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A practical solution to Texas health care delivery crisis
With about one in four uninsured, Texas ranks last in the number of residents with health insurance. This dubious distinction coupled with poor utilization of limited professional resources further compounds the delivery of health care to a rapidly growing population. Additionally, despite low reimbursement rates for Medicaid providers, Texas Medicaid budget continues to grow.
One way to address the access and budgetary health care crisis is to restructure the medical matrix to more efficiently utilize currently available resources in our provider system. Granting full practice authority to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) would go a long way toward alleviating the crisis.
We filed S.B. 751 and H.B. 1885 to allow APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education and clinical capability, providing much needed access to primary care. Texas APRNs are already providing critical health care functions, including evaluating and diagnosing patients; ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests; and initiating and managing treatments, including prescribing medications. This legislation would authorize them to continue these activities, but would eliminate needless statutory and regulatory mandates that limit their ability to practice, particularly in rural areas.
Under current Texas law, APRNs can only prescribe medication under the authority delegated by physicians, and they must meet face-to-face with a supervising physician periodically. With few physicians opting to practice in rural areas, this requirement prevents many APRNs from providing care in these underserved settings.
Because Texas requires delegation, we are losing APRNs to the 20 states and the District of Columbia, where APRNs have full practice authority. The New Mexico Legislature appropriated funds to the New Mexico governor specifically to recruit APRNs from Texas. Every year, tens of millions of Texans taxpayer dollars go to educating APRNs. However, we are not reaping the benefits of our investment because states like New Mexico recruit our APRNs away to address their provider shortages. We cannot afford this drain on our resources.
Texas currently ranks 42nd in the U.S. in the ratio of physicians per population and 47th in the ratio of primary care physicians. In rural areas, the primary care shortage is even worse; 185 of our states 254 counties are medically underserved.
Opponents claim this legislation runs counter to the trend of team-based practices. However, with full practice authority, APRNs will continue to collaborate with physicians and other health care providers.
Texas currently has more than 18,000 licensed APRNs today whose vast expertise is not being fully utilized. Allowing APRNs to practice to the full extent of their education and clinical capability will not only provide access to much needed care but will do so without creating huge costs. APRNs perform many of the same functions physicians perform, but more cost-effectively and without compromising quality of service. The average cost of treatment by an APRN is 20 to 35 percent lower than that of a physician.
Opponents of this legislation argue that APRNs dont have as much education and training as doctors and say that extending full practice authority to them is a public safety concern. Hundreds of studies conducted over the past 40 years highly rated on strength of evidence have repeatedly found APRNs care to be equivalent, and in some cases superior, to that provided by physicians.
Chronic disease and health disparities among Texas rapidly expanding and aging population is an increasing concern, especially when fewer medical school graduates are choosing primary care practice (only nine percent in 2009). In contrast, 80 percent of our APRNs work in a primary care setting. An adequate primary care workforce is essential to providing quality, affordable health care.
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Marcus Miller, Ph.D., receives ACMG Foundation/David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award
The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine announces the first recipient of the ACMG Foundation/David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award at the 2015 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah
The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine is proud to announce that Marcus Miller, PhD of Baylor is the recipient of the inaugural ACMG Foundation/David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award. The Award was presented during the 2015 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award was created in memory of the late Dr. David L Rimoin, one of the founders of ACMG who passed away in 2012. Dr. Rimoin touched the lives of generations of patients as well as trainees and colleagues. This award is a cash award given to a selected student, trainee, or junior faculty ACMG member whose abstract submission is chosen as a platform presentation during the ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting and complements the David L. Rimoin Lifetime Achievement Award, which will begin at the 2016 ACMG Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Miller was selected to receive this award for his platform presentation, "Metabolomic Analysis Uncovers Significant Trimethylamine N-oxide Production in Patients with Inborn Errors of Metabolism Requiring Supplemental Carnitine Despite Dietary Meat Restrictions."
