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Qt is a comprehensive, object-oriented development framework that enables development of high-performance, cross-platform rich-client and server-side applications. When you implement a program with Qt, you can run it on the X Window System (Unix/X11), Apple Mac OS X, and Microsoft Windows NT/9x/2000/XP by simply compiling the source code for the platform you want. Qt is the basis for the KDE desktop environment, and is also used in numerous commercial applications such as Google Earth, Skype for Linux, and Adobe Photoshop Elements.
GTK, which stands for the Gimp ToolKit, is a library for creating graphical user interfaces. It is designed to be small and efficient, but still flexible enough to allow the programmer freedom in the interfaces created. GTK provides some unique features over standard widget libraries.
Tcl provides a portable scripting environment for Unix, Windows, and Macintosh that supports string processing and pattern matching, native file system access, shell-like control over other programs, TCP/IP networking, timers, and event-driven I/O. Tcl has traditional programming constructs like variables, loops, procedures, namespaces, error handling, script packages, and dynamic loading of DLLs. Tk provides portable GUIs on UNIX, Windows, and Macintosh. A powerful widget set and the concise scripting interface to Tk make it a breeze to develop sophisticated user interfaces.
WebGUI is a content management framework built to allow average business users to build and maintain complex Web sites. It is modular, pluggable, and platform independent. It was designed to allow the people who create the content to manage it online, rather than content management taking up the time of busy IT staff. WebGUI comes with a full host of features including shopping cart, subscriptions, forums, photo galleries, FAQs, link lists, blogs, SQL reports, a Web services interface, and a very configurable user privilege and profiling system.
FLTK (pronounced "fulltick") is a cross-platform C++ GUI toolkit for UNIX/Linux (X11), Microsoft Windows, and Mac OS X. It provides modern GUI functionality without the bloat, and supports 3D graphics via OpenGL and its built-in GLUT emulation. FLTK is designed to be small and modular enough to be statically linked, and also works fine as a shared library. It also includes an excellent UI builder called FLUID that can be used to create applications in minutes.
Wt is a C++ library for developing Web applications with an API that is widget-centric and inspired by existing C++ graphical user interface APIs. To the developer, it offers abstraction of Web-specific implementation details, increasing the accessibility and portability. Under the hood, the library uses the latest techniques (HTML5, Ajax, WebSockets) to handle user events and update the Web page.
FOX is a C++-based toolkit for GUI development. It includes a rich set of widgets and has powerful yet simple layout managers, MDI widgets, and mega-widgets. FOX incorporates support for XDND for drag and drop, X clipboard and X Selection, watching other I/O channels and sockets, timers and idle processing, object serialization and deserialization, a registry to save persistent settings, and 3D widgets using Mesa or OpenGL. FOX works on Linux, IRIX, Solaris, HP/UX, AIX, Tru64 Unix, Windows 9x,NT,2K (VC++, GNUWIN32, Borland, VisualAge C++), FreeBSD, and Sequent.


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Hobbit Skull Comparison Software's Unexpected Result.
Discussion of everything related to the Theory of Evolution.
Moderator: BioTeam
11 posts • Page 1 of 1
Hobbit Skull Comparison Software's Unexpected Result.
I think I need help on this one! I found a good comparison between Hobbit skull and modern human at "Bone Clones", here is a small picture of it:
The two skulls were each made a separate image on a black background with eye and mouth level traced with a green line. It was then easy to write software to trace the outlines into an array then scale so the head size will match. It seems like I traced the skulls fairly. But in case here's the data the line drawing was made from in case I missed something:
It seems that part of the eye socket of the hobbit is missing so one should be taller but I traced what was shown instead of fudging (or maybe it actually should be made taller like better preserved side to be correct?).
Now that I have the numbers to morph a face in proportion to the actual skull outlines I noticed something that I didn't expect in the line drawing below. When you compare the modern (European) skull to the hobbit (yellow) the somewhat rectangular shaped openings are at very different angles.
An Asian skull has some angle in that direction but nothing like I am seeing.
From what I can see I have to do more than stretch the image being morphed I here have to rotate the eye angle of a European face to match the shape angle of the socket. It would not be hard to write a subroutine that would calculate the angles but from what I can see it is a very large amount.
Does it make sense to you that the eye angle has to change accordingly? I can't think of any reason why not, but thought I better ask others into biology what they think before I proceed with the programming.
Am I misunderstanding something? Hobbits? As in Frodo Baggins and the Ring of Power? Or is there some other form of hobbit that I'm unaware of?
Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.
#2 Total Post Count
Re: Hobbit Skull Comparison Software's Unexpected Result.
Hobbit is the slang term for Homo floresiensis - the smaller hominid whose fossils were found in Indonesia. They appear to be a recent (last ten thousand years) extinct relative of humanity, but much smaller. There is still a degree of controversy over whether these are a new species, or simply a dwarfed form of people.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news ... ensis.html
Whether the different angle of the eyes is significant cannot be judged from the data you presented. We need to know how eye angle varies from individual to individual - both for humans and hobbits, and also how the organic eyes are affected. I cannot judge from your drawings - but I am sure the anthropologists who have the actual skulls will be working on it.
Ok, now this makes a bit more sense. Thanks for clearing that up!
Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.
#2 Total Post Count
Yes, thanks skeptic for explaining the "hobbit" connection!
What I am trying to do is better explain the island effect, which in turn might help explain epigenetic switching of genes towards a goal such as to become smaller in response to the niche to be filled. Some of the genetic medical conditions hobbit morphology resembles could be showing the genes that are reregulated (but safely) to achieve that stature.
The current most popular facial reconstruction seems to have the bone structure correct, but the hard part is the eyes and other parts that are not preserved in the fossil.
http://theprancingpapio.blogspot.com/20 ... heast.html
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0 ... media.html
Hobbit is also supposed to be Asian. Flores island is most near Singapore, which is next to China. Which this reconstruction seems to include a little of:
http://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs ... obbit.html
As you can see, the reconstructions vary in the eyes where even a little variation makes the individual look very different. Hair-knots and dark scary look is another thing that is added when for all we know they looked very Chinese and better groomed than imagination leads us to believe. And if our current morphology changed to that size then we would still look much the same we do now. Epigenetic switching could possibly cause that to happen in a matter of generations. One of the possible forms besides this one that is already in us and easy to "genetic drift" towards, also called "determinism" where future change in morphology over time is somewhat predictable.
Is H. floresiensis believed to have evolved from H. Sapiens that got stuck on an island or from H. erectus, which is also known to have lived in southeast Asia?
Generally speaking, the more people talk about "being saved," the further away they actually are from true salvation.
#2 Total Post Count
Re: Hobbit Skull Comparison Software's Unexpected Result.
There is still argument about whether the 'hobbits' are a different species or simply genetically deformed humans. Assuming they are a separate species, they would be unlikely to be descended from humans, due to the time scale. The fossils are up to 35000 years old, and humans are known to have been in Indonesia for only 60,000 years. However, it would appear that Homo erectus had populations in Asia a million years ago.
Their origin is still very controversial:
Here is a skull of H. erectus
The pronounced brow is there. So it might have been a distant enough relative to consider a new species but then again H. floresiensis is much more modern looking than the above skull.
I also linked to this interesting giant skull of a bred to be mammoth Roman gladiator.
That's a good example of human intelligence changing its own morphology towards what they themselves find desirable. In this case achieving the G.I. Joe look of a warrior.
The hobbit is another morphological extreme. And even though it is an island dwarf of a more distant ancestor it had a very important eye angle.
And here's another recreation that is on the web. The shape of the head and cheekbones look good but the bone framing around the eye and angle is not the same as what my comparing the skulls shows.
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permane ... eading.php
This one seems to have a more aboriginal eye socket.
Comparing that to hobbit, notice how the upper outer corners of the eye socket forms an arch that looks very Chinese before slanting to fit the square of the socket.
What I mean by square of the socket could relatively easily be shown by Fourier transform of the distances of X,Y points from center of socket at each angle. We then have a distorted AC signal that has a "phase angle" determined by fitting to a four cycle sine or triangle wave. Can test it with modern Asian skulls compared to the European socket. But I would need a harder to find straight-on look at the face in the picture, to get it into the program.
Just as a matter of interest, here is a recent New Scientist post on hobbits.
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn1 ... human.html
Re: Hobbit Skull Comparison Software's Unexpected Result.
The latest research on hobbits, published in Nature, with a more readable version in ScienceDaily (reference below) suggests primitive characteristics that make this a separate species - not just a pathological version of human.
http://www.sciencedaily.com:80/releases ... 144307.htm
Hobbits had 'flat feet', unlike humans who have arched feet. Our arches are an adaptation to long distance running, meaning that hobbits were not good runners. It appears that hobbits evolved from Homo habilis or Homo erectus.
Thanks again skeptic! That was excellent information to add to the thread.
I think that the best of all was in comments of the first article where it was mentioned that the body stature and giant feet might be a swimming adaptation. With flippers like that I would imagine they could have swam to the island after getting lost at sea or traveled there by boat.
And I couldn't resist trying a Fourier Transform on the eye angles. It worked! I still have one more small algorithm to add before I can get accurate angle numbers but so far so good. Here's the first test where I gave the H. floresiensis skull an eyepatch (little humor there!) with a green square on the damaged eye. There is a corner of the square removed on upper right so that corner will show up on the graph below it showing distance of points from center of eye on both skulls. You can here see the waveform of a square in the graphs.
In a Fourier Transform an idealized waveform (in this case not a sine instead of a square) of same magnitude is moved across the waves (or vice versa) to be analyzed one small step at a time. At each step corresponding points are subtracted from each other then made non-negative then added to the sum of all points. Along the way the one step where there was the least amount of difference (lowest sum) is saved. I made the eye graph data 360 pixels wide, therefore the step number with lowest sum equals the eye angle in degrees. Since there are four waves (cycles) per 360 degrees the angle ranges from 0 to 89.
I also noticed that they added clay to fix the broken eye of the skull. But it doesn't seem to match the other side. So of course I'm thinking about feeding that picture in too just to see what happens to the numbers.
