Dos(e)Age: Role of Dose and Age in the Long-Term Effect of Cannabinoids on Cognition

Cannabis is still the most widely used illicit drug around the world. While its use has always been prevalent among adolescents, recent evidence suggests that its consumption is also increasing among other population groups, such as pregnant women and aged people. Given the known impact of cannabis on brain development and behavior, it is important to dissect the possible long-term impact of its use across different age groups, especially on measures of cognitive performance. Animal models of cannabinoid exposure have represented a fundamental tool to characterize the long-lasting consequences of cannabinoids on cognitive performance and helped to identify possible factors that could modulate cannabinoids effects in the long term, such as the age of exposure and doses administered. This scoping review was systematically conducted using PubMed and includes papers published from 2015 to December 2021 that examined the effects of cannabinoids, either natural or synthetic, on cognitive performance in animal models where exposure occurred in the prenatal period, during adolescence, or in older animals. Overall, available data clearly point to a crucial role of age in determining the long-term effect of cannabinoid on cognition, highlighting possible detrimental consequences during brain development (prenatal and adolescent exposure) and beneficial outcomes in old age. In contrast, despite the recent advances in the field, it appears difficult to clearly establish a possible role of dosage in the effects of cannabinoids on cognition, especially when the adolescent period is taken into account.     

Cr_2O_7~(2-)对B-Z振荡反应的影响及其分析应用

研究了Cr2O72-对B-Z化学振荡反应的影响.结果表明,Cr2O27-的加入明显改变该振荡反应的诱导期,且诱导期的改变值Δtin与所加入Cr2O72-的浓度有良好的线性关系,线性范围3.45×10-6~6.20×10-4mol·L-1,相关系数为0.9992,对Cr2O72-扰动B-Z振荡反应的机理进行了探讨.     

CROSS-LINKING OF AROMATIC POLY（THIOETHER）S

A novel cross-linking process using two high molecular weight aromatic poly(thioether)s,which were synthesized by the reactions of 4,4′-thiobisbenzenethiol with 4,4′-difluorobenzophenone and 4,4′-difluorodiphenylsulfone,respectively, and commercially available lower molecular weight poly(p-phenylene sulfide)was investigated.These reactions were carried out in bulk by the addition of silver tetrafluroborate andα,α′-dibromo-p-xylene at 190℃over a period of 45 min. Furthermore,the same procedure could be modified to cross-link compression-molded films of these three polymers.The thermal and solubility behaviors of these polymers before and after cross-linking reactions,are presented.     

10,12—双炔廿三酸盐的LB膜特性研究

本文合成了10,12-双炔廿三酸,并用其在Si、SiO_2、CaF_2等基片上沉积了LB膜,结果表明,10,12-双炔廿三酸的镉盐成膜更稳定。这种LB膜在紫外光辐照下很快聚合,聚合前后的紫外-可见吸收光谱发生规律性的变化,并保持层状结构,等同周期稍变。通过红外吸收的二向色性分析,确定了该分子的取向。     

葡萄糖B-Z体系中酸度变化诱导的复杂振荡反应

本文首次报导了葡萄糖-KBrO₃-丙酮-MnSO₄-H₂SO₄体系的化学振荡反应,在这一体系中改变酸度可产生一系列复杂的振荡现象,当[H₂SO₄]₀>0.36mol·l^-1或[H₂SO₄]₀<0.074mol·l^-1时,体系分别出现二种不同类型的振荡波形OA和OB,OA振荡存在一诱导期,OB振荡无锈导期;OA的振幅较小,但振荡频率比OB快得多;OB的振荡周期逐渐缩短,但OA.却相反变化.当0.074mol·l^-1<[H₂SO₄]₀<0.36mol·l^-1时,体系同时出现上述二种类型的振荡波形,中间存在一过渡区域,即产生连续振荡波形.文章讨论了诱导期及过渡时间与[H₂SO₄]₀的关系,对酸度的影响机理作了说明.     

