Can particles as minuscule as viruses be detected accurately within a mere 5 minutes? Osaka Metropolitan University scientists say yes, with their innovative method for ultrafast and ultrasensitive quantitative measurement of biological nanoparticles, opening doors for early diagnosis of a broad range of diseases.
According to the federal government's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, nearly 3 million people worldwide -; with almost a third in the United States -; are living with multiple sclerosis (MS), a disabling neurological disease in which the body's immune system mistakenly attacks nerves feeding information to the central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord). Although rarely fatal, MS can lead to long-term disabilities, and impair movement, muscle control, vision and cognition.
Washington, June 4: Cutting boards are common kitchen items in most households and restaurants. However, according to a small-scale study published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology by the American Chemical Society, they are an unused source of micrometre-sized particles. Cutting carrots on wood and plastic boards, according to the study, can generate tens of millions of microparticles each year. However, a toxicity test found that polyethylene or wood microparticles generated during chopping had no effect on mouse cell survival.