see yesterday ’ s post. this suggests that the global cooling forecast by keenlyside et al. is outside the range of natural variability found in climate models ( and probably in the real world, too ), and is perhaps an artifact of the initialisation method. our assessment could of course be wrong – we had to rely on the published material, while keenlyside et al. have access to the full model data and have worked with it for months. but the nice thing about this forecast is that within a few years we will know the answer, because these are testable short term predictions which we are happy to see more of. why did we propose a bet on this forecast? mainly because we were concerned by the global media coverage which made it appear as if a coming pause in global warming was almost a given fact, rather than an experimental forecast. this could backfire against the whole climate science community if the forecast turns out to be wrong. even today, the fact that a few scientists predicted a global cooling in the 1970s is still used to undermine the credibility of climate science, even though at the time it was just a small minority of scientists making such claims and they never convinced many of their peers. if different groups of scientists have a public bet running on this, this will signal to the public that this forecast is not a widely supported consensus of the climate science community, in contrast to the ipcc reports ( about which we are in complete agreement with keenlyside and his colleagues ). some media reports even suggested that the ipcc scenarios were now superseded by this “ improved ” forecast. framing this in the form of a bet also helps to clarify what exactly was forecast and what data would falsify this forecast. this was not entirely clear to us just from the paper and it took us some correspondence with the authors to find out. it also allows the authors to say : wait, this is not how we meant the forecast, but we would bet on a modified forecast as follows … by the way, we are happy to negotiate what to bet about – we ’ re not doing this to make money. we ’ d be happy to bet about, say, a donation to a project to preserve the rain forest, or retiring a hundred tons of co2 from the european emissions trading market. we thus hope that this discussion will help to clarify the issues, and we invite keenlyside et al. to a guest post here ( and at klimalounge ) to give their view of the matter.


how to : organize kids ’ schoolwork what you need follow these four easy steps purchase as many plastic containers as you have school - age children. choose deep lidded containers that are big enough to lay schoolwork and standard - size artwork flat. label each bin with the child ’ s name and grade. if you wish, you can add the names of classroom and art teachers. tip : select containers that come in different colors and designate one color per child. when your child comes home with art or class work, simply drop it in the bin, discarding anything you don ’ t wish to save. aha! the only surefire way to preserve your children ’ s most special works of art is to frame them using acid - free matting and uv - filtering glass. for items that can ’ t be saved — dioramas or collages made with food products such as macaroni — and for oversize artwork that doesn ’ t fit in the bin, snap a photograph, print it, and pop it in the bin. tip : consider asking your child to hold or stand next to the art project you ’ re photographing. the resulting image will bring back even clearer memories of a particular time in your child ’ s life. when the school year is over and you have the time and inclination, open the bin and leaf through everything you ’ ve saved. you can reminisce while deciding what ’ s worth saving for good and what can be discarded. when you ’ re finished, close the lid securely and store the bin with the label facing outward.


a tuber vegetable originating from central america that is typically referred to as either a sweet potato or yam in the u. s. it is common for food stores to display and people to refer to the sweet potato as a yam, when it is actually a sweet potato. grilling is a cooking method that uses a dry heat that quickly cooks the surface and then slowly moves to the middle of the meat. when grilled properly, the meat will have a crisp flavorful outside coating with a moist center. grilling infuses the pork with a smoky flavor from the meat juices that drip during the grilling process. potato preparation | grilling potatoes | grilling tips preparing potatoes for grilling skins on | skins off the skin of a potato is edible, so the potato can be prepared with the skins on or with the skins off. pork cooking times and temperatures are extremely important when cooking pork. the optimum flavor and tenderness of various cuts of pork can be consistently achieved when care is taken to follow the recommended pork cooking time and temperature guidelines. tools for preparation | potato preparation | potato cooking | tips the most popular tuber vegetable in the world. it is available in hundreds of varieties, which vary in size, shape, taste, color, and starch content. a small potato blend made from a mixture of ingredients that are formed into various shapes such as stars, baskets, crowns, roses, leaves, or uniquely shaped patties to be served as a garnish to accompany meats and poultry.


parasitic wasp genome released parasitic wasps kill pest insects, but their existence is largely unknown to the public. now, scientists led by john h. werren, professor of biology at the university of rochester, and stephen richards at the genome sequencing center at the baylor college of medicine have sequenced the genomes of three parasitoid wasp species, revealing many features that could be useful to pest control and medicine, and to enhance our understanding of genetics and evolution. the study appears in the jan. 15 issue of science. " parasitic wasps attack and kill pest insects, but many of them are smaller than the head of a pin, so people don ’ t even notice them or know of their important role in keeping pest numbers down, " says werren. " there are over 600, 000 species of these amazing critters, and we owe them a lot. if it weren ’ t for parasitoids and other natural enemies, we would be knee - deep in pest insects. " parasitoid wasps are like " smart bombs " that seek out and kill only specific kinds of insects, says werren. " therefore, if we can harness their full potential, they would be vastly preferable to chemical pesticides, which broadly kill or poison many organisms in the environment, including us. " the three wasp genomes werren and richards sequenced are in the wasp genus nasonia, which is considered the " lab rat " of parasitoid insects. among the future applications of the nasonia genomes that could be of use in pest control is identification of genes that determine which insects a parasitoid will attack, identification of dietary needs of parasitoids to assist in economical, large - scale rearing of parasitoids, and identification of parasitoid venoms that could be used in pest control. because parasitoid venoms manipulate cell physiology in diverse ways, they also may provide an unexpected source for new drug development. in addition to being useful for controlling pests and offering promising venoms, the wasps could act as a new genetic system with a number of unique advantages. fruit flies have been the standard model for genetic studies for decades, largely because they are small, can be grown easily in a laboratory, and reproduce quickly. nasonia share these traits, but male nasonia have only one set of chromosomes, instead of two sets like fruit flies and people. " a single set of chromosomes, which is more commonly found in lower single - celled organisms such as yeast, is a handy genetic tool, particularly


male nasonia have only one set of chromosomes, instead of two sets like fruit flies and people. " a single set of chromosomes, which is more commonly found in lower single - celled organisms such as yeast, is a handy genetic tool, particularly for studying how genes interact with each other, " says werren. unlike fruit flies, these wasps also modify their dna in ways similar to humans and other vertebrates ” ” a process called " methylation, " which plays an important role in regulating how genes are turned on and off during development. " in human genetics we are trying to understand the genetic basis for quantitative differences between people such as height, drug interactions and susceptibility to disease, " says richards. " these genome sequences combined with haploid - diploid genetics of nasonia allow us to cheaply and easily answer these important questions in an insect system, and then follow up any insights in humans. " the wasps have an additional advantage in that closely related species of nasonia can be cross - bred, facilitating the identification of genes involved in species ’ differences. " because we have sequenced the genomes of three closely related species, we are able to study what changes have occurred during the divergence of these species from one another, " says werren. " one of the interesting findings is that dna of mitochondria, a small organelle that ‘ powers ’ the cell in organisms as diverse as yeast and people, evolves very fast in nasonia. because of this, the genes of the cell ’ s nucleus that encode proteins for the mitochondria must also evolve quickly to ‘ keep up. ’ " it is these co - adapting gene sets that appear to cause problems in hybrids when the species mate with each other. research groups are now busy trying to figure out what specific kinds of interactions go wrong in the hybrid offspring. since mitochondria are involved in a number of human diseases, as well as fertility and aging, the rapidly evolving mitochondria of nasonia and coadapting nuclear genes could be useful research tools to investigate these processes. a second startling discovery is that nasonia has been picking up and using genes from bacteria and pox viruses ( e. g. relatives of the human smallpox virus ). " we don ’ t yet know what these genes are doing in nasonia, " says werren, " but the acquisition of genes from bacteria and viruses could be an important mechanism for evolutionary innovation in animals, and this is a striking potential example


" we don ’ t yet know what these genes are doing in nasonia, " says werren, " but the acquisition of genes from bacteria and viruses could be an important mechanism for evolutionary innovation in animals, and this is a striking potential example. " a companion paper to the science study, published today in plos genetics, reports the first identification of the dna responsible for a quantitative trait gene in nasonia, and heralds nasonia joining the ranks of model genetic systems. the study reveals that changes in " non - coding dna, " the portion that does not make proteins but can regulate expression of genes, causes a large developmental difference between closely related species of nasonia. this finding relates to an important ongoing controversy in evolution “ “ whether differences between species are due mostly to protein changes or regulatory changes. " emerging from these genome studies are a lot of opportunities for exploiting nasonia in topics ranging from pest control to medicine, genetics, and evolution, " says werren. " however, the community of scientists working on nasonia is still relatively small. that is why we are hoping that more scientists will see the utility of these insects, and join in efforts to exploit their potential. " image 1 : nasonia female. credit : michael e. clark / university of rochester image 2 : chris desjarding and jack werren compare parasitic wasps ( tiny insects in upper tube ) to their hosts flies ( in the lower tube ). credit : university of rochester on the net :


