Study explores new avenues of breast cancer therapy

 

By Michael McCarthy  |  HSNewsBeat  |  Updated 11:15 AM, 04.16.2015 Posted in: Research Distinct proteins in aggressive breast cancer subtypes point to targeted approach An exhaustive analysis has been conducted of more than 12,000 distinct proteins present in an often aggressive and difficult to treat form of breast cancer, called triple-negative breast cancer. The results may help explain why these cancers often fail to respond to current drug treatments and may provide researchers with new targets for drug therapy. The researchers’ findings appear in this week’s issue of the journal Cell Reports. Robert Lawrence, a University of Washington graduate student in molecular and cellular biology, is the lead author of the article, “The proteomic landscape of triple-negative breast cancer.” Dr. Judit Villén, UW assistant professor of genome sciences, is the paper’s senior author. Triple-negative breast cancer cells have low levels of three receptors found in many breast cancers. Two receptors are for the hormones estrogen and progesterone and one receptor is for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 or HER2. BreastCancer-Lee-Blau The study was performed in collaboration with the labs of Su-In Lee, assistant professor of genome sciences and of computer science and engineering, and Anthony Blau, director of the UW’s Center for Cancer Innovation. Both co-authored the study. About one in five breast cancers are triple-negative. They tend to be more aggressive and  grow and spread more rapidly. They are also less likely to respond to many standard treatments. Triple-negative breast cancer occurs more often in women under age 40 and in African American women. In the new study, the researchers used a technique called mass spectrometry to identify and quantify the proteins being produced in twenty breast cell lines and four breast tumor samples. This process is called proteomic analysis. The study was performed in collaboration with the labs of Dr. C Anthony Blau, director of the UW’s Center for Cancer Innovation and Su-In Lee, assistant professor of genome sciences and of computer science and engineering, both co-authors on the study. Analysis of the mass spectrometry data revealed that subtypes within these cancer samples could be identified on the basis of the types of proteins they expressed and the quantity of those proteins. “In terms of the protein expression, even within these subtypes, the cells are very different from one another, which suggests they will behave differently and respond to treatment differently,” Lawrence said. To further explore the relationship between genes, proteins and drug response, the researchers correlated their proteomic findings with existing genomic databases and conducted drug sensitivity tests on 16 of the cell lines. Their findings suggested why one drug that might work in one case of triple-negative cancers might fail to work on another. For example, the researchers found that some of the triple-negative breast cancer cells produced low levels of proteins involved in cell proliferation while producing high levels of proteins that allow cells to spread. Because  most conventional chemotherapy targets pathways that promote proliferation, these cells would likely be able to resist standard treatments.  Treatments that target the means by which the cancer spreads may, therefore, prove more effective against triple-negative breast cancers that resist conventional therapy. To make their findings available to other researchers, the UW team has created a website (https://zucchini.gs.washington.edu/BreastCancerProteome/) where the new proteomic and drug sensitivity findings as well as genomic data can be accessed. “We want this to be a resource for researchers everywhere,” Villén said. “Investigators will be able to go to the site and type in the name of their protein of interest and see how it is expressed in these cells. Or they can type in the name of a drug and see which genes and proteins are associated with the tumor’s sensitivity or resistance to the drug.” Villén expects in the coming year that proteomic analysis will be used in clinical trials, such as the Center for Cancer Innovation’s clinical trial in metastatic triple negative breast cancer.. Currently, using mass spectrometry, her lab can  analyze a tumor sample in 24 hours. She expects that once researchers determine the 100 or so most important proteins, a tissue sample could be tested in just an hour. This analysis will provide a more detailed diagnostics of breast tumors, and may offer novel therapeutic avenues for resistant tumors. In addition to Blau, Lawrence, Lee and Villén, co-authors were Elizabeth M. Perez, Daniel Hernández and Kelsey M Haas, of the UW Department of  Genome Sciences,  Chris P. Miller of the UW Center for Cancer Innovation and Hanna Y. Irie of the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, in New York City. The research was supported by Howard Temin Pathway to Independence Award K99/R00 from the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health  (R00CA140789); a National Science Foundation grant (DBI-1355899); and funds from the South Sound CARE Foundation, the Washington Research Foundation, and the Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation. News media contact:  Leila Gray, 206-685-0381, leilag@uw.edu http://hsnewsbeat.uw.edu