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text:
Your Views: Are Americans forgetting lessons of racial turmoil?
The impression is some of the anti-Obama and anti-Obamacare talk has elements of racism, hate and disrespect. Apparently there are people who cannot cope with the reality that we have an African-American president.
Racism is again growing and spreading unchecked. In the National Football League, we have Dan Snyder, owner of the Washington Redskins, who has stated, "We will never change the name." Atlanta Braves' fans continue the tradition of the "tomahawk chop" when their baseball team is doing well in a game. Are there elements of racism in voter ID laws and stand-your-ground laws?
To some extent, this racism is fueled by Fox News, tea party extremists and far right-wing talk show hosts who deliberately spread lies and misinformation. Recently in the U.S. House of Representatives, tea party representatives voted unanimously to cut billions of dollars from the food stamp program. Did racism and lack of considerations for the poor play a role in this vote?
Not too long ago, my wife and I toured the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Ala. The 16th Avenue Baptist Church is located across the street from the institute. This is the church where the bomb exploded in the 1960s, killing four young, innocent African-American Sunday school children on a Sunday morning.
The impression is racism and lack of concern for the poor are again rearing their ugly heads. Are we forgetting the lessons we should have learned from the racial turmoil of the 1960s?


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As the economy improves and growth moves to the top of corporate agendas, companies are looking closely at how well incentives for their employees and executives align with organizational goals. Best practices suggest that alignment requires collaboration between finance and human resources. A recent Towers Watson survey of 340 senior executives in finance and HR examined how well companies are fostering collaboration between the functions—and how well they're achieving the alignment that collaboration can engender.
The survey revealed that HR and finance teams in about four in ten organizations work together on setting strategy for reward programs, and the same proportion collaborate on determining changes to reward programs—despite the fact that only about two in ten HR managers think their function works with finance to set overall workforce strategy. Finance managers are considerably more likely to think they work with HR on setting workforce strategy, but they are much less likely to believe they collaborate with HR on developing the company's annual budgets. (See Figure 1.)
Perhaps as a result of this collaboration, the majority of managers in both functions see their reward programs as successful: Around 60 percent believe reward programs are aligned with the company's talent goals, are instrumental in driving the behaviors needed for profitable growth, and are producing an acceptable return on investment (ROI). However, finance executives are considerably less likely than their HR counterparts to see their organizations' reward programs as aligned with the company's financial goals or structured to discourage excessive risk-taking. (See Figure 2.)
Towers Watson recommends that companies build a total rewards optimization process through which HR and finance work together to answer three questions that are key to the success of both functions, and of the company overall:
- What's the right level of total investment in rewards?
- What's the best way to allocate that investment across reward elements to maximize the employee behavior we want to influence?
- How do these results vary across targeted employee segments (whether by business unit, age, job level, tenure, skill group, location, performance, or other categories)?
"As the economy improves, companies are putting more emphasis on ways to enhance financial performance," says Emmett Seaborn, a senior consultant with Towers Watson. "While the HR and finance functions have traditionally worked independently, both groups recognize that for workforce programs to succeed, they will need to collaborate more in the future. Ultimately, sustaining and improving performance must be a shared responsibility between the two functions, since it depends so heavily on the relationship between what an organization can afford to invest in its people and the financial goals it has to deliver."


text:
- Riding
- Writing
- Tinkering
- Obsessing
- Reviews
- Features
- Trading Post
- Info
Saturday, February 5, 2011
When a Bike Is Not for You, What to Do?
And so there we are: As far as resale value goes, our new bicycle is now a used bicycle. And we feel excruciatingly guilty for having made the wrong choice.
It's a tough call which decision is best. It took me a while before I could bring myself to sell my Pashley, while an acquaintance sold her Batavus just a month after buying it. "Mama Vee" of Suburban Bike Mama has been struggling with her Sorte Jernhest cargo trike for nearly two years now and is still torn over what to do (in fact, she has just issued an exasperated plea for help, so perhaps someone can advise her!).
Not counting myself, I know of about half a dozen ladies in the blogosphere who either have recently sold, or are considering selling the bicycle that was supposed to be their "dream bike." We did everything right and the bike seemed like the perfect choice at the time. And yet it wasn't. If you've ever been in this situation, how did you deal with it and what was your ultimate decision?
39 comments:
- AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 6:41 AM
I've bought and sold a bunch of bicycles before settling on my current rides. I need a shortish top tube and finding the right fit for me is trial and error so, if it didn't fit, it was cut loose. I took a very hard hit financially when I bought an expensive bicycle about 15 years ago which didn't fit me well, I ended up selling it for about half of what I paid and used the money to buy a custom frameset which I still ride. It's one of my favorite bikes but it was a hard lesson. I'm make better choices now about what I need and what will work, it helps that I work in the industry.ReplyDelete
This topic is near and dear to me as well as I've purchased a few bikes and sold them. I purchased a beautiful, heavy dutch bike (not unlike the Pashley, but heavier), but found it too heavy and it didn't stop well when loaded. It was a beautiful machine, but didn't work for me, so I sold it without regret. Fortunately, it sold quite easily and not a too big a loss. Since I know I like to try new bike styles and sometimes they don't work out, I try and factor resale into the purchasing decision up front. While not a big driver, I do consider it.ReplyDelete
I have not figured out how to change major parts on a bike in a cost effective way. If one plans to swap out parts, it will be even harder to recoup the money later on if the swap doesn't result in 'a keeper'. A new handlebar and stemp could cost 150 at the high end. Being patient and searching for used parts (or an entire bike) would save a great deal of money but will take time. Buying a used bike is another way to minimize the risk of selling and taking a hit later on, but great care must be taken to understand what the bike will need in terms of repairs and upgrades up front. I have purchased 2 used bikes and both wound up needing new wheels. These cost a good percentage of the purchase price of the bike. No 'ROI' there. Lesson learned - always check the wheels on a used bike carefully. Wheels are expensive and are the major wear item on a bike. These days, even tires are expensive.
Unusual bikes, like the trike or an electric cargo bike I built, would probably not be easy to sell without a large loss. The market is just too small for such bikes. Take this into consideration when buying an unusual bike.
I understand I will not generally make money selling a bike, but it is nice not to loose too much either.
We learn what we want or need only by dissatisfaction with what we have. As Anon 6:41 has said, this can be an expensive lesson. If someone is new to cycling or just getting back into it after a long hiatus, it might be wise to start with a used bike, which would bring the price of tuition down.ReplyDelete
I am in this very predicament. I am waiting until spring to see what is available but now my choices are limited to something in the price range what the resale value of my current bike. I wish there was a meet up for people to try to trade bicycles, but commuter bikes are so rare here....ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 8:50 AM
I keep it around for out-of-town friends to ride when they come to visit.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 8:59 AM
Anonymous highlights the cost of climbing the learning curve, you don't know what you want/need till you find you don't have it and sometimes you've spent a bunch of $ not getting it.ReplyDelete
In Mama Vee's case she has a lot of what she needs but lacks the final piece. Without having someone close by who has some practicle expertise in engineering and fabrication, and who isn't focused on getting into her pocket, she's stuck in trial and error mode to find a solution. For the lack of a simple steering damper she's at an impasse and can't use the available solutions...
We can't all be inventors/tinkerers/habitual DIYers but a few more roaming around would'nt be a bad thing...
- AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 10:39 AM
I think part of it is wrapped up in expectations. High hopes or expectations often lead to disappointment, especially for those of us who are picky. Luckily, during my 30 years of riding I've always found used frames and built up my bikes with used parts. The joy was in the building and letting go was easy b/c it meant another project was under way. Usually I'd make trades, occasionally I'd sell them, but never did i think about money lost. If the bike couldn't fit in my house or for my purposes I'd find it a new home. BTW, this isn't true of my relationships, still have the same children and wife;-)ReplyDelete
On a related note, sometimes we buy a perfect bike and then WE change. Or our riding mix changes. The person doing the choice need not even misjudge particularly. Either way, it IS a tough call to sell a "pretty new" bike.ReplyDelete
The only bike I ever bought for myself new was a bad choice. It took me twenty years to realize it and I still have the bike. Had I know what I know now, I'd have taken it back to the shop within a week.
- AnonymousFebruary 5, 2011 at 11:15 AM
I've tried moving the seat forward and backwards along the rails, also channging the stem or handlebars might work as well, for me the most important thing is tracking true while riding with no hands. All in all it just comes down to that feeling we like to have.ReplyDelete
I'm the queen of bad bike choices. I have a road bike sitting in my garage that I bought new so I could ride longer distance and my thighs could be as pretty and skinny as they were 5 years ago. I rode it once in the bike lanes around my house and was scared to death of all those cars possibly hitting me. And I hated going fast and then stopping to check for traffic at each light and stop sign. Kind of defeated the purpose of long distance riding. I also bought a red cruiser last year at a silent auction. My friends talked me into bidding way too much for it because it was my birthday and so cute. It's a no name brand and I haven't been on it once since putting it in the garage. I also have several vintage schwinns sitting there collecting dust. They are so heavy and hard to maneuver plus the ride is rough. They look pretty though. Part of me thinks I may just refurbish the classics with some internal hubs and gears so they will be pretty and functional but all that extra cost really may not be worth it so maybe I should Craigslist them although I doubt they will sell for what I think they are worth.ReplyDelete
thank you! and thanks for the last paragraph, I think my biggest issue is feeling like I messed up on a purchase that was so $$$. But esp at the time- there were not many options. Being able to test ride it before having it shipped across country was key. Right after I bought it Madsens came out and so many other options. and... my kids have grown so most cargo bikes we are growing out of. and frankly I really love my sorte. I love her so much- I just want her with power. thanks for the link.ReplyDelete
If you can't use it then sell it is my advice. That said, with the collection I own I should take my own advice!ReplyDelete
Oh I would sell my Pashley and buy a Pigeon Blue Retrovelo in a heart beat. I don't know what's stopping me actually. I think it may be just her sheer prettiness : )ReplyDelete
Mamavee, if your kids are outgrowing most cargo bike options, have you considered a tandem and/or trailercycle? This is how we are getting our kids (6 and 4 years old) around:ReplyDelete
This type of setup should work for years. And with pannier bags and/or a front rack, the tandem can haul lots of non-human stuff as well.
