sid_melo blogreen: 10/29/14

quarta-feira, 29 de outubro de 2014

Cocoa Constitutents Fend Off Senior Moments—the Memory of a 30-Year-Old?

By Gary Stix | October 26, 2014

Memory dust?

Scott Small, a professor of neurology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, researches Alzheimer’s, but he also studies the memory loss that occurs during the normal aging process. Research on the commonplace “senior moments” focuses on the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved with formation of new memories. In particular, one area of the hippocampus, the dentate gyrus, which helps distinguish one object from another, has lured researchers on age-related memory problems.

In a study by Small and colleagues published Oct. 26 in Nature Neuroscience, naturally occurring chemicals in cocoa increased dentate gyrus blood flow. Psychological testing showed that the pattern recognition abilities of a typical 60-year-old on a high dose of the cocoa phytochemicals in the 37-person study matched those of a 30-or 40-year old after three months. The study received support from the food company Mars, but Small cautions against going out to gorge on Snickers Bars, as most of the beneficial chemicals, or flavanols, are removed when processing cocoa. An edited transcript of an interview with Small follows:

Can you explain what you found in your study?

The main motive of the study was to causally establish an anatomical source of age-related memory loss. A number of labs have shown in the last 10 years that there’s one area of the brain called the dentate gyrus that is linked to the aging process. But no one has tested that concept. Until now the observations have been correlational. There is decreased function in that region and, to prove causation, we were trying to see if we could reverse that.

We turned to cocoa flavanols because of a previous study in mice by another research group led by Rusty Gage at The Salk Institute that showed that flavanols improved the function of the hippocampus and specifically the dentate gyrus. Because it’s a dietary mix, it’s something we can actually give to you.

Finding the cause-and-effect relationship was the main motive for the study but even though it wasn’t our primary goal, we found that this dietary intervention can, in fact, ameliorate or even reverse age-related memory decline.

Do you think this could have an impact on people who have clinically diagnosed cognitive decline like Alzheimer’s?

This has not been formally tested for Alzheimer’s. My guess is that for Alzheimer’s, which is a terribly grinding disorder that involves death of brain cells, diet might not be enough. Age-related memory decline, which affects all of us, is pathophysiologically a lot more subtle and involves loss of synapses [the connection points between brain cells], but not cell loss.

What are the next steps for the cocoa flavanol research?

We’re planning another study, a much larger study, not just to replicate the first one that had pretty compelling statistics, but to extend our understanding. We’d like to test the amount of flavanols needed to produce this effect. Perhaps they might still be beneficial if we give a lower amount. We’d like to know more about the time course. In this first study, we tested the flavanols at the beginning and after three months. We’d also like to know whether you get the benefits after taking them for a month. And we’d like to know once you stop taking the cocoa flavanols how long the benefit lasts.

The flavanols you’re talking about are already commercially available.

You’d have to eat 25 chocolate bars a day to get 900 milligrams of flavanols, the amount we used, which is a bad idea. There is a commercial formulation with a much lower amount [CocoaVia, a supplement from Mars, Inc.]. No commercially available formulation has 900 milligrams. Maybe in the future, companies will develop that.

You were even able to create a psychological test was specifically designed to assess the dentate gyrus’s pattern recognition capabilities. What’s the significance of that?

This is part of a growing wave of studies trying to develop a more sophisticated cognitive tool kit. I think the next generation of neuropsycholgical tests are going to incorporate these new batteries of tests that are more nuanced, more sensitive for selective regions of the brain.

You also study Alzheimer’s. There are a lot of drugs that have failed for dementia. Is there any hope ahead for Alzheimer treatments?

We as doctors always have this tendency to talk about things in terms reminiscent of Soviet five-year plans. In five years, we’ll have a cure. Fifteen years ago when I was first getting started, I was blatantly pessimistic about Alzheimer’s, but that’s changed.

It really has to do with the logic of rational drug discovery, which tries to understand what’s fundamentally wrong at the molecular level. That is how the field has shifted. Genetics, imaging and microarray studies have provided new insight into the defects driving Alzheimer’s.

The older crop of drugs were developed without that understanding. Now we have this newer set of drugs that are being developed that come out of this new biological understanding. It’s dangerous to say what’s the probability in five years of having effective drugs. It’s hard to know.

I don’t like baseball, but I’ll use a baseball analogy. In the past we were on the wrong playing field. Now we’re on the right playing field, which means a home run will be hit. Whether it’s in the next year or the next five years, it’s hard to say.

.source:

www.scientificamerican

Identifying the biological clock that governs female fertility

Some women can have successful pregnancies at the age of 50, whereas other are unable to get pregnant when they are 30. Researchers are not yet able to fully explain such differences. One factor is that the onset of menopause is influenced by the point at which the uterus runs out of eggs to release.

A recent study at the University of Gothenburg sheds light on the mystery of the biological clock that governs fertility.