Revolutionary discovery leads to invention of new "building blocks"

 

Fri, 04/24/2015  University of Akron Macromolecular science will have to add a new giant molecule to its lexicon thanks to new and cutting-edge polymer research at The University of Akron. The research team led by Stephen Z.D. Cheng, professor at UA’s college of polymer science and polymer engineering, invented a new thinking pathway in the design and synthesis of macromolecules—the backbone of modern polymers—by creating an original class of giant tetrahedra. Major technological advancement is largely driven by the discovery of new materials, and this work opens up an entirely new direction of research. The work has been done in collaboration with researchers at Peking University in China and The University of Tokyo in Japan. In creating a brand new field of study in macromolecular science, their findings are published in the April 24, 2015 issue of Science magazine. The unique challenge of building macromolecules is to keep their material-specific properties. This requires the ability to create material designed and engineered at the nanometer scale for a specific task. Cheng and his team asked themselves, “What kind of structures do we need to transfer and amplify microscopic functionalities to macroscopic properties?” Breaking new ground Building on earlier work on giant surfactants, which the National Science Foundation began funding in 2009, Cheng and his team worked to development a new class of giant polyhedra. These precisely functionalized nanoparticles were achieved by extending the molecular geometry from traditional one-dimension categories of giant surfactants to three dimensions of tetrahedron shapes that are the simplest to use. “It had never been done before in soft matter, where it’s engineering could be particularly useful,” explains Cheng, “and it took 3 years to design and synthesize.” Since these new giant molecules are precisely and manually controlled and designed, their discovery provides great opportunities to construct new building blocks with atomic precision. “Because of the ‘click’ synthesis, this system is highly tunable in terms of core structure, nanoparticle functionality, and feature sizes,” describes Cheng. The concepts and formation mechanisms of these supramolecular structures could be extended to other giant polyhedral molecules with different topologies and chemical compositions, giving scientists a new way to think about answering the question, “How can we organize molecules into ordered complex structures?” Research recap Their research progression can be recapped in three basic phases. Using computational and data-driven approaches, Cheng and his team first designed and synthesized giant tetrahedra by introducing different functionality at the tetrahedral vertexes to generate precise positional interactions. Then they found a selective, multi-step assembly process of these giant tetrahedra resulting in highly ordered supramolecular lattices including a Frank-Kasper A15 phase at a nanometer scale. Finally, they observed the structure lattice in real space of the Frank-Kasper A15 phase under transmission electron microscopy, which in and of itself is a novel action. This new class of hybrid materials covers the development of a diverse range of novel applications.  Cheng’s team is working with professionals from a wide variety of fields, asking, “What problem requires solving? What do you need?” This process helps to ensure the material can be used to create commercially viable solutions. Cheng foresees that this new giant molecule can deliver a previously unexplored examination into a new class of advanced functional materials with innovative electric, magnetic and optic functions. “For example,” says Cheng, “we are currently exploring the intriguing functional properties of light ceramic materials with soft-matter characteristics, often called ‘soft-ceramics.’ These structures exhibit certain mechanical elasticity as opposed to the brittleness of common ceramics.” SOURCE: University of Akron

SABRE engine concept passes US Air Force feasibility test

 

