ScienceDaily (Aug. 30, 2012) ? Inspired by the twitching whiskers of common rats and Etruscan shrews, EU-funded researchers have developed rodent-like robots and an innovative tactile sensor system that could be used to help find people in burning buildings, make vacuum cleaners more efficient and eventually improve keyhole surgery.
Sensor systems that replicate the sense of touch have been the focus of increasing research in recent years, largely for robotics applications. But the focus has normally been on developing sensors that in some way or another replicate the way humans touch and sense the world: with our skin and particularly our fingertips.
'The main reason people explored fingertip-like sensors is because we have fingertips, but any kind of tactile sensor has to interact with objects and surfaces -- and fingertips have a big problem with wear and tear,' explains Tony Prescott, a professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.
Nature, however, has devised a much more robust, and often much more sensitive, kind of tactile sensing device: whiskers.
'If you look at the natural world, almost all mammals except humans have whiskers -- it's actually us that have lost them. Whiskers are a natural way to sense things with touch,' Prof. Prescott says.
And, it turns out, just like their biological counterparts, artificial whiskers offer some big advantages over other approaches to tactile sensing as Prof. Prescott and a team of researchers from seven countries have proved in the Biotact (1) project. Supported by EUR 5.4 million in research funding from the European Commission, the researchers studied rats and mice, tiny Etruscan shrews and other mammals and attempted to replicate the way they use their whiskers, or 'vibrissae', to sense their environment, detect objects and follow prey.
Their work has led to the development of an active vibrissal tactile sensor array and a series of rat-like robots that can move around by touch alone. The technology could potentially be used commercially for applications as diverse as search and rescue, consumer appliances, product testing or medicine.
'To begin with we had to understand how mammals use their whiskers. Around one third of the project was therefore dedicated to behavioural neuroscience, including filming rats and shrews using high-speed cameras to see how they use their whiskers whilst monitoring patterns of neural activity,' Prof. Prescott, the Biotact project coordinator, explains.
The team then worked out how to replicate natural vibrissal sensing in an artificial system. Their system works by measuring the vibration at the base of the shaft of a whisker caused by it coming into contact with an object or surface. Miniature motors enable individual whiskers or arrays of hundreds of whiskers to be moved and brushed against objects in much the same way that rodents move their whiskers back-and-forth at high speed. Software and powerful processing algorithms analyse the feedback from the whiskers to determine, for example, whether a surface is rough or smooth, if there is a corner or wall, how far away an object is or even if an object is moving.
For rodents, most of which have poor eyesight, active control of the whiskers allows the animal to accurately position the tip of the whiskers as well as control how the whisker moves in order to gain as much information as possible about an object or surface. In this way, they can rely on touch alone to explore and even hunt for food.
Robust robotic rodents for search and rescue
Applied to robotic devices, this same kind of active sensing approach greatly improves the accuracy and effectiveness of the sensors, enabling a robot to delicately feel its way around, rather than clumsily bumping into objects. In addition, while finger-like robotic probes can easily be damaged because the sensing components are directly exposed to the environment, with the Biotact technology the delicate electronic components are at the base of the whisker and do not come into direct contact with objects or surfaces. And artificial whiskers, just like their natural counterparts, continue to function even if they are broken or damaged, and they can be cheaply and easily replaced.
Several generations of sensors and robots developed by the Biotact team prove just how effective the approach can be. Shrewbot, the latest incarnation, looks a little like its namesake and can navigate its way around by touch alone.
'Shrewbot can even follow a moving object simply by using its whiskers. It has no visual sensors or any other type of sensing device,' Prof. Prescott says. 'Because the Biotact artificial whisker is modular, it can be used for a lot of different robots and devices, we've used it with a range of educational robots including the Lego Mindstorms robot, we have also produced a miniaturised version that uses a new kind of polymer-based actuator to move the whiskers.'
'We wanted to ensure that these sensors can be used as universally as possible, so you could go into a store and buy one much like you can buy a webcam today and mount it on any robot or any device,' Prof. Prescott adds. 'At the moment, the price of the technology is still relatively high, but we envisage that coming down over time and we've talked to some manufacturers -- there's definitely interest in this.'
Indeed, the range of applications for the technology is extensive. A Shrewbot-like robot could be used, for example, to help fire-fighters find people in burning buildings or other environments, where smoke, dust or darkness impede visual sensing. An aquatic version, which members of the Biotact team are looking to develop in a planned follow up project, could be used to inspect murky underwater environments.
'Instead of rats and shrews, it would be more like seals and walruses which also use their whiskers underwater,' the project coordinator says. 'Companies involved in nuclear decommissioning have expressed interest in this as they need devices that can inspect nuclear waste ponds, there are also potential applications in the oil-industry and in underwater archaeology.'
