Tech

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 4, 2019 -- Light-emitting diodes made of indium gallium nitride provide better luminescence efficiency than many of the other materials used to create blue and green LEDs. But a big challenge of working with InGaN is its known dislocation density defects that make it difficult to understand its emission properties.

In the Journal of Applied Physics, from AIP Publishing, researchers in China report an InGaN LED structure with high luminescence efficiency and what is believed to be the first direct observation of transition carriers between different localization states within InGaN. The localization states were confirmed by temperature-dependent photoluminescence and excitation power-dependent photoluminescence.

Localization states theory is commonly used to explain the high luminescence efficiency gained via the large number of dislocations within InGaN materials. Localization states are the energy minima states believed to exist within the InGaN quantum well region (discrete energy values), but a direct observation of localization states was elusive until now.

"Based primarily on indium content fluctuations, we explored the 'energy minima' that remain within the InGaN quantum well region," said Yangfeng Li, the paper's lead author and a now postdoctoral fellow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. "Such energy minima will capture the charge carriers -- electrons and holes -- and prevent them from being captured by defects (dislocations). This means that the emission efficiency is less affected by the large number of defects."

The group's direct observation of localization states is an important discovery for the future of LEDs, because it verifies their existence, which was a long-standing open scientific question.

"Segregation of indium may be one of the reasons causing localization states," said Li. "Due to the existence of localization states, the charge carriers will mainly be captured in the localization states rather than by nonradiative recombination defects. This improves the high luminescence efficiency of light-emitting devices."

Based on the group's electroluminescence spectra, "the InGaN sample with stronger localization states provides more than a twofold enhancement of the light-output at the same current-injection conditions as samples of weaker localization states," Li said.

The researchers' work can serve as a reference about the emission properties of InGaN materials for use in manufacturing LEDs and laser diodes.

They plan to continue to explore gallium nitride-related materials and devices "not only to gain a better understanding of their localizations but also the properties of InGaN quantum dots, which are semiconductor particles with potential applications in solar cells and electronics," Li said. "We hope that other researchers will also conduct in-depth theoretical studies of localization states."

Sonia Guil, leader of the Regulatory and Chromatin RNA group of Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute, and Lourdes Farré of ProCURE (Idibell) have discovered an intermediate molecule expressed from a region of the non-coding genome that is key to the development and differentiation of cells, and for the expansion of tumor cells.

The work, published today in Nature Communications, reveals how the RPSAP52 RNA molecule triggers the proliferation of cells and cancels their differentiation, making it easier for tumor cells to multiply and spread.

Non-coding regions of the genome are DNA sequences that do not encode a protein and are therefore not considered common genes. Usually, when processing DNA from a part that does encode, from a gene, machinery that reads the DNA starts up, transcribes it to another simpler RNA molecule and this transcription translates into a protein with a specific function.

On the other hand, some regions that do not code for any protein can be readable and transcribed, although in the end they are not translated. These transcripts are intermediate molecules whose function is worth studying because they can be crucial in the regulation and signaling of cellular processes, as is the case of this study.

Guil and her team have investigated a non-coding sequence linked with a sequence that does code for a common oncogene in different types of cancer, called HMGA2. The non-coding sequence that originates RPSAP52, is just "in front" of HMGA2. It has been discovered that it regulates the chain of events responsible for the increase in the number of tumor cells and the expansion of cancer tissues.

"RPSAP52 is an antisense transcript and regulates the entire HMGA2 / IGF2BP2 / RAS signaling pathway, which has a highly pro-proliferative and anti-differentiating potential on cells, so its activation promotes growth and keeps the cells in a non-differentiated state, as happens in the most aggressive tumor cells," Guil explains.

"Under normal conditions, in healthy cells, RPSAP52 is only expressed at the embryonic level and is silenced in most adult tissues. In a large number of cancers, however, it is re-expressed aberrantly and promotes the pluripotent character and high replication of tumor cells." She adds.

The study was carried out by combining in vitro approaches with in vivo studies on animal models. The tumorigenic role of RPSAP52 in breast and sarcoma tumors has been confirmed, and it can also have predictive value as a biomarker.

Guil notes that the fact that this non-coding RNA re-expresses in most human tumors, and plays an important role, reinforces the view on the functionality of the non-coding genome, often belittled in the regulation of cellular programs and especially in the pathological context. "For translational research, the findings are significant because these types of molecules are often present at low levels. Therefore they can be attacked and eradicated more easily than the coding genes," says Guil.

The next steps to move forward in this line of research will focus on generating in vivo tumor models and test small molecules that destroy RPSAP52 to study its effect on tumor growth.

