Monthly Archives: March 2012

Carmel freshman wins top science fair prize

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Salinas High student Audrey Mu os, 14, speaks with Frank Martin, a plant pathologist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, during the Monterey County Science and Engineering Fair.

A Carmel High School freshman won the grand prize at the annual Monterey County Science Fair Sunday at CSU Monterey Bay.

Ailis Dooner, student of science teacher Jason Maas-Baldwin took the prize and first place for her project in the pharmacology/toxicology senior division, titled "The Effects of Ambient Nitrate and Phosphate on Intracellular Zooxanthellae of Aggregating Anemone."

First runner-up for grand prize was Jimmy Lin, senior at Robert Louis Stevenson Upper School, first place in biochemistry/molecular biology, for "Investigating the Inhibitory Effect of Resveratrol on Ovarian Cancer Cells." Second runner-up was Aradhana Sinha, a junior at Salinas High School, first place in plant biology for her project,

"Triforine Sensitivity in Lettuce: Year Two."

Prizes were awarded in 22 junior and 14 senior categories, with 24 top projects becoming eligible to participate in the California State Science Fair. The top three senior division projects may be eligible to participate in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, which will be held in Pittsburgh, Pa., in May.

The students entered 375 projects in the fair, said fair director Ginny Brown of the county Office of Education.

Other first-place winners at the fair were: Austin Aldrich and Ari Freedman, eighth grade, Carmel Middle School,, applied mechanics and structures; Trevor Bianchi and Andrew Grogin, eighth grade, All Saints Episcopal Day School, materials science; Michael Bigley and

Victoria Kvitek, eighth grade, Santa Catalina Lower School behavioral and social sciences; Sarah Levi and Amanda Radner, eighth grade, All Saints Episcopal Day, product science - biological; Mary Liu, eighth grade, Buena Vista Middle School, environmental science; Jenna Mazza, eighth grade, Santa Catalina Lower School, applied mechanics and structures.

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Study shows Omega-3 fatty acids increase brain capacity

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March 5, 2012 Bron Ault-Connell Bron Ault-Connell

UCLA researchers have recently conducted a study on the correlation between Omega-3 fatty acid levels in the diet and brain capacity.

The research, published in the February 28, 2012 issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, studied 1,575 dementia-free participants, with an average age of 67. They underwent a variety of tests including MRI scans, tests measuring mental function, body mass and omega-3 fatty acid levels in red blood cells.

Omega-3 fatty acid, commonly found in fish, contains the nutrients docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).

The UCLA researchers found that those whose DHA levels were amongst the lower 25 percent of participants had lower brain volumes than those individuals with higher DHA levels. Similarly, participants whose levels of all omega-3 fatty acids in the bottom 25 percent also scored lower on tests of visual memory and executive function, including problem-solving, multi-tasking and abstract thinking.

The findings indicated that the individuals with lower levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in their diet have lower brain capacities equivalent to approximately two years of structural brain ageing.

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Study shows Omega-3 fatty acids increase brain capacity

Bill would raise UA medical campus funding

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by Emily Gersema - Mar. 4, 2012 09:29 PM The Republic | azcentral.com

The University of Arizona is asking state lawmakers for $15 million in state funds for its downtown Phoenix medical campus next school year so it can boost enrollment and hire more professors.

Rep. Ted Vogt, R-Tucson, is sponsoring House Bill 2551, which, if approved, would increase the UA Phoenix campus' budget by an estimated $540,000 from the $14.36 million in state funding approved by legislators for this school year.

"This is a strategic investment," Vogt said. "It's not just an investment in a university or education, it's an investment that will produce more doctors who will go out and serve the state of Arizona."

Vogt and other proponents of the campus say its flagship program, the UA College of Medicine-Phoenix, is producing new doctors who can provide health care in underserved areas, such as poor and rural communities. Vogt said the campus is helping to address issues with shortages of medical professionals.

The campus graduated its first class of medical doctors -- 24 students -- last spring and currently has 192 students.

Also growing the student population downtown is the addition of Northern Arizona University, which next year will draw some 50 students to the UA campus with its physical-therapy and physicians-assistant programs.

