(Sci Tech Update).

Journal of Scientific & Industrial Research
Vol . 60, November 200 I, pp 903-912
SCI-TECH UPDATE
Pseudo quantum computing
Large quantum computers cou ld in principle handle
some of the tou ghest computing problems, such as
factoring numbers to break encrypted messagesanswering those question s in seconds instead of the
centuries that today 's computers wou ld require. But such
computers are extraordinari ly difficult to build as they
rely on exquisitely contro lled interaction s among frag ile
quantum states. Recently, Walm sley and co-workers, at
the University of Rochester, demon strated that ord in ary,
classical li ght waves can perform as efficiently as one
class of quantum computer. Their ex pe riment searc hed
a 50-element database. An ordinary computer doing a
bin ary search of such a database would need to qu ery
the database six times (enough to search 64 ele me nts, as
26 =64). In 1997, work at Bell Laboratories proved that a
qu antum compute r only has to query once, irrespective
of the size of a database.
Walmsley' s group u se d a light pul se in an
interferometer, a device that gives light waves a choice
of two paths to follow. Along one path , a diffraction
gratin g splits the pulse apart from its broad ran ge of
frequencies, like white light throu gh a pri sm. The 50elements of the database correspond to 50 bands of th at
spectrum. Th e data base itse lf is rep resented by a n
acoustic-optic modul ator through which th e li gh t passes.
The modulator imprints a phase shift (that is, it moves
the po itions of the peaks and troughs of the li ght wave)
on ju st one of th e 50 bands. In essence, eac h band of th e
li ght looks at a different database e ntry (a different part
of the modulator), and only one finds the target. When
th e pul se is recombin ed with li ght from the other ann of
the interferome ter, the phase-s hifted band alone shines
brightly into a spectromete r, which reads off the result.
Only th e wave nature of li ght , not its quantum fea tures ,
is used. The experime nt is simil ar to established methods
of opti ca l s ignal processing that , e g, pass beams through
holograms . The exper ime nt desc ribed above direc tl y
exemp li fies a general result that th e Wa lms ley group
demonstrated on ly th eo retically last year. For every
machine that uses on ly quantum interference, there is
an equivalent, equally efficient one that uses classical
optical interference, according to Walm sley. The insight
provides a new perspective on the relationship between
compu ting with waves and quantum computing .
The most powerful quantum algorithms, such as fast
factoring, how eve r, require an additional quantum
feature-so-called entang lement of the states of many
particle s. Cla ss ica l wave s cannot e mulat e th ose
algorithms effic iently, but light turns out to be well suited
to such true quantum computation in another way. In
theory, full-power quantum computer can be built by
sendin g individual photons through simpl e lin ea r optica l
eleme nts, such as beam splitte rs and phase shifters. Such
an approach was proposed in 1997, but th ose ear ly
des igns needed ex pon entially mo re optical e lements as
the numbe r of qubit s inc reased- utte rl y impractical for
any but the small est dev ices.
In January, Emanue l H Knill and R aymond
Laflamme, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Gera rd
J Milburn , Uni vers ity of Queens land, exhibited a des ign
w ho se circuit co mpl ex ity wo uld in c rease in lin ear
proportion, not ex pon e ntiall y. U nlik e th e Roc hester
ex pe riment, thi s sc he me reli es on quantum effects of
indi vidual photons navi gatin g paths through the dev ice
but avoids the need for nonlinear interaction s betwee n
photons, which is onl y readil y ac hi eved at very high
inte ns iti es or w ith ex traordinary equipme nt such as
resonant caviti es o r li ght-slowing Bose -Einste in
conde nsates [Sci Am, 265 (2) (200 I ) I 8].
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Cashing in on e-business initiatives
To add ress th e e-business investment chall e nges
financial inst itu tions face tod ay, AT Kearney concluctect
a n in-depth study of how to most effect ively all ocate
resources . On goi ng client work, a survey of 25 top
J SCI IND RES VOL 60 NOVEMBER
904
financial services executives and an executive roundtable
on major e-business challenges combined with rigorous
analysis confirmed that organizations that have used ebusiness strategically to strengthen core businesses have
consistently outperformed their peers. As the following
lessons learnt illustrate, a disciplined approach that
focuses on quality rather than quantity will playa role in
winning strategy:
Survival of the fittest-Executives
seeking to
extract value from e-business investments must
consider their organization's value system and its
sources of competitive advantage. Low value ebusiness initiatives must be modified or purged so
that capital is deployed against the most strategically
and financially important programs.
