A revolutionary new concept in cancer detection uses proteins from jellyfish.
Some cancers in the human body develope too deep for modern X-ray's to penetrate. Scientists at the Yorkshire Cancer Research Laboratory at York University are getting around this problem by using virimaging technology.
Green flourescent proteins (GFP) derived from the common jellyfish are attached to a virus which are then manipulated to search out cancerous cells. A specialized camera causes the cells to "flare-up"...making them easier to be seen.
Both scientific and medical communities are enthusiastic about the technique's potential impact on early cancer detection, however, clinical trials won't start for another five years.
May God grant cancer patients hope and a cure.
******************************************************************************
Special recognition goes to 2008 Nobel Prize winner and American biochemist Roger Y. Tsein for his leadership in isolating the flourescent cells.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Did You Know: Presidential Trivia
Did you know that President...
1. John Adams got lost and wandered around for hours before finally finding his way to the White House. Why won't men ask for directions?)
2. James Monroe was shot in the shoulder during the Revolutionary War; the bullet was never removed.
3. Martin Van Buren was given two tiger cubs by a Sultan; he planned to keep them for himself at the White House, but Congress made him give them to a zoo. (Imagine what they would have done to the White House?)
4. James Polk had gallstone surgery without anesthesia. (Ouch!)
5. While in office Franklin Pierce was arrested for running an old lady over with his horse; he got off on lack of evidence. (I wonder what that did to his popularity?)
6. Richard Nixon used money won from gambling to fund his first political campaign. (Can't say I'm surprised over that one.)
7. When FDR was a child Grover Cleveland told him to never become president. (Obviously he didn't listen.)
8. William Taft was so overweight that he got stuck in his White House bathtub. (That's embarrassing.)
9. JFK could speak 350 words per minute. (He was a silver tongue devil.)
10. Barack Obama collects Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian comic books. (I would never have guessed that.)
11. James Buchanan was forced to sleep in a hallway when the Prince of Wales visited the White House; the Prince had too many servants with him. (Talk about needing to "downsize.")
12. Having already been shocked once, Benjamin Harrison slept with the lights on because he feared touching the lightswitch. (There goes our tax money.)
References: Farmer's Almanac 2011 and the internet.
1. John Adams got lost and wandered around for hours before finally finding his way to the White House. Why won't men ask for directions?)
2. James Monroe was shot in the shoulder during the Revolutionary War; the bullet was never removed.
3. Martin Van Buren was given two tiger cubs by a Sultan; he planned to keep them for himself at the White House, but Congress made him give them to a zoo. (Imagine what they would have done to the White House?)
4. James Polk had gallstone surgery without anesthesia. (Ouch!)
5. While in office Franklin Pierce was arrested for running an old lady over with his horse; he got off on lack of evidence. (I wonder what that did to his popularity?)
6. Richard Nixon used money won from gambling to fund his first political campaign. (Can't say I'm surprised over that one.)
7. When FDR was a child Grover Cleveland told him to never become president. (Obviously he didn't listen.)
8. William Taft was so overweight that he got stuck in his White House bathtub. (That's embarrassing.)
9. JFK could speak 350 words per minute. (He was a silver tongue devil.)
10. Barack Obama collects Spiderman and Conan the Barbarian comic books. (I would never have guessed that.)
11. James Buchanan was forced to sleep in a hallway when the Prince of Wales visited the White House; the Prince had too many servants with him. (Talk about needing to "downsize.")
12. Having already been shocked once, Benjamin Harrison slept with the lights on because he feared touching the lightswitch. (There goes our tax money.)
References: Farmer's Almanac 2011 and the internet.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Did You Know: Gilligan's Island
Here are some interresting tidbits about the TV show Gilligan's Island.
The Skipper and Gilligan are supposed to have served in the Navy together. The Skipper rescued Gilligan when he fell overboard the ship they were stationed on.
Gilligan's first name is rumored to be Willie according to the show's creator Sherwood Schwarz. Bob Denver (Gilligan) say's he wasn't aware of this until after the show was already off the air.
Shapely actress Jane Mansfield turned down the role of Ginger.