NAU is moving into the new Health Sciences Education Building at Seventh and Van Buren streets.

Both universities have said they are attempting to keep within the state most of the graduates from their Phoenix campus programs. UA officials note that about half of last year's graduating class of doctors from the campus are in residency in Arizona hospitals.

Vogt anticipates that some members of the Arizona Legislature who consider themselves fiscal conservatives will resist his proposal, but he believes others will see the school's continued financing as critical for boosting the local and state economy.

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It’s not pulp fiction

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Stem cell therapy is poised to become the next big thing in the treatment of major diseases. Even those extracted from dental pulp can be preserved for future use

Watching his five-year-old pull at his loose tooth, dad Shekar remembered something he had read in a dental clinic. Stem cells from teeth, called dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) could be preserved and retrieved to treat his son if he had a major ailment in future. Stemade, a private company, would arrange to collect DPSCs through its Smile Clinics and store them in state-of-the-art labs in several cities across the country. His thought: Stem cell technology is the next big step in medical treatment. Banking SCs is medical bio-insurance for his kid.

Stem cell therapy didn't jump out of a box yesterday. We've heard of it being used in treating leukaemia. Patients with spinal cord injury have spent huge sums on it hoping to get up and walk. Some ask: If a house lizard can grow back its tail, why can't we get our systems to re-start with a million multiplying stem cells?

Kinds of cells

The best cells for banking are embryonic cells which are programmed to develop and grow. But harvesting these is banned. Ethical issues, you know. Adult SCs beyond the embryonic stage are classified as haematopoietic (from umbilical cord blood and bone marrow) and mesenchymal (tissues and organs). While haematopoietic cells are used in the treatment of blood-related diseases such as haemophilia, blood cancer and skin troubles, tissue cells are tried on all problems other than these. HSCs are collected only from the umbilical cord and bone marrow. Tissue cells are taken from many body sources such as bone marrow, placenta, menstrual blood, cornea, outer layer of the heart, liposuction waste and teeth pulp.

Among these DPSCs are perhaps the best option, says Shailesh Gadre, MD, Stemade Biotech. We all lose our milk teeth and cell extraction here is almost painless. As for the permanent teeth, we can harvest the pulp when people have to lose them for orthodontic (cosmetic) reasons, as when braces are fixed or teeth are extracted because of poor positioning. Of course, they need to be free of caries and other dental infections.

But as we age, our cells age too, so DPSCs are best extracted and preserved when we're very young, when the cells are virile and robust. DPSCs have extraordinary doubling properties that give them a huge advantage over other stem cells, says Dr. Julian Deepak, Medical Advisor, Stemade. They are derived from the same source as nerve cells, with the same capacity as neuron cells, making them a better option for treating Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and muscular dystrophy. Work is on to see their effectiveness in curing diabetes.

Back to the kid's tooth. After the dad's call, a dentist from Stemade will check if Milan's tooth is free of disease. At a Smile Clinic he will extract it and take a blood sample. The dentist will then place the tooth in a specially-designed vial of antibiotic solution. The vial will be packed in ice-gel to keep the temperature low during transport. At their lab (which I visited) in suburban Chennai, a visual inspection is done, the tooth is flooded with anti-bacterial solution and broken open. The pulp is extracted, divided into parts for quality control and sterility (aerobic/anaerobic) tests. The processing is done in zero-contamination conditions and the cells are put in 5 different vials and placed in the vapour phase of liquid nitrogen for cryo-preservation. It is complete, patented technology. The cells are stored in raw format and can be retrieved when needed. Shekar gets a certificate and a CR Management number which will be part of his son's medical records.

These are your own (autologous) cells and will need no matching should you need them for treatment of tissue-and-organ-related diseases such as spinal cord/bone/liver/cartilage regeneration, diabetes, eye-care, etc., says Shailesh. Adds Dr. Julian, Now for most diseases we just do maintenance therapy. With their regenerative property, stem cells will cure diseases in the future.

Fine, but for a few details. One, is the banking fee? Yes, you have to pay for the banking facility, but we can help you with EMIs, says Shailesh. Subsidies are given to the poor as part of CSR. We want to reach as many households as possible. Others are the right to will it and fool-proof identification of the cells. We may store DPSCs at six and may need them at sixty.