amebas constantly change the shape of their bodies as a result of the phenomenon known as ameboid movement, involving the formation of temporary extensions ( pseudopodia, or false feet ) of the body. pseudopodia, used in locomotion and feeding, may be rounded at the tip ( lobopodia ), pointed ( filopodia ), branched and fused together ( rhizopodia ), or somewhat rigid and pointed ( axopodia ). although simple in form, amebas are very successful organisms and are found abundantly in a variety of habitats all over the world. amebas live in freshwater, the oceans, and in the upper layers of the soil, and many have adapted to a parasitic life on the body surface of aquatic animals or in the internal organs of both aquatic and terrestrial animals. few animals escape invasion by some type of ameba. some are harmless, but others are pathogenic and cause serious diseases ; e. g., entamoeba histolytica causes amebic dysentery, which is fatal if untreated. the many genera of amebas were given their common name because of their resemblance to the genus amoeba ( order amoebida ), which includes several large, common species of which the freshwater amoeba proteus is the most familiar. the term ameba is sometimes also used to refer to other unicellular protists ( e. g., slime molds ) that have ameboid features such as pseudopodia. other ameboid protozoans of the phylum sarcodina include the marine radiolarians, which form silicate skeletons ; their freshwater counterparts, the heliozoans ; and the shell - bearing foraminiferans. in a process known as phagocytosis, amebas engulf their prey, or particles of appropriate size, with their pseudopodia, forming food vacuoles. digestive enzymes, manufactured and secreted by the organism, are then poured into these vacuoles, and the particles are digested. useful compounds are subsequently absorbed into the ameba ' s body. useless residues remain in the vacuoles and are ultimately expelled ( egested ) as the vacuole comes in contact with the membrane at the body surface. amebas can distinguish food ( e. g., algae, diatoms, bacteria, and other protozoans ) from other


expelled ( egested ) as the vacuole comes in contact with the membrane at the body surface. amebas can distinguish food ( e. g., algae, diatoms, bacteria, and other protozoans ) from other material and use different tactics in approaching different food. freshwater amebas take up water constantly through the process of osmosis, and water content is regulated with a pulsating contractile vacuole. marine amebas lack a contractile vacuole. respiration is by diffusion of gases through the cell membrane. under favorable conditions amebas divide by binary fission ( splitting ) to produce two daughter amebas, the nucleus dividing by mitosis. when an ameba is divided artificially, the portion containing the nucleus forms a new cell membrane and continues as a whole animal, while the other portion lives only as long as its present food supply lasts, ultimately dying, since it cannot ingest food or reproduce. if conditions are unfavorable, e. g., in the absence of food and water, amebas secrete a firm protective covering and encyst until conditions are again favorable to active division. learn more about amoeba with a free trial on britannica. com.


for those of us who design physical environments for children, we tend to think about themes that attract young children : characters from television and children ’ s books prove to be popular. there are countless theme parks – from sesame street to disney world – that are built around characters and stories ( harry potter comes to mind ). even adults flock to these recreations of place and action ( universal pictures ) or actually create the place and action before the movie ( pirates of the caribbean ). places like this can be the universal melting pot – engaging the kid in all of us! the sensory situations of these types of places frequently leave much to be desired! crowds, noise, smells and other forms of sensory overload can send kids over the edge. however, most of my child collaborators and their parents have told me that when the child is really interested in something, they will put up with a lot in order to just participate. one young woman, who regularly wears noise - canceling headphones when the lawn is being mowed outside her house, was able to enjoy herself at a professional hockey game where the reverberating noise was an even higher volume – without the headphones. the difference was she wanted to be at the game with her friends. while the noise was a problem, the experience was worth it. another type of special interest place that proves popular includes anything dinosaurs – mostly for boys under the age of 12. however, what happens to older children, especially teenagers? two autistic preteens, who attended paleontology talks at the academy of natural sciences in philadelphia, asked questions that kept the lecturers on their toes. after the talk, the lecturers engaged the youths in a discussion and recommended, in earshot of their parents, that they continue their studies – it ’ s hard to find kids who are that interested and knowledgeable about dinosaurs when they get into their teens and young adults. the paleontologists have been there, too, they told me. they continued with their dinosaur love fests into high school, college and graduate school. places such as the academy have started programs where such teens can volunteer as guides or help out behind the scenes while staying in touch with their special interests. other programs / places for teens are found in art centers and nature preserves / centers where they help assist camp instructors and staff. the center for creative arts in yorklyn, delaware, swaps volunteer hours in classes and summer camps for admission into teen / adult courses. the delaware nature society and winterthur museum, gardens and library also


irobot create is a programmable robot base for entertainment and education. the platform allows you to use the robust roomba - like chassis to create your own robotic creations. it comes fully assembled with 2 powered wheels, 32 built - in sensors, a 25 - pin expansion port for connecting an optional command module and other electronics, a spacious cargo bay with plenty of holes for mounting hardware and 10 pre - programmed behaviors. when using this programmable robot you do not have to worry about mechanical assembly and low level code. you can immediately start programming new behaviors, attaching new sensors or actuators. the well documented serial protocol ( irobot open interface ) provides full access to sensors, actuators, and on - board scripting functionality. the irobot create platform is based on the existing third generation roomba system and therefore can use the same chargers, virtual walls, self - charging home base and remote control. you can use standard alkaline batteries or you can purchase optional rechargeable battery options like irobot rechargeable battery and charger or self - charging home base. the basic backage also includes the fourth wheel to improve stability of larger payloads. the cargo bay connector contains : three digital inputs, an analog input, three digital outputs, three low - side driver outputs ( useful for driving motors ), a charging indicator, a power toggle, serial tx and rx. it comes with a tailgate that enables you to change the center of gravity of the robot, which is useful when running the robot with a payload. access to all of the robot ' s sensors and actuators over a serial port is is accomplished through the irobot open interface. it contains a set of commands for movement, sound, displays ( leds ), sensor inputs, etc. to control the robot you can send individual commands from a pc or write short script of up to 100 open interface commands which can be stored on the robot. advanced users can write custom software using a variety of methods that take advantage of the robot ' s ' streaming sensor data ' mode. the create platform has 10 built - in example programs to get you started. significantly expands your programming possibilities. it plugs right into the cargo bay and is full of ports so you can add additional motors, sensors and even cameras and reticulating arms. it is powered by an 8 - bit, 20 mhz atmel atmega 168 microcontroller, contains four db - 9 ports for your own hardware, and a number of


" there ' s nobody home, basically, at this point, " said turner, an endangered - mammal specialist at the pennsylvania game commission. the agency wants to set up bat protections that threaten human livelihoods, say the state ' s leading business lobby and lumber industry, which accounts for about 5 percent of u. s. jobs in that field. a flesh - eating disease called white - nose syndrome has killed more than 5. 7 million bats in the eastern united states and canada since its discovery in a new york cave in 2006. pennsylvania has had the most commission officials say any restrictions would be the result of compromise. " pennsylvania has the most controversy, " said mylea bayless, director the need to preserve animals has conflicted with the needs of humans - and business - for decades. efforts to protect the santa ana sucker fish in california, the jollyville plateau salamanders in texas and the snail darter, a perch - like fish that delayed the construction of the tellico dam in the little tennessee river in 1973, all set off similar discord. pennsylvania ' s bats are threatened by white - nose syndrome, caused by a fungus that penetrates their skin, rousing them during hibernation, depleting fat reserves and killing them by starving or freezing. the disease has spread as far west as missouri. when infected, colonies decline by 95 percent within two to three years, said the u. s. fish and wildlife service, which calls such mortality unprecedented. " it ' s the most devastating wildlife disease that we know of that has ever hit north america, " said cal butchkoski, supervisor of the mammal section of pennsylvania ' s wildlife diversity program. the disease, for which there ' s no known cure, was first spotted in the keystone state in december 2008, and massive deaths began the next winter. there has been a near annihilation : since 2008, surveys have shown a 99 percent drop in northern long - eared bats and little brown bats and 98 percent decline in tricolored bats, according to the commission. this throws the ecosystem off balance, as every 1 million bats eat 700 tons of insects a year, according to bat conservation international. the deaths in north america could mean at least $ 3. 7 billion in agricultural losses annually, according to an analysis by biologists published in science magazine in 2011. at durham mine, once pennsylvania ' s second - biggest habitat for hibernating bats, about 10, 000 were counted in 1997, according to the heritage conservancy, a doyle


analysis by biologists published in science magazine in 2011. at durham mine, once pennsylvania ' s second - biggest habitat for hibernating bats, about 10, 000 were counted in 1997, according to the heritage conservancy, a doylestown - based nonprofit that owns it. two years ago, surveyors found 180, turner said. he counted just 23 during his feb. 21 trip. by placing three species on pennsylvania ' s endangered list, the commission could monitor survivors and protect winter cave habitats and summer forest shelters, butchkoski said. in april, the commission will hold a hearing on the matter. " these are the animals that we don ' t want to put more stresses on, " he said. " these are the ones that we want to survive and work with in recovery. " developers and businesses would check a website to see which areas host bats, and if any restrictions, such as requirements to provide buffers around caves during mating season, are in place. the protections would be less stringent than a federal listing, which can have measures such as months - long ban on tree removal, butchkoski said. still, state restrictions could be modified through discussions or set aside if a business agrees to offset any loss of habitat, he said. the commission ' s announcement galvanized opponents. the pennsylvania forest products association is rallying lawmakers and landowners, said paul lyskava, executive director. " it ' s a very important issue for us, " he said. protections for the federally endangered indiana bat include a ban on tree removals near hibernation areas from april to mid - november. if such a measure were in place for other species, a majority of the state would be off limits most of the year, he said. " there ' s not really a lot of time for loggers to practice their professions, or sawmills or paper companies to be able to access the materials to stay in business, " he said. the industry is still trying to recover from the recession, he said. pennsylvania is the country ' s top producer of hardwood lumber, and in 2012 had $ 1. 2 billion in total hardwood exports, which includes lumber, logs and furniture, said will nichols, a spokesman for the pennsylvania department of agriculture. forestry companies employ 53, 021 people, according to state data. the pennsylvania chamber of business and industry, a harrisburg - based group, sent the commission a letter questioning its power to enforce protections of bats. legislators may have some oversight over the game commission ' s


