The neuroprotective effect of long-term n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus of aging rats.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether hippocampus and cerebral cortex fatty acids (FA) composition can be altered as a result of n-3 enriched diet, or modifications in FA can affect the age-related histological changes in these brain tissues. The study was performed on eighteen rats which were fed control (CD) or fish oil supplemented diet (FOD) for 12 months. We investigated the n-3 and n-6 brain FA profile by gas-chromatography analysis.

Molecular speciation and mesoscale clustering in formaldehyde-methanol-water solutions in the presence of sodium carbonate.

Nanoporous organic gels can be synthesized from aqueous solutions of formaldehyde and resorcinol in the presence of basic electrolytes such as sodium carbonate. It is well known that formaldehyde is present in the form of methylene glycols or methoxy-glycols in aqueous and methanolic solutions, but influence of pH or electrolytes on speciation in these solutions has not been previously studied. Here we investigated effects of sodium carbonate on the speciation and colloidal scale clustering in formaldehyde-methanol-water solutions in the absence of resorcinol.

Mechanism and kinetics of nanostructure evolution during early stages of resorcinol-formaldehyde polymerisation.

Resorcinol and formaldehyde react in aqueous solutions to form nanoporous organic gels well suited for a wide range of applications from supercapacitors and batteries to adsorbents and catalyst supports. In this work, we investigated the mechanism and kinetics of formation of primary clusters in the early stages of formation of resorcinol-formaldehyde gels in the presence of dissolved sodium carbonate. Dynamic Light Scattering measurements showed that size of freely diffusing primary clusters was independent of both reactant and carbonate concentrations at a given temperature, reaching the mean hydrodynamic radius of several nanometres before further changes were observed.

Age-related changes in the central nervous system in selected domestic mammals and primates.

Aging is a process which operates at many levels of physiological, genetic and molecular organization and leads inevitably to death. Brain macroscopic changes by MRI investigation during aging were observed in humans and dogs but chimpanzees did not display significant changes. This suggestion led to the statement that brain aging is different in various species.