In medicine, vibrissal sensors could eventually, after further research, provide highly sensitive tactile feedback to doctors performing keyhole surgery, detecting different kinds of tissues or bone for example. In manufacturing, the sensing technology could be used to test product quality or sort products by analysing the texture of materials. And in vacuum cleaners, the system could automatically detect different surfaces and switch settings to ensure the most effective cleaning, depending on whether a floor is tiled or carpeted.
In a slightly different application of the sensing and actuator technology developed in Biotact, the University of Sheffield is currently working with South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue to develop a helmet for fire fighters that combines ultrasound sensors for navigation in smoke-filled environments with actuators to provide tactile feedback to the wearer.
Biotact received research funding under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7) as part of the Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) sub-programme. The results from Biotact illustrate how this type of long-term, foundational research can lead to research in other areas and use the techniques to solve problems elsewhere.
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When you are thinking about going sailing in the Whitsundays you should go on the Internet to find all of the websites that are promoting these packages. To find these companies you can use the search engines and look for Whitsunday sailing. This search will show you every company that is offering these Whitsunday sailing packages.
After you have a list of these companies you can start looking over the various packages that are available. There will be some companies that offer a more comprehensive tour than others and since each person has their own preferences of how they want to experience the Whitsundays it is important to compare all of the packages until you find one that is the most suitable for you.
Something that must be reviewed when you are looking at these packages is how many people will be participating in it. There are some excursions that have more participants than others and you need to be sure you know that what you are looking is suitable for your need.
Now that you know which of these companies have the packages that you want it is time to start looking at the prices being charged. You need to have your budget defined before you go online looking at these packages otherwise you run the risk of overspending.
TAMPA (Reuters) - Two people were ejected from the Republican National Convention for throwing nuts at an African-American camera operator for CNN and telling her: "This is how we feed animals," the cable network said.
The incident happened on Tuesday in the Tampa Bay Times Forum where delegates officially nominated Mitt Romney as the Republican candidate to face President Barack Obama in the November 6 election.
"Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated," CNN quoted the convention as saying in a statement.
Multiple witnesses saw the incident and RNC security and police immediately removed the two people from the forum, CNN said.
(Reporting By Alistair Bell; Editing by Eric Beech)
ScienceDaily (Aug. 28, 2012) ? For the first time in history, a recorded song has been beamed back to Earth from another planet. Students, special guests and news media gathered at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., today to hear "Reach for the Stars" by musician will.i.am after it was transmitted from the surface of Mars by the Curiosity rover.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden addressed the crowd in a video message encouraging students to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). "Mars has always fascinated us, and the things Curiosity tells us about it will help us learn about whether or not life was possible there," Bolden said. "And what future human explorers can expect. will.i.am has provided the first song on our playlist of Mars exploration."
In opening remarks, NASA Associate Administrator for Education and space shuttle astronaut Leland Melvin said, "I can think of no greater way to honor NASA pioneer Neil Armstrong's life and legacy than to inspire today's students to follow his path. That first footprint that Neil placed on the lunar surface left an indelible mark in history. Perhaps one of our students here today or watching on NASA Television will be the first to set foot on the surface of Mars and continue humanity's quest to explore."
Musician and entrepreneur will.i.am shared his thoughts about "Reach for the Stars" becoming the first interplanetary song and an anthem for NASA education. The entertainer is a well-known advocate of science and technology education. He said, "Today is about inspiring young people to lead a life without limits placed on their potential and to pursue collaboration between humanity and technology through STEAM education. I know my purpose is to inspire young people, because they will keep inspiring me back."
After completing a journey of more than 700 million miles from Earth to Mars and back, the opening orchestral strains of "Reach for the Stars" filled the auditorium. The event added to continuing worldwide interest in Curiosity's mission.
NASA engineers spoke to attendees about the Curiosity mission, and the systems engineering and orbital mechanics involved in getting the song file back from Mars. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of all program participants. Earlier in the day, students received a guided tour of JPL to view rover models and learn about STEM career options.
During the event, will.i.am's i.am angel Foundation and Discovery Education announced a $10 million classroom education initiative that will reach 25 million students annually, including many from underserved communities. Focused on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) educational themes, the Discovery Education initiative will incorporate NASA content and space exploration themes as part of the curriculum.
The event will be replayed on NASA Television. For schedule information, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/ntv.
For information about NASA's education programs, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/education.
The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Twitter is appealing a judge's ruling to hand over to prosecutors the tweets and account information of an?Occupy Wall Street protester.
The protester,?Malcolm Harris, is?being tried for disorderly conduct in connection with the?Occupy Wall Street march on the Brooklyn Bridge last fall. Authorities are trying?to use Twitter?posts made by Harris between September and December 2011?to prosecute him.
Harris has also filed a civil proceeding to block Criminal Court Judge Matthew Sciarrino's ruling that the information be turned over to the Manhattan district attorney's office.
