text:
LEBANON: FEW SHIA ALTERNATIVES TO HIZBALLAH BEFORE ELECTIONS
2009 April 24, 14:50 (Friday)
09BEIRUT472_a
IR - Iran | LE - Lebanon | PGOV - Political Affairs--Government; Internal Governmental Affairs | PINR - Political Affairs--Intelligence | PREL - Political Affairs--External Political Relations
Lebanon Beirut
National Security Council | North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) | Secretary of State | The League of Arab States | U.S. Mission to European Union (formerly EC) (Brussels) | United Nations (New York) | United States Central Command
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000472 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD ALSO FOR R, INR/R/MR, AND INR NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2019 TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, IR, LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: FEW SHIA ALTERNATIVES TO HIZBALLAH BEFORE ELECTIONS REF: BEIRUT 351
Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY ------- 1. (C) The Arabic Islamic Council (AIC) emerged in 2006 as a self-declared Arab alternative to Hizballah. AIC attracted the attention of Lebanese and Arab media because of its claims of "promoting a culture of peace and Arab unity" as opposed to Hizballah's culture of "armed resistance" and ties with Iran. Hizballah has not commented on AIC's policies. The AIC has declared that it has an armed wing, the Arabic Islamic Resistance (AIR), whose purpose is to "oppose the enemies of Arabism." There is no evidence to indicate such an armed wing actually exists. After declaring in November 2008 its intention to contest the June parliamentary elections, AIC announced in March 2009 that it would "boycott" the elections. Several other non-Hizballah Shia figures including former Speaker Hussein al Husseini and former Ambassador Khalil al Khalil, have also opted not to run in the elections, with the main exception being Lebanese Options Gathering leader Ahmad al-Assad. End Summary. AIC: Background --------------- 2. (C) Sayyid Mohammed Ali El-Husseini, a thirty-year old graduate of the Iranian religious center in Qom, launched the Arabic Islamic Council (AIC) in 2006. AIC received funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reached out to underserved Shia communities in south Lebanon and the Bekaa. In a November meeting with Public Diplomacy staff, the AIC announced that it would open television and radio stations, adding to its already existing newsletter, website, and online forum. The TV and radio outlets never opened. Husseini declared in November that AIC planned to participate in the June 7 parliamentary elections by running fourteen candidates, including women and youth, in several Shia districts. However, in March 2009, AIC announced its decision to "boycott" the elections because Husseini does not want to participate in a "non-transparent" process. 3. (C) AIC announced in a press release the establishment of the Arabic Islamic Resistance (AIR), an armed wing of AIC. Previously, Husseini had promoted peace as a means to counter aggression. In an interview with news portal lebanonfiles.com, Husseini stated that AIR was militarily ready and that it had been training for seven months with Hizballah's knowledge. Claiming to have 1500 armed men from different Arab countries, Husseini said AIR had conducted military maneuvers in the Bekaa. The maneuvers supposedly included the use of conventional and unconventional defensive tactics, establishing central command areas to coordinate future military operations, and tactics to counter potential chemical attacks. On April 12, AIR claimed it conducted a military maneuver for its newly created female military squad. However, there is no evidence that AIR has any armed wing, controls 1500 armed men or has a female military squad. Love or Hate Relationship? -------------------------- 4. (C) The relationship between AIC and Hizballah is unclear. AIC headquarters are located on the Beirut airport highway, a Hizballah-dominated area. Contacts in the Beirut southern suburbs observed that Hizballah has neither harassed nor interfered with AIC. 5. (C) AIC has made public statements distancing itself from Hizballah. In an October, 2007 interview with alarabiya.net, Husseini accused the Iranian regime of attempting to "assassinate Arab Shia imams and political leaders...," he went on to say that "(We) as a group of Arab Shia imams...have started to mobilize against the guardianship of the jurisprudent and Iranian clout... our relationship with Hizballah is bad... I am the alternative to Hizballah and its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah." In November 2008, the National News Agency quoted Husseini during a press BEIRUT 00000472 002 OF 002 conference in Tyre. He stated "...there is no third Shia power in Lebanon, there is Hizballah and Amal, and the true popular base we represent is that of resistance and we originate from (this base)...we appreciate and value our good relationship with Amal and Hizballah, they welcome what we are doing, we work for Lebanon's sake." In his interview with lebanonfiles.com, Husseini claimed that AIC coordinates "not only with our brothers in Hizballah( but also with the Christian Resistance (nfi)...we will be side by side with the Lebanese Armed Forces." AIC'S ROLE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HIZBALLAH ------------------------ 6. (C) Media reports and AIC's website initially identified it as an alternative to Hizballah and said that it was focused solely on providing educational and welfare services. During the November 2008 meeting, the AIC stressed that it was only concerned with services to the community; and its members reinforced its message of treating women equally. A Beirut Shia contact called AIC "nothing but an Iranian tool that adopts Hizballah's rhetoric and objectives but is based on Arabism." 7. (C) This same source told us that Husseini received $500,000 from another, unidentified country to create an image of an armed group. Another contact from the Beirut southern suburbs recently told us that AIC was offered money to claim responsibility for the Katyusha rockets that were found in south Lebanon in February, but refused. 8. (C) Husseini justified AIC's aboutface on the election by accusing others of buying votes and because there have been, according to him, compromises between March 8 and March 14. Shia contacts in Beirut and the Bekaa said, however, that AIC decided to boycott the elections because its leadership was aware that it does not have enough popular support among the Shia to win any seats in the upcoming elections. WHERE ARE THE OTHER SHIA ALTERNATIVES? ------------------- 9. (C) Other non-Hizballah Shia also have changed their minds about running. Former Speaker Hussein al-Husseini withdrew his candidacy from Baalbeck-Hermel on April 22 and retired Lebanese Ambassador and figurehead of a prominent Shia family Khalil al-Khalil, who personally informed Embassy staff of his intention to run in Tyre (reftel), did not register to run. The primary Shia figure who is seemingly not bowing out to Hizballah is Lebanese Option Gathering (LOG) leader Ahmad al-Assad, who announced his own candidacy in Hasbaya-Marjeyoun on April 5. Observers criticize Assad because his Lebanon Options Group does not have a presence in the south. 10. (C) Assad announced five other individuals in districts in southern Lebanon are running as LOG candidates. One of the five, Elias Abu Rizk, who is Greek Orthodox and also running in Hasbaya-Marjeyoun, clarified to the media immediately after Assad's announcement that he was not running on LOG's list and subsequently refused to discuss the matter over the telephone with EmbOff. Another LOG candidate, Zein Khalifa, has since withdrawn his candidacy in Zahrany. 11. (C) A potentially third LOG Shia candidate, Mohammed Ali Mkalled, is publicly stating he is running independently in Nabatieh, but an Embassy contact told us he is "secretly allied with Assad." (Comment: While the withdrawal of candidates is to be expected, we notice a trend of candidates intentionally distancing themselves from the most vocally anti-Hizballah figure, Assad. The quieter Hizballah opponents have either dropped out, or are forging behind-the-scenes alliances to bolster their chances on election day. End comment.) SISON
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BEIRUT 000472 SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/ELA, NEA/PPD ALSO FOR R, INR/R/MR, AND INR NSC FOR SHAPIRO, MCDERMOTT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/24/2019 TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PINR, IR, LE SUBJECT: LEBANON: FEW SHIA ALTERNATIVES TO HIZBALLAH BEFORE ELECTIONS REF: BEIRUT 351 Classified By: Ambassador Michele J. Sison for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). SUMMARY ------- 1. (C) The Arabic Islamic Council (AIC) emerged in 2006 as a self-declared Arab alternative to Hizballah. AIC attracted the attention of Lebanese and Arab media because of its claims of "promoting a culture of peace and Arab unity" as opposed to Hizballah's culture of "armed resistance" and ties with Iran. Hizballah has not commented on AIC's policies. The AIC has declared that it has an armed wing, the Arabic Islamic Resistance (AIR), whose purpose is to "oppose the enemies of Arabism." There is no evidence to indicate such an armed wing actually exists. After declaring in November 2008 its intention to contest the June parliamentary elections, AIC announced in March 2009 that it would "boycott" the elections. Several other non-Hizballah Shia figures including former Speaker Hussein al Husseini and former Ambassador Khalil al Khalil, have also opted not to run in the elections, with the main exception being Lebanese Options Gathering leader Ahmad al-Assad. End Summary. AIC: Background --------------- 2. (C) Sayyid Mohammed Ali El-Husseini, a thirty-year old graduate of the Iranian religious center in Qom, launched the Arabic Islamic Council (AIC) in 2006. AIC received funding from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and reached out to underserved Shia communities in south Lebanon and the Bekaa. In a November meeting with Public Diplomacy staff, the AIC announced that it would open television and radio stations, adding to its already existing newsletter, website, and online forum. The TV and radio outlets never opened. Husseini declared in November that AIC planned to participate in the June 7 parliamentary elections by running fourteen candidates, including women and youth, in several Shia districts. However, in March 2009, AIC announced its decision to "boycott" the elections because Husseini does not want to participate in a "non-transparent" process. 3. (C) AIC announced in a press release the establishment of the Arabic Islamic Resistance (AIR), an armed wing of AIC. Previously, Husseini had promoted peace as a means to counter aggression. In an interview with news portal lebanonfiles.com, Husseini stated that AIR was militarily ready and that it had been training for seven months with Hizballah's knowledge. Claiming to have 1500 armed men from different Arab countries, Husseini said AIR had conducted military maneuvers in the Bekaa. The maneuvers supposedly included the use of conventional and unconventional defensive tactics, establishing central command areas to coordinate future military operations, and tactics to counter potential chemical attacks. On April 12, AIR claimed it conducted a military maneuver for its newly created female military squad. However, there is no evidence that AIR has any armed wing, controls 1500 armed men or has a female military squad. Love or Hate Relationship? -------------------------- 4. (C) The relationship between AIC and Hizballah is unclear. AIC headquarters are located on the Beirut airport highway, a Hizballah-dominated area. Contacts in the Beirut southern suburbs observed that Hizballah has neither harassed nor interfered with AIC. 5. (C) AIC has made public statements distancing itself from Hizballah. In an October, 2007 interview with alarabiya.net, Husseini accused the Iranian regime of attempting to "assassinate Arab Shia imams and political leaders...," he went on to say that "(We) as a group of Arab Shia imams...have started to mobilize against the guardianship of the jurisprudent and Iranian clout... our relationship with Hizballah is bad... I am the alternative to Hizballah and its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah." In November 2008, the National News Agency quoted Husseini during a press BEIRUT 00000472 002 OF 002 conference in Tyre. He stated "...there is no third Shia power in Lebanon, there is Hizballah and Amal, and the true popular base we represent is that of resistance and we originate from (this base)...we appreciate and value our good relationship with Amal and Hizballah, they welcome what we are doing, we work for Lebanon's sake." In his interview with lebanonfiles.com, Husseini claimed that AIC coordinates "not only with our brothers in Hizballah( but also with the Christian Resistance (nfi)...we will be side by side with the Lebanese Armed Forces." AIC'S ROLE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO HIZBALLAH ------------------------ 6. (C) Media reports and AIC's website initially identified it as an alternative to Hizballah and said that it was focused solely on providing educational and welfare services. During the November 2008 meeting, the AIC stressed that it was only concerned with services to the community; and its members reinforced its message of treating women equally. A Beirut Shia contact called AIC "nothing but an Iranian tool that adopts Hizballah's rhetoric and objectives but is based on Arabism." 7. (C) This same source told us that Husseini received $500,000 from another, unidentified country to create an image of an armed group. Another contact from the Beirut southern suburbs recently told us that AIC was offered money to claim responsibility for the Katyusha rockets that were found in south Lebanon in February, but refused. 8. (C) Husseini justified AIC's aboutface on the election by accusing others of buying votes and because there have been, according to him, compromises between March 8 and March 14. Shia contacts in Beirut and the Bekaa said, however, that AIC decided to boycott the elections because its leadership was aware that it does not have enough popular support among the Shia to win any seats in the upcoming elections. WHERE ARE THE OTHER SHIA ALTERNATIVES? ------------------- 9. (C) Other non-Hizballah Shia also have changed their minds about running. Former Speaker Hussein al-Husseini withdrew his candidacy from Baalbeck-Hermel on April 22 and retired Lebanese Ambassador and figurehead of a prominent Shia family Khalil al-Khalil, who personally informed Embassy staff of his intention to run in Tyre (reftel), did not register to run. The primary Shia figure who is seemingly not bowing out to Hizballah is Lebanese Option Gathering (LOG) leader Ahmad al-Assad, who announced his own candidacy in Hasbaya-Marjeyoun on April 5. Observers criticize Assad because his Lebanon Options Group does not have a presence in the south. 10. (C) Assad announced five other individuals in districts in southern Lebanon are running as LOG candidates. One of the five, Elias Abu Rizk, who is Greek Orthodox and also running in Hasbaya-Marjeyoun, clarified to the media immediately after Assad's announcement that he was not running on LOG's list and subsequently refused to discuss the matter over the telephone with EmbOff. Another LOG candidate, Zein Khalifa, has since withdrawn his candidacy in Zahrany. 11. (C) A potentially third LOG Shia candidate, Mohammed Ali Mkalled, is publicly stating he is running independently in Nabatieh, but an Embassy contact told us he is "secretly allied with Assad." (Comment: While the withdrawal of candidates is to be expected, we notice a trend of candidates intentionally distancing themselves from the most vocally anti-Hizballah figure, Assad. The quieter Hizballah opponents have either dropped out, or are forging behind-the-scenes alliances to bolster their chances on election day. End comment.) SISON
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New Zealand's defence policy is set out in the 2010 Defence White Paper. The Defence Force plays an important part in the all-of-government approach to national security.
a sound global economy underpinned by open trade routes.
In pursuing New Zealand's security interests, the NZDF expresses defence policy objectives in terms of Defence Outcomes*.
While the NZDF is constitutionally the sole provider of military forces, it is not the sole contributor to Defence Outcomes. The Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Customs Service, New Zealand Police, and other departments and agencies also contribute to the outcomes.
A secure New Zealand, including its people, land, territorial waters, EEZ, natural resources, and critical infrastructure.
Reduced risks to New Zealand from regional and global insecurity.
New Zealand values and interests advanced.
New Zealand is able to meet future national security challenges.
The following diagram outlines the linkages involved in the Defence Force's frameworks.
* The word 'outcome' means a state or condition of society, the economy, or the environment, and includes a change in that state or condition.
This page was last reviewed on 12 February 2015, and is current.


