Daily Archives: March 1, 2016
A paradigm shift in self-cleaning materials
In order to keep touchscreens, windows and walls free of dirt and fingerprints they need to be coated with anti-smudge materials. For practical applications, anti-smudge materials must be water- and oil-repellent, wear-resistant, optically clear and readily applicable
Human exposures to Bisphenol A alternatives and derivatives with equal or more harmful effects
Recent years have witnessed an exponential interest in the use and research on bisphenol A (BPA). BPA is one of the chemicals ranked very high in the chemicals’ list with the highest production volume estimates worldwide. BPA
Fishing highly explosive and toxic TNP
Water pollution by anthropogenic sources such as industrial effluents, mining activities, use of fertilizers and pesticides, dumping grounds is increasing in alarming rate. Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol, TNP) is highly explosive molecule used in armour piercing shells, bombs,
Osteopontin is a novel player and potential biomarker in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni
Schistosomiasis or bilharzia is a tropical disease caused by worms of the genus Schistosoma. Over 440 million people from 76 countries and territories are infected (Fig. 1). This water-based disease is considered the second most important parasitic
Ionic liquid solubilities in water: a janus phenomenon
Ionic liquids are a new class of solvents often claimed as « green » because they are non-flammable and non-volatile. In the search for better environmental industrial processes, they are thus an appealing choice to replace toxic, flammable and
Radiotherapy in palliative treatment of metastatic NSCLC: not all one and the same
The role of an editorial is to incorporate the results of a new relevant study in the scientific scenario, shedding light on some particular results of the trial which can change the clinical practice. The starting point
How preparation to touch or grasp alters visual size perception
This paper, recently published by my colleagues and I, summarizes a series of studies on how engaging in particular actions affects how our brain processes incoming visual information. Specifically, illusions that exert a strong effect on our
A cost-effective approach to new drug discovery and chemical safety
Modern lifestyle is highly dependent on the use of thousands of chemicals in the form of life-saving drugs as well as specialty substances like pesticides, herbicides, cosmetics, solvents, etc. Today the discovery of a new drug costs
Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy of genomic DNA from in vitro grown tomato
Conservation of plant genetic resources is necessary for food security and to safeguard biodiversity which is essential for genetic engineering and plant breeding programmes. Conservation of plant resources can be achieved either in their natural habitats (in
Defeating cancer by taking advantage of its inbuilt frailties
The treatment of cancer is a conflicting and complex process; the drugs that are used to kill cancer cells are also toxic to your healthy tissues. However, the different physiology of tumors provides a route to deliver
