272 posts · 286,730 views
I am a freelance science writer based in Cambridge, England, I trained as a chemist and am a chartered member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. Currently, I write for several magazines and websites on science, technology and medicine, covering everything from astronomy to zoology, with a special focus on all things chemical, which includes materials, pharma, nano, analytical sciences.
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Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
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- August 21, 2008
- 08:00 AM
- 1,587 views
Feed Marketing a Non-starter
by David Bradley in Sciencetext
Having waxed lyrical on repeated occasions about RSS newsfeeds and Feedburner feedcounts, I thought it was time I did some more formal study into the subject. However, I came across an intriguing research paper in the International Journal of Technology…... Read more »
Ingi Edvardsson, & Nik J Whitehead. (2008) RSS as a new international e-marketing opportunity. International Journal of Technology Marketing, 3(3), 293. DOI: 10.1504/IJTMKT.2008.019926
- August 7, 2008
- 08:00 AM
- 1,247 views
Joined Up Fuels
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
The green morals of UK motorists are currently being held to ransom by the government. The government hopes to increase vehicle taxes based on how much pollution a car produces - it’s a green tax, a carbon tax, call it what you will. Some drivers will end up paying twice as much each year to [...]... Read more »
Karl Hillman, & Bjorn A Sanden. (2008) Time and scale in Life Cycle Assessment: the case of fuel choice in the transport sector. International Journal of Alternative Propulsion, 2(1), 1. DOI: 10.1504/IJAP.2008.019689
- August 1, 2008
- 09:07 AM
- 1,180 views
Finding Experts
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
One of the main tasks in my day-to-day work as a science writer is tracking down experts. The web makes this much easier than it ever was for journalists in decades since. There are times when a contact in a highly specialist area does not surface quickly but there are also times when I know ... Read more »
Sharman Lichtenstein, Sara Tedmori, & Thomas Jackson. (2008) Socio-ethical issues for expertise location from electronic mail. International Journal of Knowledge and Learning, 4(1), 58. DOI: 10.1504/IJKL.2008.019737
- July 28, 2008
- 08:09 AM
- 1,249 views
Mass v Gas and the Biomass Buzz
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
There are two main schools of thought when it comes to oil supply. There are those who believe that oil supplies are strictly limited and that we have passed the peak and will soon (40 to 60 years) run out of oil with which to power our vehicles. Then are those who believe supplies could ... Read more »
Maria Sudiro, & Alberto Bertucco. (2008) Production of synthetic gasoline and diesel fuels by alternative processes using natural gas, coal and biomass: process simulation and economic analysis. International Journal of Alternative Propulsion, 2(1), 13-25.
- July 18, 2008
- 08:11 AM
- 1,284 views
Fair Use Rights
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
Intellectual property, copyright, creative commons, copyleft, open access… These are all terms high on the science and other agenda these days. For example, public-funded scientists the world over are calling for research results to be available free to them and their peers for the public good and for the good of scientific advancement itself. Librarians ... Read more »
Warren Chik. (2008) Better a sword than a shield: the case for statutory fair use right in place of a defence. International Journal of Private Law, 1(1/2), 157. DOI: 10.1504/IJPL.2008.019438
- July 16, 2008
- 06:13 AM
- 1,442 views
Unnatural Approach to Diabetes
by sciencebase in Sciencebase Science Blog
As regular readers will be aware, I’m very skeptical of crank claims. Usually, these will claim to cure everything from premenstrual cramps to cancer by way of motor neurone disease and ingrowing toenails, all of them, with one pill. Forgive my flippancy, but the claims of many of those touting such panaceas usually beggars belief.
But ... Read more »
M Mudra, N Ercan-Fang, L Zhong, J Furne, & M Levitt. (2007) Influence of Mulberry Leaf Extract on the Blood Glucose and Breath Hydrogen Response to Ingestion of 75 g Sucrose by Type 2 Diabetic and Control Subjects. Diabetes Care, 30(5), 1272-1274. DOI: 10.2337/dc06-2120
- July 1, 2008
- 12:23 PM
- 859 views
Diabetes and Mulberry Bush
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
The US Food and Drug Administration recently called for Type 2 diabetes drugs to be more rigorously controlled because of concerns about their risk of causing heart problems. However, an extract of mulberry could offer an alternative for managing Type 2 diabetes, according to researchers working with San Diego company Neuliven Health to market Glucocil.
