Narrowing Down the Scope of Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has been proven an effective treatment for cancer. It is able to suppress the spread of cancer cells throughout a patient’s body by targeting and killing cells that divide rapidly. Unfortunately, the treatment also affects cells that divide rapidly under normal circumstances, such as cells in the digestive tract, bone marrow and hair follicles. Cancer patients undergoing long term chemotherapeutic treatment, then, suffer such conditions as baldness, liver toxicity, and a weakened immune system.

A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University, led by Dr. Dan Peer and Prof. Rimona Margalit, have found a way to eliminate these debilitating side effects. Setting their sights on finding a solution to narrow down the attacking scope of chemotherapy, the team has developed a nano-sized vehicle that can deliver chemotherapy drugs directly into cancer cells while avoiding interaction with healthy cells. With this breakthrough technology, not only will side effects greatly be reduced, but the efficiency of chemotherapeutic treatment will also improve.

Dr. Peer explains that the nano-vehicle is similar to a cluster bomb. Inside the tiny module are tiny particles of chemotherapy drugs. When the vehicle comes into contact with a cancer cell, it automatically releases the drugs into it. Because the attack is contained within the cell, the cytotoxic substances can be more potent without seriously affecting neighboring healthy cells, even if their behavior is similar to that of cancer cells.

This new form of nano-device-assisted chemotherapy can be used to treat numerous types of cancer, including that of the breasts, lungs, colon, and even cancers of the brain or blood. Clinical trials are already underway, with Dr. Peer and Prof. Margalit working with ORUUS Pharma in California. The company recently licensed the “cluster bomb” platform from the Israeli university. With further fine-tuning, the treatment may prove to be one of the best improvements for modern cancer treatment in recent history.

  • September
  • 2nd, 2010
  • 7:00 am

Filed under: Healthcare, News, Technology

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Oil-Eating Microbe May Help Contain the Gulf Oil Spill

A new species of microbe is flourishing in the depths of the Gulf of Mexico. Studies say it may help increase the cleanup speed of the massive oil spill caused by a drilling rig explosion last April.

Scientists discovered the new microbe while studying the underwater dispersion of the millions of gallons of oil that have threatened the fragile ecological system of the gulf. The microbes consume oil without significantly depleting the oxygen in the water.

According to Terry Hazen, the leader of the research team that filed the report about the oil-eating microbes, the new species may have stemmed from a type of bacteria that has adapted over time to the periodic leaks and natural seepages of oil in the Gulf’s seabed. The microbes may have become ’supercharged’ with the influx of oil from the spill. They thrive in cold water, with temperatures in the deep recorded at five degrees Celsius (41 Fahrenheit).

Because the bacteria degrade oil without depleting too much oxygen, promoting their growth within the oil spill area may not cause adverse effects to its marine life. This was one of the main issues encountered when scientists suggested seeding out oil-degrading microorganisms to help in the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, another catastrophic oil spill that happened in the coast of Alaska in 1989. The bacteria may help in taking all the oil away, only at the risk of turning the area into a ‘dead zone’ where marine life can no longer flourish due to oxygen deprivation.

Many environmentalists have expressed their concerns about the Gulf oil spill. It has been months since the explosion occurred, and while efforts have already been taken to prevent the further expansion of the spill, the oil-eating microbes can greatly help in eradicating the immense underwater plumes of dissolved oil that are still present.

  • September
  • 1st, 2010
  • 7:00 am

Filed under: Environment, News

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Battling Metabolic Syndrome with Fish Oil

Obesity, high blood pressure and high blood sugar levels. These are just some of the factors that underlie metabolic syndrome. One in five people are said to be affected by this medical condition, and prevalence tends to increase with age.

A person with metabolic syndrome runs a higher risk of developing a heart problem or diabetes. To combat these unhealthy effects, patients are advised to go on low-fat, low-sugar diets and maintain an exercise regimen. A number of drug supplements may be added to further minimize the risk factors. A new study suggests that metabolic syndrome can be fought with a more organic type of oral medication: fish oil capsules.

The idea of fish oil as an effective supplement for lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease is not entirely new. As early as 1775, a fish oil supplement was produced in England, but its recent popularity has caused modern scientists to conduct new research studies.

Fish oil is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are largely believed to help lower cholesterol levels. According to Dr. Jose Lopez-Mendoza, a professor of medicine at the Reina Sofia University Hospital and the University of Cordoba in Spain, adding Omega-3 to a high-carbohydrate, low-fat diet can battle the long-term adverse effects induced by a diet rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole grains.