Imperial researchers show that carbon taxes alone cannot reduce emissions enough to reach the Paris Agreement targets.

The Paris Agreement, signed in 2015, requires nations to collectively limit global warming to 2°C by 2100, and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5°C.

This goal requires human-caused carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to reach zero by 2070 and become negative afterwards, using strategies that remove CO2 from the air, such as carbon capture technologies or planting trees.

However, a new study by Imperial College London researchers shows that carbon taxes, which are the currently favoured system for reaching this target, will not be enough to avoid catastrophic climate change.

They instead suggest that alongside carbon taxes, which put a price on emissions, there also need to be incentives for strategies that remove CO2 from the atmosphere. They say this will encourage these strategies to be implemented at a commercial scale in order to reach the Paris Agreement goals. The study is published in Joule.

Study lead author Habiba Daggash, from the Centre for Environmental Policy at Imperial, said: "The current system of penalising greenhouse gas emissions through carbon taxes is not sufficient to avoid catastrophic climate change, even if very high taxes are enforced. Therefore, using this strategy alone, the Paris Agreement that most countries have committed to could not be delivered.

"The system needs to be adapted to recognise that not only do emissions need to be penalised, but actions that result in permanent removal of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere must also be credited."

Placing a price on carbon, usually in the form of taxes on emissions, has been touted as a way of allowing market forces to produce a low-carbon economy, in which using low-carbon forms of energy is seen as an advantage.

Using the UK as an example, Habiba and Dr Niall Mac Dowell, also from the Centre for Environmental Policy, modelled the future UK energy system based on several scenarios concerning levels of carbon taxation and incentives for carbon removal.

Their analysis shows that much higher carbon taxes than current levels are enough to create a push for low-carbon technologies that satisfy emissions goals in the short term.

However, higher carbon taxes are not enough to incentivise the development and deployment of carbon removal strategies, which are necessary to reach long-term goals.

If, instead, governments incentivised carbon removal strategies much earlier, then carbon taxes could remain lower while still encouraging removal strategies to be developed and deployed on a large scale.

Habiba said: "Early incentives could both reduce the cost of delivering the Paris Agreement and satisfy our long-term need for negative emissions."

The team say that the UK case study could apply to other regions, and are now investigating the situation in developing economies, using Nigeria as a case study.

Scientists from Tomsk Polytechnic University have updated the alloying process, i.e. improving the properties of metal with impurities, which not only enhances the wear resistance of materials but also provides new qualities required by hi-tech manufacturing, science, and energy.

The study results were published in the journal Surface and Coatings Technology and presented at the conference on Surface Modification of Materials by Ion Beams (SMMIB) 2019 that recently took place in Tomsk.

By now, traditional alloying methods are reported to have exhausted their technological potential. Therefore, metals are more increasingly exposed to beams of charged particles, plasma flows, and laser radiation so as to obtain advanced materials. Ion implantation (ion doping) is one of those methods enabling to change elemental composition, microstructure, and morphology of surface layers that determine such properties as wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and others.

Tomsk scientists developed a new method of ion implantation that dramatically expands the applications of the method in industry. According to Alexander Ryabchikov, the head of the Laboratory for Highly Intensive Ion Implantation, they have been able to experimentally improve the wear resistance of stainless steel by more than a hundred times.

In addition, this technology makes it possible to manufacture details and products with needed specific surface properties. For example, a barrier layer is formed by ion doping of zirconium with titanium, thus preventing oxygen penetration. This can be used to increase the service life and safety of operation of nuclear fuel cells.

Currently, the industrial use of ion doping is constrained by the small thickness of the formed ion-doped layers. The issue to be addressed through the increased kinetic energy of the ion flux implies the use of big accelerators, which is not cost-effective.

'We proposed to increase the ion penetration depth into the material by enhancing the radiation-induced diffusion with high-density ion beams that are two-three orders of magnitude superior to those used in traditional ion implantation,' said Alexander Ryabchikov.

The results obtained in the laboratory confirm the possibility of creating a doped surface layer with a depth of several hundred micrometers, while other methods of ion doping enable a depth of several tens and hundreds of nanometers.

The authors emphasize that the development of highly intensive implantation of ions with low energy could revolutionize the technology of improving material properties. Further research in this field will enable to reduce the cost of the technology application and improve the quality of products.

Although Hurricane Juliette is no longer a major hurricane in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, NASA's Aqua satellite revealed there are still powerful thunderstorms around its center and captured an image of the storm over Socorro Island, Mexico.

