Power of Minus

 

 

Posted: 18 Jun 2015 11:10 AM PDT Changing how you weigh and buy vegetables and fruits from the supermarket, the Minus Scale is quite a revolutionary concept. Typically we pick out the veggie or fruit, fill it in a plastic bag, weigh the contents and then punch the label. With the Minus Scale, the digital display indicates the price and the weight of the item picked from the tray. For example, if you pick one tomato out of the tray, the display will indicate its weight and price and print the label accordingly. Very clever and time saving idea, however, people will have to queue up to make this run accurately. The MINUS Scale is a 2015 iF Student Design Award winner! Designers: Youngsub Song, Hyunsub Shin, JaeHyuk Lim and Il-Hyun Kwon

New tool on horizon for surgeons treating cancer patients

 

Thu, 06/18/2015 - 9:30am Ron Walli, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s new droplet-based surface sampling probe speeds the process of analyzing a liver biopsy sample.Surgeons could know while their patients are still on the operating table if a tissue is cancerous, according to researchers from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE)'s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. In Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, a team led by ORNL's Vilmos Kertesz describes an automated droplet-based surface sampling probe that accomplishes in about 10 min what now routinely takes 20 to 30 min. Kertesz expects that time to be cut to four to five minutes soon. For this proof-of-concept demonstration, researchers rapidly profiled two hormones from human pituitary tissue. “Instead of having to cut and mount tissue and wait for a trained pathologist to review the sample under a microscope, a technician might soon perform an equally conclusive test in the operating environment,” Kertesz said. The new mass spectrometry-based technology provides an attractive alternative to the traditional method called immunohistochemistry, or IHC, which looks for specific protein biomarkers to make a diagnosis. Although the IHC approach provides a high degree of spatial recognition, it is time consuming and limited by the quality and specificity of the antibody used to detect the protein. ORNL researchers trace this success to patents resulting from previously funded DOE projects and noted that this work advances the liquid microjunction surface sampling probe technology first patented by ORNL. Additionally, ORNL houses the only laboratories in the world that have this automated droplet-based surface sampling probe and the requisite software. While yet other mass spectrometry-based techniques such as desorption electrospray ionization and rapid evaporative ionization mass spectrometry are being evaluated for classifying tumors and providing prognostic information, they are limited mainly to the analysis of lower molecular weight biomolecules. These include metabolites, fatty acids and lipids. The new droplet-based method developed at ORNL does not share this limitation. “The ability to quickly characterize the tissue distribution of larger macromolecular biomarkers like peptides and proteins would harness the diagnostic value of validated immunohistochemistry approaches for surgical decision-making,” Kertesz said. Kertesz noted that this system has been successfully used for spatially resolved sampling and detection of drugs and metabolites from thin sections of animal tissue and proteins from dried blood. “On the basis of the results and the relative simplicity, rapidity and specificity of our method, there is great potential for our technology to assist surgeons in the detection of cancer from tissue biopsy samples,” said Kertesz, a member of ORNL’s Organic and Biological Mass Spectrometry Group and lead author of the paper. Source: Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Liquid Gold

 

