Vol. 108 No. 2 (2012)
For the last decades, scientists have tried to build efficient molecular devices but, until now, every attempt to design artificial systems pales beside the nature’s molecular machines at work. By learning from nature, we could be able to make use of the excellent properties refined by slow evolution. Here we will briefly review some of the better-known natural molecular machines as an inspiration for the design of biomimetic artificial switches. Taking the nature’s work as a starting point, we will specify some of the requirements to build efficient molecular machines.
The presence of water whether in contact or nearby to non-polar surfaces is a common issue in biological systems and it plays a crucial role in various important phenomena, including the functional dynamics and thermodynamics of natural pores and the folding and function of proteins. The permanent presence of water molecules in pores under the conditions reported in this article suggests a mechanism for water conduction in structures formed by organic polymers.
Terpenes are one of the most abundant classes of natural products, with over 55.000 compounds isolated. Two fundamental aspects must be considered in the biosynthetic routes involved in their training. On one hand, a cascade polycyclization reaction, to generate the polycyclic skeleton followed by, successives steps of oxidation and/or derivatization. This review gives an overview of the advantages offered by cascade reactions toward total synthesis of terpenoids with complex molecular architectures, as well as synthetic potential of insaturation in domino processes.
Dye chemistry facilitated important advances in several scientific areas, as is the case of histology. In this field dyes are used to record images of biological tissues and cell anatomy under the light microscope. Besides that, the related science of Histochemistry addresses the understanding of the chemical composition and reaction mechanisms taking place in biological tissues. In Spain Santiago Ramón y Cajal, well known by his crucial contributions to the current knowledge of the nervous system, was also a leading innovator of staining methods for neurohistology, inaugurating a tradition of noted Spanish histochemists.
Departing from one of the legends that are counted on Archimedes a didactic resource is proposed in the one that, starting from the concept and the measure of the density is claimed besides the comprehension of the basic concepts, a set of physical, chemical, even mathematical applications of the density and different manners of measuring it, are shown, and some didactic resources that can be extracted as well as the extension of the ideas to similar properties, as well as an introduction to the measure and the treatment of the results.
The celebration of the International Year of Chemistry (IYC) has been a unique opportunity for activities by and for students of secondary education. In this paper we list and specify those in the IES Valle del Saja and some of the reflections arising from the relationship between increased presence of chemistry for a year in the educational community and the results achieved.
Keywords: International Year of Chemistry, secondary education, activities and experiments in chemistry, periodic tableResumen: Durante 2011, con ocasión de la celebración del Año Internacional de la Química, cientos de miles de jóvenes de todo el mundo han participado en el Experimento Global, Agua: Una solución química, mediante la realización de experimentos sencillos relacionados con el agua. Los resultados de sus análisis han permitido confeccionar un mapa global cuyos datos están siendo examinados con software específico para visualizar y comparar grandes cantidades de datos en función de su procedencia. Los objetivos principales de esta actividad han sido promover el interés de los jóvenes por la química, la experimentación y el uso sostenible del agua.
Palabras clave: Año Internacional de la Química, educación, redes sociales, agua, sostenibilidad.
Abstract: During 2011, with the occasion of the celebration of the International Year of Chemistry, hundreds of thousands of young people from around the world have participated in the Global Experiment, Water: A chemical solution, by conducting simple experiments related to water. The results of their analysis have produced a global map whose data are being revised using special software to visualize and compare large amounts of data according to its location. The main objectives of this activity have been to promote the interest of young people in chemistry, experimentation and the sustainable use of water.
Keywords: International Year of Chemistry, education, social media, water, sustainability.
The declaration by UNESCO of 2011 as the International Year of Chemistry has been an incentive for public and private academic institutions to promote initiatives aimed at solving future challenges of society in terms of health, food, energy, etc., and in this way, to improve the public appreciation of chemistry. In this paper, we report the commemorative activities developed at the University of Jaén and their impact in the society.
Resumen: 2011, Año Internacional de la Química, coincidió con la primera celebración de la Reunión Bienal de la RSEQ en Valencia. La Sección Territorial realizó un esfuerzo especial a lo largo de este año programando actividades que incluyeron la realización de concursos, exposiciones, ciclos de conferencias y cine-forum y la edición de números especiales en diversas revistas de divulgación valencianas.
Palabras clave: Año Internacional de la Química, Sección Territorial de Valencia de la RSEQ, divulgación.
Abstract: During the 2011 International Year of Chemistry, the Biennial Meeting of the RSEQ was celebrated for the first time in Valencia. The Valencia Section of the Royal Society of Chemistry of Spain (RSEQ-Valencia) has made a special effort on programming different activities through this year. RSEQ-Valencia offered a range of activities dedicated to chemistry, including exhibitions, conferences, movies, competitions and special editions of Valencia magazines.
Keywords: International Year of Chemistry, RSEQ Valencia Section, popular science.
Attracting talent as the axis of R&D management: The case from the Ikerbasque Foundation.
In the context of the “International Year of Chemistry” celebrated last year, an entertaining play about the history of the periodic table of the elements has been written and put on stage in Jaén (España), as a vehicle for bring to light the contribution of some researchers to the development of science, chemistry in particular.
The mutual impact of Science and Technology (S&T) and society/environment is the topic dealt with in this article. The definition of Social Responsibility of Science y Technology (SR of S&T) can be approached using the concept widely used in modern enterprises. The internal and external connotations of the SR of S&T will provide to readers a global vision of the topic.