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Biologist Trying To Crack Microscopic Code
"Proteins interact; they 'talk' to each other," the associate professor says. "It's how they know what to do, and it's how most of the things that need to happen for living organisms get done". Over the past three years he has received $300,000 in funding from the National Science Foundation for his research. What talking proteins have to do with infectious disease is a story that unfolds in the submicroscopic world of molecular biology. It starts with bacteria, which are cloaked by an outer membrane--a defensive barrier against the harsh elements of their environment, whether toxins in nature or the protective antibodies of an infected host. Specific proteins interact to support this shield, and knowing how they communicate would provide a key to disabling it, Larsen says. Once communication questions are answered, a goal is to develop drugs to break the barrier, rendering the bacteria more susceptible to the human body's natural defenses--antibodies--as well as certain antibiotics, he points out. While keeping potential dangers out, the outer membrane must also be porous enough to allow nutrients in, he continues. As an analogy, he cites a house with a yard and a chain-link fence that "keeps the dogs out of the roses but lets the butterflies through"......... Posted by: Ashley Permalink Source Report on iPod Manufacturing
In response to the allegations, we immediately dispatched an audit team comprised of members from our human resources, legal and operations groups to carry out a thorough investigation of the conditions at the manufacturing site. The audit covered the areas of labor standards, working and living environment, compensation, overtime and worker treatment. The team interviewed over 100 randomly selected employees representing a cross-section of line workers (83%), supervisors (9%), executives (5%), and other support personnel (3%) including security guards and custodians. They visited and inspected factory floors, dormitories, dining halls, and recreation areas. The team also reviewed thousands of documents including personnel files, payroll data, time cards, and security logs. In total, the audit spanned over 1200 person-hours and covered over one million square feet of facilities......... Posted by: Gina Permalink Source Driving Australia's light metal dollar
The new venture will also develop technology to make Australia competitive in manufacturing high-value titanium metal and metal products from the country's rich titanium ore deposits. The Australian Partnership in Light Metals Research is the latest initiative of the Light Metals Flagship, one of six flagships established by the CSIRO to tackle major challenges facing the nation, such as adding value to its mineral resources. The new light metals partnership is the second in the national Flagship Collaboration Fund program to enhance collaboration between CSIRO, Australian universities and other publicly funded research agencies. As part of the $305 million over seven years provided by the Australian Government to the National Research Flagships, $97 million was specifically allocated to the Fund. The partnership brings together three centres for light metals research and development - the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Design in Light Metals based at Melbourne's Monash University; the Brisbane-based CAST Cooperative Research Centre (CRC); and the CSIRO Light Metals Flagship......... Posted by: Jim Permalink Source SMART-1 on the trail of the Moon's beginnings
Researchers responsible for the D-CIXS instrument on SMART-1 are also announcing that they have detected aluminium, magnesium and silicon. "We have good maps of iron across the lunar surface. Now we can look forward to making maps of the other elements," says Manuel Grande of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth UK, and D-CIXS' Principal Investigator. Knowing how to translate the D-CIXS orbital data into 'ground truth' has been helped by a cosmic coincidence. On 9 August 1976, the Russian spacecraft Luna 24 was launched. On 18 August it touched down in a region of the Moon known as Mare Crisium and returned a sample of the lunar soil to Earth. In January 2005, SMART-1 was high above Mare Crisium when a giant explosion took place on the Sun. Researchers often dread these storms because they can damage spacecraft but, for the researchers responsible for D-CIXS, it was just what they needed. The D-CIXS instrument depends on X-ray emission from the Sun to excite elements on the lunar surface, which then emit X-rays at characteristic wavelengths. D-CIXS collects these X-ray fingerprints and translates them into the abundance of each chemical element found on the surface of the Moon. Grande and colleagues could relate the D-CIXS Mare Crisium results to the laboratory analysis of the Russian lunar samples......... Posted by: Brooke Permalink Source Focus On Bullying Hotspots