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It's not pulp fiction

Museum of Engineered Organisms Opens In Pittsburgh

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Join Log In Submit Story Jobs Newsletter Library 29990019 story Posted by samzenpus on Sunday March 04, @01:15PM from the it's-alive-alive dept. qeorqe writes "The Center for PostNatural History is a museum and research library about organisms that have been created either by genetic engineering or selective breeding. Included in the collection are Sea Monkeys and GloFish. From the article: 'One of the cool things about natural history museums is that they show you how nature has changed over time, adapting to volatile conditions and extreme challenges. And nothing is more volatile, extreme, or challenging than the human race, so it makes sense that there would be a museum to chronicle just how much weve messed with plants, animals, the climate, and in general the world around us. The Center for PostNatural History, opening this week in Pittsburgh, is that museum.'" Related Links Post

As Gen. de Gaulle occassionally acknowledges America to be the daughter of Europe, so I am pleased to come to Yale, the daughter of Harvard. -- J.F. Kennedy

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Museum of Engineered Organisms Opens In Pittsburgh

The newest innovation in … laundry? Anatomy of a new product, from idea to store shelves

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NEW YORK, N.Y. - It took eight years, 450 product sketches, 6,000 consumer tests and hundreds of millions of dollars for Procter & Gamble to create something that it hopes will be destroyed in the wash.

Tide Pods are palm-size, liquid detergent-filled tablets that are designed to be tossed in the washer to take the measuring cups and messiness out of laundry. P&G says the product, which hit store shelves last month, is its biggest innovation in laundry in about a quarter of a century.

Tide Pods aren't the sexiest of inventions, but they illustrate how mature companies that are looking for growth often have to tweak things as mundane as soap and detergent. The story behind Tide Pods provides a window into the time, money and brainpower that goes into doing that.

P&G, the maker of everything from Pampers diapers to Pantene shampoo, has built its 175-year history on creating things people need and then improving them. (Think: Ivory soap in 1879; Swiffer Sweeper in 1999.) Each year, the maker of everything from Pampers diapers to Pantene shampoo spends $2 billion on research and development. The company also rolls out 27 products annually, or more than two a month, worldwide.

The focus on innovation has paid off. P&G says 98 per cent of American households have at least one of its products in cupboards, broom closets or bathrooms.

And while about 15 to 20 per cent of all new products succeed, P&G has claimed a 50 per cent success rate. Four of the top 10 new consumer products in 2010 were made by P&G, according to research firm SymphonyIRI.

"What they've gotten very good at is being able to understand consumer expectations," says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., a New York customer research firm.

But improving things like window cleaner and toilet paper can take years. It also can cost hundreds of millions of dollars or up to 100 per cent of first-year sales to develop, make and market them. And even then, new products are a tough sell to consumers.

"You have to develop a product that is meaningfully better than the ones out there, which is tough because generally speaking consumer products work pretty well," says Ali Dibadj, an analyst at Bernstein Research who follows P&G. "You then have to convince the consumer to try the product ... and then get that consumer to break their old habit to make a new one."

FIRST LOAD: A PRODUCT IS BORN

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The newest innovation in ... laundry? Anatomy of a new product, from idea to store shelves

Anatomy of an Apology: Rush Limbaugh's Shameless Week

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Money talks, apparently, to Rush Limbaugh, as the conservative radio trollhas issued an apology to Sandra Fluke in a last-ditch effort to stanch the flow of advertisers abandoning the show in droves. The comments began on Wednesday, after Fluke, a Georgetown law student and activist, was barred by Republicans to speak before an all-male Congressional panel contraception. Fluke insteadtestified before Democratic members of the House of Representatives, which earned this commentary from Limbaugh:

"What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke [sic] who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sexwhat does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex."

The next day, after the Senate had already voted down the GOP measure attempting to block women's access to contraception coverage, and amid growing controversy over his incendiary and nonsensical comments, Limbaugh chose to doubled-down on his attacks on Fluke.

"So, Ms. Fluke and the rest of you feminazis, here's the deal: If we are going to pay for your contraceptives and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it. And I'll tell you what it is. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch."