Thu, 06/18/2015 - 12:30pm George Karlin-Neumann, the Digital Biology Center at Bio-Rad Laboratories Droplet Digital PCR enables liquid biopsy for monitoring cancer treatment. Image: Bio-Rad LaboratoriesBlood is the great aggregator of the body’s physiology. Many tumors slough off fragments of DNA into the bloodstream, which can be detected with a minimally invasive blood draw using advanced DNA tests—also known as a liquid biopsy. One of the challenges preventing liquid biopsy from becoming a clinical reality has been reliably finding the cancerous DNA in the vast sea of healthy DNA. Breast cancer researchers are among those who are harnessing sensitive molecular tools such as Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) technology to improve cancer detection and track tumor progression in vivo. Numerous studies are underway to determine how we can use these cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) clues to expand our understanding of cancer. This is important because researchers are now re-envisioning cancers based on what mutations drive them, rather than the tissue of origin. In fact, tumor genotyping is rapidly becoming the standard of care in some areas of oncology where chemotherapy-based therapies target specific mutations. However, the standard surgical biopsies used to track a tumor’s ever-changing DNA can be costly and dangerous. Some cancers simply don’t provide enough tissue for conventional analysis. Additionally, the genetic heterogeneity of the evolving tumor means mutations present in only a portion of the tumor may be not be sampled and, thus, not detected in the slices of tumor tested. Using ddPCR technology to reveal biomarkers in liquid biopsies holds the promise of helping overcome barriers to identifying and generating treatments for specific mutations. How droplet digital PCR works In digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), a sample is subdivided into many smaller microreactions. This partitioning increases the concentration of the rare target (tumor DNA) so it can amplify sufficiently and be specifically detected. Once PCR runs to end point in each aliquot, the original sample can be read essentially as a series of ones and zeros—individual partitions either containing a targeted sequence or not. From this tally, researchers can extrapolate the exact total molecular counts of tumor DNA for absolute quantification, an advantage over quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) which requires a standard curve to achieve absolute quantification. Various technologies offer different methods of partitioning and detection. Bio-Rad’s technology mixes the DNA sample with an oil, which is then partitioned into 20,000 evenly sized one-nanoliter droplets. Analytical Chemistry first published this technique in 2011. As a result of the highly uniform droplets, large number of partitions, as well as robust chemistry and engineering, ddPCR provides a high level of sensitivity, precision and reproducibility. In fact, clinical oncologist and researcher Lao Saal chose Bio-Rad’s ddPCR system for its “very good performance characteristics.” Detecting recurrence of breast cancer post-treatment In a paper published in EMBO Molecular Medicine in May (2015), a group led by Saal at Lund Univ. in Sweden found the emergence of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in plasma after breast cancer surgery was a strong signal the cancer would return and metastasize, and its absence indicated long-term disease-free survival. They found 93% of individuals with tumor DNA in their bloodstream after breast cancer surgery eventually relapsed, while the ctDNA-negative individuals were disease-free a median of 9.2 years later. What’s more, for 86% of study participants whose cancers returned, Saal’s group could detect ctDNA an average of 11 months before conventional imaging and symptom-based diagnosis. In two patients, detection occurred three years before clinical diagnosis. The stage I-III tumors were primarily hormone receptor negative and HER2 negative. In their retrospective study, Saal’s group used low-pass next-generation sequencing (NGS) to identify early chromosomal rearrangements in tumor tissue, effectively fingerprinting the DNA unique to that cancer. But to determine if circulating DNA with those rearrangements were present after surgery, they analyzed plasma taken at intervals with highly sensitive and specific ddPCR technology to quantify ctDNA. The simple, fast technology also proved more sensitive and much less costly than NGS for the repetitive measurements. Saal’s group is currently engaged in a prospective study where they will administer chemotherapy in an attempt to shrink the breast tumor prior to surgery, and monitor for therapy response and recurrence via liquid biopsy. Validating miRNA as a potential breast cancer biomarker Another study published by Oncotarget in May (2015) used ddPCR technology to pursue a different path toward earlier breast cancer detection: microRNA (miRNA). Research suggests diseases such as cancer selectively impact the quantity of these small regulatory molecules found in the bloodstream. Concentrations of miRNA could therefore serve as valuable biomarkers and deliver insight into disease processes. As proof of the concept, a team led by Manuela Ferracin and Massimo Negrini of the Univ. of Ferrara, identified significant down-regulation of miR-181a-5p—one of nearly 2,000 identified human miRNAs—in the serum of breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls. As a diagnostic tool, measuring this lone miRNA correctly identified nearly 70% of study participants with breast cancer with 70% specificity in two cohorts. This advanced approach to detecting breast cancer follows and builds on a seminal 2013 study published in Nature Methods by Muneesh Tewari of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center that demonstrated the successful use of ddPCR to obtain reproducible, quantitative data for miRNA circulating in plasma and serum. By using ddPCR, Tewari found an alternative to the highly variable qPCR measurements that has been holding back the use of miRNA as clinical biomarkers.   Conclusion In both of the newly published studies, ddPCR is used in concert with other diagnostic or discovery tools. As further confirmation studies take place, digital PCR technologies show promise to advance early breast cancer detection and improve long-term survival outlooks.

Carbon nanoparticles you can make at home

 

