The News Review:
- Warriors’ chemistry clicking.
- Chemical attraction
- Students have to learn basic maths at university
- Nigerian Victor A Break With Past
- Canadian UK Scientists Uncover ‘Kryptonite’
- We are now on the cusp of a third industrial revolution
- ne step closer to a cure for African sleeping sickness
Warriors’ chemistry clicking.
Free with registration – Contra Costa Times – AccessMyLibrary.com – Apr 25, 2007
(25-APR-07) Contra Costa Times (Walnut Creek CA). 25–DALLAS — When Jimi Hendrix sang "I’m gonna wave my freak flag high" in 1967 the Warriors were still playing in San Francisco. But four decades and one move across t.
Chemical attraction
Times nline – Apr 25, 2007
Emily Ford meets three modern-day alchemists who are happy on the job. This has been done so that correct url isgenerated if we are coming from a section or topic –>Emily Forddiv#related-article-links p a div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;}FR too long chemistry has been the Cinderella of science languishing under alacklustre image while exotic specialities such as forensic science attracttop students. But after 26 department closures efforts to revive thesubject seem to have worked with undergraduate numbers rising by almost afifth since 2004. We asked three chemistry graduates in related careers toexplain why they love getting a reaction.
Students have to learn basic maths at university
Times nline – Apr 25, 2007
This has been done so that correct url isgenerated if we are coming from a section or topic –>Alexandra Freandiv#related-article-links p a div#related-article-links p a:visited {color:#06c;}Universities are having to provide remedial maths lessons to science students who gave up the subject at school but later find that they cannot complete their degree without it an eminent scientist has cautioned. Richard Pike chief executive of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) gave warning that Britain’s position as a world leader in science was being undermined by China and other countries because of its poor performance in maths. In an attack on the British education system today Dr Pike calls for maths to be compulsory in school to the age of 18 and says that school league tables should be scrapped. He has issued a challenge on the RSC’s website (www. org) to members of the British public to complete a sample question from the Chinese university entrance exam… Even my own grandmother who is 76 knows what logs are and how to use them and has known since the age of 14 yet there I stood in the midst of a degree still not fully understanding logarithms which in hind sight seems laughable. Some think definately needs to be done but when is the next question. li Smith Solihull I teach A level Chemistry and I feel Maths should be made compulsory for anyone studying science subjects at least upto AS level. Mathematics develop logical sense and it helps understanding science subjects when students pursue science related subjects in the university. Podder London UKI went to school in Germany where it is compulsory to have maths and german as minor subjects (3 hours a week) till you finish your A levels. This is excellent as it insures that people have at least some maths because one will at least need to do ones household books or to check how much one is really earning! Likewise english or in my case german is very important too as most people if they havent taken it as a A level subject can hardly write a sensible text without too many mistakes which one will at least need to get a job.
Nigerian Victor A Break With Past
Washington Post – Apr 25, 2007
And those who haven’t been installed through coups have come to power in elections so flawed they bore little relationship to popular will. Last weekend’s presidential vote was as bad as most in Nigeria’s troubled history observers said. But the election of. The differences were apparent in Yar’Adua’s first public appearance as president-elect Monday night… His brother was deputy president in basanjo’s military dictatorship in the late 1970s. Yet to most Nigerians the younger Yar’Adua remains a mystery. He skipped military service but received an advanced degree in chemistry. He was active in several businesses and helped found basanjo’s ruling party but drew little public attention in either role. Among the reasons is his low-key demeanor. Many in Katsina where Yar’Adua 56 was born and has lived most of his life say they have never seen him in person. Balarabe said he has known Yar’Adua since their days as students in Katsina but has never heard him crack a joke.
Canadian UK Scientists Uncover ‘Kryptonite’
Photonics.com – Apr 25, 2007
A new mineral matching the unique chemistry of kryptonite a fictional radioactive green crystal that causes the superhero to weaken has been identified by Canadian and British scientists. Unlike kryptonite the new mineral is white powdery and not radioactive. And rather than originating from outer space the real kryptonite was found in Serbia by mining firm Rio Tinto. Unable to identify the unusual mineral’s composition Rio Tinto enlisted the help of mineralogist Chris Stanley of London’s Natural History Museum.
We are now on the cusp of a third industrial revolution
Times nline – Apr 25, 2007
The latest Ucas figures are encouraging. They show applications for sciencedegrees going up — suprisingly briskly in some subjects. This year thenumber of people applying to study maths chemistry or physics degrees hasgrown nearly twice as fast as university applications overall. The reasonfor this reversal is unclear as is whether it will endure. What is certain is that there are growing numbers of jobs outside academia fortalented science graduates. Some of the best are working at the cutting edgeof the pharmaceutical industry creating drugs that save many lives eachyear. thers are finding new sources of energy developing cleaner modes oftransport or creating new forms of communication.
ne step closer to a cure for African sleeping sickness
uni-protokolle.de – Apr 25, 2007
All the clinical studies have been performed and we know that the drug can penetrate the central nervous system which is not the case with many other medicines for trypanosomes. What’s more it can be taken in tablet form which is extremely important in countries with limited health-care resources" says Artur Fijolek co-author of the article. The research team at the Ume?niversity Department of Medical Chemistry and Biophysics hopes soon to be able to find the appropriate dosage of acivicin that can permanently cure the infected mice. "Expression Purification Characterization and in Vivo Targeting of Trypanosome CTP Synthetase for Treatment of African Sleeping Sickness" Artur Fijolek Anders Hofer and Lars Thelander. The Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol… 2007 – (idw) Schwedischer Forschungsrat – The Swedish Research CouncilStudies of the enzyme CTP synthetase in the parasite Trypanosoma brucei have brought researchers at Ume?niversity in Sweden closer to a cure for African sleeping sickness. Their findings are now being published in the April issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry. Since the parasite constantly changes its surface it can avoid the immune defense of humans and invade the central nervous system which leads to personality disturbances sleep disruptions and ultimately death. For patients affected by a severe T brucei infection in the central nervous system there are no medicines that can treat both subspecies without incurring extremely serious side effects. In a project directed by Professor Lars Thelander scientists have previously discovered that the parasites’ CTP synthetase an enzyme responsible for the production of CTP-one of the four building blocks for mRNA synthesis a process that is critical for the survival of the parasite-should be a key target for treating the disease. In the current publication scientists have managed to show that the proper content of acivicin a well-known cell toxin that has previously been used as a cancer drug can inhibit the parasite’s CTP synthetase thereby permanently killing the trypanosomes in cell cultures.