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I had about a million things I wanted to share with you guys via a Friday is for Favorites post today, but ended up burying myself in an obsessive fury of tax madness until the wee hours of the night last night (and then was haunted by the "bloop" sound of QuickBooks in my dreams). Do you ever do that? Start working on a big project that you really dislike (in my case, pretty much anything involving numbers), and submerge yourself to the point where you can't stop? And not because you're enjoying it, but because you unrealistically convince yourself that if you just keep going and going without a break you might actually get it all done in one day? That was me you guys. I swear, I try my best to be consistent with bookkeeping for my businesses throughout the year, but there is, without fail, always a cluster of random loose ends (uncategorized expenses, a mystery check number, math that just doesn't add up) that I'm left to solve the following January. Despite my best efforts yesterday, I'm still not done. But I did put a huge dent in it, and that's good enough for me.
As for the picture above that at this point has seemingly nothing to do with this post... That's my mom, pregnant with my little sister, and me, pretending to be pregnant alongside her. Between yesterday's accounting marathon and my waves of feeling sorry for myself that this is the first weekend of many that Robbie will be on the road, I decided that a spontaneous adventure (no matter how small) would do me good. If it involved some quality girl time, even better. So I called my mom, who I knew had plans to get out of the Chicago area for the weekend to go visit my sister in Indianapolis, and I told her I was tagging along. The three of us were supposed to have a Baswell Girls hang at my sister's for a few days after Christmas, but my flu-induced barfing spree put a damper on those plans. And now that we've all gotten this season's evil sickies that are going around out of the way, we're attempting it again. My mom, sis and I are very close, but we have completely conflicting schedules and live in different places and just aren't able to all get together that often. I'm really looking forward to a couple days with them, dorking out over girly movies and red wine.
What are you up to this weekend? Anybody else have plans for a girl-time hang?
I heart girl time. My sis and I are heading down to Monterey this next weekend for a little get away. It will be a nice little recharge.
Girl time is something I tend to cherish even more now that I have moved in with my boyfriend. Enjoy the time with your mom and sister!
Love that you said "dorking out"...a term my sis and I use all the time. Have a great weekend!!!
I haven't started my taxes yet. I want to but I'm still waiting on some information. No plans this weekend except working. I picked up some OT from my job. I may go see a movie this weekend.
Thanks for your comments everyone! We had a great weekend. Girl hangs rule.