The AFRL confirmation paves the way for further development of the SABRE engine Image Gallery (8 images) Reaction Engines' Skylon reusable spaceplane project has been given a boost, with analysis by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) confirming the feasibility of the SABRE engine cycle concept that lies at its heart. The feasibility study conducted as part of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the AFRL’s Aerospace Systems Directorate (AFRL/RQ) looked at the thermodynamic cycle of the SABRE concept. That is, whether the engine is able to do what Reaction Engine claims it can do. According to AFRL, there's no theoretical problem with the concept if the engine is properly built and integrated. The SABRE (Synergetic Air-Breathing Rocket Engine) is a scramjet. That is, it reduces the propellant load because it acts as a jet while in the atmosphere and a rocket in space, so it doesn't have to carry as much oxygen to burn the liquid hydrogen fuel. It does so at velocities above Mach 5 (4,500 mph, 7,200 km/h) before flying into space, when it switches to rocket mode to achieve the even faster speeds needed to reach orbit. SABRE engine with the heat exchanger marked in blue The limit of the engine is how hot it gets. Above a certain point, even the best metal alloys soften and melt. At hypersonic speeds, the air is coming into the engine at 25 times more force than that of a Category 5 hurricane and the heat is like something blasting out of a cutting torch. Paradoxically, before it can be burned, the air needs to be cooled dramatically, so as it enters the SABRE it passes over a series of heat exchangers that use the cryogenic hydrogen fuel to cool it down from 1,000° C (1,832° F) to minus 150° C (minus 302° F) in 1/100th of a second. Previously, this sort of heat exchanger was the size of a factory, but the SABRE uses one that's small and light enough to be installed inside the scramjet. Reaction Engines and AFRL are currently collaborating on vehicle concepts that can use the SABRE engine. These not only include space launch vehicles, but also hypersonic aircraft and military applications of the Reaction Engines heat exchanger technologies. "The activities under the CRADA have allowed AFRL to understand the SABRE engine concept, its pre-cooler heat exchanger technology, and its cycle in more detail," says AFRL/RQ program manager Barry Hellman. "Our analysis has confirmed the feasibility and potential performance of the SABRE engine cycle. While development of the SABRE represents a substantial engineering challenge, the engine cycle is a very innovative approach and warrants further investigation. The question to answer next is what benefit the SABRE could bring to high speed aerospace vehicles compared to other propulsion systems. Although application of the SABRE for single stage to orbit space access remains technically very risky as a first application, the SABRE may provide some unique advantages in more manageable two stage to orbit configurations. Furthermore, the heat exchanger technology also warrants further investigation for applications across the aerospace domain." Source: Reaction Engines

25 Psychological Life Hacks that Will Help You Gain the Advantage in Social Situations

 