Thu, 06/18/2015 - 1:55pm Diana Yates, Life Sciences Editor Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Researchers have found an easy way to produce carbon nanoparticles that are small enough to evade the body's immune system, reflect light in the near-infrared range for easy detection and carry payloads of pharmaceutical drugs to targeted tissues. Unlike other methods of making carbon nanoparticles—which require expensive equipment and purification processes that can take days—the new approach generates the particles in a few hours and uses only a handful of ingredients, including store-bought molasses. The researchers, led by Univ. of Illinois bioengineering professors Dipanjan Pan and Rohit Bhargava, report their findings in Small. "If you have a microwave and honey or molasses, you can pretty much make these particles at home," Pan said. "You just mix them together and cook it for a few minutes, and you get something that looks like char, but that is nanoparticles with high luminescence. This is one of the simplest systems that we can think of. It is safe and highly scalable for eventual clinical use." These "next-generation" carbon spheres have several attractive properties, the researchers found. They naturally scatter light in a manner that makes them easy to differentiate from human tissues, eliminating the need for added dyes or fluorescing molecules to help detect them in the body. The nanoparticles are coated with polymers that fine-tune their optical properties and their rate of degradation in the body. The polymers can be loaded with drugs that are gradually released. The nanoparticles also can be made quite small, less than eight nanometers in diameter (a human hair is 80,000 to 100,000 nm thick). "Our immune system fails to recognize anything under 10 nm," Pan said. "So, these tiny particles are kind of camouflaged, I would say; they are hiding from the human immune system." The team tested the therapeutic potential of the nanoparticles by loading them with an anti-melanoma drug and mixing them in a topical solution that was applied to pig skin. Bhargava's laboratory used vibrational spectroscopic techniques to identify the molecular structure of the nanoparticles and their cargo. "Raman and infrared spectroscopy are the two tools that one uses to see molecular structure," Bhargava said. "We think we coated this particle with a specific polymer and with specific drug-loading - but did we really? We use spectroscopy to confirm the formulation as well as visualize the delivery of the particles and drug molecules." The team found that the nanoparticles did not release the drug payload at room temperature, but at body temperature began to release the anti-cancer drug. The researchers also determined which topical applications penetrated the skin to a desired depth. In further experiments, the researchers found they could alter the infusion of the particles into melanoma cells by adjusting the polymer coatings. Imaging confirmed that the infused cells began to swell, a sign of impending cell death. "This is a versatile platform to carry a multitude of drugs - for melanoma, for other kinds of cancers and for other diseases," Bhargava said. "You can coat it with different polymers to give it a different optical response. You can load it with two drugs, or three, or four, so you can do multidrug therapy with the same particles." "By using defined surface chemistry, we can change the properties of these particles," Pan said. "We can make them glow at a certain wavelength and also we can tune them to release the drugs in the presence of the cellular environment. That is, I think, the beauty of the work." Source: Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

On the road to needle-free medicine

 

Thu, 06/18/2015 - 10:45am American Chemical Society Scientists are working to make needles obsolete.Needle injections have been around since 1657  and remain a key delivery method for many drugs, including vaccines that have prevented countless illnesses. But for patients that require daily pricks or for people in remote locations, the syringe model has major drawbacks. An article in Chemical & Engineering News looks at potential alternatives, their successes and their roadblocks. Alex Scott, a senior editor at C&EN, explains that many pharmaceuticals, particularly large-molecule drugs such as insulin, are not good candidates for oral delivery. If swallowed, they would simply break down in the digestive tract and become useless. So scientists are exploring a number of new drug-delivery systems: ointments, tablets that quickly dissolve under the tongue, micro-needle skin patches and robotic pills. At least one form, an inhalable insulin powder, is already on the market. Several others have shown promising results in animal testing. But moving forward could require a shift in thinking among vaccine and other drug companies that currently have little incentive to change. Developers will have to win over regulators and patients, who will ultimately decide which methods are adopted. Source: American Chemical Society

E-Fan 2.0 makes podium appearance at Le Bourget

 