In its?filing?Monday, Twitter asks the court to reverse the judge's order that it turn over the information. In part, Twitter said:
Did the trial court err in ruling that over 3 months of Defendant?s Tweets are unprotected by either the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution or art. I, ? 12of the New York Constitution when the U.S. Supreme Court and New York Court of Appeals have respectively held that the government must obtain a search warrant in order to gather data about a suspect?s public movements for periods of 28 and 65 days? Yes.
The American Civil Liberties Union plans to file a brief in support of Twitter.
In a blog posting ACLU attorney Aden Fine wrote that "the information demanded by the DA includes not only the contents of Harris?s tweets, but his private subscriber information ? including the IP addresses he used to access Twitter over three-plus months, which can reveal his physical location throughout that entire period."?
The D.A.'s office "also asked for the date, time, and duration of each of his Twitter sessions. By denying Twitter?s and Harris?s challenge, the court held that the government can access this wealth of sensitive personal information without satisfying basic constitutional protections. That isn't right."
So far, the?Manhattan D.A.'s?Office has declined to comment on the appeal.
Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on?Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.
We all know that exercise is good for you ? it keeps the heart healthy, works? out the muscles and prepares you to take the stairs at work without fainting? from exhaustion. But does all that activity actually prevent you from getting? sick?
According to a study published online by the Archives of Internal? Medicine, the answer is yes. Researchers say that people who are more fit when they are middle-aged have a lower rate of chronic? diseases, including heart problems, diabetes, stroke, kidney disease, obstructive pulmonary? conditions, lung cancer, colon cancer and Alzheimer?s disease.
Previous studies have shown that people who are more physically fit? have a lower risk of dying early than those who aren?t as in shape, but the? current analysis, led by Dr. Jarrett Berry of the University of Texas? Southwestern Medical Center, is the first to expose a connection with chronic? diseases. Berry and his colleagues compared data on fitness levels of 18,670? healthy men and women in their 40s and 50s to Medicare claims for chronic? disease treatments a couple of decades later, when the participants became? eligible for coverage after age 65. Each of the volunteers performed a treadmill? test, during which the researchers measured the length of time they exercised to? exhaustion as an indicator of their fitness. For every one-unit improvement in? fitness, measured as metabolic equivalents, the volunteers enjoyed a 20% drop in? the incidence of the eight conditions the scientists tracked.
Covenant Community Outreach is hosting a four-week series on how to live well with diabetes. The educational classes are free for those who are uninsured or financially in need.
The class will meet Sept. 13, Sept. 20, Sept. 27 and Oct. 4. Each class is from 9:30-11:30 a.m. at the Lubbock Diagnostic Clinic.
Throughout the series, Julie Crane, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator for Covenant Community Outreach, will teach participants basic nutrition guidelines, the importance of carbohydrate counting, how to shop and cook with diabetes as well as how to understand food labels.
Those who attend at least three of the four classes will receive a free glucometer, Participants will receive a voucher for discounted glucometer strips.
To register or see if you qualify, call 725-5218. The LDC is located at 3506 21st St. in Suite 103.
JCI early table of contents for Aug. 27, 2012 Public release date: 27-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jillian Hurst press_release@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation
New model of muscular dystrophy provides insight into disease development
Muscular dystrophy is a complicated set of genetic diseases in which genetic mutations affect the various proteins that contribute to a complex that is required for a structural bridge between muscle cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the physical and chemical environment required for their development and function. The affects of these genetic mutations in patients vary widely, even when the same gene is affected. In order to develop treatments for this disease, it is important to have an animal model that accurately reflects the course of the disease in humans. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at the University of Iowa report the development of a mouse model of Fukuyama's muscular dystrophy that copies the pathology seen in the human form of the disease.
By removing the gene fukutin from mouse embryos at various points during development, researchers led by Kevin Campbell were able to determine that fukutin disrupts important modifications of dystrophin that prevent the muscle cells from attaching to the ECM. Disruption of the gene earlier in development led to a more severe form of the disease, suggesting that fukutin is important for muscle maturation. Disruptions in later stages of development caused a less severe form of the disease. In a companion piece, Elizabeth McNally of the University of Chicago discusses the implications of this disease model for the development of new therapies to treat muscular dystrophy.
TITLE:
Mouse fukutin deletion impairs dystroglycan processing and recapitulates muscular dystrophy
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65483?key=df6b582b4b253322e7df
Vitamin B3 helps fight staph infections in mice
Staph infections are responsible for an increasing number of life threatening infections and the bacteria that cause these infections are widespread in the community and the healthcare system. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus normally resides on skin and in noses and typically infects tissues through cuts or rashes. The infections can remain minor, but they can also lead to illnesses ranging from abscesses and boils to necrotizing skin infections, pneumonia, or blood stream infections.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have been working to identify immune system components that fight off bacterial infections. Humans that lack a molecule known as C/EBP? are missing an important bacteria-fighting component of their immune systems and are highly susceptible to bacterial infections, including staph.
