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Reactive Chemistry Blog

Apr 3, 2013

What is ambergris?

 

Ambergris (ambergrease or grey amber) is a waxy, inflammable solid with a dull grey colour formed as a biliary secretion in the gut of sperm whales. It is thought to act as a protective lubricant so that squid beaks and other hard, sharp ojects the whale may swallow don’t pierce its intestine.

Its main use was as a fixative in perfumes. Alluded to in the Rush song Panacea from their 1975 album Caress of Steel in …

Mar 26, 2013

Lead paint still on sale in Africa

 

Paint containing dangerous amounts of lead is on sale in Cameroon, a study has found. Moreover, the subsidiaries of large multinational companies were among those found to be selling this paint.

via Lead paint still on sale in Africa | Chemistry World.

Jan 10, 2013

Antioxidant backlash redux

 

According to Henry Scowcroft of Cancer Research UK writing in The Guardian: “Large studies have repeatedly shown that, with the possible exception of vitamin D, antioxidant supplements have negligible positive effect on healthy people, at least in terms of important things such as preventing people getting cancer or dying prematurely. And some supplements – notably vitamins A, E and beta-carotene – even seem to slightly raise the risk of disease and early death.”
The antioxidant …

Strong test for FUR

 

A new spectroscopic method has been developed for the determination of the drug furosemide used to treat congestive heart failure and other conditions. The drug is alsosed illegally by some athletes as a stimulant and rapid weight-loss agent.Yali Liu, Huijuan Wang, Jian Wang and Yuanfang Li of Southwest University, in Chongqing, China, explain how furosemide 4-chloro-N-furfuryl-5-sulfamoyl-anthranillic acid, FUR is a potent diuretic. It is widely used in the treatment of chronic kidney failure, high blood …

Dec 19, 2012

Deceived Wisdom

 

British science journalist and owner of the Reactive Reports chemistry site, David Bradley, has published his first popular science book – Deceived Wisdom with UK publisher Elliott & Thompson. The book is available in hardback (UK) and electronic editions (RoW). You can order a copy now with free shipping and 48h dispatch for delivery almost anywhere in the …

Sep 7, 2012

Pumping bacterial toxins

 

In a previous issue, we discussed early work on Escherichia coli as a proof of principle for understanding how bacterial resistance to antibiotics can emerge. Now, Edward Yu’s team at Iowa State University have taken another step forward in our understanding of this pressing issue by using crystallography to reveal the structure of a protein regulator that controls the expression of the multidrug efflux pump in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

via TB or not TB: Efflux X-rayed …

Reactive Reports

After 75 issues and ten years of the chemistry webzine, Reactive Reports, one of the first chemistry news sites to be launched way back in 1999, the site has been given a makeover. More than a makeover, a complete overhaul and replacement of old worn-out body parts.

Reactive Reports is now wholly owned and operated by David Bradley Science Writer, hosted on an independent web server, with an entirely new theme, content management system (CMS) and ethos.
The Reactive Reports archives remain in place of course, although the popular, older content is gradually being incorporated into the new CMS, so that it follows the new theme.