content does not affect basal properties of synaptic transmission but enhances long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices from both genetic and pharmacological animal models. Besides electrophysiological data, behavioral analysis suggests that altered levels of d-aspartate in the hippocampus do not perturb basal spatial learning and memory abilities, but may selectively interfere with the dynamic NMDAR-dependent processes underlying cognitive flexibility. In the present study, we demonstrate a direct role for d-aspartate in regulating hippocampal synaptic plasticity. These evidences were obtained using two different experimental strategies which enabled a non-physiological increase of endogenous d-aspartate levels in the mouse hippocampus: a genetic approach based on the targeted deletion of d-aspartate oxidase gene and another based on the oral administration of d-aspartate. Overall, our results indicate that increased d-aspartate content does not affect basal properties of synaptic transmission but enhances long-term potentiation in hippocampal slices from both genetic and pharmacological animal models. Besides electrophysiological data, behavioral analysis suggests that altered levels of d-aspartate in the hippocampus do not perturb basal spatial learning and memory abilities, but may selectively interfere with the dynamic NMDAR-dependent processes underlying cognitive flexibility. © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[EN] Caffeine-photosensitized degradation has been studied in the presence of bio-based materials derived from urban biowaste after aerobic aging. A peculiar fraction (namely bio-based substances (BBSs)), soluble in all the pH range, has been used as photosensitizing agent. Several caffeine photodegradation tests have been performed, and positive results have been obtained in the presence of BBSs and H2O2, without and with additional Fe(II) (photo-Fenton-like process). Moreover, hybrid magnetite-BBS nanoparticles have been synthesized and characterized, in order to improve the sensitizer recovery and reuse after the caffeine degradation. In the presence of such nanoparticles and H2O2 and Fe(II), the complete caffeine degradation has been attained in very short time. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous processes were run at pH = 5, milder condition compared to the classic photo-Fenton process., This work was performed with the financial support for academic interchange by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Research and Innovation Staff Exchange project funded by the European Commission H2020-MSCA-RISE-2014 within the framework of the research project MAT4TREAT (project number 645551). Compagnia di San Paolo and University of Torino are gratefully acknowledged for funding Project Torino_call2014_L2_126 through BBando per il finanziamento di progetti di ricerca di Ateneo – anno 2014 (Project acronym: Microbusters). Additionally, authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Flavio R. Sives (La Plata, Argentina) for magnetization measurements.

Highly selective porous films were prepared by spin-coating deposition of colloidal silica nanoparticles on an appropriate macroporous substrate. Silica nanoparticles very homogenous in size were obtained by sol–gel reaction of a metal oxide silica precursor, tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS), and using polystyrene-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) copolymers as soft-templating agents. Nanoparticles synthesis was carried out in a mixed solvent system. After spin-coating onto a macroporous silicon nitride support, silica nanoparticles were calcined under controlled conditions. An organized nanoporous layer was obtained characterized by a depth filter-like structure with internal porosity due to interparticle voids. Permeability and size-selectivity were studied by monitoring the diffusion of probe molecules under standard conditions and under the application of an external stimulus (i.e., electric field). Promising results were obtained, suggesting possible applications of these nanoporous films as selective gates for controlled transport of chemical species in solution.