He also remarked in that broadcast,"I think this is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. The Left has been thrown into an outright conniption fit!" Except so had the Right: Rick Santorum called the claims "absurd," a spokesoman for John Boenher said they were "inappropriate, as is trying to raise money off the situation." Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown said via his own spokesperson that "as the father of two daughters, [he] found the remarks offensive and reprehensible and believes Limbaugh should apologize." As a Twitter and Reddit boycott campaign mobilized on Friday, HuffPost tech blogger Catharine Smith writes, news had broken that President Obama had called Fluke to offer words of encouragement. That brought more mockery and shaming from Limbaugh.

RELATED: Advertisers Distancing Themselves Over Limbaugh 'Slut' Rant

Meanwhile,advertisers were pulling out in droves: First Sleep Number, then The Sleep Train, Quicken Loans, Legal Zoom, and Citrix all pulled their spots from his show.

RELATED: As Advertisers Drop Him, Limbaugh Mocks Obama's Call to Sandra Fluke

Which brings us to his apology, posted to his website on Saturday:

For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

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Anatomy of an Apology: Rush Limbaugh's Shameless Week

Harvard Medical School Adviser: Lifestyle changes help combat liver disease

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QUESTION: My doctor just told me that I have fatty liver disease. She says that in my case it has nothing to do with drinking alcohol, which makes sense since I rarely drink. But I still don't understand it. She says it has to do with the fact that I've been overweight most of my life.

ANSWER: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) was rarely diagnosed before 1980. But today, it is believed to affect as many as 30% of adult Americans.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is actually not a single disease. Instead, it's a spectrum of disorders, all marked by the accumulation of fat inside liver cells. Under the microscope, this fatty buildup looks just like alcohol-induced fatty liver disease, but it occurs in people who consume little or no alcohol.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease usually causes no symptoms and few, if any, complications. However, some people go on to develop serious problems.

The exact cause of NAFLD is unknown. But its emergence as a recognized and increasingly common disorder coincides with the epidemics of obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Both of these are associated with insulin resistance.

Obesity and insulin resistance, in turn, are implicated in metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, including a large waist and high triglycerides (a type of blood fat). Some experts consider nonalcoholic fatty liver disease a symptom of metabolic syndrome.

The leading theory about nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is that it's a result of metabolic changes driven by insulin resistance. More fat stays in the liver, accumulating in tiny sacs in the liver cells.

In its simplest form, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is just fat in the liver cells. This condition is called steatosis. While steatosis is not normal, it causes no symptoms and by itself is usually harmless. However, 5% to 20% of people with steatosis will develop a more serious form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, or NASH. In NASH, the fattened cells cause inflammation, swelling and cell death.

We don't know the cause of this more serious, inflammatory form of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or who is most likely to develop it, but it is not simply related to the amount of fat in the liver cells.

NASH is usually a relatively stable condition with few symptoms. Most people don't know they have it unless it shows up during a blood test or imaging procedure performed for other reasons. But unlike steatosis, NASH is not harmless.

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Harvard Medical School Adviser: Lifestyle changes help combat liver disease

World's Top Health Retreats

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At the start of each new year, it's traditional for most people to make a resolution to get healthy and stay healthy. With these luxurious retreats, it's easy to keep your promise to yourself all the way through to December. Each property on our list of Top 10 Health Retreats goes beyond the usual "resort with a spa," offering programs designed to cultivate a healthy lifestyle in unique, enjoyable and permanent ways. Along with classic treatments such as massages, the spas feature regimens that fall under the heading of "wellness" and focus on overall health and longevity all the while keeping, of course, with the latest in style and luxurious comfort.

Westlake Village, California California Health & Longevity Institute

Located in Westlake Village, northwest of Los Angeles, this world-class wellness facility is a leader in what's known as science-based lifestyle rejuvenation. After a certified lifestyle consultant helps you create a personalized health strategy for accomplishing your goals, you'll be advised by a team of experts physicians, licensed dieticians, exercise physiologists, fitness trainers, stress management experts, therapists and healthy-living chefs. The institute includes a complete medical clinic with a full range of diagnostic testing and medical assessments. Adding a level of high-end luxury is the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California, which has partnered with the institute to offer combined services at its 40,000-square-foot spa. For more information, read the California Health & Longevity Institute review.