In the show's opening credits (season one) a flag can be seen flying at half mast in the background; this is because JFK had just been assassinated.
The props on the show were limited to materials that could be scavenged on an island. Later, though, the coconut cups were replaced with plastic repplicas because the real ones leaked.
The S. S. Minnow was named after a man...not a fish. The creator of the show disliked the boat and named it after Newton Minow, whom he also disliked. Minow refered to television as "America's vast wasteland."
The Skipper and Gilligan are supposed to have served in the Navy together. The Skipper rescued Gilligan when he fell overboard the ship they were stationed on.
Gilligan's first name is rumored to be Willie according to the show's creator Sherwood Schwarz. Bob Denver (Gilligan) say's he wasn't aware of this until after the show was already off the air.
Shapely actress Jane Mansfield turned down the role of Ginger.
In the show's opening credits (season one) a flag can be seen flying at half mast in the background; this is because JFK had just been assassinated.
The props on the show were limited to materials that could be scavenged on an island. Later, though, the coconut cups were replaced with plastic repplicas because the real ones leaked.
The S. S. Minnow was named after a man...not a fish. The creator of the show disliked the boat and named it after Newton Minow, whom he also disliked. Minow refered to television as "America's vast wasteland."
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Miner's Miracle
After 69 days of being trapped underground in the San Jose Mine, all 33 Chilean miners have finally emerged at the surface. It is the longest time anyone has been trapped underground and come out alive.
Families and nations celebrate as miners were rescued one-by-one via a custom-made capsule that descended down a 2,041 escape shaft. It was equipped with oxygen and sensors were attached around the miner's midsection's to monitor pulse, respiration rates and skin temperature.
Aspirin was taken and compression socks used to keep the miners blood from clotting during the trip to the surface. Sweaters were donned in order to combat the drastic change in climate temperature.
A major concern throughout the rescue process was the potential for panic and claustrophobia. The capsule design allowed for room to stand-up, but was only 2 ft. wide. It narrowly fit through the hole burrowed to reach them.
The equipment could have failed at any point in the operation potentially trapping a man yet again...and with an even more limited oxygen supply. The trip to the surface took no less than 25 minutes per man and was no doubt one of the scarriest rides on earth. It was truly a life or death situation.
News camera's captured the varied emotions of family members as they stood by anxiously awaiting the safe retrieval of their loved ones. Cheers, tears, and seemingly endless clapping serenade the couples as they embrace for the first time in over two months. It has been hell for both the miners and their families.
Throughout the ordeal the miner's steadfastly held to their promise to "never give up." Their triumphantly positive attitudes have given hundreds of thousands of people around the world a renewed sense of inspiration, hope, and a belief that miracles do happen.
Praise the Lord!
Families and nations celebrate as miners were rescued one-by-one via a custom-made capsule that descended down a 2,041 escape shaft. It was equipped with oxygen and sensors were attached around the miner's midsection's to monitor pulse, respiration rates and skin temperature.
Aspirin was taken and compression socks used to keep the miners blood from clotting during the trip to the surface. Sweaters were donned in order to combat the drastic change in climate temperature.
A major concern throughout the rescue process was the potential for panic and claustrophobia. The capsule design allowed for room to stand-up, but was only 2 ft. wide. It narrowly fit through the hole burrowed to reach them.
The equipment could have failed at any point in the operation potentially trapping a man yet again...and with an even more limited oxygen supply. The trip to the surface took no less than 25 minutes per man and was no doubt one of the scarriest rides on earth. It was truly a life or death situation.
News camera's captured the varied emotions of family members as they stood by anxiously awaiting the safe retrieval of their loved ones. Cheers, tears, and seemingly endless clapping serenade the couples as they embrace for the first time in over two months. It has been hell for both the miners and their families.
Throughout the ordeal the miner's steadfastly held to their promise to "never give up." Their triumphantly positive attitudes have given hundreds of thousands of people around the world a renewed sense of inspiration, hope, and a belief that miracles do happen.
Praise the Lord!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Deaths linked to 1924 storm.
"I don't think you actually conquer the mountain. You sneak up on it and then get the hell off!" - Krakaur
On June 8, 1924 British explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest; they were last sighted by their comrades at 28,000 feet. Then...nothing.