Dr. Miller completed his PhD in Genetics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and his BS in Biology at Purdue University. He is currently a molecular genetics laboratory fellow at Baylor College of Medicine, he is working on research topics that include Metabolomic analysis using high precision mass spectrometry, approaches to metabolomic data analysis, molecular genetics of VLCAD deficiency especially as it relates to newborn screening, next generation sequencing, mitochondrial disorders, approaches to molecular genetic testing, and general human genetic disorders.
"The ACMG and ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine would not be where it is today without the hard work of Dr. Rimoin, who was our founding president. This award will help keep his legacy alive in students, trainees and junior faculty ACMG members" said Bruce R. Korf, MD, PhD FACMG, president of the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine.
Ann Garber, Dr. Rimoin's widow said, "The Rimoin family is excited that Dr. Miller's outstanding work will be recognized and supported through the David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award. It would make David happy that the individualized therapeutic approaches advocated by Dr. Miller's findings are being brought to the forefront, as this was a major emphasis of his work and passion."
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The ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a community of supporters and contributors who understand the importance of medical genetics in healthcare. Established in 1992, the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine supports the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics; mission to "translate genes into health" by raising funds to attract the next generation of medical geneticists and genetic counselors, to sponsor important research, to promote information about medical genetics, and much more.
To learn more about the important mission and projects of the ACMG Foundation for Genetic and Genomic Medicine and how you too can support this great cause, please visit http://www.acmgfoundation.org or contact us at acmgf@acmgfoundation.org or 301/718-2014.
Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.
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Marcus Miller, Ph.D., receives ACMG Foundation/David L. Rimoin Inspiring Excellence Award
South-east England ahead on genetic tests for inherited eye conditions
New research from The University of Manchester published in the Journal of Community Genetics reveals a stark variation in genetic testing services for inherited eye disease in England.
The study, which was part-funded by Fight for Sight, shows that service provision in the North-east is much lower than expected based on population size and demographics, while in London and the South-east, it's much higher.
Genetic tests have been available on the NHS for over a decade for a limited number of inherited retinal dystrophies such as retinitis pigmentosa. However, new technology, known as 'next-generation sequencing' (NGS), has made it possible to map many genes simultaneously, saving time and money.
NGS means that many more patients with inherited retinal dystrophies could receive accurate genetic diagnoses and appropriate genetic counselling on how the condition might affect their families. But in order to plan for an expansion in NHS service provision, it is necessary to know how well existing services are working.
In the current study, the research team looked back at genetic testing in 2003-2011 for common mutations in six genes linked to dominantly inherited and X-linked retinitis pigmentosa. They quantified the variation in testing rate between the nine NHS regions in England, based on population size and demographics.
Results showed that by 2011, 4.5 per 100,000 males and 2.6 per 100,000 females in England had been tested. However, there was a wide variation in testing rates between the regions.
In north-east England there were approximately half as many tests as expected, whereas in the south-east, the rate was over a third more than expected. Only in the west Midlands and east England were test rates in line with the overall rate for England.
"It is likely that a number of factors have contributed to this variation in access to genetic services," said Professor Graeme Black from the Centre for Genomic Medicine at The University of Manchester, who led the research. "For instance, the at-risk population is not uniform across England; the way in which diagnostic tests are made available to clinicians varies between regions; and it's unclear whether there is variation in the way that clinicians and genetic counsellors explain the tests to patients.
"However, it is clear that we are unlikely to achieve equal access across the regions by chance. We need a consistent approach in providing information to patients about the availability and perceived value of testing and we need a strong evidence base to support the value of genetic testing on grounds of clinical and economic utility.
"In this way we can begin to develop a single, national strategy that will make it possible to fulfil the huge potential of next-generation sequencing to improve patient care and drive research forward."
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South-east England ahead on genetic tests for inherited eye conditions
Short and Sweet: Why Modern Molecular Biology Needs Oligos
DNA sequencing and synthesis are two sides of the same coin, the read and write functions of genetic material. The field and its requisite technology took off in the 1990s with the Human Genome Projects effort to sequence billions of bases and unlock a new era of genetically informed medicine. The resulting science is still a work in progress it turns out the genetic code is more complicated than anticipated but the technologies and companies it helped spawn are an impressive legacy.
Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT) got its start during the Human Genome Project, as it produced single nucleotides (the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs that comprise the genetic code) and short oligonucleotide chains (or oligos) to help facilitate a massive sequencing effort around the world. Of course, sequencing technology has advanced dramatically in the intervening decades, but you still need oligos to do the sequencing, explains Jerry Steele, IDTs Director of Marketing, especially in the next gen sequencing space. Sequencing and DNA synthesis go hand in hand.
The current sequencing method of choice is Illumina, a process that frequently returns millions of bases of DNA sequence by reading distinct stepwise fluorescent signals associated with each base in a massively parallel array. To distinguish genetic material from different samples (a few hundred are often run on the same plate), scientists label each samples DNA extract with a distinct barcode. With each barcode comprised of about ten nucleotides, the demand for synthetic DNA chains in the sequencing process is substantial.
Unlike other biotech companies prioritizing longer constructs or gene variants, IDT specializes in relatively short oligos. These chains are used not only in Illumina barcoding, but also as primers consistent patches of sequence that may border unknown regions and facilitate PCR-based amplification. Both techniques next gen Illumina sequencing and primer-based amplification are staples of any self-respecting applied or research-based microbiology laboratory, as they allow researchers to identify constituent organisms or confirm a genes presence.
With such short sequences, a single nucleotide discrepancy could mean the difference between two Illumina samples from opposite ends of the world, or between a gene native to the Firmicutes or the Proteobacteria. Its a small margin for error, so every base better be right, explains Steele. As weve grown, its just a matter of maintaining that consistency on a larger scale. In the spirit of not fixing something that needs no repairs, IDT shipped an entire fabrication room from its headquarters in Des Moines to Belgium when that facility was being built.
Fundamental as they are to modern biology, oligos are used every day in thousands of laboratories around the world, often in innovative ways that the company itself may not have predicted. The things that people are doing with DNA are really inspiring, notes Steele. One of his favorite use cases involves low-impact prenatal tests: rather than a painful and invasive amniosyntesis, weve discovered that now because of sequencing, we can see the babys DNA in a blood draw from the mother. Improved sequencing fidelity and throughput are expanding the resolution of the technique, and Steele soon envisions scientists using next gen sequencing to detect cancer cells from the blood stream as an early diagnosis tool. Biology is really leaving the lab and coming into the real world, Steele explains, and its going to improve a lot of lives.
*This article is part of a special series on DNA synthesis and was previously published at SynBioBeta, the activity hub for the synthetic biology industry.
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Genetic Variability in the Platelet Linked to Increased Risk for Clotting
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Newswise Boston (March 31, 2015) Coronary heart disease and stroke, two of the leading causes of death in the United States, are diseases associated with heightened platelet reactivity. A new study in humans suggests an underlying reason for the variability in the risk of clotting is due to a genetic variation in a receptor on the surface of the platelet. Additionally, the current study suggests that people expressing this genetic variant may be less protected from clotting and thrombosis when taking current anti-platelet therapies such as Aspirin and other blood thinning medications.
Antiplatelet therapy has helped to drastically reduce mortality associated with heart attacks and strokes; however, some individuals taking antiplatelet drugs are not fully protected from platelet clot formation. For example, black individuals are disproportionately burdened by these diseases compared to white individuals even after adjusting for clinical and demographic factors.
Benjamin Tourdot, Ph.D., a Postdoctoral Fellow on a research team led by Michael Holinstat, Ph.D., at the University of Michigan Department of Pharmacology recently discovered a genetic variant in a key platelet receptor, PAR4, which enhances platelet reactivity and is more frequently expressed in blacks than whites. The research will be presented at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) Annual Meeting during Experimental Biology 2015.