Social situations are among the most important in our lives. Yet, there is a huge chance that you are oblivious to the plethora of unwritten social rules that structure everybody’s behaviour. Failing to comply to these cultural imprints can cause irreversible damage. Just following them blindly will not get you ahead. Hacking them, however, will give you the best results possible. Therefore we bring to you these – 25 psychological life hacks that will help you gain the advantage in social situations   1) Assume comfort in any interaction. Our brain is an incredibly complicated instrument. Our relationship with it, is a love-hate one. We think we have control over it but usually something unconscious dictates our actions. In most of our social interactions, we find it difficult to feel comfortable among strangers because our brain tries to protect us from exposure. This however isn’t helping us when trying to be social and meet new people, is it? This is why assuming comfort is so powerful. Commanding your brain to feel that you already know the person you are about to meet puts you in a position of advantage. It increases the chances of people showing interest in you and consequently even liking you.   2) Pay attention to people’s feet when you are approaching them. Interrupting people when they are in the middle of an important conversation is one of the most annoying things to do. It shows that you have zero knowledge of social dynamics which will lead to unpleasant social situations. When you approach a group of people while in a conversation, pay attention to their bodies. If they turn only their torsos and not their feet, it means they are in the middle of an important conversation and they don’t want you to interrupt them. If they turn both torso and feet, it means you are welcome. This is extremely important, because the right timing in such situations may put you in a position of advantage, especially if the conversation was boring for both sides.   3) Whenever you have an argument with someone, stand next to them and not in front of them. We’ve all been in situations where out of nowhere the conversation started escalating. Unless you love drama, I would suggest you to avoid these situations. You might have the best argument in the world, but usually people get irritated when they feel they are wrong. So, whenever you feel that the argument you have with another person (especially friends – it’s not cool to fight with friends) creates tension, move next to them. You won’t appear much of a threat, and they will eventually calm down.   4) Whenever you need a favor, open with “I need your help.” Admit it. We all love to get others to do stuff for us. Either because we are lazy, or because we really need some help to complete a task. Social dynamics show that when it comes to platonic relationships, nobody really likes an asshole. So whenever you need a favor, start your sentence with “I need your help.” In most cases, people will accept your request and help you out. This occurs because we don’t really like the guilt of not helping someone out and we do like to be the one who is capable of helping.   5) If you want people to feel good, give them validation. Rephrase what they just told you. We love validation. Most of our actions are the outcome of our need for validation. So what is the best way to get people to like you? Give them what they need of course. A simple example, is when you are in a conversation with another person and he says something really important for him. After he finishes, rephrase what he just said in your own words. This will make him think that you are a good listener and that you are really interested in him. It makes him feel he is the center of attention. That’s validation right there.   6) If you want to get a positive response from someone, nod while you talk. This one is extremely powerful and also a bit manipulative especially if the person is suggestive. So use it with your own responsibility and in an ethical way. Getting a positive response from someone is usually what we want. Whether it is making a sale, or promoting a viewpoint, we always want people to get on board. Nodding while you try to deliver your message is a powerful way to get the person to agree with you. People usually like mimicking, so they will most probably nod back while you talk. This will subsequently communicate to their brains that they have to agree with you.   7) Want to see if someone is paying attention to what you are saying? Fold your arms. Usually when we are in the middle of a conversation and especially if we talk about something very important to us, we get lost in our talking and rarely pay attention to whether the other person is following or not. So instead of losing time talking to a person who is distracted and might not even be interested in what you are saying, do this. Fold your arms while talking and see if the other person follows your move. If the other person is observing you and pays attention, they will most likely mimic you.   8) Having trouble remembering names? Repeat the other person’s name during the conversation. I suck at remembering names. I usually don’t even listen to the other person when he says his name the moment we get introduced to each other. So usually, I ask a friend to introduce himself to the person so I can listen to his name. But then I forget it again. Awkward. Remembering names is very important because we feel important when someone mentions us. So the moment you meet someone repeat his name. Example: “Hi my name is Alex” “Nice to meet you Alex. So, Alex how do you know John?” And continue to repeat his name throughout the conversation.   