Amy: everything sells for what it its worth. It's worth what someone will pay for it.ReplyDelete
Jennifer: I almost pulled the plug and ordered a Pashley sooo many times. I DID order a Retrovelo sight unseen, test unridden. It is my favorite bicycle ever. It's pretty, it handles well, it's fast when you need it to be, it's comfortable, it's not too heavy to carry up a flight of stairs by myself. I'm very happy that I never bought a Pashley and I don't want one now.
I did buy two bicycles (a Trek Belleville and an Electra Townie) that I thought I would love and wound up not liking at all. I lost a little money on the Belleville. The Electra was used and sold quickly to a friend who loves it.
Learning which bicycles are right for you just requires experience. I don't think there is a way around it. In seven months I have gone from only liking mountain bikes and strongly disliking road bikes to discovering transportation bicycles, falling in love with vintage lugged steel and now to adding a road bike to my stable for longer group rides. I'm no longer fond of my old mountain bike as a piece of sports equipment, but it is a good bicycle and I see its potential as a touring bicycle or cargo bicycle.
Who knows where I will be in a year? It's a pretty good bet that I will still love the Retrovelo. Did I mention that I love it?
One thing that intrigues me about Retrovelo is that I have yet to hear of one being sold or returned. They must have done something right. And if you find the Paul/Paula too expensive, there is the 3-speed Klaus/Klara for about $700 less.ReplyDelete
Catch and release. People change. Needs change. Styles change. Plus that new bike smell is addictive.ReplyDelete
Steve A said...ReplyDelete
"On a related note, sometimes we buy a perfect bike and then WE change. Or our riding mix changes. "
Very true. For me the Pashley experience was tied up with the growing pains of riding a bike for the first time as an adult and developing my preferences.
I think Steve A hit it. Sometimes we change. The worst time for me to pick a bike is if I haven't been riding for awhile. A few weeks of daily riding and those hills just disappear and the bike just fits a bit differently. This fall I spent a few days riding in Maine including riding from Portland to Kennebunkport. The next day rode to Wells to catch the train to North Station, Boston and follow my usual commuting route home. Again, after climbing hills on the Maine trip, my local route seemed even flatter!ReplyDelete
However, I also work with several cyclists. Some have one do-it-all bike. Others, like the CEO and me, lean towards the bike "wardrobe". Different bikes for different needs.
For me, any bike I have should be rideable in city traffic. I don't want to have to put it in the car to get it someplace to ride. That also means, no toe overlap. I have also physically changed. Due to extensive PT last year my reach is longer. This after about 15 years of having a shorter stem put on most of the new bikes I bought.
And, just moving one town over changed some of my needs. As much as I liked my old 3-speeds they just doesn't work for my regular commuting. I have lighterweight single speed and heavier mountain bike with a 7-speed IGH. My project this year is to build up a longer-distance commuter/weekender mixte with an 8-speed IGH or a compact cassette.
For the bikes that I have sold in the years, I look at the use value that I've gotten out of them. There was an inexpensive Giant hybrid I bought when recovering from a broken ankle - wanted to just ride on the bike path with friends, nothing fancy. It helped a lot. A year later, I took it in to be converted into a commuter when I changed jobs but saw a Breezer Villager u-frame on the floor. I bought the Breezer and sold the Giant. Then I changed jobs again and the Breezer wasn't practical for riding out into the 'burbs. I traded it for a Greenway. Then I had some money for my "dream bike" a San Jos8 so I got the San Jos8 and sold the Greenway. Then, my back tightened up and I had converted an old Gary Fisher to really big handlebars so I could ride last year. My back was better, but not perfect this spring so I had the folks at Harris switch out the road bars to Northroad style bars on the San Jos8 and road that quite happily...until I was hit by a truck. That bike sits crumpled in the basement as I wait for the insurance settlement. In the meantime, I converted the Gary Fisher to a commuter and bought a single speed because...I had hand surgery a month ago and can't shift the grip shifter on the Gary Fisher and since Shimano does not make a 7-speed thumb shifter for the hub I took the easy way out and bought another bike. And I wanted a single speed anyway :)
So it's taken me about 20 years to realized that there will never be one "perfect" bike for me but I will end up with a few that I love to ride.
For me it's been helpful to think of bikes as very substantial pairs of shoes/boots! (And the cost may be equivalent over the long term, if one thinks of how many years we hope a successful bike to last, compared with the right pair of shoes).ReplyDelete
That analogy sustains two bits of logic: (1) if a shoe simply turns out not to fit, one isn't being thrifty or sustainable or cautious in continuing to wear or horde it, even if giving it away or selling it means losing some or all the cost of purchase. (2) if a shoe fits but is only wearable/appropriate/useful in certain contexts, that's ok, as long as one has space that it can share with other pairs of shoes, and a range of shoes that fits with one's life and bank balance at any particular time.
I wouldn't have learned to think in this way if it weren't for Lovely Bike, though I can't remember if Velouria makes this comparison. By the way, I don't mean the analogy to stretch too far: as far as I'm concerned, bikes are beautiful tools/vehicles to use, NOT clothing/accessories to wear, and I don't dream of boots etc the way I do of bikes, though I'm very grateful for the right ones (comfortable for long walks, warm, grippy, fun) when I find them. But no "shoe p0rn" for me!
Unless I'm mistaken the price on the Retrovelos have really come down in the past year. I could have sworn the Paul/a's were in the $2500 range, but are now significantly below the 2K mark, and the Klara/Klaus is downright not unreasonable.ReplyDelete
no nickname - As far as shoes go, I think I wrote once that if someone suggests I have too many bikes, I ask them how many pairs of shoes they have. Because unlike most women I know, I only have a few pairs (yes, seriously!) and yet I never ask them "why do you have so many shoes?" or "how can you afford so many shoes?". I can't afford shoes, because I spend too much money on bike stuff. They can't afford bike stuff, because they spend too much money on shoes. Both seem absolutely fine to me, choose your poison!ReplyDelete
"Velouria said...ReplyDelete
no nickname - As far as shoes go, I think I wrote once that if someone suggests I have too many bikes, I ask them how many pairs of shoes they have. Because unlike most women I know, I only have a few pairs (yes, seriously!) and yet I never ask them "why do you have so many shoes?" or "how can you afford so many shoes?". I can't afford shoes, because I spend too much money on bike stuff. They can't afford bike stuff, because they spend too much money on shoes. Both seem absolutely fine to me, choose your poison!"
Bike collecting is a very satisfying past time for many people myself included. I've dabbled in bikes for decades collecting, trading ,refurbing, giving away, etc. enjoying many hours while not spending nearly as much money as any other hobby I know of.
I've been a photographer, an engineer, a soldier, a father and none compare with the joy I've had being a father and a cyclist.
So I'm gonna say a person can own as many bikes as they have room for and still not be wrong or overzealous about the hobby.
Interesting read! I just sold my 1968 VW Karmann Ghia convertible and (knowing that I'll be missing her when the nice weather returns) am planning to replace her with a nice new bike.ReplyDelete
I've been searching the city for a Pashley Princess, but everyone seems to be out of stock till spring - so if anyone out there has one available, please let me know. (I am 5'5", so would likely need the smallest size).
Natalie - If you're 5'5" I'd say you need the medium. Try putting it up as a "want" on the Trading Post!ReplyDelete
i googled and saved and traveled to test ride and decided to get a pashley sonnet bliss...i was SO excited...and i got it home, and...my vintage peugot mixte works better for me in my hilly town. :/ if i hadn't decided to learn to snowboard this year...and spent so much money on stuff for that, it might've been a harder decision to decide to sell, but, i just bought a leather saddle for the mixte. i'll probably get some new handlebars and grips as well, and then just be happy with it. :-D the trick will be finding a buyer for the pashley come spring.ReplyDelete
When I bought my Pashley it was the highest quality loop frame bike available in NYC and within maybe six months Adeline Adeline had opened and began to import tons of bikes of equal or better quality, including Pashley. I was happy with it initially even though it was not just right but as I got more experienced with the style of bike, I was less happy.ReplyDelete
I lucked out a bit in that my Pashley was simply too small for me, so I really needed to sell it no matter what. I did toy with getting a larger one but when I rode the two larger Pashleys, they actually didn't feel that different from my small frame, which told me there was something I didn't like about how it handled that wasn't specific to its size. I was sad because I think they are gorgeous. The girl who bought mine was elated, so that was nice. I wasn't really worried about recouping its value, but I basically did, thought it took a while to sell.
Retrovelo is kind of a mystery to me, like why do I love mine so? There are bikes that are more elegant, and certainly many bikes are faster and others carry more -- it's hard to describe, but the minute I rode one it just felt like a part of me.
I've said this before -- on a Retrovelo you feel EXACTLY like a kid zipping around a corner in a mid 20th century bicycle ad. It is difficult to wipe the smile off your face.ReplyDelete
Just sell it. My love for chef's knives has resulted in my selling some that did not fit. Same for bikes IMHO.ReplyDelete
With the exception of a department store bike purchased many, many years ago and my Long Haul Trucker, every bike I have owned as an adult bicyclist has been a used bike. So I never shelled out that much for a bike (by itself). Though I have no plans in the immediate future, I do see myself owning a custom handbuilt bike at some point. But I'm afraid that it still won't be "right" and also too scared to ride it anywhere, lest it get stolen or damaged! So the used route is a good way for me.ReplyDelete
In the years of used bikes, I have parted with ones when the luster wore off. For years I wanted to get a classic Schwinn of the Varsity variety. Then I lucked out when a friend of mine gave me a 5-speed Collegiate. It was a fun bike for a very short time, then I realize it's shortcomings, namely chromed wheels that kept breaking spokes and didn't have stopping power in the rain, and a primitive derailleur that only got 3-4 gears, never the full 5. Even though I built it up in my head as a bike I "wanted", I knew it wasn't the right thing, so I sold it.