Leapfrogging
the Joneses-Executives
must
creatively apply e-business capabilities within a
company's core competencies if they are to realize
significant value from e-business initiatives.
Deploying the troops-Finally,
to make the most
of e-business
investments,
executives
must
emphasize results throughout the implementation
of each initiative.
Most executives believe that the internet will help
them increase the efficiency of their core business process
and provide new avenues of customer value. A few
financial institutions are already moving beyond those
measures, and are using the Net to maintain their
company's
leadership
positions.
For them, the
possibilities are just beginning to emerge [Hoying T, de
Villa R & Kalra D, www.atkearney.com].
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802.11b-an
alternate broadband service protocol
For the last couple of years almost everyone
assumed that wireless data services would be the next
big thing. WAP, the wireless application protocol, put
together by a huge group of companies, permits Web
surfing over mobile phones. It will be a reality, the firms
insist, when third-generation,
high speed mobile
telephony rolls out, perhaps as soon as the year's end.
Simultaneously, Bluetooth, a standard developed by a
different huge set of companies, is expected to enable
all kinds of personal networking-for
instance, writing
with a pen that can later transmit the data to one's Pc.
2001
SCI-TECH UPDATE
Yet, neither the WAP nor the Bluetooth has taken over
the world. In fact, there is a chance that neither will,
considering the rise of a dark-horse challenger-the
cryptically named 802.11 b. The standard, developed by
the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
(IEEE), was embraced first by Apple Computers in 1999,
in the form of its AirPort base station. The b indicates
that the second version of 802.11, originally ratified in
1997, is faster than the first, as 802.l! b transmits data
up to 11 Mb/s. It is, in other words, wireless broadband,
and it operates in a part of the spectrum (roughly, near
microwaves) that, unlike third-generation or 3G, mobile
telephony, requires no license.
Many compatible products are available. Set up one
of those flying saucer-like AirPort device and a card in
the desktop or a laptop, and one has a LAN without all
those wires. Stick the saucer in a window, and one can
go work in a cafe. This year's Computer, Freedom and
Privacy conference placed in 802.11 b access point in its
Internet room. It makes the Net into what it should besomething that is all around one all the time, and one
can just tap it, according to Dan O'Brien, editor of the
UK's satirical e-zine Need to Know (Now). Such
enthusiasm is making 802.11 bone of the fastest-growing
wireless standards. Local scuttlebutt has it that the entire
Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus will be
outfitted with 802.11 b within the next year. The
commercial service MobileStar is setting up wireless
Internet access nodes in airports and hotel chains. For
$2.95 for the first 15 min and $0.20/min thereafter, one
may just sit in the American Airlines terminal in JFK
and browse the Net at broadband speeds on the laptop,
now, today. No squinting at mobile phone screens. The
securities brokerage company Nomura stated in March
that it views 802.11 b as a serious threat to 3G mobile
telephony's hopes to make serious money out of wireless
data service.
The London based hacker group Consume. net is
trying to line up enough public-spirited folks to paint
the town wireless. So far, it is in just a few spots, but the
dream is that if everyone sticks a base station in the
window, anyone will be able to access the Net from
anywhere in town. Moreover, 802.11 b enables machines
to communicate directly. It puts control into the hands
of the public. It is not just wireless, it is the broader idea
that one can share what one has. If one sends a local email, why it should not be done locally. On the internet,
the e-mail sent next door, could be delivered via
SCI-TECH UPDATE
J SCI I D RES VOL 60
Singapore or Australia. It is rather difficult to say whether
802.11 b and its successo rs (such as 802.11 g) would
deliver to these with what degree of sati sfacti on. 802. 11 b
has a mome ntum th at othe r sta ndard s can onl y dream of.
Given a ubiquitou s bro ad band wireless connection ,
anything, from voice ca ll s to large chunk s of data , ca n
be tran smitted. At the moment, 802.11 b is still a geek
thin g, requiring fiddlin g, confi guring and tolerance for
imperfections. But in 1990, so was the internet [Sci Am,
265 (2) (200 I) 20].
OVEMBER 2001
905
traits and di seases, includin g lymph om ia and asthma .
