Popcorn’s Explosive Pop Looks Pretty Cool In High-speed Video, But Just Watching It With A Regular

Separation of a highly fluorescent anthranilic acid derivative from the reaction mixture.

The upper organic layer dissolved almost completely my compound from the reaction mixture and could be separated in one step. A good point was that the compound had a really strong fluorescence and if I placed an UV lamp next to the separation funnel it was easily observed that the water phase contained almost none of the title compound. 

Thyroid function tests

Standard Tests

TSH levels

Free T4 (fT4) levels

Measurements of total T4 + T3 used to be common however detects both bound and free T3 + T4

Elevated total T4 may occur in healthy individuals if there is an increase in binding protein concentrations

Reliable tests now exist for free T4 + T3

T3 = 3.9-6.7 pmol/L

T4 = 12-22 pmol/L

Thyroid-stimulating hormone

Produced by the pituitary gland, not the thyroid, however:

TSH levels are controlled by negative feedback – can be indication of thyroid function (changes in T3+T4 will result in changes in TSH to try compesate)

TSH levels greatly elevated in hypothyroidism – >10 fold increase over reference values

More sensitive marker than decreased fT4 - increased TSH occurs before fT4 decreases

TSH levels greatly supressed in hyperthyroidism

Low concentrations can also occur in non-thyroidal illness

TSH measurement is the first-line test of thyroid function.

Free T4 + T3 Measurements

Desirable as free hormone is clinically relevant

Total levels can change under conditions that alter thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) levels e.g. pregnancy

Large changes in TBG may still affect fT4 + fT3 levels

fT3 levels often normal in hypothyroidism

fT3 levels usually raised more than fT4 levels in hyperthyroidism

Unless complicated by an illness effecting conversion of T4 to T3

Therefore: – fT4 levels are a better indication of hypothyroidism

fT3 levels are a better indication of hyperthyroidism

Quote by #rosalindfranklin How do you make science a part of your life? What are you doing to fight for scientific literacy? More quotes and questions in my #ilovescience journal. #womeninscience #scientificliteracy

I gotta split! Image of the Week - June 22, 2015

CIL:41466 - http://www.cellimagelibrary.org/images/41466

Description: Confocal image of a mitotic spindle in a dividing cell. The spindle is shown in yellow and the surrounding actin cytoskeleton is in blue. Sixth Prize, 2007 Olympus BioScapes Digital Imaging Competition.

Authors: Patricia Wadsworth and the 2007 Olympus Bioscapes Digital Imaging Competition®.

Licensing: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives: This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution, Non-Commercial, No Derivatives License

Getting Enraged By Specific Noises Has A Genuine Neurological Basis. Does the sound of whistling enrage you? How about the noise of someone eating? It now seems likely that those people who get infuriated by certain sounds might not just be being fussy, but actually have brains hardwired to produce an excessive emotional response to particular noises.

Rosalind Franklin was born #OTD in 1920. Her work was instrumental in the discovery of the structure of DNA: http://wp.me/s4aPLT-franklin

Phenyllithium or lithobenzene is an organometallic agent with the empirical formula C6H5Li. Crystalline phenyllithium is colorless; however, solutions of phenyllithium are various shades of brown or red depending on the solvent. It is a highly air and moisture sensitive compound, that could be easily decomposed by any protic solvent. 

In this case it was a byproduct of a synthesis of an organophosphorous compound and it was only present in a LOW concentration, therefore it was safe to decompose it by simply adding cold water. It’s important to note that it could be dangerous to decompose organometallic compounds by simply adding water. Also, in this case, the highly toxic BENZENE was the product of this reaction, what should be handled with care.

Stephanie Kwolek was born #OTD in 1923. She’s most famous for inventing the bulletproof polymer Kevlar: wp.me/p4aPLT-3dv

It is imperfection - not perfection - that is the end result of the program written into that formidably complex engine that is the human brain, and of the influences exerted upon us by the environment and whoever takes care of us during the long years of physical, psychological and intellectual development.

Rita Levi-Montalcini

Image Credit: Hammersmith Hospital in London

(via neuromorphogenesis)