My main problem is that I get an idea for a particular bike, say: building a 3-speed out of a '70's Japanese road frame, or taking the same type of Japanese 10-speed and converting it to a single speed. It goes fine for a while, until I get an idea for a new, different bike, get interested in that new bike, and lose interest in the old. And due to limited space, I inevitably will get rid of the older bike. I can never truly recoup the cost I put into these bikes, but at least I can put a decent bike into circulation.
Right now I've got one bike that I haven't decided if I'll sell it come spring. And there's only one constant in my fleet: the Long Haul, since it is my touring bike and serves a purpose my others can't. That is until I get a hand built touring bike! ;-)
Velouria said...ReplyDelete
Natalie - If you're 5'5" I'd say you need the medium.
I would have to concur. I'm just shy of 5'4 and had the 20" Pashley. It was a great fit for me. The 17" just wasn't enough to be comfortable.
As for the dilemma of keeping it, modifying it, or selling it... I think that is always up for debate. As you pointed out, I think it's difficult to know exactly what will work until a bicycle has been used. The sensible side of me says sell things that aren't right, but that isn't always an easy decision. Buying used bikes is sometimes a good way to cut down any potential losses, I think, but sometimes you just can't find what you want in the used market.
On the other hand, I don't like to easily give up on a bike either. If there is some sort of modification that can be done to make it more usable, functional, comfortable, etc., I think it can be a great decision to give any available options a try.
In the end, I think each individual has to make the decision based on their budget, needs, and motivations.
somervillian- that set up looks really neat. Except I am not a strong cycler and I am 5 feet tall. Something that long would be very unwieldy. I have an xtra and that is too much bike for me. The sorte while huge is more compact and so much easier to handle. I'm just a wimp when it comes to hills. Also my kids are wary and like the three wheel stability. They hate the xtra due to wobble factor.ReplyDelete
follow your heart. hard as it may be to say goodbye, extra weight is something we can not afford to carry around in our lives. be it literally or figuratively.ReplyDelete
Interesting post and comments!. I am finding that I use my Bat less often than I thought I would -- not because it doesn't work in Nashville, but because my lighter, faster mixte works better, especially now that I am a more confident/experienced rider. Like you, I'm getting more into the sporty side of things. But because of how I got it, and how much I like the idea of it, I am not ready to let go of it just yet.ReplyDelete
Steve definitely hit the nail on the head. Sometimes our needs and preferences change, especially if we start to ride more or differently.ReplyDelete
Fortunately for us, bikes differ from other products. In cars or kitchen appliances, as examples, certain brands and models are almost universally seen as very good or very bad, or somewhere in between. On the other hand, a good bike that's not right for you will probably be right for someone else. So there's usually a market for whatever doesn't work out for you.
- HeatherFebruary 7, 2011 at 4:57 AM
My dream bike-or practical and available dream bike was a surly long haul trucker. Top secret ultimate dream bike is a rivendell or custom. When we had our evil dead van scrapped we got a voucher for a bike with the British Columbia scrap it program. $1200 rebate towards a new bike at participating stores. My husband wanted to tour and I thought I needed a touring bike. The surly cost way way way more than $1200 and am still paying for it because I had to borrow to buy the bike and once the refund came, the money had to be used on more urgent matters. Whining aside, it was a bike I could not really afford hence the extreme stress over the bike not being what I'd hoped. A huge amount of the remorse is about the financial burden this bike carries.ReplyDelete
I wasn't able to test ride it before hand with so few built up and also got the wrong size. I was so happy, so excited waiting for the bike to be ready and then once I got it I was not happy with it. I also had a terrible experience with the lbs and shop I bought the bike from. Talk about sexist, rude, elitist, lazy, bad customer service! I love the olive colour, but that's about it. For some reason it does not handle well when loaded and is very unstable overall which makes for some scary moments. I don't really like the 26 inch wheels which I didn't think would be a problem. I've had it a year and a half and still have not had an a-ha moment, or fallen in love. I ride it EVERY DAY too. The lht is a much loved bike and it is a smooth ride, sturdy and all, maybe I go a dud, but just doesn't work for me. It is sluggish, wobbly and.....not lugged or sparkly like I'd prefer. I have vintage lugged steel bicycles that I bought unexpectedly for under $80 that I love and enjoy to ride. I would have been better off buying a vintage step through or mixte and upgrading it with components and gearing comparable to a touring bike.
I have quite a few bikes now but was always a one or two bike girl and would ride my bikes until the bitter end. So it's hard for me to give up on a bike and sell it-especially knowing I will not get much for it. I can't even bear to sell the horrible aluminum bikes I bought under duress in the early 2000's.
The one stroke of luck is someone gave me a lugged steel touring bike missing vital parts. My plan is to build it up cheaply(not with swank parts like I want to), compare it to the lht and sell the lht if I like the trek. I'll clean up the lht, replace anything funky and sell. And then I will paint the trek a beautiful green!
- AnonymousFebruary 9, 2011 at 2:20 PM
In response to Steve A and Mayamocha, I tend to have the opposite experience. The more I think I change, the more I stay the same. I had a lugged '88 Schwinn Tempo frame that I bought NOS on Ebay. I used a Nitto Technomic stem to get the bars up nice and high and put on a nice sprung leather saddle. Ultimately it roade very nicely. But after a couple of years the paint was in not so great condition (apparently it wasn't built at the factory due to paint adhesion problems). I was about to have it powdercoated when my wife suggested I just suck it up, buy a new frame and be done with it.ReplyDelete
Always happy to buy a new frame, I took her up on her suggestion, looked around and got a great deal on a new aluminum and carbon Marin Argenta frame (only $330). However, despite the sizing chart on Marin's web site, the frame proved to be a little small (I was actually worried it would be too big!). So I put the seat post up pretty high and I put on one of those dorky steerer tube extensions to get the bars up where my back likes them.
I have to admit, despite the dorky steerer tube extension, it looks beautiful, its a shade lighter than the old Schwinn, its nice and stiff and at this point I'm very happy with the bike. My one regert is that it only accepts up to a 700x25 tire. Anyway, while admiring the bike in my garage, it occurred to me that the reason now find the bike so comfortable is that the riding position is almost indentical the way I had the old Tempo set up. I can't say I regret buying the new Argenta, but perhaps I'd have been better off painting the Schwinn after all...
I have come to terms with the fact that I'm going to lose money on bikes. For the most part I try to adapt them to meet my needs, and I often get a kick out of remaking a bike into a new format to suit my changing riding needs. But sometimes, when I just don't feel the love, it makes more sense to let them go (and suck it up that I'll only get a fraction of what I put into it). It helps (me) to focus on how happy & excited the new owner is, rather than on how much $$$ I'm losing.ReplyDelete
I know I'm late to the game, but I'd say this is (yet) another reason to buy a used bike. At least here in Portland, used bikes basically keep their full resale value, as long as you keep up on maintenance and replacing major parts as needed (wheels, headsets, etc.). So essentially, buying a used bike is like getting it on loan from the universe for the cost of upkeep. That way if you have to sell it, you can recover all or most of the value. Of course, if you want something very rare, or if you're in a market where the product you want isn't sold new and therefore is less likely to show up used, that's difficult. But perhaps more patience in searching out the used option can pay off in lower risk...ReplyDelete


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BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//18.104.22.168//NONSGML kigkonsult.se iCalcreator 2.20// CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Berkshire Botanical Garden X-WR-CALDESC:One of the nation'\;s oldest botanic gardens\, located in The Berkshires\, Massachusetts. X-FROM-URL:https://berkshirebotanical.org X-WR-TIMEZONE:America/New_York BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York X-LIC-LOCATION:America/New_York BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20171105T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT DTSTART:20180311T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT END:DAYLIGHT END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT UID:firstname.lastname@example.com DTSTAMP:20171215T004126Z CATEGORIES;LANGUAGE=en-US:Education\,Horticulture Certificate Program\,Leve l I CONTACT:Elisabeth Cary\; 413.298.3926\, x15\; email@example.com DESCRIPTION:
Classes meet on Tuesdays\, 6 -9 pm: January 6\, 13\, 20\, 27\, 2015.\n
This is a beginning course in plant anatomy and physiology that covers a wide range of topics. The relationship between structure and function of seeds \, roots\, stems\, leaves\, flowers and fruits will be addressed. An unde rstanding of how plants grow and respond to their environment is fundament al to the successful planting and cultivation of this enormous class of or ganisms. This class can be taken as a core requirement for the Horticultur e Certificate Level I program\, or as an individual class.\n
Inst ructor – Joyce Hemingson\, Ph.D. earned her degree in Botany from the University of Connecticut on the pollination biology of Clethra alnifolia (Sweet Pepperbush). She worked for many years as Director of Publications for White Flower Farm\, located in Litchfield\, CT. She is an active garde ner and a longtime member of the North American Rock Garden Society.\n
Discounted price for 3 Spring Leve l I courses: $475\n
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20150106T230000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20150107T020000 LOCATION:Education Center at Berkshire Botanical Garden SEQUENCE:0 SUMMARY:Botany for Gardeners URL:https://berkshirebotanical.org/event/botany-for-gardeners/ X-COST:$165.00 - To register\, call Berkshire Community College: 413-236-21 27 or Berkshire Botanical Garden: 413-298-3926 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR


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Rockies, Fowler reach two-year contract agreement
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Rockies closed the book on arbitration for 2013 by working out an agreement with center fielder Dexter Fowler on a two-year, $11.6 million contract on Monday.
Fowler, 28, the last of the six arbitration-eligible players to come to an agreement, is guaranteed $4.25 million this year -- a $1 million signing bonus, plus a $3.25 million salary. He'll also receive $7.35 million in 2014. The contract leaves Fowler with one year of arbitration, 2015, before he can be eligible for free agency.
Fowler hit a career-high .300 with a .389 on-base percentage, 13 home runs and 53 RBIs as the Rockies' primary leadoff hitter last season. During this offseason, Colorado listened to trade interest for Fowler but held a steep price -- an indication of the value the club placed on Fowler, whose speed helps him patrol the spacious center field at Coors Field.
By reaching the contract, the Rockies will have no arbitration cases go to a hearing. They've had just three of them go to a hearing in their 21 seasons of existence.