Aqua provided forecasters at the National Hurricane Center with infrared data and cloud top temperature information that indicate Juliette's rainmaking capabilities that affected Socorro Island.

Cloud top temperatures provide information to forecasters about where the strongest storms are located within a tropical cyclone. The stronger the storms, the higher they extend into the troposphere with colder cloud temperatures.

NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed the storm on Sept. 3, at 5:05 p.m. EDT (2105 UTC) using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument. AIRS found coldest cloud top temperatures as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) around the center and in fragmented bands of thunderstorms stretching from the north to the southeast. NASA research has shown that cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms that have the capability to create heavy rain. That heavy rainfall was experienced by the small number of residents on Socorro Island.

Socorro Island is a small volcanic island in the Revillagigedo Islands. It is about 373 miles (600 km) west of Mexico's west coast. The island is only 51 square miles or 132 square kilometers. It is the largest of the four islands of the Revillagigedo Archipelago.

On Sept. 3, NOAA's National Hurricane Center's (NHC) noted at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Juliette was located near latitude 19.1 degrees north and, longitude 116.4 degrees west. The center is about 495 miles (795 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. Juliette is moving toward the west-northwest near 6 mph (9 kph), and this general motion is expected during the next few days. Maximum sustained winds are near 110 mph (175 kph) with higher gusts. The estimated minimum central pressure is 966 millibars.

NHC said that additional slow weakening is forecast during the next several days.

For updated forecasts, visit: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

For updated warnings from the Mexican Meteorological Service, visit: https://smn.conagua.gob.mx/es/pronosticos/avisos/aviso-de-ciclon-tropical-en-el-oceano-pacifico

PHILADELPHIA -- The biggest risks for cardiovascular disease are smoking and poor diet. However, different people are more susceptible to heart disease based on very slight differences in their genes, called variants. While there have been many studies that have linked variants to cardiovascular traits, it's unclear whether these variants have functional consequences, like altered gene or protein expression. In a new study from the https://www.jefferson.edu/university/skmc/departments/medicine/divisions/hematology.html">Cardeza Foundation for Hematologic Research at Thomas Jefferson University, researchers have discovered two slight gene variations that may modulate the behavior of platelet cells, and subsequently affect the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

Normally, when platelets become activated, they stick together and clot wounds to stop bleeding. In disease, platelets can aggregate in response to triggers like unhealthy fats, and contribute to plaque formation in diseases like atherosclerosis. "Platelet numbers and volume are regulated by the expression of certain genes," says Leonard Edelstein, PhD, research assistant professor and senior author of the study. "If there's more of that gene, there are more platelets and a tendency to clot more." CD36 is one such gene that regulates platelet levels and activation.

In the study published in PLOS Genetics on July 25 2019, the researchers, including co-lead authors Namrata Madan, a postdoctoral fellow, and Andrew Ghazi, graduate student, searched for small changes in the genetic code for CD36. The review of data identified 81 changes in the genome, two of which were functional variants, meaning they affected CD36 expression. When they used genetic editing to delete these variants in cells, there was overexpression of CD36. This indicates that the genetic changes the researchers identified could be potential targets in modulating expression of CD36 and by extension platelet function. The researchers are now trying to identify what protein the variants they identified bind to, and the mechanism behind which it can regulate CD36 expression.

The study provides a paradigm for further testing of functional genetic variants and their relation to cardiovascular health. "We are now conducting an even more large-scale study testing 3,500 genetic variants, of which 150 are functional, and we want to investigate how these variants affect platelet function," says Dr. Edelstein. The results could potentially inform screening for genetic risk of cardiovascular disease and help develop targeted therapies.

BEER-SHEVA, Israel...September 4, 2019 - Single-sex prawns could help alleviate poverty, reduce disease and protect the environment, according to researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) who have developed a monosex prawn that may make this winning trifecta possible.

In a groundbreaking study in Nature's Scientific Reports, the BGU group highlights the development of a "super shrimp" which, for the first time, only produces female offspring. The emergence of an all-female population could both increase aquaculture yields as well as serve as a natural agent to prevent the spread of harmful, water-bound parasites.

To achieve an efficient biotechnology for all-female aquaculture in the economically important prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), the researchers achieved - for the first time - WW males using androgenic gland cells transplantation which caused full sex-reversal of WW females to functional males. Crossing the WW males with WW females yielded all-female progeny lacking the Z chromosome.

Click here for photo of super shrimp (Photo credit: Dr. Eli Aflalo)

The research is being conducted by BGU Prof. Amir Sagi, who also serves as a member of the National Institute for Biotechnology in the Negev (NIBN), and his Ph.D. student, Tom Levy, in collaboration with Enzootic, a Beer-Sheva, Israel-based startup company specializing in all-female monosex aquaculture biotechnologies.

