Gene Therapy May Stall Inherited Emphysema

A new type of gene therapy may help stop the progression of emphysema in young people who have an inherited form of the deadly disease.

Researchers say previous attempts to correct the gene mutation that predisposes young people to emphysema have failed to achieve lasting results.

But a new study shows a different approach that targets cells known as alveolar macrophages to deliver the gene therapy to the lungs of mice with this form of inherited emphysema was successful in treating the condition for two years.

Emphysema is a progressive lung disease that causes severe shortness of breath. There is no cure for the disease.

Invetech Delivers World’s First Production Human Tissue Printer [Medicine]

Or, as they call it, a "3D bio-printer." Essentially, it allows scientists to build tissue cell by cell. It's that cool sci-fi medical stuff we all dream about.

"Scientists and engineers can use the 3D bio printers to enable placing cells of almost any type into a desired pattern in 3D," Murphy said. "Researchers can place liver cells on a preformed scaffold, support kidney cells with a co-printed scaffold, or form adjacent layers of epithelial and stromal soft tissue that grow into a mature tooth. Ultimately the idea would be for surgeons to have tissue on demand for various uses, and the best way to do that is get a number of bio-printers into the hands of researchers and give them the ability to make three dimensional tissues on demand."

The system includes software that enables engineers to build a model of the tissue before layering cells with laser-calibrated print heads. So, it seems pretty similar to a standard 3D model printer. Hopefully, most of us will live to see the day when we can have new hearts and livers printed on demand. That would be handy. Teeth would be great in the short term too. That whole Polygrip lifestyle where corn cobs and apples could lead to disaster does not seem appealing. [Livescience]



World’s Most ‘Perfect’ Speaker Gets Even Better [Speakers]

Every year product life cycles in the consumer marketplace grow ever shorter. On the audio side, the latest and greatest receivers become yesterday's news faster than you can say "HDMI 1.4."

Speaker companies show a little more restraint and "refresh" their lines every few years, but even then new models rarely demonstrate actual performance improvements over the previous generations' models. Speaker manufacturer Magnepan doesn't play by those rules; it invests years of development in each of its models before introducing a new speaker. It has to sound better—a lot better—than the outgoing model before it's released to the world.

And not just in the opinion of the designers. New-model Magnepans undergo extensive "blind" listening tests with a wide range of audiophile and non-audiophile listeners (the listeners don't know whether they're hearing the old or new model). The new speaker must consistently score better than the old model before it goes into production.

When I first heard the Magneplanar 1.6 back in 2008 I said it was the best under-$2,000 speaker on the market. Incredibly enough it was 10 years old at the time! The Magneplanar 1.6 has stayed in production for 12 years, but now it's about to be replaced with the new Magneplanar 1.7.

Magnepan, based in White Bear Lake, Minn., builds nothing but panel (boxless) speakers. Not only that, Magnepan designs forgo conventional dome tweeters and cone-type woofers. As I pointed out in my August 14, 2008, blog that's why the company's Magneplanar 1.6 speaker mostly avoids sounding like a speaker. The speaker earned the top position in my Top 10 greatest audiophile speakers blog earlier this year.

The new Magneplanar 1.7 is also a flat-panel design, 64.5 inches tall and a mere 2 inches thick! The new speaker looks a little more contemporary, thanks to its aluminum, wrap-around edge molding. The old model was a two-way design, with a 48-inch-tall aluminum ribbon tweeter and a 442-square-inch mid/bass panel. The Magneplanar 1.7 is a three-way design, with a woofer, tweeter, and super-tweeter. The super-tweeter comes in around 10,000 hertz and is said to produce wider dispersion and better-resolved treble than the Magneplanar 1.6 did.