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dr. George Liu and colleagues demonstrate that C/EBP? -deficient mice are also highly susceptible to staph infections and increasing the expression of C/EBP? allowed the mice to clear the infection. Vitamin B3 has previously been shown to increase expression of C/EBP?. Pre-treating the mice with vitamin B3 resulted in significantly increased infection clearance, suggesting that vitamin B3 may help the immune system to kill bacteria and clear infections.
TITLE:
C/EBP? mediates nicotinamide-enhanced clearance of Staphylococcus aureus in mice
AUTHOR CONTACT:
George Liu
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone: 310-423-4471; E-mail: george.liu@cshs.org
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/62070?key=a39ce7efc2f764ede04b
TECHNICAL ADVANCE
New biomarkers allow researchers to track neurodegeneration in cerebrospinal fluid | Back to top
Biomarkers are important tools for diagnosing and monitoring diseases and are useful in assessing patient responses to new therapies. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are particularly difficult to monitor because the site of disease (the brain) isn't readily accessible.
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Patrizia Fanara of KineMed, Inc. in Emeryville, CA and Marc Hellerstein of the University of California, San Francisco report the development of a novel class of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based kinetic biomarkers. The biomarkers measure axonal transport, a cellular process that is altered in PD, AD, Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The researchers first analyzed the biomarkers in a mouse model of Parkinsons' disease. Prior to the test, the mice drank "labeled" water, which was metabolized and incorporated into molecules that could then be measured in CSF. The study was then repeated in humans. Fanara and colleagues observed marked alterations in CSF from patients with PD compared to healthy subjects. In a companion piece, William Potter, a member of the National Institutes of Health Neuroscience Steering Committee, discusses the use of CSF as a biomarker source and the implications of this technology for the study of neurological diseases.
TITLE:
Cerebrospinal fluidbased kinetic biomarkers of axonal transport in monitoring neurodegeneration
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Patrizia Fanara
KineMed Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
Phone: 5106556525; E-mail: pfanara@kinemed.com
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/64575?key=2327e0ba88b87a685c83
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE:
Mining the secrets of the CSF: developing biomarkers of neurodegeneration
AUTHOR CONTACT:
William Potter
National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: 215-827-9729; E-mail: wzpottermd@gmail.com
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65309?key=5a4cab61960e0a7afdba
Out-PHOXed: Mutation in PHOX2B underlies multiple pediatric developmental disorders
In the developing embryo, neural crest cells (NCCs) give rise to various cell types, including neural, endocrine, and craniofacial cells. Impairment of NCC development can lead to a wide spectrum of disorders known as neurocristopathies. Three neuroscristopathies, Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), and neuroblastoma (NB) are some of the most common pediatric developmental disorders and frequently occur in the same patient. Despite being highly dis-similar disease states, affecting function of the bowel, control of breathing, and the development of pediatric brain cancer, all three are linked to mutations in the PHOX2B gene.
To gain a better understanding of the cellular and molecular origins of these diseases, researchers at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan examined the effects of PHOX2B mutations in mice. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Hideki Enomoto and colleagues demonstrate that a particular PHOX2B mutation disrupts the formation of neural cells, autonomic ganglia, that are required for the function of the autonomic nervous system, impairs enervation of part of the bowel, and promotes tumor development. In a companion piece, Michael Gershon of Columbia University discusses the impact of this work on our understanding of neurocristopathies.
TITLE:
Autonomic neurocristopathy-associated mutations in PHOX2B dysregulate Sox10 expression
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Hideki Enomoto
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, , JPN
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/63884?key=2281f71ea2c1879ebc35
Targeting inflammation to stop cancer
Chronic inflammation is frequently at the route of multiple cancers, particularly in colorectal cancers where ulcerative colitis increases the risk of developing colon cancer 20-fold. Patients with ulcerative colitis are often treated with NSAIDs to reduce inflammation, which can reduce their cancer risk by 50%. Molecules that drive inflammation may be attractive therapeutic targets to prevent and treat inflammation-driven cancers.
Chemokine receptors are one of the primary classes of molecules that regulate inflammation and many cancers express molecules that activate these receptors. Researchers at the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland recently demonstrated that the chemokine receptor CXCR2 is a critical mediator of inflammation-driven tumorigenesis. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Thomas Jamieson and colleagues show that mice lacking CXCR2 or mice that are treated with CXCR2 inhibitors are less susceptible to inflammation-driven colon and skin cancer. These studies indicate that CXCR2 inhibitors may have potential as a therapy to treat or prevent inflammation-driven cancers.