The so ftware predi cted chromosome loc::ltion s of the
di sease-causin g genes with " rema rk ab le accuracy" .
Th e new software will give medical researc he rs a
tre m e ndou s h ea d s t a rt beca u se it ca n pred ict
computationall y in a second what ot he r studi es take
month s or years to do. The softw are and the SNP database
are already available [ Chem Week, 46 (No. 48) (200 I) p.
134].
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New software that speeds up search for disease
causing genes developed
The ne w so ftware called Di g ital Disease has been
developed by Jonathan Usuka, of Stanford University in
collaboration with Roche Pharmaceutical Company. It
can scan databases containing computerised maps of
DNA molecules. A co mputer prog ra mme has bee n
designed which can significantly speed up the search
for disease-causin g genes and hasten the di scovery of
new drugs to treat a wide range o f genetic illnesses.
The software instantly locates irregularities in genes
that might be responsibl e for cancer, di abetes and other
ailments. Instead of searching through maps of human
genome, Digital Di sease scans the DNA of mice, whic h
are genetically similar to humans. As both human genes
and mou se genes are about 80 per cent identical, one
can identify a genetic mutation in mice that can easily
locate the same mutation in human s.
Each gene is made up of thou sa nd s of clinical
subunits called nu c leotides, bound together in a spec ifi c
sequence in DNA molecul e. It turm s out that human and
mou se genomes contain roughly th e same number of
nueleo tides, +3.1 billion , and Digital Di sease sca ns the
mouse genome for locati ons in th e DNA where a s in g le
nucleotid e ha s been a lte red fro m the no rm . Th ese
location s are called single nuc leotide polymorphi sm or
SNPs (pronounced snips). The primary application of
Digital di sease is to hunt down scripts that are potentiall y
harmful to mice and similarly to humans.
Researchers have tested their so ftware by comparing
a mouse database of 3400 SNPs with DNA extracted
Image processing techniques improve medical
diagnoses
Researc hers at Technol ogy Development Centre TEKES , Helsinki have de veloped a new software for
im age-processin g tec hniqu es in the med ica l fi e ld for
improving diag nos tic capabilities and trea tm e nt of
patie nts.
3-D images are often be in g used in med icine, as
they improve diagnostic capabilities, as we ll as e nable
the effective foll ow-up treatme nt of patients.
Anticipating such de mand , thi s Finnish SME has
deve loped software for image processing in the medical
field . The software, with the corresponding algorithm s,
has been tested and is now available for demonstration ,
improving med ica l diag no sti c capab iliti es, through
employing the 3-D properti es of th e images.
The deve loped C and C++ Iibrari es of the soft ware ,
cover the foll ow ing applications: seg m e nt ation,
volumetry, 3-D visualisation, multim oda l visulisati on,
brain mapping and major proces ing as well as acquiring,
filtering, editing , e nh ancing and analys in g images . Its 3D fea tures e nabl e reco nstru ct ion from vox e ls and
contours, and bes id es it mak es visualising magnetic
resonance imag in g and electroe ncephal ograph s.
Utilising such possibilities, the app li cation of film less analysis in th e medical fi e ld can greatly improve
diagnose s and provide important quantit ative
information , such as changes in les ion vo lume!:>. Thi s
information has been verified from the validation phase
of the softw are, where more than 500 patients have take n
part and more than I 0. 000 images have been prod uced
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J SCI IND RES VOL 60 NOVEMBER
The software and its corresponding algorithons
operate in PC hardware and support standard DICOM
format.
For further information, contact: Itkonen, Reijo,
Technology Development Centre - TEKES, PO Box 69,
FIN - 00101 Lonsi-Pasila,
Helsinki, Tel: +358-32474030, Fax: +358-3-2474029,
E-mail: Reijo.
Itkonen@finnmedi.fi,
www.finnmediresearch.com
Cordis Focus, No. 27 (2001) p.5].
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Website for expatriates created
A new Website (www.expatsdirect.co.uk) offering
services to expatriates has been set up by David Smith,
offering members information relating to their countries,
including job vacancies Climate conditions, currency and
customs.
Healthcare brokers on the website offers specialist
medical insurance and guidance on tax and investment
matters is provided by experts. The kind of support that
expats will need is installed on website. The services on
website which are provided by local firms offer that
support.
