Through use of the new system being devised, the safety and reliability of essential transportation networks should be secured, making it better for those who make use of it. This is an answer to incidences of train wrecks caused by natural disasters such as the case during the tsunami of 2004 in Southeast Asia, when a Sri Lankan train was derailed. 1700 lives might have been saved.

The team, which includes Prof. Lev V. Eppelbaum of Tel Aviv University’s Department of Geophysics and Planetary Sciences, hopes to develop a platform using a connection of emerging technologies. This platform is aimed to be able to fit on any railway, passenger or freight carrier. While mainly created for predicting natural disasters, the platform could also be used against possible terrorist attacks.

Among some of the challenges the team faces in creating this platform is the change of climate, soil type and physical geography along the rail route. But the team continues to work towards the development of this platform. Ultimately, the outcome of the team’s work is expected to be adopted by the world’s railway systems. This becomes especially important in the work towards environmental sustainability as the trains serve as a viable alternative to transportation via car or plane. The significance of the work becomes even more apparent as at present, there is no monitoring system against natural disasters or terrorist attacks on the current railway system.

While travel by railway has been viewed by some as an old-fashioned way to get around, I believe that with the efforts of this consortium of researchers, it can be possible to modernize this mode of transportation. Take for instance the Bullet Train of Japan. By developing public transportation systems and making them more efficient and reliable, it can be possible to increase the popularity of this efficient and affordable mode of travel.

While quitting the stick is still the most important and effective way to decrease lung cancer risk, H. Bas Bueno-de-Mesquita of the Netherlands-based National Institute for Public Health and the Environment says that consuming a mix of different types of fruits and vegetables may also reduce risk, independent of the amount.

After observing more than 450,000 people residing in Europe, 1,600 of whom were diagnosed with lung cancer, Bueno-de-Mesquita and his team concluded that it wasn’t so much the quantity of vegetables and fruits that mattered, but rather, the variety. The researchers studied 26 commonly eaten vegetables and 14 commonly eaten fruits, including fresh, canned, and dried products.

Fruits and vegetables contain various bioactive compounds. To ensure the body contains a rich mix of these substances, Bueno-de-Mesquita suggests that one consume a variety of their sources. It is not enough to simply eat the recommended dietary amounts.

The study concludes that diversifying one’s vegetable and fruit consumption substantially decreases the risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC), a common skin cancer that may also affect the lungs, mouth, esophagus, urinary bladder, or genital area.

Despite this, I wouldn’t advise smokers to simply load up different kinds of fruits and vegetables. Of course, the only sure and proven way to reduce the risk of cancer remains to be the avoidance of tobacco in all its forms.

As always, be sure to consult a physician or nutritionist before making drastic changes to your diet.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

While most research in the field of regenerative medicine had focused on the use of stem cells, immature cells that could develop into any needed cell, the team paid attention to how regeneration naturally occurs in other beings. What naturally happens can be observed in some animals with adult cells at the site of a wound. These cells then revert to a stemlike state so they can grow and divide.

This function, seen in newts, has been suppressed in mammals as a way to guard against cancerous tumors. While newts and fish only have the Rb gene that naturally inactivates to regenerate tissue in order to prevent the proliferation of cancer, mammals also have a backup called the Arf gene which closes down a cancer-prone cell if the Rb gene fails to do so.

In the experiment, the team was able to inactivate these two genes, thus enabling muscle cells in mice to revert to a younger state, start dividing and help repair tissue. According to Dr. Pomerantz, with the right dose of drug, the genes will only be inhibited for a short period of time. And when the drug’s effects have lapsed, the anti-tumor defenses would be restored. This way, the Stanford team had taken the step towards mimicking the natural process of regeneration cautiously.

While regrowing whole limbs is something invoked only by genes specific to certain species, this study has proven itself to be a useful contribution to the study of regenerative science. I think that with development, this kind of regeneration would open doors towards better ways of helping the body heal. As opposed to the introduction of medicine from the outside, these findings focus on healing from the inside, making use of the body’s own resources. Perhaps in time, the prospect is exciting not only for lost limbs, but also for diseased organs such as the liver or lungs. Perhaps a fountain of youth may not be as far off as once thought.

Originally, Dr. Sulkin’s study was conducted to find out why children pick up singing and clapping activities only until the end of third grade when the children’s interests turn towards sports. But further insights showed a more significant link between the activities and a child’s development.

The elementary-level classes that were part of the study were engaged in either a music appreciation program or a hand-clapping songs program for a period of ten weeks. At the end of this period, Dr. Sulkin found that children enrolled in the hand-clapping songs program caught up in cognitive abilities with children who played hand-clapping games more often.

This led her to conclude that the activity did play a crucial role in the development of motor and cognitive training. It also proved to help in other areas such as emotional and sociological development within those ages where children were more apt to pick it up.

While there have been no long-term studies conducted yet on the effects that hand-clapping songs and activities may have on a child’s motor skills, Sulkin was able to find that the same hand-clapping song activity had a positive effect on adults as well. University students who filled out her questionnaires reported that they felt more focused and less tense after engaging in the games.

The serendipitous nature of the discovery that was made reminds us to be open minded at everything that we do. Studies such as Sulkin’s that look into the way our activities affect us both in childhood and even in adulthood may lead to other fascinating studies in the same area. It may even help developers looking for ways to help teach students with learning disabilities.

Buckyballs are carbon molecules known for their distinct soccer ball shape. According to astronomer Jan Cami, the fullerenes are the largest molecules to be observed in space. The discovery has roused a lot of excitement among researchers as the substance possesses unique properties that may shed more light on the physical and chemical processes going on in space. In particular, the existence of this substance in space may explain the occurrence of diffuse interstellar bonds, chemical signatures first observed by researchers in 1922.

Fullerenes (C60 and C70) are the third form of carbon after graphite and diamond. Their spherical, soccer ball-like structures make them incredibly stable, making them highly suited to survive the harsh conditions of planetary nebulae. Many scientists have tried to search for their existence in outer space to no avail, until July of this year.

Cami and his team were not even looking for buckyballs when they found them last month. They were simply observing a planetary nebula named Tc 1, which, at the time, was acting in a very interesting manner. Planetary nebulas are the remnants of stars, like the sun, consisting of glowing clouds of ionized gas and dust shed during the star’s later years. The fullerenes were found in these clouds, creating vibrations that either absorb or generate infrared light. It was by chance that the telescope was able to detect the distinct spectral signatures emanated by the vibrating carbon molecules. A century from now, the buckyballs might be too cool to be detected.

The discovery of fullerenes in space raises the potential for the existence of other elements or chemical reactions, hitherto unobserved. The discovery and exploration of such materials could lead to technological discoveries with immeasurable new applications in various industries that are constantly looking for the latest development.