text:
St. Jude researchers integrate WGS and RNA-Seq to create an analytic tool that opens a new frontier of cancer discovery
Posted by: RNA-Seq Blog in Analysis Pipelines, Workflow July 8, 2020	1,486 Views
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed software to identify cancer-causing mutations lurking in vast regions of the human genome
Gene coding regions constitute 2% of the human genome. St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists have developed a computational tool to identify alterations that drive tumor formation in the remaining 98% of the genome. The method will aid discovery of oncogenes and advances in precision medicine for children and adults with cancer.
The approach, detailed today in the journal Nature Genetics, is called cis-expression or cis-X. Researchers developed the innovative analytic method to identify novel pathogenic variants and oncogenes activated by such variants in regulatory noncoding DNA of patient tumors. Cis-X works by identifying abnormal expression of tumor RNA. Investigators analyzed leukemia and solid tumors and demonstrated the power of the approach.
Noncoding DNA, which does not encode genes, makes up 98% of the human genome. However, growing evidence suggests that more than 80% of the noncoding genome is functional and may regulate gene expression. Population studies have identified variants in noncoding DNA that are associated with an elevated cancer risk. But only a small number of noncoding variants in tumor genomes that contribute to tumor initiation have been discovered. Finding these variants required whole genome sequencing analysis of a large number of tumor samples.
"Cis-X is a fundamental change from existing approaches that require thousands of tumor samples and only identify noncoding variants that happen recurrently," said Jinghui Zhang, Ph.D., St. Jude Department of Computational Biology chair. She and Yu Liu, Ph.D., previously of St. Jude and now of Shanghai Children's Medical Center, are the corresponding authors. Liu is also a first author.
"By using aberrant gene transcription to reveal the function of noncoding variants, we developed cis-X to enable discovery of noncoding variants driving cancer in individual tumor genomes," Zhang said. "Identifying variants that lead to dysregulation of oncogenes can expand the scope of the precision medicine to noncoding regions for identifying therapeutic options to suppress aberrantly activated oncogenes in tumors."
Cis-X was inspired by a 2014 Science paper from Thomas Look, M.D., of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and his colleagues. Look is a co-author of the current paper. Working in cell lines, Look's team identified noncoding DNA variants responsible for abnormal activation of an oncogene (TAL1) that led to T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). The research prompted Zhang to pursue her long-standing interest in examining variations in expression of each copy of a gene.
Cis-X works by searching for genes with altered expression in two ways. Researchers used whole genome and RNA sequencing to find genes that are expressed on just one chromosome and expressed at aberrantly high levels.
"It can be noisy when analyzing the imbalance of gene expression between alleles," Liu said. "This analysis used a novel mathematical model that makes cis-X a robust tool for discovery."
Cis-X then searches for the cause of the abnormal expression by looking for alterations in regulatory regions of noncoding DNA within a 3D genome architecture. "The approach mimics the way the variants work in living cells," Liu said. The alterations include changes such as chromosomal rearrangements and point mutations.
"Few functional noncoding variations happen at high recurrence, but they are important drivers of tumor initiation and progression," Zhang said. "Without identifying the noncoding variant, we may not have the full picture of what caused the cancer."
cis-X workflow
cis-X was designed to perform integrated analysis of WGS and RNA-seq data generated from an individual tumor genome. It integrates ASE and outlier high expression as key signatures of cis-activated genes to seed the discovery of regulatory noncoding variants in the context of 3D architecture of the genome. Functional genomics data such as ChIP–seq generated from samples with matching tissue of origin and variant context can be provided by the user to enhance candidate variant annotation.
Researchers used cis-X to analyze the cancer genomes of 13 T-ALL patients with the data generated as a collaboration between St. Jude and Shanghai Children's Medical Center. The algorithm identified known and novel oncogene-activating noncoding variants as well as a possible new T-ALL oncogene, PRLR.
Investigators also showed the method worked in adult and pediatric solid tumors, including neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer of immature nerve cells. Solid tumors posed a greater analytic challenge. Unlike leukemia, solid tumors often have an abnormal number of chromosomes that are not uniformly distributed in the tumor.
"Cis-X offers a powerful new approach for investigating the functional role of noncoding variants in cancer, which may expand the scope of precision medicine to treat cancer caused by such variants," Zhang said.
Cis-X software is publicly available at no cost to researchers through GitHub software repository, St. Jude Cloud and Zhang's laboratory page.
Source – St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Liu Y, Li C, Shen S. et al. (2020) Discovery of regulatory noncoding variants in individual cancer genomes by using cis-X. Nat Genet [onine ahead of print]. [abstract]
cis-expression Cis-X Noncoding DNA noncoding rna	2020-07-08
RNA-Seq Blog
Tagged with: cis-expression Cis-X Noncoding DNA noncoding rna
piRNAPred – computational Identification of piRNAs Using Features Based on RNA Sequence, Structure, Thermodynamic and Physicochemical Properties
DIANA-mAP – analyzing miRNA from raw RNA sequencing data to quantification
Automated Isoform Diversity Detector (AIDD) – a pipeline for investigating transcriptome diversity of RNA-seq data
ProkSeq for complete analysis of RNA-Seq data from prokaryotes
BingleSeq – a user-friendly R package for bulk and single-cell RNA-Seq data analysis
microSPLiT – microbial single-cell RNA sequencing by split-pool barcoding
Molecular subtyping of Alzheimer's disease using RNA sequencing data reveals novel mechanisms and targets
RainDrop – Rapid activation matrix computation for droplet-based single-cell RNA-seq reads
Advancing brain barriers RNA sequencing – guidelines from experimental design to publication
RNA sequencing reveals how allergic asthma transforms cells of the airway
Single-cell analysis reveals fibroblast clusters linked to immunotherapy resistance in cancer