"We were able to achieve the monosex population without the use of hormones or genetic modifications and thus address two major agricultural considerations: monosex populations and ecological concerns," says Levy. "Prawns serve as efficient biocontrol agents against parasite-carrying snails. And since we can now use monosex prawns, which do not reproduce, it reduces the hazard of prawns becoming an invasive species."

The publication follows a study published in July in Nature Sustainability showing that freshwater prawn species serve as a biocontrol agent by preying on aquatic snail species. The snails serve as intermediate hosts of the parasite that causes schistosomiasis in sub-Saharan Africa.

"With monosex prawns at profit-maximizing densities, the prawns substantially reduce intermediate host snail populations and aid schistosomiasis control efforts," says Prof. Sagi. "Integrated aquaculture-based interventions can be a win-win strategy in terms of health and sustainable development in schistosomiasis endemic regions of the world."

Schistosomiasis is an acute and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms that can result in severe abdominal pain, diarrhea and blood in the stool. In women, urogenital schistosomiasis may present with genital lesions, vaginal bleeding, pain during sexual intercourse, and nodules in the vulva. In men, urogenital schistosomiasis can induce pathology of the seminal vesicles, prostate and other organs. The World Health Organization estimates that at least 220.8 million people each year require preventive treatment for the disease.

In this study, Prof. Sagi and Dr. Amit Savaya of BGU joined forces with a large team of researchers around the world headed by Prof. Giulio De Leo of Stanford University to outline control strategies, drawing on both prawn aquaculture to reduce intermediate host snail populations and mass drug administration to treat infected individuals. Integrating both methods is found to be superior to either one alone.

The evolutionary pressure to pass on DNA can produce behavior that otherwise makes no sense in a struggle to survive. Rams bash heads in fights over females; peacocks grow elaborate tail feathers that attract mates and predators alike. Sexual selection can sometimes explain phenomena that natural selection alone cannot. But could bacteria exhibit sexual selection? In an Opinion article published September 4 in the journal Trends in Microbiology, researchers at the University of Exeter argue that some bacteria might.

Bacteria usually clone themselves to reproduce, but they are also known to swap DNA. A donor bacteria cell can transfer genes to a recipient cell in a process called lateral gene transfer, which can happen through three mechanisms: transduction, conjugation, and transformation. The research group thinks this DNA exchange (and transformation in particular) could be governed by sexual selection at times.

"Transformation and other forms of DNA transfer are very prevalent in almost all types of bacteria and have a huge effect on their evolution. For instance, bacteria can take up antibiotic resistance genes from other strains and species, with profound consequences for human health," says first author Michiel Vos, a microbiologist at the University of Exeter. "So, it is important to try to understand exactly why they have evolved to release and take up DNA."

In transformation, a donor cell releases its DNA into the surrounding environment either by actively pumping it out of the cell or by simply rupturing and spilling its contents. The recipient cell might then take up the free-floating DNA and incorporate it into its own genome. When the recipient cell later clones itself, it propagates a genome that is mostly self-DNA but has snippets of donor DNA.

Scientists have several theories explaining why bacteria do this. Some focus on natural selection and how new donor DNA benefits cell survival. Others argue that transformation isn't about natural selection at all but other functions, such as using DNA from the environment as food or for repair, and that the genetic mixing is just a coincidental byproduct. Vos and his colleagues think that although natural selection must act on DNA release and uptake, there could be additional benefits of sexual selection.

"One analogy we drew, which will be controversial to some, is between DNA release and uptake as, respectively, the male and female functions," says Vos. "Female and male functions are defined by the size of gametes--large eggs or small sperm--and, of course, bacteria do not have gametes."

But Vos and his colleagues see several testable analogies between transformation in bacteria and sexual selection in other organisms. For example, bacteria invest energy into DNA release, and male animals invest energy into creating lots of sperm--ditto for costly DNA uptake and reproduction and investing energy to create an egg cell, of which only half of the genetic material derives from the mother. Future studies could examine how much energy different bacteria species invest in transformation, which bacteria pass on more of their DNA, and what gave those bacteria an advantage.

Sexual selection can sometimes result in coercion where (usually) males evolve offensive tactics to coerce females into mating. This in turn selects for females to become resistant to the coercion. In bacteria, coercion could take the form of releasing chemical signals that prime other bacteria to take up DNA. In another possible example of sexual selection, recent research has found that some bacterial species take up DNA after selectively lysing (rupturing) unrelated strains, which can be expected to increase the chances of taking up novel adaptive genes from the ruptured cells.