A full scale static mock up of the E-Fan 2.0 electric pilot training aircraft on display at the Paris Air Show (Credit: Paul Ridden/Gizmag) Image Gallery (18 images) When we first covered the news of the E-Fan's first public flight, Airbus was only showing an artist's impression of what the production model of the two-seater electric demonstrator could look like. But this year the company had a full-sized version on display at the 51st Paris Air Show. In addition to straining our ears to listen to hear the original aircraft in the air above Le Bourget, we got the opportunity to rub shoulders with the sleek and sexy E-Fan 2.0 electric pilot trainer. The original E-Fan plane, now called version 1.0, evolved from the electric Cri Cri flying laboratory project and allowed engineers to get a hands-on feel for work in this burgeoning area of research and development. The design of the new demonstrator aircraft began in late 2011. It was unveiled at the 50th Paris Air Show in 2013, made its maiden flight a few months later and has since made appearances in the air above the Farnborough and ILA Berlin air shows. Two electric motors, 32 kW each, drive a pair of ducted, variable pitch fans positioned toward the center line of the carbon fiber composite body, which quickly and quietly get the E-Fan to a takeoff speed of 110 km/h (68 mph), 160 km/h cruising speed and a top speed of over 200 km/h. The aircraft also has an electrically-driven aft main wheel to taxi and assist with acceleration during takeoff. Its 29 kWh Li-ion 18650 batteries can be found in the inboard section of the wings (catering for ventilation and passive cooling) and offer from 45 minutes to an hour of flight time per charge, with the design also allowing for battery pack hotswaps. Electrical system management is undertaken by a full authority digital control (e-FADEC) system to reduce pilot workload. Much of what the Airbus Group has learned over the last few years will be incorporated into the "world's first series production electric planes" – the E-Fan 2.0 and 4.0 aircraft. Work on the new all-electric, battery-powered two-seater pilot training flavor and the four person hybrid electric motor/combustion engine version will be undertaken by Voltair SAS, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus, which will also offer post-production services. Both aircraft will be built at an upcoming 1,500 sq m (16,000 sq ft) facility located at Pau Pyrénées Airport in the southwest of France, within the country's so-called "Aerospace Valley." Construction of the E-Fan assembly line is expected to begin next year. The first E-Fan 2.0 is set to make its maiden flight in late 2017, followed by the series aircraft rolling out to customers the year after. An initial production rate of 10 aircraft per year has been targeted, with the facility capable of growth depending on market demand. The Airbus Group has committed to investing €20 million (about US$22 million) in the development of the E-Fan 2.0 production aircraft, and will be pitching for CS-LSA certification to international civil airworthiness standards with a maximum take-off weight of under 600 kg. Designed for basic pilot training, it has a 10.98 m (36 ft) wingspan, is 5.67 m (18.6 ft) from nose to tail and is under 2 m at its highest point. The aircraft will feature side-by-side instructor/student seating in what Airbus is calling a Connected Cockpit, where the Primary Flight Display will be supplemented by a tablet-like device that will allow the pilot to prepare a flight plan away from the E-Fan 2.0 and then plug it into the instrument panel to act as the navigation and training display. Data recorded during the flight can be retrieved from the tablet later for evaluation, logging or training purposes. Airbus is looking to use new higher density batteries for its production version electric airplanes and says that the ground-based charging station will bring them to capacity in 1.5 hours. Instructors and students can then expect a good hour in the air between charges, with a 30 minute reserve just in case an emergency landing needs to be undertaken. At this time, there's little solid information available on the four-seat hybrid airplane, where the combustion engine will be used to extend the range of the aircraft. The E-Fan 4.0 is being developed for full pilot license training and the general aviation market and the Airbus Group is currently eyeing a production window of 2019.   Source: Airbus Group

WildAx Motorhomes lets you have your camper and van, too

 

WildAx imagines the Pulsar being used for both camping and commuting Image Gallery (23 images) Not every family has the budget for a full-blown Type A, B or C motorhome for weekend and holiday use. One of the options we've seen a lot of lately is the Type B that can effectively double as an everyday people or cargo hauler. The Volksleisure and Horizon Multi Concept Vehicle are two such dual purpose-built vans, and now the folks at WildAx Motorhomes have their own idea on how to give the van a split personality. With their Pulsar, they've added a kitchen and bathroom to the back of a Citroën Relay, leaving a roomy, uncluttered four-person cabin for everyday driving. The camper vans that we've covered in depth or peeked inside of at the likes of the Düsseldorf Caravan Salon or Overland Expo tend to have a kitchen unit mounted along one of the rear cabin walls. So, if you plan to use the van for any type of everyday driving, you have a useless kitchen taking up cabin space. Even the aforementioned Volksleisure and Horizon MCV vans are set up this way. With the Pulsar, UK-based WildAx reshuffles the deck, placing all the overnighting equipment in the back while keeping the cabin simple and streamlined. In place of the typical rear bench, the Pulsar has independently mounted left and right seats, opening up a central aisle to the kitchen and bathroom in back. Outside of its lack of extra seats, the rear cabin looks as roomy and comfortable for everyday driving as any standard van, with no unnecessary sinks, refrigerators or dual-burner stoves taking up leg or elbow room. While the Pulsar is all business up front, it's full-blown recreation in back. We wouldn't necessarily expect to find anything more than a portable toilet or tailgate-mounted shower in a compact camper/everyday van, but WildAx manages to squeeze a full bathroom into the rear corner. That enclosed space includes a cassette toilet, shower and sink, as well as a mirror and storage. In the opposite corner, the Pulsar has a well-equipped kitchen with a three-burner stove, oven, sink, 50-L (13.2 US gal) fridge/freezer, food preparation space and storage drawers. The Pulsar sleeps up to four by way of the folding rear double bed and available pop-top roof double bed. It includes an insulated cabin, fully winterized 80-L (21.1 US gal) fresh and waste water tanks, a 20-L (5.2 US gal) refillable propane tank, a Truma Combi 4E gas/electric water/air heater, a 100 Ah battery, LED cabin lighting, and 230 V, 12 V and USB outlets. It also has a digital TV antenna and screens for the sliding doors. Options include solar panels, a TV package and a dual-bike rack. WildAx's layout does a good job of combining a comfortable everyday MPV cabin for the family of four with the amenities of a well-equipped motorhome, but the space has to come from somewhere. By choosing to place all the camper equipment in back, instead of having some or all of it up farther in the cabin, WildAx cuts the cargo capacity significantly. It looks like you could store a fair amount of gear in the pass-through center aisle, but you're still losing a significant amount of everyday hauling capacity and versatility. Don't expect to use this van to haul some of the furniture and large equipment you might fit in a standard van. And with only four seats, you can forget about using it for the soccer practice carpool. The base Citroën Relay van is powered by a 130-bhp engine and six-speed manual gearbox. It measures 16.4 x 6.7 x 8 ft (5 x 2.05 x 2.43 m/L x W x H), and comes standard with DAB radio with USB/aux ports, satellite navigation, cab air conditioning and electronic stability control. Available options include cruise control, LED running lights and reverse camera system. The Pulsar camper van starts at £42,995 (US$68,000), and options are priced individually. Source: WildAx Motorhomes