[Brit Today, (May-June
2001) p. 17;
www.expatsdirect.co.uk].
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Ionic liquids may replace hazardous solvents
Chemistry
hugely depends on solutions. In
solutions, the dissolved molecules can readily come
together to react. But many substance are hard to dissol ve,
if not impossible altogether. A growing number of
chemists now believe that correct solution to the problem
has been discovered. The correct solution-ionic liquids,
peculiar combinations of salts that are liquid at room
temperature has been found. These new solvents can be
tailor-made to dissolve a variety of substances, including
coal, crude oil, inks, plastics, DNA and even some rocks.
Kenneth R Seddon, Queen's University, Belfast,
Northern Ireland, estimates that there are, in theory, more
than a trillion different ionic liquids, millions of which
2001
SCI-TECH UPDATE
are extremely stable (they remain liquid over a range of
about 300 "C) and nonvolatile (they can be used over
and over). They may replace toxic, flammable and
polluting volatile organic solvents, such as toluene,
hexane and dichloro methane, for which the worldwide
annual market is about $6 billion.
Ionic liquids are made by combining large organic
positive ions-with
unfriendly names, viz, l-ethyl-3methyl imidazolium [emim]+-and
smaller inorganic
negative ions, viz, aluminum tetrachloride. Such a
combination of large and small ions is very different from
most ionic salts, such as table salt (NaCI). Table salt is a
solid at room temperature because positively charged
sodium holds on to negatively charged chlorine, and thus
stuck, the ions form a regular lattice. But in ionic liquids,
the positive charge is less focused, due to very large size,
the total charge is smeard out across several atoms. Also,
the big, irregular shapes do not form crystal structures at
room temperature. It may be a revolution in the making,
as they may serve as solvents. Rober B Morland, an
organic chemist at BP Amoco Chemicals in Naperville,
III predicts that ionic liquids will revolutionise the use
of catalysts in industrial chemistry. It is because for a
particular reaction, chemists can make a ionic liquid with
the right positive and negative charge combination to
dissolve the catalyst and the chemicals involved in a
reaction. The liquid, however, does not affect the product
of the reaction. The catalyst stays in the ionic liquid to
be reused, and the product may even rise to the surface,
to be skimmed off. The French Petroleum Institute is
getting ready to license for commercial use a dimmer
manufacturing process that exploits these very properties.
Despite the enthusiasm of the chemists, for industry
to adopt ionic liquids, there will have to be a unique
advantage, just being a bit more green is not enough,
according to Robin D Rogers, director of the Centre for
Green Manufacturing at University of Alabama. The cost
is a major hurdle, though. Right now, a pound of ionic
liquid costs about $4,000 to $5,000, the cost could drop
to about $200, depending on the composition and
quantity. Still, it is pricey, compared with organic
solvents-per pound, acetone sells for about $0.15, and
toluene about $0.10. Of course, because ionic liquids
can be recycled, a few tonnes would replace many tonnes
of organic solvent.
Toxicity and environmental tests also need to be
conducted. Initial animal test results are promising, but
the generous bounty of possible ionic liquids creates a
SCI-TECH UPDATE
J SCI IND RES VOL 60 NOVEMBER 2001
catch-22 situation, according to Albert Robe rtso n, a
chemist with spec ialty c hemica l maker Cytec Canada.
Toxicity tests a re costly, needin g hundred s of thousands
of doll ars, therefore, the manufacturers are just waiting
until such time th at the ri ght ionic liquids are available.
It is beli eved that major applications are 7 to I 0 y away.
A small- sca le industri al application could e merge much
sooner, in less than 3 y [Sci Am, 265 (2) (200 I) I 9].
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For detail s, contact: BLANCO, Julian Castro DC
Investigacion es Energeticas , Mediabiental es Y
Technologicas (CIEMAT), de Senes/Ntabernas, E-04200
Almeria; Tel : +34-950-38793); Fax : +34-950-3650 15 ;
Julian.blan co@psa.es, www.psa.es [Cordis Fo cus , 26
(2001) p. 15].
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Surphaser, an electro-optical device for non-invasi ve
back measurement
New solar technology for hazardous water treatment
Re sea rchers at the Centro De Investigationes
Energetices Mediabien poles & Technologies (CIEMOT)
Almeria have developed an innovative solar technology
that enabled the treatment of non-biodegradable and
hazardous organic water contaminants, through an
environmental friendly and cost-effective detoxification
process.