"We believe sex by coercion might happen in bacteria too," says Vos. The Exeter scientists are now planning experiments to test these ideas.

In the roughly two dozen species of bacteria that serve as model systems for transformation, there is great variation in the genetic mechanisms and ecological cues controlling DNA uptake and release. It is likely that this diversity is much greater in the millions of bacterial species that have yet to be described. The authors hope that future research on bacterial gene exchange will take into account sexual-selection theory developed in the context of animals.

It is estimated that over 2 million Americans with dementia experience delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that others do not see or hear). This group of symptoms, known as dementia-related psychosis, may cause significant distress to individuals and their families. Although common, the condition frequently goes undetected in people who may be struggling with other complex behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.

A new publication from The Gerontological Society of America (GSA), “Dementia-Related Psychosis: Gaps and Opportunities for Improving Quality of Care,” brings attention to the need for greater awareness of this condition within the medical community and better support for those affected.

“This new resource provides an excellent overview of an underdiagnosed condition that’s not well understood,” said Banner Alzheimer’s Institute Director Pierre N. Tariot, MD, who contributed his expertise in geriatric psychiatry to the publication’s multidisciplinary review committee. “It will be a useful tool for the research and practice communities to help us build a roadmap for better diagnostic clarity and better patient outcomes.” A neurologist, a geriatrician, and a long-term care geriatric psychiatrist — Gustavo Alva, MD, Joshua Chodosh, MD, and Gary Epstein-Lubow, MD, respectively — also served as reviewers, as individuals with dementia-related psychosis may require care across various clinical settings.

Currently, there is no consensus in the medical community on how to diagnose dementia-related psychosis, which is clinically distinct from psychosis in other disorders (e.g., schizophrenia). There are also no specific International Statistical Classification of Diseases–Tenth Revision (ICD-10) diagnostic codes that would allow providers to document the condition in medical records, making it difficult to identify, monitor and appropriately manage symptoms.

The GSA publication seeks to fill a gap in the available literature by summarizing best practices for treating dementia-related psychosis and proposing improvements to advance quality of care in this area, including: the development of new ICD-10 codes, more research on evidence-based strategies for treatment, and the need for comprehensive care planning.

“Dementia-Related Psychosis: Gaps and Opportunities for Improving Quality of Care” was developed by GSA through an unrestricted grant from ACADIA Pharmaceuticals, and can be accessed at www.geron.org/dementiarelatedpsychosis.

Hurricane Dorian dropped excessive rainfall on the Bahamas and NASA calculated the rainfall the storm generated.

"By Wednesday morning, September 4, the rain accumulation from Hurricane Dorian exceeded 36 inches in an area that included parts of Grand Bahama Island and Abaco Island," said Owen Kelley, researcher at NASA Goddard. "By that time, the Dorian's center was north of the Bahamas and was moving further north, approximately parallel to Florida's east coast."

NASA Estimating Rainfall

NASA has the ability to peer under the clouds of a tropical cyclone and estimate the rainfall rates occurring in a storm or how much rain has fallen. Rainfall imagery was generated using the Integrated Multi-satEllite Retrievals for GPM or IMERG product at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. These near-realtime rain estimates come from the NASA IMERG algorithm, which combines observations from a fleet of satellites in the GPM or Global Precipitation Measurement mission constellation of satellites, and is calibrated with measurements from the GPM Core Observatory as well as rain gauge networks around the world. The measurements are done in near-real time, to provide global estimates of precipitation every 30 minutes.

The storm-total rainfall at a particular location varies with the forward speed of the hurricane, with the size of the hurricane's wind field, and with how vigorous the updrafts are inside the hurricane.

During the past day, the maximum sustained surface winds speed (Dorian's intensity) decreased from category 5 to category 2 on the Saffir-Simpson scale. At the same time, the geographic extent of tropical-storm strength winds increased significantly.

Warnings and Watches on Sept. 4

NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) posted many warnings and watches as Dorian continues to move north along the U.S. East Coast.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Sebastian Inlet, FL to Surf City, NC. A Storm Surge Watch is in effect from north of Surf City, NC to Poquoson, VA, including Hampton Roads, Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds and the Neuse and Pamlico Rivers.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Volusia/Brevard County, FL line to Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and from north of the Savannah River to Surf City, NC. A Hurricane Watch is in effect from north of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL to the Savannah River, from north of Surf City, NC to the North Carolina/Virginia border and for the Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from the Sebastian Inlet, FL to the Volusia/Brevard County, FL line and from north of Ponte Vedra Beach, FL to Savannah River. A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect from the North Carolina/Virginia border to Chincoteague, VA and for Chesapeake Bay from Smith Point southward.