"Bullying behavior, and school violence more generally, typically occurs in predictable locations within schools," he says. "Research has shown that violence occurs more in unmonitored areas within schools such as hallways, bathrooms, stairwells, and playgrounds. Thus, one way of cutting down on violence in schools is to identify 'hotspots' within the school where children feel that violence is likely to occur, and then to place school monitors in those areas". In his study, Pitner asked students to pinpoint on maps the areas in their school that make them feel unsafe or where fights are likely to occur. Other questions asked for the time of day those places were unsafe and for whom they were unsafe. "School officials can use this information in their strategy to make their schools safer," said Pitner, who noted that these high-risk areas likely will vary by school. "Although this approach will not completely eliminate bullying, research has shown that it would at least cut down on the areas where violence is likely to occur," he says......... Posted by: Tom Permalink Source MIT ranks 1st in engineering
MIT shares the number four slot with Caltech and Stanford. Princeton, Harvard and Yale, respectively, are ranked the top three schools. Among the key criteria for judging schools is selectivity as gauged by the lowest acceptance rate (MIT's is 14 percent), and class size as gauged by the highest proportion of classes with fewer than 20 students (MIT's is 68 percent). MIT's School of Engineering is the top-rated undergraduate program in engineering nationally, and the Sloan School of Management ranks second in undergraduate business programs. In engineering specialties, MIT was ranked first in more disciplines than any other school -- five out of 12. In undergraduate engineering specialties, MIT ranked first in aerospace/aeronautical/astronomical; chemical; computer engineering; electrical/electronic/communications; and mechanical engineering. In environmental/environmental health engineering, MIT ranked second, and the Institute ranked fourth in civil engineering, tied with Stanford and University of Texas at Austin. MIT tied for fourth with Georgia Institute of Technology in biomedical engineering and tied for second with the University of California at Berkeley in materials engineering......... Posted by: Kevin Permalink Source A Different Kind of Buff
Dave Moloney spotted these metal buff pieces on the lifts in The Meridian Hotel in Nice......... Posted by: Tom Permalink Source New Species Of Sea Urchin For Acution At Ebay
Image courtesy of Ebay
Sea Urchins are a member of the Phylum Echinodermata, Class Echinoidea. Rather then having arms or legs the sea urchin actually has long spines as a substitute. These spines are used primarily for camouflage, locomotion, and defensive purposes. The sea urchin feeds on sea grasses, algae, and decaying organic matter. One can see their close relationship to the sand dollar and starfish by looking closely at their underside, near the middle, where the familiar 5 pointed star pattern can be found. Its body is enclosed in a rigid shell, or test, made up of ten double rows of immovable plates firmly joined in a regular pattern. Sea urchins reproduce sexually by discharging either eggs or sperm into the sea, where the eggs are fertilized. This animal, which feeds primarily on vegetation and small organisms, can easily repair damage to its shell, spines, tube feet, and pedicellarieae by regenerating new parts. Sea urchins live on undersea rocks, ledges, boulders, or coral reefs......... Posted by: Ashley Permalink Source AMIGA Playing Cards
These playing cards feature pictures of departed Commodore Amiga personal computers,......... Posted by: Gina Permalink Source Create Dorodango Hikaru
In a clean container, add water to the dirt. The ratio of water to dirt will vary depending on the type of dirt. Start by adding a small amount of water, mix, and slowly add more water until the mud reaches an even consistency, similar to dough. Step 2: Create the Core: Grab a handful of mud and begin to shape it into a sphere with both hands, squeeze out as much water as you can. Eliminate irregularities from the mass by gently shaking it. The vibration removes voids, increases surface moisture, and facilitates compaction. As you shape/shake the mud, clayey particles will migrate to the surface, forming a slip layer that will make it easier to smooth the mass into a sphere. Proceed to Step 3 when the ball becomes tacky to the touch......... Posted by: Tom Permalink Source |
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