Down at base camp their comrades, knowing full well the perils of the mountain and what little tolerance it had for the tiniest mistake, waited anxiously for their return. It soon became clear that tragedy had struck.
At the first opportunity, search parties scoured the area hoping against all odds for some sign of life; it was not to be. The tempestuous mountain left no trace of Mallory or Irvine and their mysterious dissappearance became legend.
Some decades later, in 1999, a group of scientists calling themselves "The Mallory-Irvine Research Expedition" made an amazing discovery. They found Mallory's mummified body face down in a mixture of ice and gravel on the side of the mountain.
Forensic analysis suggests that Mallory fell some distance and, although knowing he would surely die, it is clear that he fought for survival right to the bitter end. His arms were frozen in place above his head and his fingers clawed out as if still unwilling to let go of the phantom stone or ice chunk that broke his fall. Having little oxygen, water, or warmth he wouldn't have sufferred long.
But what went wrong?
Members of the original expedition agree that all was going well up until their last sighting of them (at approximately 28,000 feet). The weather on that day had been as obliging as one could possibly hope for. Without realizing it, they may have already had the answer.
When the 1999 expedition took barometric readings they recorded 8mbar. A look back at the 1924 recordings revealed a shocking 18mbar... making the chances for disastrous weather most imminent.
But how can the weather be different for the climbers vs. the men back at camp? Remember they are on a mountain. With the changes in elevation also comes changes in atmospheric conditions. What one person sees at the base of a mountain is not necessarily what is going on at the top.
The fluctuation in barmoetric pressure could warn of sudden blizzard-like conditions and a drop in available oxygen..which is now almost certainly the case with Mallory and Irvine.
It is not known if they ever made it to the top.
In the end, Mallory and Irvine received the fame they were longing for, although, now their names are forevermore synonymous with that of the dark mystique of the mountain.
Irvine has never been found.
On June 8, 1924 British explorers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted to reach the summit of Mount Everest; they were last sighted by their comrades at 28,000 feet. Then...nothing.
Down at base camp their comrades, knowing full well the perils of the mountain and what little tolerance it had for the tiniest mistake, waited anxiously for their return. It soon became clear that tragedy had struck.
At the first opportunity, search parties scoured the area hoping against all odds for some sign of life; it was not to be. The tempestuous mountain left no trace of Mallory or Irvine and their mysterious dissappearance became legend.
Some decades later, in 1999, a group of scientists calling themselves "The Mallory-Irvine Research Expedition" made an amazing discovery. They found Mallory's mummified body face down in a mixture of ice and gravel on the side of the mountain.
Forensic analysis suggests that Mallory fell some distance and, although knowing he would surely die, it is clear that he fought for survival right to the bitter end. His arms were frozen in place above his head and his fingers clawed out as if still unwilling to let go of the phantom stone or ice chunk that broke his fall. Having little oxygen, water, or warmth he wouldn't have sufferred long.
But what went wrong?
Members of the original expedition agree that all was going well up until their last sighting of them (at approximately 28,000 feet). The weather on that day had been as obliging as one could possibly hope for. Without realizing it, they may have already had the answer.
When the 1999 expedition took barometric readings they recorded 8mbar. A look back at the 1924 recordings revealed a shocking 18mbar... making the chances for disastrous weather most imminent.
But how can the weather be different for the climbers vs. the men back at camp? Remember they are on a mountain. With the changes in elevation also comes changes in atmospheric conditions. What one person sees at the base of a mountain is not necessarily what is going on at the top.
The fluctuation in barmoetric pressure could warn of sudden blizzard-like conditions and a drop in available oxygen..which is now almost certainly the case with Mallory and Irvine.
It is not known if they ever made it to the top.
In the end, Mallory and Irvine received the fame they were longing for, although, now their names are forevermore synonymous with that of the dark mystique of the mountain.
Irvine has never been found.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Guilty Then Proven Innocent!
History is ripe with stories of injustice. Below are six examples of people who were punished only to later be found innocent...as mentioned on MSN.com.
