2008: May 8th Good News (Missing Woman Reunited with Family After 3 Years!, 80 MPH Electric Car to Go on Sale in US, more...)

Good Morning all,

My apologies that I did not get this out yesterday. I am posting both yesterdays (here) and today's (in the next post) Good News today.

Thursday's Top 5:
1. Missing Woman Reunited with Family After 3 Years (New Straits Times Online)
2. Computer Game's High Score Could Earn the Nobel Prize in Medicine (UW News)
3. 80-mph Electric Car to go on Sale this Summer in the US (physorg.com)
4. Canadian Teen Makes Sticky Molecule in Bid to Diagnose, Prevent Flu
(Yahoo News)
5. Gorilla Celebrates Her 55th birthday with Frozen Cake (NJ Everything Jersey)

Honorable Mentions:
1. Harnessing Sunlight on the Cheap (physorg.com)
2. Elderly Man Rescued from Piestewa Peak (azfamily.com)

1. Missing Woman Reunited with Family After 3 Years
http://www.nst.com.my/Thursday/National/2234676/Article/index_html
May 8, 2008

SEPANG: Nurul Wahida Hamzah, who had gone missing in 2005, was reunited
with her family yesterday.
The 20-year-old was traced to East Indonesia by a non-governmental
organisation and brought home last night.
She arrived at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal at 8.40pm looking pale and
tired and was greeted by her sister, Saadiah Hamzah, 38, and cousin,
Saibah Marwan, 35.
This is the second successful "search and retrieve mission" jointly
undertaken by the Indonesia-based NGO, Migrant Care, and the Kota Baru-
based NGO, Kijang Care.
Just last month, the two NGOs tracked down another girl, Che Siti Nor
Azreen, who had been missing since December. Che Siti from Rantau, Negri
Sembilan, was also found in Indonesia.
Migrant Care Malaysian representative, Alex Ong, had gone to Jakarta on
Monday with Nurul's cousin, Fairuz Sulaiman after his colleagues in
Indonesia traced Nurul to Desa Gelanggang, Lombok Timur in East Indonesia.
"We wish to thank the NGOs, the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta and the
Indonesian government for their help in getting my sister back home.
"I will take her back to my place in Klang and let her rest before leaving
for Teluk Intan to meet our mother," said Saadiah.
Three years ago, after completing her SPM examination, Nurul Wahida left
for Lombok Timur with an Indonesian man, M. Yusup, 40, who was at that
time a construction worker in Teluk Intan.
Ong said Fairuz contacted him after reading about the case of Che Siti and
sought his help in bringing Nurul back home.
"Fairuz had received a call from an Indonesian friend who told him that he
had seen Nurul in Desa Gelanggang.
"Fairuz then contacted us and within a week our colleagues in Indonesia
managed to find Nurul, who at that time had been left alone as the man had
come back to Malaysia to work at a Felda scheme in Slim River, Perak."
According to Fairuz's friend, Nurul had married the man soon after they
went to Lombok Timur in 2005 and had changed her name to Putri Sofia. She
also had a baby boy who died after 18 months due to breathing
difficulties.
Ong said following Migrant Care's success in locating Che Siti, they have
been getting countless calls from parents and relatives who have lost
their daughters, mostly teenagers.
He said when his colleagues in Indonesia went to look for Nurul, they
noticed several other Malaysian girls also living in the same village, who
were allegedly married to Indonesian men.
He said Migrant Care with the help of Kijang Care had also located another
girl, Normalisa Abd Ghani, who was reported missing in Bahau, Negri
Sembilan. Efforts are now being made to bring her home.


2. Computer Game's High Score Could Earn the Nobel Prize in Medicine
http://uwnews.washington.edu/ni/article.asp?articleID=41558
Hannah Hickey hickeyh@u.washington.edu
University of Washington
The Foldit homepage, http://fold.it/.