The other big difference is the Magneplanar 1.7 is a "full-range" ribbon design. The ribbon terminology refers to the way the woofer, tweeter, and super-tweeter drivers incorporate thin-film aluminum foil mounted on a Mylar substrate, suspended in a magnetic field. Conventional tweeters and woofers are "driven" in the center or edge by a voice coil, so the surface of the tweeter or woofer is free to deform its shape as it makes sound. The Magneplanar 1.7's woofer, tweeter, and super-tweeter's entire surface area remains under full control by the signal it's reproducing, so it can't change shape. Translation: it sounds clearer and more lifelike than cone and dome driver designs.

The Magneplanar 1.7 is the first full-range ribbon speaker from the company, and it may be the only such design currently on the market (Apogee Acoustics started making full-range ribbon speakers in the 1980s and went out of business in the 1990s).

I'm using "perfect" in the sense that Magnepan speakers sound less like speakers than any box speaker you're likely to hear that sells for less than $10,000. Down sides? Magnepans need to be partnered with powerful amplifiers, they're picky about speaker placement, and they usually need to be placed a good 3 feet away from the rear wall. The new speaker probably will be just as demanding. I will be among the first to review the Magneplanar 1.7 in 2010, so I'll let you know if it's truly an advance over the Magneplanar 1.6.

The Magnepan 1.7's suggested retail price starts at $1,995 a pair.

Magnepan and Canadian electronics manufacturer Bryston have something special planned for CES 2010. The two brands will be demonstrating new products at T.H.E. Show at the Pink Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, and consumers are welcome to drop by.

This story originally appeared on CNET



Rising Star Kansas Democrat abrubtly pulls out of Congressional race

Was running to unseat popular "Tea Party" Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins

From Eric Dondero:

Democrat State Senator Laura Kelly has just announced that she will end her Congressional race for the seat of Republican incumbent Rep. Lynn Jenkins (photo).

Reports the Topeka Capitol-Journal (via Memeo):

Kelly was a lock to win the Democratic nomination in the 2nd District, which includes Topeka, Manhattan, Lawrence and communities from the Oklahoma to Nebraska borders.

(Topeka, and Lawrence the only two liberal areas in the State.)

Continuing:

She said demands of conducting the U.S. House campaign and responsibilities of being a member of the Senate were incompatible. The obligation to serve her constituents proved stronger than the desire to defeat Jenkins, she said.

"I can't do this race and do the Senate," Kelly said.

Translation: She read some internal polls, and looked at the coming political climate - Tea Party movement, and generic Republican vs. Democrat numbers which now show the GOP ahead by 8, and concluded she couldn't win.

Rep. Jenkins, is closely identified with the Tea Party movement, nationally and in Kansas.

The National Science Teachers Association (NTSA) Recommends Unscientific America | The Intersection

See here. Their reviewer calls our book a “tour-de-force statement about the current state of science in America,” continuing:

The writing is engaging and should find an important audience. As opposed to many science-centered books, this book will appeal not only to teachers, but, more importantly, to undergraduates who are slowly becoming aware of political issues. This book should therefore find readership beyond just science students to all students interested, or becoming interested, in current issues important to politics, education, and the general state of our nation.

You can read the full review/recommendation here. We are also of course psyched that our fellow Discover blogger Phil Plait also recently gave Unscientific America an Xmas-time plug, observing,

This book doesn’t complain about how the public doesn’t get science, it actually has advice — good advice — for how people can take up this charge.

You can read Phil’s full take here. We’re very gratified by the new wave of attention the book is receiving this holiday season, and are just about to begin updating it for the paperback due out next summer. So, more soon….


Mophie iPhone Credit Card Scanner [IPhone]

You'd think that smartphones would have made traditional credit cards obsolete by now, but since they haven't (in the US, at least), Mophie's iPhone credit card reader may be the next best thing.

