Decoded Science

  • Home
  • Headlines
  • General Science
  • Applied Science
    • Calculations
    • Economics
    • Engineering
      • Aviation
      • Civil Engineering
    • Medical Science
      • Health
      • Neuroscience
      • Oncology
      • Veterinary Science
    • Political Science
      • Polling
    • Mathematics
    • Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Computing
      • Electronics
      • Gadgets
    • Social Science
      • Cognitive Science
      • Psychology
      • Sociology
      • Anthropology
        • Linguistics
  • Physical Science
    • Archaeology
    • Astronomy
    • Chemistry
      • Materials Science
    • Geoscience
      • Climate Change
      • The Environment
      • Geology
      • Meteorology
      • Oceanography
    • Life Science
      • Biology
        • Botany
        • Zoology
          • Marine Biology
          • Entomology
          • Microbiology
        • Paleontology
        • Ecology
    • Nuclear Science
  • Theoretical Science
    • Physics
    • Math Theory
  • About Us
    • Contact Decoded Science
    • Ask the Expert
    • Meet Our Experts
    • Meet Our Sponsors:
    • Browse All Articles
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use Agreement
  • Support Decoded Science

Neurochemistry, Novel Memory Chips, and Advances in Education: This Week in Chemistry

August 3, 2014 by John A. Jaksich Leave a Comment

Share4
+11
Share1
Tweet
Pin
6 Shares
chemistry quote

Chemistry isn’t just test tubes in class – it’s made a huge difference in the way we live today. Image by Decoded Science, all rights reserved.

Chemistry affects our lives in every way, with advances taking place in labs around the world on a daily basis.

Let’s look at the latest news in this fascinating field: neurochemistry of concussions, the role of chemistry in novel computer memory chips, and simplifying chemical education.

Chemistry Provides Novel Memory Chips

The computer age was ushered into existence by the silicon chip; the silicon chip, however, may be eventually be replaced by a revolutionary development reported in the American Chemical Society’s on-line journal, ACS Nano.

Researchers from Taiwan and Saudi Arabia report replacing silicon with paper via print-based technologies.

Print-based technology, presently, has made headway into greener technologies with developments in 3-dimensional print-fabrication. The researchers are utilizing 3-dimensional print technologies develop flexible electronic components.

The components may see application in wearable computer technology.




Conventional paper (or cotton rag, for instance) is imprinted with carbon black which is followed by titanium dioxide and finally silver. The researchers report the three layers of imprinted technology can behave like non-volatile memory.

The economic incentives for paper-based electronics have an estimated cost of $ 0.06 cent/inch while the silicon wafers cost upwards to 4 orders more per inch.

The research development promises to hold further advancements in biocompatible computer hardware. Exciting developments await.

Beta-Amyloid structure

Beta-Amyloid Protein: This protein is attached to the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Image of Beta-Amyloid structure retrieved from ChEBI, EMBL-EBI.

Neurochemistry Advances

Concussions are a frequent occurrence in contact sports. The injuries that appear non-life-threatening at first, however can alter one’s quality of life years later.

Symptoms of dementia in ex-NFL football players appear similar to Alzheimer’s in the elderly people who never played contact sports – but is there really a link?

Neurologists needed evidence to connect the dementias affecting the brains of both elderly and the ex-NFL players, and they found it: The brains of former athletes differed from Alzheimer’s patients in several critical ways. There are bio-chemical markers distinguishing brains that have suffered numerous concussions from their Alzheimer’s counterparts.

While both brains had Amyloid proteins, the athlete’s brains had an additional change as well. Another type of protein was present, a “Tau protein.”

In research originating from Eli Lilly & Co, researchers are developing a new tracer molecule, T807, to aid neurologists in the treatment of dementia.

Their results confirm the observations of Medical Doctors and biologists: Dementia may result from contact sports.

Moreover, neuro-chemists have been able to accurately map affected regions of the brain and distinguish between Sport-effected dementia from Alzheimer’s type dementia.

Diglycine molecule model

The distinguishing feature of the protein the peptide chain. Peptides are chains of amino acids. This illustration of a simple protein model shows the peptide bond: diglycine. This is a diglycine molecule model of the simple peptide in proteins. Image built using Avogadro Open Source Software, all rights reserved.

Utilizing Positron Emission Tomography (PET), neuro-chemists administered two radio-labeled compounds to differentiate between the sport-effected dementia and Alzheimer’s type dementia.

Both compounds successfully mapped the affected regions and the new compound successfully differentiated whether the sufferer was an Alzheimer’s patient or a contact-sport patient.

The researchers originally reported results in Chemical and Engineering News by The American Chemical Society.

We await further results with interest.

Advances in Chemistry Education

Students frequently utilize the Beer-Lambert law in Analytical chemistry laboratory; the principles of use are to measure the amount of a chemical substance in a watery solution.

Commercial instrumentation such as a colorimeter is expensive to allocate and maintain, so instructors have taken it upon themselves to have students build their instruments using Legos (TM) and inexpensive electronics.