a commentary, critical, practical, and explanatory on the old and new testaments, by robert jamieson, a. r. fausset and david brown at sacred - texts. com rut 1 : 1elimelech, driven by famine into moab, dies there. ( rut 1 : 1 - 5 ) in the days when the judges ruled - - the beautiful and interesting story which this book relates belongs to the early times of the judges. the precise date cannot be ascertained. rut 1 : 2elimelech - - signifies " my god is king. " naomi - - " fair or pleasant " ; and their two sons, mahlon and chilion, are supposed to be the same as joash and saraph ( ch1 4 : 22 ). ephrathites - - the ancient name of beth - lehem was ephrath ( gen 35 : 19 ; gen 48 : 7 ), which was continued after the occupation of the land by the hebrews, even down to the time of the prophet micah ( mic 5 : 2 ). beth - lehem - judah - - so called to distinguish it from a town of the same name in zebulun. the family, compelled to emigrate to moab through pressure of a famine, settled for several years in that country. after the death of their father, the two sons married moabite women. this was a violation of the mosaic law ( deu 7 : 3 ; deu 23 : 3 ; ezr 9 : 2 ; neh 13 : 23 ) ; and jewish writers say that the early deaths of both the young men were divine judgments inflicted on them for those unlawful connections. rut 1 : 6naomi returning home, ruth accompanies her. ( rut 1 : 6 - 18 ) then she arose with her daughters - in - law, that she might return from the country of moab - - the aged widow, longing to enjoy the privileges of israel, resolved to return to her native land as soon as she was assured that the famine had ceased, and made the necessary arrangements with her daughters - in - law. rut 1 : 8naomi said unto her two daughters - in - law, go, return each to her mother ' s house - - in eastern countries women occupy apartments separate from those of men, and daughters are most frequently in those of their mother. the lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead - - that is, with


her mother ' s house - - in eastern countries women occupy apartments separate from those of men, and daughters are most frequently in those of their mother. the lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead - - that is, with my sons, your husbands, while they lived. rut 1 : 9the lord grant you that ye may find rest - - enjoy a life of tranquillity, undisturbed by the cares, incumbrances, and vexatious troubles to which a state of widowhood is peculiarly exposed. then she kissed them - - the oriental manner when friends are parting. rut 1 : 11are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? - - this alludes to the ancient custom ( gen 38 : 26 ) afterwards expressly sanctioned by the law of moses ( deu 25 : 5 ), which required a younger son to marry the widow of his deceased brother. rut 1 : 12turn again, my daughters, go your way - - that naomi should dissuade her daughters - in - law so strongly from accompanying her to the land of israel may appear strange. but it was the wisest and most prudent course for her to adopt : first, because they might be influenced by hopes which could not be realized ; second, because they might be led, under temporary excitement, to take a step they might afterwards regret ; and, third, because the sincerity and strength of their conversion to the true religion, which she had taught them, would be thoroughly tested. rut 1 : 13the hand of the lord is gone out against me - - that is, i am not only not in a condition to provide you with other husbands, but so reduced in circumstances that i cannot think of your being subjected to privations with me. the arguments of naomi prevailed with orpah, who returned to her people and her gods. but ruth clave unto her ; and even in the pages of sterne, that great master of pathos, there is nothing which so calls forth the sensibilities of the reader as the simple effusion he has borrowed from scripture - - of ruth to her mother - in - law [ chalmers ]. rut 1 : 19they come to beth - lehem. ( rut 1 : 19 - 22 ) all the city was moved about them - - the present condition of naomi, a forlorn and desolate widow, presented so painful a contrast to the flourishing state of


a celebration of south carolina silver palmetto silver is the first publication in more than a dozen years to showcase the riches of south carolina silver. while silver is a precious metal that can quickly be converted to currency, it has a much more significant cultural value. from utilitarian flatware to decorative trophies, the many pieces included in this book provide an intriguing picture of the individuals and history connected with the crafting of silver wares in the palmetto state. based on a 2002 exhibition by the same name at the university of south carolina ' s mckissick museum, palmetto silver is the result of several years of research and draws heavily on items from private collections throughout the south. while much of the previous research has concentrated primarily on charleston silver made prior to the civil war, the silver featured in this book highlights the work of south carolina craftsmen from colonial times to the twentieth century. although many historians previously theorized that most silver items used in the south were imported from merchants and workshops in new england or even from great britain, palmetto silver presents recent findings that indicate there were many highly skilled silversmiths working throughout the state during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. an introductory essay by rodger stroup, director of the south carolina department of archives and history, sets the historical context for these objects and provides insight into the important role they had in society. palmetto silver includes a comprehensive listing of 216 objects, 69 color images, a directory of silversmiths and merchants, and an illustrated listing of makers ' marks. among the diverse array of objects included and illustrated are military swords, shotguns, walking canes, tea services, award trophies, and presentation pieces. one outstanding example of featured craftsmanship is a hand - chased cream or milk pitcher that was presented to the city of columbia ' s african american fire brigade in 1846. palmetto silver is a treasure trove of such artifacts. mckissick museum was established in 1976 to provide campus and community access to the university of south carolina ' s extensive history, art, and science collections, which originated in 1823 with the purchase of the collections of thomas cooper, the noted professor, scholar, and then president of the university. in the twentieth century the university broadened its collecting to include fine, decorative, and folk arts. in recent years the museum has received numerous awards for its multidisciplinary projects, and its collections have grown to more than 100, 000 objects making it one of the largest university museums in the southeast.


when a heart valve becomes diseased, blood flow is either restricted due to a too - small opening, or blood is allowed to flow backward into the heart. traditionally, replacing any valve has required open - heart surgery. innovations under study new technologies are making it possible to replace the aortic and pulmonary valves via a catheter ( thin, flexible tube ) guided through the arteries to the heart. ( the aortic valve controls blood flow from the heart into the aorta, the main artery to the body ; the pulmonary valve controls blood flow between the heart and the arteries that carry blood between the heart and lungs. ) aortic and pulmonary valve replacement two catheter - delivered devices for replacing aortic and pulmonary valves have been approved in europe, and several hundred patients worldwide have been treated using the catheter - based approach. in the united states, a feasibility trial has been completed for replacing the aortic valve with catheter - based approaches, and a randomized clinical trial has just begun for patients considered at high risk for conventional aortic valve replacement. the procedure under study for aortic valve replacement may also be used to replace the pulmonary valve. mitral valve replacement devices that would enable physicians to replace a diseased mitral valve without open - heart surgery are in the earliest stages of development. much progress is needed in their development before they will be available for use.


time travel made easy - grades : 1 – 2, 3 – 5 * * * if you ’ ve ever put money under a kid ’ s pillow for the tooth fairy or answered a “ dear santa ” letter, you ’ ve played host at a party that celebrates a child ’ s imagination. holidays provide fertile soil for adventures in historical fiction, adventures that develop young imaginations and teach history. use scholastic ' s audio letters from a wampanoag boy and a pilgrim girl to easily harvest a fresh batch of holiday historians in the classroom. read on to learn how our class traveled back in time. scholastic ' s " first " thanksgiving letters provide a quick and easy way for my elementary students to jump back in time and engage in substantive discourse on life in the 1620s. we load the letters on an interactive whiteboard, close our eyes, and listen to voices of the past. tales of mice as big as cats on the mayflower, kids ' drinking beer, and the horrors of 17th - century lavatories make reading historical fiction fabulous. scroll to the bottom of any " first " thanksgiving letter and click on the audio icon for sound. not familiar with the terms wetu, sachem, or sobaheg? no problem. many of the letters include a small glossary. fun and learning ensues when kids enter their questions and concerns about the time period on our school blog. i then monitor all submissions and answer back in the voice of one of our fictional characters. the blog allows them to begin a digital relationship with lizzy ( an english separatist ) and pometacomet ( a wampanoag from the pokanoket tribe ). the digital relationship also allows me to assess students ' understanding of the period and provide even more lessons via new letters tailored to their needs. below, take a look at a couple of my favorite student posts to pometacomet and lizzy. regarding criminal activity... i know how you felt when the english separatists stole your corn. you must have been like, " what ' s up?! " in the 21st century if someone steals, we call the po po. ( that ' s the police! ) i bet the sobaheg is very good. how does it feel to hunt? is it fun and educational? i want to taste sobaheg. my friend jaquan also says that he is sorry that the english separatists stole your corn. he wishes he could have done something to help you. regarding how food magical