TITLE:
Inhibition of CXCR2 profoundly suppresses inflammation-driven and spontaneous tumorigenesis
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/61067?key=533354e1dda2f8b553e8
Partners in crime: T Follicular Helper Cells assist HIV in thwarting the immune system
Antibodies play an essential role in protecting against viral infection by preventing viral entry into host cells and eliminating cells infected with virus. A few viruses, including HIV and SIV, have developed mechanisms to evade the body's antibody response, allowing the virus to persist and making it very difficult to develop effective vaccines. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, two research groups report that accumulation of a type of immune cell known as T follicular helper (TFH) cells accumulate during HIV and SIV infection to help the viruses escape antibody-mediated immune responses.
Hendrick Streeck and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that there was significant increase in the number of TFH cells in patients with chronic HIV infections. The extra TFH cells were associated with alterations in the development of B cells, which are responsible for antibody production in response to viral infections. Constantinos Petrovas's group at NIH discovered that the gene profile of TFH cells in SIV-infected rhesus macaques, demonstrating that TFH cells are highly susceptible to SIV infection. In a companion piece, Carola Vinuesa of the Australian National University in Canberra, AU discusses the implications of these findings for the development of new HIV therapies.
TITLE:
Expansion of HIV-specific T follicular helper cells in chronic HIV infection
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Hendrik Streeck
Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Charlestown, MA, USA
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65175?key=77d9ab61bfb939c8bd4a
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JCI early table of contents for Aug. 27, 2012 Public release date: 27-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Jillian Hurst press_release@the-jci.org Journal of Clinical Investigation
New model of muscular dystrophy provides insight into disease development
Muscular dystrophy is a complicated set of genetic diseases in which genetic mutations affect the various proteins that contribute to a complex that is required for a structural bridge between muscle cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) that provides the physical and chemical environment required for their development and function. The affects of these genetic mutations in patients vary widely, even when the same gene is affected. In order to develop treatments for this disease, it is important to have an animal model that accurately reflects the course of the disease in humans. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers at the University of Iowa report the development of a mouse model of Fukuyama's muscular dystrophy that copies the pathology seen in the human form of the disease.
By removing the gene fukutin from mouse embryos at various points during development, researchers led by Kevin Campbell were able to determine that fukutin disrupts important modifications of dystrophin that prevent the muscle cells from attaching to the ECM. Disruption of the gene earlier in development led to a more severe form of the disease, suggesting that fukutin is important for muscle maturation. Disruptions in later stages of development caused a less severe form of the disease. In a companion piece, Elizabeth McNally of the University of Chicago discusses the implications of this disease model for the development of new therapies to treat muscular dystrophy.
TITLE:
Mouse fukutin deletion impairs dystroglycan processing and recapitulates muscular dystrophy
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65483?key=df6b582b4b253322e7df
Vitamin B3 helps fight staph infections in mice
Staph infections are responsible for an increasing number of life threatening infections and the bacteria that cause these infections are widespread in the community and the healthcare system. The bacterium Staphylococcus aureus normally resides on skin and in noses and typically infects tissues through cuts or rashes. The infections can remain minor, but they can also lead to illnesses ranging from abscesses and boils to necrotizing skin infections, pneumonia, or blood stream infections.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles have been working to identify immune system components that fight off bacterial infections. Humans that lack a molecule known as C/EBP? are missing an important bacteria-fighting component of their immune systems and are highly susceptible to bacterial infections, including staph.
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Dr. George Liu and colleagues demonstrate that C/EBP? -deficient mice are also highly susceptible to staph infections and increasing the expression of C/EBP? allowed the mice to clear the infection. Vitamin B3 has previously been shown to increase expression of C/EBP?. Pre-treating the mice with vitamin B3 resulted in significantly increased infection clearance, suggesting that vitamin B3 may help the immune system to kill bacteria and clear infections.
TITLE:
C/EBP? mediates nicotinamide-enhanced clearance of Staphylococcus aureus in mice
AUTHOR CONTACT:
George Liu
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone: 310-423-4471; E-mail: george.liu@cshs.org
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/62070?key=a39ce7efc2f764ede04b
TECHNICAL ADVANCE
New biomarkers allow researchers to track neurodegeneration in cerebrospinal fluid | Back to top
Biomarkers are important tools for diagnosing and monitoring diseases and are useful in assessing patient responses to new therapies. Neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) are particularly difficult to monitor because the site of disease (the brain) isn't readily accessible.
In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, researchers led by Patrizia Fanara of KineMed, Inc. in Emeryville, CA and Marc Hellerstein of the University of California, San Francisco report the development of a novel class of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-based kinetic biomarkers. The biomarkers measure axonal transport, a cellular process that is altered in PD, AD, Huntington's disease (HD), and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The researchers first analyzed the biomarkers in a mouse model of Parkinsons' disease. Prior to the test, the mice drank "labeled" water, which was metabolized and incorporated into molecules that could then be measured in CSF. The study was then repeated in humans. Fanara and colleagues observed marked alterations in CSF from patients with PD compared to healthy subjects. In a companion piece, William Potter, a member of the National Institutes of Health Neuroscience Steering Committee, discusses the use of CSF as a biomarker source and the implications of this technology for the study of neurological diseases.
