The effect of adding nucleic acids to gold seeds during the growth stage of either nanospheres or nanorods was investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy to reveal any oligonucleotide base or structure-specific effects on nanoparticle growth kinetics or plasmonic signatures. Spectral data indicate that the presence of DNA duplexes during seed ageing drastically accelerated nanosphere growth while t...

I t is increasingly recognised that chronic inflammatory disorders of the lungs, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other organs, such as rheumatoid arthritis, are associated with systemic effects that result in comorbidities [1, 2]. Cystic fibrosis (CF) has also been shown to have systemic effects, for example loss of muscle mass and decreased bone density associated wit...

The ageing behaviour of electric double layer (EDLC) supercapacitors during over-temperature and overvoltage stresses is described. Specific experimental tests were carried out in order to reproduce, under laboratory controlled conditions, the above-mentioned stresses. The obtained results are discussed and interpreted to define indicators that distinguish between over-temperature and over-volt...

In this work the effect of the γ-radiation dose on ageing of carbon black reinforced elastomeric materials was studied. The compounds based on natural rubber/chlorosulfonated rubber blend (NR/CSM) and butadiene acrylonitrile rubber/chlorosulfonated rubber blend (NBR/CSM) (50:50, w/w) with different loadings (0, 20, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 phr) of the filler with the average particle size of 40 n...

Transformers are one of the more expensive pieces of equipment found in a distribution network. The transformer’s role has not changed over the last decades. With simple construction and at the same time mechanically robust, they offer long term service that on average can reach half a century. Today, with the ongoing trend to supply a growing number of non-linear loads along with the notion of...

We investigated alterations in the ageing-related parameters: multiple-unit action potentials, Na(+), K(+)-ATPase activity, glutathione-s-transferase (GST) activity, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity, lipid peroxidation and lipofuscin contents in the brain regions cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus and thalamus, resulting from the chronic administration of aluminium chloride (AlCl3) in ...

Epidemiological, neuropathological, and functional neuroimaging evidence implicates global and regional disruptions in brain metabolism and energetics in the pathogenesis of cognitive impairment. Nerve cell microcircuits are modified by excitatory and inhibitory synaptic activity and neurotrophic factors. Ageing and Alzheimer's disease cause perturbations in cellular energy metabolism, level of...

Screening asymptomatic women in the general population for ‘early ovarian ageing’ will be more effective in highrisk groups. Recent findings support the hypothesis that women with polycystic ovaries (PCO) may have actually been born with a larger pool of resting follicles. The mechanism is almost certainly genetic and occurs in fetal life. If, as is widely accepted, the rate of depletion of the...

This work is concerned with the hypothesis that lightning impulses can lead to accelerated ageing of extruded polymeric cables. The behaviour of an insulation material when suffering lightning impulses is different from that for DC or power frequency over-voltages. Shaped HDPE material samples have been manufactured using a mould tool. The samples then may be electrically aged using one of the ...

Aging is associated with reduced function, degenerative changes, and increased neuroinflammation of the central nervous system (CNS). Increasing evidence suggests that changes in microglia cells contribute to the age-related deterioration of the CNS. The most prominent age-related change of microglia is enhanced sensitivity to inflammatory stimuli, referred to as priming. It is unclear if primi...