9) If you ask someone a question and they only partially answer, just wait. They will keep talking. This is a very common situation when you don’t know the other person that well or your question wasn’t clear enough. If they finish the answer without providing a full answer, just wait. Stay silent and keep eye contact. If the tension becomes unbearable, raise your eyebrows. It puts a bit of pressure on them but it communicates that you show interest. It also sub-communicates that you are a person that usually gets what he wants.   10) People usually focus on the emotion and not on the subject. This is very useful in public speaking but also in building rapport with an acquaintance. Whenever you introduce yourself to new people, most probably they have already heard what you are about to say. Well that’s not a problem. Even if you want to talk about the most boring topic in the world, make sure of one thing: Always try to evoke emotions. From my experience the 3 emotions that you want to evoke are: • Excitement • Laughter: Everyone likes to laugh • Intrigue: Leave a little mystery so the other person has to invest energy to hear more. Don’t be purposely distant, but avoid verbal diarrhea. There are many techniques to turn a boring conversation into an exciting and intriguing one, but here are a couple of my favorites: Pause: A lot of the time when we want to keep someone’s attention, we tend to talk really fast, but this subcommunicates neediness and nervousness. A well-placed pause can create tension that makes your words have more gravitas. Tone and Inflection: No one finds monotone exciting. Switch up your tone of voice from deep for declarative statements, to high inflection when you want to leave them guessing. Paint pictures and compose symphonies in their mind with sensory details: When telling a story, take the person you’re talking to on an emotional journey by describing the colors, sounds, textures, tastes, smells, and how they made you feel. This will cause their mirror-neurons to fire off, making it easier for them to imagine actually being there with you. So if you want to be memorable, focus on the emotion behind the words. People may forget what you say, but they will never forget how you make them feel. 11) Confidence is more important than knowledge. Two young candidates walked into the interview office to apply for the same job. The first one had a Phd, two Masters and a Bachelor’s degree. The second one had just a Bachelor. The first one was kind of shy, didn’t talk much, his body language was turned inward. The second one had an upright posture, was looking the interviewers directly in the eyes, showed a lot of interest in the job and his answers where emitting confidence. We don’t have to tell you who got the job.   12) Fake it until you make it. No one became an expert on anything over night. However, the learning process in everything you do is accelerated by commanding your brain to think what you want it to think. In simple words. You are what you believe you are. • You are confident if you believe you are confident • You are attractive if you believe you are attractive • You are extrovert if you believe you are extrovert If you want to look deeper into this idea look up two words. Neuroplasticity and brain rewiring. 13) Pose in a Power Stance. This is similar to the previous point, but more concrete than a mantra or belief. Go stand in the mirror, put your hands on your hips, thrust your pelvic forward, pull your shoulders up, back and down, open your chest, tilt your head up, and force the biggest smile you can possibly manage to fit across your face. Even if you consciously know you’re just faking it, your brain can’t tell the difference, and will release endorphins to match your body position. This can feel silly, but it really works.   14) If you want to be persuasive, try and reduce the use of the words “I think” and “I believe.” I don’t really feel the need to elaborate on this one. Obviously these words do not evoke confidence and the other person will most probably not take you seriously. Change them to ‘I know’ and ‘I will’ instead.   15) A clean and organised environment affects your mood, productivity, and others perception of who you are. How many times have you waken up without any motivation at all? How many times have you started working on something without being able to get focused and inspired? Next time this happens, take a look around you. Is your environment clean and well-organized? If not, take some minutes to clean it up and put everything into place. You will feel refreshed and reborn and productivity will spark immediately. But not only that, you will come across as caring and punctual, two highly esteemed traits. Why do think most of the big companies pay so much attention to creating the best working environment for their employees? They know what makes them happy and how it affects their productivity. 16) Want to find out which people are close to each other within a group and who is perceived as the leader? Pay attention to who is looking at each other when everyone in the group laughs at a joke. People instinctively look at and agree with the person they feel closest to within the group.   