Author Archives: ev1

Mikulski Cuts Ribbon at State-of-the-art Advanced Chemistry Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground – Video

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Mikulski Cuts Ribbon at State-of-the-art Advanced Chemistry Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground
On Tuesday, August 5, 2014, U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), Chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, participated in a ribbon cutting to ...

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Mikulski Cuts Ribbon at State-of-the-art Advanced Chemistry Laboratory at Aberdeen Proving Ground - Video

Jeffrey Smith’s ‘challenge’ to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2) – Video

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Jeffrey Smith #39;s #39;challenge #39; to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2)
On August 5th, Jeffrey Smith, the creator of the #39;Institute for Responsible Technology #39; issued a challenge to Neil deGrasse Tyson. In it, he displays a TITANIC lack of knowledge on the topic...

By: Jeff Holiday

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Jeffrey Smith's 'challenge' to Neil deGrasse Tyson EVISCERATED (part 2) - Video

Pushpa Bhargava questions DBT guidelines on transgenic crops

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Even as the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) decided to constitute a sub-committee to review the toxicology data generated by two applicants for genetically modified brinjal, biologist and Padma Bhushan award winner Dr. Pushpa M. Bhargava has questioned the guidelines of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on transgenic crops.

Dr. Bhargava and others had asked for the raw data on toxicity studies on rats using transgenic brinjal which were carried out by Dr. Sesikeran, former Director of National Institute of Nutrition at Hyderabad. He found statistically quite significant differences between rats fed on Bt Brinjal and those fed on a normal meal in respect of several important parameters, said Dr. Bhargava.

However, Dr. Sesikeran had said that as all the values (both of the control and of the experimental animals) fell within the normal range of variation, the differences were not significant, and that there was no need to repeat the experiment.

Our point was that if on repetition the same differences are found again, they are bound to be significant, Dr. Bhargava pointed out. Further, he used only 20 animals (10 female and 10 male) in both experimental and the control groups which is the minimum number for such tests. Dr. Sesikeran must explain why only a minimum number was used, he said.

In a letter to Dr. Ranjini Warrier, member secretary, GEAC, on July 23, Dr. Bhargava, who was responding to the two e-mails of July 20 from Dr. Sesikeran to all the members of GEAC, said, According to Dr. Sesikeran, DBT guidelines of 2008 say the following in regard to Interpretation of results of safety studies: The design and analysis of the study should be kept as simple as possible, avoiding unnecessarily complex, sophisticated statistical techniques. If the design is simple, the statistics are likely to give straightforward results. Non-statistical knowledge must be applied in study design and proper interpretation of the biological significance of the results. Just because two treatments are statistically significantly different does not mean that the difference is large enough to have any biological importance or any practical significance.

Dr. Bhargava said he would like to know which international body endorsed this, as scientifically it does not make any sense. He said he didnt understand what that meant and sought a clarification. The GEAC meets next in August.

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Pushpa Bhargava questions DBT guidelines on transgenic crops

Americans Spent $12 Billion on Anti-Aging Procedures in 2013; Skinspirations Advises on Safer Cosmetic Non-Surgical …

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Clearwater, FL (PRWEB) August 11, 2014

In 2013, Americans had more than 11 million cosmetic procedures performed, and spent nearly $12 billion on skin rejuvenation. However, reports show that non-surgical procedures are picking up in popularity, for reasons related to affordability and shorter table time. (1) Skinspirations, a center for cosmetic enhancement that is devoted to non-surgical aesthetics, spoke on the ULTIMATE SKINCARE & BEAUTE REPORT weblog on the simplicity of non-surgical procedures as compared to surgical.

Over the past decade, surgical procedures such as breast augmentation, nose reshaping and eyelid surgery have been popular among Americans. However, nonsurgical cosmetic procedures are rising in popularity, due in particular to decreased recovery time. The American Society of Plastic Surgeons reports that Americans spent nearly $5 billion on nonsurgical cosmetic procedures just last year. (2)

Americans are starting to understand that many of their requested skincare procedures do not require surgery, commented Dr. Cynthia Elliott of Skinspirations. A combination of skincare products, services and devicessuch as lasers and fillersleads to effective treatment for the patient, and often results in no downtime.