Type [...]... Read more »
Mudra, M., Ercan-Fang, N., Zhong, L., Furne, J., & Levitt, M. (2007) Influence of Mulberry Leaf Extract on the Blood Glucose and Breath Hydrogen Response to Ingestion of 75 g Sucrose by Type 2 Diabetic and Control Subjects. Diabetes Care, 30(5), 1272-1274. DOI: 10.2337/dc06-2120
- October 1, 2007
- 02:12 PM
- 1,132 views
Chocoholics Anonymous
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
It probably will not come as a surprise that scientific research funded by chocolate makers Nestlé has demonstrated a link between our love of chocolate and a specific chemical signature programmed into our metabolism. The signature reads “chocolate lover” in some people and indifference to the popular sweet in others, the researchers say.
Sunil Kochhar of [...]... Read more »
Rezzi, S., Ramadan, Z., Martin, F., Fay, L., van Bladeren, P., Lindon, J., Nicholson, J., & Kochhar, S. (2007) Human Metabolic Phenotypes Link Directly to Specific Dietary Preferences in Healthy Individuals. Journal of Proteome Research, 6(11), 4469-4477. DOI: 10.1021/pr070431h
- September 1, 2007
- 12:32 PM
- 1,307 views
Heat Resistant Paint
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
A way to toughen up the latex particles used to make emulsion paints has been developed by UK chemists. The approach involves adding tiny slivers of clay armor to make the particles more hard wearing and fire resistant.
Until now, latex emulsion paints have been made by adding a soap-like surfactant molecule to allow the hydrophobic, [...]... Read more »
Bon, S., & Colver, P. (2007) Pickering Miniemulsion Polymerization Using Laponite Clay as a Stabilizer. Langmuir, 23(16), 8316-8322. DOI: 10.1021/la701150q
- December 1, 2006
- 01:16 PM
- 1,346 views
Bedwetting Chemistry
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
A higher concentration of sodium and urea in urine could underlie a type of bedwetting in children that does not respond to the common medication, desmopressin. The levels of these natural substances could indicate an imbalance of the hormone-like compound prostaglandin, and suggests a new approach to treating this common problem.
Out of every ten children [...]... Read more »
Kamperis, K., Rittig, S., Jorgensen, K., & Djurhuus, J. (2006) Nocturnal polyuria in monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis refractory to desmopressin treatment. AJP: Renal Physiology, 291(6). DOI: 10.1152/ajprenal.00134.2006
- December 1, 2006
- 11:29 AM
- 1,252 views
Rubber Suits You Sir
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
Military personnel, chemical workers, and others could benefit from a new synthetic rubber material tailored with liquid crystals. The material might be used to make body suits to protect chemical-industry employees from skin exposure to toxic vapors and aerosols, as well as providing protection for military personnel and civilians in the event of a chemical-weapons [...]... Read more »
Lu, X., Nguyen, V., Zhou, M., Zeng, X., Jin, J., Elliott, B., & Gin, D. (2006) Crosslinked Bicontinuous Cubic Lyotropic Liquid-Crystal/Butyl-Rubber Composites: Highly Selective, Breathable Barrier Materials for Chemical Agent Protection. Advanced Materials, 18(24), 3294-3298. DOI: 10.1002/adma.200601156
- November 1, 2006
- 10:08 AM
- 1,375 views
Fried Rust Could Prevent Arsenic Poisoning
by David Bradley in Reactive Reports Chemistry Blog
A subject that we have returned to on several occasions, arsenic-contaminated drinking water, could one day become a thing of the past thanks to the unexpected discovery of the magnetic properties of rusty nanoparticles.
Researchers at Rice University’s Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology (CBEN) have developed a low-cost technology that can extract arsenic from drinking [...]... Read more »
Yavuz, C., Mayo, J., Yu, W., Prakash, A., Falkner, J., Yean, S., Cong, L., Shipley, H., Kan, A., Tomson, M.... (2006) Low-Field Magnetic Separation of Monodisperse Fe3O4 Nanocrystals. Science, 314(5801), 964-967. DOI: 10.1126/science.1131475
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