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Persistent glucocorticoid elevation consistent with chronic stress exposure can lead to psychopathology, including mood and anxiety disorders. Women and stress-exposed adolescents are more likely to be diagnosed with mood disorders, suggesting that sex and age are important factors in determining vulnerability, though much remains to be determined regarding the mechanisms underlying this risk. Thus, the aim of the present experiments was to use the chronic corticosterone (CORT) exposure paradigm, a model of depression-like behavior that has previously been established primarily in adult males, to determine the mood-related effects of CORT in female and adolescent rats. Depression- and anxiety-like effects in adulthood were determined using the sucrose preference (SPT), the forced swim test (FST), the elevated plus maze, and fear conditioning. Basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) glutamate receptor subunit levels were then measured. In a subsequent experiment, adult male and female rats were tested for the effects of pharmacological activation (via AMPA) or inhibition (via NBQX) of AMPA receptors in the BLA on behavior in the FST. Overall, females showed reduced anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors relative to males. However, females treated with CORT in adolescence, but not adulthood, had increased immobility in the FST, indicative of depression like behavior. In contrast, CORT did not alter behavior in adolescent treated males, though the previously reported depression-like effect of adult CORT exposure was observed. Control females had higher expression of the AMPA receptor subunits GluA1 and GluA2/3 selectively in the BLA relative to males. Adolescent CORT treatment, however, decreased BLA GluA1 and GluA2/3 expression in females, but increased expression in males, consistent with the direction of depression-like behavioral effects. Male and female rats also demonstrated opposing patterns of response to BLA AMPA receptor modulation in the FST, with AMPA infusion magnifying the sex difference of decreased immobility in females. Overall, these experiments show that increased glutamate receptor function in the BLA may decrease the risk of developing depressive-like behavior, further supporting efforts to target glutamatergic receptors for the treatment of stress-related psychiatric disorders. These findings also support further focus on sex as a biological variable in neuropsychiatric research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different peripheral nerve injuries cause neuropathic pain through distinct mechanisms. Even the site of injury may impact underlying mechanisms, as indicated by the clinical finding that the antiseizure drug carbamazepine (CBZ) relieves pain because of compression injuries of trigeminal but not somatic nerves. We leveraged this observation in the present study hypothesizing that because CBZ blocks voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs), its therapeutic selectivity reflects differences between trigeminal and somatic nerves with respect to injury-induced changes in VGSCs. CBZ diminished ongoing and evoked pain behavior in rats with chronic constriction injury (CCI) to the infraorbital nerve (ION) but had minimal effect in rats with sciatic nerve CCI. This difference in behavior was associated with a selective increase in the potency of CBZ-induced inhibition of compound action potentials in the ION, an effect mirrored in human trigeminal versus somatic nerves. The increase in potency was associated with a selective increase in the efficacy of the NaV1.1 channel blocker ICA-121431 and NaV1.1 protein in the ION, but no change in NaV1.1 mRNA in trigeminal ganglia. Importantly, local ICA-121431 administration reversed ION CCI-induced hypersensitivity. Our results suggest a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of trigeminal neuropathic pain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is an attempt to explore the effectiveness of thermoplastic copolyester elastomer (TPCE) as a toughening agent for improving the impact strength of PLA. Biobased Hytrel® thermoplastic copolyester of polyether glycol and polybutylene terephthalate was selected as the TPCE of choice for this study. Blends of PLA/Hytrel at varying weight ratios were prepared using extrusion followed by injection molding technique. Optimal synergies of two polymers were found in the PLA/Hytrel (70/30) blend, showing impact strength of 234 J/m, a sixfold increase compared to neat PLA. In order to obtain further enhancement in toughness, different functionalized terpolymers were added to accomplish reactive compatibilization. A series of functionalized terpolymers, ethylene methyle acrylate‐glycidyl methacrylate (EMA‐GMA), ethylene butyl acrylate‐glycidyl methacrylate (EBA‐GMA), ethylene methyl acrylate‐maleic anhydride (EMA‐MaH), and ethylene butyl acrylate‐maleic anhydride (EBA‐MaH) were selected. Comparing PLA ternary blends with different terpolymers, GMA containing terpolymers showed better impact toughness compared to MaH terpolymer blends. Unique fracture surface morphology showing debonding cavitation and massive shear yielding in the ternary blends containing EMA‐GMA resulted in super toughened blends. Highest zero shear viscosity and storage modulus was also observed for ternary blends with EMA‐GMA. Under the processing conditions and blend ratio investigated, EMA‐GMA showed better efficiency in improving the toughness of the PLA blends. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:280–290, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This article provides a detailed investigation of crystallization behavior and morphology of polylactic acid (PLA) in the presence of a nucleating agent: potassium salt of 5-dimethyl sulfoisothalate, an aromatic sulfonate derivative (Lak-301). Isothermal crystallization kinetics of PLA melt mixed with Lak at concentrations of 0.25-1 wt % was investigated at a range of crystallization temperature, 140-150 °C. To gain further insight on the effect of Lak, nonisothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD), polarized optical microscope (POM), heat deflection temperature (HDT), and rheology were also performed. At 0.25 wt % Lak, crystallinity of PLA increased from 10% to 45%, and in 1 wt % Lak, maximum crystallinity of 50% was achieved. With 1 wt % Lak, crystallization half time reduced to 1.8 min from 61 min for neat PLA at 140 °C. The isothermal crystallization kinetics was analyzed using Avrami model. Values of the Avrami exponent for PLA with Lak were mainly in the range of 3 indicating a three dimensional crystal growth is favored. Crystallization rate was found to increase with increase in Lak content. Observation from POM confirmed that the presence of Lak in the PLA matrix significantly increased the nucleation density. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2016, 133, 43673. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel concept of developing green composites with improved performance using co-injection molding technique has been established. Poly (butylene succinate) (PBS), poly (butylene adipate- co-terephtalate) (PBAT), and their blends were investigated as skin material. Composite core material was made from poly (3-hydroxybutyrate- co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) and miscanthus. Co-injected samples with good surface finish were achieved at a skin/core volume ratio of 40/60 and mold temperature of 45 °C. Notched impact strength of 140 J/m, four times higher than that of neat core material and unnotched impact strength of almost 400 J/m with modulus of more than 1 GPa was achieved for the co-injection molded green composites. Good adhesion at the skin/core interface was observed under scanning electron microscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]