Nissan Denki Cube Concept

Nissan presented the Nissan Denki Cube as its newest electric vehicle concept at this year’s New York Auto Show. The Nissan Denki Cube is based on the Cube model that had its engine replaced with an electric motor and laminated lithium-ion batteries located under the floor and seats.

Another difference between the Nissan Denki Cube concept and the production version is the lack of the third row of seats, the extra space being needed for the lithium-ion battery cells. The Nissan Denki Cube concept will be displayed from March 21 through March 30, at the Jacob Javits Convention Center.

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Land Rover G4 Challenge

Land Rover G4 Challenge organizers have announced the start of the recruitment process for the new event. The competitors can sign-up for the 2008/2009 Land Rover G4 Challenge at www.landroverG4Challenge.com. The Land Rover G4 Challenge was inaugurated in 2003, when Belgian fighter pilot Rudi Thoelen emerged victorious from a cliff hanging finale in the Moab desert, USA. The next Challenge, in 2006, went deep into rugged, remote locations in Thailand, Laos, Brazil and Bolivia, coming to an end at an altitude of over 4000m with South African Martin Dreyer emerging victorious.

Press Release
Recruitment kicks off for new Land Rover G4 Challenge

Organizers of the 2008/09 Land Rover G4 Challenge have opened recruitment for competitors to sign up for one of the most exciting 4x4 driving and adventure events in the world – with the aim of generating money for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Driving skill will be high on the agenda in the nation-versus-nation event and competitors can now sign up at www.landroverG4Challenge.com for the chance to battle through 4x4 and adventure sport activities for a place in one of the 18 mixed-gender two-person teams at the Challenge Finals in Asia in 2009.

Land Rover G4 Challenge Manager Ed Tilston said: “This new Challenge will put a priority on driving talent while retaining an exciting mix of adventure sports and strategic thinking. The new national team format will also allow twice the number of spaces for competitors – with one man and one woman from each nation in the Finals every place will be hard-fought.

“The Challenge takes competitors to remote places to take part in wild adventures on terrain that test both body and mind while pushing our Land Rover vehicles to the extremes. The Challenge, as always, will be environmentally considerate and this time it will be raising money for a very worthy cause, so we will really be giving something back.”

The 2008/09 Challenge will mix 4x4 off-road driving with adventure sports like kayaking, mountain biking and climbing. National Selections in 2008 and International Selections in early 2009 will filter thousands of competitors down to just two per country for the Challenge Finals, which will take place in a variety of environments.

The two previous Challenge Finals were won by Belgian Fighter pilot Rudi Thoelens, in 2003, and South African sportsman Martin Dreyer, in 2006. This time teams from the United States, Canada and China will be three new major nations joining an international field to battle for victory in a gruelling three-week event.

Last time’s winner Dreyer said: “I can’t imagine anything else ever comparing with the Challenge. The vast spaces, the camaraderie, the competition, the focus, it really is life-changing. The last Challenge was an amazing experience and I am sure the new format will make the next one even more exciting.”

The Challenge will be environmentally sensitive and fully carbon offset through Climate Care and the winning team will be given a Land Rover vehicle to donate to their country’s National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society.

Acne Drug Can Slow MS?

Researchers in Calgary are preparing to begin a new study to see whether a commonly available acne medication could help delay the crippling effects of multiple sclerosis.

The medication, called minocycline, has been available for over 30 years. If it’s proven effective in delaying the progress of MS, it could offer an inexpensive option for the treatment of early stages of the disease.

A small study on 10 patients a few years ago yielded promising results. Now, clinical researchers in 14 Canadian centers will be taking an in-depth look at the drug in a $4-million, two-year study funded by the MS Society of Canada.

Minocycline is a prescription antibiotic used to control acne by killing the germs that prompt outbreaks. But the drug also offers anti-inflammatory properties, which researchers believe are responsible for its ability to slow the progress of MS.

The smaller study found that the drug substantially reduced the activity of the lesions that develop on MS patients’ brains and spinal tissues. The study found that the drug reduced the lesion activity by 84 per cent.

Now the researchers hope to replicate those findings in a larger human trial.

“The aim of our research is to see if this common drug can reduce the occurrence of further disease activity in people who have experienced an initial attack of MS symptoms and who are at high risk of progressing to definite MS,” says Dr. Luanne Metz, principal investigator for the study and a professor of clinical neurosciences at the University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine.

“Without treatment, two-thirds of people facing this circumstance are expected to be diagnosed with MS within six months. We believe minocycline can reduce this number.”

What also makes minocycline exciting is that it offers few side effects and can be taken in pill format, says Metz.

It’s also relatively cheap. At a cost of about $800 a year, minocycline is vastly cheaper than current medications, which can run between $18,000 and $40,000 annually.

Researchers note that minocycline would not necessarily replace current therapies, but might delay the timeframe in which they would be required.

Enrollment for the 200 patients needed for the study is set to begin in January, 2008, and will take place in 14 health centers across Canada.

Study sites will enroll people who have had their first attack of MS-like symptoms within the previous 90 days, after referral from their neurologist. This means that people who currently have MS will not be eligible for this clinical trial.