NHC:  Dorian's Status on Sept. 4

At 8 EDT (1200 UTC) on Sept. 4, NHC said the center of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 29.5 degrees north and longitude 79.6 degrees west. Dorian is about 95 miles (155 km) east-northeast of Daytona Beach, Florida.

Because hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 175 miles (280 km), Daytona was experiencing those tropical-storm-force winds at 8 a.m. EDT.

Dorian is moving toward the north-northwest near 8 mph (13 kph), and a northwest or north-northwest motion is expected through this morning. Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph (165 kph) with higher gusts. Some weakening is expected during the next couple of days. However, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next few days. The minimum central pressure reported by an Air Force Reserve Unit Hurricane Hunter aircraft is 964 millibars.

NOAA's Forecasts

NHC said, "A turn toward the north is forecast by this evening, followed by a turn toward the north-northeast on Thursday morning.  On this track, the core of Hurricane Dorian will move dangerously close to the Florida east coast and the Georgia coast through tonight.  The center of Dorian is forecast to move near or over the coast of South Carolina and North Carolina Thursday through Friday morning."

For updated forecasts, visit NOAA's NHC: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov

Most people over age 50 say they're ready for natural disasters and emergency situations, but a new national poll shows that many haven't taken key steps to protect their health and well-being in case of severe weather, long-term power outages or other situations.

Less than half have signed up for emergency warning systems offered by their community, which can give crucial information in case of storms, natural disasters, lockdowns, evacuation orders, public health emergencies and more.

Less than a third have put together an emergency kit with essential supplies and medicines to get them through an emergency at home or take with them in an evacuation. And only a quarter of those who rely on electrical power to run health-related equipment have a backup power supply.

These findings and other new data from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, suggest that older adults and their loved ones and health care providers should take time to focus on key steps recommended by emergency preparedness professionals, and planning for how they will cope and communicate in an emergency.

The poll, carried out by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation with support from AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center, asked a national sample of more than 2,200 adults aged 50 to 80 questions about their readiness for several kinds of emergency situations. Three-quarters of those polled said they had experienced at least one major emergency in their life.

"Whether it's as straightforward as a power outage that lasts a day, or as severe as a hurricane, tornado or earthquake, preparing can make a huge difference," says Preeti Malani, M.D., the poll's director and a professor at the U-M Medical School. "A bit of time spent now can protect your health, and spare you worry and expense, when something like this does happen."

Sue Anne Bell, Ph.D., FNP-BC, a U-M School of Nursing researcher and IHPI member who studies the health implications of major emergencies and disasters, worked with the poll team. "The results of this poll can be used to target efforts to better support older adults to prepare for an emergency," she says. "By knowing areas where older adults are well prepared, and where they are not, programs can work alongside older adults to become fully prepared and ready."

Masters of disaster

Bell notes that one of the most important steps any adult can take to be ready for emergency situations is to talk with loved ones about what to do in different situations, and what needs they should consider. For older adults with health conditions, who often rely on medication, medical supplies and equipment, this can be especially important.

But the poll found that only 40 percent of older adults have spoken with their loved ones about such issues.

"Having a basic emergency plan to evacuate and stay safe during a flood, hurricane or fire is a smart idea for everyone," says Alison Bryant, Ph.D., senior vice president of research for AARP. "Preparing for natural disasters is particularly important for family caregivers caring for older adults who may have serious health and mobility challenges that need to be considered."

The poll does show some areas where most older adults appear prepared. For instance, 82 percent said they have a week's supply of their medications on hand, and 72 percent said they have a week's worth of other health supplies. Experts recommend having at least this amount on hand.

When it came to food and water, however, just over half of those polled said they had the recommended week's worth of these supplies on hand. Even fewer had cell phone chargers and radios that didn't require electrical power.

If they had to evacuate their homes, nearly all those polled said they would have transportation. But for one in four, paying for a place to stay for a week would be a serious challenge.

Financial readiness - including saving up for an emergency fund to cover any sort of unexpected costs - is a key part of emergency preparedness, says Bell.

The National Poll on Healthy Aging results are based on responses from a nationally representative sample of 2,249 adults aged 50 to 80 who answered a wide range of questions online. Questions were written, and data interpreted and compiled, by the IHPI team. Laptops and Internet access were provided to poll respondents who did not already have them.

