Metallkatalysierte Anellierungen durch Aktivierung und Spaltung von C‐H‐Bindungen

Infrared Held in a Pincer

Many applications, from fiber-optic telecommunications to biomedical imaging processes require substances that emit light in the near-infrared range (NIR). A research team in Switzerland has now developed the first chromium complex that emits light in the coveted, longer wavelength NIR-II r ... more

How Green Is Your Plastic?

Despite the best efforts of industry to work towards sustainability, most plastics (or polymers) are still made using non-renewable fossil fuels. However, researchers have now found an economical method for producing biobased acrylate resins. The study, published in the journal Angewandte C ... more

At Last: Separated and Freshly Bound

The carbon–hydrogen bonds in alkanes—particularly those at the ends of the molecules, where each carbon has three hydrogen atoms bound to it—are very hard to “crack” if you want to replace the hydrogen atoms with other atoms. Methane (CH4) and ethane (CH3CH3) are made up, exclusively, of su ... more

The unfolding landscape of the congenital myasthenic syndromes

Abstract Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are heterogeneous disorders in which the safety margin of neuromuscular transmission is impaired by one or more specific mechanisms. Since the advent of next‐generation sequencing methods, the discovery of novel CMS targets and phenotypes ha ... more

Passive transfer models of myasthenia gravis with muscle‐specific kinase antibodies

Abstract Myasthenia gravis (MG) with antibodies to muscle‐specific kinase (MuSK) is characterized by fluctuating fatigable weakness. In MuSK MG, involvement of bulbar muscles, neck, and shoulder and respiratory weakness are more prominent than in acetylcholine receptor (AChR) MG. MuSK au ... more

Acetylcholine receptor antibody–mediated animal models of myasthenia gravis and the role of complement

Abstract Because of the failure of many promising therapeutics identified in preclinical evaluation, funding sources have established guidelines for increased rigor in animal evaluations. The myasthenia gravis (MG) community of scientists has developed guidelines for preclinical assessme ... more

Smart skin made of recyclable materials may transform medicine and robotics

Smart skin that can respond to external stimuli could have important applications in medicine and robotics. Using only items found in a typical household, researchers have created multi-sensor artificial skin that's capable of sensing pressure, temperature, humidity, proximity, pH, and air ... more

How mercury contamination affects reptiles in the Amazon basin

Mercury contamination in water and on land is of worldwide concern due to its toxic effects on ecosystems and human health. Mercury toxicity is of particular concern to reptiles because they are currently experiencing population declines. Also, reptiles are ideal indicators of mercury conta ... more

Bioengineers Succeed in Producing Plastic Without the use of Fossil Fuels

A team of pioneering South Korean scientists have succeeded in producing the polymers used for everyday plastics through bioengineering, rather than through the use of fossil fuel based chemicals. This groundbreaking research, which may now allow for the production of environmentally consci ... more