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International terrorist group targets nanotech researchers
Indigenous Americans and Carl Sagan agree: We are star stuff
Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7634-7648: A Novel Anti-Inflammatory Role for Ginkgolide B in Asthma via Inhibition of the ERK/MAPK Signaling Pathway
Sensors, Vol. 11, Pages 8665-8673: A Fiber Bragg Grating—Bimetal Temperature Sensor for Solar Panel Inverters
IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 5719-5735: Selective Growth of α-Sexithiophene by Using Silicon Oxides Patterns
Symmetry, Vol. 3, Pages 636-652: Symmetry and the Brown-Freiling Refutation of the Continuum Hypothesis
Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7627-7633: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of 1-[2-(5-Nitro-1H-indol-2-yl)phenyl]methylpyridinium Chloride
Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7621-7626: Synthesis of No-Carrier-Added 4-[18F]Fluorophenol from 4-Benzyloxyphenyl-(2-thienyl)iodonium Bromide
Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7608-7620: Studies on the Electrochemical Behavior of Thiazolidine and Its Applications Using a Flow–Through Chronoamperometric Sensor Based on a Gold Electrode
Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7593-7607: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties and Antipathogenic Activity of New Thiourea Derivatives
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International terrorist group targets nanotech researchers

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 02:39 AM PDT

Yesterday, Craig Cormick—the public awareness manager at Australia's Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research, and the person who invited me to the 6th Science Center World Congress—leaned over during a conference session and showed me this story on his blackberry. I had to double check and make sure it wasn't a sketchy email forward.

But the truth is that, sometimes, anti-science sentiment coalesces into violent attacks on scientists themselves. That's happened to researchers who work with animal models in the United States. And it's also happening to researchers around the world who are working with nanotechnology. The threat seems to be particularly prevalent in Mexico. In manifestos, the terrorists have said that they're attempting to prevent scientists from inventing self-replicating nanobots that could turn the entire world into "grey goo."

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

Nanotechnology was singled out as a target for the attacks in manifestos posted on the Web by the group behind the bombs, which calls itself "Individualities Tending Toward Savagery." It has been linked to attacks in France, Spain, and Chile, and to a bomb sent earlier this year to a scientist at another Mexican university who specializes in nanotech. An analyst who helped identify the Unabomber—who turned out to be a former professor—says the posts show signs of someone well-educated who could be affiliated with a college.

The new group's latest package exploded in an office on the campus of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, outside of Mexico City, in early August. The blast wounded its intended target, Armando Herrera Corral, director of a technology-transfer center, which the group's manifesto said is key to the university's plan to promote research projects that "are relevant for the progress of nanobioindustry within the country." The explosion also wounded a nearby colleague, Alejandro Aceves López, director of the university's graduate school of engineering and science.

In the group's online post (written in Spanish) claiming credit for the latest bombing, the terrorists complained about the growing number of nanotechnology experts in Mexico, which it estimated at 650. "The ever more rapid acceleration of this technology will lead to the creation of nanocyborgs that can self-replicate automatically without the help of a human," it said.

While it's entirely possible that this "group" is actually one dude (in the gender-neutral sense of "dude"), I still think it's appropriate to use the label of "terrorism." When you carry out violent acts against non-combatants in an effort to scare a broad category of people or political entities into doing what you want, I think that counts as terrorism. That's a bit of a broad definition, and imperfect. But you get the idea. This, to me, goes well beyond simple "violent crime."

Indigenous Americans and Carl Sagan agree: We are star stuff

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 01:45 AM PDT

In the language of the Diné (what the Navajo call themselves), the word for "star" is "sitsoi yoo." But that word means more than just "star." According to Nancy Maryboy of the Indigenous Education Institute, sitsoi yoo means something closer to "my ancient relation from which I came," a reference to a traditional Diné belief that humans were born from stars. Remind you of anything?