17) Whenever you call a person you want to meet, show excitement! Always have this in mind. Excitement is contagious. Why do you think the music video from Pharrell Williams – “Happy” got so many views and so many people were talking about it? People love excitement! It is like an escape from their boring lives. Never forget that. (You can mirror this and show disappointment if somebody let’s you down, making them painfully aware of their hurtful actions.)   18) Want to build rapport and gain respect? Match body language. This is quite a common topic among body language experts and works well if you want to gain respect from a person that has high value. Example: You are in a social situation where a person has higher value among others within the group. He is the center of attention and he totally enjoys it. How do you match his value? By befriending him! If you want his respect and attention the best thing to do when you approach him is to match his body language and speaking patterns. If he has open body language and he talks with excitement and joy, don’t go there with crossed arms and with an attitude of negating his words. Approach him with the same amount of excitement and show openness and interest.   19) When someone insults you, either ignore him or mock him. Never lose temper. Always control the frame. Haters are everywhere. The more you feed them with hate, the stronger they become. Never lose your temper. This is a great example of how to deal with a hater. Enjoy!   19a) Stand up straight, have warm hands and always keep eye contact. • Keep a straight posture and walk like a born leader. This sub-communicates confidence and others will respect you automatically. • Keep your hands out of your pockets. If you don’t know what to do with them, it is better to fold your arms rather than keep them inside your pockets. • Keep your hands warm. If you have a warm hand when you shake somebody’s hand, you immediately become a more desirable person to get along with. Secret Tip – wash your hands with warm water often to keep them warm or take cold showers. • You have heard this a thousand times. Here is the 1001st. – never lose eye contact! Losing eye contact is like losing your confidence. One cool trick when first meeting someone is to focus on their eye color and smile at the same time. The eyes are the gateway to the soul, and taking the extra second to gaze shows you are confident and present. (Be sure to move your eyes away periodically, a constant stare will creep people out.)   20) The Benjamin Franklin Effect. The Ben Franklin effect is a psychological finding: A person who has done someone a favor is more likely to do that person another favor than they would be if they had received a favor from that person. Similarly, one who harms another is more willing to harm them again than the victim is to retaliate. This is an unbelievable finding. In social situations, you can hack this by making someone do something small for you, then asking for your true favor. It’s such a small favor that they will say yes, and due to cognitive dissonance their brain will rationalize that they must like you enough to do you a favor in the first place. This is also called the foot-in-the-door effect.   21) Don’t be afraid to touch another person. Touching someone on the shoulder or their knees creates an emotional and physical bond. Especially during moments of joy, laughter and excitement touching positively reinforces these traits. If you’re uncomfortable with touching, remember 12, fake it until you make it.   22) Use the door-in-the-face hack. The opposite of foot-in-the-door. Make an unreasonably large request that will most likely be turned down (but if it isn’t then that’s even better!), and follow up with your true intended, more reasonable request. The other person will be more likely to agree to the second request.   23) Always frame a request as a choice. No one likes to feel pressured into doing something they don’t want to do. By subtlety rephrasing a request, you can make the person feel like they came to the decision on their own terms. Homeless people who say things like, “it’s up to you if you want to donate or not” end up making more money than those who simply ask for money. The same is generally true for bands that offer “pay what you want” payment structures for their music. They know you can easily download their music for free off the internet, so they encourage you to pay what you feel is right. A slightly more aggressive technique is the assumptive close: This is a classic sales technique that can be used in any social situation. Instead of asking for permission, “do you want to donate/go on a date/get something to eat” assume that the person already does. Of course, you can’t just force someone to do something, but a leading question can nudge them in the right direction: “Would you like to donate 5 dollars or 10 dollars?” Now instead of simply saying yes or no, they have to actively deny your request and feel like a naysayer.   24) If you work in a bar or in customer service of any kind… Put a mirror behind you at the counter. When an angry customer approaches you, he will have to see himself in the mirror and will most probably calm down. Nobody likes ruining his image.   25) Chew gum if you are nervous. Evolutionarily speaking, our brains assume that if we are eating then we aren’t in any immediate danger, so the fight or flight response is weakened.Daily Weekly This article was originally published in The Quintessential Man, and edited for HighExistence.