Ecoshelta prefab homes strive for sustainability from the ground up

 

Ecoshelta Pods are constructed using a combination of eco-friendly timber, a composite panel roof and marine grade structural aluminum alloy (Credit: Ecoshelta) Image Gallery (15 images) Australian Architect Stephen Sainsbury has spent decades researching materials to reduce environmental impact. This has culminated in the development of the Ecoshelta prefabricated modular building system. Based on an extensive evaluation of the environmental impact of building materials and other factors, the Ecoshelta Pods are constructed using a combination of eco-friendly timber, a composite panel roof, the latest wall and floor technologies and marine grade structural aluminum alloy. Some may consider the choice of aluminum slightly controversial as it’s not the first material that springs to mind when considering a green alternative. However, Sainsbury’s 20 year study found aluminum to be a highly durable, long-term product that can be recycled repeatedly with minimal impact. It is also five times as strong as steel and half the weight, with only a quarter of the material needed. The buildings were originally designed for installation in remote areas, with the ability to withstand extreme temperatures and conditions. The use of aluminum means that fire and cyclone rated buildings can be made directly from the material, without having to add any other resources to it. But it’s not just the raw materials that have undergone intense scrutiny. Every step in the design process has been through a calculated evaluation of the potential environmental impact. This includes a thorough examination of the mining and manufacturing processes, transport and logistics, with consideration given to where the product is made, how far it has to travel and whether it will pollute the internal or external environment. The Ecoshelta Pods can also be transported and delivered to any location, near and far. A recent commission saw Sainsbury and his team on a million acre station in the Kimberley, installing an accommodation building in 130 degree heat, hundreds of miles from the main gate. Another Pod was packed and shipped to Hong Kong for installation as a garden pavilion. The Pods are usually assembled by a team from Ecoshelta or overseen by an Ecoshelta supervisor but for those with a keen sense of determination, the assembly can be managed as a DIY project. Each structure takes between one and five days to construct and needs at least four people to assemble. A feature that makes the prospect of DIY more attractive is the innovative one-screw connection system. The average structure contains around 3000 screws, all alike, used to assemble the entire building. Think of it as a sophisticated Ikea package, with a power-driven screw in place of the Allen key. Although as with Ikea assembly, skills in the trades would be advantageous. As part of the overall design, careful consideration has been given to light and airflow, natural ventilation, passive and active solar design which can be used for heating, cooling, fans, lights and powering a building. The outcome is an aesthetically pleasing and versatile building that can be customized to your own taste. It’s almost like buying a car, selecting from half a dozen basic designs and then tailoring it to meet your needs. Everything can be custom selected from the various roof forms, different cuttings, linings, windows, doors, even down to the bathroom and kitchen details. A basic model can cost around US$25,000 (AU$35,000), but most buyers spend anywhere from $38,500 to $54,000 per Pod. For those wanting a larger home, a 1600 square foot house would be in the region of $270,000. For Sainsbury, the research continues. He is committed to the business of sustainability and exploring cutting edge technologies to minimize environmental impact. For the environmentally aware, an Ecoshelta Pod would be the ideal way to go green in style. Source: Ecoshelta

Airbus H160 helicopter makes its first flight

 

The Airbus H160 being taken on its first flight, at Le Bourget Airport outside of Paris (Credit: Airbus Helicopters) Image Gallery (18 images) A couple of days ago, we heard how Airbus Helicopters had announced the concept phase of its planned X6 heavy-lift helicopter. That aircraft will borrow some features from the company's new H160 medium-lift model. Although the H160 was introduced at the Heli-Expo trade show back in March, its first flight took place on June 13th and was announced this week at the Paris Air Show. The H160 is the most recent addition to Airbus' H generation of helicopters, and is reportedly both cleaner-running and quieter than its stablemates. It can be configured for applications such as offshore transportation, business and private aviation, public services, and commercial passenger transport. Among its features is a lightweight full-composite airframe, which is said to contribute to the robustness of the aircraft while also requiring less maintenance. It also has a "new generation" Arrano turboshaft engine, which is reportedly more powerful than its predecessors while also being more fuel-efficient and producing 20 percent less CO2 emissions per passenger. The aircraft's noise levels are lessened by up to 50 percent, both through the use of Airbus' swept-back Blue Edge rotor blades and a canted fenestron (a ducted fan-style tail rotor). The rotors and fenestron are also claimed to aid in stability, increasing passenger comfort. A biplane-type stabilizer on the tail additionally boosts performance and handling. Finally, electrically-controlled landing gear allows the H160 to carry a heavier payload (exact figures aren't available) and lessens maintenance requirements. . Source: Airbus Helicopters

