Young stars ejecting plasma could give us clues into the Sun’s past Kyoto, Japan — Down here on Earth we don’t usually notice, but the Sun is frequently ejecting huge masses of plasma into space. These are called coronal mass ejections (CMEs). They often occur together with sudden brightenings called flares, and sometimes extend far enough to disturb Earth’s magnetosphere, generating space weather phenomena including auroras or geomagnetic storms, and even damaging power grids on occasion. Scientists believe that when…
This agreement is the basis for future events in China and Europe where the partners of both organizations can meet, establish contacts and exchange know-how…
Inexpensive computers, cell phones and other systems that substitute flexible plastic for silicon chips may be one step closer to reality, thanks to research…
Dr. CHE Xiaoping and Dr. MAAG Stephane from Laboratory UMR 5157 of French Centre national de la recherché scientifique (CNRS) focus on converging these two…
As a result, for the first time, the scientists succeeded in generating and positioning perfectly round silicon nanoparticles with a diameter of 165 nm. This…
The climate effects generated on these wobbling worlds could prevent them from turning into glacier-covered ice lockers, even if those planets are somewhat far…
Photodynamic tumour therapy (PDT) is a promising minimal-invasive method in the treatment of cancer. PDT is based on a method for the treatment of cancer with light in combination with a so-called photosensitizer.
In contrast to traditional photosensitisers, the chlorine compounds developed at and patented by the University of Bremen show amphiphilic (both hydrophilic and lipophilic) properties. The combination of lipophilic and non-ionic hydrophilic structure parts enables both good transport properties via the bloodstream and increased accumulation in the tumour tissue.
Due to the synthesis of the novel photosenitisers, exceedingly suitable candidates as active substances have been formed with the potential to improve the photodynamic therapy and its effectiveness. Moreover, the chemical process for the production of these compounds has been improved, enabling for the first time the clinical use of the structurally challenging photosensitisers in an economic way.
Initial experiments to verify the effectiveness have been carried out in vitro. The next step will be the verification in the animal model. We are looking for partner companies interested in the further development of the active substance using the patent.
University of Bremen developed a ceramic coating which comprises a special microstructure based on chemically inert oxide nanoparticles. Furthermore, the ceramic surface has a biofunctional effect due to a lysozyme which adheres to it. This results in a high grade of strength and resistance and has an extremely effective antimicrobial effect.
The new material provides effective surface protection from an environmental and health perspective against abrasion, corrosion and bacterial deposition. It is therefore suitable for use in processes involving the handling and processing of foodstuffs. It offers an alternative to the use of biocides and antibiotics in combating biofilms, and even prevents their formation altogether.
In addition to the antimicrobial effect, the surface provides all the advantages of a ceramic coating: strength, mechanical resilience and chemical inertia. By protecting the surface, this ultimately prolongs the service life of the systems, reduces the amount of cleaning required, and leads to cost-savings. Furthermore, the use of the bodys own lysozymes means that the surface is also suitable for coating implants for preventing contamination during operation.
Laboratory tests were carried out successfully to check the activity of the lysozymes immobilized on the ceramic surface. For that purpose, a continuous flow system was developed in which harsh ambient conditions were simulated using a supply of model microorganisms and aggressive ingredients. The micro-moulding method is universally applicable on a diverse range of surfaces and geometries. The surface must be adjusted and further developed for the relevant application.
Somewhere in the cosmos an ordinary galaxy spins, seemingly at slumber. Then all of a sudden, WHAM! A flash of light explodes from the galaxy's center. A star…
By depositing an array of tiny, metallic, U-shaped structures onto a dielectric material, a team of researchers in China has created a new artificial surface…
Photovoltaic solar-panel windows could be next for your house
Biological samples bend light in unpredictable ways, returning difficult-to-interpret information to the microscope and distorting the resulting image. New…
Chile and Namibia as well as Argentina as a third option have been selected from the candidates on the southern hemisphere for concrete negotiations. This has…
The two research papers, led by Andrew Nix, Professor of Wireless Communication Systems and Dr Simon Armour, Senior Lecturer in Software Radio, from the…
Physicists in Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences have helped confirm the existence of exotic hadrons—a type of matter that cannot be classified…
Physicist Richard Schnee hopes to find traces of dark matter by studying particles with low masses and interaction rates, some of which have never been probed…
Astronomers have developed yet another novel way to use the 24-year-old space telescope by employing a technique called spatial scanning, which dramatically…