Miami Beach, Florida Canyon Ranch Miami Beach

This Miami Beach addition to the Canyon Ranch stable blends spectacular ocean views and lavish accommodations with a 70,000-square-foot health and wellness facility. The range of pampering and rejuvenating activities is seemingly unlimited, from decadent massages and facials to a European-style thermal suite with a rooftop hydro-spa, experiential rains room and herbal laconium. Energetic endeavors include Pilates and even rock climbing at the indoor fitness center overlooking the Atlantic. Wellness services range from private consultations or workshops in stress management, disease prevention, weight loss and smoking cessation to classes on healthy cooking and nutrition. If you want sun, sand and serenity while you treat yourself to a health-enhancing escape, this is definitely the place to be. For more information, read the Canyon Ranch Miami Beach review.

Bali, Indonesia Golden Rock Retreat

Bali has long been a coveted destination for seekers of rejuvenation. Beyond its tourist enclaves, its landscapes are a balm, and it offers some exceptional healthy-living sanctuaries, among the best of which is Golden Rock. Set against a backdrop of traditional Balinese life on a beach overlooking a bay, this detox and healing center offers a wealth of programs to help you cleanse your body and reenergize your spirit. The purpose-built property with just four beachfront accommodations provides a soothing environment for yoga, meditation, fasting and more. Better yet, programs are integrated with local activities you might take a sunrise outing with a fisherman or attend ceremonies in the nearby village of Amed. Along with cleanses (the retreat's specialty), guests will find infrared and herbal steam saunas, massage treatments and ozone, oxygen and bio-magnetic therapies. For more information, visit http://www.theretreatbali.com.

Kangaroo Island, South Australia Kangaroo Island Health Retreat

The Kangaroo Island Health Retreat has been designed for no more than six people at a time. That means the utmost in personalized service from founder Sue McCarthy, whose expertise in anatomy and nutrition informs all aspects of the five-day programs on offer. Programs are labeled "Moderate" and "Dynamic," and are designed to address specific issues such as allergies, anxiety, fitness and smoking or alcohol addiction. Featuring two therapies a day, they include massages, infrared sauna sessions, culinary classes, yoga and Pilates, anatomy instruction, reflexology and much more. With its organic gardens and fresh sea breezes, this intimate health escape promises to balance your body, mind and spirit. For more information, visit http://www.kihealthretreat.com.

Martillac, Bordeaux, France Les Sources de Caudalie

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59 Watch! Brian Harman flirts with immortality at Honda Classic

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Brian Harman / Getty ImagesGolf tends to toss up great out-of-nowhere stories about once a month, and March's version arrived on the second day: Brian Harman, the second alternate coming into this week's Honda Classic, stood on the tee at 18 with a chance at achieving golf nirvana: the fabled sub-60 round.

Alas, it wasn't to be; he needed an eagle to pull off a 59, and "only" managed a par. Still, Harman's 61, a 9-under round, was good enough to set the course record at PGA National by three strokes. He sat just two strokes off the lead with players still on the course Friday afternoon.

"I walked off 16 and I was like, man, if I birdie these last two holes, I'm going to shoot 59," he said afterward. "I hit a great drive on 18 and had a chance I mean, I had a chance." His approach on 18 found the bunker, he wasn't able to get up and down, and he missed a 5-footer that would have left him at 60. Still, not a bad afternoon's work.

Making Harman's achievement far more impressive is the difficulty of the PGA National course. "This is probably one of the hardest golf courses we play all year, and just to have a chance to do something special like that is really humbling and it's really cool," he said. "I saw where Davis [Love III] had shot 64 yesterday ... I'm like, How did he shoot 64 out here? This place is so hard."

He got some key advice from a former U.S. Open champ that may well have helped. "I really tried to slow myself down," he said. "Exchanged some text messages with Lucas Glover last night. He's been a really good friend to me, and every time that I've needed any help, he's always given me some advice. I asked him, I said, 'Man, how do you get out there and take your time?' He goes, 'Well, try to walk a little slower.' I did that today."