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The DOL's rule and related exemptions will require all retirement advisors, whether fee- or commission-based to adapt and practice a fiduciary standard that puts their clients' best interests first and foremost. And retirement advisors have until 2018 to acclimate to this new fiduciary rule.
As my financial advisor, will you do your best to evaluate my long-term goals and recommend investment ideas to help me achieve them?
In the course of our business relationship and because there are times when you may buy and sell investments for my portfolio, what is the range of fees and commissions you might receive?
Do you a promise to act in my best interest on all matters related to advice and investment recommendations for my retirement portfolio?
Do you or your firm have any potential conflicts of interest with decisions you might make on my behalf?
These five questions will undoubtedly lead to more questions and the more you are informed, the better off you'll be. And while your advisor might ask you to sign new paperwork attesting to your understanding of this new fiduciary rule, remember the most important question of all: If you weren't always acting in my best interest, whose best interest were you acting in?
Article written by John Drachman.
Material in this publication is original or from published sources and is believed to be accurate. However, we do not guarantee the accuracy or timeliness of such information and assume no liability for any resulting damages. All expressions of opinion reflect the author's judgment at the date of publication and are subject to change without notice in reaction to shifting market conditions. This material is provided for informational purposes, and it is not to be construed as general financial product advice nor an offer, solicitation, recommendation or endorsement of any particular security, products, or services. Readers are cautioned to consult their own tax and investment professionals with regard to their specific situations.


text:
"Latest Stem Cells News"
Understanding Embryonic Stem Cells
What Stem Cells are
UC Davis stem cell researchers awarded $53 million
26 April 2018 Stem Man	1 Comment
UC Davis Health System researchers who are working to speed therapies to patients suffering from critical limb ischemia, osteoporosis and Huntington's disease received approval today for three separate research grants from the state's stem cell agency totaling more than $53 million. Each of the research studies that can now begin at UC Davis are specifically designed to lead to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of human clinical trials using stem cells and regenerative therapies.
At today's meeting of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in San Francisco, the agency's 29-member governing board approved five other grant proposals as part of its $150 million Disease Team Research Awards program. Funding goes to a highly select group of scientific collaborations to accelerate the state's most promising stem cell research.
"Today's Disease Team awards reflect the expertise and experience that UC Davis brings to the world of regenerative medicine," said Jan Nolta, professor of internal medicine and director of the UC Davis Stem Cell Program and its Institute for Regenerative Cures in Sacramento. "Our teams are as eager as patients and families themselves to begin the type of clinical research that will allow us to discover new therapies and cures for people suffering from chronic and life-debilitating diseases. These generous grants allow our researchers to focus as never before on finding the best answers to the most challenging questions in regenerative medicine."
The three UC Davis grants that were funded "are breathtaking in their size, scope and potential," said Nolta.
Critical limb ischemia (CLI)
Armed with their new $14.1 million CIRM grant, Nolta and John Laird, professor of cardiovascular medicine and director of the UC Davis Vascular Center, lead a team that plans to launch human clinical trials for critical limb ischemia, a vascular disease affecting about 2 million people around the country. The condition, which is often present in individuals with diabetes and severe peripheral artery disease, is caused by severe obstructions of the arteries, seriously decreasing blood flow to the feet and legs. It is associated with pain, debilitating foot ulcers, gangrene, and increased risk of leg amputation and death. Despite the best surgical revascularization efforts, at its end stages, this disease lacks effective therapies.
Bolstered by their recent preclinical studies in critical limb ischemia that showed stem cell safety and efficacy, Nolta and Laird plan to use mesenchymal stem cells from healthy bone marrow donors that are bioengineered to produce a revascularizing factor. The cells will be injected into the legs of CLI patients and are expected to migrate to oxygen-low areas in a patient's diseased limbs.
"Our combination stem cell strategy is analogous to a paramedic vehicle that can deliver emergency care directly to a patient," said Laird, who has been investigating different stem cell approaches as possible vascular therapies for several years. "We've seen that the special growth factors produced by our engineered stem cells can rapidly restore blood flow in the limbs of animal models that had no leg circulation whatsoever. Our CIRM grant now enables us to completely focus on finalizing safety and efficacy tests for humans so we can move this candidate therapy into clinical trials that will hopefully save people from amputation."
Joining the UC Davis team in developing the novel mesenchymal stem cell therapeutic for CLI will be research partners at Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba, Spain. The collaboration is a part of the Andalusian Initiative for Advanced Therapies, which was created by the regional government of Andalusia to sponsor non-commercial clinical trials in the field of cellular therapy.
Treatment for osteoporosis
Nancy Lane, professor of internal medicine, will use her $20 million CIRM grant to lead her research team to optimize the use of a small molecule (LLP2A-Ale) to direct endogenous mesenchymal stem cells to the bone surface for the treatment of osteoporosis. The novel approach has the potential to promote new bone growth and provide an effective answer for men and postmenopausal women and who suffer from a disease that causes increased bone fragility and often leads to bone fractures and a significantly decreased quality of life.
Osteoporosis results from estrogen deficiencies and aging. It is the most common type of bone disease, and is expected to affect more than 61 million Americans by 2020. The disease occurs when the equilibrium between the formation of new bone and the reabsorption of old bone is disrupted in the body. In the U.S., 40 percent of women and 13 percent of men over the age of 50 will suffer an osteoporosis-related fracture in their lifetimes, with resulting pain and limitations on activity. Lane's proposal to CIRM noted that California has one of the nation's largest over-age-65 populations and can expect to experience greatly increased fracture rates because of the disease.
"The only currently approved therapy for osteoporosis that increases bone formation requires costly and inconvenient daily injections for two years," said Lane, who also serves as director of the UC Davis Musculoskeletal Diseases of Aging Research Group. "I'm very optimistic that with our Disease Team grant from CIRM, we will be able to successfully, and fairly quickly, develop a bone-building treatment of osteoporosis that only requires an occasional infusion."
In addition to research that will be done on UC Davis' Sacramento campus, Lane's CIRM grant represents economic-development opportunities for California businesses. It will contract with several companies to perform the crucial, preclinical studies that will ensure the small-molecule drug used to direct the bone-forming mesenchymal stem cells is safe. UC Davis will work with another company to synthesize and package the novel small-molecule compound for clinical trials. And yet another company will assist the university's disease team in working with FDA as the osteoporosis clinical trial gets under way, which is expected to occur in 2014. These collaborations are valued at approximately $3.5 million per year over the next four years.
Huntington's disease (HD)
The research that will lead to clinical trials for Huntington's disease (HD) represents one of the most exciting developments in regenerative medicine. Armed with a new CIRM grant, Vicki Wheelock, clinical professor of neurology and director of the HDSA Center of Excellence at UC Davis, will be working with Nolta on a $19 million push to launch the first FDA-approved cellular therapy for HD patients. Their plan is to infuse specially engineered mesenchymal stem cells into the brain tissue of Huntington's disease patients. The stem cells, which will be engineered to secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), are designed to restore the health of brain cells damaged by the mutant Huntingtin (htt) protein that is the hallmark for the devastating neurodegenerative disease. This therapy has been shown to be effective in animal models of HD.
"About 1 in 10,000 Californians has Huntington's disease," said Wheelock. "It touches all races and socioeconomic levels. The financial burdens are in the billions, the emotional costs are immeasurable, and right now there is no cure. HD patients and family members have been tireless advocates for stem cell research. The CIRM grant enables us to work toward the first ever FDA-approved stem cell therapy for the disease. For physicians who have witnessed the tragedy of this illness over and over again, today we have hope for developing a disease-modifying treatment for HD and optimism for finding a cure."
Huntington's disease is an inherited disorder passed down through families in which brain cells waste away, or degenerate. While most patients develop symptoms as adults, children and teens can develop juvenile HD. Movement, judgment, thinking and speech decline, and psychiatric symptoms are very disabling. Over the course of the disease, patients suffer painful involuntary movements and loss of independence. Many people who are at risk are reluctant to be tested for fear they may lose health insurance or their jobs, and families of HD victims face the added challenges and costs of long-term caregiving.
The UC Davis trials for treating HD are targeted for earlier phases of the disease, when patients are younger and before the illness's full impact can take its toll. Wheelock said that mesenchymal stem cells represent remarkably effective delivery vehicles because they move well through tissue and can produce high levels of growth factor for uptake by the damaged neurons.
In preparation for a phase I clinical trial, the Huntington's disease team is carefully testing its proposed cellular infusion therapy for safety and effectiveness. In HD mouse models, the team has demonstrated that the delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factors via mesenchymal stem cells significantly reduces behavioral deficits back to nearly normal levels.
"What's also exciting about our study is that our biological delivery system shows great promise for treating other neurodegenerative disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease), spinocerebellar ataxia, Alzheimer's disease, and even some forms of Parkinson's," said Wheelock. "Moreover, because HD patients have few other options, the benefit-to-risk ratio for our planned clinical trial is very high, and today's CIRM grant will enable us to move forward."
The state's latest round of stem cell grants to UC Davis represent the largest single-day amount ever earmarked for regenerative medicine research at the university, and nearly equals the total amount of funding it has received from CIRM over the past six years.
"We know that one of CIRM's primary goals with its awards is to enable teams of laboratory scientists, clinicians and junior investigators to tackle the most clinically relevant treatment issues and overcome potential safety problems as early in the research process as possible," said Frederick J. Meyers, executive associate dean for UC Davis School of Medicine, who oversees the school's research, teaching, clinical care and community engagement. "We are honored to receive the agency's support."
Meyers emphasized the role many people, including donors, have played in expanding the stem cell research program at UC Davis.
"Along with talented teams and state grants, our research success also is the result of visionary private donors who have been catalysts for funding our scientists and projects that will have far-reaching benefits for improving human health," he said.
from http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/publish/news/heart/6808
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Adobo is the Sofia Vergara of seasonings. To make all your dishes taste their very best, make sure you shake on Goya Adobo before cooking. Adobo's perfect blend of garlic, oregano and other Latino spices is the perfect seasoning for all your meat, poultry and fish dishes. A simple shake is all it takes. If it's Goya, its got to be good!