Just as newborn infants require nurturance in order to survive, eggs in the uterus need nourishment and support from the granulosa cells of the primary follicle. According to the latest discovery by Professor Kui Liu's research team, a signaling pathway in these cells plays a key role in enabling immature eggs to survive.

Pathways that determine the fate of an egg

The mTOR signaling pathway in the granulosa cells is necessary for activating expression of the kit ligand growth factor, which subsequently binds to the c-kit receptors of eggs and determines their fate.

According to Professor Liu, who is affiliated with the Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Gothenburg, "This mechanism permits the granulosa cells to decide when eggs will begin to grow and when they will die. In that sense, they serve as a kind of biological clock that monitors the onset of menopause."

Researchers believe that the discovery will point the way to interventions that stimulate the growth of eggs that have been unable to mature. Their hope is that increased knowledge about the molecular mechanisms that govern development in human eggs can be applied to clinical treatment of female infertility in the years to come. Professor Liu's team is plunging ahead with that goal in mind.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by University of Gothenburg. The original article was written by Carina Eliasson. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

Hua Zhang, Sanjiv Risal, Nagaraju Gorre, Kiran Busayavalasa, Xin Li, Yan Shen, Benedikt Bosbach, Mats Brännström, Kui Liu. Somatic Cells Initiate Primordial Follicle Activation and Govern the Development of Dormant Oocytes in Mice. Current Biology, 2014; DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2014.09.023

Baby boomers and scoliosis: Osteoporosis a risk factor

What is scoliosis? Scoliosis is a misshaping of the spine as seen from the front -- where the spine seems shifted right or left -- or from a side view, where the spine is bent too far forward or backward, or a combination of the two. It doesn't always cause pain: Schools started screening in elementary school or junior high in part because many children and their parents didn't know the children had it, Dr. Huddleston says.

"The range of symptoms can be from asymptomatic, or no symptoms, to completely debilitating, depending on the patient, magnitude of the deformity and where the bend or special shape occurs," Dr. Huddleston says.

What causes scoliosis in children? It can be a change during the growth process in the womb, in which a growth plate in the spine closes prematurely or there is an extra piece. In older children and adolescents, the scoliosis likely is genetic, but that hasn't been completely defined, Dr. Huddleston says. In other cases, diseases such as cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy and the connective tissue disorder Marfan syndrome can predispose a child to scoliosis.

"The most common type is the `We don't know why' variety called idiopathic scoliosis," Dr. Huddleston says.

What causes scoliosis in adults? Adults who had spine curvature as children can develop severe arthritis in the spine next to their old curves. In other cases, osteoporosis, or weakening of the bones, can develop as a complication of menopause or medications as people age, even causing fractures. Forms of arthritis in which joints in the back wear out can also let the spine sag into a bad position, Dr. Huddleston says.

How is scoliosis affecting Baby Boomers? Baby Boomers have a much better understanding of adult scoliosis and are more aggressive in seeking treatment than previous generations have been, Dr. Huddleston says. The number of older adults seeing him to ask about corrective surgery for scoliosis has easily doubled within the past five years, and women of Baby Boomer age are driving that trend.

"I think a lot of it is our appreciation and desire for a higher quality of life in the later stages of life. They say `60 is the new 50' or `50 is the new 40.' I think we want to be more active. We're educated about the possibilities and we demand that quality of life," Dr. Huddleston says. "And women are demanding to stay active, to have good bone health and to address any perceived deficiencies that the special shape of the spine as it becomes scoliotic has placed upon them."

Some mention that they want to avoid becoming the stereotypical hunched-over "little old lady" with a cane, he adds.

How is scoliosis treated? "We try to minimize the initial treatment and maximize the patient's function. We try to empower them to stay as active as possible," Dr. Huddleston says. That can mean physical therapy, and in adults, medication to treat osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.

If that doesn't work, spinal surgery may be considered.

"We think of surgery really as an end-stage treatment," Dr. Huddleston says. "We are trying to balance the patient's suffering versus intervening too soon. We don't want to put a very large, potentially painful procedure in front of some of these more basic foundation treatments, but we don't want people to suffer, either."

In principle, surgery is the same in adults as in children: treating the spinal deformity. But because of the influence of age on healing and bone quality, adult scoliosis surgery "really is a different experience," Dr. Huddleston says, adding that Baby Boomers are benefiting from a much better understanding of that by physicians. Not all patients are good candidates for scoliosis surgery. For those who are, successful surgery improves their ability to move, reduces pain and can improve their self-image.

Physical therapy is critical before and after surgery to build flexibility, strength and stamina.

"In fact, I would say without reservation that the surgery alone without the appropriate preoperative physical therapy and bone preparation and postoperative physical therapy will not be successful," Dr. Huddleston says. "We can change the structure of the patient, the way you look inside, but we can't make you move. The analogy would be, we can straighten the frame, but we're not the motor."

Can adults prevent scoliosis? Make sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D to help prevent osteoporosis, and seek treatment if you have osteoporosis. Women should take steps to preserve their bone health before menopause, Dr. Huddleston says.

