Monthly Archives: July 2007

Nicotine high hinges on sugar molecule

Posted by spinneret on July 27, 2007 Comments Off

When nicotine binds to a neuron, how does the cell know to send the signal that announces a smoker’s high? A recently determined crystal structure of a key player in the process suggests that a sugar molecule has a simple …

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Filter Paper Lead by Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

Posted by spinneret on July 17, 2007 Comments Off

A single drop of blood absorbed on to a filter paper is all that is needed for a new test for lead, based on solid sampling-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (SS-GFAAS). The minimally-invasive method would allow many more people, and …

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Quit smoking avoid the munchies

Posted by spinneret on July 13, 2007 2 comments

Could a drug that blocks the brain’s cannabinoid (CB1) receptors help people stop smoking without gaining weight? According to a Cochrane Systematic Review, just 20 mg of CB1 antagonist rimonabant each day helps quitters and also helps them avoid the …

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Europe Sees Red Over Food Coloring

Posted by spinneret on July 10, 2007 3 comments

The artificial food coloring known as Red 2G (E128, in the European Union) could soon be banned because of concerns about its safety and a purported risk of cancer arising from its aniline metabolite. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) …

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Pirouetting DIABN

Posted by spinneret on July 3, 2007 Comments Off

It seems to be no coincidence that tens of thousands of molecules line up to pirouette around a photochemical reaction centre, according to German researchers, given the superficial resemblance of the molecule, 4-(diisopropylamino)benzonitrile (DIABN), to a ballet dancer en pointe. …

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