Native American legend has it that the Great Spirit led the Erie tribe to the area now known as Erie, Pennsylvania because of its abundant game, plentiful fresh water and cool breezes. Legend also holds that members of the Erie tribe once ventured out into Lake Erie to discover where the sun set in the evening. Angered by this intrusion, the Spirit of the Lake raised a storm on the waters. To protect the Erie as they made their way back to shore, the Great Spirit stretched his left arm out into the lake to shelter them. The Great Spirit's arm remained in the lake forming the peninsula now known as Presque Isle.
The peninsula encloses Presque Isle Bay with a narrow channel leading out into Lake Erie. This channel is guarded by the North Pierhead Lighthouse, first constructed in 1857. The current configuration of the structure stands about 10 meters (34 feet) high. The model here will be constructed at a scale of 5cm = 1m.
The lower portion of the cupola is made from six rectangles each with a base of 4cm and a height of 5cm. Again, I mitered the sides and used hot glue to piece them together. The cupola has six posts that are 3mm wide and 5cm long. These are hot glued into the six corners of the hexagon with 4cm extending above the lower portion to hold the roof. The spire on top is made from a fake pearl with a toothpick stuck trough it. See Figure 2-4.
The middle and bottom sections of the structure are much less difficult. The middle section consists of four rectangular pieces of width 10.3cm and height 12.3cm fitted together. I used wood glue on these sections as the rectangular geometry was much more straightforward (and much more forgiving) than the hexagonal cupola. See Figure 3-2. The roof of the middle section/floor of the cupola is a 11.3cm by 11.3cm square. I cut a hole in this square to mount the servo and pass wiring from the cupola to the lower sections. The hole has to be offset so that the rotor of the servo is in the exact middle of the square. See Figure 3-3 and also Step 4. I used plastic mesh for the fence around the cupola and secured it with clear drying glue. See Figure 3-4.
The bottom section consists of four trapezoids with bottom width 15.7cm, top width 10.3cm and angled sides of 23.1cm. See Figure 3-5. There are several round porthole type windows on the structure, which I drilled with a 3/8 inch drill bit. There are also smaller holes on one side for the speaker. See Figure 3-6.
I disassembled a cheap LED flashlight to get both the white LED and the parabolic reflector (5cm in diameter). I drilled a small hole on the outer edge of the reflector so that it could be attached to the servo horn with some standoffs and screws. A little hot glue behind the anchor screw was necessary to get the reflector to sit vertically. See Figure 4-2. I used a 3.5cm standoff and another screw to attach the servo horn. See Figure 4-3. Three screws and nuts were used to secure the speaker to the bottom section. Wires and hot glue were used to set the LEDs in place.
See Figure 5-1. The white LED is connected to pin 1 through a 220 ohm resistor. The red LED is connected to pin 5 through a 220 ohm resistor. The red wire of the servo goes to Vin, the black wire to ground and the white signal wire to pin 3. One wire of the speaker goes to pin 13 through a 100 ohm resistor and the other wire goes to ground. You could even replace the 100 ohm resistor with a 200 ohm (or similar) potentiometer if you want a volume control.
The Arduino code given below is fairly straightforward. The white LED pin is always set to HIGH. The red LED uses a PWM pin with a randomly varying signal strength to mimic the flickering of a fire. The servo is set to rotate with a period of 1.5 to 2 seconds. I used the Arduino tone function for the foghorn. As I wanted the foghorn to sound continuously without interfering with the rest of the code, I used the Millis command and some if statements. One note of caution; use of the Servo.h library disables analogWrite() (PWM) functionality on pins 9 and 10, whether or not a servo is connected to those pins. This was driving me crazy, as I originally had the red LED connected to pin 10 and was not getting proper results. In the future I intend to replace the UNO with an ATtiny in the permanent version since the circuit only uses four pins.
How did you get power to the white LED and continue to rotate the reflector? Is the LED stationary and just the reflector rotates?
Thanks for the suggestion, it's been entered and is pending approval. Thank you also for the kind comments.
This is so awesome! Very cool, thanks for posting it!


text:
Diritto e Giustizia (in polacco Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, PiS) è un partito politico polacco di destra o estrema destra di ispirazione conservatrice clericale, nazionalista e illiberale.