A full report of the findings and methodology is available at http://www.healthyagingpoll.org, along with past National Poll on Healthy Aging reports.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - SEPTEMBER 4, 2019 - People allergic to peanuts may have a new way to protect themselves from severe allergic reactions to accidental peanut exposure. It's called sublingual immunotherapy - or SLIT - and it involves putting a miniscule amount of liquefied peanut protein under the tongue, where it is absorbed immediately into the blood stream to desensitize the immune system to larger amounts of peanut protein.

Published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the research led by first author Edwin Kim, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the UNC School of Medicine, shows that SLIT could offer patients a safe and effective way to protect themselves from severe allergic reactions or even anaphylaxis.

"As a parent of two children with nut allergies, I know the fear parents face and the need for better treatments," said Kim, member of the UNC Children's Research Institute. "We now have the first long-term data showing that sublingual immunotherapy is safe and tolerable, while offering a strong amount of protection."

There are three main immunotherapeutic ways clinician scientists have developed to treat nut allergies, and all of them attempt to desensitize the immune system to nut proteins to help patients avoid severe allergic reactions. According to Kim, about 100 mg of peanut protein can trigger a severe allergic reaction. That's the sort of trace amount people fear can show up in food "manufactured in a facility that processes peanuts." For reference, one peanut kernel contains about 300 mg.

"The main idea beyond immunotherapy is not for kids to be able to eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches," Kim said. "It's to keep them safe from the small hidden exposures that could occur with packaged foods, at restaurants, and with other food exposures."

One immunotherapy method involves a patch on the skin that releases a small amount of peanut protein through the skin to desensitize the immune system. This approach has proved safe in clinical research but perhaps not as effective as researchers had hoped. It could become an FDA-approved treatment.

A second approach is called oral immunotherapy (OIT), which is currently under FDA review and a decision is expected this year. OIT requires patients to ingest a small portion of peanut protein daily, and over the course of time this can desensitize the immune system to accidental exposures. In a large phase 3 OIT clinical trial, patients initially ingested 0.5 mg of peanut and increased the amount to 300 mg over the course of many weeks and then maintained that 300 mg daily intake for the remainder of the year. This trial showed substantial effectiveness in protecting patients but some patients suffered serious side effects. A subsequent meta-analysis of OIT clinical trial data published in The Lancet in April suggested that more clinical research on OIT was needed due to the risk of serious side effects.

A third approach is SLIT. Instead of having patients ingest peanut protein, doctors place a small amount of peanut protein under patients' tongues, where it is immediately absorbed. Because the peanut protein avoids digestion, patients are given much less peanut protein - about 0.0002 mg initially. This amount then increases over the course of months to just 2 mg.

In 2011, Kim and colleagues - including Wesley Burks, MD, dean of the UNC School of Medicine - conducted a small study of 18 patients to show that SLIT was safe and effective over the course of one year. Since then, Kim and colleagues followed 48 patients in the SLIT protocol of 2 mg daily for five years. In the JACI paper, the researchers showed that 67 percent of these patients were able to tolerate at least 750 mg of peanut protein without serious side effects. About 25 percent could tolerate 5000 mg.

Kim's data shows SLIT was about as effective as OIT, though the SLIT study was much smaller. And SLIT posed much less risk of serious side effects. The most common side effect was itchiness around the mouth that lasted about 15 minutes and did not need treatment. No one left the multi-year study because of side effects.

"SLIT participants tolerated between 10 and 20 times more peanut protein than it would take for someone to get sick," Kim said. "We think this provides a good cushion of protection - maybe not quite as good as OIT - but with an easier mechanism (sublingually) and, as far as we can tell right now, a better safety signal."

Kim's lab has finished a separate SLIT study of 4 mg daily for 55 patients over the course of four years. He hopes to publish results later this year. "With sublingual immunotherapy, we hope we can maintain our safety profile while seeing an even stronger benefit for patients," Kim said.

Kim and colleagues are also studying SLIT in a subset of children ages 1 to 4 because separate OIT data indicated these youngest patients have a stronger, more lasting benefit to immunotherapy.

"We focus on the idea there is no one perfect drug for food allergy," Kim said. "There will have to be a lot of shared decisions between physicians, patients, and parents about what method of treatment is best for each patient. We think SLIT could be a good option for a subset of patients."

DNA is a long chemical sequence that carries genetic information. Inspired by this biological system, in recent years many research teams have been exploring how to store and then decode information within synthetic macromolecules, also called polymers*.

