agribusiness: Spliced feed for The Science Network

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Spliced feed for The Science Network

Heavy Metal and Alzheimer’s [Sciencebase Science Blog]

Posted: 21 May 2008 07:00 AM CDT

More popular science news with a spectroscopic bent from the desk of David Bradley, this week: Heavy metal and Alzheimer’s - While the protein-like plaques that form in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease and in other tissues in a wide range of different disorders are well known, what is less well known is that fairly high concentrations of transition metal elements, including copper, iron, and zinc, are also present. Do these metals have a role to play in plaque formation or are they a side-effect. New research using X-ray and NMR spectroscopy could shed light on the issue and perhaps one day lead to new approaches to therapy based on controlling these metals.

Forgetful quanta - Researchers have, for the first time, monitored oscillations in a vanadium-based molecular magnet. These so-called Rabi oscillations are characteristic of the disturbances that have so far prevented scientists developing a viable quantum bit, or qubit, for use in the next generation of probabilistic computers and encryption devices. According to one independent commentator, the research represents the passing of a milestone on the road to quantum computers. Now that scientists understand the cause of this problem they might be able to address it by swapping atoms with spin for isotopes with zero spin and so cut down on the noise.

More spec news from DB and others on spectroscopynow.com

A post from David Bradley Science Writer

Heavy Metal and Alzheimer’s

Dark matter responsible for galactic violence [Earth & Sky Podcast]

Posted: 20 May 2008 04:05 AM CDT

Dense pools of dark matter are yanking on galaxies deep in space. Astronomer Catherine Heymans talks about mysterious force of dark matter in the Abell supercluster of galaxies, 2.6 billion light years from earth.