I'm currently attending the 6th Science Center World Congress in Cape Town, South Africa. Tomorrow, I'll be talking about how science museums are failing adult visitors, but I've also gotten the chance to sit in on several really interesting panels. The anecdote above comes from a panel on Indigenous Astronomy, which I hope to write some more about in the future.

Image: Sergio Eguivar — Buenos Aires Skies, via Astronomy Picture of the Day

Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7634-7648: A Novel Anti-Inflammatory Role for Ginkgolide B in Asthma via Inhibition of the ERK/MAPK Signaling Pathway

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Ginkgolide B is an anti-inflammatory extract of Ginkgo biloba and has been used therapeutically. It is a known inhibitor of platelet activating factor (PAF), which is important in the pathogenesis of asthma. Here, a non-infectious mouse model of asthma is used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory capacity of ginkgolide B (GKB) and characterize the interaction of GKB with the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. BALB/c mice that were sensitized and challenged to ovalbumin (OVA) were treated with GKB (40 mg/kg) one hour before they were challenged with OVA. Our study demonstrated that GKB may effectively inhibit the increase of T-helper 2 cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-5 and IL-13 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Furthermore, the eosinophil count in BALF significantly decreased after treatment of GKB when compared with the OVA-challenged group. Histological studies demonstrated that GKB substantially inhibited OVA-induced eosinophilia in lung tissue and mucus hyper-secretion by goblet cells in the airway. These results suggest that ginkgolide B may be useful for the treatment of asthma and its efficacy is related to suppression of extracellular regulating kinase/MAPK pathway.

Sensors, Vol. 11, Pages 8665-8673: A Fiber Bragg Grating—Bimetal Temperature Sensor for Solar Panel Inverters

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

This paper reports the design, characterization and implementation of a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)-based temperature sensor for an Insulted-Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) in a solar panel inverter. The FBG is bonded to the higher Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) side of a bimetallic strip to increase its sensitivity. Characterization results show a linear relationship between increasing temperature and the wavelength shift. It is found that the sensitivity of the sensor can be categorized into three characterization temperature regions between 26 °C and 90 °C. The region from 41 °C to 90 °C shows the highest sensitivity, with a value of 14 pm/°C. A new empirical model that considers both temperature and strain effects has been developed for the sensor. Finally, the FBG-bimetal temperature sensor is placed in a solar panel inverter and results confirm that it can be used for real-time monitoring of the IGBT temperature.

IJMS, Vol. 12, Pages 5719-5735: Selective Growth of α-Sexithiophene by Using Silicon Oxides Patterns

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

A process for fabricating ordered organic films on large area is presented. The process allows growing sexithiophene ultra-thin films at precise locations on patterned Si/SiOx substrates by driving the orientation of growth. This process combines the parallel local anodic oxidation of Si/SiOx substrates with the selective arrangement of molecular ultra-thin film. The former is used to fabricate silicon oxide arrays of parallel lines of 400 nm in width over an area of 1 cm2. Selective growth arises from the interplay between kinetic growth parameters and preferential interactions with the patterned surface. The result is an ultra-thin film of organic molecules that is conformal to the features of the fabricated motives.

Symmetry, Vol. 3, Pages 636-652: Symmetry and the Brown-Freiling Refutation of the Continuum Hypothesis

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

Freiling [1] and Brown [2] have put forward a probabilistic reductio argument intended to refute the Continuum Hypothesis. The argument relies heavily upon intuitions about symmetry in a particular scenario. This paper argues that the argument fails, but is still of interest for two reasons. First, the failure is unusual in that the symmetry intuitions are demonstrably coherent, even though other constraints make it impossible to find a probability model for the scenario. Second, the best probability models have properties analogous to non-conglomerability, motivating a proposed extension of that concept (and corresponding limits on Bayesian conditionalization).

Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7627-7633: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of 1-[2-(5-Nitro-1H-indol-2-yl)phenyl]methylpyridinium Chloride

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

In the course of studies on hybrid antibacterials incorporating 2-aryl-5-nitro-1H-indole moieties as potential bacterial NorA efflux pump inhibitors, the compound 1-[2-(5-nitro-1H-indol-2-yl)phenyl]methylpyridinium chloride (2) was synthesized and structurally characterized. This pyridinium chloride salt crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/c with the following unit cell dimensions: a 10.274(3) Å, b 13.101(4) Å, c 13.439(4) Å, b 107.702(7)°, V 1723.2(9) Å3, Z (f.u.) = 4; R1 = 0.048, and wR2 = 0.13. Of interest in the single crystal X-ray structure is the (intramolecular) disposition of the pyridinium plane over the indole heterocyclic residue [interplanar dihedral angle 17.91(4)°].

Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7621-7626: Synthesis of No-Carrier-Added 4-[18F]Fluorophenol from 4-Benzyloxyphenyl-(2-thienyl)iodonium Bromide

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

4-[18F]Fluorophenol is a versatile synthon for the synthesis of more complex radiopharmaceuticals bearing a 4-[18F]fluorophenoxy moiety. In order to prepare 4-[18F]fluorophenol in no-carrier-added (n.c.a.) form only a nucleophilic labelling method starting from [18F]fluoride is suitable. In this paper a new, two step radiosynthesis starting from 4-benzyloxyphenyl-(2-thienyl)iodonium bromide and [18F]fluoride with subsequent deprotection is described, yielding n.c.a. [18F]fluorophenol in 34 to 36% radiochemical yield.

Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7608-7620: Studies on the Electrochemical Behavior of Thiazolidine and Its Applications Using a Flow–Through Chronoamperometric Sensor Based on a Gold Electrode

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

The electrochemical behaviors of thiazolidine (tetrahydrothiazole) on gold and platinum electrodes were investigated in a Britton-Robinson buffer (pH 2.77–11.61), acetate buffer (pH 4.31), phosphate buffer solutions (pH 2.11 and 6.38) and methanol or acetonitrile containing various supporting electrolytes. Detection was based on a gold wire electrochemical signal obtained with a supporting electrolyte containing 20% methanol-1.0 mM of phosphate buffer (pH 6.87, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and dipotassium hydrogen phosphate) as the mobile phase. Comparison with results obtained with a commercial amperometric detector shows good agreement. Using the chronoamperometric sensor with the current at a constant potential, and measurements with suitable experimental parameters, a linear concentration from 0.05 to 16 mg L−1 was found. The limit of quantification (LOQ) of the method for thiazolidine was found to be 1 ng.

Molecules, Vol. 16, Pages 7593-7607: Synthesis, Spectroscopic Properties and Antipathogenic Activity of New Thiourea Derivatives

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT

A number of acylthioureas, 2-((4-methylphenoxy)methyl)-N-(aryl-carbamothioyl)benzamides (aryl = 3,5-dichlorophenyl, 2,3-dichlorophenyl, 3,4-dichloro-phenyl, 2,4,5-trichlorophenyl, 3,4,5-trichlorophenyl, 2-bromophenyl, 2,4-dibromophenyl, 2,5-dibromophenyl, 2-iodophenyl, 3-fluorophenyl, 2,3,4-trifluorophenyl, 2,4,5-trifluoro-phenyl, 2,4,6-trifluorophenyl) have been synthesized, characterized by elemental analysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy and tested for their interaction with bacterial cells in free and adherent state. The anti-pathogenic activity was correlated with the presence of one iodine, bromide or fluorine, and two or three chloride atoms on the N-phenyl substituent of the thiourea moiety, being significant especially on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus strains, known for their ability to grow in biofilms. Our results demonstrate the potential of these derivatives for further development of novel anti-microbial agents with antibiofilm properties.

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Posted: 05 Sep 2011 08:59 PM PDT

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Posted: 05 Sep 2011 10:59 PM PDT

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AUTOS: Volvo Plans Engine Downsizing

Posted: 06 Sep 2011 12:00 AM PDT