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Model of Masdar City. Photograph: colm.mcmullan, flickr.com

Model of Masdar City. Photograph: colm.mcmullan, flickr.com

Issue no. 25, 2009 Published: Jul 17, 2009
Renewable energy agency sets up in Middle East
G8 pledges support for research in African agriculture and health
Medtronic brain device approved in Europe
Laser 'cure' for blindness tested
New statistical technique improves precision of nanotechnology data
MIT project to track trash
Hacking body with light could speed jet lag recovery
Invisible flash takes photos without the glare
Tsunami forecast in real time

Renewable energy agency sets up in Middle East
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will have its headquarters in Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), making it the first major international agency to be based in the Middle East. Masdar City, near the outskirts of UAE's capital Abu Dhabi, is planned to be the world's first carbon-neutral, zero-waste city, completely powered by renewable energy. IRENA was founded in January and will promote the transition to renewable energy across the globe by providing advice and support to countries seeking to build their capacity in renewable energy. One of its main activities will be providing data on the potential of renewable energy sources. The UAE beat off competition from Austria, Denmark and Germany to host IRENA, thanks to its ability to link the developed and the developing worlds, according to those behind the bid. Construction in Masdar City started in early 2008 and by completion in 2016 it is expected to house more than 1,500 international organisations. IRENA's headquarters will be one of the first buildings finished with staff due to move in by 2011.
SciDev Jul 16, 2009	back to top

G8 pledges support for research in African agriculture and health
Science and Africa featured only marginally in the G8 discussions in Italy held on 8-10 July. But at least in two key research areas, agriculture and health, world leaders agreed to make some progress. In a USD 20bn package for global food security, the G8 nations agreed to work with national governments and regional organisations to strengthen agricultural research systems, increase investment and access to scientific knowledge and technology. They also said they would 'strengthen' the role of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) - an international alliance of agricultural research bodies. But no figures were put on the level of investment for agricultural research, and nor did the G8 nations set out how they would strengthen it. World leaders also agreed to 'address substantial gaps in knowledge' in the management and delivery of healthcare in Sub-Saharan Africa. Proposals include the development of networks of researchers and establishing a consortium of interdisciplinary centres of health and innovation. World leaders failed to set out how much funding they would contribute to such initiatives, but a meeting will be convened later this year to establish a roadmap to develop the consortium.
Nature Jul 13, 2009	back to top

Medtronic brain device approved in Europe
Medtronic has received regulatory approval in Europe for an implantable brain stimulator to treat patients with severe obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). The battery-powered device, implanted near the collar bone or abdomen and connected by wire to electrodes placed in the brain, already received US approval in February. OCD is an anxiety disorder characterised by constant upsetting thoughts that cause a patient to perform an action repeatedly in an attempt to dispel them. Medtronic said the neurostimulators used for its Reclaim Deep Brain Stimulation Therapy are the same used to treat common movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and dystonia. The device delivers electrical pulses to targeted areas of the brain, using a unique lead, or wire, because the area of the brain targeted for OCD is different. Medtronic also said it plans to conduct a post-market study of the therapy at a minimum of eight sites in Europe. Previous research into DBS therapy for OCD showed reduction of symptoms and functional improvement in about two-thirds of patients. A majority moved from a severe OCD rating to a mild or moderate rating after device implantation, Medtronic said.
Reuters Jul 14, 2009	back to top

Laser 'cure' for blindness tested
A ground-breaking laser treatment could prevent millions of older people from going blind, experts believe. The technique helps reverse the effects of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) - the leading cause of blindness in over 60s in the western world. Developed by pioneering eye expert Professor John Marshall of King's College London, the laser returns the back of the eye to its youthful state. Improvements to sight were reported in early proof of concept trials. AMD develops when a membrane at the back of the eye becomes clogged with natural waste materials produced by the light-sensitive cells, which clouds vision. In youthful eyes, enzymes clear away the debris, but as the ageing process sets in this system can fail. The painless 'short pulse' laser works by boosting the release of the enzymes to clean away the waste without damaging the cells that enable us to see.
BBC News Jul 06, 2009	back to top