Mould unlocks new route to biofuels

 

Structure of enzymes for hydrocarbons. Credit: Image courtesy of Manchester University Scientists at The University of Manchester have made an important discovery that forms the basis for the development of new applications in biofuels and the sustainable manufacturing of chemicals. Based at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB), researchers have identified the exact mechanism and structure of two key enzymes isolated from yeast moulds that together provide a new, cleaner route to the production of hydrocarbons. Published in Nature, the research offers the possibility of replacing the need for oil in current industrial processes with a greener and more sustainable natural process. Lead investigator Professor David Leys, explains the importance of his work: "One of the main challenges our society faces is the dwindling level of oil reserves that we not only depend upon for transport fuels, but also plastics, lubricants, and a wide range of petrochemicals. Solutions that seek to reduce our dependency on fossil oil are urgently needed." He adds: "Whilst the direct production of fuel compounds by living organisms is an attractive process, it is currently not one that is well understood, and although the potential for large-scale biological hydrocarbon production exists, in its current form it would not support industrial application, let alone provide a valid alternative to fossil fuels." Professor Leys and his team investigated in detail the mechanism whereby common yeast mould can produce kerosene-like odours when grown on food containing the preservative sorbic acid. They found that these organisms use a previously unknown modified form of vitamin B2 (flavin) to support the production of volatile hydrocarbons that caused the kerosene smell. Their findings also revealed the same process is used to support synthesis of vitamin Q10 (ubiquinone). Using the Diamond synchrotron source at Harwell, they were able to provide atomic level insights into this bio catalytic process, and reveal it shares similarities with procedures commonly used in chemical synthesis but previously thought not to occur in nature. Professor David Leys says: "Now that we understand how yeast and other microbes can produce very modest amounts of fuel-like compounds through this modified vitamin B2-dependent process, we are in a much better position to try to improve the yield and nature of the compounds produced." In this particular study, published in the journal Nature, researchers focussed on the production of alpha-olefins; a high value, industrially crucial intermediate class of hydrocarbons that are key chemical intermediates in a variety of applications, such as flexible and rigid packaging and pipes, synthetic lubricants used in heavy duty motor and gear oils, surfactants, detergents and lubricant additives. Professor Leys concludes: "This fundamental research builds on the MIB's expertise in enzyme systems and provides the basis for the development of new applications in biofuel and commodity chemical production. The insights from this research offer the possibility of circumventing current industrial processes which are reliant on scarce natural resources." Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Manchester University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Karl A. P. Payne, Mark D. White, Karl Fisher, Basile Khara, Samuel S. Bailey, David Parker, Nicholas J. W. Rattray, Drupad K. Trivedi, Royston Goodacre, Rebecca Beveridge, Perdita Barran, Stephen E. J. Rigby, Nigel S. Scrutton, Sam Hay, David Leys. New cofactor supports α,β-unsaturated acid decarboxylation via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition. Nature, 2015; DOI: 10.1038/nature14560

New imaging technique could make brain tumor removal safer, more effective, study suggests

 

