Month: September 2011

Categories
Issues in Science Science in the News

Neutrinos: Breaking the Speed Limit?

Cross-section of the CNGS experiment through the Earth.

  On the 23rd of September 160 scientists from the OPERA experiment published a paper online suggesting they have found evidence of neutrinos travelling faster than the speed of light.  This announcement has thrown neutrinos and the potential implications of the finding with relation to Einsteins Theory of Relativity into the scientific spotlight. 

  First of all to provide a little background to the study, neutrinos are tiny subatomic particles each with a “mass of less than a millionth the mass of an electron”.  They are uncharged, hence the name neutrino coming from the word neutral, and hardly react with other matter which allows them to pass right through the Earth.  Most neutrinos we know of are radiated by our Sun, with 65 billion neutrinos passing through every square centimeter of the Earth perpendicular to the Suns rays every second.  They are also hit the Earth from other cosmic rays and are produced as a product of radioactive decay.  Scientists can create neutrinos in particle accelerators like the one at the CERN research facility in Geneva, Switzerland (home of the Large Hadron Collider) shown below.

Artistic view of the underground layout of CERN and the SPS (Super Proton Synchrotron)

   The CNGS (CERN Neutrinos to Gran Sasso) experiment’s main focus is to investigate the phenomenon of how neutrinos ‘oscillate’ (change between the 3 types or flavours of neutrinos (electron, muon and tau neutrinos)) as they travel long distances through matter.  Determining the velocity of neutrinos is a secondary aim of the experiment (however after these findings I’m sure it moved up the list of priorities).  Muon neutrinos are created in the Super Proton Syncrotron (SPS) particle accelerator at CERN and fired 732km through the Earth to the OPERA (Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus)  detector in Gran Sasso, Italy.  The speed of these neutrinos is calculated using the same basic physics of Speed = Distance / Time that you learned in high school, however with more precision than ever before.  The distance between the SPS in Switzerland and the OPERA detector in Italy is known to within 20cm and the timing is measured using GPS timing signals and a cesium atomic clock with the sensitivity of this experiment “roughly an order of magnitude better than previous experiments.”  This experimental design is shown below.

Cross Section of the CNGS Experiment through the Earth

  Neutrinos are notoriously hard to detect due to their neglible mass but after 3 years the OPERA experiment has managed to collect 16,000 neutrinos (only 10^-14 % of the neutrinos created!) with some very interesting findings.  When comparing the time it took the neutrinos to make the trip to Gran Sasso to how long it would take light, they were shocked to find the neutrinos “arrived at Gran Sasso sixty billionths of a second earlier, with an error margin of plus or minus 10 billionths of a second”.  This has led them to publish their findings for the wider scientific community to scrutinise.

  This paper has pushed physics into the media spotlight due to the implications this finding could have if it is replicated.  If it is proven that the neutrinos are in fact travelling faster than the speed of light (rather than this being the result of some experimental error or statistical miscalculation) then they are breaking one of the fundamental laws of modern physics –  that nothing can exceed the speed that light travels at in a vacuum (effectively the speed limit of the universe).  This is the foundation of Einsteins Theory of Relativity and a cornerstone of the maths we use to understand and model the universe.  Brian Cox, a professor of particle physics at the University of Manchester said, “If you’ve got something travelling faster than light, then it’s the most profound discovery of the last 100 years or more in physics. It’s a very, very big deal.  It requires a complete rewriting of our understanding of the universe.” 

  If neutrinos do in fact travel faster than light then this “raises the troubling possibility of a way to send information back in time, blurring the line between past and present and wreaking havoc with the fundamental principle of cause and effect.”  Another explanation being proposed is that the neutrinos are skipping through another dimension on their way to Gran Sasso which also raises a lot of fascinating questions.

 However the media should be prepared to wait a long time before this is proven/disproven because theres an important paragraph in the paper published by the OPERA team that hasn’t recieved as much attention (or the media has chosen to ignore).

