Molecule Treats Leukemia by Preventing Cancer Cell Repair

Researchers at The Jackson Laboratory have identified a molecule that 

prevents repair of some cancer cells, providing a potential new "genetic 

chemotherapy" approach to cancer treatment that could significantly reduce 

side effects and the development of treatment resistance compared with 

traditional chemotherapy. In the process of antibody production, white blood 

cells turn on the gene known as activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID), 

which acts as a sort of molecular scissors that cut the chromosomes within 

the white blood cells. This is needed to rearrange pieces of the white blood 

cells chromosomes and produce different "flavors" of antibodies that do 

different jobs. But in some cancers this process goes wrong, with AID acting 

out of control and creating mutations and chromosome rearrangements that 

make the tumor more aggressive. Although the process of homologous 

recombination (HR) helps repair such cells and help them grow, researchers in 

the laboratory of Associate Professor Kevin Mills, Ph.D., identified a molecule 

called DIDS (for 4,4'-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2-2'-disulfonic acid) that blocks 

the DNA repair action in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), causing the 

cancer cells to die. With the help of this new treatment, it is possible to stop 

cancer before it becomes too serious and even deadly. 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130417105935.htm

Application of Smartphone Technology to Economic and Environmental Analysis of Building Energy Conservation Strategies

Four researchers from Canada investigated how smartphones could be used in energy 'audits', designed to help householders adopt energy conservation measures (ECMs) to reduce emissions, conserve resources and reduce operating costs. Traditionally, energy audits are undertaken by trained staff who travel from house to house, burning lots of petrol on the way. Their audits tend to focus on heating and cooling, and ignore other energy-thirsty devices, such as appliances. Most of the time, households don't lack the ability to make the energy-saving changes the auditors suggest, 'but the ability to recognize which changes are possible and which have the largest potential to reduce energy use'. The vast majority of homes will also never have such an audit. So what will help? The smartphone.  It is suggested that if suitable software could be created, householders could perform their own with their smartphones. Much of the technology needed already exists: phone sensors can take pictures for reports, act as crude light meters or confirm a variety of measurements; GPS data is already available for a wide range of applications. Even existing technology could analyze users' appliances, provide the energy-efficiency rankings of similar homes, and give breakdowns of current energy use.  The biggest advantage of the smartphone-based energy auditing system is the high potential for accelerated energy and emissions savings.

 

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121116124419.htm

New Clean Nuclear Fusion Reactor Designed

 A researcher at the Universidad politécnica de Madrid (UPM) has patented a nuclear fusion reactor by inertial confinement that, apart from be used to generate electric power in plants, can be applied to propel ships. Professor José Luis González Díez from the Higher Technical School of Naval Engineering of the UPM, has contributed  to solve the problem of contamination risk associated with the generation of nuclear fission power by designing this new technology for ships.  It is a fusion nuclear reactor by laser ignition of 1000 MWe that uses fuel hydrogen isotopes that can be extracted from water allowing us to save a suignificant amount of fuel. Nuclear fission is usually not preferred due to its high risk of contamination and radiation (as seen in Japan 2011) so we are now looking into nuclear fusion as an alternative. The prototype is a fusion reactor by inertial confinement, of total conversion of material into energy, whose fusion chamber can adapt to the type of fuel that wishes to be used, specially deuterium-tritium, deuterium- deuterium or hydrogen-hydrogen. Therefore, according to the fuel, the size of the chamber can be adapted as well as its shape, the outer and inner equipment, coolants, moderators, shields and equipment of ignition.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130114092555.htm