Il PiS è stato fondato nel marzo del 2001 dai gemelli Lech e Jarosław Kaczyński, dall'unione di una parte dell'Azione Elettorale Solidarność con il partito Accordo di Centro. A livello europeo fa parte del Partito dei Conservatori e dei Riformisti Europei con a capo Giorgia Meloni. Mateusz Morawiecki, presidente del Consiglio dei ministri della Polonia, è esponenete di Diritto e Giustizia.

Dopo aver guadagnato il potere, PiS ha attirato critiche internazionali e numerose proteste interne, smantellando i controlli e gli equilibri liberaldemocratici. Molti politologi hanno catalogato il governo del partito come illiberale e autoritario.

Storia

Diritto e Giustizia è stato fondato nel marzo del 2001 da Lech Kaczyński, già presidente della Corte Suprema di Controllo e già ministro della Giustizia, e dal suo gemello Jarosław Kaczyński, già capo della Cancelleria della Presidenza della Repubblica all'epoca di Lech Wałęsa. Il partito è formato dall'unione tra una parte dell'Azione Elettorale Solidarność e l'Accordo di Centro.

Alle elezioni parlamentari del 2001, il PiS ottenne il 9,5% dei voti e 44 su 460 deputati. Alle elezioni amministrative il partito si alleò formalmente con i liberalconservatori di Piattaforma Civica (Platforma Obywatelska, PO) anche se sostenne indirettamente alcuni candidati della Lega delle Famiglie Polacche, mente il PO sostenne candidati dell'Unione Liberale e dell'Alleanza della Sinistra Democratica. Il PiS entrò a far parte di quattro governi regionali su sedici e Lech Kaczyński fu eletto sindaco di Varsavia.

Alle elezioni europee del 2004, il PiS aumentò i suoi consensi passando al 12,7% dei voti e ottenendo 7 seggi su 57. Il PiS, entrando per la prima volta al Parlamento europeo, decise di aderire al gruppo dell'Unione per l'Europa delle Nazioni, il gruppo politico europeo che raccoglie i partiti conservatori ed euroscettici. Alle elezioni parlamentari del 2005, il PiS, puntando su un programma decisamente conservatore, ha raddoppiato i consensi delle europee ed è giunto al 27% dei voti, divenendo il primo partito politico polacco e determinando la caduta del governo socialdemocratico.

Il PO ottenne anch'esso un buon risultato elettorale, tanto che sembrava scontato un governo composto dai due partiti, però la vittoria di Lech Kaczyński alle presidenziali del 2005, ai danni di Donald Tusk del PO, rese impossibile l'accordo e costrinse il PiS a dar vita ad un governo di minoranza, sostenuto esternamente dai due partiti di destra: la Lega delle Famiglie Polacche e l'Autodifesa della Repubblica Polacca. Il governo venne guidato dal fratello di Kaczyński, Jarosław. Il fatto suscitò vive polemiche, non tanto per l'inopportunità del fatto che due fratelli fossero contemporaneamente presidente della Polonia e primo ministro, ma perché i due fratelli durante la campagna elettorale avessero escluso il verificarsi di questa possibilità.

Alle elezioni parlamentari del 2007, anticipate per le divisioni nella maggioranza governativa, il PiS ottenne 166 seggi, 11 in più rispetto alle precedenti, ed il 32,1% con il 5,1% in più. Il risultato positivo dei conservatori, però, fu tutto a discapito degli alleati di Autodifesa della Repubblica Polacca e della Lega delle Famiglie Polacche, che crollarono rispettivamente all'1,5 ed all'1,3%, non superando così lo sbarramento del 4%. La maggioranza governativa uscente pertanto si ritrovò priva dei 100 seggi assicuratigli dai nazionalisti agrari e dai nazionalisti cattolici. Veri vincitori delle elezioni risultarono i liberali di PO, che con il 41% dei voti e 209 seggi divennero il primo partito e ottennero di poter guidare il paese, decidendo di allearsi con i centristi-agrari del Partito Popolare Polacco. Si creò così la coabitazione tra il presidente Lech Kaczyński conservatore ed il primo ministro Donald Tusk liberale.

Il 10 aprile 2010 avvenne l'incidente aereo presso la base aerea di Smolensk, dove perse la vita il presidente e futuro candidato Lech Kaczyński. Alle elezioni presidenziali del 2010 si presenta il fratello di Lech Kaczyński, Jarosław Kaczyński, che però perse al ballottaggio contro il liberale Bronisław Komorowski.

Alla fine del 2010 una piccola componente critica le posizioni troppo estremiste del partito e ne forma uno nuovo: La Polonia è la Più Importante. Alle elezioni parlamentari del 2011 il PiS è secondo a livello nazionale e si schiera all'opposizione del liberale Donald Tusk. Nel 2015 ritorna al governo vincendo sia le elezioni presidenziali del 2015, con Andrzej Duda, sia le elezioni parlamentari del 2015, dove conquista 235 seggi al Sejm e 61 seggi al Senato. Appartiene al PiS anche il primo ministro, l'antropologa Beata Szydło, sostituita nel 2017 da Mateusz Morawiecki.

Ideologia e posizioni
Il PiS è un partito di destra nazional-conservatore, tradizionalista e illiberale.
È fortemente contrario alla legalizzazione dell'aborto, all'eutanasia, alle unioni civili e ai matrimoni omosessuali. Insegue valori cristiani e reazionari, sostenendo che gli omosessuali (oltre ai migranti) siano il "nemico numero uno", fino ad arrivare a portare alla formazione nel Paese di "zone anti-LGBT".

Durante gli anni di governo ha inoltre ostacolato l'indipendenza della magistratura, la libertà di stampa e i diritti delle donne.

Ha inoltre sostenuto e fatto approvare dal Parlamento, nel 2018, la penalizzazione dell'uso di espressioni che attribuiscono alla Polonia la responsabilità per l'Olocausto o per i crimini nazisti, come "campi di sterminio polacchi", e nel 2021, norme che hanno posto limiti temporali alla rivendicazione dei beni confiscati ai sopravvissuti alla Shoah e i discendenti delle vittime. Per queste politiche la comunità ebraica ha accusato Diritto e Giustizia di perpetrare revisionismo storico ed Israele ha ritirato il proprio ambasciatore.

In campo economico, il PiS è favorevole ad uno Stato sociale forte e all'intervento statale in economia nei settori strategici.

In politica estera è atlantista ma moderatamente euroscettico, contrario al federalismo europeo, nonché scettico verso la Russia e fautore della cooperazione tra i Paesi del Gruppo di Visegrád, uniti da numerose istanze comuni a livello politico-economico. A livello europeo ha aderito in passato all'Alleanza per l'Europa delle Nazioni ed è stato uno dei fondatori dell'Alleanza dei Conservatori e dei Riformisti Europei.