In a leap forward in this field, researchers at the Institut Charles Sadron (CNRS) and the Institut de Chimie Radicalaire (CNRS/Aix-Marseille Université) have developed light-sensitive polymers where light can change the information stored on the molecular scale. Three types of information change have been shown in this work: revealing, changing and erasing a message.

These French scientists have shown that some polymers can act like invisible ink: when exposed to the appropriate wavelength, their monomers are transformed, and the sequence becomes legible. The message only appears if it is subjected to the right light source. This is the first example of a secret message stored on a molecule. This study also shows that monomers being changed by light can be used to erase or change the information contained in some polymers. Chemists have for example 'transformed copper into gold' by changing the chemical symbol for copper written on a polymer, Cu, into the chemical symbol for gold, Au.

The polymers are 'read' using mass spectrometry, a technology used routinely in many analytical laboratories. The teams involved in this recent work now wish to continue it by exploring how to control the physical properties of the polymers using light, for applications other than information storage and decoding, such as design of new materials.

Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy resolved "resonance" Raman scattering with 1-nm resolution in ultrathin zinc oxide films epitaxially grown on a single-crystal silver surface. Tip-enhanced "resonance" Raman scattering can be used to investigate a specific chemical structure at nanoscale and at the single-molecule level and provides a new approach for the atomic-scale optical characterization of local electronic states. This will be a powerful tool to study, local defects in low-dimensional materials and active sites of heterogeneous catalysis.

A research team at Fritz-Haber Institute in Berlin, headed by Dr. Takashi Kumagai, demonstrated tip-enhanced "resonance" Raman spectroscopy. Resonance Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool to analyze a specific chemical structure at a high sensitivity, but its spatial resolution has been restricted to be a few hundred nm due to the diffraction limit. Extreme field confinement at a metal tip apex through localized surface plasmon excitation allows to break this limitation and now attain 1-nm resolution. Tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy takes advantage of atomic resolution imaging of scanning probe microscopy and enhanced Raman scattering through localized surface plasmon excitation. The research team revealed tip-enhanced resonance Raman scattering in which both physical and chemical enhancement mechanisms are operative. The underlying process was examined by modifying the localized surface plasmon resonance in the scanning tunneling microscope junction and by recording different-thickness zinc oxide films that exhibit a slightly different electronic structure. In addition, the correlation between tip-enhanced resonance Raman scattering and local electronic states is resolved in combination with scanning tunneling spectroscopy that maps the local electronic state of the zinc oxide film. The results explicitly show that a confined electromagnetic field can interact with local electronic resonances at the (sub)nanometer scale.

SEATTLE -- September 4, 2019 -- A team led by researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has identified several women's health benefits from a low-fat diet. The findings, published in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition, found a low-fat diet commensurate with an increase in fruit, vegetable and grain servings reduced death following breast cancer, slowed diabetes progression and prevented coronary heart disease.

Dr. Ross Prentice, member of the Cancer Prevention and Biostatistics programs at Fred Hutch and his colleagues in the Women's Health Initiative originally launched the Dietary Modification Trial in 1993. The study involved nearly 49,000 postmenopausal women across the U.S. to test whether a low-fat dietary pattern would reduce the risk of breast and colorectal cancers and coronary heart disease. After nearly nine years of dietary change, they found that the low-fat diet did not significantly impact outcomes for these conditions. However, after longer-term follow-up of nearly 20 years, researchers found significant benefits, derived from modest dietary changes emerged and persisted including:

A 15-35% reduction in deaths from all-causes following breast cancer

A 13-25% reduction in insulin-dependent diabetes

A 15-30% reduction in coronary heart disease among 23,000 women without baseline hypertension or prior cardiovascular disease

"The WHI's Dietary Modification Trial has provided women with nutrition and disease prevention insights for some years," Prentice said. "The latest results support the role of nutrition in overall health, and indicate that low-fat diets rich in fruits, vegetables and grains have health benefits without any observed adverse effects."

Unlike other studies examining the link between diet, cancer and other diseases, WHI investigators designed the study as a long-term, randomized controlled clinical trial to limit bias and establish causal conclusions. Participants made intentional dietary changes resulting from learned integrated concepts about nutrition and behavior, taught by trained nutritionists during the first year and reinforced quarterly for nearly a decade.

"The sheer number of new diets and nutrition trends can be overwhelming to people who simply want to know, 'What should I be eating?'" said Dr. Garnet Anderson, a co-author of the study and senior vice president and director of Fred Hutch's Public Health Sciences Division. She also serves as principal investigator of the Fred Hutch-based WHI Clinical Coordinating Center. "While there are many diets that provide short-term benefits like weight loss, this study scientifically validates the long-term health effects of a low-fat diet."