Top 9 Smoothies and Drinks That Boost Your Metabolism

 

Losing weight is much more difficult for some than it has to be. One of the main reasons that women have difficulties in shedding those pounds is because they simply do not keep their energy levels up. Raising your metabolism not only gives you enough energy to get through the day, it helps you to feel better and to naturally (and quickly) burn off fat. If you are looking for some great metabolism boosters, we have a list of recipes for you. 1. Ginger/Pineapple Smoothie Fresh ginger gives this powerful smoothie great metabolic properties. You can substitute your favorite citrus if you are not partial to pineapple, but if you want your healthy drink to taste like a tropical piña colada, this is what you need: • 1 medium banana • 1 ½ cups fresh pineapple, diced • 1 Tablespoon fresh ginger • ½ cup Greek yogurt – choose any flavor you like • ½ cup fresh pineapple juice – you can also use water if you want Simply blend all of these ingredients together and enjoy. Photo credit Abcoaster. 2. Peanut Butter Smoothie Peanut butter is filled with protein so it gives you energy that lasts for hours each day. Drinking one of these tasty treats will give you enough energy to get through your workday and that rigid workout. You need: • 1 large banana • 2 teaspoons of natural peanut butter • 1 small handful of baby spinach leaves • 1 small scoop of natural hemp protein – this should be in a powdered form and can be purchased from any natural health food store • ½ teaspoon of cinnamon – this is optional but gives the drink a wonderful spicy taste • Just a bit of water – the amount of water will depend on how thick or thin you want the smoothie Mix all of the ingredients together in a blender and enjoy. Photo credit threemanycooks. 3. Tropical Treat Smoothie This one has so many yummy tropical fruits that you may just want to enjoy one every day. While it does help to boost your metabolism, it also has Vitamins A and C and zinc so it helps to boost your immune system as well. You need: ½ cup cantaloupe – cubed ½ cup mango – cubed ¼ cup pumpkin seeds –finely chopped ½ cup pineapple – cubed Enough water to thin – again, this is dependent on how thin or thick you want your drink. Just blend all of the ingredients together and enjoy.Photo credit Pinterest. 4. Berry Smoothie This delicious berry smoothie is rich in antioxidants and will help you to detox your liver and boost your metabolism. You need: • 1/3 cup fresh raspberries • 1/3 cup fresh blueberries • 1/3 cup pomegranate • 1 medium banana • ¼ beet juice – this is optional and you can use pineapple or a citrus juice instead but the beets offer antioxidants that help to keep your body clean and free from toxins • Enough water to thin – again, this depends on your preference and how thick or thin you like your smoothie. Photo credit wellnessdharma. • Just blend all of the ingredients together and enjoy. 5. Green Tea Green tea in general has wonderful metabolic powers. When you add certain other ingredients however, you get a drink that can really boost your energy. For this drink you will need: • 8 ounces of hot water • 1 fresh lemon • Cinnamon – just about ½ teaspoon or so depending on your taste preference • Cayenne pepper – again, just a ½ teaspoon or so depending on your preferences Just brew the ingredients together for about 5 minutes and enjoy. Photo credit Pinterest. 6. Apple/Almond Smoothie This one has enough protein and other vitamins that you can actually drink this instead of eating breakfast and still boost your metabolism and feel great all day. You will need: • 5 almonds • 1 medium apple • 1 medium banana • ½ milk – choosing nonfat or soy milk keeps it low calorie • ¾ Greek yogurt – you can choose any flavor you like • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon Just put all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until you get it as thick or thin as you like. Photo credit tracieinman. 7. Date Smoothie No, this is not the smoothie that you drink on dates. It has dates and bananas for a delicious taste and a great metabolism boost. You will need: • 1 pitted date • 1 medium banana • 1 cup almond milk • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon Just blend the ingredients together and enjoy. Photo credit aidamollenkamp.   8. Coconut/Raspberry Smoothie This coconut raspberry smoothie is great. It has cinnamon which is a natural appetite suppressant and is low in calories and fat. You will need: • ¾ cup fresh raspberries – note that you can also use ½ cup frozen raspberries if you cannot find them fresh • 1 can coconut milk – this is a 15 ounce can • 2 tablespoons maple syrup or light honey • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon – this is based on preference • Water – depending on how thin or thick you like your smoothie Just place all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until you get the consistency that you want. Photo credit deliciouslyorganic. 9. Dr. Oz Green Tea So, everyone is buzzing about this great green tea recipe that Dr. Oz has provided that is supposed to be completely natural, help boost your metabolism and help you to naturally lose weight. Naturally, we had to finish up our list with this one. You will need: • 8 cups brewed green tea • 1 tangerine • Mint leaves – just a small handful Just mix the ingredients together and keep in the refrigerator until use. Photo credit Pinterest. [adsensecenter] There you have it – 10 great drinks that are not only delicious but will help you to feel better, lose weight and have a higher metabolism.