"You can ask the question: Is my bone health what it should be or what I expect it to be? That involves seeing your health care provider, getting screened, and then taking action to prevent softening of the bone," he says. "Because once the bones start to break with the osteoporosis, you can't undo that fracture, and you've really lost that opportunity to stay in that good space."

Drones: Deliverymen of the Future

drone delivery

Purchasing groceries from brick-and-mortar retailers – or even ordering a delivery that finds its way to your door via a guy on a bike or in a car – is on its way to becoming passé. If Internet behemoths such as Amazon and Google have their way, drones may soon drop off your groceries, too. Not the drones that the military uses, of course – the delivery drones in development are more like remote-control helicopters. But when it comes to changing the way we think about logistics, they are certainly more than playthings.

A company called Darwin Aerospace is working on airborne food delivery via a so-called “Burrito Bomber.” Domino’s Pizza has piloted a “DomiDrone” to helicopter its pies across town. Another pizza chain, Francesco’s, has done the same in Mumbai. So far, neither of those efforts has had any tangible results beyond publicity, but two of the largest employers of delivery personnel, UPS and FedEx, have also said they are researching the use of drones. The most important development in the drone delivery space, however, is that both Amazon and Google are pouring millions, perhaps ultimately billions, of dollars into drone development. Amazon subsidiary PrimeAir, for example, says it aims “to get packages into customers’ hands in 30 minutes or less using unmanned aerial vehicles.”

Ultimately, one goal of drone research is automation – replacing the deliveryman with a robot. But as Google’s Project Wing shows, the battle is really about logistics. “Throughout history there have been a series of innovations that have each taken a huge chunk out of the friction of moving things around,” says Astro Teller, who leads Google’s drone operations and boasts the impressive official title, “Captain of Moonshots.” “Project Wing aspires to remove another big chunk of that remaining friction.” Google sees possibilities in everything from air-lifting defibrillators to heart attack victims, to flying dog food to a cattle station in the Australian Outback. In short, says Credit Suisse Senior Equity Analyst Uwe Neumann, “Google wants to transform the way people receive products.”

Drone delivery still faces two major hurdles: obtaining regulatory approvals and avoiding crashes. Neumann reckons that commercial operations will not commence for at least a few more years. Still, in Silicon Valley, drones are starting to be seen as a “killer app.” Chris Anderson, CEO of 3D Robotics and founder of DIY Drones, compares their potential to that of personal computers back in the 1970s, with today’s amateur unmanned flying enthusiasts playing a role similar to that of the legendary Homebrew Computer Club, whose members included Apple’s Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs and helped usher in the age of the personal computer.

Smartphones will play an important role in drone development. “The average person today carries in his pocket technology that just a decade ago, the President of the United States could only have dreamed of,” says Zackary Schildhorn, whose firm Lux Capital has funded various drone ventures. The cameras, processors, gyroscopes and other components a drone needs to function are now available at scale “at a cost of pennies,” Anderson says. “We can offer what used to be military-grade technology from parts bought at the local Radio Shack.” He expects drones offered by his company, 3D Robotics, to fall from a cost of some $1,000 each to around $100 over the next few years. Key to this decline is not the cost of the “platform” – the wings, rotors and flying gear. Rather it is the controls and the sensors, says Matthew Pobloske, President of Sensintel, a drone-maker formerly owned by aerospace/defence giant BAE Systems. The future of drones, he says, is not only about delivery, but “about putting sensors into the air.”

Indeed, delivery services are only one of many possible uses for unmanned flight. Anderson and others foresee a great future for drones in farming (monitoring and spraying crops), but note that the devices will likely be used in many ways that no one currently foresees. “We’ll see apps emerge that we never imagined, just as we have with PCs and smart phones,” Schildhorn says. The fact that major tech players such as Amazon and Google are dedicating serious resources into developing the technology hint at a bright future. After all, these companies have already radically changed life as we know it – they may well do it again.

Why Japan's new passenger jet must succeed

The MRJ is Japan's first homegrown passenger plane since the YS-11 took to the skies in the 1960s.

The first made-in-Japan passenger jet in half a century was unveiled in a rollout ceremony in mid-October. The significance of this milestone cannot be overstated.

The Mitsubishi Regional Jet, or MRJ, was developed by Mitsubishi Aircraft, the Nagoya-based subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The aircraft is packed with cutting-edge technologies. With all the money it has pumped into the ambitious undertaking, Mitsubishi Aircraft will be under pressure to grab a large enough chunk of the hotly contested global market to recoup its investment.

The MRJ is a twin-engine jet that can accommodate 70 to 90 passengers. It is equipped with a new type of engine that sips fuel while generating relatively little noise. It is intended for shorter flights linking urban hubs with smaller cities.

Much of the work done by Japanese companies in the aircraft industry is in collaboration with U.S. giant Boeing. Though these Japanese manufacturers have produced key components, such as the main wings and fuselages, the general perception is that they are little more than subcontractors.

Hit refresh

The MRJ can change this view. It is the first passenger plane to be developed from scratch in Japan since the YS-11 turboprop was rolled out in the early 1960s. The country must continue turning out homegrown planes.

