SMC Heads-Up to 30 June: Red Zones and Supercomputers

Friday, 24 June 2011, 5:26 pm
Press Release: Science Media Centre

This week the government announced which parts of quake- ravaged Christchurch have been deemed unsafe for repair or re-building, an important step in planning the city's future.

Yesterday, Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee announced that 5000 homes had been identified as being located in 'red zones' - deemed uneconomic or unsafe to rebuild.

Another 9000 'orange zone' houses needed further assessment and 100,000 were determined as safe to repair and rebuild.

The government has offered to purchase houses in the red zone. A new website - www.landcheck.org.nz - allows residents to check status of their property in the new zoning system.

An interactive zone map of Christchurch is available here.

According to the LandCheck site, the criteria for defining areas as residential red zone are:
• There is significant and extensive area wide land damage;
• The success of engineering solutions may be uncertain in terms of design, it's success and possible commencement, given the ongoing seismic activity; and
• Any repair would be disruptive and protracted for landowners.
The SMC is planning a briefing next week to coincide with the launch of a new report on earthquake engineering and what has been learned from the Canterbury quakes. Details to be announced early next week -- keep an eye out.

On the science radar

Crafty pigeons, bullying boobies, possessed hands, salty moons , ice-age art, robo-tailors and missing monarchs.

National eScience Infrastructure Launched

A new supercomputer infrastructure will allow scientists across the country access to powerful high-performance computing resources.
The National eScience Infrastructure (NeSI) was officially launched by the Minister of Science and Innovation Wayne Mapp at an event today in Auckland.

The collaborative efforts of NeSI connect high-performance computers, data storage and resources for New Zealand research. It is supported by the Universities of Auckland, Canterbury and Otago, Crown research institutes NIWA, AgResearch, Landcare Research and the Ministry of Science and Innovation.

Dr Murray Poulter, a Chief Scientist at NIWA said,

"The aim is to enhance the high performance computing applications of the wider New Zealand research community."

Audio from a Science Media Centre briefing with researchers involved in the NeSI project is available on the SMC website.

Listen back to learn more about applications for the network and its international context.

A symposium on eResearch is being held at Otago University next week, and will feature speakers from the NeSI project.
Antibiotic resistance limited in farm animals

A major baseline survey released this week from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) has found that measures put in place to limit the uses of antibiotics in livestock, poultry and other farm animals in this country appear to be effectively containing the spread of antibiotic resistance in the food chain.

In New Zealand, routine use of antimicrobial agents to increase growth or prevent infections in crowded conditions is not as widespread as overseas, with restrictions on sales and use of antibiotics deemed highly important for human health.

The survey looked for resistance in common, disease-causing bacteria swabbed from meat and fresh produce, finding evidence that some strains -- including E. coli in poultry and pigs -- are resistant to specific antibiotics. However, the proportion of resistant bacteria was mostly less than that found in bacteria cultured from humans, especially for the most medically-significant antibiotics, and no evidence of an increasing trend in antimicrobial resistance was seen.

The news has been welcomed by local food safety experts, particularly as the recent European E. coli outbreak - now traced to a vegetable sprout farm in northern Germany, according to AP reports - continues to claim lives.

Scientists top most trusted list

A new survey has place three eminient Kiwi scientists at the top of a 'most trusted' list of New Zealanders.

The Readers Digest 'Who do we trust?' survey asked readers to rank 100 well-known New Zealanders from most to least trusted.

The results of the survey placed medical scientist, inventor and New Zealander of the Year, Sir Rick Avery at the very top. He was closely followed by the PM's Chief Science Advisor, Sir Peter Gluckman, and another New Zealander of the Year, Sir Paul Callaghan.

Speaking to NZPA, Emanuel Kalafatelis, Director of Research New Zealand, suggested that scientists topped the list because they "exude a practical, straightforward and inclusive brand of smarts that Kiwis are drawn to".

You can find the full survey and related media coverage on the SMC website.
World Conference of Science Journalists

The World Conference of Science Journalists 2011 (WCSJ2011) will take place next week in Doha, Qatar.

Journalists from around the world will meet in the Arabian Gulf to attend seminars, workshops and meetings as part of the biggest science journalism event of the year.

The Science Media Centre's Peter Griffin will be attending and sending back highlights from the conference as well as meeting representatives from other Science Media Centres around the globe.

