The sound of a painting

Each time you look at a painting, what do you think of? The events that inspired the artist? The imagination and creativity infused into each stroke? Or the infrared spectra emitted by the pigments?

No doubt the latter sounds like a science fiction narrative staged in an art gallery. But it seems science fiction has become fact, since a team of McGill chemists have developed spectroscopy methods to identify such pigments, using the characteristic noises they produce. Photoacoustic infrared spectroscopy, or PAIR, detects these noises after shining light on pigments, ultimately resulting in a database of pigments and their associated noises. PAIR will provide the detailed chemical composition of paintings, thereby facilitating their conservation and restoration.* — Heather Maughan*

Source: McGill University

Oil-cleaning robots help with oil spills

In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, MIT’s SENSEable City Lab has engineered special oil-cleaning robots called “Seaswarm.”

Seaswarm robots resemble conveyor belts attached to an ice cooler and are designed to skim the surface of the ocean, working together in packs. The belt propels the robot forward, and is covered by a fabric made from a special nanomaterial mesh designed to absorb oil, while repelling the water. The robots can then either burn the oil, or save it for later. The ice cooler portion is a heater, which can either burn off the oil, or bag it and leave it to be picked up. This dramatically reduces the time required for collection, eliminating return trips to the shore.

The robots are equipped with two square metres of solar panels for self-propulsion, as well as Wi-Fi and GPS, allowing for an organized clean-up system without continuous human attention. Each robot costs about $20,000. Scientists have estimated that a large fleet of Seaswarm robots could clean a spill like BP’s in about two months. — Kim Tran

Source: Discover

Scientists train mice to sniff out bird flu

Scientists have trained mice to detect bird influenza in duck feces. “We believe dogs, as well as mice, could be trained to identify a variety of diseases and health conditions,” said Bruce Kimball, a U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist.

Using well-established principles of learning in psychology, Kimball and colleagues trained mice to detect infected samples by rewarding them each time they were correct. After several trials, the mice became experts at identifying diseased duck feces.

According to Kimball, “We envision two broad, real-world applications of our findings. First, we anticipate use of trained disease-detector dogs to screen feces, soil, or other environmental samples to provide us with an early warning about the emergence and spread of flu viruses. Second, we can identify the specific odour molecules that mice are sensing and develop laboratory instruments and in-the-field detectors to detect them.”

Kimball suggests that multiple chemicals may be responsible for producing differences in fecal odour between healthy and infected ducks. Subsequent to researching tools used to detect these chemicals, statistical analyses may also be used to determine the pattern of chemicals that indicates infection. — Mekhala Gunaratne

Source: Science Daily

Old age not to blame for mild forgetfulness

Alzheimer’s disease, the most prevalent form of dementia, is known for its role in memory loss in old age. However, most of us believe that mild forms of memory loss are a natural development in the aging brain. A recent study by Robert Wilson of the Rush University Medical Center in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry argues that forgetfulness is not simply a milestone of old age, but is perhaps an indication of the onset of dementia.

In the study, 350 Catholic nuns, priests, and brothers were evaluated on tests of memory, such as recalling word lists, vocabulary, numbers, and naming tests. They were tested annually for 13 years. Participants’ brains were subsequently analyzed post-mortem for lesions. The results showed that in the absence of brain defects, almost no gradual decline in memory was observed.

Wilson explains, “lesions play a role in virtually all late-life memory loss.” These findings highlight the significance of administering memory tests on a regular basis, to track premorbid cognitive ability and implement appropriate preventative strategies in aging patients. — Nancy Kou

Source: American Academy of Neurology

What makes you so smart? Why, dopamine polymorphisms, of course!

We all know that some students perform better than others when it comes to academics, but we don’t know why. Are these students naturally smarter than others? Or did these students have mothers that were exceptionally nurturing?

In the latest issue of the journal Intelligence, Florida State University biosocial criminologist Dr. Kevin Beaver and colleagues showed that certain genetic variants are associated with these academic achievers. Genetic variants that are close to genes involved in dopamine signalling — a process needed for brain functions such as learning and memory — were found to be statistically associated with students who perform well in English, math, history, and science.

Although the study was unable to identify the exact genetic changes underlying differences in academic performance, it suggests our genes may indeed hold the key to our academic achievements. — HM

Source: Florida State University

Got muscle pain? Ginger can’t hurt

Dr. Christopher Black and colleagues recently published in The Journal of Pain that ginger has anti-inflammatory and hypoanalgesic effects on muscle pain. The study used 72 participants to test the effects of raw ginger and heated ginger on pain alleviation. For 11 consecutive days, participants took two grams of raw or heated ginger supplements, and executed 18 eccentric exercises targeting elbow flexors to induce pain and inflammation.

Pain ratings decreased in the raw and heated ginger groups by 25 and 23 per cent, respectively. Ginger has gingerols, shogaols and zingerone, which are involved with the receptors responsible for pain processing. Although the initial activation of these receptors is painful, large doses or longer-term activation desensitizes it. Hence, ginger might contribute to the overall desensitization of these pain receptors.

Previous studies have also shown that heating ginger increases the amount of shogaols. However, the current study did not detect any enhancements in its pain-relieving effects. So, why not add that spicy tinge to your next meal? — NK

Source: American Pain Society