Its full details will be shared with us next week at CES, but the system will consist of a hardware scanner and a corresponding app. So while the iPhone's API restrictions will prevent you from scanning your card directly into Safari for your next web purchase, there are surely some remote pay possibilities in the works similar to what we've seen from Square—not to mention, it'll pave the way for an entire generation of even lazier credit card theft. [Pocket-Lint via SlashGear]



Another Year, Another Bankruptcy

OK,

Tally Time. It is time again to see whether my predictions for 2009 were right. Or if I was way off the mark.

The Highly Likelies first
1. Francis Collins will become the Director of the NIH........You Betcha I pegged that one.
2. We will see a pharmacogenetics lawsuit......Well, still haven't seen that yet, despite the FDA label changes

Batting 500, next up

Long Shots

1. X Prize winner: PacBio, ok, maybe I was a year early on this one
2. Oprah's gene scan bougus. Guess what? It Was!

Still at 500, who's next

Ridiculous

Ok, these are what they say they are. Ridiculous. I don't think I can be held to the same standards for these swing for the fences.....

1. Mark Cuban Buys the rights to the 23andME database. Ok, I was off. DeCode tried to steal it and Google keeps dumping money into it......Both just as crazy as if Cuban would buy it......
Maybe we call that a fly out?

2. Next-Next-Next gen Sequencing will debut......you have heard of nanopore right? Is this Next-Next Gen? Or Next-Next-Next Gen? Hmmm. Foul Ball!

3. The last one is so silly I don't think it was meant to be called...........The US fracturing into territories and fighting against the world.......Not quite yet.

So on to this year's doozies!

Highly Likely

1. Another DTC failure......yes. I won't say which one.
2. One of the DTC Genomics companies will get into clinical care. They will set up shops. It may be a newcomer or an old dog. But it will happen.
3. We will have data on PGx testing with Plavix. And it will support the use.

Possible

1. Francis and Kari will start the Population Genome Study in the US
2. The XPrize will be won by Complete Genomics.

Ridiculous

1. Again, Mark Cuban will Buy Sergey's share of 23andMe's database
2. Myriad will lose the first round of hearings re: their gene patents......

The Sherpa Says: If Kansas went bye bye last year, this year we will have to "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!"

China’s New Bullet Train Breaks Speed Record; Makes Amtrak Cry | 80beats

China’s Harmony train can now boast of being the fastest long distance passenger train on the planet. The Harmony express raced 1,100 km in less than three hours on Saturday, travelling from Guangzhou, capital of southern Guangdong province, to the central city of Wuhan. The journey previously took at least 11 hours [Financial Times]. That’s almost like traveling from New York City to Indianapolis by train in three hours. Even if you encountered a two and a half hour delay, which happened to one unlucky load of Harmony riders this week, you’d still make great time.

See the train in action in the video below:

The train will run 56 times per day and the cheapest fare is 490 yuan (roughly $72), however many slower trains along the same route will be axed to help cover costs.

Harmony reached a top speed of 217 miles per hour (350 km per hour) on its debut, bumping off Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train and France’s TGV, both of which can travel at 186 miles per hour (300 km per hour). Embarrassingly for the United States, Amtrak’s Acela service takes three and a half hours to travel the 186 miles (300 km) between New York and Boston.

For a look at Chinese high speed rail, both present and future, and the state of U.S. high speed rail spending, click over to Next Big Future.

Related Content:
80beats: Are Digital Strip Searches Coming Soon To Every Airport Near You?
80beats: Virgin Galactic Unveils New Rocket for (Super-Rich) Space Tourists
80beats: Computer Glitch Delays Airline Flights Around the Country

Video: YouTube / itnnews


The Times Square New Year’s Eve Ball Timeline [Timeline]

The 102-year history of the Times Square New Year's Even Ball is one filled with technology, death and, of course, pretty shiny lights. See it all unfold in our historical timeline.

(Click the image for a large popout version.)

Of course, for those who don't appreciate the festivity of the ball drop, despite all of the hard work behind the scenes, feel free to ignore the ball's 32,256 glimmering Philips LEDs and turn your attention to your iPhone...because, yes, Waterford has made an app for that.

