Wednesday, February 28, 2001
Source: University Of California, Los Angeles (http://www.ucla.edu/)
Date: Posted 2/28/2001
Scientists Improve Techniques For Identifying Elusive And Highly Valuable Stem Cells At The Genetic Level
A new study led by Dr. Daniel Geschwind, assistant professor of neurology at UCLA, and Dr. Harley Kornblum, assistant professor of pharmacology and pediatrics at UCLA, increases our understanding of how to pinpoint the elusive and highly valuable stem cells in the human body.
Stem cells, which can develop into any type of cell, hold tremendous promise for treating a wide variety of illnesses and injuries. Neural stem cells can develop into any type of nervous system tissue, and in some cases, can develop into non-neural tissues.
"Our study represents a very basic but important initial step toward the eventual goal of improving treatments for spinal cord injuries, stroke, Alzheimer's and other conditions where neural transplantation may be an option to consider," said Geschwind, who directs the university's neurogenetics program. Their research appears in the February issue of the journal Neuron.
Through a sophisticated laboratory analysis, the researchers identified gene expression patterns that are greatly increased in stem cells. In the process, they identified 19 previously unknown genes. This knowledge at the genetic level will serve as a resource for scientists who are trying to purify and grow such cells in hopes of achieving medical breakthroughs.
Geschwind, who completed his internship, residency and post-doctoral work at the UCLA School of Medicine, received the Frontiers of Science Award from UCLA in 1998. Other honors include the McDonnell-Pew Foundation Award in Cognitive Neuroscience in 1995-98.
Kornblum, a pediatric neurologist, also completed clinical and postdoctoral training at UCLA and works in the field of neural stem cells and neural repair. Kornblum's honors include the PRIME/Howard Hughes Award, Department of Pediatrics, UCLA, in 1996, 2000 and 2001.
The study in Neuron is entitled "A Genetic Analysis of Neural Progenitor Differentiation," and was supported by the Shapiro Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health.
Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University Of California, Los Angeles for journalists and other members of the public. If you wish to quote from any part of this story, please credit University Of California, Los Angeles as the original source. You may also wish to include the following link in any citation:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/02/010226070549.htm
Labels:
Biology,
Stem Cells
Feb. 28, 2001 —Giant turtles, believed to be extinct for more than a century, have been found nesting on a river bank in the Koh Kong Province in southern Cambodia. The turtles, which weigh up to 70 pounds (32 kg), once abounded in the rivers and mangrove wetlands of much of Asia. Although the turtles were protected for years by royal decree, they were wiped out by a combination of habitat destruction, egg collecting and the killing of adults for food.
Linux Today - Bradley M. Kuhn: Free Software in the Land of Opportunity
| Bradley M. Kuhn: Free Software in the Land of Opportunity Feb 28, 2001, 07 :35 UTC (18 Talkback[s]) (2844 reads) (Other stories by Bradley M. Kuhn) |
When I was in grade school, right here in the United States ofVerbatim copying and distribution of this entire article is permitted
America, I was taught that our country was the "land of opportunity".