TITLE:
Cerebrospinal fluidbased kinetic biomarkers of axonal transport in monitoring neurodegeneration
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Patrizia Fanara
KineMed Inc., Emeryville, CA, USA
Phone: 5106556525; E-mail: pfanara@kinemed.com
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/64575?key=2327e0ba88b87a685c83
ACCOMPANYING COMMENTARY
TITLE:
Mining the secrets of the CSF: developing biomarkers of neurodegeneration
AUTHOR CONTACT:
William Potter
National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Phone: 215-827-9729; E-mail: wzpottermd@gmail.com
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65309?key=5a4cab61960e0a7afdba
Out-PHOXed: Mutation in PHOX2B underlies multiple pediatric developmental disorders
In the developing embryo, neural crest cells (NCCs) give rise to various cell types, including neural, endocrine, and craniofacial cells. Impairment of NCC development can lead to a wide spectrum of disorders known as neurocristopathies. Three neuroscristopathies, Hirschsprung's disease (HSCR), central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), and neuroblastoma (NB) are some of the most common pediatric developmental disorders and frequently occur in the same patient. Despite being highly dis-similar disease states, affecting function of the bowel, control of breathing, and the development of pediatric brain cancer, all three are linked to mutations in the PHOX2B gene.
To gain a better understanding of the cellular and molecular origins of these diseases, researchers at the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan examined the effects of PHOX2B mutations in mice. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Hideki Enomoto and colleagues demonstrate that a particular PHOX2B mutation disrupts the formation of neural cells, autonomic ganglia, that are required for the function of the autonomic nervous system, impairs enervation of part of the bowel, and promotes tumor development. In a companion piece, Michael Gershon of Columbia University discusses the impact of this work on our understanding of neurocristopathies.
TITLE:
Autonomic neurocristopathy-associated mutations in PHOX2B dysregulate Sox10 expression
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Hideki Enomoto
RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology, Kobe, , JPN
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/63884?key=2281f71ea2c1879ebc35
Targeting inflammation to stop cancer
Chronic inflammation is frequently at the route of multiple cancers, particularly in colorectal cancers where ulcerative colitis increases the risk of developing colon cancer 20-fold. Patients with ulcerative colitis are often treated with NSAIDs to reduce inflammation, which can reduce their cancer risk by 50%. Molecules that drive inflammation may be attractive therapeutic targets to prevent and treat inflammation-driven cancers.
Chemokine receptors are one of the primary classes of molecules that regulate inflammation and many cancers express molecules that activate these receptors. Researchers at the University of Glasgow in Glasgow, Scotland recently demonstrated that the chemokine receptor CXCR2 is a critical mediator of inflammation-driven tumorigenesis. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Thomas Jamieson and colleagues show that mice lacking CXCR2 or mice that are treated with CXCR2 inhibitors are less susceptible to inflammation-driven colon and skin cancer. These studies indicate that CXCR2 inhibitors may have potential as a therapy to treat or prevent inflammation-driven cancers.
TITLE:
Inhibition of CXCR2 profoundly suppresses inflammation-driven and spontaneous tumorigenesis
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/61067?key=533354e1dda2f8b553e8
Partners in crime: T Follicular Helper Cells assist HIV in thwarting the immune system
Antibodies play an essential role in protecting against viral infection by preventing viral entry into host cells and eliminating cells infected with virus. A few viruses, including HIV and SIV, have developed mechanisms to evade the body's antibody response, allowing the virus to persist and making it very difficult to develop effective vaccines. In this issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, two research groups report that accumulation of a type of immune cell known as T follicular helper (TFH) cells accumulate during HIV and SIV infection to help the viruses escape antibody-mediated immune responses.
Hendrick Streeck and his colleagues at Harvard Medical School found that there was significant increase in the number of TFH cells in patients with chronic HIV infections. The extra TFH cells were associated with alterations in the development of B cells, which are responsible for antibody production in response to viral infections. Constantinos Petrovas's group at NIH discovered that the gene profile of TFH cells in SIV-infected rhesus macaques, demonstrating that TFH cells are highly susceptible to SIV infection. In a companion piece, Carola Vinuesa of the Australian National University in Canberra, AU discusses the implications of these findings for the development of new HIV therapies.