Aircraft manufacturers have to meet exceptionally high safety standards compared with makers of other industrial products. The advanced technologies and materials developed for new aircraft often find their way into other industries, to immense effect. Without question, maintaining the ability to bring all these components together to create a finished aircraft is crucial for boosting Japan's overall industrial and technological prowess.

The MRJ is scheduled to make its maiden flight next spring. The first delivery is planned for 2017 -- far behind schedule due to repeated delays in development. It is important that no further delays occur.

The history of the YS-11 offers important lessons for the latest project. Production of that aircraft was halted in less than 10 years, despite the plane's solid reputation. The business model created for the YS-11 was deeply flawed -- the more planes were sold, the more money was lost.

The YS-11 was a national project. It was developed by a consortium involving the government and all of Japan's aircraft companies. The MRJ, in contrast, has been handled solely by Mitsubishi Aircraft. Global demand for regional jets is expected to reach 5,000 units over the next 20 years, and Mitsubishi Aircraft is aiming for half of that. To hit that mark, the company will require top-notch capabilities in cost management, marketing and maintenance. That is the only way the company can outmaneuver the Brazilian, Canadian and other companies that dominate the market for this class of aircraft.

Mitsubishi Aircraft also needs to be ready to adapt to rapid changes in the marketplace. For example, budget carriers are bulking up and spreading fast. Their aircraft requirements are different from those of conventional, full-service airlines.

The government also has an important role to play. It has supported the development of key technologies used in the MRJ. It must also be ready to help smooth the path for Mitsubishi Aircraft to explore emerging markets, such as by providing loan programs to facilitate exports.

Kodak gets into the 360-degree video arena, with the PixPro SP360

The Kodak PixPro SP360, with some of its optional extras

Image Gallery (2 images)

We've recently been hearing a lot about systems that record 360-degree video, although they mostly appear to be either professional setups or offerings from relatively small startup companies. That changed yesterday, however, when JK Imaging announced the new Kodak PixPro SP360 actioncam.

As can be seen, the camera has a compact cube-shaped body, topped by a fixed dome lens. It can be remotely controlled via Wi-Fi using an iOS/Android mobile device or a Mac/PC computer, although it also has its own menu button and LCD status screen.

It can shoot in one of five viewing modes: front (212º), dome, 360º panorama, ring/sphere, and a top/bottom split-screen that simultaneously shows 180º front and rear views. Examples of these modes can be seen in the video at the bottom of the page.

Once the raw footage has been downloaded to a computer, users can pan left, right or up within shots, then save the shot – as seen from that vantage point – as a separate video file. This means that the final edited video can consist of shots seen from a variety of angles, and in a variety of viewing modes.

The 103-gram (3.6-oz) camera itself shoots video at 1080p/30fps, has a 16-megapixel MOS sensor, and records MP4 files on a user-supplied Micro SD or SDHC card. Power is provided by a lithium-ion battery, that allows users to shoot approximately 160 minutes of video per charge. The SP360 is also dustproof, water-resistant, shockproof to a drop height of 2 meters (6.6 ft) and freeze-proof down to -10º C (14º F).

Other features include a 10fps burst photo mode, time lapse, and a motion detector setting that only starts recording once the subject starts moving.

The PixPro 360 is available now, and is priced at US$349 for the basic package.

Source: Kodak

2by4 Architects announces new prefab small home

2by4 Architects' prefab cabins start at €75,000 (US$95,570) (Image: 2by4 Architects)

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Last year we reported on 2by4 Architects' Recreational Island House, a particularly appealing vacation home constructed on a small island in Loosdrecht, the Netherlands. The Dutch firm received such positive feedback for the project that it was inspired to launch a series of prefabricated small homes based on the design. They're now ready for market and can serve as an office, vacation home, or full-time dwelling, and operate either on- or off-grid.

2by4 Architects launched the prefabricated line very recently, and the first units are still under construction – so all we have to feast our eyes on right now are some renders. A company rep assured us that the finished cabins will look a lot like the original Recreational Island House they're based upon.

There are three models of small home in all: the smallest, Chalet Aida, comprises a floorspace of 21 sq m (226 sq ft), and features a double-height living room with a large glass facade at the front that slides open. The interior layout differs from the Recreational Island House and includes a small bedroom with double bed, and a loft bed that sleeps two people and is accessible via ladder. In addition to some storage space, there's also a basic kitchen with fridge, sink, and two-burner electric stove, plus a small bathroom area with toilet and shower.

The larger Chalet Tosca and Chalet Nabucco homes measure 39 sq m (319 sq ft) and 48 sq m (516 sq ft) respectively, and are similar to Chalet Aida, sporting the same sliding facade and basic design. However, instead of a loft bed, both feature a mezzanine area and a slightly different interior layout.