While the genetic variation is more common in blacks than whites it is still relatively common in both races with 76 percent of blacks and 36 percent of whites expressing at least one copy of the gene responsible for the hyper-responsiveness.
To determine if individuals with the hyper-responsive form of PAR4 may be less protected following a myocardial infarction or stroke even after receiving recommended antiplatelet therapy, the investigators compared healthy individuals and cardiac patients with and without the mutation for their responsiveness to PAR4 who were taking standard of care antiplatelet therapy (Aspirin and Plavix). The preliminary data demonstrated that independent of race individuals with a copy of the hyperactive variant of PAR4 have an increase in PAR4-mediated platelet reactivity compared to individuals without the variant even in the presence of antiplatelet therapy.
This work could identify the PAR4 T120A variant as a potential risk factor for thrombosis, and would require a new approach to treating patients with this genetic variant including the development of PAR4 antagonists.
A greater understanding of which patients benefit the most from current therapeutic strategies and which patients remain at elevated risk for a thrombotic event will aid in the development of new therapeutic targets for at-risk populations.
This study reinforces the personalized medicine approach to therapeutic intervention and challenges the one size fits all approach, which often leaves at risk populations without adequate protection from thrombotic events and stroke.
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Genetic Variability in the Platelet Linked to Increased Risk for Clotting
Illuminati Science EXPOSED Genetic Engineering, Cloning, DNA Manipulation, Transhumanism 1080p – Video
Illuminati Science EXPOSED Genetic Engineering, Cloning, DNA Manipulation, Transhumanism 1080p
I am just a middleman trying to spread the word FAIR USE NOTICE: This video may contain copyrighted material. Such material is made available for entertainment purposes only. This constitutes...
By: Timothy anon
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What is Genetic Engineering? – by Wideo.co – Video
What is Genetic Engineering? - by Wideo.co
This video was created using wideo.co, the best online tool to easily create animated videos. Make your own video now at http://goo.gl/X153KO.
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What is Genetic Engineering? – Video
What is Genetic Engineering?
Learn about how genetic engineering works and how it can be applied in science.
By: Eco-Wise Videos
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Genetic Engineering Video 678 – Video
Genetic Engineering Video 678
By: SimonFichterMSD
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Cancer-fighting pink pineapples? Genetic engineering looms
Unidentifiable shopping trolley - Source: Breakfast
Cancer-fighting pink pineapples, heart-healthy purple tomatoes and less fatty vegetable oils may someday be on grocery shelves alongside more traditional products.
These genetically engineered foods could receive government approval in the coming years, following the OK given recently in the US to apples that don't brown and potatoes that don't bruise.
The companies and scientists that have created these foods are hoping that customers will be attracted to the health benefits and convenience and overlook any concerns about genetic engineering.
"I think once people see more of the benefits they will become more accepting of the technology," says Michael Firko, who oversees the US Agriculture Department's regulation of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs.
Critics aren't so sure. They say there should be more thorough regulation of modified foods, which are grown from seeds engineered in labs, and have called for mandatory labeling of those foods. The Agriculture Department only has the authority to oversee plant health of GMOs, and seeking Food and Drug Administration's safety approval is generally voluntary.
"Many of these things can be done through traditional breeding," says Doug Gurian-Sherman of the advocacy group Center for Food Safety. "There needs to be skepticism."
What could be coming next? Del Monte has engineered a pink pineapple that includes lycopene, an antioxidant compound that gives tomatoes their red color and may have a role in preventing cancer. USDA has approved importation of the pineapple, which would be grown only outside of the United States; it is pending FDA approval.
A small British company is planning to apply for US permission to produce and sell purple tomatoes that have high levels of anthocyanins, compounds found in blueberries that some studies show lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. FDA would have to approve any health claims used to sell the products.
Seed giants Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences are separately developing modified soybean, canola and sunflower oils with fewer saturated fats and more Omega-3 fatty acids. The Florida citrus company Southern Gardens is using a spinach gene to develop genetically engineered orange trees that could potentially resist citrus greening disease, which is devastating the Florida orange crop. Okanagan Specialty Fruits Inc., the company that created the non-browning apples, is also looking at genetically engineering peaches, cherries and apples to resist disease and improve quality.