My teachers told me that my country was special, because anyone with a
good idea and a drive to do good work could make a living, and be
successful too. They called it the "American Dream".What was the cornerstone to the "American Dream"? It was
equality---everyone had the same chance in our society to choose their
own way. I could have any career I wanted, and if I worked hard, I
would be successful.It turned out that I had some talent for working with computers---in
particular, computer software. Indoctrinated with the "American
Dream", I learned as much as I could about computer software. I
wanted my chance at success.I quickly discovered though, that in many cases, not all the players
in the field of computer software were equal. By the time I entered
the field, large companies like Microsoft tended to control much of
the technology. And, that technology was available to me under
licensing agreements that forbid me to study and learn from it. I was
completely prohibited from viewing the program source code of the
software.I found out, too, that those with lots of money could negotiate
different licenses. If they paid enough, they could get permission to
study and learn from the source code. Typically, such licenses cost
many thousands of dollars, and being young and relatively poor, I was
out of luck.After spending my early years in the software business a bit
downtrodden by my inability to learn more, I eventually discovered
another body of software that did allow me to study and learn. This
software was released under a license called the GNU General Public
License (GNU GPL). Instead of restricting my freedom to study and
learn from it, this license was specifically designed to allow me
learn. The license ensured that no matter what happened to the public
versions of the software, I'd always be able to study its source code.I quickly built my career around of this software. I got lots of work
configuring, installing, administrating, and teaching about that
software. Thanks to the GNU GPL, I always knew that I could stay
competitive in my business, because I would always be able to learn
easily about new innovations as soon as they were made. This gave me
a unique ability to innovate myself. I could innovate quickly, and
impress my employers. I even was able to start my own consulting
business. My own business! The pinnacle of the American Dream!Thus, I was quite surprised last week when a vice president at
Microsoft hinted that the GNU GPL contradicted the American Way.The GNU GPL is specifically designed to make sure that all
technological innovators, programmers, and software users are given
equal footing. Each high school student, independent contractor,
small business, and large corporation are given an equal chance to
innovate. We all start the race from the same point. Those people
with deep understanding of the software and an ability to make it work
well for others are most likely to succeed, and they do succeed.That is exactly what the American Way is about, at least the way I
learned it in grade school. I hope that we won't let Microsoft and
others change the definition.Copyright (C) 2001, Bradley M. Kuhn
in any medium, provided this notice is preserved.
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software
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comments
Solar Sailor, the Solar Sailor hybrid power sailboat captures solar energy and wind power using pivotal "Solar Wings." Developed by, Dr Robert Dane. The 100-passenger Sydney Solar Sailor, operated by Captain Cook Cruises on Sydney Harbour. The Sydney Solar Sailor uses four energy sources - solar and wind power, battery power using stored solar energy or from the grid, and LPG-generated electricity - which allows the vessel to operate in all weather and cruising conditions.
Tiqit : MPC Check out the world's smallest PC capable of running popular operating systems such as Windows 95, Windows NT, and Linux.
Aimster
Aimster NewsAimster Updates
Aimster Tutorial
Gnutella
Gnutella, was released by Nullsoft, but it was enhanced by the open-source programming community. Many versions of Gnutella exist and tweaks continue to be made to the software.Gnutella is a peer-to-peer file sharing mechanism, meaning that users do not have to access a central server the way they do with Napster. This makes it harder for the recording industry to persecute Gnutella users the way they have done to Napster users. Users flocked to Gnutella after Napster was targeted.
The latest versions of the software are found at gnutella.wego.com
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software
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comments
Tuesday, February 27, 2001
Item for Research
Research Flash Mpeg which is considered the best program for creating MPEG-4 videos.
[[Category:Mpeg4]]
5/17/2004 going over past posts.
O'Reilly Network: Three Palms in a Robot [Feb. 23, 2001]
by John Ochwat
02/23/2001
[[Category:Robot kit]]
Tom's Hardware Guide: Graphics Guide - High-Tech And Vertex Juggling - NVIDIA's New GeForce 3 GPU
I have been expecting this chip for sometime, here is Tom's review.
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Io So Volcanically Hyperactive That Surface Is Lava
New imagery of Jupiter's moon Io, including a flyover animation of one volcanic area and three-dimensional views of another, shows a world so volcanically hyperactive that nearly its entire surface is likely to be lava that's still in various stages of cooling.
Reason magazine -- Hernando De Soto Interview
In seeking to make life easier for millions of Peruvians, Hernando De Soto has made his own life difficult. De Soto, the best-selling author of The Other Path (1989) and founder/director of Peru's Institute for Liberty and Democracy, is a champion of market economics and property rights in a part of the world that historically has shown little interest in such ideas. His efforts have led not only to political attacks from enfranchised power elites but to physical attacks from leftist groups, such as the Maoist Shining Path, who have placed him on the top of their hit list. His description of market mechanisms and the way they empower people has ramifications beyond the borders of Peru: Americans, De Soto wrote in The New York Times, have taken their economic and political systems for "granted, losing their ability to recognize and teach the importance of these institutions." When I went to interview De Soto last July, the armed soldiers at the institute entrance ordered my taxi driver to park half-way down the block. A car bomb had recently killed several people at the site, and the soldiers were not taking any chances. After getting out of the taxi, I walked along the concrete wall surrounding the property over to the guard booth controlling access to the courtyard. I showed my passport, and the officer in charge made a phone call to the house inside while another soldier asked me to open my briefcase. When the officer learned that I was expected, he became friendlier. As I walked across the courtyard, I could see the debris that still cluttered the area: a memento of the Shining Path's bomb.