Fowler is the second player to sign for more than one year. Right-handed pitcher Jhoulys Chacin agreed to a two-year, $6.5 million deal. The Rockies went into arbitration not necessarily looking to give out multiyear contracts, but amended that to say they were open to such contracts if the players and their representatives put together likeable proposals.
Colorado also reached one-year agreements with right-handed setup man Wilton Lopez ($1.7625 million), left-handed starter/reliever Josh Outman ($675,000), outfielder/first baseman Tyler Colvin ($2.275 million) and infielder Jonathan Herrera ($900,000).
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Hardball in the Rockies, and follow him on Twitter @harding_at_mlb. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Death Notices for Feb. 26, 2014
Victor L. Haman, 51, Elkhorn, died Sunday in the town of Delavan. Arrangements are pending at Newcomer-Silverthorn Chapel on the Hill, Orfordville.
Veleta C. Peters, 101, Soldiers Grove, formerly of Elkhorn, died Tuesday at Sannes Skogdalen Heim Nursing Home, Soldiers Grove. Arrangements are pending at Haase-Lockwood & Associates Funeral Home and Crematory, Elkhorn.
Mary A. Thoms, 79, Milton, died Tuesday at Heartwarming House, Milton. Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday at First Congregational Church, Milton. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until the time of services Friday at the church. Albrecht Funeral Homes and Cremation Services, Milton, is assisting the family.
Kathy R. Vance, 57, South Beloit, Ill. died Monday at Beloit Memorial Hospital, Beloit. Services are at noon Monday at Bethel AME Church, Beloit. Visitation is from 11 a.m. until the time of services Monday at the church. Hansen-Gravitt Funeral Home, Beloit, is assisting the family.
Betty Eve Zakosky, 56, Beloit, died Monday at home. A memorial service will be held from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday at Free Methodist Church, Beloit. Hansen-Gravitt Funeral Home, Beloit, is assisting the family.


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Dorla D. Austin, Beloit, WI (1931-2014)
January 15, 1931 - April 2, 2014
Dorla D. Austin, 83, of Beloit, WI, died Wednesday, April 2, 2014, in her home. She was born Jan. 15, 1931, in Janesville, WI, the daughter of Charles and Elsie (Gordon) West. Dorla was a 1950 graduate of Janesville High School, Janesville, WI. She married Stuart Austin on Dec. 30, 1952, in St. Patrick Church, Janesville, WI. Dorla was a homemaker who was always there when you needed anything. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, cooking, gardening, flowers, and traveling. Dorla was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Survivors include her husband, Stuart Austin of Beloit, WI; children: Sue (Raymond) Mitchell, Michael (Tamara) Austin, Patrick (Tammra) Austin, all of Beloit, James (Jamie) Austin of Janesville, WI, and Robert Austin of Beloit; 12 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; one brother, Richard (Shirley) West of Janesville; and two sisters, Marilyn (Lloyd) Busse and Charlene Brace, both of Janesville. She was predeceased by her parents; sisters, Virginia Swenson and Beverly Johnson; brothers-in-law, David Brace and Ron Johnson.
Funeral service will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday, April 6, 2014, at the DALEY MURPHY WISCH & ASSOCIATES FUNERAL HOME AND CREMATORIUM, 2355 Cranston Road, Beloit, WI, with the Very Reverend Paul Ugo Arinze officiating. Burial will be in Mt. Olivet Cemetery, Janesville, WI. Visitation will be from 12:30 p.m. until the time of service Monday at the FUNERAL HOME.
Memorials may be given to the Beloit Regional Hospice.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.daleymurphywisch.com


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This week, foreign exchange (FX) data capture and analytics provider FiREapps released an analysis of the impact of FX exposure on earnings for large global businesses. The firm analyzed the earnings calls of 846 publicly traded Fortune 2000 companies; each included company makes at least 15 percent of its revenue outside its home country and does business in at least two currencies.
In the third quarter of 2013, 24.2 percent of the companies reported that currency volatility reduced their earnings per share (EPS). The total negative impact on earnings across the 78 companies that quantified it was $4.18 billion—much lower than in mid-2012, but 14 percent higher than in Q1/2013 (see Figure 1, below). In EPS terms, the average negative impact in Q3/2013 was $0.03 per share. The currencies that negatively impacted earnings in the most businesses were the Brazilian real, which was mentioned on 21 earnings calls, Japanese yen (19 calls), Australian dollar (13), euro (13), and Indian rupee (10).
Looking forward, FiREapps predicts that the FX change most likely to negatively affect multinationals in 2014 is appreciation of the dollar. "Whether it is Abenomics in Japan or the rollback of quantitative easing here at home, anything that results in dollar appreciation will impact the EPS of U.S. multinationals who are not prepared," says Wolfgang Koester, CEO of FiREapps. "Foreign exchange mismanagement is costly, but we are seeing a trend of corporations improving results by addressing historic processes and technologies that are no longer applicable given today's global economic environment."


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Dangerous temps cause school, business closings
Dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills that started Sunday night are causing area schools, day care centers, civic organizations and businesses to close Monday--and in some cases, Tuesday. Here's a current list of closings, with updates as provided, based on area media:�
Agape School
Badger High School
Badger Community Education
Big Foot area schools
Big Foot Union High School
Central-Denison Elementary, Lake Geneva
Combex Inc., Lake Geneva
Delavan Christian School, closed Monday and Tuesday
Delavan-Darien School District, closed Moneday and Tuesday
East Troy School District
Eastview Elementary School, Lake Geneva
Elkhorn Area School District, closed Monday and Tuesday
Faith Christian School, Williams Bay
First Evangelical Lutheran School, Lake Geneva
Fontana School District
Geneva Jt. #4 School District Woods
Genoa City Jt. #4 School District, Brookwood
Lake Geneva Daycare Center
Lake Geneva Head Start
Lake Geneva Jt.1 District schools
Lake Geneva Middle School
Lakeland School, Elkhorn
Linn Jt. #4 School District, Lake Geneva
Mt. Zion Christian School
Our Redeemer Lutheran School, Delavan, closed Monday and Tuesday
Primex Family of Companies, Lake Geneva
Reek Elementary School, Lake Geneva
Sharon Jt. 11 School District
St. Andrew School, Delavan, closed Monday and Tuesday
St. Francis de Sales School, Lake Geneva
Star Center Elementary School, Pell Lakle
Traver Elementary School
Walworth County senior lunch centers
Walworth County Transportation and Nutrition/no Meals on Wheels deliveries
Walworth Jt. 1 School District, Fontana
Whitewater Unified Schools, closed Monday and Tuesday
Williams Bay Schools
Woods Elementary School, Lake Geneva


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The Japanese group confirms the settlement of its first industrial platform in Africa / Middle East region within
This activity zone built as a free trade zone on the Automotive Industrial platform of Jouamaa is place on a land space of 300 hectares principally focusing on automotive activities (equipment makers, logistics operators, subcontractors and services connected to this sector).
Developed across a land mass of 140 ha, this activity zone will be dedicated to the development wholesale and retail commercial activities basing itself on the substantial flow of goods generated by the rising importance of Tangier Med port and the logistics free zone.
Apart from the large incentive-building measures put in place at the national level, Tanger Free Zone joins together remarkable strong points: geographical locality, adapted marketing model (sale of land and rental of ready-to-use warehouses), service offerings.
The Souk Leqdim project aiming at the development of in industrial and logistic park in the region of Tetouan comes in compliment to the offering of the Tangier Med Industrial Platform in many directions: activity zone in taxable territory, a new job pool, industrial segments geared to the domestic and export markets;.
Dedicated to offshoring careers, the Tétouanshore Park aims to provide tertiary quality support to the industrial fabric that really knows strong growth in the region, and thus complements the industrial and logistics Strait region offers. The platform aims to introduce and develop new business to add value and will further diversify the range of opportunities for university courses in the city of Tetouan and its surroundings.


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The Fiber Disease
Human Anatomy, Physiology, and Medicine. Anything human!
Moderator: BioTeam
this may not be breaking news but the environment fits the time...
a sky over london will know where I am.
http://www.nanotech-now.com/products/na ... 03/003.htm
Artificial Molecular Receptors
Another early goal of nanomedicine is to study how biological molecular receptors work, and then to build artificial binding sites on a made-to-order basis to achieve specific medical results. Buddy D. Ratner at the University of Washington in Seattle has researched the engineering of polymer surfaces containing arrays of artificial receptors. In a recent series of experiments, Ratner and his colleagues used a new radiofrequency-plasma glow-discharge process to imprint a polysaccharide-like film with nanometer-sized pits in the shape of such biologically useful protein molecules as albumin (the most common blood protein), fibrinogen (a clotting protein), lysozyme and ribonuclease (two important enzymes), and immunoglobulin (antibodies). Each protein type sticks only to a pit with the shape of that protein. Ratner's engineered surfaces may be used for quick biochemical separations and assays, as well in biosensors and chemosensors, because such surfaces will selectively absorb from solution only the specific protein whose complementary shape has been imprinted, and only at the specific place on the surface where the shape is imprinted. The RESIST Group at the Welsh School of Pharmacy at Cardiff University and others have looked at how molecularly imprinted polymers could be medically useful in clinical applications such as controlled drug release, drug monitoring devices, and biological and antibody receptor mimics.
Dendrimers represent yet another nanostructured material that may soon find its way into medical therapeutics. Starburst dendrimers are tree-shaped synthetic molecules with a regular branching structure emanating outward from a core. Dendrimers form nanometer by nanometer, so the number of synthetic steps or "generations" dictates the exact size of the particles in a batch. Each molecule is typically a few nanometers wide though some have been constructed up to 30 nanometers wide, incorporating more than 100,000 atoms. The peripheral layer of the dendrimer particle can be made to form a dense field of molecular groups that serve as hooks for attaching other useful molecules, such as DNA, which hunker down amongst the outermost branches.