An illustration of a new technique using Optical Coherence Tomography that could help surgeons differentiate a human brain tumor, red, from surrounding noncancerous tissue, green. Credit: Carmen Kut, Jordina Rincon-Torroella, Xingde Li and Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa/Johns Hopkins Medicine Brain surgery is famously difficult for good reason: When removing a tumor, for example, neurosurgeons walk a tightrope as they try to take out as much of the cancer as possible while keeping crucial brain tissue intact -- and visually distinguishing the two is often impossible. Now Johns Hopkins researchers report they have developed an imaging technology that could provide surgeons with a color-coded map of a patient's brain showing which areas are and are not cancer. A summary of the research appears June 17 in Science Translational Medicine. "As a neurosurgeon, I'm in agony when I'm taking out a tumor. If I take out too little, the cancer could come back; too much, and the patient can be permanently disabled," says Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa, M.D., a professor of neurosurgery, neuroscience and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the clinical leader of the research team. "We think optical coherence tomography has strong potential for helping surgeons know exactly where to cut." First developed in the early 1990s for imaging the retina, optical coherence tomography (OCT) operates on the same echolocation principle used by bats and ultrasound scanners, but it uses light rather than sound waves, yielding a higher-resolution image than does ultrasound. One unique feature of OCT is that, unlike X-ray, CT scans or PET scans, it delivers no ionizing radiation to patients. For the past decade, research groups around the globe, including a group at Johns Hopkins led by Xingde Li, Ph.D., a professor of biomedical engineering, has been working to further develop and apply the technology to other organs beyond the relatively transparent eye. Carmen Kut, an M.D./Ph.D. student working in Li's lab, thought OCT might provide a solution to the problem of separating brain cancers from other tissue during surgery. Working with Li, Quinones-Hinojosa and other collaborators, Kut first built on the idea that cancers tend to be relatively dense, which affects how they scatter and reflect lightwaves. The team tried for three years to build their technique on this principle. Eventually, the researchers figured out that a second special property of brain cancer cells -- that they lack the so-called myelin sheaths that coat healthy brain cells -- had a greater effect on the OCT readings than did density. Once they had found the characteristic OCT "signature" of brain cancer, the team devised a computer algorithm to process OCT data and, nearly instantaneously, generate a color-coded map with cancer in red and healthy tissue in green. "We envision that the OCT would be aimed at the area being operated on, and the surgeon could look at a screen to get a continuously updated picture of where the cancer is -- and isn't," Li says. So far, says Kut, the team has tested the system on fresh human brain tissue removed during surgeries and in surgeries to remove brain tumors from mice. The researchers hope to begin clinical trials in patients this summer. If those trials are successful and the system goes to market, it will be a big step up from imaging technologies now available during surgeries, says Quinones-Hinojosa. "Ultrasound has a much lower resolution than OCT, and MRI scanners designed to be wheeled over a patient on the operating table cost several millions of dollars each -- and require an extra hour of operating room time to obtain a single image," he says. By comparison, the team anticipates that the cost of an OCT-based system would run in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The system can potentially be adapted to detect cancers in other parts of the body, Kut says. She is working on combining OCT with a different imaging technique that would detect blood vessels to help surgeons avoid cutting them. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Johns Hopkins Medicine. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: C. Kut, K. L. Chaichana, J. Xi, S. M. Raza, X. Ye, E. R. McVeigh, F. J. Rodriguez, A. Quinones-Hinojosa, X. Li. Detection of human brain cancer infiltration ex vivo and in vivo using quantitative optical coherence tomography. Science Translational Medicine, 2015; 7 (292): 292ra100 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3010611

Some common anti-nausea medications used post-operatively could increase patients' arrhythmia risk

 

Certain commonly prescribed anti-nausea medications given to patients during or after an operation could increase their risk of developing an irregular heartbeat, new research has found. Two studies published online in BMC Medicine suggest granisetron (a serotonin 5-Ht3 receptor antagonist, also known as an anti-nausea medication) used in combination with a steroid, dexamethasone, are effective in preventing nausea or vomiting (or both) in patients following surgery. But this combination could also increase patients' arrhythmia risk, the research revealed. Serotonin receptor antagonists are commonly used to reduce nausea and vomiting for patients during or after surgery. "Often after being under anesthesia, patients experience nausea and vomiting -- or both," said Dr. Andrea Tricco, lead author and a scientist in St. Michael's Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute. "Evidence suggests post-operative vomiting not only decreases patient satisfaction but can be detrimental. You could pull out your stitches or experience aspiration pneumonia, prolonging your hospital stay." "We were commissioned by Health Canada to examine which drugs are effective and safe," she said. "Our research aims to draw attention to medications that can make a difference -- and those that carry risks patients and clinicians should be mindful of." In 2011, Health Canada pulled dolasetron mesylate (more commonly known as Anzemet) from the market because it could cause a deadly and irregular heart rhythm. Dr. Tricco's results do not suggest that dolasetron increased the risk of arrhythmia in adults. The study turned up inconclusive findings related to the drug's effect on children, due to lack of data. The safest serotonin receptor antagonists with respect to arrhythmia were ondansetron plus dexamethasone, and dolasetron for patients of all ages, and ondansetron plus dexamethasone for children, the study found. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by St. Michael's Hospital. The original item was written by Melissa Di Costanzo. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

Eating disorders experts weigh in on disorder -- two years after classification as a mental health condition

 