TITLE:
Expansion of HIV-specific T follicular helper cells in chronic HIV infection
AUTHOR CONTACT:
Hendrik Streeck
Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT and Harvard, Charlestown, MA, USA
View this article at: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/65175?key=77d9ab61bfb939c8bd4a
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Bank of America Merrill Lynch announced the following staff additions:
Mark Mokelke joined the office in Santa Rosa as a senior client manager and senior vice president.? A graduate of the University of San Francisco, Mr. Mokelke has been with Bank of America Merrill Lynch for the past 13 years, working in various industry groups, primarily focusing on large corporate industrial and real estate companies.??
Julie Robinson also joined the office in Santa Rosa as a treasury management solutions officer.? Ms. Robinson brings 29 years of experience in the banking industry including positions in sales, corporate training, and service and operations.? She spent 24 years with Wells Fargo with a focus in treasury for 16 years.? She joined Bank of America Merrill Lynch in 2008 and covers the middle market for the greater Bay Area.
Siobhan Griffin is a sales support associate in Santa Rosa and was recently promoted to assistant vice president.? Ms. Griffin has over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry including commercial loans, commercial banking, home loans, and residential real estate sales.
Nai Saephanh joined the Santa Rosa office as a credit support associate. Ms. Saephanh has been with Bank of America Merrill Lynch for over 13 years. Her previous experience includes cash vault operations, SBA loan administration and special assets portfolio management.
Also in Santa Rosa, Virginia Graves is a treasury management solutions analyst. She supports middle market clients located in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. Her treasury solutions expertise is primarily focused in professional service firms, clean energy companies and wineries. Her experience includes analyst positions within global corporate treasury sales and commercial card product management teams with the bank in Chicago.
Noel McArdell is based in Santa Rosa as a client manager covering Marin and Sonoma counties. She has been as associate the bank for five years, working with both business banking and middle market clients.? She has more than 14 years banking experience.
Finally, Brian Kilkenny joined the Santa Rosa office as a vice president and business development officer for Sonoma, Napa and Marin counties.? He has been involved in commercial real estate and finance for the last nine years.
Health Care
Katie Hansen
Katie Hansen is now the operations manager at Massage Envy Spa in Sonoma. She began her Massage Envy career at the Flagstaff, Ariz. location . Katie Hansen earned her Bachelor of Science degrees for business administration in management and marketing as a full-time student while working full-time.
Insurance
Fireman?s Fund Insurance Company annonced that Antonio Derossi is joining the company as the chief operations officer. Mr. Derossi will be responsible for the full scope of operations at Fireman?s Fund and will be based in Novato at the corporate headquarters. He most recently served as the COO of Allianz Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEEMA) where he was responsible for IT, operations, claims, and strategic direction and management of project portfolios and budgets. Mr. Derossi joined Allianz in 2008 as the senior vice president of the Global Life Unit at Allianz SE and prior to that held consulting roles with Andersen Consulting and McKinsey & Co.
EPIC (Edgewood Partners Insurance Center) announced the addition of Joe Costamagna as a principal in its Petaluma office. Mr. Costamagna brings 10 years of experience in insurance and risk management, working with a wide range of businesses and specializing in the construction industry. He will work closely with North Bay property and casualty practice. His responsibilities will include acquiring new clients, growing existing accounts and managing the insurance and risk management programs of current clients.Prior to joining EPIC, Mr. Costamagna spent more than three years as an account executive with Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. Before joining Woodruff-Sawyer, he was a vice president and commercial lines producer for Willis HRH for six years.
Wine
Ben Salazar
Edmeades Winery named Ben Salazar winemaker. Mr. Salazar brings more than 13 years of experience to the Anderson Valley brand.? He came to wine by way of restaurants, working for Rutherford Grill outposts in California and Colorado for six years. Mr. Salazar made the transition with a harvest position at Cardinale in Oakville. Since then he has worked at Isabel Estates Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, and at Four Vines Winery in Paso Robles. Salazar joined Jackson Family Wines in 2008 as a viticultural enologist on the North Coast. He was soon promoted to enologist and assistant winemaker at the company?s Monterey County winery.
Related posts:
People: Week of Jan. 30, 2012
People news: Week of Jan. 2, 2012
People: Week of Feb. 20, 2012
People: Week of June 18, 2012
People: Week of June 25, 2012
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Topics: Bank of America, Edgewood Partners Insurance Center, Edmeades Winery, EPIC, Fireman's Fund Insurance, Marin County, Merrill Lynch, Napa County, Sonoma County | Categories: Banking and Finance, Business Register, Health Care and Senior Living, Insurance, People, Wine Industry
NEW YORK (AP) ? The parent company of Ask.com says it has agreed to buy The About Group from The New York Times Co. for $300 million in cash.
Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, which also operates the dating site Match.com, announced the deal late Sunday.
About.com provides information on a wide variety of topics and also operates ConsumerSearch.com and Calorie-Count.com. Content is written by paid experts known as guides.