Educators from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway, report constructing a Lego (TM) sized colorimeter for laboratory use. The development utilizes a Lego (TM) ‘breadboard’ upon which a Lego (TM) equipped LED light is used to measure differences in light absorption.

The research is reported in the Journal of Chemical Education.

Advances in Neurochemistry and the Greening 0f Chemistry

Every day, we see reports on the ways in which we can use chemical logic to understand the workings of the mind, simplify computer technology, and improve resources for laboratory experimentation. Chemistry: It’s changing the world, one day at a time.

Share4
+11
Share1
Tweet
Pin
6 Shares

Filed Under: Chemistry, Headlines

Resources for this article

Wolf, Lauren . Racing To Detect Brain Trauma. (2014). American Chemical Society. Accessed on August 03, 2014


Lien, Der-Hsien, et al. All-Printed Paper Memory. (2014). American Chemical Society. Accessed on August 03, 2014


Asheim, Jonas , et al. A Simple, Small-Scale Lego Colorimeter with a Light-Emitting Diode (LED) Used as Detector. (2014). American Chemical Society. Accessed on August 03, 2014




Decoded Everything is a non-profit corporation, dependent on donations from readers like you. Donate now! Your support keeps the great information coming!

Donation Information

I would like to make a donation in the amount of:

$500$200$100$50$20$10$5Other
Other:

I would like this donation to automatically repeat each month

Tribute Gift

Check here to donate in honor or memory of someone
Check here if this is a memorial gift
Name of person to be honored:
Send acknowledgement via email
Send acknowledgement via postal mail
Email Name:
Email:
Name:
Address:
City:
State :
Province:
Country:
Postal Code:

Donor Information

First Name:
Last Name:
Email:
Please do not display my name publicly. I would like to remain anonymous
Add me to your mailing list

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Connect with:
Facebook

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About the Author

John A. Jaksich

John Jaksich holds a BA in chemistry from California State University East Bay. Read Full Profile

Follow Decoded Science

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
signupheredailydosedecsciv2


Science Everyone's Talking About

  • Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food What are the benefits and risks of genetically modified... under Headlines, Health
  • Surface Temperature's Effect on the Jet Stream Surface Temperature’s Effect on the Jet Stream Anomalous upper air patterns are related to persistent... under Headlines, Meteorology
  • Don't Pass Go: How a Legal Gun-Carry Permit Can Land You in Jail Don’t Pass Go: How a Legal Gun-Carry Permit Can Land You in Jail Selective prosecution and confusing laws mean criminal... under Criminology, Headlines
  • Birthdays Can Have Power, Perfection, And Abundance: Fun With Numbers Birthdays Can Have Power, Perfection, And Abundance: Fun With Numbers The numbers associated with the years in a human life s... under Headlines, Mathematics
  • Chemistry Questions: Organic Compounds, Life, and Vitalism Chemistry Questions: Organic Compounds, Life, and Vitalism Current scientific theories as to the origin of life ar... under Chemistry

Today's Most Popular Science Articles

  • Introducing Math Symbols for Union and Intersection Introducing Math Symbols for Union and Intersection
  • Norovirus Facts: 5 Things You Didn't Know About Stomach Flu Norovirus Facts: 5 Things You Didn’t Know About Stomach Flu
  • Which Chemical Bond is Stronger: Ionic vs. Covalent Bonds Which Chemical Bond is Stronger: Ionic vs. Covalent Bonds
  • Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food Genetically Modified Organisms: Pros and Cons of GMO Food
  • Cross Multiply to Solve Equations with Fractions Cross Multiply to Solve Equations with Fractions
  • Introducing the Factorial: the Exclamation Mark of Math Introducing the Factorial: the Exclamation Mark of Math
  • Stomach Flu Cramps: Is There Anything You Can Do For Norovirus Symptoms? Stomach Flu Cramps: Is There Anything You Can Do For Norovirus Symptoms?

Copyright © 2019 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

MENU
  • Home
  • Headlines
  • General Science
  • Applied Science
    • Calculations
    • Economics
    • Engineering
      • Aviation
      • Civil Engineering
    • Medical Science
      • Health
      • Neuroscience
      • Oncology
      • Veterinary Science
    • Political Science
      • Polling
    • Mathematics
    • Technology
      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Computing
      • Electronics
      • Gadgets
    • Social Science
      • Cognitive Science
      • Psychology
      • Sociology
      • Anthropology
        • Linguistics
  • Physical Science
    • Archaeology
    • Astronomy
    • Chemistry
      • Materials Science
    • Geoscience
      • Climate Change
      • The Environment
      • Geology
      • Meteorology
      • Oceanography
    • Life Science
      • Biology
        • Botany
        • Zoology
          • Marine Biology
          • Entomology
          • Microbiology
        • Paleontology
        • Ecology
    • Nuclear Science
  • Theoretical Science
    • Physics
    • Math Theory
  • About Us
    • Contact Decoded Science
    • Ask the Expert
    • Meet Our Experts
    • Meet Our Sponsors:
    • Browse All Articles
    • Subscribe
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use Agreement
  • Support Decoded Science