In 1998, James R. Baker Jr. co-founded the Center for Biologic Nanotechnology at the University of Michigan to bring together doctors, medical researchers, chemists and engineers to pursue the use of dendrimers as a safer and more effective genetic therapy agent. For Baker, these nanostructures are attractive because they can sneak DNA into cells while avoiding triggering an immune response, unlike viral vectors commonly employed today for transfection. The dendrimer molecule is decorated with specific snippets of DNA, then injected into biological tissue. Upon encountering a living cell, dendrimers of a certain size trigger a process called endocytosis in which the cell's outermost membrane deforms into a tiny bubble, or vesicle. The vesicle encloses the dendrimer which is then admitted into the cell's interior. Once inside, the DNA is released and migrates to the nucleus where it becomes part of the cell's genome. The technique has been tested on a variety of mammalian cell types, with clinical human trials of dendrimer gene therapy originally scheduled to begin in 2001. Donald Tomalia, another co-founder of the Center for Biologic Nanotechnology, reported using glycodendrimer "nanodecoys" to trap and deactivate influenza virus particles. The glycodendrimers present a surface that mimics the sialic acid groups normally found in the mammalian cell membrane, causing virus particles to adhere to the outer branches of the decoys instead of the natural cells.
In July 2003, Starpharma was cleared by the U.S. FDA for human trials of their dendrimer-based anti-HIV product. Their product has been successful in preventing simian-HIV.
Smart Drugs
Medical nanomaterials also may include "smart drugs" that become medically active only in specific circumstances. A good example is provided by Yoshihisa Suzuki at Kyoto University, who has designed a novel drug molecule that releases antibiotic only in the presence of an infection. Suzuki started with the common antibiotic molecule gentamicin and bound it to a hydrogel using a newly developed peptide linker. The linker can be cleaved by a proteinase enzyme manufactured by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a Gram-negative bacillus that causes inflammation and urinary tract infection, folliculitis, and otitis externa in humans. Tests on rats show that when the hydrogel is applied to a wound site, the antibiotic is not released if no P. aeruginosa bacteria are present. But if any bacteria of this type are present, then the proteolytic enzyme that the microbes naturally produce cleaves the linker and the gentamicin is released, killing the bacteria. "If the proteinase specific to each bacterium [species] can be used for the signal," writes Suzuki, "different spectra of antibiotics could be released from the same dressing material, depending on the strain of bacterium." This specificity of action is highly desirable because the indiscriminate prophylactic use of antibiotics is associated with the emergence of strains of drug-resistant bacteria, and most antibiotics apparently have at least some toxicity for human fibroblasts.
Immunotoxins are another class of smart drugs, in this case activating only in the presence of cancer cells. An immunotoxin molecule is an engineered hybrid of functional protein modules fabricated from two different types of proteins: a toxin and an antibody. Toxin proteins are normally produced and released by infectious bacteria. The protein binds to the surface of a host cell, penetrates it, and kills it. Toxin molecules are so potent that just a few of them can kill a cell. Antibodies are proteins produced by the immune system to recognize and bind to specific foreign materials. An immunotoxin molecule is made by fusing a part of the gene encoding a toxin with a part of the gene encoding an antibody that recognizes surface features on cancer cells. This creates a novel gene that can be used to express a new synthetic protein molecule. This new molecule will bind only to a cancer cell (via a module from the antibody protein), then penetrate it and kill it (via modules from the toxin protein). The first experiments with mice showed that these engineered proteins successfully eliminated certain tumors. Then early in 2000, National Cancer Institute researchers confirmed that an immunotoxin made from a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin was cytotoxic to malignant B-cells taken from patients with hairy cell leukemia. A second clinic trial at the Universitaet zu Koeln in Germany also found that a ricin-based immunotoxin had moderate efficacy against Hodgkin's lymphoma in some patients.
------oooohhhh and TAM TAM, on that extra cellular marix.. . . . . .
"Our group is developing highly aligned ultrathin fiber bundles which mimic the natural fibrous structure in tissue through electrospinning for neuronal regeneration purposes, since it is generally believed that organized neuronal architecture is essential for nervous system
development, functioning, and regeneration [23–25].Adjusting process parameters and polymer solution characteristics can vary fiber sizes
and properties. Many polymers are adaptable for an electrospinning process, such as polyethylene oxide, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl alcohol), DNA, polyaramids, polycaprolactone,PLA, PGA, polyaniline, and polypeptides [21]. Electrospinning can be used to prepare bioac-
tive nanofibers, which may be used for carrying active biomolecules. For example, enzymes can be immobilized via material engineering and improved stability and activity of the enzymes were observed [26]. The electrospun structure, composed of fibers ranging from 50
to 1000 nm in diameter, features a morphologic similarity to the extracellular matrix (ECM)of natural tissue. A wide range of pore diameter distribution, high porosity, and effective mechanical properties could be obtained through the well-developed electrospinning tech-
and since im a dial-up snail i had to skip these pdfs...... . . .
http://www.ee.washington.edu/research/p ... iaoLin.pdf.
please post any portions of inerest... . ,. .
amish coke cartel of 150 murderous passions ...... . . . .
damn i cant shake the chronic fatigue.... . ..
but check where this is comming from ... . . .
Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources – FY 2004 Research Abstracts
The Biochemical Basis for Resistance of Cotton to Pathogens and Pests
Defense chemicals contribute to the pathogen and pest resistance of cotton, but make its seed toxic to nonruminants. Suppression of the biosynthetic pathway to these chemicals specifically in seeds may detoxify the seed while maintaining overall plant resistance. Genes in this pathway and others that are active during bacterial blight resistance are being sought. (1504)
Sponsors: National Science Foundation, Cotton Incorporated, USDA/ARS Southern Crops Research Laboratory, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
PIs: Margaret Essenberg, Margaret Pierce
Interactions of Bacterial Pathogens and Animal Hosts
Factors affecting survival of Brucella abortus in macrophages and other cells will be investigated by studying effects on survival in macrophages of loss of specific genes involved in carbohydrate, purine, pyrimidine, and amino acid metabolism. The mechanisms and signals that control the expression of these genes will also be studied. (1565)
Sponsors: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
PI: Richard Essenberg
Virus Evolution
We test hypotheses about how viruses spread and decline and how new viruses emerge. To achieve this, we analyze the evolution of viral sequences integrated in chromosomes; optimize conditions for detecting multiple viruses in one assay and design and manage probes for such assays; characterize plant viruses by nucleotide sequences; and explore the functions of conserved viral nucleotide sequences. (1789)
Sponsors: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, USDA-ARS, National Science Foundation, OSU Foundation, IBIS Therapeutics
PI: Ulrich Melcher
Structure/Function and Reaction Mechanism of Bioenergetic Apparatuses
Multiple approaches have been used to study the structure, function, and mechanism of quinone-mediated electron and proton transfer complexes of mitochondrial and photosynthesis electron transfer chains. Significant progresses have been made on the atomic structure of the mitochondrial cytochrome bc1 complex. The structural information obtained has been further confirmed by the study of the site-directed mutagenesis, fast kinetic measurement of electron transfer between the two neighboring components, and other biophysical methods. (1819)
Sponsors: National Institutes of Health, American Heart Association, Dupont Company, Sarkey's Foundation, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station, Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
PIs: Chang-An Yu, Linda Yu
Role of Heat Shock Protein 90 in Regulating Protein Kinases
This study will determine the mechanism by which heat shock protein (hsp) 90 and its co-chaperones mediate the maturation of protein kinases. It will also determine whether maturational process can serve as a pharmacological target and whether the maturational pathways for protein folding of these kinases overlap pathways regulation. Identification of novel co-chaperone partners and client proteins will also be made. (1975)
Sponsors: American Heart Association, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: Robert Matts
The Structure of Pectins from Cotton Cell Walls
This study will include a complete structural analysis of the rhamnogalacturonan region of cotton cell wall pectin. The study will determine how the various subsections of pectins associate with each other and will characterize crosslinks between pectin and xyloglucan. The study will also characterize crosslinks between pectin and the cell wall protein extensin. (2099)
Sponsors: U.S. Department of Energy, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: Andrew Mort
Improving the Industrial Uses of Oklahoma Wheat
The long-term goal of this research is to understand the basic properties of gliadin (high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits that form the wheat gluten and are directly related to the performance of wheat flour in yeasted baked products). Specific goals include the understanding of the performance of gliadin (high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits in different products), characterization of the interaction of specific groups or subunits with carbohydrates, and the possible correlation of proteins synthesized during the grain filling period to the synthesis of prolamins in wheat. (2351)
Sponsor: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
Light Regulated Translation and mRNA Stability in Plants
The ability to recognize and respond to extracellular cues is essential for all living organisms. In plants, one of the most important cues is light, which regulates growth and development through transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation of nuclear and chloroplast gene expression. One of the best examples of post-transcriptional regulation of a nuclear-encoded mRNA is that of the pea Fed-1 gene, which encodes the chloroplast ferredoxin protein. Fed-1 is regulated by light at the levels of mRNA stability and translation. For Fed-1, light-regulated mRNA stability and translation appear to be conferred by two separate elements. The first element, necessary for destabilization of the mRNA in the dark, is within a region of the Fed-1 5' UTR that contains a (CATT)4 repeat. The (CATT)4 repeat and the surrounding region will be mutated to delineate the mRNA instability element, to test if the function of the instability element is position dependent, and to determine if the element is sufficient to destabilize non-light-regulated mRNAs. To identify proteins involved in regulated Fed-1 mRNA degradation, the instability element will be used in UV-crosslinking assays. The translational control element will be delimited by mutagenesis and, once characterized, the element will be added to non-light regulated mRNAs to determine the minimal sequence sufficient to repress translation in response to darkness. To determine if the translational control element is an mRNA localization sequence, Fed-1 mRNAs that are wild-type or mutant for translational regulation by light will be localized using a GFP system adapted to plants. (2427)
Sponsor: Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
Photosynthetic Electron Transfer Complexes
The overall objective of this research is to elucidate the role of the supernumeral subunit, subunit IV (Mr = 14,384), in the cytochrome bc1 complex from a photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The specific aims of this project are: 1) to identify amino acid residues of subunit IV involved in interaction with the three-subunit core complex; 2) to identify amino acid residues of cytochrome b involved in interaction with subunit IV; 3) to investigate the effect of subunit IV on the protein conformation and thermostability of the cytochrome bc1 complex by circular dichroism and differential scanning calorimetry; 4) to investigate the protein:lipid interactions in three- and four-subunit complexes; 5) to examine the Q sequestering role of subunit IV using synthetic Q-derivatives; 6) to explore the possible association of supernumeral subunit function with extra segments in the bacterial core subunits; and 7) to compare the 3-D structures of three- and four-subunit bc1 complexes. (2372)
Coupled Enzyme Kinetic Mechanisms and Their Metabolic Consequences
We are studying the kinetic, association, and structural properties of dehydrogenase enzymes. The major objective this year is to elucidate the mechanism for NADH transfer between donor and acceptor pairs of dehydrogenases. In the classical mechanism, the acceptor enzyme can utilize only free NADH (i.e., NADH that is not bound to the donor enzyme). However, a possible alternative is channeled NADH, whereby NADH is transferred directly from donor enzyme to the acceptor enzyme without release of NADH into the bulk medium. The criterion for channeling from the channeling test is R = experimental reaction velocity/velocity predicted assuming the classical mechanism only. We have found that the enzymes tested (glyceraldehye-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, alpha glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) do not channel NADH in contrast to previous appearances. The previous appearances resulted from: 1) side reactions that are present at the very high enzyme concentrations used, and 2) a light-scattering artifact, unavoidably interfering with the 340nm-signal in presence of high protein concentration. The most likely results, when artifacts are avoided, are R values not significantly higher than 1 or 2 (i.e., no channeling within probable experimental errors). (1393)
Sponsor: National Science Foundation, Oklahoma Agricultural Experiment Station
PI: H. Olin Spivey
psycho bitch-nadas
Dr Christie Marrian, NRL
DARPA was established in 1958. It is an organization of 240 personnel (approximately 140 of which are technical) and a directly managing a budget of $2 billion. Programmemanagers are generally on a three year secondment. Dr Marrian joined in 1998, and was due to finish his secondment shortly after our visit. In his previous existence he ran the
nanoelectronics facility at NRL, working under Fabian Reese at Stamford on nanoimprinting, and including applications in the patterning of organic materials. He has also been involved in a molecular electronics programme, researching diodes, switches and resettable switches based on organics. DARPA has a policy of encouraging proposals from small businesses, but in this case, nanotechnology is not really a small business activity. DARPA also provides funding for academics, Masters students etc, as feedstock for the economy. It is especially keen on
outcomes-oriented research. Regarding intellectual property, the only proviso is that the Government is given royalty-free licences for its own use.