ScienceDaily Magazine -- Elephant-Sized Collaboration Can't Yet Budge Physicists' Standard Model
Why does matter predominate over antimatter in our universe?
Scientists believe equal quantities of matter and antimatter were formed in the Big Bang that created the universe. These opposite particles should have completely annihilated each other. But one-billionth of the matter remains
Monday, February 26, 2001
Now I bet this turns out to be important. Intelligent Agents have never yet found any practical application, but I'll bet this approach changes that. I think this is about the fourth example of letting something evolve to met a need that I have seen.
Thursday, February 15, 2001
Wednesday, February 14, 2001
Check out this article on 3-D computer graphics based on integral photography
"Integral photography (IP), which is one of the ideal 3-D photographic technologies, can be regarded as a method of capturing and displaying light rays passing through a plane. The NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories have developed a real-time IP system using an HDTV camera and an optical fiber array. In this paper, the authors propose a method of synthesizing arbitrary views from IP images captured by the HDTV camera. This is a kind of image-based rendering system, founded on the 4-D data space Representation of light rays. Experimental results show the potential to improve the quality of images rendered by computer graphics techniques. © 2001 OSA"This along with a number of other 3d imaging article makes me think we may have 3d screens "real soon now".
Maria had a problem with her system, while talking to her she wished me a Happy Valentines, and I wished her a Happy Valentines, she said she won't have one because no one is in her life. But she ushered for Paul Anaka last night and he gave her a hug, she said it made her day.
Went up another level in D2, Bruzz is now level 48, and he has swapped back to the better amulet and ring. Actually he found an ever better amulet in the mean time. He is having an easier time in Nightmare than he did in Normal, weird. The lag monster is just about the only thing that kills him. Using a shield makes a big differance.
I have got one skill point to distribute, but not sure where to put it. Bruzz was intended to be a Double Swing sword user. But without his shield he dies easy in Nightmare, which kinda makes spending points to up his Double Swing skill kind of useless. So far he as one point in Double Swing and one in Frenzy. I can hope that higher levels in this talent, (along with better armor) will make it and him more effective, or I can start spending skill points on Whirlwind, even though as a sword user he is suboptimized for using Whirlwind. Spear and polearm users get the most benifit from Whirlwind, as a sword user Bruzz would not get the attack range of a spear user, but he does get the benifit of the shield.
Tuesday, February 13, 2001
Do mutant females walk among us?
"The theoretical possibility of this secret sorority -- genetics dictates that tetrachromats would all be female -- has intrigued scientists since it was broached in 1948. Now two scientists, working separately, plan to search systematically for tetrachromats to determine once and for all whether they exist and whether they see more colors than the rest of us do. The scientists are building on a raft of recent findings about the biology of color vision."I am not sure I would consider this a mutation any more than redheads are mutant varities of their more drag counterparts. Just because a gene is not often expressed does not mean it is not part of the genome.
You can now add a 5th taste to the four basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, and bitter. It's called umami,
"The concept of umami, a name that comes from the Japanese word for deliciousness, is described in the West by elusive and bizarre terms like satisfaction, savory, meaty, bloom, and tingling, as well as furriness on the tongue, and sweet saline taste accompanied by some astringency. Chefs allude to its chameleonlike ability to alter its taste according to the flavor environment, serving to heighten the continuity, impact, mouthfulness, amplitude, or total intensity of foods".I must be able to taste umami, I like every one of the foods on the list of foods that contain it.
"Umami is a prominent motif in aged beef, cured pork, and meat stocks, parmesan, aged cheddar, and Havarti cheeses; abalone, squid, sardines, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and sea urchins; Worcestershire sauce, bouillons, glacé de viande, Marmite, and Bovril; and a few vegetables, including Chinese cabbage, ripe tomatoes, cooked potatoes, lotus root, corn, asparagus, peas, green beans, and green tea".