 “Despite the large significance of the measurement reported here and the stability of the analysis, the potential great impact of the results motivates the continuation of our studies in order to investigate possible still unknown systematic effects that could explain the observed anomaly. We deliberately do not attempt any theoretical or phenomenological interpretation of the results.”

 I find this very interesting because it shows how the team of scientists are not reading too much into their own results, at least for now and are cautious of making a revelationary claim that could be disproven.   “They do not claim that the neutrinos are actually exceeding the speed of light, only that the measurements to date show something unexpected [and they] are reaching out to the high-energy physics community to improve the experiment and data analysis.”  Therefore despite the enthusiasm of the world’s media, the scientists lack of belief suggests we shouldn’t rush to get too excited or too worried about the consequences of this finding until other scientists such as those working on the T2K experiment in Japan have replicated their results. 

However, one thing’s for sure, it’s definitely an intriguing time for the physics community.

 

Hyperlink to PDF of the OPERA paper: http://hal.in2p3.fr/docs/00/62/59/46/PDF/in2p3-00625946.pdf

Citations:

Bahcall,J et al. (2005). “New solar opacities, abundances, helioseismology, and neutrino fluxes”. The Astrophysical Journal 621: L85–L88

Butterworth, J. Those faster-than-light neutrinos. Four things to think about <http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/life-and-physics/2011/sep/24/1>

Cho,A. Can Neutrinos Move Faster Than Light? <http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2011/09/neutrinos-faster-than-light/>

Close, F. Professor Einstein, you can relax. E still equals mc2. Probably … <http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/sep/24/einstein-e-equals-mc2>

Jha, A and Sample,I. Physicists urge caution over apparent speed of light violation <http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/sep/23/physicists-speed-light-violated>

Mclaughlin,B. Neutrinos and the Speed of Light — A Primer on the CERN Study <http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/09/neutrinos-and-the-speed-of-light-a-primer-on-the-cern-study/>

Sample, I. Faster than light particles found, claim scientists <http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/sep/22/faster-than-light-particles-neutrinos?newsfeed=true>

Siegel,E. Are we fooling ourselves with faster-than-light neutrinos? <http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2011/09/are_we_fooling_ourselves_with.php?utm_source=selectfeed&utm_medium=rss>

CERN Website <http://public.web.cern.ch/public/en/Research/CNGS-en.html>

OPERA Website <http://operaweb.lngs.infn.it/spip.php?rubrique14>

Categories
Biological Sciences Fun! General Science Communication Science in the News

“Go” health benefits of “Bananas”

Bananas are common fruits that one can fine in grocery stores. Many people dislike banana for its taste, its texture, or other reasons. I am a person who do not eat banana for its taste until I came across this video: Dole Banana Nutrition Facts. It makes me think twice about it. Is it the taste of banana much important than the health benefits that it provides?

Here are some nutritional facts of bananas:

  • Bananas have resistant starch that aides the digestion of fat. Including bananas in diet helps weight loss.
  • Stroke is a leading cause of death in Canada, and bananas prevent stroke because the ratio between the content of potassium and the content of sodium in banana is ideal.
  • Potassium also helps the body regulate hear rate and water balance.
  • The high content of iron content in bananas can prevent anemia, a low level of red blood cells in blood.
  • Vitamin B6 that are present in bananas helps to repair DNA and prevent cancer.
  • Eating bananas in prenatal stage can decrease the chance of baby’s being born with leukemia.
  • Consumption of bananas can help children build a good immune system.
  • Tryptophan, an amino acid, in bananas decreases the chance of getting depression.

It is said “do not judge a book by its cover”, and I think it is true that I cannot dislike banana for its taste, because it has a lot of health benefits.

With these information in mind, be sure to consider including bananas in your diet!

Sources:

Banana Nutrition Facts, Health Benefits of Bananas, Banana Nutrients

Dole Banana Nutrition Facts

WHFoods: Bananas

 

Categories
Course Reflections Issues in Science New and innovative science

Temporal Spacing and Learning: The Potential of Spaced Practice to Reduce Forgetting

 

The Winter 2011 Term is well underway at our University now and many of us return after, what is always at best, a well deserved break ending too soon; summer of course. Returning to our classes in various disciplines even just in the Faculty of Science we always seem to develop a sense of doom when the expectation of having to recall previous year’s material is stressed upon in almost every introductory lecture of our courses. Not the most comforting feeling when starting a new year but there it lies filling us with dread.