Dr. Lopez-Medina and his team conducted the study on 117 patients diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Each of the patients was assigned to follow one of four diets for a minimum of 12 weeks. The diets were: high saturated fat (e.g. meat loaded meals), high monosaturated fat (e.g. fish and olive oil), low fat and high carbohydrate, and low fat and high carbohydrate supplemented with fish oil capsules. All four diets had around the same amount of calories and the patients underwent blood tests before and after eating to measure blood fat levels.

At the beginning of the study, all participants had similar post-meal blood fat responses. By the end of the three-month period, those who followed the low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with fish oil showed better responses.

It looks like the fish oil phenomenon is here to stay. The low-fat, high-carbohydrates combination is often assigned as a diet for weight loss. While it can be effective in that field, it may induce a spike in cholesterol and blood sugar after a meal. Now with scientific backing, fish oil can mitigate these effects, allowing patients to enjoy a healthy diet without encountering too many adverse effects.

  • August
  • 31st, 2010
  • 7:00 am

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New York To Launch Communal Bike Program

Over the last few years, New York has been experiencing an influx of bikers. No, the ones that travel at break-neck speeds on the highway, but simple bicycle riders. While the NYC Department of Transportation has already taken steps to design safer, better-performing streets for motorists, pedestrians and bicycle riders, Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to further foster the growing bicycle-riding culture by launching a bike share program.

The Bike Share Project is not a new idea. Several bike-friendly cities, such as Hangzhou, China and Paris have been implementing a public bicycle sharing system for several years now. Closer to home, Denver, Colorado has rolled out its bike share with 400 bicycles.

New York is proud to jump on the bandwagon. The New York Bike Share project proposes the initial release of 10,500 bikes across the city, further expanding to 49,000 over time. Bicycle kiosks will be placed in a number of sidewalk corners and users can rent one of the public bikes with a simple card swipe or cellphone call.

New York City resident, Ryan Rzepcki contributes to the project by creating a wireless system that tracks, finds and unlocks the public bicycles using a smart phone app. Known as the Social Bicycle System (SoBi), the system utilizes GPS, mobile communication and a specialized, secure lock that can attach to almost any bicycle and lock to any bicycle rack. Since there are no separate instruments, save the user’s mobile phone, SoBi costs one-third less than previous existing bike share systems.

Not only is this an affordable mode of transportation but bicycles also help to reduce carbon footprints and promote a healthy lifestyle.

Implementing a communal bicycle program can provide several benefits to the buzzing Big Apple. With proper enforcement, bicycles can be an effective form of intermodal transportation. They make for an easily accessible alternative to motorized travel. Over time, the program may actually keep the streets less congested.

  • August
  • 30th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

Filed under: Community, Environment, News

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Changing the Culture in an NY School District

The Roosevelt Union Free School District has been making changes by bringing the fun back into learning for its students. Led by Robert-Wayne Harris, the district superintendent, the district has been promoting a return of interest in school.

Mr. Harris does this by making a point: “When you do the right thing, you get rewarded, and when you don’t do the right thing, you get to watch.” By holding events such as the year-end barbecue for students who have done well in the past school year, Mr. Harris makes a point to draw attention to students for doing a good job. This is in contrast to being called out for causing trouble, which happens far too often.

Even in the past year, Mr. Harris made waves in the district by starting a fancy dinner for honor roll students and their families. This has become a popular social event. Already, there are more in the works, including movie showings and pizza parties.

This change of attitude in education has made an impact on students. For example, from a high school culture known for fights, students have recently been getting along better. There are many programs that keep the students in the school rather than out on the streets. With the growing popularity of these events, a more positive attitude towards doing better has become apparent.

But it isn’t just the events that have changed the culture in the Roosevelt Union district. With the introduction of school uniforms, students are encouraged to focus more on academics rather than fashion. Art and music programs have also been built up. What was once a small school band in tattered uniforms is now 40-strong, all with new instruments and jackets carrying the Roosevelt initial.

The district is continuing to develop, and I’m very excited to hear more about how it will work to ultimately change the lives of the community. This fall, the district plans to offer advanced and enrichment classes in middle and high schools in tandem with the State University of New York College at Old Westbury. With New York being the trendsetter that it is, I’m hopeful that this new educational culture will catch on.