Went up two levels in D2 last night, found a new amulet that lets me use a better sword, and man it's awesome. Doubles my damage, with an attack speed that's at least twice as fast as my old sword. Kinda makes up for the new amulet not being as good as the old one. Another two levels and I can put the old amulet back on.
Work is kinda slow today.
I have pretty much confirmed that the switch from Windows 98 to Windows 2K slowed down the connection speed of my modem, (yes I still use a modem), where once I regularly connected at 48k I now connect at 44k and slower. Sucks. Still it won't be a problem much longer, my cable provider just announced their cable modem service is now available.
Monday, February 12, 2001
Went to lunch with Maria, we went to China Buffet. Which is recently much improved, today the food was great, all except the meatballs. We got the buffet and hot tea, Maria said it was very good. I wish some of my other friends also liked Chinese. Maria is going to Peru, taking her kids to show them the old country. She will be turning 56 soon. we also talked about her retirement, she is not sure when she wants to retire. She has signed up for the retirement seminar that the state is offering.
Friday, February 09, 2001
Pokie
It's late, I can't sleep, thinking of playing some d2. My cat, Pokie, came and snuggled up to me while I was watching Stargate.
I wish I could get the client side server to work.
I am new to blogger, I had heard about weblogs for awhile but they did not really impinge on my consiousness, so I am currently trying to put together a mental blogger history for myself. This is something Matt put out. It's not enough to put the whole story together for me, but it's a good, heartfelt read.
I love sushi, when I was in Dallas I found a couple of good Sushi places, my favorite had all you eat for $19.95. The food was good too, then sushi is hard to find in Austin. The few places that have it only have limited varieties. It's too bad none of my friends like it. I always end up eating sushi alone.
Oh what brought this up was a web site I came across. The Art of Sushi, I had never really thought of sushi as art before.
Went to the Borders bookstore last night, picked up Astronomy magazine and Scientific American's Astronomy Book. I almost got a new blank book as well, they have one that is at a very good price, but I still have some I have not used yet. I also noticed that Black and Blue had been remaindered, this was a book my friend Tammy was interested in so I called her to see if she still wanted it, got her voice mail. When I got home I read the magazine, it had a good review of two mid size refractors. The smaller Tel Vue 101 is of higher quality than the larger Orion 120, but it is also over twice the price. I am still saving for a refractor I want at least a 6".
After reading Astronomy I played a little Diablo 2. Tried to use double swing and frenzy rather than a single sword and sheild. Looks like I can't effectivly use double swing yet. I think I need to have much better armor, a higher attack rating and faster more powerful swords before I can be effective. On the other hand a good sheild seems to really help alot.
I got really sick last night, I took a long hot shower and it seemed to help. Dee is still sick, she is staying home today.
Labels:
Astronomy,
me
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comments
Thursday, February 08, 2001
Bots
I am not sure it qualifies as a "bot" but the Autopilot will bounce you around the web without any action from you.Talk about a police state! This really sucks"Kent State University police raided a dorm room in Verder Hall Thursday over what they suspect was a possible computer crime,... confiscate computer." It's just a game get a clue.
Went to a funneral yesterday, sad, the coffin was only about 10 inches long.
Tammy emailed me today, she wanted the Texas Lotto web page: Lotto, I also gave her latest results
16 - 30 - 22 - 40 - 37 - 15 for 2/7/01
Dee is very sick today, but she is still going to work. I tried to convice her to stay home, but she insisted on going. I feel much better, but still not 100%, still I am going to workout tonight. It's been about 6 weeks since I worked out I just know it's going to hurt. But I can tell from the way I feel that I need to. I currently weigh 260, I would like to get that down to 200.
Tuesday, February 06, 2001
Ginger, Ginger everywhere.
Search for Ginger on: All the Web - AltaVista - Deja -
Feel wasted today, been sick for about 3 weeks.
Up to page 60 in my Perl book, easy, so far.
Check out Dragontails
My nephew went home Sunday, he still does not know that his stepmom was ill. Don't know why they are keeping it from him, she gets out of the hospital today. She did lose one of the set of twins. We go the the funeral on 2/07/2001 at 10:00.
• Key Players in the Plame Affair