The problem lies in not our being forgetful but rather in the methods which we adopt in order to retain and commit to our memories the different pieces of information which we work so hard throughout our academic careers to engrave into our minds. Reading articles I came across an interesting one suggesting a potential answer to this problem.

Temporal Spacing

Numerous studies going centuries back have asserted that spacing learning episodes across time sometimes enhances memory. This so-called spacing effect can aid learning and effective retention of information. However, whether in classrooms, instructional design texts, or language learning software, there is little sign that people are paying attention to temporal spacing of learning.

 

Optimal Spacing Intervals

In a recent study, the researchers gave 161 subjects two learning sessions (separated by an inter-study interval, or ISI, from minutes to 3 months). Each session involved learning a set of obscure facts. Six months after the second session, subjects were brought back for a final test. Performance was best when the ISI was 10 to 20 percent of the retention interval (Cepeda et al., 2006). Furthermore, similar results were found when the same subjects learned names of unusual objects depicted in photographs.

In a study currently under way using the Web, more than 2,000 subjects are being trained at inter-study intervals from minutes out to one year, with a final test taking place after an additional year. While still underway, results accumulated so far suggest similar results as above.  Furthermore, the benefits of spacing seem to grow ever larger as retention intervals are lengthened; thus, for one-year retention, a one-month spacing produces a three-fold or greater increase in memory as compared to a day or even a week of spacing. While increasing spacing too much always produces some decline, as earlier short-duration studies had implied, the decline is invariably quite modest. Therefore, to facilitate retention over years, it seems critical to space training over several months at least, but avoiding overly long spacing seems like a relatively minor concern.

 

Mathematics Learning

To move beyond these somewhat “rote” learning tasks, another study focused on teaching students abstract mathematics skills (Rohrer & Taylor, 2006). Students learned to solve a type of permutation problem, and then worked two sets of practice problems. One-week spacing separating the practice sets drastically improved final test performance (which involved problems not previously encountered). In fact, when the two practice sets were back-to-back, final performance was scarcely better than if the second study session was deleted altogether.

 

While there is still much to be learnt as far as temporal spacing and learning are concerned, the results I found and shared above do reflect the potential of spaced practice to reduce forgetting as enormous. Perhaps finding the right spacing varies from student to student but being aware of such techniques and fine tuning these to optimize our learning is more of an individual task rather than a collective one!

 

 

References

  • Cepeda, N. J., Mozer, M. C., Coburn, N., Rohrer, D., Wixted, J. T., & Pashler, H. (2006). Optimizing distributed practice: Theoretical analysis and practical implications. Manuscript submitted for publication.
  • Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Vul, E., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (in press). Distributed practice in verbal recall tasks: A review and quantitative synthesis. Psychological Bulletin.
  • Rohrer, D., & Taylor, K. (2006). The effects of overlearning and distributed practice on the retention of mathematics knowledge. Manuscript submitted for publication.
  • Rohrer, D., Taylor, K., Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., & Wixted, J. T. (2005). The effect of overlearning on long-term retention. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 19, 361-374.
Categories
General Public Engagement

Supermarket Psychology: Are you a Shopaholic?

Oniomania, or more commonly known as “shopaholism”, is defined as “an abnormal impulse for buying things”.

Often time consumers do not realize that they have swiped their credit card to purchase items that were unnecessary, only until the day the bill comes in do they realize their monthly budget had been overspent.

Not only do the discounts and sales the stores put up intrigue customers, there is a science behind that magnets them for purchases. These experts put this science fully into use to juggle with their customers’ mind into purchasing more of their products. This science is called, marketing psychology.