  • August
  • 29th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

Filed under: Arts & Culture, Community, News, education

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Researchers Uncover Biomarkers for Heart Disease RiskResearchers Uncover Biomarkers for Heart Disease Risk

As covered by the journal “Nature,” a worldwide consortium of researchers has made a breakthrough by identifying biomarkers for heart disease. In the reported study, the consortium has identified 59 novel regions of the heart genome that are involved in lipid metabolism.

Lipid concentrations in the blood are one of the key risk factors for coronary artery disease. This disease, also known as CAD, is currently the leading cause of death in the world. The goal of the study was to find new biomarkers to serve as indicators of risk to this disease. These findings could serve as a foundation to the development of new drugs. By targeting the key genes involved in metabolizing the lipids, heart disease could possibly be prevented.

The consortium assembled for the study brought in researchers from a variety of institutions, including some from the UK and the US. Among the institutions represented were Stanford University, the University of Cambridge and the University of California in Los Angeles.

In the study, researchers analyzed the genome-wide association results for serum lipids in more than 100,000 individuals of European ancestry. Through this intensive study, the consortium was able to identify 95 regions of the human genome, including regions identified in previous studies and the 59 novel regions involved in lipid metabolism.

Although the study was conducted on subjects with a European ancestry, the consortium demonstrated that some of these genetic locations were shared by non-European populations. This raised the significance of the subject to global relevance.

According to Massimo Mangino of the Department of Twin Research and Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London, they are hopeful that this study will provide a basis for further research into CAD biomarkers and enable new drugs to combat it.

With the number of those suffering from heart disease growing yearly and the expected boom in population aged over 65, I believe that the study conducted by the consortium is a timely one. And perhaps, more research can be put into this to develop more effective drugs against the coronary artery disease.

  • August
  • 28th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

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Discovering Health by Rediscovering Roots

About thirty years ago, in Israel, Dr. Shaul Eger, a physiologist specializing in animal husbandry, turned to his roots to cure an otherwise fatal heart arrhythmia. The cure he found was inspired by the Jewish doctor Assaf Harofeh, or Assaf the Physician who wrote that olive oil kept mental illness and an array of other ailments at bay. This also included ailments of the heart.

Although Dr. Eger had drawn his idea from ancient texts, his findings were backed by scientific proof. His Arab neighbors concurred with the health benefits from olive oil. At that time, while the oil had been featured prominently in the diet of Arab Israelis, Jewish Israelis hadn’t picked up on it. And so Dr. Eger had to get the unrefined oil from his neighbors. This oil was low in quality since it was prepared the traditional way. Yet, he consumed it, prescribing himself a spoonful a day until, within six months, it increased to eight spoonfuls a day. Due to this self-made prescription, Dr. Eger found that his arrhythmia, which used to make him black out, had disappeared.

Thirty years ahead into the future, Dr. Eger has invested money in science to create products which would hopefully put Israel’s olive oil on a competitive footing in the world market. Together with Prof. Ishak Neeman of the Technion Institute of Technology in Hafia, Dr. Eger developed the technology for the solidification of oil which was free from water, preservatives and trans fatty acids.

The resulting spreadable olive oil could then be used as a margarine substitute, and could also be used for the creation of various other goods. With his own brand, Dr. Eger Olive Oil Products, he manufactures health products with the oil as the main ingredient.
Despite modern medicine paving the way to finding new cures by matching DNA barcodes and such, it seems to me that traditional remedies still have much to offer. Traditional remedies are usually composed of naturally occurring ingredients, making them more practical than some modern counterparts, especially in developing countries.

  • August
  • 27th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

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A Simple Remedy for Better Rechargeable Batteries

Rechargeable lithium ion batteries are used to power a great number of gadgets. From digital cameras to cars, the ion storage packs are praised for their efficient energy dispensation and slow loss of charge when not in use. Now, they can be made more efficient, and affordable according to research from the US Department of Energy.

Theoretically, the lifespan of a rechargeable battery would be unlimited. The key players in their ability to supply electricity are the lithium ions because they are able to keep and transport electrons from one point of the battery to the other. The lithium ions stored within the battery will never diminish, thanks to the stable positively charged metal oxide cathode that keeps them at bay when there are no floating electrons to be had. However, constant charging can form deposits inside the battery’s electrolytes – the pool which facilitates ion transport. Over time, the battery cell’s capacity diminishes until it becomes too encumbered to deliver current.