You can find out more about WSJC2011 here.

Quoted: TV ONE's Breakfast

"The people who are on the top list are really working to make New Zealand a sustainable place, they are looking to help other and they are giving to others"

On the Reader Digest trust survey, topped by Kiwi scientists
Dr Ruth Gammon, Senior lecturer in Psychology, Massey University

New from the SMC

In the news:

Sea sickness - The New Zealand Herald's Isaac Davison covers a report released by international experts warning that there will disaterous consequences if immediate action is taken to reduce the stresses placed on marine ecosystems.

Why so many aftershocks? - Readers of the Press put their questions to earthquake experts from GNS Science in the wake of further shakes.

Scientists top 'most trusted' survey - Sir Ray Avery, Sir Peter Gluckman and Sir Paul Callaghan took the top three places in a Reader Digest survey of New Zealand's most trusted public figures, sparking strong media interest.

Experts respond;
MAF survey finds little antimicrobial resistance -Professor of Agriculture Jacqueline Rowarth comments on the pleasing results of the MAF survey, which examined drug resistance in food borne bacteria, and found little evidence of superbugs breeding in agricultural populations.

Reflections on science:
Are we supporting commercial research? - Writing for Unlimited magazine, Matt Philp examines the government's efforts to commercialise research.

Is geoengineering an inevitability? - As the effects of climate change become more apparent , what steps will we be forced to take to slow global warming? Syndicated columnist Gwynne Dyer looks to the future in an opinion piece published in the Gisborne Herald.

From the AusSMC:
Open access to climate data - Australia's CSIRO has launched a new website, open for everyone, which will show the levels of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide being recorded in the atmosphere each month. The Aus SMC has more info and audio of a briefing with experts on the the new project.

From the UK SMC:
Trees only go so far - New research published in Nature Geoscience casts doubt on the effect of planting trees to alleviate the effects of greenhouse gas accumulation. The UK SMC has collected expert commentary on the study.

Sciblogs highlights

Some of the highlights from this week's posts include:

Birds exist, so evolution is an incoherent theory... - A twisted take on evolution has Alison Campbell going back to the basics to set things straight.
Bio Blog

The state of the ocean (dire) - The latest expert assessment of the earth's oceans says things aren't looking too good, reports Gareth Renowden.
Hot Topic

Christchurch earthquake land damage background - Grant Jacobs pulls together some info on the latest earthquakes in Christchurch.
Code for Life

Should we be rethinking the HPV vaccination strategy? - Siouxsie Wiles ask the question 'what about men?' when it comes to the prevention of cervical cancer through HPV vaccination.
Infectious Thoughts

Force, momentum and umbrellas - A search for the cure to 'inverted' umbrellas has Marcus Wilson turning physics inside out.
Physics Stop

Research highlights

Please note: hyperlinks point, where possible, to the relevant abstract or paper.

Alternative medicine in children: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for children has almost doubled in the past decade, according to new research. Researchers found 67 per cent of patients of a paediatric outpatient service had been given CAM. The authors note that while CAM is growing in popularity, many people were unaware of the safety of some CAM and advertising and word of mouth did not disclose dangers.
Journal of Pediatrics and Child Health

The human cost of climate change: The sensitivity of human populations to rising global temperatures is not yet fully understood. Calculating projections of mortality from climate models under greenhouse gas scenario simulations, researchers predict an average drop in human lifespan of up to 3-4 months in 2070-2100. However, if humans more readily adapt to rising temperatures, the average human lifespan may in fact increase.
Nature Communications

Autistic brains 'out of sync': A new study has provided valuable insight into the neuropathology of early autism development by imaging the brains of naturally sleeping toddlers. The research identifies a lack of synchronization between hemispheres, observed at the very beginning stages of autism. The study's findings may aid in early diagnosis of autism and shed light on its underlying biology.
Neuron

Stress and the city: Being born and raised in a major urban area is associated with greater lifetime risk for anxiety and mood disorders. Until now, the biology for these associations had not been described. A new international brain imaging study is the first to show that two distinct brain regions that regulate emotion and stress are affected by city living.
Nature