date : thursday, may 1, 1997 contact : hhs press office ( 202 ) 690 - 6343 hhs challenges communities to invest in the futures of girls and boys overview : today secretary shalala announced the availability of two new grant programs for communities to develop innovative approaches - - one targeted to girls and other to boys - - to prevent teen pregnancy and promote responsible behavior. both grant programs build on the clinton administration ' s comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention strategy and one also supports the department of health human services ( hhs ) girl power! public education campaign. building bright futures for girls as part of hhs ' girl power! public education campaign, hhs will offer a total of $ 1 million in grants to communities to build public - private partnerships to promote healthy behavior, increase confidence and prevent teen pregnancy and other risky behaviors, such as smoking and drug use, among girls 9 to 14 years old. focusing on young girls : recognizing that girls experience adolescence differently than boys and that 9 - 14 year old girls are particularly vulnerable to negative influences, loss of self confidence and mixed messages about health risk behaviors, the projects will address the critical and unique needs, interests and challenges of this age group. offering a comprehensive approach : the projects will take a comprehensive approach by addressing teen pregnancy prevention as it relates to other risky behaviors and within the overall context of health promotion, self confidence, motivation and opportunity. building partnerships : by building strong partnerships with parents, schools, communities, youth groups, religious organizations, media, health providers, businesses and local governments, the grant projects will demonstrate how communities can work together to improve the health, education, and well - being of young girls and their families. promoting volunteerism : responding to the challenge of the presidents ' summit for america ' s future, the projects will utilize community volunteers to serve as mentors to the girls, to encourage the girls to get involved in community service and to spread the messages of delaying sexual activity, staying in school and preparing for the future. expanding the message to boys and young men recognizing that a comprehensive strategy to prevent teen pregnancy and promote responsible behavior must also target boys and young men, hhs announced the availability of $ 1 million in grants to organizations already working with males to add a family planning component to their existing programs. helping to develop long - term strategies : we do not know enough about what influences a boy ' s and young men ' s decisions about abstinence, sexual activity and fatherhood. similarly little is known about what family planning / reproductive health services are appropriate and effective for males


nov. 25, 2002 molting, that periodic ritual in which arthropods shed and replace their outer skeletons, can be a dangerous time for the creatures. just ask the trilobite. research published by a michigan state university paleontologist suggests that an inconsistent molting style, coupled with inefficient physiology, contributed to the demise of these prehistoric relatives of today ' s crabs and lobsters nearly 250 million years ago. " they would shed their old exoskeleton any way they could, " said danita brandt, a faculty member in msu ' s department of geological sciences whose findings were published in the australian paleontology journal alcheringa. " they had to improvise. " on the other hand, today ' s modern arthropods molt the very same way every time. the same suture opens every time, letting the animal out. " when the same technique is used, there is less of a chance that things will go wrong, " she said. " molting is a very dangerous time for an arthropod. a lot of things can go wrong. " brandt ' s proposed connection between arthropod molting and evolutionary fate is based on two pieces of evidence : the inconsistency of molting patterns that characterize trilobites, in contrast to the consistent patterns seen in modern arthropods ; and her observation that certain trilobites that had fewer body segments tended to live longer - - evolutionarily speaking - - then those that had many segments. " trilobites with fewer segments probably had a lower risk of molting - related accidents, and may have shed their old exoskeleton more quickly, " she said. " these are traits of modern arthropods that act to minimize the period during which the animals are vulnerable to predators. " brandt also noted that trilobite molting differed from molting in modern arthropods in another potentially important way : many modern arthropods resorb minerals from the old exoskeleton or consume their molted exoskeleton, thus conserving resources. " there is no evidence that trilobites used these conservation strategies, " she said. " apparently trilobites were faced with the considerable task of rebuilding a heavily calcified skeleton ' from scratch ' with each molt. " at one time, trilobites were one of


used these conservation strategies, " she said. " apparently trilobites were faced with the considerable task of rebuilding a heavily calcified skeleton ' from scratch ' with each molt. " at one time, trilobites were one of the more evolutionary successful animals to roam the early world ' s oceans. the crab - like creatures, some of which were as small as a fingernail while others were nearly a foot long, thrived, especially during the cambrian period. it was at the end of the paleozoic era that the trilobite disappeared. for years the trilobite ' s extinction had been blamed on a sudden increase in the numbers of trilobite predators. fossil records show that the number of trilobites began to drop as other aquatic animals, such as fish and squid, began to increase. " but it ' s highly unlikely that predators ever eliminated an entire group, " brandt said. " another argument against predation alone is that other arthropods continue to thrive even today despite the proliferation of predator groups. " other theories linked to trilobite extinction include climate change, sea - level fluctuation, and even the effects of meteorite impact. however, the correlation between these possible causes and the pattern of trilobite extinctions is not consistent, brandt said. " i think there is a biological ' wild card ' that complicates the correlation of trilobite extinction with environmental factors, and for the trilobites i think that wild card was the unique challenge they faced during molting, " she said. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : the above story is reprinted from materials provided by michigan state university. note : materials may be edited for content and length. for further information, please contact the source cited above. note : if no author is given, the source is cited instead.


sep. 2, 2008 the brain is the key organ in the response to stress. it reacts in a complex, orchestrated manner that is related to the activation and inhibition of neural structures involved in sensory, motor, autonomic, cognitive and emotional processes. it is the brain which finally determines what in the world is threatening and might be stressful for us, and which regulates the stress responses that can be either adaptive or maladaptive. chronic stress can affect the brain and lead into depression : environmental stressors ( e. g. job and family situation, neighborhood ) and especially stressful life events such as trauma or abuse are amongst the most potent factors to induce depression. since the development of novel approaches to antidepressant treatment is based upon an improved neurobiological understanding of this condition, new information about the cellular changes that take place in the brain is required. depression : a growing public health burden depression is a chronic, recurring, multifactorial, and life - threatening disorder, which represents a collection of psychological, neuroendocrine, physiological and behavioural symptoms. chronicity and frequency of these symptoms constitute the clinical condition. depressive disorders affect up to 20 % of people at some time in their life. in primary care, an estimated 20 – 50 % of patients suffer from depression, but often are not diagnosed correctly ( wittchen, 2000 ). depressive disorders are among the most prevalent illnesses worldwide, producing significant public health and socioeconomic problems ( who, 2001 ). the immense costs of depression account for approximately 1 % of the gross domestic product in europe ( approximately 100 billion euro ). depression is affecting more than 120 million people globally, and is set to rise to become one of the leading causes of disability, second only to cardiovascular disease, by the year 2015. brain changes induced by stress and depression the areas of the brain that are most affected by the changes caused by depression are the prefrontal cortex, amygdala and hippocampus, which are central to emotion, memory and learning. structural and functional changes as a consequence of stress and / or major depression are a reduction in volume, neuronal size and density, associated with changes in cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism. in addition, there is a reduced density of glial support cells that are instrumental in the communication between nerve cells, which is particularly relevant to the reduced volume of the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus. the shrinkage might explain some of the emotional changes observed in people with depression.


). neurogenesis can be influenced by positive and negative modulators. the role of gliogenesis there is increasing evidence that in addition to neurogenesis, stress and antidepressant treatment also induce changes in the formation of specific glial support cells ( = gliogenesis ) that are critical for the survival of the neurons in the brain. there are about 100 times more glial cells than nerve cells, providing energy and nutrition to the neurons. besides their ´housekeeping´ functions, glial cells are instrumental to neural communication and regarded as dynamic regulators of synaptic strength and synapse formation. they also possess receptors for neurotransmitters and steroid hormones that, similarly to receptors of neurons, can trigger electrical and biochemical events in the cell. therefore, structural changes of glial cells are likely to have an important functional significance for the communication between neurons and between neurons and glial cells. in the adult brain various antidepressant treatment strategies can not only stimulate neurogenesis, but also exert similar stimulatory effects on gliogenesis. moreover, animal studies have recently shown that chronic stress inhibits cell proliferation not only in the hippocampus but also in the prefrontal cortex, and that this inhibitory effect can be counteracted by antidepressant treatment ( czeh et al., 2007 ). the significance of these observations is strengthened by in vivo neuroimaging studies in patients with mood disorders that consistently point to the involvement of prefrontal brain sites in the pathophysiology of the disease. these imaging findings are further supported by reports on human post - mortem tissues revealing that the number of glial cells in the prefrontal cortex is adversely affected in patients with mood disorders. experiments show that stress and depression inhibit the growth of new nerve cells as well as glial support cells, and that this inhibitory effect can be counteracted by antidepressive therapy. within the last two decades, the understanding of the mature brain has changed : neuronal and glial cell networks in the brain are far from being fixed and immutable – a multitude of factors such as environmental stimulation, learning, growth factors, glucocorticoids, sexual hormones, stress, aging, and several neurotransmitters regulate the generation of new neurons. antidepressants stimulate the growth of neurons and glial cells again so the brain changes that occur as a consequence


mar. 13, 2010 new studies of ripples and dunes shaped by the winds on mars testify to variability on that planet, identifying at least one place where ripples are actively migrating and another where the ripples have been stationary for 100, 000 years or more. patterns of dunes and the smaller ripples present some of the more visually striking landforms photographed by cameras orbiting mars. investigations of whether they are moving go back more than a decade. two reports presented at the 41st lunar and planetary sciences conference near houston recently make it clear that the answer depends on where you look. both reports used images from the high resolution imaging science experiment ( hirise ) camera on nasa ' s mars reconnaissance orbiter, which allows examination of features as small as about a meter, or yard, across. one report is by simone silvestro of the international research school of planetary sciences at italy ' s g. d ' annunzio university, and his collaborators. they investigated migration of ripples and other features on dark dunes within the nili patera area of mars ' northern hemisphere. they compared an image taken on oct. 13, 2007, with another of the same dunes taken on june 30, 2007. most of the dunes in the study area are hundreds of meters long. ripples form patterns on the surfaces of the dunes, with crests of roughly parallel ripples spaced a few meters apart. careful comparison of the images revealed places where ripples on the surface of the dunes had migrated about 2 meters ( 7 feet ) - - the largest movement ever measured in a ripple or dune on mars. the researchers also saw changes in the shape of dune edges and in streaks on the downwind faces of dunes. " the dark dunes in this part of mars are active in present - day atmospheric conditions, " silvestro said. " it is exciting to have such high - resolution images available for comparisons that show mars as an active world. " the other report is by matthew golombek of nasa ' s jet propulsion laboratory, pasadena, calif., and collaborators. they checked whether ripples have been moving in the southern - hemisphere area of mars ' meridiani planum where the mars exploration rover opportunity has been working since 2004. they used observations by opportunity as well as by hirise, surveying an area of about 23 square kilometers ( 9 square miles ). examination of ripples at the edges of craters can show whether the ripples were in place before the crater was excavated or moved after the crater formed. " hirise images are so good, you