Nonsurgical procedures can include the use of lasers, which can treat brown spots or broken capillaries. Dr. Elliott maintains that chemical peels can also be used for brown spots, in conjunction with dermal fillers to help fill in the lines. Elliott says that these procedures can often take at least 5 years off of the appearance of ones skinand in just one session. She points out that giving the client a more even skin tone is the crux of anti-aging treatments.

These procedures are also rather simple to administer. For example, dermal fillers require nothing more than injections, which are commonly referred to as a lunchtime procedure. Dermal fillers typically take no longer than an hour, and clients can see results immediately, while experiencing only minimal swelling.

Dermal fillers help to diminish facial lines and restore volume and fullness in the face. Dermal fillers can also be used to plump up thin lips, enhance shallow contours, soften facial creases and wrinkles, and improve the appearance of recessed scars.

The Skinspirations staff has had extensive training in aesthetics across the board, including in the use of Botox, injectable fillers, laser treatments, and injection lipolysis.

Elliott says that patients can do certain actions to prep the face or skin before non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as:

Stopping all aspirin and anti-inflammatories is ideal; and

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Americans Spent $12 Billion on Anti-Aging Procedures in 2013; Skinspirations Advises on Safer Cosmetic Non-Surgical ...

Bye XP, hello Windows 7: Yeah, the change made me nervous

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My dual monitors display Windows XP for the last time. Amanda Kooser/CNET

I knew this day was coming. The portents were all there. Microsoft swore back in 2011 it would no longer offer support, patches, or fixes for Windows XP come this April. The company snarkily told customers they should move to a "modern operating system." A plague of locusts descended on my home office.

On a cloudy day last week, at 11:43 in the morning, I turned off my Windows XP-loaded Dell for the last time. It made a little whining, sighing noise as it powered down. All my important files were offloaded to an external hard drive and a brand-new custom-made Windows 7 desktop sat nearby, gloating about its ascendance with its shiny black case and complete lack of cat hair sucked into the fan.

I bought my Dell XP desktop so long ago, I can't even figure out what year it went into service. It had a hard drive replaced a few years back, but kept trucking along, rarely crashing. It was never a superstar, but it also never truly failed me. I feared what Windows 7 would bring. I wondered if it would feel like crash-landing on an alien world where I didn't speak the language.

A little background about my computing tendencies. I enjoy dwelling in the Switzerland-like realm of operating-system agnosticism. I use an Android phone, an iOS tablet, a MacBook for a laptop, and Windows for my desktop. I had already decided that Windows 8 would be too much to deal with, considering the glitch history and weirdness of Metro. I chose Windows 7 instead.

I'm glad I did. Instead of feeling like a stranger in a strange operating system, I feel like I'm dating XP's fraternal twin brother. Sure, it looks a little different. There are some behavioral quirks that are unexpected (like fuzzing out my screen sometimes when my mouse wanders down to the bottom of the display), but it's not that much different.

What I like about 7 is that the OS feels zippy (partly due to my shiny new hardware powering it); the search function is so much more capable; and it quickly wakes from sleep, a process that felt interminable on XP. I'm also kind of in love with the translucent Aero interface showing the background behind the windows. I'm a sucker for subtly flashy features.

If Microsoft hadn't forced my hand by dropping security updates for XP after a 12-year life cycle, I might still be listening to that tinkly, synthy startup sound every morning. Now, I'm greeted by the whistly, synthy "hello" of 7.

I'll admit it. The thought of having to adjust to a new interface made my palms a little sweaty. Yes, yes, I can hear it now: "Wow, Amanda, you're such a wimp. It's just an OS upgrade." There's some truth to that. I was totally wimping out on upgrading, but we're all creatures of habit and it's hard to say farewell to something that's been a part of my daily work life for more than a decade.

Mostly, I feared downtime while I fumbled around learning how to use the revamped taskbar and the new "libraries" system for organizing files (as a journalist, I live on deadline; the last thing I want is for my computer to make me late and stress me out). After all my self-inflicted concerns about upgrading to a new OS, however, I find I'm now thoroughly chill about the change.

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Bye XP, hello Windows 7: Yeah, the change made me nervous

Dr. Russ Altman, Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, and Computer Science Stanford University – Video

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Dr. Russ Altman, Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, and Computer Science Stanford University
2014 ASE BIGDATA/SOCIALCOM/CYBERSECURITY Conference, Stanford University, May 27-31, 2014 Speaker: Dr. Russ Altman Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, ...

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Dr. Russ Altman, Kenneth Fong Professor of Bioengineering, and Computer Science Stanford University - Video