While we hope for the best for Mr. Harman in his future endeavors, we can say with authority that if this leads to even slower play on the course? Apocalypse.

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59 Watch! Brian Harman flirts with immortality at Honda Classic

Better chemistry has propelled Dortmund ahead of Bayern

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One of the key reasons defending champs Dortmund look a good bet to retain their crown is that they all seem to get along. It's a situation that Bayern Munich can only look upon with envy.

Perhaps what was most admirable about the seconds after Mainz scored a relatively late equalizer against Dortmund on Saturday was what didn't happen. Several players shared the blame for that goal, yet there was no finger pointing.

They simply went back on the attack, and eighty seconds later, they had reestablished their lead. Mainz's will was broken and the match ended 2-1.

Key to the game-winner was something else that didn't take place. Reserve attacking midfielder Ivan Perisic, no doubt very keen to make an impression, had advanced the ball up the right. Yet instead of trying to pull something difficult out of his hat, he simply stepped aside for Lukas Piszczek, who threaded a cross in for Shinji Kagawa. The Japanese midfielder duly blasted home.

"It's remarkable how much these players trust one another," said former German national goalkeeper Jens Lehmann who was commentating on the match for TV.

That moment showed how important interactions between players are in determining the outcome of tight matches. It also illustrated that, their obvious skill and fitness notwithstanding, chemistry is one of the major reasons Dortmund have put seven points between themselves and second-placed Bayern.

Well-loved boss

There was a reunion between Zidan, Klopp and the Dortmund mascot

The lion's share of the credit for the unusual harmony has to go coach Jrgen Klopp. The feelings of identification with the club even extend to players who no longer ply their trade in Dortmund.

Conspicuous was the fact that Mainz's Mohamed Zidan, who played for Dortmund until this winter, refused to celebrate the goal that temporarily knotted the score. Normally strikers are especially jubilant when they perform against clubs where they failed to make their mark. The Egyptian seemed more concerned with expressing respect for Klopp, who used to coach Mainz and is considered Zidan's mentor.

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X-rays reveal how soil bacteria carry out surprising chemistry

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Public release date: 4-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Carolyn Fong carolyn@nus.edu.sg 65-651-65399 National University of Singapore

Researchers from Singapore, Japan, the UK and USA have discovered how soil bacteria carry out surprising chemistry, defying a longstanding set of chemical rules and thus paving the way for new synthesis of polyether drugs.

Principal investigator, Chu-Young Kim, Assistant Professor at the Department of Biological Sciences of the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Science, and his group have made use of powerful X-rays to decipher how antibiotic-producing bacteria defy a longstanding set of chemical rules.

Their result, reported today in Nature (DOI: 10.1038/nature10865), details how a soil bacterium, Streptomyces lasaliensis, is able to convert an epoxide into a six-membered cyclic ether during synthesis of lasalocid, a natural polyether antibiotic. The fact that bacteria can perform such chemistry has puzzled chemists and biologists for decades because this type of chemical transformation is known to be kinetically unfavorable.

According to "Baldwin's Rules for Ring Closure," which govern the way these rings form, lasalocid should contain a five-membered ring instead of the observed six-membered ring.

"Our study has broad implications because the six-membered cyclic ether is a common structural feature found in hundreds of drug molecules produced by nature," said Dr Kim. "We have analysed the genes of six other organisms that produce similar polyether drugs and we are now confident that the biosynthetic strategy we have uncovered is also used by these organisms."

The solution to the molecular mystery depended in large part on a deeper understanding of the unique enzyme Lsd19 that catalyses the formation of two cyclic ether moieties that is part of the lasalocid structure. To determine the protein's atomic structure, researchers hit frozen crystals of Lsd19 with X-rays at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and analysed how the crystals diffracted the X-rays. "You need atomic-level detail of the protein's structure to understand what's really happening," said co-author Irimpan Mathews, a staff scientist at SLAC.

Lessons from the bugs

"The bugs have taught us a valuable chemistry lesson," Dr Kim said.

