Capsules that clean: New-look laundry detergents head for supermarket shelves
By Online Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Chemical & Engineering News
Consumers who remember laundry detergents from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are about to get that déjà vu feeling — and younger people quite a surprise — as detergent manufacturers once again try a major repackaging of their products. Laundry capsules that contain single doses of detergent and take up less space than conventional detergents are set to make a comeback. That’s the topic of an article in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
Stinky frogs are a treasure trove of antibiotic substancesBy Online Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Journal of Proteome Research
Some of the nastiest smelling creatures on Earth have skin that produces the greatest known variety of anti-bacterial substances that hold promise for becoming new weapons in the battle against antibiotic-resistant infections, scientists are reporting. Their research on amphibians so smelly (like rotten fish, for instance) that scientists term them “odorous frogs” appears in ACS’ Journal of Proteome Research.
Grafted watermelon plants take in more pesticidesBy Online Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
The widely used farm practice of grafting watermelon and other melon plants onto squash or pumpkin rootstocks results in larger amounts of certain pesticides in the melon fruit, scientists are reporting in a new study. Although only low amounts of pesticides appeared in the fruit in the study, the scientists advise that commercial farmers use “caution” when grafting watermelon plants to squash in a report that appears in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Scorpions inspire scientists in making tougher surfaces for machineryBy Online Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Langmuir
Taking inspiration from the yellow fattail scorpion, which uses a bionic shield to protect itself against scratches from desert sandstorms, scientists have developed a new way to protect the moving parts of machinery from wear and tear. A report on the research appears in ACS’ journal Langmuir.
New standard for vitamin D testing to ensure accurate test results
By Online Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Analytical Chemistry
At a time of increasing concern about low vitamin D levels in the world’s population and increased use of blood tests for the vitamin, scientists are reporting development of a much-needed reference material to assure that measurements of vitamin D levels are accurate. The report appears in ACS’ journal Analytical Chemistry.
Missed the Train?By Dr. Klaus L.E. Kaiser Sunday, January 22, 2012
By a second?
Don’t worry – nature is coming to your rescue. The World is slowing down to accommodate you. First of all, 2012, being a leap year, you’ll have another day to get ready. But the real question is whether or not this year will be longer by a “leap second” as well.
ACS Nano Letters co-editors A. Paul Alivisatos and Charles M. Lieber win prestigious Wolf FoundationBy American Chemical Society Thursday, January 19, 2012
WASHINGTON, — A. Paul Alivisatos, Ph.D., and Charles M. Lieber, Ph.D., co-editors of the American Chemical Society (ACS) peer-reviewed journal, Nano Letters, are among eight winners of the prestigious Wolf Prize for 2012.
Outlook for an industry that touches 96 percent of all manufactured goodsBy American Chemical Society Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The chemical industry, which touches 96 percent of all manufactured goods, is seeing some positive signs for 2012, although the overall outlook is not very rosy. Growing demand for chemicals used in agriculture, electronics, cars and airplanes will boost an industry that generates $674 billion in sales in the U.S. alone, but expiring patents and global economic woes will take a toll. These forecasts and others are in the cover story in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly news magazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
Why do dew drops do what they do on leaves?
By American Chemical Society Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore once wrote, “Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.” Now, a new study is finally offering an explanation for why small dew drops do as Tagore advised and form on the tips, rather than the flat surfaces, of leaves. It appears in ACS’ journal Langmuir.
Star Trek Tricorder revisited: Toward a genre of medical scannersBy Online Wednesday, January 4, 2012
A hand-held scanner, reminiscent of the fictional Star Trek medical Tricorder, images blood vessels through the skin and projects a map onto the skin showing nurses exactly where to insert a needle. A pocket-sized device checks blood sugar levels through the skin of people with diabetes — no pinprick or blood sample needed. Those innovations are among a new genre of medical imaging technology that’s giving doctors and scientists noninvasive views into the body to diagnose and study diseases. A report on the topic appears in the current edition of Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN), the weekly newsmagazine of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society.
Older, cheaper vacuum cleaners release more bacteria and dustBy Online Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Some vacuum cleaners — those basic tools for maintaining a clean indoor environment in homes and offices — actually contribute to indoor air pollution by releasing into the air bacteria and dust that can spread infections and trigger allergies, researchers report in a new study. It appears in ACS’ journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Toasting the Chemistry of Champagne; New Year’s Eve Video from the American Chemical SocietyBy Online Tuesday, December 27, 2011
WASHINGTON, — Just in time for those New Year’s Eve toasts, which might include a farewell to the International Year of Chemistry, the world’s largest scientific society today posted online a video on the chemistry of champagne. The latest addition to the award-winning Bytesize Science series from the American Chemical Society (ACS) is available at www.BytesizeScience.com.
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