Jessie is a five-year-old girl who doesn't like foods with much texture or flavour. She prefers to eat foods that don't require lots of chewing, like soup, pasta, or oatmeal. Jessie has difficulty eating a range of foods and her mother struggles daily with getting her to consume the nutrients she needs to grow and thrive. Jessie is the smallest child in her class and has been severely underweight for two years. Jason is a 10-year-old boy who was not a picky eater at all, until he nearly choked on a hot dog eight months ago. The hot dog dislodged and he did not require medical attention immediately after the incident; however, since that day Jason has been reluctant to eat out of fear of choking. He refuses most foods most of the time, but occasionally accepts milk, yogurt and soft cheeses. He has not gained weight since the incident, and with puberty looming ahead, his parents are growing more concerned by the day. For years, doctors did not have the necessary tools to diagnose children like Jessie and Jason. Did they have "traditional" eating disorders like anorexia nervosa? No, because they did not have distorted body image or a desire to lose weight. In May 2013, a new category of eating disorder emerged in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5), a psychiatric classification and diagnostic tool used across North America. Now, two years later, a new commentary by experts from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) reflects on the clinical impact of the diagnosis of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and the work that remains in terms of treatments and improved outcomes. The commentary is published in the June 18 online edition of the Journal of Adolescent Health. The classification of ARFID expanded upon a previous diagnostic category of Feeding Disorder of Infancy or Early Childhood, which was rarely used or studied. ARFID is described as substantial restrictions or challenges with food intake, associated with weight loss or lack of expected weight gain in the context of significant physiological and/or psychosocial distress. Drs. Katzman and Norris have led or participated in a variety of studies on the diagnosis since its introduction and are planning future studies in the area as well. "ARFID is not just about picky eating -- it's a very challenging diagnostic category in the DSM-5," says coauthor Dr. Debra Katzman, a Staff Physician in the Eating Disorders program and Senior Associate Scientist at SickKids. "These kids have complexity, and this condition persists for long periods of time and requires treatment to address both the medical and psychosocial aspects of the condition. If left untreated, children and teens may be left with serious, long-term complications." In addition to the physiological impairments caused by the disorder, there are serious social implications, especially for teens, whose social interactions are often centred around food. "For those teens who are unable to go out to eat pizza with their friends, the condition can be socially limiting," says Katzman, who is also Professor of Paediatrics at the University of Toronto. "Parents have a significant role in identifying unhealthy patterns in their child," says coauthor Dr. Mark Norris, Adolescent Health Physician and Associate Professor of Paediatrics within the Department of Pediatrics at CHEO. "Concerned parents should talk to their child's paediatrician or family doctor early on, rather than letting the problem persist for months or even years." It is also critical, he explains, that clinicians on the front-lines and in eating disorders programs alike become more familiar with the diagnosis, so that the depth and range of eating difficulties among children, teens and adults can be further studied. In tandem, eating disorders specialists are working to assess outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: Mark L. Norris, Debra K. Katzman. Change Is Never Easy, but It Is Possible: Reflections on Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Two Years After Its Introduction in the DSM-5. Journal of Adolescent Health, 2015; 57 (1): 8 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.04.021

Adult craze for human breast milk purchased online poses serious health risks

 

The recent craze for human breast milk amongst certain fitness communities, fetishists and chronic disease sufferers is ill advised say the authors of an editorial published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. There is a lucrative online market for adult buyers of human breast milk, with websites and forums describing it as a 'clean' super food that can lead to gains in the gym, and even help with erectile dysfunction and cancer. There are claims that it is more digestible and contains positive immune building properties. The authors, led by Dr Sarah Steele, of the Global Health and Policy Unit, Queen Mary University of London, write that these purported benefits do not stand up clinically and raw human milk purchased online or in an unpasteurised state poses many risks. "Nutritionally there is less protein in breast milk than other milks like cow's milk," said Dr Steele. She and her colleagues write that the benefits of breast milk are being found in the lab, not in drinking a bottle ordered online. "Potential buyers should be made aware that no scientific study evidences that direct adult consumption of human milk for medicinal properties offers anything more than a placebo effect, said Dr Steele. The authors warn that human milk is potentially very hazardous if used to replace a healthy balanced diet. Failure of women to sanitize properly when expressing milk, the failure to sterilize equipment properly, and the improper or prolonged storage and transportation of milk can expose consumers to bacterial food-borne illnesses like any other raw milk. The lack of pasteurisation and testing not only indicates a bacterial risk but also exposes consumers to a host of infectious diseases, including hepatitis, HIV and syphilis. "While many online mums claim they have been tested for viruses during pregnancy, many do not realise that serological screening needs to be undertaken regularly," said Dr Steele. "Sexual and other activities in the postpartum period may expose the woman expressing to viruses that they may unwittingly pass on to consumers of the milk." The authors call for health professionals and regulators to issue public guidance against the purchasing of human milk from Internet sources for adult as well as infant feeding. Story Source: The above post is reprinted from materials provided by SAGE Publications. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. Journal Reference: S. Steele, J. Foell, J. Martyn, A. Freitag. More than a lucrative liquid: the risks for adult consumers of human breast milk bought from the online market. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 2015; 108 (6): 208 DOI: 10.1177/0141076815588539