Hazardous organic water contaminants are
commonly found in effluents from industri al activities,
such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, printing, Car
coating, textile, and paper industries. Several compounds,
including non-biodegradabl e chlorinated hydrocarbon
so lvents (NBCS) a re not possible to re move using
traditional wastewa ter treatment meth ods. Th e new
technology that will be hel pful in brea king th ese
contaminants into mineral compounds using solar light
was developed and successfully tested by a Consortium ,
including a wide range of European co mpani es, during
a 3y project.
The reaction takes place when UV li ght excites a
semiconductor catalyst (Ti0 2) in the presence of oxygen;
the hyd roxyl (OH) radicals that a re ge nerated attack
contaminants, producing a progressive breaking up of
mol ecul es into C0 2 , Hp and diluted min era l acids. Thi s
so lar photo-catalysed detoxification process was
va lidated throu gh the construct ion of a demonstration
plant. The plant worked efficiently even witho ut sunli gh t
due to the use of static so lar co llec tors that can capture
the diffu se UV li ght as well as the direct beam. Apart
from its simplicity, thi s innovative technology is also
cost-effect ive, easy to use, and requires minimal cap ita l
Italian researchers have developed Surphaser, an
e lectro-optical back measurin g dev ice, compri sin g an
instant profilometry in white light with projection of two
reticules at low spatial frequency mutuall y out of phase.
The device can value the main a nthrop o metric
parameters of the back rapidly, accurate ly and in a noninvasive way. It is particularly usefu l in measurin g spina l
deformation. This data offers a better di agnostic valuation
of patients and also gives a prec ise tri -dime nsiona l
description or bac k-lumbar surface deformation , which
may result from vertebral deform ation.
Moreover, because of the non-invastive natu re of
measurement, and the processin g of collected data, it is
possible to make all nece ssary meas ure ment s. The
measurements offers the possibility of measurin g 70°
inclined surface (bending test). All measurements can
be executed in any kind of room, and in normal li ght. A
valuation thorase shape is also poss ibl e.
For further information pl ease co ntact: Serra,
Giuseppe, Con so rzio Per I' Assistenza Aile Pi cco le e
Medie Imprese, Via Palabanda 9. I-09 123, Cag li ari,
Tel : +39-070-67970 , Fax : +39-070-67970 /50 ,
serra@consorzio2/.it [Cordis Focus , No. 27 (2001)
p. I I].
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Low-cost device for cleaning sewage from rivers after
flooding
Hydrok , UK, an e ngin eerin g Company based in
South-West England, has introduced the Ainnex . a lowcost mec hani cal screen dev ice for clea nin g up storm
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J SCIIND RES VOL 60 NOVEMBER
SCI-TECH UPDATE
2001
In climatic changing conditions there is a growing
industry of technological development designed to
minimize the impact of natural disasters and help to
restore life to normalcy. This is increasingly being
manifested in the water industry where contamination
of sources such as streams and rivers after floods
threatens a possible risk of a wider spread of epidemic
to the health of nearby and far off people.
Technology
developed
The screen device is powered by its own nitrogen
cylinders, the robust equipment is designed to be installed
in remote locations where electricity supplies are not
available, thereby providing all the benefits of a
mechanical screening with inexpensive maintenance and
controls.
The latest quarterly Toxic Tailpipe Indices produced
by the AA show that toxic fumes, including carbon
monoxide, nitrogen oxide, particulates and hydrocarbons,
have halved since car-engine emissions began to be
tracked from 1992. This has resulted from the use of
catalytic (cat) converters with engine management
systems. 70 per cent of car mileage is now done by catequipped vehicles. Carbon dioxide emission levels are
stable, despite a 14 per cent increase in traffic since 1992,
and are set to fall with cleaner fuels such as ultra-low
sulphur petrol, allowing the use of even more efficient
engines. According to the UK government index of
vehicle emissions, small two-stroke engines of 0.5 L or
more are rated at 74 for toxic carbon monoxide and 338
for smog-inducing hydrocarbons. Cars that meet Euro 3
emissions standards, such as the latest Ford Fiesta, Rover
45 and Skoda Fabia, rate just seven for carbon monoxide
and three for hydrocarbons.