of about 23 square kilometers ( 9 square miles ). examination of ripples at the edges of craters can show whether the ripples were in place before the crater was excavated or moved after the crater formed. " hirise images are so good, you can tell if a crater is younger than the ripple migration, " golombek said. " there ' s enough of a range of crater ages that we can bracket the age of the most recent migration of the ripples in this area to more than 100, 000 years and probably less than 300, 000 years ago. " winds are still blowing sand and dust at meridiani. opportunity has seen resulting changes in its own wheel tracks revisited several months after the tracks were first cut. golombek has a hypothesis for why the ripples at meridiani are static, despite winds, while those elsewhere on mars may be actively moving. opportunity has seen that the long ripples in the region are covered with erosion - resistant pebbles, nicknamed " blueberries, " which the rover first observed weathering out of softer matrix rocks beside the landing site. these spherules - - mostly about 1 to 3 millimeters ( 0. 04 to 0. 12 inches ) in diameter - - may be too large for the wind to budge. " the blueberries appear to form a armoring layer that shields the smaller sand grains beneath them from the wind, " he said. hirise principal investigator alfred mcewen, of the university of arizona, tucson, said, " the more we look at mars at the level of detail we can now see, the more we appreciate how much the planet differs from one place to another. " the mars reconnaissance orbiter and the mars exploration rover missions are managed by jpl for nasa ' s science mission directorate in washington. lockheed martin space systems in denver was the prime contractor for the orbiter and supports its operations. the university of arizona operates the hirise camera, which was built by ball aerospace & technologies corp., boulder, colo. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : note : if no author is given, the source is cited instead.


may 21, 2010 researchers at spain ' s centre for genomic regulation ( crg ) demonstrate evidence in support of the common ancestry of life, thanks to a new computational approach to study protein evolution. the work, published in nature, takes its inspiration from the astronomer edwin hubble and uses his approach to study protein evolution. the extrapolation of hubble ' s approach to proteins shows that proteins that share a common ancestor billions of years ago continue to diverge in their molecular composition. the study reveals that protein evolution has not reached its limit and it is still continuing. at the same time, it provides us new information on why this evolution is so slow and conservative, showing that protein structures are more evolutionary plastic than previously thought. almost 100 years ago edwin hubble observed that distant galaxies are moving away from earth faster than those that are closer. this relationship between distance and velocity is widely cited as evidence of the origin of the universe from a big bang. researchers at the centre for genomic regulation used his approach to investigate the divergence between protein sequences. " we wanted to know if the divergent evolution between proteins was still proceeding. today, we can find proteins that are still similar after almost 3, 5 billion years of evolution. our study showed that their divergence continues with these proteins becoming more and more different despite their incredible level of conservation, " said fyodor kondrashov, principal investigator of the project and leader of the evolutionary genomics group at the crg. the work done by kondrashov and inna povolotskaya goes beyond similarity studies and discusses the evolution of proteins from the view of evolutionary dynamics, offering a new perspective on how protein structures are maintained in evolution. " in the same way that hubble ' s observations led to an understanding of the past and the future of our universe, using his approach at a molecular level we get a similar overview that gives us the ability to analyze evolutionary dynamics and get a broad prediction of the possible changes to the proteins in the future, " says povolotskaya, first author of the work and responsible for obtaining and analyzing all data. proteins are formed through combinations of amino acids, with only 20 types of amino acids are available to form a particular protein. to obtain the data for their study, the crg researchers have compared proteins sequences from different species that were available in genbank, a public database of genetic information. comparing these sequences the authors measured the distance of proteins from each other and devised a method for measuring how fast the proteins are accumulating different


researchers have compared proteins sequences from different species that were available in genbank, a public database of genetic information. comparing these sequences the authors measured the distance of proteins from each other and devised a method for measuring how fast the proteins are accumulating different changes. thus, they could replicate hubble ' s approach by correlating the distance between the proteins with the rate of their divergence. the result indicates that even the most distantly - related proteins are still accumulating differences. the study shows how new techniques of bioinformatics and computational analysis can also expand knowledge at a molecular level. " our work is a good example of how we can learn new and very fundamental things just by analyzing a larger volume of data that can be obtained by one experimental laboratory, " says kondrashov. most changes in a protein are deleterious because they somehow disrupt its structure or function. the authors observation that even very conservative proteins are still diverging challenges this view, because it implies that most amino acids in a protein can be changes without any ill effects. their explanation is that amino acid changes that are deleterious in one combination can be benign when occurring in a different one. " thanks to our study we now have a better understanding of protein structure dynamics, " says kondrashov. it may provide a new perspective to groups working on protein structure to find new targets for design drugs, etc. the povolotskaya and kondrashov study also provides new information on how different interactions between different amino acids in the structure of proteins slows down but does not completely prevent evolution. other social bookmarking and sharing tools : - inna s. povolotskaya, fyodor a. kondrashov. sequence space and the ongoing expansion of the protein universe. nature, 2010 ; doi : 10. 1038 / nature09105 note : if no author is given, the source is cited instead.


- the notion of parallel universes leapt out of the pages of fiction into scientific journals in the 1990s. many scientists claim that mega - millions of other universes, each with its own laws of physics, lie out there, beyond our visual horizon. they are collectively known as the multiverse. - the trouble is that no possible astronomical observations can ever see those other universes. the arguments are indirect at best. and even if the multiverse exists, it leaves the deep mysteries of nature unexplained. in the past decade an extraordinary claim has captivated cosmologists : that the expanding universe we see around us is not the only one ; that billions of other universes are out there, too. there is not one universe — there is a multiverse. in scientific american articles and books such as brian greene ’ s latest, the hidden reality, leading scientists have spoken of a super - copernican revolution. in this view, not only is our planet one among many, but even our entire universe is insignificant on the cosmic scale of things. it is just one of countless universes, each doing its own thing. the word “ multiverse ” has different meanings. astronomers are able to see out to a distance of about 42 billion light - years, our cosmic visual horizon. we have no reason to suspect the universe stops there. beyond it could be many — even infinitely many — domains much like the one we see. each has a different initial distribution of matter, but the same laws of physics operate in all. nearly all cosmologists today ( including me ) accept this type of multiverse, which max tegmark calls “ level 1. ” yet some go further. they suggest completely different kinds of universes, with different physics, different histories, maybe different numbers of spatial dimensions. most will be sterile, although some will be teeming with life. a chief proponent of this “ level 2 ” multiverse is alexander vilenkin, who paints a dramatic picture of an infinite set of universes with an infinite number of galaxies, an infinite number of planets and an infinite number of people with your name who are reading this article. this article was originally published with the title does the multiverse really exist?.


when we drive somewhere new, we navigate by referring to a two - dimensional map that accounts for distances only on a horizontal plane. according to research published online in august in nature neuroscience, the mammalian brain seems to do the same, collapsing the world into a flat plane even as the animal skitters up trees and slips deep into burrows. “ our subjective sense that our map is three - dimensional is illusory, ” says kathryn jeffery, a behavioral neuroscientist at university college london who led the research. jeffery studies a collection of neurons in and around the rat hippocampus that build an internal representation of space. as the animal travels, these neurons, called grid cells and place cells, respond uniquely to distance, turning on and off in a way that measures how far the animal has moved in a particular direction. past research has focused on how these cartographic cells encode two - dimensional space. jeffery and her colleagues decided to look at how they respond to changes in altitude. to do this, they enticed rats to climb up a spiral staircase while the scientists collected electrical recordings from single cells. the firing pattern encoded very little information about height. the finding adds evidence for the hypothesis that the brain keeps track of our location on a flat plane, which is defined by the way the body is oriented. if a squirrel, say, is running along the ground, then scampers straight up a tree, its internal two - dimensional map simply shifts from the horizontal plane to the vertical. astronauts are some of the few humans to describe this experience : when they move in space to “ stand ” on a ceiling, they report a moment of disorientation before their mental map flips so they feel right side up again. researchers do not know yet whether other areas of the brain encode altitude or whether mammals simply do not need that information to survive. “ maybe an animal has a mosaic of maps, each fragment of which is flat but which can be oriented in the way that ’ s appropriate, ” jeffery speculates. or maybe in our head, the world is simply flat.