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Bite-Sized Biochemistry #22 – Glycolysis II / Carbohydrate Metabolism – Video

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03-08-2011 12:03 (11/17/10) Lecture by Kevin Ahern of Oregon State University discussing Biochemistry Basics in BB 450. See the full course at oregonstate.edu Highlights Glycolysis II 1. Reaction #9 is catalyzed by enolase and involves removal of water from 2PG to form PEP, which is a highly energetic compound. 2. Reaction #10 is the "Big Bang" of glycolysis. It is catalyzed by the enzyme pyruvate kinase and in the reaction, a substrate level phosphorylation yields ATP. Note that the Delta G zero prime is very strongly negative, helping to pull all the reactions preceding it to a large extent. The enzyme is allosterically inactivated by ATP and allosterically activated by F1,6BP. The latter activation is an example of "feed forward" activation. Pyruvate kinase is also inactivated by phosphorylation, as will be seen in glycogen metabolism. 3. The phenomenon of redox balancing is important for glycolysis. Redox balancing relates to the relative amount of NAD+ and NADH in the cell. Remember that reaction 6 is very sensitive to the ratio of NAD+/NADH. 4. Pyruvate has three separate fates, depending on conditions and the cell type. When oxygen is present, there is plenty of NAD+, so aerobic cells convert pyruvate to acetyl-CoA for oxidation in the citric acid cycle. When oxygen is absent, NAD+ levels can go down, so to prevent that from happening, pyruvate is converted to either lactate (animals) or ethanol (bacteria/yeast). Either of these last two conversions REQUIRES NADH and produces NAD+ ...

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Bite-Sized Biochemistry #22 - Glycolysis II / Carbohydrate Metabolism - Video

The newest innovation in … laundry? Anatomy of a new product, from idea to store shelves

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NEW YORK, N.Y. - It took eight years, 450 product sketches, 6,000 consumer tests and hundreds of millions of dollars for Procter & Gamble to create something that it hopes will be destroyed in the wash.

Tide Pods are palm-size, liquid detergent-filled tablets that are designed to be tossed in the washer to take the measuring cups and messiness out of laundry. P&G says the product, which hit store shelves last month, is its biggest innovation in laundry in about a quarter of a century.

Tide Pods aren't the sexiest of inventions, but they illustrate how mature companies that are looking for growth often have to tweak things as mundane as soap and detergent. The story behind Tide Pods provides a window into the time, money and brainpower that goes into doing that.

P&G, the maker of everything from Pampers diapers to Pantene shampoo, has built its 175-year history on creating things people need and then improving them. (Think: Ivory soap in 1879; Swiffer Sweeper in 1999.) Each year, the maker of everything from Pampers diapers to Pantene shampoo spends $2 billion on research and development. The company also rolls out 27 products annually, or more than two a month, worldwide.

The focus on innovation has paid off. P&G says 98 per cent of American households have at least one of its products in cupboards, broom closets or bathrooms.

And while about 15 to 20 per cent of all new products succeed, P&G has claimed a 50 per cent success rate. Four of the top 10 new consumer products in 2010 were made by P&G, according to research firm SymphonyIRI.

"What they've gotten very good at is being able to understand consumer expectations," says Robert Passikoff, president of Brand Keys Inc., a New York customer research firm.

But improving things like window cleaner and toilet paper can take years. It also can cost hundreds of millions of dollars or up to 100 per cent of first-year sales to develop, make and market them. And even then, new products are a tough sell to consumers.

"You have to develop a product that is meaningfully better than the ones out there, which is tough because generally speaking consumer products work pretty well," says Ali Dibadj, an analyst at Bernstein Research who follows P&G. "You then have to convince the consumer to try the product ... and then get that consumer to break their old habit to make a new one."

FIRST LOAD: A PRODUCT IS BORN

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The newest innovation in ... laundry? Anatomy of a new product, from idea to store shelves

Anatomy of a Murdered Show: Creators of Carrie Talk About Musical's Second Coming

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Anatomy of a Murdered Show: Creators of Carrie Talk About Musical's Second Coming

By Harry Haun 04 Mar 2012

Carrie writers Lawrence D. Cohen, Michael Gore and Dean Pitchford look back at their notorious musical's past and revel in its present revised revival.