Researchers from the US Department of Energy, led by material scientist Daiwan Choi, have found a simple one-step method that may allow rechargeable battery developers to manufacture more efficient, lower priced alternatives to the lithium ion-metal oxide electrode battery.

The suggested materials were highly unconventional, but they work. The scientists mixed the electrode ingredients with melted paraffin wax and oleic acid, more commonly known as soap, to create a framework for the stable and efficient flow of energy between the electrodes. The mixture was heated up to more than 400 degree Celsius (four times the temperature of boiling water), to fortify the electrode structure.

The resulting rechargeable battery performed so admirably, it hit the theoretical maximum for storage power at 168 milliAmp hours per gram, when it was slowly charged and discharged over a period of two days.

The one weakness of rechargeable lithium ion batteries seems to have been remedied. With this, rechargeable batteries may even become more common in a range of new devices that they were thought impractical for before. With their extended lifespan, it would be worth it to invest in such batteries for even simple electronic devices like flashlights and remote control.

  • August
  • 26th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

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Taking the Reins on Tidal Power

The latest contribution towards the development of clean energy was unveiled in Scotland earlier in the month. Weighing 1430 tons and sizing up at nearly 75 feet tall, the AK1000 is described as the largest tidal power turbine. Its developer, the Atlantis Resources Corporation, says that the device’s 60 foot rotors can generate one megawatt of electricity, enough to power at least a thousand homes.

In comparison to wind turbines, tidal turbines operate underwater. While both flowing water and wind can be used to generate power, using the tide for energy has its benefits. One is that since the turbines are underwater, they are silent and placed out of sight from residential communities. Also, in places where tidal inlets with significant energy potential are, there are sure to be densely populated areas nearby that can benefit from the energy generated.

Due to the hurdles of technical logistics of deploying the turbines, tidal power only represents a fraction of the renewable energy that can be produced worldwide. So far, most of the tidal turbines currently in operation are experimental prototypes from Europe.

Atlantis’ CEO, Timothy Cornelius remarked that the future is bright for marine power if the project would receive support from all levels of government. He likened the unveiling of the turbine to the start of a new industrial boom, similar to the development of the North Sea oil and natural gas fields.

The AK1000’s turbines were developed to withstand the harshness of the North Atlantic with its robust design. At the same time, though, the turbines were also developed to turn very slowly, so they have zero impact on the surrounding environment.

Already, the prospect of producing clean, reliable power from tidal turbines has been drawing investors in. Because of this, the company faces competition in the race to develop affordable commercial-scale tide power.

This combination of sturdiness and care for the environment present in the AK1000 are what I believe to be the marks of a success in producing green energy. Investors should note that renewable resources will not only reduce consumption of fossil fuels, and reduce carbon emissions, but it has the potential to eliminate much of the collateral environmental damage that we’ve been seeing lately.

  • August
  • 25th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

Filed under: Environment, News, Technology

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Social Media as an Effective Emergency Lifeline

A recent report from the American Red Cross, named Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies, finds that in the event of a large-scale emergency, such as the onset of a natural disaster or an accident, one in five web users would try to contact an emergency responder through digital media channels.

From July 22 to 23, the long-standing emergency response organization put up an online survey, garnering 1,058 respondents representative of the US population aged 18 and above. Results reflect the youth’s affinity with social media. Nearly three in four participants were active users of Facebook, Twitter, or other social media networks. Many of the participants also answered that they get their updates on the latest news and current events through the Internet, either by frequenting various websites or through their social media feeds.

69% of all the respondents believed emergency responders should be monitoring social media channels. 74% expect help to come within an hour of a tweet or Facebook post directed to the emergency aid provider.

Social media has played a significant role in mobilizing emergency aid in recent calamities. Only moments after the Haiti earthquake, calls for help and donations were already spreading across various social media channels. When the tropical typhoon Ketsana hit Southeast Asia last year, it was through Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites that updates were propagated. In Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies, one in five social media users have reported to posting eyewitness accounts of emergency events to their respective social media networks.

I’ve heard of people using Google Maps to pinpoint their exact locations to authorities in flooded areas were street signs were no longer distinguishable. Over time, social media has proven to be an effective emergency lifeline. According to American Red Cross president and CEO Gail McGovern, the growing popularity of social media among today’s civilian calls for a shift in disaster response, one that allows for real-time collaboration between the public and skilled emergency response organizations.

  • August
  • 24th, 2010
  • 7:00 am

Filed under: Community, News, Technology

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