New statistical technique improves precision of nanotechnology data
A new statistical analysis technique that identifies and removes systematic bias, noise and equipment-based artefacts from experimental data could lead to more precise and reliable measurement of nanomaterials and nanostructures likely to have future industrial applications, say scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Known as sequential profile adjustment by regression (SPAR), the technique could also reduce the amount of experimental data required to make conclusions, and help distinguish true nanoscale phenomena from experimental error. The technique could also improve reliability and precision in nanoelectronics measurements - and in studies of certain larger-scale systems. Accurate understanding of these properties is critical to the development of future high-volume industrial applications for nanomaterials and nanostructures because manufacturers will require consistency in their products. Beyond correcting the errors, the improved precision of the statistical technique could reduce the effort required to produce reliable experimental data on the properties of nanostructures.
ScienceDaily / Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Jul 14, 2009	back to top

MIT project to track trash
A team of MIT researchers announced this week a project called Trash Track, designed to monitor trash from start to finish. The team will electronically tag different pieces of waste to trace their voyage through the disposal systems of New York City and Seattle. By examining the patterns and costs of waste disposal, MIT hopes to educate people about the impact of garbage on the environment and make them aware of what they throw out. Volunteers in New York and Seattle will allow individual pieces of their trash to be tagged with wireless location markers, known as 'trash tags'. The tags will calculate the ongoing location of each piece of trash and report back to a central server, where the data can be analysed and viewed in real time.
CNET News Jul 15, 2009	back to top

Hacking body with light could speed jet lag recovery
Every regular flier has their favourite trick for kicking jet leg, from naps to caffeine. Now a computer program could take much of the guesswork out of these countermeasures, recommending precisely timed light treatments to reset the body's circadian clock. The circadian clock acts like a pendulum. Over the space of 24 hours or so, the pendulum swings back and forth to complete a cycle. After an abrupt time change this cycle ends up out-of-whack relative to the new time zone. The circadian clock relies on light to recalibrate itself each day. But a poorly timed nap or cup of coffee has the potential to make things worse by pushing the pendulum further out of sync. To determine when and how to nudge the circadian clock into a new time zone, US researchers developed a series of mathematical equations connecting circadian cycle, sleep schedules, mental performance, and light exposure. To demonstrate their model, the researchers simulated the effects of their targeted light therapy for people on an imaginary trip from New York to Hong Kong - a 12-hour time difference. Without light therapy, the traveller's circadian clock slowly inched back into sync with the new time zone, but was still off schedule after 12 days. As a result, the traveller is in peak mental form for only a few waking hours a day. However, a traveller who received a six-hour light session at progressively later times each day was back on schedule after just eight days. They were also alert for most of the day.
New Scientist / PLoS Computational Biology Jul 14, 2009	back to top

Invisible flash takes photos without the glare
A camera that takes photos with an invisible flash of infrared and ultraviolet light points to a smarter way to take photos in the dark. Researchers at New York University created the camera in an attempt to do away with intrusive regular flashes. To make their 'dark flash' camera, they modified a flashbulb to emit light over a wider range of frequencies and filter out visible light. The pair also had to remove the filters that usually prevent a camera's silicon image sensor detecting IR and UV rays. Although the dark flash gives a crisp image without disturbing those in the picture, the results have an odd colour balance that looks like a view through a night-vision scope. To give the pictures more normal hues, the researchers used colour information from a brief, flash-free photograph of the same scene taken quickly after the dark flash image. The second image is dim and blurry, and so it lacks some of the fine detail of its dark flash twin. However, the researchers use software to combine the sharp detail from the first image with the natural colours from the second image, resulting in a remarkably natural end result.
New Scientist Jul 16, 2009	back to top

Tsunami forecast in real time
A powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake that hit the southwest coast of New Zealand on 15 July has given scientists a unique opportunity to show off their tsunami forecasting skills in real time. Just as the quake struck, 90 leading tsunami researchers in Novosibirsk, Russia - six time zones west of New Zealand - were concluding a conference session. Session chair Vasily Titov, chief scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Tsunami Research in Seattle, Washington, immediately grasped the threat - and the scientific opportunity. Less than half an hour after the quake happened, he demonstrated to the awe-struck audience a precise simulation of the tsunami that the quake would generate. Titov, who helped to develop NOAA's web-based tsunami forecast system, fed data about the quake's location and magnitude into a model of regional tsunami effects. Incorporating measurements being sent from a deep-ocean detection buoy off New Zealand, he predicted that the tsunami would not destroy the coastlines of New Zealand or Australia - before the first wave had even arrived at any large coastal communities. He was right. Tide gauges in New Zealand reported tsunami amplitudes of less than half a metre, with no flooding. The waves were still discernible from ordinary waves when they hit a beach, but small enough to cause nothing more than alarm. Synolakis hopes that such accurate predictions can boost people's confidence in tsunami warnings.
Nature Jul 16, 2009	back to top