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LMS Issue 3 | 2014
News | Benchtop Bites
Test-Tube Tidbits
Get the full stories at www.lmsmagazine.com
« Smelling Gender
A group of scientists at the Chinese Academy of Sciences believe that they have
found proof that human sex pheromones exist. In their new study, Wen Zhou
and his colleagues have shown that the human body produces chemical sensory
cues that communicate gender to members of the opposite sex. The team also
discovered that the effect of these cues is dependent upon the sexual orientation
of an individual. Their findings were featured in the journal Current Biology.
« Element 117
In 2010, Lawrence Livermore scientists together with their international collaborators first discovered Element 117. Almost five years later, this discovery has
been confirmed by a group of researchers from GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy
Ion Research, who have also shown its decay chain to elements 115 and 113. This
research will be published in the Physical Review Letters. This confirmation will also
bring 117 a step closer to being acknowledged as an element.
« Growing Neurons from Teeth
Researchers at the University of Adelaide released a paper in which they have shown
that stem cells taken from teeth developed into complex networks of brain-like
cells. While the cells that developed were not proper neurons, the scientists believe
that with more research they could develop into neurons. This study could have
important impacts on the future of stem cell research. The results of the study
were published in the journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy. ⚛
Diary
Metrohm SA Seminars
Metrohm will be presenting Nation-wide seminars throughout February to
launch their range of new IC and 3S TOC systems
06 May:
Titrino Training course (Woodmead, Johannesburg)
20 May:
Tiamo Software Training course (Woodmead, Johannesburg)
20 May:
Titration Training course (Northern Cape)
28-30 July: Africa Corrosion conference (CSIR)
31 July:
Metrohm Autolab seminar/ Nova workshop (Woodmead)
01 August: Metrohm Autolab seminar/ Nova workshop (UCT, Cape Town)
Email [email protected] for more info.
Lab Africa 2014
Lab Africa will be taking place in Cape Town this year. The Cape Town exhibition will be on from the 16-18 September 2014 at the Good Hope Centre.
Visit http://www.labafricaonline.co.za for more info.
Unipath 2014
The 54th International Congress of the Federation of South African Societies of Pathology, co-hosted by the University of Pretoria, will take place
between 19-21 September 2014 in Pretoria at the CSIR International Convention Centre.
Visit http://www.pathconference.com/ for more info. ⚛
T
Sudoku
he object of this puzzle is to insert numbers from 1-9 into the empty boxes to
satisfy only one condition.
• Each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.
Solutions to this Sudoku puzzle will be available on www.lmsmagazine.com
Continued from page 10
aerospace engineer and Mars expert. Our only problem is funding. So if anybody
reading this is keen to sponsor this event, please contact us. We can potentially
see this becoming an annual event in the country. SA needs some kind of space
related event.
Q
What are you plans if you do not get chosen for the project? Will you
still pursue your dream of going to space?
If I don’t get selected I’d be content knowing that someone better was.
I would likely focus on more earthbound adventures, such as attempting to climb all
seven summits or visiting the poles. If, one day, a similar opportunity comes along,
you can bet your favourite sweater, I would apply again in a heartbeat. ⚛