Risultati elettorali

Note

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

Partiti conservatori
Politica della Polonia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
R. Douglas Fields, Doug Fields – amerykański neurolog, profesor neurobiologii i nauk kognitywnych na Uniwersytecie Marylandu w College Park, kierownik Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section NICHD w Narodowych Instytutach Zdrowia, badacz molekularnych mechanizmów rozwoju człowieka i funkcji systemu nerwowego, m.in. mechanizmów uczenia się i pamięci, w tym oddziaływań między neuronami i glejem, założyciel i naczelny redaktor czasopisma Neuron Glia Biology, autor popularnej książki The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science (2009), wydanej w Polsce jako Drugi mózg. Rewolucja w nauce i medycynie (2011).

Życiorys
Stopień B.A. uzyskał w 1975 na Uniwersytecie Kalifornijskim w Berkeley, a M.A. na Uniwersytecie Stanowym w San Jose w 1979. Pracę doktorską wykonywał na Uniwersytecie Kalifornijskim w San Diego, pracując równocześnie w Medical School (Neuroscience Department) i Instytucie Oceanografii Scrippsów (Neuroscience Group). Po doktoracie (1985) kontynuował badania na Uniwersytecie Stanforda, Uniwersytecie Yale i w Narodowych Instytutach Zdrowia. W 1994 otrzymał stanowisko kierownika Neurocytology and Physiology Unit NIH, a w 2001 kierownika Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section w National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). Na Uniwersytecie Marylandu w College Park uczestniczył w Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program jako Adjunct Professor. Jest zatrudniony jako Senior Investigator NIH i jako kierownik Fields Lab i Principal Investigator w  Nervous System Development and Plasticity Section.

R. Douglas Fields jest założycielem i naczelnym redaktorem czasopisma Neuron Glia Biology oraz konsultantem w redakcjach innych czasopism naukowych, m.in. Scientific American, Mind, Odyssey. Swoją tematykę badawczą upowszechnia publikując artykuły i książki popularnonaukowe (w tym głośna The Other Brain) oraz uczestnicząc w programach radiowych i telewizyjnych (np. programach TEDx Hendrix College). Pisze teksty do Outside Magazine, The Washington Post oraz dostępnych on-line The Huffington Post, Psychology Today i Scientific American.

Interesuje się muzyką, wspinaczką i nurkowaniem.

Tematyka badań
R. Douglas Fields specjalizuje się w dyscyplinie naukowej, która powstała w latach 90. XX wieku, gdy stwierdzono, że w analizie informacji o bodźcach, docierających do centralnego układu nerwowego, biorą udział nie tylko komórki substancji szarej, lecz również (w znacznym stopniu) otaczająca je substancja biała – komórki glejowe.

Substancja szara (15% masy mózgu) jest złożoną siecią dendrytów i neurytów (aksonów) – wypustek neuronów. Uważano, że przekazywanie sygnałów w tej sieci polega na przemieszczaniu się potencjału czynnościowego (iglicowego) – lokalnej elektrycznej depolaryzacji błony komórkowej – między synapsami, łączącymi poszczególne fragmenty drogi iglicy potencjału. Znaczenie komórek substancji białej (85% masy mózgu) uważano wcześniej za pomocnicze w stosunku do neuronów (np. ich "odżywianie", synteza enzymów czynnych w procesach wytwarzania neuroprzekaźników synaptycznych, elektryczne izolowanie neurytów przez osłonki mielinowe, "sprzątanie" otoczenia neurytów i synaps). Rozwój technik badawczych, który nastąpił w drugiej połowie XX wieku, umożliwił wykazanie, że różnorodne komórki glejowe (zob. m.in. astrocyty, oligodendrocyty, wyściółka, komórki satelitarne, komórki Schwanna) odgrywają znacznie bardziej istotną rolę w przekazywaniu i gromadzeniu informacji. Powstały hipotezy, że rola istoty białej w kształtowaniu inteligencji jest większa od roli istoty szarej (zob. np. mózg Alberta Einsteina – badania Marian C. Diamond i in.). Przedmiotem intensywnych badań w wielu ośrodkach naukowych stały się mechanizmy przekazywania informacji z pominięciem neuronów (mechanizm  "nieelektryczny"), odczytywania i zapamiętywania elektrycznej aktywności neuronów lub regulowania aktywności synaps przez glej. Oczekuje się, że postęp w tej dziedzinie ułatwi leczenie części chorób psychicznych i neurologicznych, pozwoli znaleźć skuteczne metody kuracji po urazach mózgu, np. powodujących paraliż.

R. Douglas Fields jest uznawany za autorytet w tej dyscyplinie naukowej.

Publikacje naukowe
Jest autorem ponad 150 publikacji naukowych. Na stronie internetowej Fields Lab (NIH) wymieniono prace (autorstwo i współautorstwo):

Artykuł New Insights into Neuron-Glia Communication (Science 2002), opracowany wspólnie z Beth Stevens-Graham, był do roku 2013 cytowany przez innych autorów 675 razy.

Drugi mózg. Rewolucja w nauce i medycynie
W pierwszym rozdziale popularnonaukowej książki The Other Brain: From Dementia to Schizophrenia, How New Discoveries about the Brain Are Revolutionizing Medicine and Science (Simon and Schuster 2009), wydanej w Polsce jako Drugi mózg. Rewolucja w nauce i medycynie (Prószyński Media, 2011) R. Douglas Field wspomina m.in. chwilę, gdy – wraz z Beth Stevens – po raz pierwszy doświadczalnie potwierdził w laboratorium, że komórki Schwanna komunikują się z neuronami:

Autor Drugiego mózgu opisuje nie tylko własne przeżycia, związane z badaniami wykonywanymi wraz ze współpracownikami. Książka jest historią wszystkich kolejnych etapów rozwoju dyscypliny, od odkrycia komórek glejowych po najnowsze osiągnięcia współczesnych neurobiologów. Zawiera obszerny wykaz bogatych specjalistycznych źródeł (dla każdego z rozdziałów) oraz słowniczek podstawowych pojęć.
 Spis treści
 Część I – Odkrywamy drugi mózg
 Rozdział 1. Bąbelkowa folia czy błyszczący klej?
 Rozdział 2. Spojrzenie w głąb mózgu: budowa komórkowa mózgu
 Rozdział 3. Transmisja z drugiego mózgu: komórki glejowe znają i kontrolują twój umysł
 Część II – Komórki glejowe w zdrowiu i chorobie
 Rozdział 4. Guz mózgu: prawie nic wspólnego z neuronami
 Rozdział 5. Urazy mózgu i rdzenia kręgowego
 Rozdział 6. Neuroinfekcje
 Rozdział 7. Zdrowie psychiczne: komórki glejowe, cisi współwinni chorób psychicznych
 Rozdział 8. Choroby neurodegeneracyjne
 Rozdział 9. Komórki glejowe i ból: błogosławieństwo i przekleństwo
 Rozdział 10. Komórki glejowe i uzależnienie
 Rozdział 11. Matka i dziecko
 Rozdział 12. Starzenie się: komórki glejowe wściekle walczą z gasnącym światłem
 Część III – Komórki glejowe w myślach i pamięci
 Rozdział 13. Umysł drugiego mózgu: komórki glejowe kontrolują umysł świadomy i nieświadomy
 Rozdział 14. Pamięć i moc mózgu ponad neuronami
 Rozdział 15. Myślenie ponad synapsami
 Rozdział 16. Ku przyszłości: nowy mózg

Życie osobiste
R. Douglas Fields jest synem Marjorie i Richarda. Ojciec, inżynier elektryk, przekazał mu zainteresowanie nauką, a matka – literaturą. Ma brata Kyle'a i siostrę Peggy. Z żoną, Melanie, ma dwie córki, Morgan i Kelly, oraz syna Dylana.

