Visual spatial memory is enhanced in female rats (but inhibited in males) by dietary soy phytoestrogens

Background  

In learning and memory tasks, requiring visual spatial memory (VSM), males exhibit superior performance to females (a difference attributed to the hormonal influence of estrogen). This study examined the influence of phytoestrogens (estrogen-like plant compounds) on VSM, utilizing radial arm-maze methods to examine varying aspects of memory. Additionally, brain phytoestrogen, calbindin (CALB), and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) levels were determined.     

The application of homotopy analysis method to solve nonlinear differential equation governing Jeffery–Hamel flow

In this paper Jeffery–Hamel flow has been studied and its nonlinear ordinary differential equation has been solved through homotopy analysis method (HAM). The obtained solution in comparison with the numerical ones represents a remarkable accuracy. The results also indicate that HAM can provide us with a convenient way to control and adjust the convergence region.     

Neuromodulation by soy diets or equol: Anti-depressive &; anti-obesity-like influences,age- &; hormone-dependent effects

Background  

Soy-derived isoflavones potentially protect against obesity and depression. In five different studies we examined the influence of soy-containing diets or equol injections on depression, serotonin levels, body weight gain (BW) and white adipose tissue (WAT) deposition in female Long-Evans rats at various stages of life [rats were intact, ovariectomized or experienced natural ovarian failure (NOF)].     

Controlling porosity within colloidal heteroaggregates

Heteroaggregates of cationic poly(2-vinylpyridine) microgels and anionic polystyrene latex particles have been made by mixing dilute, aqueous suspensions. The growth of the heteroaggregates was arrested by the addition of anionic silica particles that adsorbed to the free surface of the cationic microgel particles. The resulting heteroaggregates were then concentrated by vacuum filtration, freeze-dried, and characterized by mercury porosimetry and electron microscopy. The inclusion of soft, deformable microgels resulted in heteroaggregates with higher porosity than obtained with heteroaggregates of anionic and cationic latex particles. Control of the pore volumes within the freeze-dried filter cakes was demonstrated by two approaches. In the first approach, heteroaggregation at a constant KCl concentration of 0.01 mM was arrested at different times after mixing the latex and microgel particles, thereby limiting the size of the aggregates. The porosity of the resulting filter cake increased from 61 to 65 vol % as the aggregation time increased from 15 to 120 s. In the second technique, the aggregation time prior to arrest was maintained at 120 s while the KCl concentration was varied between 0.01 and 10 mM. The pore volume of the aggregates decreased from 65 to 57 vol % as the electrolyte concentration increased, a trend explained in terms of the effect of the Debye length on the aggregation process.     

The physics of diamond

The accurate measurement of the thermal conductivity of metals still poses considerable experimental difficulty. The reasons for this, and the main ways in which the problem has been approached, are summarized. A detailed examination of the development in technique and methods of measurement shows that while most of the steady-state methods introduced over 50 years ago are still being improved, the emphasis in the last few years has been on the development of methods which give more rapid results, particularly at high temperatures.     

Resolution enhancement of electronic spectra. Performance of some Fourier domain filters

Resolution enhancement of electronic spectra was considered by means of filters operating in the Fourier transform domain. Three filters were defined with two adjustable parameters each and their performances evaluated in terms of three factors: band narrowing, band distortion, and signal-to-noise degradation. The limits for sensible resolution enhancement in terms of the filter parameters were established and the conclusions tested and confirmed by a comparison of the vapor spectrum of benzene with corresponding resolution enhanced solution spectra. Since the use of the filters described is simple in practice and in view of the well-defined safety limits established in their application the method is deemed to encourage a wide spread of spectral resolution enhancement as a routine procedure in molecular electronic spectroscopy in order to reveal explicitly the information content of recorded spectra.