One of the major contributors to attract customers is the general layout of the store. As a customer enters the market, he/she is most likely to encounter the fresh food section. A portion full of fresh fruits and vegetables makes the entire area a more relaxing and clean environment, which would in return create a sense of emotional involvement in the shopping experience. The vivid colors of the fresh food appeals to most consumers and induces them into a “shopping mode”, where they would unconsciously spend more than then would have if the fresh food section was located elsewhere. To enhance the effects of vegetables and fruits, most markets would spray water on these fresh foods consistently, to build an illusion such that the products are only recently delivered from the nearest farms. Imagine if the first sight upon entry to the market is a shelf of canned, pre-prepared, frozen, or boxed food, the desire of shopping in such a market would be greatly reduced, as it would not provide a sense of freshness as vegetables and fruits would.

watch?feature=player_embedded&v=yzRDEKyqIJs

The location of products proved to be pivotal in drawing the customers’ shopping desire. Most consumers do not walk up and down the aisles to shop as it would be too time consuming. The major products (i.e. vegetables, fruits, meat, dairy products, etc.) are located around the market since these major products provide the largest profit margin to the market owners (Harrison, 2008). For other products, in order to gain maximum exposure to the customers, they are placed at the ends of the aisles, where people would pay attention to while shopping for the major products. As for the center of the aisles, the varieties of products are decreased as they are less frequently visited by the consumers. However, in order to intrigue customers to the center of the aisles, products at the end of the aisles are more familiar brands, or products on sale, which serves as a directional road sign to the shoppers.

watch?v=RmEI3_NhZj4&feature=player_embedded

Now knowing what is tricking us into purchasing large amount of unnecessary goods, hopefully we, as customers, could be able to control ourselves. Next time we see our monthly bills, maybe it would not be as high as it used to be.

 

Further Reading:

Harrison, P. 2008. Supermarket Psychology. Supermarket psychology | tribalinsight [online]. Available from http://tribalinsight.wordpress.com/2008/08/19/supermarket-psychology/

Mandhachitara, R., Shannon, R. 2008. Casual path modeling of grocery shopping in hypermarkets. Journal of Product & Brand Management. 17 (5): 327-340.

Categories
Issues in Science New and innovative science Science in the News

It’s Faster than a Speeding Bullet, but is it Faster than the Speed of Light?

He was the man that explained the world and the universe around us. He was the one who provided us with the fundamental laws of physics that helped us make immeasurable strides in science and technology. He was the scientist who proposed that nothing in the universe could travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. But would it be possible that one century later, Albert Einstein’s fundamental laws would be disproved?

 

E = mc2 is the equation describing the conservation of mass and energy, where energy (E) is equal to the mass of an object (m) multiplied by the speed of light (c) in a vacuum. Einstein proposed that the speed of light was an unbreakable barrier: no object could travel faster than 299 792 km/s. But in September 2011 at the Gran Sasso research facility outside of Rome, scientists recorded neutrinos traveling faster than the speed of light.

 

This discovery began as an experiment timing 16 000 neutrinos as they travelled from CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research near Geneva, Switzerland) to the Oscillation Project with Emulsion-tRacking Apparatus (OPERA): a 1300 metric tonne particle detector located 1400m underground at Gran Sasso, Italy. Scientists recorded the speed of light travelling from CERN to OPERA and compared it to the travelling time of neutrinos. Surprisingly, the neutrinos arrived 60 nanoseconds faster than their counterparts. That is more than a lifetime in particle physics! It seems Einstein’s unbreakable barrier is in fact breakable – with the help of a neutrino.

 

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFzM16w9UOM&w=560&h=315]

 

How has the scientific community reacted to this turn of events?

Although this is a monumental development, it is hard to believe that a majority of the scientific community will accept these results until they can be reproduced several times over with the same accuracy. After all, the fundamental laws of physics have withheld the test of time for a century! To this end, the experimental design and entire research project have been up for scrutiny by world experts and CERN scientists have specifically asked American and Japanese researchers to validate their results. This method of peer review is indispensible in the scientific process and it should be noted that each discovery (regardless of the magnitude or implications of the results) undergoes the same procedure in any scientific field.