Gamers have devoted countless years of collective brainpower to rescuing
princesses or protecting the planet against alien invasions. This week
researchers at the University of Washington will try to harness those
finely honed skills to make medical discoveries, perhaps even finding a
cure for HIV.
A new game, named Foldit, turns protein folding into a competitive sport.
Introductory levels teach the rules, which are the same laws of physics by
which protein strands curl and twist into three-dimensional shapes -- key
for biological mysteries ranging from Alzheimer's to vaccines.
After about 20 minutes of training, people feel like they're playing a
video game but are actually mouse-clicking in the name of medical science.
The free program is at http://fold.it/.
The game was developed by doctoral student Seth Cooper and postdoctoral
researcher Adrien Treuille, both in computer science and engineering,
working with Zoran Popović, a UW associate professor of computer science
and engineering; David Baker, a UW professor of biochemistry and Howard
Hughes Medical Institute investigator; and David Salesin, a UW professor
of computer science and engineering.
"We're hopefully going to change the way science is done, and who it's
done by," said Popović, who presented the project today at the Games for
Health meeting in Baltimore. "Our ultimate goal is to have ordinary people
play the game and eventually be candidates for winning the Nobel Prize."
Proteins, of which there are more than 100,000 different kinds in the
human body, form every cell, make up the immune system and set the speed
of chemical reactions. We know many proteins' genetic sequence, but don't
know how they fold up into complex shapes whose nooks and crannies play
crucial biological roles.
Computer simulators calculate all possible protein shapes, but this is a
mathematical problem so huge that all the computers in the world would
take centuries to solve it. In 2005, Baker developed a project named
Rosetta@home that taps into volunteers' computer time all around the
world. But even 200,000 volunteers aren't enough.
"There are too many possibilities for the computer to go through every
possible one," Baker said. "An approach like Rosetta@home does well on
small proteins, but as the protein gets bigger and bigger it gets harder
and harder, and the computers often fail.
"People, using their intuition, might be able to home in on the right
answer much more quickly."
Rosetta@home and Foldit both use the Rosetta protein-folding software.
Foldit is the first protein-folding project that asks volunteers for
something other than unused processor cycles on their computers or
Playstation machines. Foldit also differs from recent human-computer
interactive games that use humans' ability to recognize images or
interpret text. Instead, Foldit capitalizes on people's natural 3-D
problem-solving skills.
The intuitive skills that make someone good at playing Foldit are not
necessarily the ones that make a top biologist. Baker says his 13-year-old
son is faster at folding proteins than he is. Others may be even faster.
"I imagine that there's a 12-year-old in Indonesia who can see all this in
their head," Baker says.
Eventually, the researchers hope to advance science by discovering
protein-folding prodigies who have natural abilities to see proteins in 3
-D.
"Some people are just able to look at the game and in less than two
minutes, get to the top score," said Popović. "They can't even explain
what they're doing, but somehow they're able to do it."
The game looks like a 21st-century version of Tetris, with multicolored
geometric snakes filling the screen. A team that includes a half-dozen UW
graduate and undergraduate students spent more than a year figuring out
how to make the game both accurate and engaging. They faced some special
challenges that commercial game developers don't encounter.
"We don't know what the best result is, so we can't help people or hint
people toward that goal," Popović explained. The team also couldn't
arbitrarily decide to make one move worth 1,000 bonus points, since the
score corresponds to the energy needed to hold the protein in that shape.
Almost 1,000 players have tested the system in recent weeks, playing
informal challenges using proteins with known shapes. Starting this week,
however, the developers will open the game to the public and offer
proteins of unknown shapes. Also starting this week, Foldit gamers will
face off against research groups around the world in a major protein-
structure competition held every two years.
Beginning in the fall, Foldit problems will expand to involve creating new
proteins that we might wish existed -- enzymes that could break up toxic
waste, for example, or that would absorb carbon dioxide from the air.
Computers alone cannot design a protein from scratch. The game lets the
computer help out when it's a simple optimization problem -- the same way
that computer solitaire sometimes moves the cards to clean up the table --
letting the player concentrate on interesting moves.
Eventually, the researchers hope to present a medical nemesis, such as HIV
or malaria, and challenge players to devise a protein with just the right
shape to lock into the virus and deactivate it. Winning protein designs
will be synthesized in Baker's lab and tested in petri dishes. High-
scoring players will be credited in scientific publications the way that
top Rosetta@home contributors already are credited for their computer
time.
"Long-term, I'm hoping that we can get a significant fraction of the
world's population engaged in solving critical problems in world health,
and doing it collaboratively and successfully through the game," Baker
said. "We're trying to use the brain power of people all around the world
to advance biomedical research."
Foldit includes elements of multiplayer games in which people can team up,
chat with other players and create online profiles. Over time the
researchers will analyze people's moves to see how the top players solve
puzzles. This information will be fed back into the game's design so the
game's tools and format can evolve.
The research is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency,
the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Microsoft Corp. and Adobe Systems
Inc., and through fellowships at Nvidia Corp. and Intel Corp.




