The present study introduces the process performances of nitrophenols pertraction using new liquid supported membranes under the action of a magnetic field. The membrane system is based on the dispersion of silver–iron oxide nanoparticles in n-alcohols supported on hollow microporous polypropylene fibers. The iron oxide–silver nanoparticles are obtained directly through cyclic voltammetry electrolysis run in the presence of soluble silver complexes ([AgCl2]−; [Ag(S2O3)2]3−; [Ag(NH3)2]+) and using pure iron electrodes. The nanostructured particles are characterized morphologically and structurally by scanning electron microscopy (SEM and HFSEM), EDAX, XRD, and thermal analysis (TG, DSC). The performances of the nitrophenols permeation process are investigated in a variable magnetic field. These studies show that the flux and extraction efficiency have the highest values for the membrane system embedding iron oxide–silver nanoparticles obtained electrochemically in the presence of [Ag(NH3)2]+ electrolyte. It is demonstrated that the total flow of nitrophenols through the new membrane system depends on diffusion, convection, and silver-assisted transport.

The preparation of membranes from polymer solutions by the phase inversion method, the immersion—precipitation technique has proved since the beginning of obtaining technological membranes the most versatile and simple possibility to create polymeric membrane nanostructures. Classically, the phase inversion technique involves four essential steps: Preparation of a polymer solution in the desired solvent, the formation of the polymer solution film on a flat support, the immersion of the film in a coagulation bath containing polymer solvents, and membrane conditioning. All phase inversion stages are important for the prepared membrane’s nanostructure and have been studied in detail for more than six decades. In this paper, we explored, through an electrochemical technique, the influence of the contact time with the polymer film’s environment until the introduction into the coagulation bath. The system chosen for membrane preparation is polysulfone-dimethylformamide-aqueous ethanol solution (PSf-DMF-EW). The obtained nanostructured membranes were characterized morphologically and structurally by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermal analysis (TA), and in terms of process performance through water permeation and bovine serum albumin retention (BSA). The membrane characteristics were correlated with the polymeric film exposure time to the environment until the contact with the coagulation bath, following the diagram of the electrochemical parameters provided by the electrochemical technique.

Distal symmetric painful diabetic neuropathy is the most frequent clinical form of diabetic neuropathy. The condition appears as a result of alteration of the structure and function of nervous fibres as a consequence of hyperglycaemia. Hyperglycaemia determines the metabolism of glucose on alterative pathways and generates increased oxidative stress, mechanisms that cause an accelerated apoptosis of the neurons and a high intensity of lipid peroxidation. Pathogenic treatment of diabetic neuropathy includes limited options, two of them are: Benfotiamine (inhibits the metabolism of glucose on hexosamine pathway, reducing the formation of advanced glycosylation end products) and alpha-lipoic acid (has a scavenger effect on free radical species). The study included 120 patients with distal symmetric painful diabetic neuropathy randomized in 3 treatment groups. We evaluated the effect of oral administration for 8 weeks of Benfotiamine in a dosage of 300mg/day in monotherapy, of alpha-lipoic acid in a dosage of 600 mg/day in monotherapy, respectively of both -in combined therapy - on the parameters that are used to determine the severity of distal symmetric painful diabetic neuropathy: Diabetic Neuropathy Symptoms score, Neuropathy Disability Score and the intensity of lower limb pain on the visual analogue pain scale. All the three therapies were effective with a statistically significant improvement of these parameters, but the combined therapy with alpha-lipoic acid and Benfotiamine was superior to the monotherapy with alpha-lipoic acid or Benfotiamine.

The separation, concentration and transport of the amino acids through membranes have been continuously developed due to the multitude of interest amino acids of interest and the sources from which they must be recovered. At the same time, the types of membranes used in the sepa-ration of the amino acids are the most diverse: liquids, ion exchangers, inorganic, polymeric or composites. This paper addresses the recuperative separation of three amino acids (alanine, phe-nylalanine, and methionine) using membranes from cellulosic derivatives in polypropylene ma-trix. The microfiltration membranes (polypropylene hollow fibers) were impregnated with solu-tions of some cellulosic derivatives: cellulose acetate, 2-hydroxyethyl-cellulose, methyl 2-hydroxyethyl-celluloseand sodium carboxymethyl-cellulose. The obtained membranes were characterized in terms of the separation performance of the amino acids considered (retention, flux, and selectivity) and from a morphological and structural point of view: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution SEM (HR-SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and thermal gravimetric analyzer (TGA). The re-sults obtained show that phenylalanine has the highest fluxes through all four types of mem-branes, followed by methionine and alanine. Of the four kinds of membrane, the most suitable for recuperative separation of the considered amino acids are those based on cellulose acetate and methyl 2-hydroxyethyl-cellulose.

Microalbuminuria is a cardiovascular risk factor in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. It is very important to know which the predictor factors for albuminuria are, because these elements may be influenced by pharmacological measures. In our study we propose three models for the prediction of albumin glomerular excretion in a group of 446 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: the clinical-biochemical model, the pharmacological model, and the integrative model that reunites the two models. In the clinical-biochemical model, albumin excretion was statistically significant influenced by HbA1c (positive correlation) and blood pressure (positive correlation). In the pharmacological model, albumin excretion was influenced by angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers treatment (negative correlation). In the integrative model, the factors were HbA1c (positive correlation), diastolic blood pressure (positive correlation), angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers treatment (negative correlation) and statins treatment (negative correlation). The prevalence of microalbuminuria was 16.14 %. Patients with microalbuminuria had statistically significant higher values of HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, triglycerides and lower values of HDL-cholesterol. A low glucose control was the most important risk factor for an increased albumin glomerular elimination. The importance of our study consists in the fact that all the elements that predict albuminuria can be influenced: HbA1c, blood pressure, therapy with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers and statins.