 

Doesn’t it feel good knowing that the scientific method and publication processes we’ve learned during our undergraduate degrees correspond to the orderliness and structure of science used in the broader scientific community?

 

Further Reading:  Particles Break Light Speed Limit

 

Categories
Environment Issues in Science

The Green Car Trophy: Did Hybrids Cheat to Win?

Whether you sincerely care about the environment or not you have probably heard about the Toyota Prius. As the icon of ‘green cars,’ the Prius provides spectacular fuel economy and most importantly, outputs less environmentally harmful carbon emissions. The Prius is able to achieve these feats because of its innovative hybrid drive-train, which combines a small gasoline engine with an electric motor. The electric motor generally powers the vehicle using a large battery pack at slow speeds, while the gasoline engine kicks in at higher speeds or whenever power is needed.

Photo by: Robert Scoble

Sure, as test figures reveal, the Prius indeed uses less gasoline when being driven, but do the Prius and similar hybrid electric vehicles really reduce the negative impact on our environment? Delving into the manufacturing process of hybrid vehicles will surely make you think otherwise.

Research suggests that the manufacturing process of a Prius contributes more negatively to the environment than driving several gas guzzling sport-utility vehicles, for a distance triple its lifetime mileage ever could. The culprit which taints the Prius’ beloved reputation is its main component, the battery. The amount of effort required to make this Nickel-based battery is absolutely staggering.

A hybrid car’s battery production starts with mining and smelting nickel. The factories which carry out this process are dangerously damaging to the environment. They let out copious amounts of Sulphur Dioxide, the major cause of acid rain. Energy coordinator David Martin of Canadian Greenpeace spoke about the impact of such a factory on its city saying, “The acid rain around Sudbury was so bad it destroyed all the plants and the soil slid down off the hillside”.

 

‘each container ship is as polluting as fifty million cars combined’

 

The next process required to create the battery is refining of the nickel, which is done in a select few specialized places across the globe. As a result the nickel must be transported to this specialized location. Ensuing refinement, the nickel must then be transported again to another place for further modifications to be able to incorporate it into the battery. Finally, it must be shipped back to the manufacturer for assembly. In the Prius’ case, the nickel must be shipped from Canada, to Europe, China, and back to Japan. All this shipping is no simple task. It requires the use of massive container ships. Regarding these container ships, a study by the Danish government’s environmental agency revealed that each container ship is as polluting as fifty million cars combined.

The issues discussed so far are only about 75% of the problem. As with other batteries, the batteries used in hybrid cars have the inherent flaw of a limited lifetime. After this lifetime, the cars will become impractical to use. At this stage, the batteries will require special attention for disposal, as they contain environmentally harmful electrolytes.

It can be attracting for consumers to buy into hybrid electric vehicles, given they are at the pinnacle of fuel efficiency. However, consumers need to ask themselves whether the environmental impact of manufacturing and disposing of the batteries in hybrid cars is outweighed by the lower lifetime carbon emissions produced by driving the vehicle itself.

Until science figures out eco-friendly manufacturing processes, we should probably focus on carpooling, using public transport, and other alternatives to hybrid vehicles!

 

watch?v=YGT6alnrg7I

Categories
Biological Sciences

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the smartest animal of them all?”

Self-awareness is an ability that was previously thought to be unique only to humans. For example, how many times have you stationed yourself in front of a full length mirror (alone) and checked yourself out? If you are a guy, maybe you are flexing your muscles; or if you are a girl, perhaps you are examining your blemishes. I know we are all hopelessly guilty of this! After all, we are experts on self-awareness.

 

However, it has been discovered that humans are not alone in their ability to self-recognize.
Animals such as select chimpanzees, dolphins, magpies, and elephants have all
been observed to comprehend their existence as individuals separate from
thought, other individuals and the environment. In addition, a recent study
conducted on the Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) has successfully added another mammal onto the growing list of self-observers.