All three models are constructed using a wooden frame, walls, and roof, and sport double-glazed windows and a painted white interior as standard, though the firm says it can customize the cabins with a range of materials, finishes, and insulation options to suit. The cabins also include an electric heat pump system for heating and cooling, along with optional off-grid tech such as solar panels, composting toilet, and a rainwater collection system.

Prices start at €75,000 (US$95,570) for a fully kitted-out Chalet Aida, rising to €85,000 ($108,314) for the largest Chalet Nabucco. The cabins are expandable in length, at a cost of €5,000 ($6,371) per 1.2 m (4 ft), and can also be purchased at a lower cost as a bare shell.

Source: 2by4 Architects Share

The Breaker adds a chain tool to cycling multitool/tire lever

The Breaker, with its bits and pouch

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Last year we heard about the Nutter, a stainless steel device that combines a multi-bit cycling multitool with a tire lever. Since then, inventor Mark Windsor decided to take that design and make it even more useful. The result is the Breaker, which is essentially a Nutter with an added chain-break tool.

Like the Nutter, the Breaker features a receptacle that can receive an included selection of interchangeable bits. These consist of five sizes of hex tools, a Philips head screwdriver, a flat head screwdriver, a T25 torx bit, and a magnetic tool bit extender.

Both devices also have a built-in spoke wrench, bottle opener and nylon-capped tire lever, and are stowed in a bike-mountable pouch made from leather and recycled inner tubes.

The Breaker adds a chain tool to the mix, allowing users to remove and replace broken or worn-out chains. It uses the existing tool bit extender as its handle, and features a replaceable hardened stainless steel pin. The chain tool does take the place of the Nutter's box wrench, although an optional 8-piece socket set should provide similar functionality.

Windsor and his team are currently raising production funds for the Breaker, on Kickstarter. If they're successful, a pledge of US$55 will get you a basic Breaker, and $75 will get you one with the socket set thrown in.

The whole multitool weighs 100 g (3.5 oz), not including the pouch or sockets. You can see it in use, in the following pitch video.

Source: Kickstarter

É, faz sentido.

Duke Engines' incredibly compact, lightweight valveless axial engine

The Duke Axial Engine is lighter, more compact and already slightly more powerful than a typical equivalent engine, even though this is just a prototype

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New Zealand's Duke Engines has been busy developing and demonstrating excellent results with a bizarre axial engine prototype that completely does away with valves, while delivering excellent power and torque from an engine much smaller, lighter and simpler than the existing technology. We spoke with Duke co-founder John Garvey to find out how the Duke Axial Engine project is going.

Duke Engines' 3-liter, five cylinder test mule is already making a healthy 215 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque at 4,500rpm – slightly outperforming two conventional 3 liter reference engines that weigh nearly 20 percent more and are nearly three times as big for shipping purposes. With an innovative valveless ported design, the Duke engine appears to be on track to deliver superior performance, higher compression and increased efficiency in an extremely compact and lightweight package with far fewer moving parts than conventional engines.

The Duke engine is an axial design, meaning that its five cylinders encircle the drive shaft and run parallel with it. The pistons drive a star-shaped reciprocator, which nutates around the drive shaft, kind of like a spinning coin coming to rest on a table.

The reciprocator's center point is used to drive the central drive shaft, which rotates in the opposite direction to the reciprocator. "That counter-rotation keeps it in tidy balance," says Duke co-founder John Garvey. "If you lay your hand on it while it's running, you can barely detect any motion at all, it's quite remarkable."

That's borne out by the video below, where the engine revving doesn't even cause enough vibrations to tip a coin off its side.

Instead of cam- or pneumatically-operated intake and outlet valves, the cylinders rotate past intake and outlet ports in a stationary head ring. The spark plugs are also mounted in this stationary ring – the cylinders simply slide past each port or plug at the stage of the cycle it's needed for and move on. In this way, Duke eliminates all the complexity of valve operation and manages to run a five-cylinder engine with just three spark plugs and three fuel injectors.

The Duke engine ends up delivering as many power strokes per revolution as a six cylinder engine, but with huge weight savings and a vast reduction in the number of engine parts.

The engine has shown excellent resistance to pre-ignition (or detonation) – potentially because its cylinders tend to run cooler than comparable engines. Duke has run compression ratios as high as 14:1 with regular 91-octane gasoline. This suggests that further developments will pull even more power out of a given amount of fuel, increasing the overall efficiency of the unit.

Alternative fuels would appear to be a promising possibility. In a 2012 interview, Garvey said "we just switched it over [to kerosene jet fuel] one day and it just ran straight away, as well if not better than it was running on petrol."

Garvey tells Gizmag "we've developed the engine to the point where we feel it's ready to be commercialized. But we're still without funding, and we're looking for the right application to build toward. The engine seems suitable for a wide range of functions, but we need to find the right funding partner to develop it toward a niche that can maximize its advantages."

That's unlikely to be automotive in the immediate future; car manufacturers have already sunk a lot of money into their own engine technology. But aeronautics, portable generators and marine outboard motors are uniquely placed to take advantages of the Duke engine's high output, compact dimensions and low weight.