It can also be supplied with a battery operated stormmonitoring device which records date, time, and devotion
of overflow operation.
During storm and flooding, the Airmax screens the
storm sewage through stainless steel wedge wire, with
an aperture of 6 mm x 6 mm, thus providing a high
protection for the receiving waters. The cleaning of the
screen is done physically by a mechanical brush inside
and outside of the wedge wire. The brush mechanism is
activated and deactivated by a non-fouling level float
opening and closing an air-feed cylinder.
The whole system is constructed from stainless steel
and facilitates minimal mechanical servicing and all parts
are easily replaced with minimum skills. The heavy duty
brushes require replacement on average only once every
five years. If a break-down occurs, the screen will still
operate for a limited period as a static screen.
The Airmax is designed to be fitted to existing
overflow chambers with minimum disruption to the
system can be easily be exchanged between overflows,
if required. Its modular design also allows for multiple
installations depending on wire length and flowrates.
For further information, contact: Hydrok UK,
Waven Road, Indian Queens Industrial Estate, Indian
Queens, St Columb, Cornwall TR96TL, UK; Tel: +44
1726
861900,
Fax:
+44
1726
862008;
info@hydrokm.co.uk;
www.hydrokuk.co.uk
[Brit
Commerc News (July/August 2001) p. 34].
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that
reduces
car-fume
pollution
According to the Automobile Association (AA)
motoring organisation
of the United Kingdom,
developments in car engine and fuel technology have
been so successful in reducing exhaust emissions that
100 modern cars now produce fewer toxic fumes that
one petrol lawn mower.
Older buses, trucks, delivery vans and taxis now
stand out as the main contributors to urban vehicle
pollution. An older articulated truck produces as many
particulates as 350 new petrol cars and the nitrogen oxide
of 284 new petrol cars. An older diesel taxi emits
particulates equal to 104 new petrol cars, an older petrol
van produces as much carbon monoxide as 75 new diesel
cars and a new diesel bus produces as many particulates
as 62 new petrol cars.
Huge leaps in engine, exhaust and fuel technologies
mean that the current generation of petrol cars produces
around a sixteenth of the toxic urban pollution of their
non-catalytic converter forerunners. Newer cars are now
within the price range of more motorists and are helping
the take-up of cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars.
Now that the manufacturers can make greatly
improved lorries, buses and taxis, it is down to the UK
government to provide the right incentives to get them
on the roads at the earliest. Older diesel engines should
be replaced by new technology, particularly where air
quality is critical.
SCI-TECH UPDATE
J SCI IND RES VOL 60 NOVEMBER
Most motorists know they have a responsibility to
keep their engines well maintained to save themselves
money as well as cut emissions. New technology coming
in the form of onboard diagnostics will help further,
ensuring that cars stay within emissions tolerances by
alerting drivers when a problem emerges with the
vehicle's running.
For further information contact: Karen Myers, Head
of Communications, Automobile Association, Norfolk
House, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG24
9NY United Kingdom, Tel: +44 1256492927, Fax: +44
1256 492599, www.theaa.co.uk [Br Commerce News,
(July-August 2001) p. 33].
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Mosquitoes breeding controlled by starch
Barry Pittendrigh at Purdue University in Indiana,
and his team at the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Prime
Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Delaware, USA, have
found that powdered starch could clean-up mosquito
control. Xantham gum, a thickening agent usually found
in processed foods such as salad dressing, kills ponddwelling mosquito larvae as effectively as conventional
insecticides.
By sprinkling on mosquito breeding grounds, it
forms a temporary film on the water surface that smothers
these blood-sucking pests without affecting other pond
life. The first field test of carbohydrate-based mosquito
control will be for safer, greener ways to rein-in malaria
risk. Rising insecticide resistance among mosquitoes, and
the toxicity of certain insecticides, particularly DDT, used
in the developing
countries,
has made malaria
increasingly difficult to control.
Researchers have tried previously some other
natural mosquito killers, such as peppermint and lemon
oils. It was successful because the quantities needed were
too high or they killed too many insects as well. The
same challenges face starch-based mosquito killers.
According to researchers, the starch can act as a floating
carrier for conventional insecticides, preventing the
chemicals from sinking below the surface of the water,
where they are no longer effective but can harm other
organisms [Chern Week, 46 (No. 46)(200 1) p. 135].