With the use of a surgical implant, several mirrors, and a mark test, a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin tested these monkeys for the ability to self-recognize and thus be self-aware. The first experiment began by implanting an electrophysiological device into the monkeys’ skull to aid in physiological recordings of their brains. A mirror would then be placed inside their cages and the observations would begin. Researchers observed the monkeys grasp their new mirrors with one hand and tilt it at specific angles to groom the area around the implant. Similarly, researchers noted that the monkeys always turned to face their mirror and use it to guide their grooming process. Equally important, the monkeys did not try to groom the image in the mirror; they accepted the image to be their own reflection. Meanwhile, monkeys that had not been implanted were seen to not use the mirror. This suggests that the implant acted as a stimulus which prompted them to examine the location of the implant in the mirror. Therefore, this experiment was a success because the monkeys used the mirror as a tool to look at their reflection.

Source: PLos One

Self-recognition caught on camera! Rhesus Monkeys examining themselves in the mirror.

(The red arrow in A and B show which hand is used for grooming and the implants are masked with the black square for discretion in A, B, and C.)

 

Furthermore, another experiment the researchers conducted was a test of self-recognition through different mirrors.  A small, a large, and an all black mirror (covered in a non-reflective plastic) were placed outside the Rhesus monkeys’ cage. The monkeys were found to use both the large and small mirrors but not the black mirror. Also, with the use of these mirrors, they were seen to inspect body parts that normally would be out of direct sight. As a result, the monkeys’ rate of touching and grooming was determined to be 10 times greater with mirrors than without. Therefore, this experiment was a success because the monkeys demonstrate self-directed actions.

 

Despite both of the above experiments showing the capability of Rhesus Monkeys self-recognition, one test failed in its objective. This failed test consisted of applying marks on the animal’s faces and observing their behaviour in front of a mirror. The hypothesis was that the Rhesus Monkey would look into the mirror, acknowledge the presence of the marks and touch them. This would conclude that the animal recognized itself in the mirror and therefore was self-aware. Unfortunately, this test failed because there was no attempt by the monkeys to touch the markers. This result could suggest either that they had observed the markers but made no attempt to touch them, or that they had not recognized them at all.

In conclusion, with two successful experiments and one failed experiment, the University of Wisconsin research team determined that overall the Rhesus Monkeys can recognize themselves in the mirror and therefore can be considered self aware.

 

Although in the past humans selfishly considered themselves the only species capable of self-recognition; science has one again proved us wrong. Thanks to advances in scientific research, we now have another common characteristic linking us to different species. The Rhesus Monkey is only one of a handful of animals that can acknowledge their own reflections as being unique. Before too long, maybe we will even discover these creatures checking out their appearances in the mirror in hopes to fix their hair or flex their muscles.

 

http://youtu.be/w4nM4Gd7ybg

 

 

 

Further Reading:

Research Article: Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta) Do Recognize Themselves in the Mirror: Implications for the Evolution of Self-Recognition

Science News: Rhesus Monkeys Appear to Have a Form of Self-Awareness Not Previously Attributed to Them, Research Suggests

Categories
Biological Sciences Science in the News

Natural trans fats: Beneficial for our bodies?

Walking down the isle of a grocery store, you come across a bag of cookies and a jug of milk. What do the two have in common? The presence of trans fat. Trans fat is the common name for unsaturated fat. To the everyday consumer, it’s the “bad stuff” that increases the risk chronic health problems.

So, what exactly are trans fats? They are fatty acids in the trans formation, which assemble into a solid much easier than those in cis shape. In industrial production level, they are made through hydrogenation of fatty acids.

Consumption of trans fats leads to many health issues. They include, increased risk of coronary heart disease, imbalance in the LDL:HDL ratio, obesity, liver dysfunction, diabetes and depression. With so many health risks attached to the consumption of trans fats, it is not surprising why they are labeled as the “bad stuff” among consumers.

Interestingly, not all trans fats are the bad. Recent research done by the Alberta Institute for Human Nutrition, and the Department of Applied Microbiology and Food Science, found that natural source of trans fat, such as milk and beef, may have potential benefits to cardiovascular health. According to Spencer Proctor, one of the researchers, their early research suggest that the intake of natural trans fats give similar effects as consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids. The potential benefits of natural trans fats include reduced weight gains, and cholesterol. On top of that, it may have anti-inflammatory effects.

