| Super atoms turn the periodic table upside down |
| Researchers at Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in The Netherlands have developed a technique for generating atom clusters made from silver and other metals. Surprisingly enough, these so-called super atoms (clusters of 13 silver atoms, for example) behave in the same way as individual atoms and have opened up a whole new branch of chemistry. A full account can be read in the new edition of TU Delft magazine Delft Outlook. |
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| Is it time to revisit the current protein recommendations? Many Americans may benefit from eating a higher-protein diet, says a summit of protein... |
| Current protein recommendations were established with the goal of preventing deficiency, but newer research indicates that many adults may benefit from eating more than the minimum requirement. These findings are presented in a supplement in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition1 describing the conclusions of a Protein Summit held last spring, which brought together the world's leading scientists in protein research. |
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| Woman aquires new accent after stroke. Rare case of foreign-accent syndrome reported in Canada. |
| A woman in southern Ontario is one of the first cases in Canada of a rare neurological syndrome in which a person starts speaking with a different accent, McMaster University researchers report in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences. |
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| Research suggests parts of UK could be too hot for wine making by 2080 |
| Increasing summer temperatures could mean some parts of southern England are too hot to grow vines for making wine by 2080, according to a new book launched today (26 May 2008). |
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| Lanthanum chloride catalyzes hydrogen–chlorine exchange between chlorinated hydrocarbons |
| Because of its toxicity and the dangers involved in handling it, tetrachloromethane (carbon tetrachloride, CCl4) can no longer be used or produced in many countries. However, the processes used in the production of other chlorinated hydrocarbons, such as chloroform (trichloromethane, CHCl3), also produce CCl4 as a byproduct. What is the best way to get rid of this unwanted substance? A team headed by Bert M. Weckhuysen at the University of Utrecht (Netherlands) has now found an interesting new approach that may lead to effective recycling. As the researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie, a lanthanum chloride catalyst induces CCl4 and its reaction partner dichloromethane (CH2Cl2) to exchange one chlorine atom for a hydrogen atom, forming nearly 100 % of the desired CHCl3. |
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| UQ research finds aging is satisfying |
| UQ research finds aging is satisfying
University of Queensland research is turning conventional wisdom on its head when it comes to grumpy old men and women. |
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| Red wine's resveratrol may help battle obesity |
| Resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, reduces the number of fat cells and may one day be used to treat or prevent obesity, according to a new study. The results will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco. |
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| YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CAN AFFECT YOUR HEALTH |
| Research shows middle-aged and elderly people in poor neighborhoods 'significantly more likely' to suffer mobility and cognitive problems.
Research carried out at the Peninsula Medical School, South West England, has found strong links between neighbourhood deprivation and the physical and intellectual health of older people. |
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| Scripps Florida scientists develop a process to disrupt hepatitis C virion production |
| HCV is a significant human pathogen, infecting more than three percent of the world’s population. The incidence of infection in the United States has been estimated to be as high as 4 million cases. In the March issue of the journal PLoS Pathogens, Timothy Tellinghuisen, an assistant professor in the Department of Infectology at Scripps Florida, and his colleagues describe how they used mutations of the viral NS5A phosphoprotein to disrupt virus particle production at an early stage of assembly. NS5A has long been proposed as a regulator of events in the HCV life cycle, but exactly how it orchestrates these events has been unclear. |
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| Hospital Clínic conducts the first kidney extraction through the vagina in Europe |
| This is the first time this intervention has been conducted in Europe, and the second in the world. Thanks to the work of the expert group of Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, the extirpation of a kidney ‒affected by a malignant tumour‒ through the vagina has been achieved. This fact sets a milestone in the framework of minimally invasive surgery. The operation, presented this morning in a press conference, uses several cutting edge technology instruments of advanced surgery. |
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| Ingredient Found In Green Tea Significantly Inhibits Breast. Cancer Growth In Female Mice. |
| Green tea is high in the antioxidant EGCG (epigallocatechin-3- gallate) which helps prevent the body’s cells from becoming damaged and prematurely aged. Studies have suggested that the combination of green tea and EGCG may also be beneficial by providing protection against certain types of cancers, including breast cancer. A new study conducted by researchers at the University of Mississippi researchers now finds that consuming EGCG significantly inhibits breast tumor growth in female mice. These results bring us one step closer to better understanding the disease and potentially new and naturally occurring therapies. |
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| Venus Express reboots the search for active volcanoes on Venus |
| ESA’s Venus Express has measured a highly variable quantity of the volcanic gas sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere of Venus. Scientists must now decide whether this is evidence for active volcanoes on Venus, or linked to a hitherto unknown mechanism affecting the upper atmosphere. |
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