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2001
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(Undetectable) drug abuse in sports
With newer and better surveillance put in place, it
is being discovered that sportspersons are putting their
lives on risk to win medals. More and more athletes may
be taking insulin illegally to boost performance. Insulin
is almost impossible to detect using dope tests. Doctors
in the UK are worried that athletes are taking insulin,
the life-saving
drug used by many diabetics.
Bodybuilders pioneered the illegal use of insulin several
years ago, and there is a sketchy evidence that the habit
might be spreading to other sports as well.
Harder evidence has now emerged from a
confidential needle exchange scheme for bodybuilders
and other sports enthusiasts, run in the north of England
by a family doctor. At least 10 per cent of 450 regular
patients admitted to using the drug-an
increasing
number of them being non-bodybuilders. Most access it
via diabetic friends who use it. If administered
incorrectly, it could kill a person stone-dead, or leave
one as a vegetable, according to a specialist in the study
on insulin at Guy's, King's and St Thomas' School of
Medicine in London. Its use by athletes is highly likely,
and people in the authority might be surprised if no elite
athletes used it.
Insulin helps athletes in two ways: (i) in
bodybuilders, it works alongside anabolic steroids such
as testosterone or human growth hormone to consolidate
muscle tissue. Steroids spawn new muscle, and insulin
prevents it from being broken down, and (ii) it bolsters
stamina in middle distance runners and other track
performers by enabling them to load muscles with
glycogen fuel before and between events. For the
purpose, athletes need to take inslulin and glucose
simultaneously for a couple of hours, infusing them using
a technique called hyperinsulinaemic clamp. In the long
term, taking anabolic steroids for non-medical uses can
damage reproductive health. However, an overdose of
insulin can quickly trigger a fatal coma by clearing so
much sugar from the blood that the brain is starved of
energy and oxygen.
The temptation for sportspersons is obvious. Insulin
vanishes rapidly from the body, with half-life pegged at
just four minutes. Even if detected, one cannot tell it
from a person's own insulin. The chance of catching is
just about zero. There is no documentary proof that the
technique is being used but informed street talk indicates
it is not uncommon, according to Sonksen [JEndoerinol,
J SCI IND RES VOL 60 NOVEMBER
910
170 (2001) 13J. Experiments by Sonksen and others have
suggested that hyperinsulinaemic clamps can increase
the rate of glucose metabolism up to twelve fold.
The sports and government persons are at a loss
over how to deal with it. Since August 1998, .insulin has
been a prohibited substance in the UK, obtainable only
on prescription. But athletes can and do get it. Insulin
was banned by the International Olympic Committee in
1998, but the ban dose not apply to diabetic athletes.
The only possible solution in the locker room is to
catch people red-handed with the drugs. Only through
police tactics such as searching and detaining could one
stop it. However, it is not so easy to adapt this method
[New Scie, 11 August 2001, pp 4-5].
o
NC
Long-acting
prodrugs
platform technology
The long-acting prodrugs platform technology is
based on the attachment of propriatary chemical moieties
to a wide range of drugs. As long as the moiety is
attached, the drug is protected from various degradative
systems. Consequently, it remains much longer in
circulation.
Once in the blood (ph 7.4, 37 "C), drugs are
hydrolysed back to their native, active form, at slow rates
and in a homogeneous fashion. Thus, these novel
prodrugs
offer controlled
release systems that
significantly increase half-life in circulation, while
improving efficacy and reducing toxicity. The technology
is in advanced pre-clinical
studies and has been
demonstrated, both with proteins and peptides (e.g.
Insulin, IL-2, Interferon) and small molecules (antibiotics
and anti-cancer drugs).
Moreover, the prodrugs technology enables the
conversion of a drug, administered only by injection or
infusion, to an oral drug. This breakthrough has been
demonstrated with an analgesic peptide and a small
molecule, anti-cancer drug. Safety studies indicate that
the prodrugs entity (the moiety) is not antigenic,
mutagenic or immunogenic. The toxicity of the moiety
derivatives has been shown to be very low. In addition
to these pre-clinical studies, the technology is now under
investigation for the development of a unique drug
targeting approach. The company's long-acting prodrugs
2001
SCI-TECH UPDATE
platform technology is applicable to a wide range of
peptides, proteins, and small molecules. In addition to
the prolongation of drug's halflife and reducing toxicity,
it also converts a non-oral drug to the oral forms:
For further information, contact: Stern Aaran,
MATIMOP, The Israeli Industry Centre, 29, Hamered
St, PO 50364, IL-61 500 Tel-Aviv, Tel: +972-3-51181111
41, Fax: +972-3-5177655,
stern@matimop.org.il
[Cosrdis Focus, No. 27 (2001) p. IIJ.
o
HSDK
A new test to detect mercury
Scientists at the US-based Scripps Research Institute
have developed a screening method that can detect
mercury contamination in fish. The method reported is
quick and inexpensive.