Building Hubble's successor: Crucial Pathfinder test set up inside Chamber A

 

Fri, 04/24/2015 - 10:05am Laura Betz, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center   James Webb Space Telescope's Pathfinder backplane test model is being prepared for its cryogenic test. Courtesy of NASA/Chris GunnInside NASA's giant thermal vacuum chamber, called Chamber A, at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, the James Webb Space Telescope's Pathfinder backplane test model is being prepared for its cryogenic test. Previously used for manned spaceflight missions, this historic chamber is now filled with engineers and technicians preparing for a crucial test. Exelis developed and installed the optical test equipment in the chamber. "The optical test equipment was developed and installed in the chamber by Exelis," said Thomas Scorse, Exelis JWST Program Manager. "The Pathfinder telescope gives us our first opportunity for an end-to-end checkout of our equipment." "This will be the first time on the program that we will be aligning two primary mirror segments together," said Lee Feinberg, NASA Optical Telescope Element Manager. "In the past, we have always tested one mirror at a time but this time we will use a single test system and align both mirrors to it as though they are a single monolithic mirror." The James Webb Space Telescope is the scientific successor to NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built. Webb is an international project led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. SOURCE: NASA

Real-Time Process Measurement: A Sea Change in Manufacturing

 

Fri, 04/24/2015 - 8:44am Chad Lieber, VP of Product Development, Prozess Technologies and Brian Sullivan, Director of Sales, Valin Corp.   Image: Prozess TechnologiesIn a world where most information is available in an instant, plant managers and engineers are continuously trying to find ways to improve the efficiency of processes along the manufacturing line. Analyzing these processes can be a difficult task. Until recently, days of laboratory work were often required to analyze any given sample segment or process in a manufacturing line. If there was a problem that needed correction, it could sometimes take days to discover. Meanwhile, those days spent analyzing became lost production time.   There’s an unlimited number of attributes that manufacturers are looking to measure on the plant floor—everything from color mixtures to chemical baths need to be constantly tested, analyzed and corrected. Without a process measurement system in place to give real-time feedback, this can be an impossible task. However, recent implementations based on the science of spectroscopy are revealing themselves ideal for manufacturers looking to benefit from real-time process measurement. How does it work? Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. While spectroscopy can be performed using any portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, from x-rays to radio waves, its use in process measurement typically involves the portion from the ultraviolet through the infrared that’s generically termed “light”.  As it is applied to process measurement, spectroscopy typically means illuminating the sample stream with a known range of light and carefully analyzing the reflected or absorbed light to extract chemical information about the sample. Because different samples and molecules interact with light in unique ways, this approach makes it possible to not only detect the proverbial needle in a haystack, but also quantify the amount of the needle or even multiple needles with high accuracy. Perhaps, more importantly, all of this analysis can be performed in-situ, within the sample stream, in seconds or less. There are four main wavelength regions of light typically used in spectroscopy-based process measurement: ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR) and infrared (IR). UV spectroscopy is the measurement of the very short wavelengths outside the blue-violet color human eyes can perceive. This type of spectroscopy is best suited for the measurement of very low concentrations of a target molecule in a liquid stream. VIS spectroscopy is the measurement of light that a person’s eyes perceive as color, but with high sensitivity to accurately determine a wide range of product color attributes, brightness and clarity. NIR spectroscopy measures light just beyond the red color human eyes can perceive, where it interacts with the molecules to provide chemical detection and quantification at high speed. The molecular interactions that occur with NIR light are overtones of their fundamental interactions in the IR, so the fast measurement speed in the NIR does come at the expense of sensitivity, and NIR is typically used to quantify target species at percent-level concentrations. IR spectroscopy measures light even longer than the NIR, well beyond what can be seen and into the ranges that we feel as heat. This light directly probes molecular bonds and can be used to detect and quantify a wide range of target molecules to very low concentrations, even in gas phase. While the target molecule and its environment define which spectroscopy best serves the application, obtaining the optical signal from the sample is only half of the solution. Converting that optical information into something useful, such as the concentration of a target compound in a process stream, entails a combination of signal processing and statistics that has become a science of its own, called chemometrics. Improvements in these chemometric methods, along with advances in the optical components comprising the process analyzers, can now deliver information about processes that was unavailable in the past, and certainly wasn’t available in such convenient forms. The technology provides chemical and physical information in-line that’s non-destructive, instant and requires no sample preparation. It also requires no additional chemicals, no hazardous waste products and no trained technicians to operate.  Image: Prozess TechnologiesSo why is this different from spectroscopic solutions available in the past? The biggest reason there’s more attention paid to spectroscopy lately is the revolutionary new way these process measurement devices are packaged. What once took a symphony of engineers and scientists to analyze the process and deduce results can now be done by nearly anyone working on the plant floor. Process measurement devices using spectroscopy can now be controlled via any Web-enabled device or, conventionally, within the automation control systems in the factory. Users are able to control the analyzer, stream real-time data, log operator activity and monitor output from anywhere they desire, whether inside the plant or across the globe.  Spectroscopic process measurement solutions are also gaining popularity because of their versatility. The applications are nearly limitless, and include such varied purposes as chemical quantification, cleaning validation, color measurement, reaction monitoring, ensuring blending uniformity and moisture determination. A number of interfaces are available to connect the analyzer to the process stream, including reflectance probes, dip probes and flow-through cells, that can either be directly connected to the process analyzer or connected remotely via fiber optics. Furthermore, liquids, solids, powders and gases all can be analyzed using spectroscopy. And, as opposed to chemical sensors and other analytical methods employed for in-line process measurement, optical spectroscopy allows the same system to measure a number of parameters simultaneously and be reprogrammed should there be changes to the process stream composition. It’s easy to see why those in manufacturing environments are beginning to see these solutions as not only viable, but critical. User-ready spectroscopic process analyzers are no longer cost prohibitive nor labor intensive. Improved manufacturing efficiency and product quality afforded by real-time, in-line process analyzers are invaluable. As companies continue to explore ways to differentiate their operations from that of the competition, it’s more evident that implementing an efficient process measurement system is a critical piece of the puzzle.