Trans fat may be more beneficial than we thought previously, given that we only consume the natural ones. As they give similar outcomes as consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found mostly in nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetables. For those that avoided beef and milk due to trans fat can now go enjoy those products once again!.

Next time you go grocery shopping, keep this in mind!

 

Further Reading:

Research Article: Trans-11 Vaccenic Acid Dietary Supplementation Induces Hypolipidemic Effects in JCR:LA-cp Rats.

News Article: Vancouver Sun

 

 

 

 

 

Categories
New and innovative science Science Communication Science in the News

The “Robot Legs,” LOPES

Dutch scientists have came up with the invention of robotic legs for stroke patients. LOPES, or the Lower-extremity Powered ExoSkeleton, helps improve the movement of the legs and for the patients to recover their natural steps. Spinal injury patients who have restricted movements have been given test trials. This device may be released to rehabilitation centres across different countries next year.

LOPES Supporting a patient; Source BBC News

Engineers from the University of Twente in Enschede, Netherlands, developed this device to help and support the patients while on treadmill in rehabilitation centre. The machine operates by either walking for the patient or by assisting support on either side of the patients’ legs. Furthermore, if the patient is not moving right, LOPES can also detect their mistakes.

 
LOPES model

One of the testers of this device, Petra Hes, has what is known as “drop foot.” She has suffered a stroke at a very young age that caused her not being able to lift up or flex her left foot. Dr. Edwin van Asseldonk, a worker on the project, explained how LOPES is able to compare the patients’ movements to a reference and helps the patients by applying a force on them.

The forces exerted on the patients’ legs will physically guide the movement of the legs and feet. Researchers believe the machine acts as a memory aid to the patients who have forgotten how to move. The result with Hes has been turning out positively. By exerting the force on the patients, hence, LOPES aids the required signals in the brain to further regulate the movement.

LOPES exoskeleton; Source University of Twente
LOPES; Source University of Twente

Having such an innovation will help those who have suffered from strokes or those with impaired physical movement. Devices like these enable people to recover and start walking just as they used to! They are being tested in Netherlands before being released to clinics worldwide.

Furthermore, there are similar inventions called  “Military Exoskeletons” used in the military to help lift heavy loads. Human Universal Load Carrier (HULC) is designed by Berkeley Bionics of California. Soldiers can as much weight as 90kg. HULC is strapped around the soldier’s body and has been used by US Military.

Further Reading:

News Article Source: BBC News

 

Categories
Uncategorized

Best Practices for Finding the Research Literature


 

 

 

In our session today, we brainstormed about some of the best practices for finding the research literature for your assignments.

Here are some of the ones we came up with together:

 

Strategies for finding the best resources

  • Summon – a Google-like interface to the library’s collections online and print  (books, journals, theses, etc.)
  • Research guides to find the discipline specific resources. e.g. forestry research guide
  • Web of Science – has additional features: times cited sort, analyzing your results by author/conference
  • Google Scholar – access through the library site to get the full-text via UBC elink
  • Use the references from papers, books and textbooks. Also from sources like Wikipedia – trace the reference at the end of Wikipedia articles to primary source. Read the primary source! Don’t rely on the wiki content.

Searching Techniques

  • Focus topic with additional terms/concepts – e.g. in our sample topic of global warming and forest, include another idea like finding information on the mountain pine beetle.
  • Phrase Searching by using quotations around the two ore more words. e.g.  “global warming”.
  • Chunk your question into the component pieces: e.g. idea 1: forests idea 2: global warming
  • Boolean operator AND to join concepts together forests AND “global warming”
  • Boolean operators OR to join synonyms together “global warming” OR “climate change” OR “greenhouse effect”
  • Boolean operator NOT or the – sign. e.g. -South America NOT South America (be careful w/this one, as you can eliminate valuable results from your  search)

Need more help with your research? AskAway or contact Katherine Miller

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