1. John D. Lavelle - Vietnam-era General who was blamed for actions President Nixon ordered. Lost two of his four stars and was forced to retire from the Army. He devoted his life to clearing his name, but he didn't live to see it happen. Our current President Obama pardoned him only recently on August 4, 2010.
2. Joan of Arc - French peasant girl who claimed God told her to lead the French army to victory over the English. She was caught by her enemy, accused of heresy, and burned at the stake. Her conviction was later reversed; Pope Benedict XV made her "Saint" Joan of Arc.
3. All victims of the Salem Witch Trials were formally declared innocent by the state of Massachusetts.
4. Gouoverneur Warren, leader of the Union's V Corp, was fired by General Sheridian for supposedly moving too slowly at the battle of Five Forks (even though he won the battle). A panel later ruled that Warren had been in the right. Unfortunately, Warren died three months earlier.
5. Thomas and Meeks Griffen - Two black landowners (brothers) who were executed for the murder of a white landowner (who also happened to be a veteran of the Confederate Army). Even then the judge saw no evidence of their guilt, but the governor had them convicted. It is believed the brothers were victims of an elaborate plot to steal their land.
6. Captain Charles McVay - Commander of the sunken USS Indianapolis which was attacked by a Japanese submarine. The crew had abandoned ship and suffered hunger, dehydration, and shark attacks. Their SOS calls went unanswered and hundreds of men died. McVay was courtmartialed for losing a ship during wartime; the surviving crew members believed McVay was innocent and was used as a scapegoat for the Navy's mistakes.
1. John D. Lavelle - Vietnam-era General who was blamed for actions President Nixon ordered. Lost two of his four stars and was forced to retire from the Army. He devoted his life to clearing his name, but he didn't live to see it happen. Our current President Obama pardoned him only recently on August 4, 2010.
2. Joan of Arc - French peasant girl who claimed God told her to lead the French army to victory over the English. She was caught by her enemy, accused of heresy, and burned at the stake. Her conviction was later reversed; Pope Benedict XV made her "Saint" Joan of Arc.
3. All victims of the Salem Witch Trials were formally declared innocent by the state of Massachusetts.
4. Gouoverneur Warren, leader of the Union's V Corp, was fired by General Sheridian for supposedly moving too slowly at the battle of Five Forks (even though he won the battle). A panel later ruled that Warren had been in the right. Unfortunately, Warren died three months earlier.
5. Thomas and Meeks Griffen - Two black landowners (brothers) who were executed for the murder of a white landowner (who also happened to be a veteran of the Confederate Army). Even then the judge saw no evidence of their guilt, but the governor had them convicted. It is believed the brothers were victims of an elaborate plot to steal their land.
6. Captain Charles McVay - Commander of the sunken USS Indianapolis which was attacked by a Japanese submarine. The crew had abandoned ship and suffered hunger, dehydration, and shark attacks. Their SOS calls went unanswered and hundreds of men died. McVay was courtmartialed for losing a ship during wartime; the surviving crew members believed McVay was innocent and was used as a scapegoat for the Navy's mistakes.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Goofed-up Headlines !
Here are some goofed-up headlines that say one thing yet mean another:
"Red tape holds up new bridge."
"School taxpayers revolting."
"Storm delayed by bad weather."
"Panda mating fails; veterinarian takes over."
"Dead guitarrist now slimmer and trimmer."
"Study finds sex, pregnancy link."
"Include your children when baking."
"Lack of brains hinders research."
"Man shot twice in head, gets mad."
"Teacher dies; board accepts his resignation."
"Living together linked to divorce."
***********************************************
Disclaimer: This information was found on website littleknownfacts.com/funfacts.
"Red tape holds up new bridge."
"School taxpayers revolting."
"Storm delayed by bad weather."
"Panda mating fails; veterinarian takes over."
"Dead guitarrist now slimmer and trimmer."
"Study finds sex, pregnancy link."
"Include your children when baking."
"Lack of brains hinders research."
"Man shot twice in head, gets mad."
"Teacher dies; board accepts his resignation."
"Living together linked to divorce."
***********************************************
Disclaimer: This information was found on website littleknownfacts.com/funfacts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)