string theorists had looked at the idea of confining all forces to a brane and having gravity leak, but they had not worked out the mechanism, says physicist joseph lykken of fermilab in batavia, ill. randall and sundrum, he remarks, " changed people ' s thinking about this stuff entirely. " as randall and sundrum refined their idea, they realized that if the extra dimension of spacetime were warped in anti - de sitter fashion, it could be infinitely large and what we observe about gravity could still be true. this model came to be known as rs - 2. " working that out was mind - blowing, " sundrum recalls. " we had reason to be dead scared. in each of these cases, there was a distinct fear of making complete fools of ourselves. " " it was counterintuitive, " notes theorist michael j. duff of imperial college london. " it came as a surprise even to those working in extra dimensions that even though the extra dimension is very large, we wouldn ' t be aware of it. newton ' s law would still be an inverse square law, not an inverse cube law, which is what you might naively expect. " it took a while for many physicists to realize what randall and sundrum were suggesting, but the time was right for such thinking. anti - de sitter space was popping up in some models, branes were thriving, and in 1998 nima arkani - hamed of harvard, georgi dvali of new york university and savas dimopoulos of stanford university ( or add, for short ) had postulated a three - brane within two large extra dimensions. randall and sundrum offered a new set of options of what went on in the early universe. some of the recent models, be they rs, elaborations of add or others, will be put to the test when the large hadron collider ( lhc ) at cern near geneva fires up in 2007. " if there is any solution to the hierarchy problem, it should be revealed at the energies the lhc will explore, " randall enthuses. evidence could include gravitons, supersymmetric partners or evanescent, tiny black holes. " even if we don ' t know the answer, it should tell us what the answer is, " she adds. in typical fashion, randall recently took on two things new to her. the first was writing a book about physics, released last month. the second


we don ' t know the answer, it should tell us what the answer is, " she adds. in typical fashion, randall recently took on two things new to her. the first was writing a book about physics, released last month. the second was participating on a task force formed by harvard president lawrence summers after his comments about women in science. she says she is nervous about the reception of the first project and dislikes talking about the second one. " i like to solve simple problems like extra dimensions in space, " randall declares. " everyone thinks [ women in science ] is a simpler issue, but it is so much more complicated. " she should know : she was the first female captain of her high school math team, and even though stuyvesant is famous for cultivating science and math whizzes, she did not find it supportive of girls. " there was one teacher who kept saying that stuyvesant was much better when it was all boys, even though the two best students in his class were girls, and he liked us both. it was this weird cognitive mismatch, " she says. regarding harvard and the task force, randall is reticent : " i just want to see a whole bunch more women enter the field so these issues don ' t have to come up anymore. " the 43 - year - old randall is now collaborating with andreas karch of the university of washington, investigating some of the cosmological implications of branes and extra dimensions. according to randall, we may live in a three - brane, but " there are regions beyond the horizon that look really entirely different. and we haven ' t fully explored them yet. " if her ideas don ' t feel obvious to you, don ' t fret. you are in good company. " i often don ' t understand her, " karch confesses. " when she says things, they don ' t make sense and i first think ' she is crazy. ' but i don ' t say anything, because she is usually right. lisa just knows the answer. " this article was originally published with the title the beauty of branes.


09 - 01 - 08, 03 : 59 am # 1 hopes raised for block on cancer?????????? page last updated at 23 : 01 gmt, sunday, 31 august 2008 00 : 01 uk e - mail this to a friend printable version hopes raised for block on cancer cancer patient treated with drugs cancer cells keep dividing scientists say they have taken a big step towards blocking a chemical vital to the " growth of many cancers. they have unpicked the structure of telomerase, an enzyme which, when active, helps keep cells in an " immortal " state. the chemical is at work in more than nine out of ten types of tumour. researchers from philadelphia ' s wistar institute, writing in the journal nature, say their efforts could lead to drugs which switch it off. all cells in the body have a natural clock - the telomeres - which shorten every time the cell divides. the idea is that you could convert immortal cancer cells back into mortal ones by blocking telomerase in this way professor rob newbold after a fixed number of divisions in most cells, the telomeres are reduced to a certain length, and the cell cannot continue dividing. this change is responsible for changes within the ageing body, as cell division slows down. some cells, such as stem cells within the embryo, use the chemical telomerase to maintain telomere length. many tumours have hijacked the telomerase system to fuel their uninhibited growth. the wistar team has found a new way to map the structure of the most active part of the chemical. ' few side effects ' dr emmanuel skordalakes said that this detailed picture would help provide molecular targets for drugs. " telomerase is an ideal target for chemotherapy because it is active in almost all human tumours, but inactive in most normal cells. " that means that a drug that deactivates telomerase would likely work against all cancers, with few side effects. " last updated : friday, 5 may 2006, 23 : 37 gmt 00 : 37 uk e - mail this to a friend printable version cancer agent mysteries revealed protein structure with groove highlighted in green the protein has proved difficult to analyse scientists have cracked the structure of an essential part of an enzyme believed to play a key role in the development of many cancers. the university of colorado team hopes its work will help explain how the enzyme, telomerase, acts to make cancer cells " immortal ".


the structure of an essential part of an enzyme believed to play a key role in the development of many cancers. the university of colorado team hopes its work will help explain how the enzyme, telomerase, acts to make cancer cells " immortal ". the scientists also hope it could lead to a new generation of more effective cancer drugs. details are published in the journal nature structural & molecular biology. developing therapies that block the action of telomerase would be a great way to treat many types of cancer dr kat arney it is thought that over - activity of telomerase contributes to the unchecked growth of as many as 90 % of human tumours. the researchers say a lack of detailed information about its structure has hindered attempts to develop agents to block its effect. telomerase plays a key role in the development of the human embryo during pregnancy, by extending important areas at the tips of chromosomes called telomeres. in most healthy adult cells the enzyme is completely shut down. however, cancer cells find a way to turn telomerase back on - triggering uncontrolled cell division. ' difficult to study ' it has previously proved difficult to study telomerase in close detail because the enzyme tends to clump together outside of cells, preventing it from forming the ordered crystals necessary for structural analysis. the colorado team solved the problem by using a fluorescent green protein to highlight rare fragments of the enzyme that did not clump together in the usual way. these came from a single - celled organism called a tetrahymena - the same organism in which telomerase was first discovered. the researchers then used a few more biochemical tricks to crystallise out the protein fragments, and analyse them, eventually producing an extremely detailed three - dimensional atomic map. they found that the protein fragment had a deep groove on its surface. it is thought that this might be used to grab hold of the end of the chromosome in order to extend its telomere region, and trigger uncontrolled genetic division. the researchers tested this theory by making tiny structural changes to this grooved area, and found this seemed to neutralise the enzyme ' s action. lead researcher dr thomas cech said : " a molecule that would sit in that groove looks like it would completely abolish the ability of telomerase to work. " dr kat arney, science information officer at cancer research uk, said : " developing therapies that block the action of telomerase would be a great way to treat many types


abolish the ability of telomerase to work. " dr kat arney, science information officer at cancer research uk, said : " developing therapies that block the action of telomerase would be a great way to treat many types of cancer. " thanks to this research, we now know more about the 3 - d shape of the enzyme, so scientists around the world can get to work designing drugs to fit it precisely. " i find scientists are a hoot & so are doctors, they pinch eachothers work year in & out & present it as new findings every year. " they have unpicked the structure of telomerase " > > > > > ( dated 2008 ) " scientists have cracked the structure of an essential part of an enzyme believed to play a key role in the development of many cancers. explain how the enzyme, telomerase, acts to make cancer cells " immortal ". > > > > > ( dated 2006 ) as one in 3 of us will develop cancer at some point in our life, why do we let these parasites mock us with these farcical findings, in both links dated 2 years apart they were saying they will develop new drugs to block telomerase, i have no doubt what so ever that in a year or 2 & another bunch of eggheads will present the same findings in the lancet or british medical journal & once again giving people false hope. every year these morons say there will be a cure for all cancers in five years, i have been hearing that for the last 25 years of my adult life. why are doctors & scientists so detached from reality, the patients, & humanbeings in general, were like lab rats to them all, case in point would be that idiot antrax scientist in america who decided to test it on his fellow citizens in america or lab rats as he would see it. with the exception of doctors without borders, i find all doctors as mercanary bastards who take sadistic glee in telling patients bad news, even when the patient is actually not sick, my mother was given the all clear after cyst removal, only to have a sadistic doctor making her cry by saying she is not out of the woods yet, later the nurses told her that he just enjoys being sadistic with patients much like house md. most doctors actually have mediocre knowledge on alot of diseases & symptoms, you realy can make a fool of them if you spend all of 2 minutes reading up on your disease, as for


being sadistic with patients much like house md. most doctors actually have mediocre knowledge on alot of diseases & symptoms, you realy can make a fool of them if you spend all of 2 minutes reading up on your disease, as for cancer unless you have a lump, night sweats most of them say you dont have cancer, but the reality is when you do have that bump or the daily night sweats your immune system is failing & the cancer has spread, what they cant seem to comprehend is your supposed to find it before the patient gets the bump & sweats, continous lymph node inflammation & itching is a ideal canditate for cancer, especially in the neck area. by orleander in forum earth sciencelast post : 01 - 05 - 10, 05 : 14 amreplies : 42 by carcano in forum biology & geneticslast post : 05 - 06 - 09, 12 : 51 pmreplies : 25 by madanthonywayne in forum biology & geneticslast post : 06 - 21 - 08, 10 : 50 pmreplies : 12 by exhumed in forum biology & geneticslast post : 04 - 27 - 08, 08 : 03 pmreplies : 3 by carcano in forum biology & geneticslast post : 01 - 17 - 07, 07 : 37 pmreplies : 0


