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In​ the​ field​ of​ medicine,​ natural​ treatments​ are​ becoming ​increasingly ​vital ​towards ​the ​cure ​of ​cancer. Zhu et al. wanted to investigate the effects of lettuce extract on cancer cell survival and proliferation. They used an adenocarcinoma cell line, COLO320DM, to determine whether crude extract from a lettuce species called Niuli​ Lactucis Agrestibus​ would affect cancer cell survival, migration, and proliferation. They found that Niuli extract inhibited cancer cell survival, increased expression of cell cycle inhibitors p21 and p27, and inhibited migration. However, Niuli extract did not have these effects on healthy cells. This work reveals important findings about a potential new source of anti-colorectal cancer compounds.

In this study the author undertakes a careful characterization of a special type of chemical reaction, called an oscillating Belousov-Zhabotinsky (or B-Z) reaction, which has a number of existing applications in biomedical engineering as well as the potential to be useful in future developments in other fields of science and engineering. Specifically, she uses experimental measurements in combination with computational analysis to investigate whether the reaction is cohesive – that is, whether the oscillations between chemical states will remain consistent or change over time as the reaction progresses. Her results indicate that the reaction is not cohesive, providing an important foundation for the development of future technologies using B-Z reactions.

In this article the authors looked at how temperature was impacted when alumnium was added in various forms to aqueous copper(II) solutions. Their study investigates the impact of surface area on chemical reactions.

In this study, the authors tested different approaches for removing arsenic from rice. Due to higher arsenic levels in water, some areas grow rice with higher levels as well. This is a health hazard and so developing methods to remove arsenic from the rice will be helpful to many. Using a rapid arsenic kit, the authors found that activated charcoal was the most effective at removing arsenic from rice.

In this study a student uses Daphnia magna, or water fleas, to assay the purity of local soil samples. Daphnia magna are a helpful organism to detect potentially harmful levels of toxins in water.

Some cancer treatments lose efficacy when combined with treatments for excessive stomach acid, due to the changes in the stomach environment caused by the stomach acid treatments. Lin and Lin investigate information on oral cancer drugs to see what information is available on interactions of these drugs.

This article explores the potential of piperine, a bioenhancer from black pepper, to improve antibiotic efficacy against antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii. By combining piperine with ampicillin-sulbactam, the study demonstrated a significant reduction in bacterial growth for most strains tested, showcasing the promise of bioenhancers in combating resistant pathogens. This research highlights the possibility of reducing the required antibiotic dosage, potentially offering a new strategy in the fight against drug-resistant bacteria.

Here, in an effort to identify alternatives to oil-based plastic, the authors sought to investigate the effects of plasticizers on the mechanical properties and chemical composition of gelatin bioplastic matrices. Through measurements of their tensile strength and elongation at break, along with FTIR spectroscopy, they identified 3% w/v polyethylene glycol film as having the best performance in their study..

The authors looked at the ability of plants to transfer phosphate between each other through mycorrhizal fungi. Specifically, they looked at whether plants with excess phosphate would transfer this nutrient to other plants that had depleted levels of phosphate.

The authors looked at how molarity impacts the degree to which ionic compounds dissociate in solution. They found that lower molarities led to decreased conductivity of solutions in a manner that did not follow the theoretical predictions.