DARPA is running 5 or 6 programmes related to nanotechnology including:
Materials – for the generation of new properties
Quantum Information for Society and Technology
Advanced Microelectronics
Advanced Lithography
Bionanosesnors for pathogens.
DARPA needs to identify every possible pathogen that an enemy might produce, and be able to counteract it. Projects under Dr Marrian's supervision include the Molecular electronics programme. With
regard to the procedures for applying for funding, announcements regarding programmes are available on the DARPA website including preliminary call details, full details, deadlines for submission of proposals, then evaluation. Specific deliverables are always identified.
Projects must meet the requirements of 'domination' and 'economic' – plus also nano! Compare this with the approach of the NSF who are into 'insight and knowledge'. NSF funding is also smaller in scope, with lower levels of funding. Knowledge and discovery is their prime motivation.
DARPA on the other hand addresses broad projects in selected areas; and funds work aimed at developing ways to solve a given problem
Marilyn Tavenner
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Commonwealth of Virginia
1111 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Ms Marilyn: Tavenner:
Your letter to me dated November 2, 2006, stated that you decided to let the CDC do the job of discovering the cause of "Morgellon's Syndrome" or "Fiber Disease." We, the people of Virginia want to do the job ourselves and not to be at the mercy of the CDC and their possible bias. This is our right as Virginians.
The attached letter is by a doctor working for the University that the CDC first asked to conduct their state study of our syndrome. You can see that they are clearly biased. Please ask yourself why the CDC would pick this University to do their study?
The CDC has still been unable to come up with a model, a place for people to go, asked anyone that we know to be studied, developed a hotline for doctors or patients to call that can refer them to physicians aware that this disease is being investigated or to locate doctors that honestly care. We need to know the reason why this is so. This is not acceptable behavior.
We require that a notice be sent out to all health care professionals, especially physicians, alerting them that the CDC is investigating this disease. If these physicians have someone reporting "Morgellon type" symptoms, and have come to an impasse which requires them to suggest psychiatric care causing the patient to leave the office, often in tears, and in contemplation of suicide, that these physicians be aware that there is an investigation in place, a state reporting hotline where these people can register to be part of a study and state database.(434-980-2757)
The CDC is only conducting their study in California. We require an accurate accounting system of those that think they have this syndrome in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The state of Georgia has led the way and I have included the documents they have distributed. There is no excuse why Virginia should not be on board with this program and stop passing the buck to other agencies. It is time for personal and state responsibility.
The numbers of calls I get increase weekly along with suicide attempts due to the horrible lesions, loss of employment and loss of self esteem. Do you not care about these people?
How disorganized is the Commonwealth of Virginia and the CDC? We are not prepared for bioterrorism in the Commonwealth and this syndrome and the lack of attention for its discovery proves this point beyond a showdown of any doubt.
We, the people of Virginia, want for you to do as Georgia has done and alert all physicians state wide and let them know that if they have someone who presents themselves as having this condition (Fiber Disease/Morgellons) that they can contact our state contact so that we can evaluate them. (434-980-2757) They will be referred to a licensed medical professional for evaluation based upon our criteria. Their participation is purely voluntary and not state mandated.
We have a doctor that can do a psych evaluation, a doctor to order the tests, a trained professional to administer a detailed questionnaire and an intake specialist to take photos and document the similarities of the lesions. Labs will be taken and data collected. Results will become part of a nationwide database compiled with other states following our model. We must have an accurate accounting of all of those that feel they are suffering with this "syndrome."
Can you tell me why this simple model, I have just presented, has not already been created and implemented by the CDC? There is no excuse for this. How many signatures do you want on a petition to ask you to do this? Why should we have to get a petition since this is a no-brainer. Georgia is already doing this. Why not Virginia?
At this point in time all patients in Virginia, reporting this disease, are being force to go onto anti-psychotic medications in order to continue receiving any degree of treatment by a dermatologist. This "pushing" of anti-psychotic medications is a questionable protocol coming from dermatologists and not psychiatrists. These patients are not given any anti fungal, anti parasitic or antibiotics. (I have proof of this claim) The protocol for non-healing skin lesions filled with microscopic fibers begins and ends with anti-psychotic medications. Biopsies are rarely utilized as part of the diagnostic and one sufferer who finally convinced his dermatologist to take a biopsy found skin cancer. With this DOP diagnosis all hope for future treatment is then tainted by this initial incorrect diagnosis. This is horrendous treatment. It is neglect and abuse.
This is not acceptable. We demand better treatment as a group. It is your responsibility to see that this request is carried out. What are you going to do about it? Please do not pass the buck once again.
Randy Yaskal
Wow Nadas!!!! Thank you for your information. I saved them to my computer and will read them again in the morning. So Nadas, what is your take on this illness? Do you have an opinion on the Garlic? ( I posted an anti garlic link yesterday) and was curious of your opinion.
I don't want to be a transhuman, I don't want to extend my life nor do I want it to be maimed from the communications industry either.
I know we have 2 opposing sides here......the wackos aka transhuminist
and the gov't. The gov't has no control over privately funded agendas.
OR>>>>>>do they? You know, the more I think about it, the more I believe it's the gov't blaming them but paying them to do so.
Okay, so here is the fibre channel:
Despite its name, Fibre Channel signaling can run on both twisted-pair copper wire and fiber optic cables.
Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) is the interface protocol of SCSI on the Fibre Channel.
Fibre Channel layers
Fibre Channel is a layered protocol. It consists of 5 layers, namely:
FC0 The physical layer, which includes cables, fiber optics, connectors, pinouts etc.
FC1 The data link layer, which implements the 8b/10b encoding and decoding of signals.
FC2 The network layer, defined by the FC-PI-2 standard, consists of the core of Fibre Channel, and defines the main protocols.
FC3 The common services layer, a thin layer that could eventually implement functions like encryption or RAID.
FC4 The Protocol Mapping layer. Layer in which other protocols, such as SCSI, are encapsulated into an information unit for delivery to FC2.
FC0, FC1, and FC2 are also known as FC-PH, the physical layers of fibre channel.
Fibre Channel products are available at 1 Gbit/s, 2 Gbit/s and 4 Gbit/s. An 8 Gbit/s standard is being developed. A 10 Gbit/s standard has been ratified, but is currently only used to interconnect switches. No 10 Gbit/s initiator or target products are available yet based on that standard. Products based on the 1, 2, 4 and 8 Gbit/s standards should be interoperable, and backward compatible; the 10 Gbit/s standard, however, will not be backward compatible with any of the slower speed devices.
Fibre Channel Infrastructure
Fibre Channel switches are divided into two classes of switches. These classes are not part of the standard, and the classification of every switch is left up to the manufacturer.
Director switches are characterized by offering a high port-count in a modular (slot-based) chassis with no single point of failure (high availability).
Fabric switches are typically fixed-configuration (sometimes semi-modular) non-redundant switches.
Brocade, *Cisco and *McData provide both Director and fabric switches. *QLogic provides fabric switches. If multiple switch vendors are used in the same fabric, the fabric will default to "interoperability mode" where some proprietary advanced features may be disabled.
[edit] Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters
Fibre Channel HBAs are available for all major open systems, computer architectures, and buses, including PCI and SBus (obsolete today). Each HBA has a unique World Wide Name (WWN), which is similar to an Ethernet MAC address in that it uses an Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) assigned by the IEEE. However, WWNs are longer (8 bytes). There are two types of WWNs on a HBA; a node WWN, which is shared by all ports on a host bus adapter, and a port WWN, which is unique to each port. Some Fibre Channel HBA manufacturers are Emulex, LSI Logic, QLogic and ATTO Technology ATTO was the first to market with 4Gb and Quad Channel Host Adapters.