Another key opportunity might lie in range extender motors for plug-in hybrid vehicles – engines that don't drive the wheels, but run at high efficiency to drive generators and top up the battery of electric drive cars.

Duke has partnered with engine development company Mahle in the US, formerly Cosworth in the UK, and is ready to begin commercializing the technology once the right customer comes along.

"The estimate is that it's probably a process of a couple years to get it to production ready," says Garvey. "This has been a huge undertaking, and sometimes you wonder if you should have started in the first place – but we've built an engine with some impressive advantages over current technology. It's the smallest and lightest engine around for its displacement and power output.

"Even our prototypes are outperforming established engines of the same displacement and there's a lot of development left in there for further weight reduction and performance gains. So we're very optimistic."

Source: Duke Engines

Battersea Roof Gardens will be a place to relax in the London skyline

Battersea Roof Gardens is part of the Battersea Power Station redevelopment and will provide views of the famous chimneys

There have been a number of suggestions for redeveloping Battersea Power Station over the years, including adding a roller coaster and even turning it into a big green mountain. Earlier this year, however, plans were released for its redevelopment as a new town center. Details of large roof gardens for the new community have now been revealed.

Battersea Roof Gardens is part of the Phase 3 development of the Battersea Power Station site, which will see 42 acres (170,000 sq m) of industrial brownfield land transformed into a community of homes, shops, cafes, offices and public space. Foster + Partners calls Phase 3 "the gateway to the development," due to it including the creation of a new high street called The Electric Boulevard that will link the development with a new tube station.

The roof gardens will top one of the buildings flanking the boulevard and will be primarily for residents and hotel guests, although the public will be given access at certain times throughout the year. They sit atop the planned Skyline building above 15 stories of residential apartments and stretch for 355 m (1,165 ft). Although they have been designed by the architect of New York's High Line, James Corner Field Operations, the gardens are aimed at being a peaceful and relaxing destination, as opposed to a lively thoroughfare.

Foster + Partners says that Battersea Roof Gardens will be one of the largest roof gardens in the city and will provide a 360 degree view of the surrounding skyline. The gardens will feature walkways, look-out points, seating, planted areas and lawns. There will also be quiet sheltered spaces.

A Woodland Walk section will be made up of a small forest of birch trees. Foster + Partners says it will be "the most beautiful and powerfully dramatic space on the rooftop." Its aim is to act as a "theatrical foreground to the Power Station chimneys" and it will feature viewpoints, timber seating rings and hammocks.

An area will be made available for events and activities. The Fitness Deck will provide space for exercises classes, children's play, parties and film screenings. Meanwhile, a Summer Kitchen will provide space for food preparation, while the Sun Lounge bar, seating and dining area will provide atmospheric views of the Battersea Power Station Chimneys at sunset.

In addition to the roof gardens, another public space will also be created as part of the Phase 3 development. The 1.1 acre (4,450 sq m) Prospect Park will link the Power Station site with Vauxhall in the London Borough of Lambeth and will feature a children's play area and a community hub.

The overall development of the Battersea Power Station site is expected to be complete by 2025.

Source: Battersea Power Station

Assim falou Platão

E se Platão falou….

Can the wave function of an electron be divided and trapped?

Click to enlarge

The electron wave function. A canister of liquid helium inside the blue cylinder allowed researchers to experiment with tiny electron bubbles only 3.6 nanometers in diameter. The work suggests that the wave function of an electron can be split and parts of it trapped in smaller bubbles.

Electrons are elementary particles -- indivisible, unbreakable. But new research suggests the electron's quantum state -- the electron wave function -- can be separated into many parts. That has some strange implications for the theory of quantum mechanics.

New research by physicists from Brown University puts the profound strangeness of quantum mechanics in a nutshell -- or, more accurately, in a helium bubble.

Experiments led by Humphrey Maris, professor of physics at Brown, suggest that the quantum state of an electron -- the electron's wave function -- can be shattered into pieces and those pieces can be trapped in tiny bubbles of liquid helium. To be clear, the researchers are not saying that the electron can be broken apart. Electrons are elementary particles, indivisible and unbreakable. But what the researchers are saying is in some ways more bizarre.

In quantum mechanics, particles do not have a distinct position in space. Instead, they exist as a wave function, a probability distribution that includes all the possible locations where a particle might be found. Maris and his colleagues are suggesting that parts of that distribution can be separated and cordoned off from each other.

"We are trapping the chance of finding the electron, not pieces of the electron," Maris said. "It's a little like a lottery. When lottery tickets are sold, everyone who buys a ticket gets a piece of paper. So all these people are holding a chance and you can consider that the chances are spread all over the place. But there is only one prize -- one electron -- and where that prize will go is determined later."

If Maris's interpretation of his experimental findings is correct, it raises profound questions about the measurement process in quantum mechanics. In the traditional formulation of quantum mechanics, when a particle is measured -- meaning it is found to be in one particular location -- the wave function is said to collapse.

"The experiments we have performed indicate that the mere interaction of an electron with some larger physical system, such as a bath of liquid helium, does not constitute a measurement," Maris said. "The question then is: What does?"

