In the latest ezines from SpectroscopyNOW:
Magnetic drug delivery for Alzheimer’s disease – Tiny pieces of magnetite incorporated into chitosan microparticles could act as efficient drug-delivery agents for the Alzheimer’s drug tacrine. Tacrine has notoriously low oral bioavailability and unclear efficacy but this delivery approach boosts uptake.
Contrasting tumours – US scientists have successfully predicted the outcome on breast tumours in a pre-clinical study of a so-called nano drug. Their research could help determine which patients will respond best to these and other drugs.
Long-distance protein – The behaviour of dynein, a relatively little-studied protein found in muscle has been characterised using fluorescent markers and electron microscopy, paving the way for X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy studies.
Farming phosphorus – Phosphorus NMR can help distinguish between the nature of organic and non-organic farming and provide clues about how phosphorus from both sources affects waterways and coasts.
Under February’s Spotlight over on Intute I reported on:
Ocean-going stalks fight global warming – Burying crop residues at sea may help reduce global warming, according to researchers in the USA. They suggest that transporting millions of tonnes of bailed up cornstalks, wheat straw, and other crop residues from farms, and burying it in the deep ocean.
Testing times for chameleon chromium – A new standard for chemical testing has been developed for a carcinogenic chromium salt. The hexavalent chromium ion was at the heart of the pollution controversy on which the movie Erin Brokovich was based.
Musing on supermassive black holes – New observations from a collection of powerful telescopes have allowed astronomers from Germany and the US to settle a paradox regarding the behaviour of merging elliptical galaxies. The team has revealed evidence that the largest, , most massive galaxies in the universe and the supermassive black holes at their cores grow together rather than one leading to the other, which explains the “fluffy” nature of their central regions.
Alchemist news this week – We hear how tubular soot, better known as carbon nanotubes, might displace costly platinum in future fuel cells and so herald a new era in power supply. In physical chemistry new insights could explain why molten glass solidifies but retains the structure of a liquid and in biochemistry a new approach to producing glycoproteins could bring some regularity to biomedical research into these substances.
Also, under the Alchemist’s gaze: In troubled times, airport security is high on the agenda and a new detector system for spotting secreted liquid explosives is emerging from the prototype stage. Finally, carbon dioxide is not all bad, research into its effects on wound healing has led to a significant prize for British scientists.
Speaking of alchemists watch out for my “Science and Islam” with embedded video this Friday, you can call me Al.
Oh, the hash? Well…strongest link would have to be #science, but I just want to reference The Pogues in a very abstruse way.