3. 80-mph Electric Car to go on Sale this Summer in the US
http://www.physorg.com/news129475030.html
by Lisa Zyga

Green Vehicles, a company based in San Jose, California, has recently
revealed that it will begin selling two lithium-ion-powered electric
vehicles early this summer. The three-wheeled TRIAC is a highway-capable
electric car (or oversized covered trike, depending on how you look at it)
that can reach speeds of 80 mph. There's also the BUCKSHOT, an electric
all-purpose work truck designed for heavy-duty, durable use.
Electric Motor Warehouse - Leeson-Baldor-Dayton-Fasco and More Same Day
Shipping-We Ship Worldwide http://www.electricmotorwarehouse.com/
With the two models, the company hopes to liven up the electric vehicle
market by focusing on being environmentally friendly and affordable. The
TRIAC, which has a five-speed transmission, will sell for an estimated
$20,000. Price information on the BUCKSHOT, which has a three-speed
transmission, has not yet been released.
Both car and truck run on a 20kW AC motor, and have onboard chargers that
can be plugged into a 120V or 240V outlet. Green Vehicles says that the
TRIAC can run for about 100 miles on a full charge when driven at an
average speed of 45 mph.
Regarding the BUCKSHOT, the company says that "this is a true work truck,
with close attention paid to payload capacity, torque, and durability. For
deliveries, the BUCKSHOT can come with a lockable cargo shell; for
construction, a steel lumber rack; and for all-purpose functionality, a
steel body with an extra-long bed and an ample passenger cabin." They
suggest that the truck could be attractive to universities, businesses and
municipalities.
Green Vehicles also revealed that they are working on two neighborhood
electric vehicles (NEVs) called the Microwatt and the Moose. The company
hopes to bring these low-speed, short-distance electric vehicles to market
in the fall.
More information: http://www.greenvehicles.com/ (full Web site coming soon)
via: AutoblogGreen



4. Canadian Teen Makes Sticky Molecule in Bid to Diagnose, Prevent Flu http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/sciencebiotechflucanada
Thu May 8, 12:50 PM ET

OTTAWA (AFP) - A Canadian high school student has won a national science
competition for her new molecule that binds to flu viruses, which may
eventually be used to diagnose or prevent flu infections.
ADVERTISEMENT Maria Merziotis, 17, took first prize in the 2008 Sanofi-Aventis BioTalent
Challenge, and will now go on to compete at the international BioGENEius
Challenge in San Diego June 16-18.
Meanwhile, Health Canada is testing her research, and as a diagnostic tool
it has already shown "encouraging results," said the government agency in
a statement.
Flu viruses cause illness by sticking to sialic acid (sialyllactose)
present on the surface of human cells, and attacking the cells.
Merziotis synthesized a free floating form of sialic acid that acts as an
alternative receptor for the virus.
She said it could be used "to detect what strain of influenza is
responsible for a specific infection" or even "interfere with the
infection process by administering the floating sialyllactose through
injection, nasal spray or to the lungs with a pump."
"The flu virus would attach to the artificial receptor rather than the
human cell and infection would be prevented," Merziotis said.