And the fact that the wave function can be split into two or more bubbles is strange as well. If a detector finds the electron in one bubble, what happens to the other bubble?

"It really raises all kinds of interesting questions," Maris said.

Story Source:

The above story is based on materials provided by Brown University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Journal Reference:

W. Wei, Z. Xie, L. N. Cooper, G. M. Seidel, H. J. Maris. Study of Exotic Ions in Superfluid Helium and the Possible Fission of the Electron Wave Function. Journal of Low Temperature Physics, 2014; DOI: 10.1007/s10909-014-1224-3

Extreme ultraviolet image of a significant Solar Flare

Extreme Ultraviolet Image of a Significant Solar Flare

The sun emitted a significant solar flare on Oct. 19, 2014, peaking at 1:01 a.m. EDT. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory, which is always observing the sun, captured this image of the event in extreme ultraviolet wavelength of 131 Angstroms – a wavelength that can see the intense heat of a flare and that is typically colorized in teal.

This flare is classified as an X1.1-class flare. X-class denotes the most intense flares, while the number provides more information about its strength. An X2 flare is twice as intense as an X1, and an X3 is three times as intense.

Solar flares are powerful bursts of radiation. Harmful radiation from a flare cannot pass through Earth's atmosphere to physically affect humans on the ground, however -- when intense enough -- they can disturb the atmosphere in the layer where GPS and communications signals travel.

> More: NASA's SDO Observes an X-class Solar Flare

Image Credit: NASA/Solar Dynamics Observatory

Governments should take active lead to create healthy food environments to prevent cardiovascular disease

In 2010, unhealthy eating was identified as the leading risk for death and disability both in Canada and globally. In Canada, as in most industrialized countries, preventable cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and chronic respiratory disease account for roughly two-thirds of all deaths each year. Poor diet, broadly defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as one being high in sodium, saturated and trans fats, free sugar, and low in fresh fruits and vegetables, is among the leading risk factors.

Led by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research/Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada (CIHR/HSF) Chair in Hypertension Prevention and Control , supported by fifteen leading national and provincial health organizations, this position statement calls upon governments to take action to develop and implement healthy food procurement policies across the spectrum of our society. It also outlines key roles and recommendations for the commercial and non-commercial sectors including health and scientific organizations as well as the Canadian public.

The statement is based on a systematic review of the literature that found healthy food procurement interventions do have an important impact on food purchases within closed systems such as schools, workplaces, and isolated communities. The review further acknowledged that successful food procurement policies are nearly always accompanied by supporting education programs and sometimes by pricing policies, such as taxation or subsidies.

This statement is part of an international movement to reduce dietary risk, with the recognition that toxic foods (with excessive amounts of sugar, fat, refined grain products, and/or salt) are responsible for substantial population sickness and premature death. The supporting organizations call on all individuals, but specifically those with organizational responsibility for others, to immediately begin to work on implementing healthy food procurement policies as part of a comprehensive approach to reduce dietary risk and prevent diet-related disease.

"Education, knowledge, and awareness are not enough. Extensive education over a period of years, even in clinical trial settings, has only a small sustained impact on sodium consumption and obesity reduction," says Norm Campbell, MD, FRCPC, Professor of Medicine, Physiology and Pharmacology and Community Health Sciences, at the Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and chair of the Canadian Hypertension Advisory Committee. "The solution advocated by the United Nations and WHO focuses on a series of integrated governmental policies to improve the food environment coupled with education. Studies in the US show that implementing healthy food procurement policies in the commercial sector as a part of a worksite wellness program has the potential to save businesses money through improved productivity and reduced absenteeism. Canada has the opportunity to do the same through widespread adoption of such policies. Canadians can't make healthy choices if they don't have an environment that supports them making such choices. This is one step in that direction."

Among the recommendations are:

In conjunction with healthy food procurement, implement an education program about healthy eating and describe the rationale for the food procurement policy to ensure support and to increase awareness, desire, and demand for healthy dietary choices.
Encourage consumption of fresh foods (fruits, vegetables, etc.) or if not available, frozen or canned (without addition of sodium, sugar, or fats).
Take steps to ensure healthier foods and beverages are affordable.
Ensure that foods are well suited to the tastes/preferences/dietary needs of the population being served (e.g., age, ethno-cultural groups).
Include criteria for the amount of sodium, free sugars, trans fatty acids, saturated fats, and calories as well as other nutrients likely to impact health (e.g., dietary fiber) in the food being served.
Use national standards such as the Canadian Dietary Reference Intake Values, developed by the Institute of Medicine, and Canada's Guide to Healthy Eating in developing criteria for foods.
Make gradual changes in the nutrient criteria where personal tastes require time to adapt to change (e.g., sodium).
Update the policy periodically to reflect current nutrient needs.
Evaluate the implementation program and, where appropriate, introduce effective incentives for compliance.

