BSSA tip sheet for June 2011

Mangrove swamps dampen effects of earthquakes; New fault near Lake Tahoe

2011-06-07

(Press-News.org) Buried mangrove layer dampens seismic shaking along Caribbean coasts

Engineers have long used a soft flexible layer, often made of rubber bearings, between a rigid building and the soil to reduce the impact of ground shaking on the structure. Now French scientists have determined that a buried mangrove layer along the coasts of Guadeloupe Island, close to the Caribbean subduction zone, serves a similar purpose. The mangrove swamps limit the effects of seismic waves on the uppermost sandy layer, reducing the potential of liquefaction from shaking caused by earthquakes.

This observation by scientists at the Belleplaine vertical array test-site may have broad implications for many sub-tropical regions that have similar soil composition and seismic hazard risk.

"A Natural Seismic Isolating System: The Buried Mangrove Effects," by Philippe Gueguen, Mickael Langlais and Julie Maury of University Joseph Fourier in Grenoble; and Pierre Foray and Christophe Rousseau of Institut National Polytechnique in Grenoble.

Contact: Philippe Gueguen at pgueg@obs.ujf-grenoble.fr or at +33-4-76-63-51-74.

New active fault identified near Truckee, CA

Using a radar-like lasar imaging technology, known as LiDAR, scientists have identified a previously unrecognized active fault near the Martis Creek Dam just outside of Truckee, California, possibly representing a significant seismic risk to the greater Lake Tahoe area.

Named after a 19th century town site that was located along the Truckee River, the Polaris Fault was identified during an evaluation by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and operates Martis Creek Dam.

The approximate 22-mile fault may yield an estimated maximum earthquake magnitude of 6.4 to 6.9. The estimate could increase should the fault connect with, or rupture at the same time as, other faults in the area.

LiDAR, the aerial mapping technology, emits laser pulses from an instrument mounted in an airplane. Some of these near vertical laser pulses penetrate dense vegetation, allowing for the vegetation to be removed in data processing to yield high-resolution images of the Earth's surface. LiDAR is especially useful for analyzing rugged, poorly accessible, forested terrain.

"LiDAR Assisted Identification of an Active Fault near Truckee, California," by authors Lewis E. Hunter and Ronn S. Rose of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and James F. Howle and Gerald W. Bawden of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Contact: Lewis Hunter at lewis.e.hunter@usace.army.mil or 916-557-5368.

### Please cite the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA) as the source of this information.

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Many of those living with HIV face a new life-threatening challenge: cancer

2011-06-07

CHICAGO – As the world marks the 30-year anniversary of the first reporting of HIV/AIDS, now comes the realization of a new challenge for people with the incurable disease. For reasons not yet clear, people with HIV face a higher rate of cancers not usually associated with HIV. This increasing rate of "non-AIDS defining cancers" includes lung, head and neck, liver, kidney, and anal cancers, among others. The alarming uptick in cancer rates highlights the critical need to understand how to treat tumors in people taking highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) for ...

New strategy to attack tumor-feeding blood vessels

2011-06-07

Scientists at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute have discovered a key molecule needed to kill the blood vessels that supply tumours. The research team from the institute's Molecular Genetics of Cancer and Cancer and Haematology divisions found that for anti-cancer therapies that target tumour blood vessels to work the death- inducing molecule Bim is required. The finding could lead to improved anti-cancer treatments that are based on a two- or three-pronged attack on both the tumour and its blood supply. The research will be published online in the Journal of Experimental ...

Singapore researchers invent broadband graphene polarizer

2011-06-07

Researchers at the National University of Singapore have invented a graphene-based polarizer that can broaden the bandwidth of prevailing optical fibre-based telecommunication systems. The graphene research team, led by Professor Kian Ping Loh at the National University of Singapore, invented an ultra-slim broadband polarizer that uses graphene, a single-atomic-layer crystallized carbon, to convert light beam into polarized light. This is the first experimental demonstration of using graphene as an ultrathin waveguide to couple and modulate light. Light modulation by ...

Research creates nanoparticles perfectly formed to tackle cancer

2011-06-07

Researchers from the University of Hull have discovered a way to load up nanoparticles with large numbers of light-sensitive molecules to create a more effective form of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treating cancer. Photodynamic therapy uses molecules which, when irradiated with light, cause irreparable damage to cells by creating toxic forms of oxygen, called reactive oxygen species. Most PDT works with individual light-sensitive molecules – but the new nanoparticles could each carry hundreds of molecules to a cancer site. A number of different light-sensitive molecules ...

Molecular movements could lead to new way to treat cancer

2011-06-07

Work by researchers at Queen Mary, University of London could point to a new way to treat aggressive types of cancer. The scientists have found that a molecule called Met is responsible for stimulating the growth and spread of cancer because it is relocating to the wrong part of the cell. Experiments in the lab suggest that moving Met molecules from the inside of the cell to the cell surface could halt the growth of cancer cells and even cause tumours to shrink. Met molecules are involved in the growth of cells in the human body but they are usually only active in ...

Methane gas from cows -- the proof is in the poo

2011-06-07

Scientists could have a revolutionary new way of measuring how much of the potent greenhouse gas methane is produced by cows and other ruminants, thanks to a surprising discovery in their poo. Researchers from the University of Bristol and the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research Centre in Ireland, have found a link between methane production and levels of a compound called archaeol in the faeces of several fore-gut fermenting animals including cows, sheep and deer. The compound could potentially be developed as a biomarker to estimate the methane production from ...

Kinder, gentler video games may actually be good for players

2011-06-07

COLUMBUS, Ohio – While violent video games may lead to more aggression and anger in players, a new study shows that the opposite is also true: relaxing video games can make people happier and more kind. "With all the evidence about the dangers of violent video games, it's good to know that game players can choose games that will provide a positive experience," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University. Bushman has conducted many studies showing the bad effects of violent games, especially on teens ...

Weizmann Institute Observatory captures images of a new supernova

2011-06-07

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Bakon Vodka Signs with Southern Wine & Spirits and Expands Relationship with Republic National As Sales Approach One Million Dollars

2011-06-07

The world's first 'meat-flavored spirit', Bakon Vodka (www.bakonvodka.com), today announced a new partnership with the number one distributor in the United States, Southern Wine & Spirits. Bakon Vodka has also strategically expanded its partnerships with Republic National Distributing Company and California's BevMo! stores to increase product accessibility as a result of growing demand for the bacon vodka infusion. Currently available in 32 states, the acclaimed and award-winning spirit is expected to be available in all 50 states and break sales of one million dollars ...

Surgically shrinking the stomach when conservative weight-loss treatments fail

2011-06-07

The treatment of obesity still needs improvement. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Norbert Runkel and colleagues present a new, interdisciplinary S3 guideline entitled "Bariatric Surgery" (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2011; 108[20]: 341𔃄). One in two persons in Germany is overweight, and every fifth one is obese. Conservative treatment is considered to have been exhausted when it fails to bring about a 10% to 20% loss of weight in one year in a patient whose initial body-mass index was between 35 and 40 kg/m2. In this situation, bariatric surgery ...

BSSA tip sheet for June 2011

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