5. Gorilla Celebrates Her 55th birthday with Frozen Cake
http://www.nj.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/national-12/1210284551174750.xml&storylist=national&thispage=2
5/8/2008, 7:44 p.m. EDT
By LINDA STEWART BALL
The Associated Press

DALLAS (AP) — Jenny, recognized as the world's oldest living gorilla in
captivity, celebrated her 55th birthday Thursday with a four-layer frozen
fruit cake and banana leaf wrapped treats at her wooded home in the Dallas
Zoo.
Her caretakers say she's having a few joint issues and her eyesight isn't
what it used to be but she still looks good for an old ape.
"It's a special milestone for us," said Todd Bowsher, curator of the zoo's
Wilds of Africa exhibit. "It signifies that we've made great strides in
veterinary care, nutrition and animal husbandry."
The International Species Information System, which maintains records on
animals at 700 institutions around the world, said Jenny is the oldest
gorilla in its database.
"I think it's amazing," said Kristen Lukas, curator of conservation and
science at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Ohio and the gorilla species
survival plan coordinator for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. "I
think it's a testament to the good care that she's received at the Dallas
Zoo and also the resilience of gorillas in general."
Lukas said gorillas in the wild normally would live to age 30 or 35.
Health care and protection from predators has extended the lifespan in
zoos.
Of the roughly 360 gorillas in North American zoos, only four are over the
age of 50. All of them are female. In addition to Jenny, Lukas noted Trudy
at the Little Rock Zoo in Arkansas, Colo at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio and
Helen at the Louisville Zoo in Kentucky.
Jenny's keepers describe her as very sweet though a little bossy.
"If she doesn't want to go out on a certain day, she doesn't," Bowsher
said. "But she really likes people."
There were plenty of them at the Jake L. Hamon Gorilla Conservation
Research Center Thursday, chowing down on giant sheets of chocolate and
vanilla birthday cake as they peered at Jenny through the glass.
When keepers set out Jenny's berry-topped frozen cake in a forested
clearing, she slowly approached. She scooped up the fruity treat with her
right hand, dug into the middle of it with her left then sat down to savor
the tasty yogurt-covered remains.
At one point she stood, turned her backside to the phalanx of
photographers and cameramen then lumbered off to enjoy her meal in peace.
She wasn't about to share with her primate peers.
"It's pretty amazing that the zoo where we live has the oldest gorilla
that's known," said Ben Deming, 8, of Frisco as he stared at Jenny.
Born in the wild of western central Africa in 1953, the exact date of her
birth is unknown. Jenny lived with a family on the Cape Verde islands
before the Fort Worth Zoo acquired her in 1957.
"I remember the day she arrived," said Nancy Hamon, 89, of Dallas, whose
family bought the gorilla for the zoo and continues to be among its
strongest supporters.
Jenny, a Western lowland gorilla is one of four gorillas at the zoo.
"It's a good time for the zoo," said Sean Greene, director of Community
Relations for the Dallas Zoological Society.
He said the upbeat birthday party was welcome contrast to the tragedy that
occurred in 2004 when another gorilla, 13-year-old Jabari, broke out of
his enclosure. The 300-pound ape went on a 40-minute rampage in which he
snatched up a toddler with his teeth and attacked three other people
before officers shot him.
So to what does Jenny attribute her longevity? She's not saying. But her
vegetarian diet couldn't hurt: seeds, cereal and one her favorites, banana
peels.