Keeping tabs on predators: Large ocean predators are important top consumers in marine ecosystems, and their depletion can have cascading effects on lower trophic levels. A new study titled Tagging Of Pacific Predators (TOPP) has recorded tracking data from over 4,000 tags over 10 years, revealing insight into the travels of many species including sharks, tunas, albatrosses, turtles and whales.
Nature

New graphene production methods: Scientists say they have discovered a simple method for producing high yields of graphene, a highly touted carbon nanostructure that some believe could replace silicon as the technological fabric of the future. Researchers report on a new method that converts carbon dioxide directly into few-layer graphene (less than 10 atoms in thickness) by burning pure magnesium metal in dry ice.
Journal of Materials Chemistry

Cleaner, more-efficient electricity from carbon fuels: Using barium oxide nanoparticles, researchers have developed a self-cleaning technique that could allow solid oxide fuel cells to be powered directly by coal gas at operating temperatures as low as 750 degrees Celsius. The technique could provide an alternative for generating electricity from the coal reserves. Unlike previous efforts, the use of a barium oxide/nickel setup is simple and contains no expensive rare elements.
Nature Communications

Human 'compass protein' guides flies: A protein expressed in the human retina can sense magnetic fields when implanted into Drosophila according to a new study. Researchers have now shown that the human cryptochrome 2 protein can correct magentoreception in flies which lack their native cryptochrome protein. These findings may point the way for further investigation into whether visual function in humans is affected by magnetic fields.
Nature Communications

Parasitic wasp hijacks ladybirds: New research documents a parasite that has the ability to turn its host into a bodyguard. The wasp Dinocampus coccinellae injects its egg into a ladybird. Following hatching, the larva munches on the host tissues and then egresses from it to spin a cocoon between the ladybird's legs. Remarkably, the ladybird remains alive and responds aggressively when disturbed, increasing the was larva's chance of survival while cocooned.
Royal Society Biology Letters

What women want: To investigate the the 'changeability 'of women's mate preference, researchers experimentally assessed females preference for traits in a male partner - after reminding them about an environmental threat . Women reminded about diseases and sickness reported greater preferences for traits indicative of genetic quality (e.g. muscularity, intelligence) at the expense traits that would make a good parent (e.g. kind, nurturing). The reverse was found for women reminded about financial insecurity. These findings suggest that what women find attractive is flexible in response to environmental cues.
Royal Society Biology Letters

Mice get genetic 'light switch': Researchers have found a way to use light to switch on individual genes in a cell - including cells that have been implanted into a mouse. The method involves harnessing the eye's light-sensing molecular machinery to a cell's gene-expression system, and it may be useful for producing precise amounts of proteins to be used in drugs, or for controlling dosage in gene or cell therapies.
Science

Policy updates

Some of the highlights of this week's policy news:

Responss to immunisation report - The Government released its response to recommendations for increasing immunisation rates. The recommendations, from the Health Committee, included investigating incentives for parents and free ante-classes covering immunsation facts.

Natural products to be regulated - Associate Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced that work will commence on the development of a new natural health products regulator, one of the shared policy initiatives agreed to by the National and Green Parties.

Technology boost for borders - Customs and Biosecurity Ministers welcomed the signing of a contract to develop a new border processing and management system. New Zealand Customs, with MAF, has signed the contract which formally kicks off the development of a joint border management system.

GPs in on health hotline - New Zealand's free telephone health advice service - Healthline - has introduced a system which ensures important information given to callers is shared with their usual family doctor (GP).

Upcoming sci-tech events

Science Diplomacy: New Day or False Dawn? - 46th Otago Foreign Policy School - 24 -26 June, Dunedin.

Health Innovation: Putting Evidence To Work - Health Informatics NZ seminar series - 24 June, Auckland.

International Conference on Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIED 2011) - 27 June - 1 July, Christchurch.

Bold Ambitions: The Future of Healthcare in New Zealand - New Zealand's Premier Healthcare Congress 2011 - 28 -29 June, Auckland.

Science to Reality - NZ and Beyond - NZ Institute of Food Science & Technology 2011 Conference - 29 June - 1 July, Rotarua.

NZ eResearch Symposium 2011 - 30 June - 1 July, Dunedin.

Lecture by Tony Ryall, Minister of Health - Part of the Mid-Winter Dialogue series, University of Otago (Chch), 1 July, Christchurch.

For these and more upcoming events, and more details about them, visit the SMC's Events Calendar.

ENDS

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