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Can caffeine be used to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease?
IMAGE:Journal of Caffeine Research covers the effects of caffeine on a wide range of diseases and conditions, including mood disorders, neurological disorders, cognitive performance, cardiovascular disease, and sports performance.... view more
Credit: (c) 2015 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers
New Rochelle, NY, March 31, 2015-The proposed link between caffeine and reductions in the beta amyloid plaque accumulation characteristic of Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggest a possible role for caffeine in AD treatment. The latest evidence linking beta amyloid protein to Alzheimer's disease and exploring the relationship between caffeine and beta amyloid are featured in a review article in Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Journal of Caffeine Research website at http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jcr.2014.0027 until May 1, 2015.
In the article "Caffeine as Treatment for Alzheimer's: A Review", Abhishek Mohan, BS, Old Dominion University (Norfolk, VA), and coauthors identify the potential opportunities for using caffeine to reduce beta amyloid levels as a means of preventing, treating, and slowing the progression of Alzheimer's disease.
"To say that strategizing medicines to treat Alzheimer's disorders is important is an understatement," says Patricia A. Broderick, PhD, Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Caffeine Research, Medical Professor in Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience, The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, and Adjunct Professor in Neurology, New York University Langone Medical Center and Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. "Moreover, to say that caffeine is just an ordinary staple in our lives, whether caffeine is part of coffee or a chocolate bar, is also an understatement. Thus, what Dr. Mohan has published herein is elegant in its simplicity; his work is critically on target."
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About the Journal
Journal of Caffeine Research: The International Multidisciplinary Journal of Caffeine Science is a quarterly journal published online with Open Access options and in print. The Journal covers the effects of caffeine on a wide range of diseases and conditions, including mood disorders, neurological disorders, cognitive performance, cardiovascular disease, and sports performance. Journal of Caffeine Research explores all aspects of caffeine science including the biochemistry of caffeine; its actions on the human body; benefits, dangers, and contraindications; and caffeine addiction and withdrawal, across all stages of the human life span from prenatal exposure to end-of-life. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Journal of Caffeine Research website at http://www.liebertpub.com/jcr.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including Breastfeeding Medicine, Journal of Medicinal Food, and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 80 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website at http://www.liebertpub.com.
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Can caffeine be used to treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease?
Biotech's next buzz: Gene therapy?
Imagine if instead of using drugs or surgery, a doctor could simply insert a gene into a patient's cell to treat or prevent disease.
Gene therapy is endeavoring to do just that and could emerge in the coming years as a viable alternative for treatment. Certain conditions that previously couldn't be treated, such as forms of blindness, types of cancer or more rare conditions like sickle cell disease are now being researched with this alternative treatment.
Phil Nadeau, biotechnology analyst with Cowen and Company, predicts there will be several gene therapy products approved by the F.D.A. within the next few years. He told CNBC recently he sees more than $1 billion in gene therapy sales worldwide, which ultimately means significant investments in gene therapy in the near future.
"In the past, most major companies stayed away from having gene therapy programs. In the future, we think, it's going to be a standard treatment," he said.
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Comic Box: Futurist tale from Ales Kot brimming with scientific jargon
Prolific comic book author and futurist Warren Ellis has had some choice words for those people who ask questions like, "where's my jetpack?" as they decry the lack of the tomorrow land they were promised. The future shown to us by the science fiction of my childhood and many others is one which we have made obsolete, or leapfrogged past or abandoned entirely.
The future is here and it is weird and the new futures dreamed up by science fiction prophets are in many ways even stranger than anything we ever imagined being. For me this is best embodied by the predicted technological singularity, the point at which technology will move beyond human control and fundamentally alter our world or the universe at large. Alongside this is the proliferation of theories abounding in the realm of physics known as string theory, the most interesting to my mind being the holographic principle. At its simplest interpretation, this hypothesis postulates that the universe is a holograph, bringing into question the very nature of our reality.