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Kelly and Moose Murders, which ran a total of two performances (collectively), and Breakfast at Tiffany's, which closed in previews at minus-2, were infinitely more infamous but poor Carrie is the one forever cursed as the bedrock of bad Broadway shows, no small thanks to theatre historian Ken Mandelbaum, who called his chronicle on 40 years of flops "Not Since Carrie."

One thing that has happened since Carrie might just warrant a re-titling: namely, her comeback easily the greatest since Nixon and, before that, Lazarus. Officially, this came to pass at Off-Broadway's Lucille Lortel Theatre on March 1 in like a lion, as they say, and mostly because of its own legendary, marinated awfulness.

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Yes, after three years in the remaking and a full month of intensive, all-hands-on surgery in previews, Stephen King's telekinetic teen killer pounces anew, as vivid (and patched-up) as The Creature in Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory alive!

Still, there's something different about her like, say, the times: in the light of current events, Carrie White looms like a pioneer crusader against high-school bullying. So what if her strike-back has enough zeal and overkill to wipe out a whole student body? Much of that must be laid at the door of her religious-wacko mom, Margaret, who, too, is brought up to contemporary speed with her fanatical fundamentalism.

Piper Laurie and Sissy Spacek were the original mother-daughter act in Brian De Palma's 1976 horror-cult flick. Lawrence D. Cohen, who adapted King's 1974 novel into that movie, also wrote the book for the musical version, which premiered with Barbara Cook and Linzi Hateley in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, in February 1988.

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Anatomy of a Murdered Show: Creators of Carrie Talk About Musical's Second Coming

Anatomy of an Apology: Rush Limbaugh's Shameless Week

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Money talks, apparently, to Rush Limbaugh, as the conservative radio trollhas issued an apology to Sandra Fluke in a last-ditch effort to stanch the flow of advertisers abandoning the show in droves. The comments began on Wednesday, after Fluke, a Georgetown law student and activist, was barred by Republicans to speak before an all-male Congressional panel contraception. Fluke insteadtestified before Democratic members of the House of Representatives, which earned this commentary from Limbaugh:

"What does it say about the college co-ed Susan Fluke [sic] who goes before a congressional committee and essentially says that she must be paid to have sexwhat does that make her? It makes her a slut, right? It makes her a prostitute. She wants to be paid to have sex. She's having so much sex she can't afford the contraception. She wants you and me and the taxpayers to pay her to have sex."

The next day, after the Senate had already voted down the GOP measure attempting to block women's access to contraception coverage, and amid growing controversy over his incendiary and nonsensical comments, Limbaugh chose to doubled-down on his attacks on Fluke.

"So, Ms. Fluke and the rest of you feminazis, here's the deal: If we are going to pay for your contraceptives and thus pay for you to have sex, we want something for it. And I'll tell you what it is. We want you to post the videos online so we can all watch."

He also remarked in that broadcast,"I think this is hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. The Left has been thrown into an outright conniption fit!" Except so had the Right: Rick Santorum called the claims "absurd," a spokesoman for John Boenher said they were "inappropriate, as is trying to raise money off the situation." Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown said via his own spokesperson that "as the father of two daughters, [he] found the remarks offensive and reprehensible and believes Limbaugh should apologize." As a Twitter and Reddit boycott campaign mobilized on Friday, HuffPost tech blogger Catharine Smith writes, news had broken that President Obama had called Fluke to offer words of encouragement. That brought more mockery and shaming from Limbaugh.

RELATED: Advertisers Distancing Themselves Over Limbaugh 'Slut' Rant

Meanwhile,advertisers were pulling out in droves: First Sleep Number, then The Sleep Train, Quicken Loans, Legal Zoom, and Citrix all pulled their spots from his show.

RELATED: As Advertisers Drop Him, Limbaugh Mocks Obama's Call to Sandra Fluke

Which brings us to his apology, posted to his website on Saturday:

For over 20 years, I have illustrated the absurd with absurdity, three hours a day, five days a week. In this instance, I chose the wrong words in my analogy of the situation. I did not mean a personal attack on Ms. Fluke.

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Anatomy of an Apology: Rush Limbaugh's Shameless Week