This call to action is supported by the Alberta Policy Coalition for Chronic Disease Prevention, Canadian Association of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention, Canadian Association on Gerontology, Canadian Council of Cardiovascular Nurses, Canadian Diabetes Association, Canadian Geriatrics Society, Canadian Nurses Association, Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology, Canadian Society of Internal Medicine, Canadian Society of Nephrology, Canadian Stroke Network, Champlain Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Network, College of Family Physicians of Canada, Heart and Stroke Foundation, and Hypertension Canada.

In a timely viewpoint article, "Death by Diet: The Role of Food Pricing Interventions as a Public Policy Response and Health Advocacy Opportunity," published in the same issue, experts discuss the role of health professionals as health advocates and the corresponding opportunity to support other population level approaches, namely food taxes and subsidies, to improve diet for the prevention of diet-related chronic disease.

"Similar to efforts being proposed in other countries, Canada needs a comprehensive agenda for action to curb the rising tide of diet-related disease. While this paper highlights the need for more research in the area of diet and policy-level strategies, it also identifies the opportunity for the cardiovascular community to be involved in policy initiatives and partnerships to begin to translate what we know can work into action and implementation," say lead author Tara Duhaney, MHSc, Policy Director of the Canadian Hypertension Advisory Committee, Alberta, Canada, and Norm Campbell, MD, FRCPC. "We hope this will further discussion, support, and action by all vested stakeholders including health professionals, researchers, communities, and, importantly, by all levels of government."

Breathe easier: Get your vitamin D

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A new study finds asthmatics with Vitamin D deficiency are 25 percent more likely to experience acute attacks.

Asthma, which inflames and narrows the airways, has become more common in recent years. While there is no known cure, asthma can be managed with medication and by avoiding allergens and other triggers. A new study by a Tel Aviv University researcher points to a convenient, free way to manage acute asthmatic episodes -- catching some rays outside.

According to a paper recently published in the journal Allergy, measuring and, if need be, boosting Vitamin D levels could help manage asthma attacks. The research, conducted by Dr. Ronit Confino-Cohen of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Meir Medical Center, and the Clalit Research Institute, and Dr. Becca Feldman of the Clalit Research Institute drew on the records of millions of patients and used physician diagnoses, rather than self-reports, for evidence of asthma episodes.

"Vitamin D has significant immunomodulatory effects and, as such, was believed to have an effect on asthma -- an immunologically mediated disease," said Dr. Confino-Cohen. "But most of the existing data regarding Vitamin D and asthma came from the pediatric population and was inconsistent. Our present study is unique because the study population of young adults is very large and 'uncontaminated' by other diseases."

A broad study

Dr. Confino-Cohen and her team of researchers analyzed the medical records of nearly four million members of Clalit Health Services, Israel's largest health care provider. The Vitamin D levels of 307,900 people were measured between 2008 and 2012. Researchers also took into account key predictors of asthma, such as obesity, smoking, and other chronic diseases. Of some 21,000 asthma patients in Israel studied, those with a Vitamin D deficiency were 25 percent more likely than other asthmatics to have had at least one flare-up in the recent past.

The researchers found that Vitamin D-deficient asthmatics were at a higher risk of an asthma attack. "Uncontrolled asthma" was defined as being prescribed at least five rescue inhalers, one prescription of oral corticosteroids, or visiting the doctor for asthma at least four times in a single year.

"Our results add more evidence to the link between Vitamin D and asthma, suggesting beneficial effects of Vitamin D on asthma exacerbations," said Dr. Confino-Cohen. "We expect that further prospective studies will support our results. In the meantime, our results support a recommendation for screening of Vitamin D levels in the subgroup of asthma patients who experience recurrent exacerbations. In those with Vitamin D deficiency, supplementation may be necessary."

Sunny side up?

While most of the Vitamin D in people's bodies comes from exposure to the sun, dermatologists recommend obtaining the ingredient from other sources -- fish, eggs, cod liver oil, fortified milk, or a dietary supplement -- due to the dangers of overexposure to the sun.

"We know a lot about this disease and many therapeutic options are available. So it's quite frustrating that the prevalence of asthma is not decreasing and many patients suffer exacerbations and significant impairment in their quality of life," Dr. Confino-Cohen, an allergy and clinical immunology specialist, said. "Increasing Vitamin D levels is something we can easily do to improve patients' quality of life."

Based on the findings, the researchers recommend that people whose asthma cannot be controlled with existing treatments have their Vitamin D levels tested. For those with a vitamin D deficiency, supplements may make sense.

"This study provided an exceptional opportunity to research asthma. I received a research grant from Clalit Health Services, which provided us with the opportunity to use their very large database and to conduct the study with the professional staff of Clalit Research Institute," said Dr. Confino-Cohen. "We anticipate further prospective research that will support our findings and open a new treatment modality to the population of uncontrolled asthmatics."

19 Reasons Your College Friends Will Be Your Friends For Life

They just get you. posted on Oct. 28, 2014, at 4:58 p.m.

You’ve seen each other at your absolute worst.

You've seen each other at your absolute worst.