Taking the world we live in, pushing it very close to the edge of something that sounds like a small step from a kind of singularity and the holographic principle, we have Ales Kot's new book "The Surface." Starting in Tanzania we are introduced to a polyamorous relationship composed of a threesome of hackers and rebels looking for the pan time and space realm referred to in urban legend as the Surface, where the universal holograph is accessible and your thoughts directly and immediately effect the reality around you.
The first issue also throws around quite a lot of dialogue regarding the free flow of information, hacking, government overreach, privacy rights and the abandonment of personal privacy, and a great many other issues pressing in current events and breathing down the neck of our future.
The first issue of "The Surface" closes with our adventurous threesome reaching their goal and the world getting even weirder. The bulk of the issue is composed of information and stage dressing though, not all of it terribly gripping. A great deal of scientific jargon is dropped and quasi philosophical bon mots litter the overstuffed panels.
Despite this Kot manages to put together an issue that is frequently sharp, and doesn't hesitate to make sharp comments about art, artists, and the culture of creativity. In many ways the first issue of "The Surface" suffers from "first issue syndrome" in that it does a whole lot of set up but doesn't give us a lot to become emotionally invested in. That said, it gives us a great deal that is thought provoking and worth reading more about in the hopes that both parts of the equation can meet.
In many ways "The Surface" brings to mind Warren Ellis's seminal work "Transmetropolitan." I would go so far as to say that the first issue compresses a great many of the most salient points of the series into super concentrated tidbits and I would be shocked if the series did not go on to further draw on the spirit of that series. For those who have followed Ellis and his futurist writings "The Surface" will hit some of the same sweet spots that his work does.
The ideas presented so far are big and worthy of exploration, but whether Kot's book grows into the gleams of potential evident in the first issue and the ability to thoroughly explore them remains to be seen. That said the potential is there, and with the creativity shown so far it would be a shame to not give it at least the chance to impress us.
WILLIAM KULESA can be reached at jjournalcomicbox@gmail.com
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Comic Box: Futurist tale from Ales Kot brimming with scientific jargon
Create Thy Future Mr. Futurist: Jack Uldrich to Keynote 8 Events in May
Miami, FL (PRWEB) April 01, 2015
As a professional futurist, Jack Uldrich frequently ends his talks with the rather obvious reminder that no one can predict the future. He then twists this fact by flashing Peter Druckers famous quotation: The best way to predict your future is to create it. Uldrich says he loves the idea of creating the future because it is empowering, optimistic and action-oriented. But, above all, it is true.
Jack Uldrich is a renowned global futurist, independent scholar, sought-after business speaker, and bestselling author. And this April Uldrich is preparing to deliver eight keynote addresses to a variety of organizations:
April 7: Kidde Fire Systems | Jacksonville, FL
April 9 & 10: West Kendall Baptist Hospital | Miami, FL
April 12 & 13 Stiles | Atlanta, GA
April 14: BCBS | Durham, NC
April 15: NC Association of Electric Coop | Raleigh, NC
April 16: Foth | Green Bay
April 23: Association for Hose & Accesories | Miami, FL
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Create Thy Future Mr. Futurist: Jack Uldrich to Keynote 8 Events in May
Muse – Futurism | Cover de Bajo (Bass Cover) – Video
Muse - Futurism | Cover de Bajo (Bass Cover)
Puede que difiera de la original, en la versin en vivo al parecer es diferente la figura principal adems de que la tocan 1/2 tono abajo.
By: Azka TheHedgehog
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Commercial Supercomputing Heats Up As Cray Sells One Of The World's Fastest Systems
Last week, Cray Cray announced that it had entered into a contract for one of its XC40 supercomputer systems to Petroleum Geo-Services, a company that provides data analysis and exploration services for energy companies to find the locations of oil and gas reserves.
PGS will be using the new system as part of their production process, using the system to analyze data that the company gathers as its explores for oil and gas resources. That makes it unique in that it wont be used, as most supercomputers are, for research and development purposes.