Happy New Year everyone!



Behind the Scenes of the 2010 Times Square New Year’s Ball [Time Ball]

The 2010 Times Square New Year's Ball is ready to go. They saved money and didn't add any LEDs, but they added new stunning Waterford clink-clink glass panels. Here's the insider look on how they did it, and why.

Anthony Quintano also sent us this video on the setup of the camera that will offer the closest view of the time ball tonight, broadcasting the event to the entire world.



Motorola’s Rumored Superthin Android Phone Sounds Spectacular [Rumor]

We had few complaints with the Droid, and the Sholes tablet, Occiphobic as it may be, is lustable, without a doubt. But Motorola's alleged next phone, the .35-inch-thick, 1080p-capable Shadow/Mirage, makes Motorola's current Android lineup look old-fashioned.

All we've got for now is a crude rendering and a dubiously sourced Chinese leak, but given the recent spate of Snapdragon-powered Android phones, the specs are within the realm of plausibility: crammed into the slim body, there's a processor capable of decoding 1080p video, an 8-megapixel camera, and an HDMI port, masked by a 4.3-inch, 800 x 484 screen, as compared to the Droid's 3.7-inch display of the same resolution.

If true, this means that there's an Android phone that's at least as powerful as, and thinner than, Google's überbuzzed Nexus One sitting just over the horizon, which strikes yet another blow to the mythos of the be-all, end-all Android device. [Mobile1 via BGR]



Get Well Rush, from your friends at Libertarian Republican

From Eric Dondero:

Late yesterday paramedics were called to Rush Limbaugh's hotel in Hawaii. It had been reported that he was suffering "chest pains." He was taken to a nearby hospital. Latest word is that he's "recovering," and that it might not have been a heart attack. Although, we caution this is not yet confirmed.

I speak on behalf of the editorial board and writers here at Libertarian Republican, and I'm sure for the Libertarian Republican movement nationwide, that we wish Rush a speedily and full recovery.

Eric Dondero, Publisher
Libertarian Republican
Founder, Republican Liberty Caucus
& Daily diehard Rush Listener

The Worst Gadgets of the Decade: 11 Bonus Dishonorable Mentions [Y2k10]

While we're confident that we nailed our 50 worst gadgets of the decade, you commenters reminded us of a few truly awful gems that didn't make the cut. So here are eleven more worst gadgets for your enjoyment and derision.

And please, suggest any others that you feel strongly about. I'll be reading the comments all day, adding the most egregiously bad examples to the list. And if you'd rather view the embedded as one long post, we've got you covered here.



Apple Free To Continue Destroying Our Ears In 2010 [Lawsuits]

Everyone remembers that story about how a bunch of people were suing Apple for potential iPod-induced hearing loss, even though they hadn't lost any hearing. It got shot down last year, appealed, and today, killed for good. CRANK IT.

The case was a bit odd from the start, in that it hinged on the potential for hearing loss, rather than actual, inflicted hearing loss. It was also odd beacuse iPods, which are evidently capable of pumping out about 125dB of sound through a pair of those crappy white earbuds, already have a volume-limiting function. This is in addition to normal volume controls, which apparently don't provide enough guidance to users to prevent them from techno-blasting their eardrums into mucousy, deaf meat-nuggets. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court's decision from last year that iPod could be, and generally are, used safely, and dismissed the lawsuit.

But as my grandfather always used to say, at the center of every frivolous class action technology lawsuit, there lies a grain of truth: iPods and iPhones, if you turn them up too loud, can damage your hearing. So don't, k? [Ars Technica]



How to Detect Oil Contamination in Water

We have a lube oil cooler where the hot lube oil is flowing at a pressure of about 28 barg on the shell side.The tube side contains water at around 4 barg.

We are interested in detecting oil leakage in water when the tube has a small leak or it ruptures.

The water is a closed loop