Honorable Mentions:
1. Harnessing Sunlight on the Cheap
http://www.physorg.com/news129389932.html
May 07, 2008

For a project that could be on the very cutting edge of renewable energy,
this one is actually decidedly low tech--and that's the point.
A team of students, led by mechanical engineering graduate student Spencer
Ahrens, has spent the last few months assembling a prototype for a
concentrating solar power system they think could revolutionize the field.
It's a 12-foot-square mirrored dish capable of concentrating sunlight by a
factor of 1,000, built from simple, inexpensive industrial materials
selected for price, durability and ease of assembly rather than for
optimum performance.
Rather than aiming for a smooth parabolic surface that would bring the
sunlight to a perfect focus, the dish is being made with 10-inch-wide by
12-foot-long strips of relatively low-cost, lightweight bathroom-type
mirror glass. The frame is assembled from cheap aluminum tubing, with
holes drilled in precise locations using a simple jig for alignment, so
that the struts can be assembled into a framework that passively snaps
into just the right parabolic curvature.
The control mechanism, which allows the dish to track the sun
automatically across the sky, is also remarkably simple--photocells
mounted on each side of the dish with opaque baffles, which cast a shadow
on the cell when it drifts out of alignment, connect to a simple circuit
that turns on small electric motors to push the dish back into the right
position.
"The technical challenge here is to make it simple," Ahrens explains. The
team is keeping careful track of all the costs for parts and the time
spent on assembly, to provide a baseline for figuring out what an eventual
large-scale field of such dishes would cost. "We're using all commodity
materials that are all in high production," he says.
That's in stark contrast to most attempts to build solar dish
concentrating systems, which have tended to use expensive custom-made
equipment to achieve high efficiency. A few large companies that have
built such prototypes tend to "turn it into an ultimate high-tech, high-
end project," says Jefferson Tester, HP Meissner Professor of Chemical
Engineering, who has been advising the student-led group. "Then Spencer
came along and said, 'We're going to fundamentally change this and make
this an affordable technology for popular, widespread deployment.'"
Ahrens thinks that in mass production the dishes can be competitive in
cost with other energy sources and could produce heat for space heating
and electric power at the same time.
The prototype isn't quite finished yet, because of delays in getting the
mirror glass shipped from the factory. And the details of assembly and
operation could well present some unexpected stumbling blocks, as is so
often the case with new designs, Tester says. Still, "they're smart kids,
they know what they're doing," he says. "That's how you learn."
This is not the kind of thing you'd build for a single-home, backyard
power system, however. Because the highly concentrated sunlight will be so
powerful, the team is employing several precautions to safeguard against
potential safety risks, and the prototype will not operate in public
without supervision.
Instead, the systems are designed to be deployed in large, utility-scale
fields, fenced in to protect anyone from being in the wrong place. But
because the beam comes to a focus about 12 feet from the surface, the
danger is strictly localized--no risks for adjacent buildings or for
planes flying overhead, Ahrens explains. When not attended, the dish will
be covered "parked" pointing straight up, and will be mounted 7 feet above
ground.
The students working on the project, because of their close proximity,
will have to take precautions, wearing all-white clothing, to reflect the
light, and welder-type goggles to protect their eyes.
Ahrens believes that such a design could quickly produce both hot water
for space heating and electricity for the grid at prices that would be
competitive today, unlike conventional photovoltaic systems that are still
far too pricey for baseload generation. "In the sunbelt, our dish would
make about 10,000 peak watts of heat and 3,500 peak watts of electricity,"
he says. Deployed in large numbers, the systems could make a big
difference: "One square meter of concentrator is worth about one barrel of
oil per year," he says.
"It's designed for long life--we hope they will last more than 30 years
with good maintenance--and for indigenous manufacturing in the developing
world with minimal tooling," Ahrens says. "We want to get something up
that will be kind of viral and be widely adopted around the world."




2. Elderly Man Rescued from Piestewa Peak
http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/stories/Phoenix_local_news_050708_elder
y-mtn-rescue.dbc0aa4b.html10:15 PM
Mountain Standard Time on Wednesday, May 7, 2008

PHOENIX - A man in his 70s was hurt while hiking at Piestewa Peak today.
Rescuers were able to get him down and he was taken to the hospital. With
hot summer temperatures just around the corner the Phoenix Fire Department
says it is important hikers stay hydrated.
They also say it is a good idea to avoid hiking midday when the sun is
hottest. You are also encouraged to always carry a cell phone or have a
partner with you.