This is exciting for us, Crays Barry Bolding told me. This isnt for a customers R&D organization doing futures development. Its actually a production system doing their direct product. Its very similar to weather prediction where were right in the middle of things at sites around the world.
A Cray XC40 supercomputer. (Credit: Cray)
Equally interesting about this system is that when its deployed, it will be one of the fastest in the world, processing data at about 5 petaflops. After the initial press release last week, IDC released a quick research note about the announced sale.
This, to IDCs knowledge, is the largest supercomputer sold into the O&G sector and will be one of the biggest in any commercial market, the report stated. The system would have ranked in the top dozen on the November 2014 list of the worlds Top500 supercomputers.
Building one of the dozen fastest supercomputers isnt new for Cray theyve got three in the current top 12 now. But what is unique is that most of those 12 belong to government research labs or universities, not private companies. This may be starting to change, however. For example, IDC notes that overall supercomputing spending in the oil and gas sector alone is expected to reach $2 billion in the period from 2013-2018.
Cray has taken note of the commercial opportunities. Internally were investing in our infrastructure, Bolding told me. Weve been building up our sales teams and expertise in a number of segments. Weve been averaging 10% in commercial sales over the past few years but thats grown from zero.
Bolding went on to say that
We believe we can grow here because of the convergence of big data and big computing. That impacts not just government data centers, but commercial workflows, whether its energy exploration or manufacturing of jet aircraft or automated cars or social media. This convergence over the next few years is going to increase the computing needs of the commercial sectors.
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Commercial Supercomputing Heats Up As Cray Sells One Of The World's Fastest Systems
MUSIC INDUSTRY: Present Shock: When Musica(TM)S Future Arrives in the Here and Now [kyle Bylin]
Has the conversation about streaming music serviceschanged in recent years? Hasmusic's future entered the absolute present? If so, how did music execs and indie artists react. Kyle Bylin, a tech writer and user researcher, explores all of these interesting questions in his latest essay.
1. Music Futurism
Ive spent several years of my life writing about the future of music listening. I love to look at the world through the lens of a music startup that has an ambition to change current listener habits and speculate on what the shift could mean if it actually happens. The greatest challenge of this pursuit is that behavioral change often takes a very long time to occur, and by the time a predicted shift begins to fully emerge, both the world and I have likely forgotten that I ever planted that flag in the ground.
I have woken up several times in the past couple of years to a news story about a music startup launch or new feature release that sounded very familiar. I look back in my blog post archive, and, sure enough, a few years earlier I predicted that this very thing might happen. So I email the writer with a hyperlink to an old blog post of mine, and then he or she updates his or her news story with an acknowledgment that I had said it first.
And then, life goes on.
There is nothing awarded for correctly predicting that some thing might happen at some point. Furthermore, it often takes several more years to learn whether a music startup or new feature will cause a behavioral shift among music listeners. There have been many cases where I hypothesized about how a specific feature would look and feel, and why it would matter, only to see that some company came to realize the potential for a similar feature and incorporated it into a part of its music website or mobile app.
Months or years later, I grab a coffee with the startup founder and ask him or her about this feature, only to find out that no one uses it. Did the company get the feature right? Could the feature have been a commercial success if it had been introduced in a different context or incorporated into another product? It's hard to know. I have heard that it can take many different implementations for a feature to catch on. Oftentimes, the company doesnt have enough time to test every possible angle. Some ideas come too early and others too late, but sometimes they arrive right on time. Timing is what every music startup must attempt to nail or defy.
Today, many versions of the future of music exist. Interestingly, I think this has decreased speculation about what this future might entail and increased concern from industry executives and indie artists about how the present will play out.