also known as : eye test - color, vision test - color or ishihara color vision test - present from birth ( congenital ) problems in the light - sensitive cells ( cones ) of the retina ( the light - sensitive layer at the back of the eye ) - diseases of the optic nerve ( the nerve that carries visual information from the eye to the brain ) - achromatopsia - - complete color blindness, seeing only shades of gray - deuteranopia - - difficulty telling the difference between red / purple and green / purple - protanopia - - difficulty telling the difference between blue / green and red / green - tritanopia - - difficulty telling the difference between yellow / green and blue / green a color vision test checks your ability to distinguish between different colors. how the test is performed you will sit in a comfortable position in regular lighting, and your health care provider will explain the test to you. you will be shown several cards with multicolored dot patterns. in the patterns, some of the dots will apear to form numbers or symbols. you will be asked to identify the symbols, if possible. as you cover one eye, the tester will hold the test plates 14 inches from your face and ask you to quickly identify the symbol found in each color pattern. depending on the problem suspected, you may be asked to determine the intensity of a color, especially in one eye compared to the other. this is often tested by using the cap of a red eyedrop bottle. how to prepare for the test if your child is having this test performed, it may be helpful to explain how the test will feel, and to practice or demonstrate on a doll. your child will feel less anxious about the test if you explain what will happen and why. usually there is a sample card of multicolored dots that almost everyone can identify, even people with color vision problems. if you or your child normally wears glasses, wear them during the test. small children may be asked to tell the difference between a red bottle cap and caps of a different color. how the test will feel the test is similar to a vision test. why the test is performed this test is done to determine whether you have any problems with your color vision. color vision problems usually fall into two categories : normally, you will be able to distinguish all colors. what abnormal results mean this test can determine the following color vision problems : problems in the optic nerve can show up as a loss of color intensity, although the test may be normal. what


categories : normally, you will be able to distinguish all colors. what abnormal results mean this test can determine the following color vision problems : problems in the optic nerve can show up as a loss of color intensity, although the test may be normal. what the risks are there are no risks associated with this test. adams aj, verdon wa, spivey be. color vision. in : tasman w, jaeger ea, eds. duane ' s foundations of clinical ophthalmology. 15th ed. philadelphia, pa : lippincott williams & wilkins ; 2009 : chap 19. american academy of ophthalmology preferred practice patterns committee. preferred practice pattern guidelines. comprehensive adult medical eye evaluation. san francisco, ca : american academy of ophthalmology, 2010. accessed january 17, 2011. olitsky se, hug d, smith lp. examination of the eye. in : kliegman rm, behrman re, jenson hb, stanton bf, eds. nelson textbook of pediatrics. 18th ed. philadelphia, pa : saunders elsevier ; 2007 : chap 618. - review date : - february 10, 2011 - reviewed by : - linda j. vorvick, md, medical director, medex northwest division of physician assistant studies, university of washington, school of medicine ; and franklin w. lusby, md, ophthalmologist, lusby vision institute, la jolla, california. also reviewed by david zieve, md, mha, medical director, a. d. a. m., inc. the information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. a licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. call 911 for all medical emergencies. links to other sites are provided for information only - - they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997 - 2008 a. d. a. m., inc. any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


if you just found out you ' re pregnant, one of the first - and most important - tests you should expect is a blood - type test. this basic test determines your blood type and rh factor. your rh factor may play a role in your baby ' s health, so it ' s important to know this information early in your pregnancy. about the rh factor people with different blood types have proteins specific to that blood type on the surfaces of their red blood cells ( rbcs ). there are four blood types - a, b, ab, and o. each of the four blood types is additionally classified according to the presence of another protein on the surface of rbcs that indicates the rh factor. if you carry this protein, you are rh positive. if you don ' t carry the protein, you are rh most people - about 85 % - are rh positive. but if a woman who is rh negative and a man who is rh positive conceive a baby, there is the potential for a baby to have a health problem. the baby growing inside the rh - negative mother may have rh - positive blood, inherited from the father. approximately half of the children born to an rh - negative mother and rh - positive father will be rh positive. rh incompatibility usually isn ' t a problem if it ' s the mother ' s first pregnancy because, unless there ' s some sort of abnormality, the fetus ' s blood does not normally enter the mother ' s circulatory system during the course of the however, during delivery, the mother ' s and baby ' s blood can intermingle. if this happens, the mother ' s body recognizes the rh protein as a foreign substance and can begin producing antibodies ( protein molecules in the immune system that recognize, and later work to destroy, foreign substances ) against the rh proteins introduced into her blood. other ways rh - negative pregnant women can be exposed to the rh protein that might cause antibody production include blood transfusions with rh - positive blood, miscarriage, and ectopic rh antibodies are harmless until the mother ' s second or later pregnancies. if she is ever carrying another rh - positive child, her rh antibodies will recognize the rh proteins on the surface of the baby ' s blood cells as foreign, and pass into the baby ' s bloodstream and attack those cells. this can lead to swelling and rupture of the


child, her rh antibodies will recognize the rh proteins on the surface of the baby ' s blood cells as foreign, and pass into the baby ' s bloodstream and attack those cells. this can lead to swelling and rupture of the baby ' s rbcs. a baby ' s blood count can get dangerously low when this condition, known as of the newborn preventing and treating rh disease of the newborn in generations past, rh incompatibility was a very serious problem. fortunately, significant medical advances have been made to help prevent complications from rh incompatibility and to treat any newborn affected by rh disease. today, when a woman with the potential to develop rh incompatibility is pregnant, doctors administer a series of two shots during her first pregnancy. the first shot is given around the 28th week of pregnancy and the second within 72 hours after giving birth. rh immune - globulin acts like a vaccine, preventing the mother ' s body from producing any potentially dangerous rh antibodies that can cause serious complications in the newborn or complicate any future pregnancies. a dose of rh immune - globulin may also be given if a woman has a miscarriage, an amniocentesis, or any bleeding during if a doctor determines that a woman has already developed rh antibodies, then the pregnancy will be closely monitored to make sure that those levels are not too high. in rare cases, if the incompatibility is severe and the baby is in danger, a series of special blood transfusions ( called exchange transfusions ) can be performed either while the baby is still in the uterus or after exchange transfusions replace the baby ' s blood with rbcs that are rh - negative. this procedure stabilizes the baby ' s level of red blood cells and minimizes further damage caused by circulating rh antibodies already present in the baby ' s because of the success rate of the rh immune - globulin shots, exchange transfusions are needed in fewer than 1 % of rh - incompatible pregnancies in the united states today. if rh disease is not prevented rh incompatibility rarely causes complications in a first pregnancy and does not affect the health of the mother. but rh antibodies that develop during subsequent pregnancies can be potentially dangerous to mother and child. rh disease can result in severe anemia, jaundice, brain damage, and heart failure in a newborn. in extreme cases,


by : michael collins - enviroreporter. com millions of southern californians and tourists seek the region ’ s famous beaches to cool off in the sea breeze and frolic in the surf. those iconic breezes, however, may be delivering something hotter than the white sands along the pacific : buckyballs. according to a recent uc davis study, these uranium - filled nanospheres were created from the millions of tons of fresh and salt water used to try to cool down three molten cores of the stricken reactors at japan ’ s fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the tiny and tough buckyballs are shaped like soccer balls. water hitting the incredibly hot and radioactive, primarily uranium - oxide fuel turns it into peroxide. in this goo mix, buckyballs are formed, loaded with uranium and able to move quickly through water without disintegrating. high radiation readings in santa monica and los angeles air during a 42 - day period from late december to late january strongly suggest that radiation is increasing in the region including along the coast in ventura county. the radiation, detected by this reporter and the us environmental protection agency, separate from each other and using different procedures, does not appear to be natural in origin. the epa ’ s radiation station is high atop an undisclosed building in los angeles, while this reporter ’ s detection location is near the west la boundary. both stations registered more than 5. 3 times the normal amount, though the methods of sampling and detection differed. the videotaped santa monica sampling and testing allowed for the detection of alpha and beta radiation, while the sensitive epa instrument detected beta only, according to the government web site. a windy alaskan storm front sweeping down the coast the morning of march 31 slammed southern california with huge breakers, a choppy sea with 30 - foot waves and winds gusting to 50 mph. a low - hanging marine layer infused with sea spray made aloft from the chop and carried on the winds that blew inland over the los angeles basin for several miles, bringing with it the highest radiation this reporter has detected in hot rain since the meltdowns began. scientific studies from the united kingdom and europe show that sea water infused with radiation of the sort spewing out of fukushima can travel inland from the coast up to 300 kilometers. these mobile poisons include cesium - 137 and plutonium - 239, the latter of which has a half - life of 24, 400 years. despite the fact that university of california and this reporter ’ s tests show high radiation in the air,


