Monthly Archives:: September 2012

Scientists unlock the mechanism behind improved water-splitting catalysts

Posted by & filed under Chemistry.

(Phys.org)—Scientists and engineers around the world are working to find a way to power the planet using solar-powered fuel cells. Such green systems would split water during daylight hours, generating hydrogen (H2) that could then be stored and used later to produce water and electricity. But robust catalysts are needed to drive the water-splitting reaction. Platinum catalysts are quite good at this, but platinum is too rare and expensive to scale up for use worldwide. Several cobalt and nickel catalysts have been suggested as cheaper alternatives, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. And no one has been able to determine definitively the mechanism by which the cobalt catalysts work, making it difficult to methodically design and construct improved catalysts.

Researchers find ordinary pen ink useful for building a supercapacitor

Posted by & filed under Chemistry.

(Phys.org)—A research group in China has discovered that the ink in an ordinary pen makes for a good coating when building a supercapacitor. The team, from Peking University (Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences) describe in their paper published in Advanced Materials, how they used pen ink to coat carbon fibers as part of a process in creating a supercapacitor that was not only bendable but able to cover a large surface area.

Little evidence of health benefits from organic foods, study finds

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

Researchers have carried out the most comprehensive meta-analysis to date of existing studies comparing organic and conventional foods. They did not find strong evidence that organic foods are more nutritious or carry fewer health risks than conventional alternatives, though consumption of organic foods can reduce the risk of pesticide exposure.

HIV treatment use increases in the U.S.

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

Between 2000 and 2008, the proportion of HIV-infected patients in the U.S. receiving effective treatment known as highly active antiretroviral therapy increased, and HIV-infected patients appeared to be less infectious and have healthier immune systems at death.

Less ferocious Tasmanian devils could help save species from extinction

Posted by & filed under Biology, News.

Evolving to become less aggressive could be key to saving the Tasmanian devil -- famed for its ferocity -- from extinction, research suggests. The species is being wiped out by Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD), a fatal infectious cancer spread by biting. The new study found the less often a devil gets bitten, the more likely it is to become infected with the cancer.

Mass spectrometry protein assays that match sensitivity of antibody-based clinical tests may speed drug discovery

Posted by & filed under Chemistry.

Combining two well-established analytic techniques and adding a twist identifies proteins from blood with as much accuracy and sensitivity as the antibody-based tests used clinically, researchers report this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition online. The technique should be able to speed up development of diagnostic tests and treatments based on proteins specific to certain diseases.

High doses of vitamin D help tuberculosis patients recover more quickly

Posted by & filed under Health Sciences.

For decades before antibiotics became generally available, sunshine was used to treat tuberculosis, with patients often being sent to Swiss clinics to soak up the sun's healing rays. Now, for the first time scientists have shown how and why heliotherapy might, indeed, have made a difference. A new study has shown that high doses of Vitamin D, given in addition to antibiotic treatment, appear to help patients with tuberculosis recover more quickly.
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