At the start of 2011, the online trade conversation about streaming music services was mainly based on anticipation and speculation: What will happen when company X does X? What will happen when Spotify finally launches in the U.S. and a free version is offered without a trial period? Will this freemium model lead to wider use of subscription music? What will happen when Apple releases a Pandora or Spotify killer? Apple has sold over 800 million iOS devices and over 800 million credit cards on file with iTunes. How about Google, Facebook, Samsung, Twitter, or Amazon? What will happen when these major tech giants decide to enter the streaming music space? Will there be a streaming music war? Who will win? As each of these hotly anticipated and highly speculated things happened, the music industrys focus shifted from the next horizon to the present moment.
A strong indicator of this shift arrived in 2012, when several indie artists published their royalty statements online and stirred up a heated debate about streaming payout figures. In sum, their blog posts and social statuses said, Look at what Pandora and Spotify pay me right now. My royalty payments are too small. We must discuss this issue right now. For months, indie artists argued with industry executives about whether they understood how to read royalty statements and if streaming payouts could ever support their careers. Most artists didnt seem to care whether they would receive more money from Pandora and Spotify as their business operations and revenue streams grew in the coming years. All they focused on was how their streaming payouts compared to their music income and whether Pandora and Spotify royalties could supplant declining physical and digital sales. Suddenly, the conversation about whether Pandora and Spotify were the future of music grew into direct criticism about whether either companys business model was sustainable.
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MUSIC INDUSTRY: Present Shock: When Musica(TM)S Future Arrives in the Here and Now [kyle Bylin]
New West's faux Venice it's own little eco-system
Mike Hoyer enjoys the tranquil surroundings of the Venetian lagoons and canals at the west end of Westminster Quay. He'll be leading a two-hour guided walk along the city's waterfront that ends with a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the lagoons' eco-system on Easter Monday.
image credit: MARIO BARTEL/NEWSLEADER
On Easter Monday Mike Hoyer is leading a free guided walk along New Westminster's waterfront all the way to Venice.
No, participants won't be trudging 8637 km over mountains and across oceans to the romantic Italian port city that's more in the Adriatic Sea than alongside it.
Hoyer's two-hour stroll ends at the faux Venice at the west end of Westminster Quay.
While the glimpses of wildlife, movement of machines and passing of industry along the Fraser River intrigues visitors to the waterfront, it's the canals and lagoons that weave around and amidst a cluster of condos and townhomes that enchants them, said Hoyer, a longtime volunteer at the Fraser River Discovery Centre.
But those lagoons are more than decorative tubs of water and fountains. They're an eco-system unto themselves, said Hoyer.
They're also a bit of an engineering marvel, said Virginia Cohen, who manages the lagoon system for the six stratas that own it.
The entire system is self-contained, said Cohen. Half a million gallons of water flows through a series of weirs from the system's highest point just off Renaissance Square to its lowest, the reflection pond between the Lido and Rialto condos. From there the water is pumped back up to the top to start its journey anew.
"It's totally gravity-fed," said Cohen. "It's basically a natural body of water."
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Eco-Hero finalist: Meet Justine Padron
This is the first of five Local 10 Eco-Hero finalists that are competing to win a Eco-Adventure to the Canadian Rockies with Kristi Krueger and Zoo Miami's Ron Magill. After the five finalists are introduced, the public will have an opportunity to vote on their favorite
PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. - When it comes to protecting the environment, 13-year-old Justine Padron isn't afraid to get a little dirty.
Whether it's growing tomatoes in her own backyard, or working in her school's Green Club garden, this 7th grader at Jose Marti MAST Academy is passionate about nature.
"One of the things that got me interested in ecology and the ecosystem is my grandma," Padron says. "She's really into gardening."
Justine participates in Baynanza every year, a community clean-up project in Biscayne Bay.
She also makes eco-friendly terrariums for her friends and volunteers at South Florida parks.
Justine says for her, everything science is fascinating!
"It's kind of mind blowing that there are all these things that connect to each other," says Padron. "Plants and animals connect to us, even computers and technology. It all connects and I find it interesting."
And talk about interesting, one of Padron's experiments is using talapia fish to discover if natural fertilizer is better for plants than the man-made version.
Justine hopes her enthusiasm for environment inspires others.
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