IAC said the addition of About.com will help Ask.com's offering's stand out and more authoritative, while Ask.com's search technology will help direct more users toward About.com and boost its profits.
The Times purchased About.com in 2005 for about $410 million. About.com has suffered in the past year because of a change in the way Google handles search results. That change made About.com content harder to find.
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Previously, After receiving an interesting proposal from an unexpected source, Nancy struggles with a decision involving a questionable business.
What will happen in their next episode? To know about it, you should check it out when the episode displaying. Its always fun to take pleasure from your favorite pattern, such as this. But you must waiting until the episode air date to take pleasure from it. And if you still missed the episode, you can watch it here, Watch Weeds Season 8 Episode 9 (s8xe9) Full Video Streaming Online.
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For someone who never ran a step of high school cross country (played quarterback instead), Dahlberg seems to be climbing the ladder of the sport quite nicely. I'm thinking he lands a head coaching gig before too terribly long.
If you want to do a simple home improvement that will add value to your bathrooms, consider stripping off the old wallpaper. Wallpaper is a dated wall covering and many times when a new home buyer sees it, it is a turn off. Strip it off and paint a neutral color.
Listen to a contractor when you discuss your home improvement project and pay attention to what he says. If he gently lets you know an idea is folly, or asks you questions to get a better understanding of your needs, then he?s probably a great contractor. Also, see if he?s listening to you or if he?s just trying to get you to do what he envisions.
Educate yourself before starting any home improvement projects. Be sure to research building codes and the history of the structure before you tear anything apart. Many projects are left uncompleted due to a lack of understanding of how something goes back together after it has been taken apart.
If you have an unfinished basement or attic then that will be the best place to put your home improvement money. The added living space can be included on the square footage of your house, and you will enjoy being able to use it as another room. Create a playroom for your kids, or a man cave for the gentleman of the house.
Choose wallpaper patterns carefully. Avoid using overpowering patterns in small spaces; conversely, using a bold design in a very large room will make it appear cozier. Never use a patterned wallpaper if you have patterned carpet or window coverings. For a room full of awkward corners and recesses, pick a wallpaper with a random design that the eye doesn?t tend to follow. This will help to disguise any imperfections in the walls.
When you are painting your home do not forget to put a coat of primer before you put the coat or coats of paint that you intend to put. Putting primer on the area first will create a solid bond and it will help the paint adhere to the surface.
For those who like to do it themselves instead of hiring someone, there are many ways to learn different techniques for home improvement. Looking on the internet, reading books or talking to more knowledgeable individuals, can help you to glean some useful information. There is much that can be learned for someone who wants to fix up a house.
When planning home improvements so that you can rent an area of your house out, make sure that space will adequately house a human being. If there?s absolutely no kitchen space and only a bed can fit in the sleeping area you will get far less rent and quite likely never find a renter.
When you are looking to lower your utility bills, an easy way to improve your home and save money is to check your home for leaky faucets and pipes. This way you can prevent the waste of water just dripping down your sinks and lower your costs over the span of the year.
Interior paint finishes come in a number of textures. For ordinary homeowners there is no reason to select a texture rougher than ?eggshell? or ?orange peel.? In years gone by much rougher textures (like ?popcorn?) were used for walls and ceilings in order to provide visual interest and dampen sound. These textures proved easy to damage and hard to clean, and so fell out of common use.
Consider installing eavestrough covers to keep leaves and other guck out of your water drainage system, preventing damage and flooding. A great product approved by Mike Holmes is Smart Screen Gutter Protection, which fits over existing eavestroughs so you don?t have to pay to have your entire drainage system replaced.
Always comparison shop for contractors when you need to fix up your home. Later, if you decide to sell your house, it is almost certain you will need to have some repair work done. If the work you require is extensive enough, you will have to hire a contractor. This is not something to do on the spur of the moment. Not all contractors are created equal; shop around before engaging one!
When installing a wood stove in your home as a source of heat in the winter months, always choose a stove that is rated for the size and location of the room where it will be placed. Many local building codes require this to be done and professional installers will almost always insist on it.
For home improvement projects big enough to require a contractor, it is very important that you get a contractor you can trust. Review a prospective contractor?s history and talk to his previous employers. Any disputes, lawsuits or cost overruns you find in a contractor?s background are serious warning flags. Remember to ask the contractor to explain anything troubling you turn up, though.
If there?s something you don?t like about your house, don?t just learn to live with it! Take action! Many home improvement projects can be done with minimal work and cost, and now that you?ve read this article, you?ll be able to pull them off yourself. Decide what needs fixing, and get to work.
Dee Huewe has got a web page on the subject of Roofing Companies Jacksonville
We all know that exercise is good for you ? it keeps the heart healthy, works? out the muscles and prepares you to take the stairs at work without fainting? from exhaustion. But does all that activity actually prevent you from getting? sick?![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 27-Aug-2012
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