mobile poisons include cesium - 137 and plutonium - 239, the latter of which has a half - life of 24, 400 years. despite the fact that university of california and this reporter ’ s tests show high radiation in the air, water, food and dairy products in this state, the state and federal governments cut off special testing for fukushima radionuclides more than half a year ago. southern california is still getting hit by fukushima radiation at alarmingly high levels that will inevitably increase as the main bulk of polluted pacific ocean water reaches north america in the next two years. luckily, the area is south of where the jet stream has brought hot rains from across the pacific and fukushima, more than 5, 000 miles away, upwind and up - current of the west coast. those rains have brought extraordinary amounts of radiation to places like st. louis, with multiple rain events detected and filmed, showing incredibly hot rains. unluckily, north america is directly downwind of japan, where the government is having 560, 000 tons of irradiated rubble incinerated with the ash dumped in tokyo bay. the burning began last october and is scheduled to continue through march 2014, enraging american activists for this unwitting double dose. american media coverage of fukushima ’ s continuing woes and of contamination spreading across japan and threatening tokyo ’ s 30 million residents, while not robust, has been adequate. coverage of contamination in america and southern california has been practically non - existent. that ’ s one of the reasons we started radiation station santa monica four days after the meltdowns began on march 11, 2011, transmitting live radiation readings for the los angeles basin 24 / 7 ever since. with nuclear radiation monitoring equipment, investigation team members have performed more than 1, 500 radiation tests in different media throughout four states and in jet airplane cabins where, even accounting for higher radiation at higher altitudes, readings were more than five times the norm, according to the manufacturer of our inspector alert nuclear radiation monitor. those readings, along with the epa ’ s, combined with the uc davis study of buckyballs and a european study of sea spray radiation spread, strongly indicate that southern california is being exposed to significant amounts of radiation. the closer to the coast, the more pronounced the radiation in this scenario. other reports of what the likely fukushima fallout will be in areas throughout the southland exist. researchers from hopkins marine station of stanford university and the school of marine and atmospheric sciences, stony brook university, released on may 28 a


the radiation in this scenario. other reports of what the likely fukushima fallout will be in areas throughout the southland exist. researchers from hopkins marine station of stanford university and the school of marine and atmospheric sciences, stony brook university, released on may 28 a study that found 100 percent of 15 samples of pacific bluefin tuna caught off of san diego in august 2011 showed indisputable signs of radiation contamination emanating from fukushima. this suggests that the popular and expensive animal usually carved up for sushi is even more contaminated now — nearly a year after it was first harvested and tested. meanwhile, at least 1, 000 tons of highly radioactive water used to cool the melted cores and spent fuel ponds is being dumped daily into the ocean, according to recent statements from the nuclear plants owners, tokyo electric power co. the study also suggests that other highly migratory species, like turtles, sharks and marine birds, may also be contaminated with the radiation found in the tuna : cesium - 134 and cesium - 137. heading our way the us geological survey ( usgs ) reported on feb. 21 that los angeles had more cesium - 137 fallout than any other region in the nation during the opening days of the disaster, from march 15 to april 5, 2011. the amount of cs - 137 detected in precipitation at a monitoring station 20 miles east of downtown was 13 times the limit for the toxin in drinking water, according to a report obtained by the pasadena weekly. usgs released another astonishing study feb. 22, with data from measurements taken at its bennington national atmospheric deposition program in vermont, confirming a grim cesium - 137 scenario for southern california. “ deposition actually decreased as the air mass traveled east to west, ” greg wetherbee, a chemist with usgs, told the brattleboro reformer newspaper. “ in the united states, cesium - 134 and cesium - 137 wet dispersion values were higher than for chernobyl fallout, in part due to the us being further downwind, ” wetherbee told the paper. “ with chernobyl, there was more opportunity for plume dispersion. ” this double whammy of cesium - 137, which has a half - life of 30 years, isn ’ t even in a uranium - 60 buckyball. but they are both in the unfathomable spread of goo throughout the pacific, riding on the second strongest current in the world and headed right for us. the three reactor meltdowns have spewed


a uranium - 60 buckyball. but they are both in the unfathomable spread of goo throughout the pacific, riding on the second strongest current in the world and headed right for us. the three reactor meltdowns have spewed trillions of becquerels of highly radioactive iodine - 131, cesium - 137, strontium - 90 and plutonium - 239 into the atmosphere and pacific since march 11, 2011. the initial explosions and fires sent untold amounts of radiation high into the atmosphere. a feb. 28 report by the meteorological research institute, just released at a scientific symposium in tsukuba, ibaraki prefecture, japan, says that 40, 000 trillion becquerels, double the amount previously thought, have escaped from the unit 1 reactor alone. this has resulted in fallout around the globe that especially impacts the pacific and parts of america and canada — two countries downwind of japan on the jet stream. british columbia, the pacific northwest, midwest and ontario have been hit especially hard by rain, sleet and snow, in some cases with dizzying amounts of high radiation. a march 6 department of biological sciences study conducted at california state long beach found that kelp along the coast of california was heavily impacted by radioactive iodine - 131 one month after the meltdowns began. the virulent and deadly isotope was detected at 250 times levels the researchers said were normal in the kelp before the disaster. radioactive fallout in st. louis, mo., rainfall, which has been monitored at potrblog. com since the crisis began, has been repeatedly so hot that levels have been reached that make it unsafe for children and pregnant women. an oct. 17, 2011, st. louis rainstorm was measured on video at 2. 76 millirems per hour, or more than 270 times background levels. the main wave of water - borne radiation from the meltdowns, including highly mobile uranium - 60 buckyballs, is surging across the pacific along the kuroshio current, second only to the gulf stream for power on the planet. millions of tons of seawater and fresh water have been used to cool the melted cores and spent fuel rods, generating millions of tons of irradiated water. the kuroshio current is transporting a significant amount of this escaping radiation from fukushima daiichi across the pacific toward the west coast. the 70 - mile - wide current joins the north pacific current, moving eastward until it splits and flows southward along the california


done was very troubled. half of the stationary air monitors were broken at the time of the accident. deployable monitors were ordered but not deployed. ” even when the government testing did work, increasingly high levels of radiation seem to have been ignored. the paper also learned that the california department of public health halted monitoring of fukushima fallout when its radiologic health branch issued its last report on oct. 10, 2011. that report shows an alarming rise in cesium - 137 in cal poly san luis obispo dairy farm milk beginning june 14, 2011, when it tested 2. 95 picocuries per liter ( pci / l ) and steadily rising in four subsequent tests until it was 5. 91 pci / l. the hot milk was at twice the allowable amount of this radionuclide in drinking water, according to the epa ’ s 3. 0 pci / l limit. after that report, the testing suddenly stopped, for no other reason than the government had concluded that nothing from fukushima had sufficiently contaminated anything to merit concern. even detections of radioactive sulphur - 35 in san diego and plutonium - 239 in riverside did nothing to pique the interest of regulators. “ the lesson to be learned is that both the u. s. and japan suffer from very lax regulation, a too - cozy relationship between nuclear regulators and the industry they are to regulate, ” hirsch said. “ this can lead to dangerous outcomes. this was not unanticipated. yet the need for immediate information was undeniable. ” sea spray transmission special tests revealed elevated radiation in bryce canyon and grand canyon rain. southwest michigan rain samples were hot. santa monica and los angeles rain and mist were also high. meanwhile, across the ocean, japanese sake, beer, vegetable juice, seaweed, pastries and tea have all registered significant ionization above background. powdered milk, turkey hot dogs and jet travel breathing masks were all part of the specific media tested, many of which were recorded in videotaped radiation detections. the jan. 27, 2012, uc davis report “ uranyl peroxide enhanced nuclear fuel corrosion in seawater, ” is the first account to analyze what is happening to the gargantuan amount of seawater, as well as fresh water, that has been hosing down the melted reactor cores and flushing into the pacific. the study spells out a horrific scenario in which compromised irradiated fuel turned huge amounts of ocean water into a series of uranium - related peroxide compounds


as fresh water, that has been hosing down the melted reactor cores and flushing into the pacific. the study spells out a horrific scenario in which compromised irradiated fuel turned huge amounts of ocean water into a series of uranium - related peroxide compounds containing as many as 60 “ uranyl ions ” in hardy nanoscale cage clusters that can “ potentially transport uranium over long distances ” and persist for “ at least 294 days without detectable change. ” how hot these nano - cage clusters of cancer - causing radiation are depends on what type and ratio of uranium isotopes make up the 60 in each one. “ a given isotope has the same radioactivity ( half - life ) regardless of what chemical state it is in ” said alexandra navrotsky, phd, director of nanomaterials research at uc davis. “ so the radioactivity for a constant number of u atoms depends on the proportion of different isotopes in the sample. ” there is a strong possibility that these uranium peroxide buckyballs are already sloshing around in the waters off southern california as this reporter and the epa ’ s radiation readings appear to indicate. but if it was the source of our high detections what was the mechanism that was transporting radiation inland? sea spray, perhaps. radioactive sea spray has been shown to blow hundreds of kilometers inland in tests conducted in the united kingdom by british and european researchers. as anyone who has ever smelled the salty ocean air miles from the ocean might expect, salt in sea spray can travel a significant distance. the same holds true for radioactive particles floating in the sea, even if in addition to u60 buckyballs. in the 2008 report “ sea to land transfer of radionuclides in cumbria and north wales, ” the greatest average concentration of cesium - 137 and plutonium - 239 in soil at a depth of 0 to 15 centimeters was found 10 kilometers from the coast. the highest average amounts found at 15 to 30 centimeters deep were 5 kilometers away from the sea illustrating the unpredictability of radiation fallout. a 62 - page uk study released in december 2011 found that sea spray and marine aerosols created from bubbles forming and popping when the sea is choppy or waves break have increased concentrations of radioactive “ actinides. ” actinides are chemically alike radioactive metallic elements and include uranium and plutonium. one actinide infused the spray with an 812 times greater concentration of americium - 241 than normal amounts of am - 241 in ambient seawater. the report cited