There is more but that's a start.....
AND THIS IS THE cDc hehehehe......like I said, my friend went to college with the founder. He now lives in Harlem.
CULT OF THE DEAD COW, also known as cDc, is a computer hacker and DIY media organization founded in 1984 in Lubbock, Texas. The group maintains a weblog on its site, also titled "CULT OF THE DEAD COW." New media are released first through the blog, which also features thoughts and opinions of the group's members.
To further the Cult's stated goal of "Global Domination Through Media Saturation," over the years cDc members have granted interviews to major newspapers, print magazines, online news sites, and international television news programs.
*****NOTE: This group claims responisibility for Reagan getting Alzheimers via a blowgun.
So, Randy who are you with? Not much of a choice is there?
Look at this. Does this look familiar to you? Please let me know. It soes to me.
http://www.pv.fagro.edu.uy/fitopato/cur ... 0/mico.JPG
Last edited by London on Sun Nov 05, 2006 6:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
That has nothing to do with what we have.
Test for it. Prove it. It is just a lot of blah blah. Not connected to us at all.
You made it all up in your head. Connected it without any medical scientific tested proof.
WEll, Well, Well.........Looks like I was right. I;'m referring to the part where I stated way back at the end of May that this does indeed have to do with the wasp and honey bee......and,,,,,,,the wheat and barley!!!
Sure does.....just checked my work again tonight. In fact if you don't think I know what in the hell I'm talking about, go back up to my last hyperlink where it opens up to a picture......
Now does that not look familiar??????????????? Can anyone name the hair looking thing in the photo.
This is all about the wheat and b arley. Why they thru the silicate and computer bullshit in with it and the solar fusion, I don;t know.
People, you got a serious plant disease on your hands.
london i think the web that binds is doped films layered with programmable enzymes that form our "chips" ... . when ion interacts with genetic spin pattern coupled metabolic rate is what renders a taylor made electronic silicomorph stealth pathogen to suite.. . . . . . .this could even manufactor your wasp from random simple sugars and carbs the missed the trash bin... . . or just reanimate unused parts from deceased plants/insecta for hybred delivery in case of self inflicted famin
sratigy... ..
Regarding the potential environmental impacts of GMO, it is necessary to understand the biology of the GMO as well as its relationship with the environment where it will be released. The information on the basic biology of the plant and their interactions with the environment including genetic characteristics, reproductive biology, the center of origin and biodiversity, pests, diseases, and ecological characteristics are important issues in evaluating environment safety. All these issues must be taken into account in the evaluation of the GMO in relation with the potential risks to the environment.
2002: Australia - 15 kgs of Monsanto's GM cotton seed was spilled
during transport Monsanto's GM Bollguard cotton seed had spilled into a trailer which was then cleaned out and the seed thrown into a rubbish bin by an employee who was unaware that it was GM cotton.
Drug delivery platforms based on nano-sized geometries (aka nanovectors) promise a revolutionary impact on the diagnosis and therapy of various types of cancers and diseases. To date, polymeric nanovectors (e.g., nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanocapsules,
nanosuspensions, micelles, liposomes, and dendrimers) have been the focus of intense research. Since the mid-19th century, inorganic layered double hydroxide (LDH) ceramics are used for a variety of applications including antacids, catalysts, anion exchangers, and adsorbents. The intercalated anion, within the interlayer space between the cation hydroxide layers, can be readily exchanged with a variety of negatively charged bio-molecular agents such as carboxylic acids, amino acids, nucleoside phosphates, proteins, DNA, ATP, vitamins,
and drugs. Therefore, since 2001, bio-hybridized LDH nanoparticles (or LDHNs) have been evaluated as a passive vector (administrable via the intravascular or pulmonary route) fo rdrug and non-viral gene delivery, but its development is at a stage of infancy. To be
competitive with alternate platforms, research on LDHN-based nanovectors must focus on safety, active targetability, and efficacy. Moreover, it is imperative to build in multimodality with respect to therapy and imaging, while maintaining overall structural simplicity and
economics of synthesis. This presentation will first specify the advantages of LDHN as a nanovector for passive targeting, as well as issues in and attributes of LDHN for active targeting. The judicious selection and synthesis of physiologically relevant LDHN compositions will be discussed. Next, the surface activation of LDHN, a critical first step towards surface functionalization for active targeting, will be illustrated. Finally, a few
strategies to build in multimodalities will be described and preliminary experimental results will be presented.
GM Contamination Register Report 2005
There are 17 illegal releases included in the register which are associated with research and development
or black-market growing (in India, Brazil and Romania). Mistakes and errors in handling are one
apparently common cause of illegal releases associated with research and development. Failures in
inspection and enforcement of controls on field trials have also been highlighted in a 2005 USDA review
of its own systems.
Eight reported and verified cases of adverse agricultural side-effects have been reported with GM crops,
affecting the USA, Argentina, Canada and Australia. These include the emergence of herbicide-tolerant
weeds in the USA and Argentina, unreliable performance of Bt cotton in India, and the first field case in
Australia of cotton bollworm resistance to a toxin, Cry1Ac, used in GM cotton.
The data from the GM Contamination Register show that GM contamination can arise at every stage of
development – from the laboratory, to the field, to the plate. Cases of misidentification, poor quality
control and lack of awareness of proper controls in laboratories have led to GM tomato, zucchini and
maize seed being distributed around the world and meat from GM pigs entering the food chain. Seed used
for GM field trials, even the high-profile scientific farm-scale evaluations in the UK, has been found to be
contaminated by other GM crops. Experimental trials have led to contamination of neighbouring and
subsequent crops. Cross-pollination and poor quality control have led to non-GM seed and food aid being
contaminated. Illegal large-scale growing of GM crops in Brazil, India and Romania, together with
scientists conducting illegal trials or failing to contain them properly, show that GM organisms are often
out-of-control even when claimed to be 'strictly contained'.
The Bt10 maize contamination incident in 2005 reveals a particular problem with detection and
prevention of GM contamination. In official terms, this GM maize did not exist. It had not been tested in
field trials, so no details had to be disclosed to authorities to gain authorisation. Even if it had been used in
trials, it is unlikely that information about the construct and genes inserted would have been in the public
domain, as this is often deemed 'confidential business information'. This has become standard practice
only over the past years. At the same time an increasing array of potentially dangerous genes with respect
to human health are being introduced into crops – coding for drugs or other biologically active compounds that could easily escape detection. Poor controls of trials with such GM drug producing crops were also highlighted by the USDA.
US shipping unwanted GE grains as "Food Aid" to Latin America. Organic
Consumers' Association, June 2001
http://www.organicconsumers.org/gefood/ ... 112801.cfm
2002: Bolivia - StarLink maize - a GM maize intended for animal
feed was found in US food aid.
Sampling of US food aid sent to Bolivia found StarLink GM
maizecontamination at levels around the limit of detection - 0.1%.
StarLink maize was grown in the USA for animal feed but was also
found in food products. The StarLink maize, produced by Aventis (now
Bayer), is genetically modified to contain a gene from the bacterium,
Bacillus thuringiensis, coding for an insecticidal Bt toxin known as
Cry9C. This particular type of Bt toxin is not found in other GM insect
resistant crops and there are concerns that it could be a human allergen
because it is heat stable and does not break down in gastric acid in the
human digestive system - characteristics shared by many allergens
The StarLink Situation. Iowa Grain Quality Initiative 18 November 2003
http://www.extension.iastate.edu/grain/ ... arlink.htm
oh Thank you, thank you, thank you......I do so appreciate that thought.
And Nad, althought I never posted about it, I did witness small yellow jacket wasp coming grom my computer. I swear if I'm lying I'm dying.
This was back in June or July!
Also saw your write up on Maize and Australia. I thought we imported bad corn to them. Hey check this out.....
here is mayb e why they were pushing the ivermenctin:
Characterization of a Chitinase Gene from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia Strain 34S1 and Its Involvement in Biological Control
Received 19 July 2001/ Accepted 17 December 2001
A chitinase gene was cloned on a 2.8-kb DNA fragment from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia strain 34S1 by heterologous expression in Burkholderia cepacia. Sequence analysis of this fragment identified an open reading frame encoding a deduced protein of 700 amino acids. Removal of the signal peptide sequence resulted in a predicted protein that was 68 kDa in size. Analysis of the sequence indicated that the chitinase contained a catalytic domain belonging to family 18 of glycosyl hydrolases. Three putative binding domains, a chitin binding domain, a novel polycystic kidney disease (PKD) domain, and a fibronectin type III domain, were also identified within the sequence. Pairwise comparisons of each domain to the most closely related sequences found in database searches clearly demonstrated variation in gene sources and the species from which related sequences originated. A 51-kDa protein with chitinolytic activity was purified from culture filtrates of S. maltophilia strain 34S1 by hydrophobic interaction chromatography. Although the protein was significantly smaller than the size predicted from the sequence, the N-terminal sequence verified that the first 15 amino acids were identical to the deduced sequence of the mature protein encoded by chiA. Marker exchange mutagenesis of chiA resulted in mutant strain C5, which was devoid of chitinolytic activity and lacked the 51-kDa protein in culture filtrates. Strain C5 was also reduced in the ability to suppress summer patch disease on Kentucky bluegrass, supporting a role for the enzyme in the biocontrol activity of S. maltophilia.
Treatment and Control
Antibiotic sensitivity of the causative organism of Tyzzer's Disease has been highly variable but tetracycline drugs appear to be an effective means of treatment.
A very simple test to take to define and a simple cure.
http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-15 ... --,00.html
Nothing on this thread has ANTHING to do with our disease. this is because no one on here has any background in science and you have no clue to what you are reading and all of it is DISinformation.
Readers beware......dis-information defined:
http://www.911review.org/Wiki/RulesOfDi ... tion.shtml
This has a simple solution without a TAM AUTHORITY or too complex for anyone to grasp.
Take Tam and compare him to all these tactics (knows it all/expert/ but will not tell thewhole truth) and then take Londons outrage if anyone goes against her and Nokas ramblings and you will see what a great team they truly are people. WAKE UP! They have this entire page down pat!
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