Jul 4, 2008
I wrote about the effect of salt on the boiling point of water recently and Sciencebase reader Derek Burney asked why cooks use salt when boiling vegetables, for instance, if the effect on boiling point and so cooking times is so minimal, as I explained.
Well, the small amount of salt (sodium chloride) added to food has very, very little effect on the boiling point …
Jul 2, 2008
Several years ago, I was called on by a multinational producer of hygiene, food, and cleaning products to pay a visit to their research and information centre. My role was to play editorial consultant for content for their new Intranet.
You see, the company had lots of researchers in one building who were working hard on non-stick ice cream and insect-deterring shaving gel, while the information team were in a separate building …
Yet another health supplement hits the streets, this time in the form of indium sulfate. Never heard of it? Apparently, it “is a rare trace mineral that supports several hormonal systems in the body. Indium may strongly elevate immune activity and reduce the severity and duration of a myriad of human conditions.” That’s according to the NaturalHealthConsult.com website, which goes on to claim that the element will “normalize the hypothalamus …
Jun 30, 2008
Since tetrachloromethane is banned as an industrial solvent avoiding its formation as a byproduct of other chlorocarbons is important, this week, The Alchemist learns that a lanthanum chloride catalyst could help with the cleanup. A paradigm shift in drug discovery could be approaching as researchers working with proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease have discovered an apparently novel approach to inhibiting disease. In organic chemistry, the Alchemist hears that molecules are not quite as diverse as …
Jun 27, 2008
Genetic disease is a complicated affair. Scientists have spent years trying to find genetic markers for diseases as diverse as asthma, arthritis and cardiovascular disease. The trouble with such complex diseases is that they are none of them simply a manifestation of a genetic issue. They involve multiple genes, various other factors within the body and, of course, environmental factors outside the body.
There are some genetic diseases, however, that are …
Jun 25, 2008
I’m not entirely convinced that bird flu (avian influenza) is going to be the next big emergent disease that will wipe out thousands, if not millions, of people across the globe. SARS, after all, had nothing to do with avians, nor does HIV, and certainly not malaria, tuberculosis, MRSA, Escherichia coli O157, or any of dozens of virulent strains of disease that have and are killing millions of people.
There …
Jun 23, 2008
I am once again drawn to research from a team at the University of Westminster, a renowned institution that doles out so-called science degrees in homeopathy. This time the paper in question, published in the inaugural issue of the International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition and Public Health (2008, vol 1, issue 1, pp 16-32) is on that perennial favourite: what to do about the obesity epidemic….
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Nature Reviews Drug Discovery publishes the highest-quality reviews and perspectives plus news stories and features that investigate key issues in drug discovery...moreover if you check my resume, you'll see that the magazine is in my client list. more info...
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