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    Category Health/Medical

    Glitter from silver lights up Alzheimer’s dark secrets

    August 26, 2015, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    The picture shows toxic Alzheimer's amyloid beta molecules landing on a fake cell membrane, wrapped around a silver nanoparticle. A laser, with help from the silver particle, lights up the molecule to reveal its structure. Credit: Copyright Debanjan Bhowmik; Credit to Debanjan Bhowmik, TIFR, Mumbai

    The picture shows toxic Alzheimer’s amyloid beta molecules landing on a fake cell membrane, wrapped around a silver nanoparticle. A laser, with help from the silver particle, lights up the molecule to reveal its structure. Credit: Copyright Debanjan Bhowmik; Credit to Debanjan Bhowmik, TIFR, Mumbai

    The elusive toxic form of the Alzheimer’s molecule has now been observed, during its attempt to bore into the outer covering of a cell decoy, using a new method involving laser light and fat-coated silver nanoparticles.

    “Everybody wants to make the key to solve Alzheimer’s Disease, but we don’t know what the lock looks like. We now have a glimpse of something which could be the lock...

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    Dietary Iron Intake, equivalent to Heavy Red Meat consumption, Suppresses Leptin, a hormone that regulates Appetite

    August 25, 2015, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Serum leptin and adipocyte leptin mRNA levels decrease with dietary iron...

    Serum leptin and adipocyte leptin mRNA levels decrease with dietary iron overload. (A) Iron levels measured by ferrozine-based colorimetric assay in mice fed low normal– and high-iron diet (n = 4 mice/group). (B) Tfrc mRNA levels quantified by qPCR and normalized to cyclophilin A in adipose tissue from mice fed different levels of dietary iron (n = 6 mice/group). (C) Serum leptin levels from the mice (n = 6 mice/group). (D) Intracellular leptin levels by Western blotting. Data are representative of 3 experiments with n = 4 per replicate. (E) Quantification of leptin protein levels from D normalized to tubulin (n = 4 mice/group). (F) Leptin mRNA levels quantified by qPCR and normalized to cyclophilin A in adipose tissue from mice fed different dietary iron (n = 6 mice/group)...

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    Genetic Study finds Association between Reduced Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis Risk

    August 25, 2015, Categories  Health/Medical, Biology/Biotechnology

    Vitamin D pathway. In blue are the genes containing, or in proximity to, SNPs that were genome-wide significant for 25OHD level in SUNLIGHT (n = 33,996). The p-values for the association with 25OHD level were 1.9 × 10−109 for GC, 2.1 × 10−27 for DHCR7, 3.3 × 10−20 for CYP2R1, and 6.0 × 10−10 for CYP24A1. Note that each gene plays an independent role in modulating the level of 25OHD. Kidney and liver images credit: https://openclipart.org/. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001866.g002

    Vitamin D pathway. In blue are the genes containing, or in proximity to, SNPs that were genome-wide significant for 25OHD level in SUNLIGHT (n = 33,996). The p-values for the association with 25OHD level were 1.9 × 10−109 for GC, 2.1 × 10−27 for DHCR7, 3.3 × 10−20 for CYP2R1, and 6.0 × 10−10 for CYP24A1. Note that each gene plays an independent role in modulating the level of 25OHD. Kidney and liver images credit: https://openclipart.org/. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001866.g002

    Genetic findings support observational evidence that lower vitamin D levels are associated with increased risk of multiple sclerosis...

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    A Glue that Hardens when Voltage applied opens a plethora of promising Advances

    August 25, 2015, Categories  Physics, Technology/Electronics, Health/Medical, Chemistry/Nanotechnology

    Concept of electrocuring adhesive.

    Concept of electrocuring adhesive.

    Inspired by limitations of biomimetic glues in wet environments Voltaglue has many apps incl:
    – gluing metal panels under water eg underwater pipe repairs;
    – Replacing sutures when there is a need to join body tissues together during surgery;
    – Tailoring the properties of the adhesive to be more gel-like or rubber-like which would work well in vibrating or damp environments

    In future, surgeons could use biocompatible glue patches to join 2 pieces of internal body tissue together in 1-2 minutes, instead of sutures which often require 15 to 20 minutes of careful stitching. Assistant Professor Terry Steele said it took them over a year to develop an adhesive that could work under wet conditions such as in the human body or underwater.

    Diazirine electrochemistry and aryl-carbene formation.

    Diazirine electrochemis...

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