Mercury contamination in fish is a serious health
concern, especially for children and pregnent women,
because one particularly poisonous form, methylmercury
interferes with developing nervous systems and can cause
birth defects. Methymercury contamination occurs when
mercury pollution from automobile emissions or
industrial waste washes into the ocean or groundwater.
The aquatic organism convert normal mercury ions into
methylmercury and release the compound into the water.
Fish absorbs it through their gills, or through their
digestive tracts when they feed, and the poison
accumulates in their tissue. Larger fish are more risky to
each having longer life spans during which
methylmercury build up in their systems.
The new method for mercury detection uses a
solution that changes colour if mercury traces occur in
the fish. To test, a tiny pellet of fish, tissue is placed in a
tube with a few drops of acid and enzyme solution, which
digests the tissue for a few hours in a manner. Similar to
human digestion. Then the mixture is stirred with a
special dipstick coated with a resin. If there is any
mercury in the fish it sticks to the resin. The dipstick is
then plunged into a second tube containing a mild acid
that pulls the mercury off the resin, and then a few drops
of lightly coloured detector solution is added. This
solution has a molecule that precipitates when it binds
to the mercury. If the fish is contaminated, the liquid
changes colour, and becomes clear. The addition of a
drop of dye allows one to quantify the mercury
SCI-TEC H UPD ATE
J SC I I D RES VOL 60 NOVEM BER 2001
contamination in fish.lt is be li eved that the co lorimetri c
assay-test, will be a boo n to fie ld resea rchers , since th e
cu rrent me rcury detection procedures de mand that they
catc h whole fi sh and bring the m to labo rato ry fo r s low
ex pe ns ive and co mpli cated tes t [Do wn to Earth , 10
(No. I )(200 I) p . 44].
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Low cost smoke tablet that eliminates insect pests
developed
Octaviu s Hart Ltd , Bri sto l, UK have developed a
tabl e t, named Fumito whi c h will g ive hou seow ne rs
specary and effective re lief from wide range of in sects.
Each 50g Furnite table t produces a c loud of hi g hl y
penetrating smoke th at ca rri es in secti c ide into every
corner and creavice of a normal- size room , there by
e liminating cockroaches spiders, flea s, lice, moth s, fli es,
mosquitoes and other pests by vapour includin g contact
action.
More than a million tabl ets are being so ld annually
in the West and attempts and are being made to launch it
'! II
on th e Indi an sub-contin ent by co ll abo ratin g with pest
contro l companies and suppli ers ofagrochemica l in In d ia.
The product is self-contained a nd requires no spec ial
equipment , mi xing o r operato r drawing . It is e nc losed in
a spec ially des ig ned pol yme r sleeve th at is used to ig nite
the tablet and prevent user co ntact with the pestic ide.
The tabl et burn s for approx. 70s, producing smok e that
is clean and safe w hic h leaves unn oti ceabl e deposit o r
res idual odour. The action beg in s immediate ly afte r th e
smoke appears, and co ntinues for so me day s th e reafter.
The active ing redi ent , cypermethrin , is a broad spect rum
pyrethroid known by regulators worldwide to have a good
toxicolog ical and e nvironme ntal profile.
Fumite tablets offers in sect pest control at domes tic
premises at unbe lievabl e cost of usi ng a smoke gene rato r.
For further info rm ation contact: Adrian Cox. Sal e s
Director, Oxtaviu s Hunt Ltd , D ove Lan e, Redfi e ld ,
Bristol BS5 9 NQ , UK, Te l: +44 117 955 5 304 ; Fax :
+44 117 955 7875, info @ octav iu s- hunt.c o. uk ; [Br
Com mere News , (July/Aug 2001 ) p. 35] .
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