Lamellar thickening of polyethylene under high pressure

Single crystal mat (SCM) samples of polyethylene (PE) were prepared from dilute solution of p-xylen, then they were annealed at pressures of 200 and 500 MPa. Lamellar thickness of the original and annealed SCM samples was measured by small-angle X-ray scattering method. Orientation of the molecular chain in those SCM samples was investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction pattern. From these X-ray measurements, annealing temperature dependence of the lamellar thickness, i.e., lamellar thickening, under high pressure was obtained. Melting process of the SCM samples was also investigated at 200 and 500 MPa by high pressure differential thermal analysis. Then correspondence between the lamellar thickening and the melting process was studied. The lamellar thickness increases markedly with approaching to the melting temperature of the orthorhombic crystal even in the high pressure region where the high pressure phase (hexagonal phase) appears. The annealing temperature dependence curve of the lamellar thickness at 200 MPa can be superimposed on the curve at 500 MPa by shifting the curve along the temperature scale by 47 K. Large scale lamellar thickening occurs in the orthorhombic crystal phase in the high pressure region. The formation process of extended-chain crystal is discussed. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys, 35: 535–543, 1997     

FTIR spectroscopic study on crystallization process of poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalate)

In situ Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) measurements were carried out to elucidate conformation changes occurring during the isothermal melt crystallization of poly(ethylene-2,6-naphthalate) (PEN). Based on the band assignments for the components of the amorphous, α-crystal form, and β-crystal form of PEN in film samples, the in situ data was analyzed in terms of the amorphous- and crystal-trans conformations. It was observed at a higher isothermal crystallization temperature that the formation of amorphous-trans conformations precedes the growth of crystals. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 35: 2741–2747, 1997     

Seasonal Changes in Essential Oil Constituents of Cystoseira compressa: First Report

Marine macroalgae are well known to release a wide spectrum of volatile organic components, the release of which is affected by environmental factors. This paper aimed to identify the essential oil (EO) compounds of the brown algae Cystoseira compressa collected in the Adriatic Sea monthly, from May until August. EOs were isolated by hydrodistillation using a Clavenger-type apparatus and analyzed by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC–MS). One hundred four compounds were identified in the volatile fraction of C. compressa, accounting for 84.37–89.43% of the total oil. Samples from May, June, and July were characterized by a high share of fatty acids (56, 69, and 34% respectively) with palmitic acid being the dominant one, while in the August sample, a high content of alcohols (mainly phytol and oleyl alcohol) was found. Changes in the other minor components, which could be important for the overall aroma and biological activities of the algal samples, have also been noted during the vegetation periods. The results of this paper contribute to studies of algal EOs and present the first report on C. compressa EOs.     

Effects of Prenatal Exposure to Aflatoxin B1: A Review

Aflatoxins are mycotoxins produced as secondary fungal metabolites. Among them, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) stands out due to its genotoxic and mutagenic potential, being a potent initiator of carcinogenesis. In this review, the outcomes from the published literature in the past 10 years on the effects of AFB1 pathophysiological mechanisms on embryological and fetal development are discussed. In several animal species, including humans, AFB1 has a teratogenic effect_, resulting in bone malformations, visceral anomalies, lesions in several organs, and behavioral and reproductive changes, in addition to low birth weight. The mutagenic capacity of AFB1 in prenatal life is greater than in adults, indicating that when exposure occurs in the womb, the risk of the development of neoplasms is higher. Studies conducted in humans indicate that the exposure to this mycotoxin during pregnancy is associated with low birth weight, decreased head circumference, and DNA hypermethylation. However, as the actual impacts on humans are still unclear, the importance of this issue cannot be overemphasized and studies on the matter are essential.     

Hypertension in Prenatally Undernourished Young-Adult Rats Is Maintained by Tonic Reciprocal Paraventricular–Coerulear Excitatory Interactions

Prenatally malnourished rats develop hypertension in adulthood, in part through increased α₁-adrenoceptor-mediated outflow from the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) to the sympathetic system. We studied whether both α₁-adrenoceptor-mediated noradrenergic excitatory pathways from the locus coeruleus (LC) to the PVN and their reciprocal excitatory CRFergic connections contribute to prenatal undernutrition-induced hypertension. For that purpose, we microinjected either α₁-adrenoceptor or CRH receptor agonists and/or antagonists in the PVN or the LC, respectively. We also determined the α₁-adrenoceptor density in whole hypothalamus and the expression levels of α_1A-adrenoceptor mRNA in the PVN. The results showed that: (i) agonists microinjection increased systolic blood pressure and heart rate in normotensive eutrophic rats, but not in prenatally malnourished subjects; (ii) antagonists microinjection reduced hypertension and tachycardia in undernourished rats, but not in eutrophic controls; (iii) in undernourished animals, antagonist administration to one nuclei allowed the agonists recover full efficacy in the complementary nucleus, inducing hypertension and tachycardia; (iv) early undernutrition did not modify the number of α₁-adrenoceptor binding sites in hypothalamus, but reduced the number of cells expressing α_1A-adrenoceptor mRNA in the PVN. These results support the hypothesis that systolic pressure and heart rate are increased by tonic reciprocal paraventricular–coerulear excitatory interactions in prenatally undernourished young-adult rats.