Uwagi

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne
 Neuroscience: Map the other brain, R. Douglas Fields, 04 September 2013 na: www.nature.com
 23andGUVMT – Health and Safety or What? An Antiestablishment Perspective, by R. Douglas Fields,  December 17, 2013 na: Brain Waves, Neuroscience News

Amerykańscy neurobiolodzy
Amerykańscy neurolodzy
Wykładowcy uczelni w Stanach Zjednoczonych


text:
Two accused of plotting Halifax attack face more charges
The Canadian Press Published Tuesday, February 17, 2015 1:13PM EST
HALIFAX -- Two people accused of plotting to open fire in a Halifax shopping mall now face more charges.
The RCMP said Saturday that Lindsay Kantha Souvannarath, 23, of Geneva, Ill., and Randall Steven Shepherd, 20, of Halifax were charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Crown information submitted to the provincial court says Shepherd and Souvannarath also face charges of conspiracy to commit arson, illegal possession of weapons for a purpose dangerous to the public and making a threat through social media.
The two accused were brought separately from a black police SUV and both briefly glanced towards a swarm of media as they were taken into the courthouse Tuesday.
Souvannarath entered the courtroom first, wearing a white, cowl-type sweater. Shepherd came next, wearing a black winter jacket, his long, sandy blond hair falling in front of his eyes as he sat down.
As two sheriff's deputies sat between them, both looked around the courtroom but didn't appear to acknowledge each other. For the most part, they stared ahead as the court proceeding wrapped up within five minutes.
Duty counsel lawyer Kishan Persaud told the court they won't seek bail and their cases were adjourned until March 6.
Crown lawyer Shauna MacDonald said there has been a very limited amount of disclosure in the case and both of the accused are still seeking defence lawyers.
MacDonald said the Crown is going to oppose bail if an application is made before the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.
"It's a very unusual (case) for here," she said. "I've never encountered anything like it in the years I've been around."
Asked to explain why the case is considered a conspiracy, she said the police are alleging the pair had arrived at an agreement.
"The basis of a conspiracy is an agreement, so it can be a conversation," she said.
The Crown information alleges the offences took place between Jan. 6 and Valentine's Day and were carried out in concert with James Lee Gamble, a 19-year-old man found dead in his Halifax home.
The RCMP allege the accused were planning the attack on the Halifax Shopping Centre.
None of the allegations made by police or other officials about the case have been proven in court.
Randall Steven Shepherd arrives at provincial court in Halifax on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015. (Tim Krochak / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
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Britain's cultural history is one of extreme regional and personal freedom, by comparison with any other stable polity our age. Mind you, there really aren't any of those; the accidents of geography, geology and invasion pushed us into a quasi-capitalist and then an industrial capitalist phase before anyone else. Our system of governance has existed in a stable and self-modifying form since 1688, and the Enlightenment philosophies which have informed the modernist perspective on everything from personal ethics to international law were in large part conceived and distributed from here.
There was no Golden Age of British personal freedom. What there was throughout much of medieval and Early Modern history was a kind of instinctive federalist mind-set. We organised well and early, and we overcame the communications barrier by a very strong pattern of local governance coupled to a national court of appeal: Henry II's creation of the King's Bench, to which any free subject could appeal against his master. In practice it took us til the 20th Century to even remotely implement that model, but along the way we learned a hell of a lot about how you avoid blood in the streets and guillotines in Piccadilly. In charting the manner of Britain's attitude to public dissent, one cannot over-estimate the spectre of the Jacobins.
Throughout this narrative we have swung between poles of reaction and progression; but the government had always the shadow of the guillotine in its mind to make it remember what happens when you ignore your people too long. It might take decades but a government would arrive who saw compromise as better than violence. This narrative is considerably modified by the Wars. The massive population loss after the Great War, which tilted us off the industrial plateau, and the mass destruction of our industrial base which accelerated that curve, were accompanied by a comprehensive militarisation of civilian life which governed public order until the social revolution of the 60s. The Peace, Love and Understanding attitude of the Aldermaston marchers and the anti-war protests helped sustain an attitude of permissible dissent; but there were still flashpoints, often in Trafalgar Square and often caused by radical elements high-jacking a peaceful protest. Sound familiar? In parallel, the labour movement which dominated political protest in planned economies of the 60s and 70s gave a large percentage of Britons a personal respect for the act of protest.
That all changed in 1983. Scargill massively underestimated Thatcher's willingness to try direct, violent, fully-armed confrontation. Scargill was a rabble-rousing genius but a political idiot; his ideological blindness drove him beyond practical protest and into the arms of a delighted reactionary government. Thatcher had the cash to outface the miners: North Sea oil and gas hedged her bets and the Falklands War provided the political capital required. Because Scargill was asking for the wrong things, she was able to confront organised dissent from the highest moral ground any government has had since the War. And because most of the unions knew Scargill was doing it wrong, he didn't have the support necessary to bring the country to a standstill: which he did have in '79.
From there on the history of British public-order policing has followed a solid reactionary spiral under one further Conservative Prime Minister and then two Labour ones. This trend is synergistic with the immense power-grab launched from Westminster in the 80s, which finally ended our thousand-year culture of strong local government. As money moved to Westminster, so power followed it. It had been proved that with sufficient media savvy and the Murdoch empire on your side, you could violently suppress anyone you wanted to.
After Thatcher beat Scargill and just not enough people cared, after the educational policy shifts and the start of dismantling the Welfare State in the 80s, the Poll Tax riots were the very last gasp of protest as a check and balance against the power of the state. Thatcher had proved you could win with violence in British politics, just so long as the rabble were divided and factionalised. The governments of the 90s started ignoring the opinions of the nation wholesale. Most of Britain thought Back to Basics was risible; relatively few people were thinking what they were thinking. Labour looked like they offered a return to consensus governance; John Smith was offering a referendum on electoral reform, and even the Liberal Democrats were finally beginning to get some traction. Then the Labour coup saw the party swung to the right around the fulcrum of Blair and Brown until by 2003 they felt safe to ignore the single largest demonstration of popular dissent Britain has ever seen in order to invade Iraq on the word of the monkey in the White House.
Gleneagles was another turning point, specifically in the policing of dissent. They got away with starting a riot, blaming it on the Black Gang (who were trying, but failing, to do the same) and then hammering the hell out of everything that moved. No-one seemed to care. This year, they had another chance to punish dissent, and they set out with the same policy as they'd used for twenty-six years: contain, assault, punish. Destroy any evidence, intimidate any witnesses, control the press. But now something has changed.
There were rumblings of this change with the Jean Charles de Menezes case. There were rumblings of it after the right wing discovered that being rich and from the country was no protection against police violence. But no-one outside the internet generation saw this coming. The forces of reaction didn't recognise the real significance of the camera-phone revolution, the advent of mass-market access to mobile internet, and the development of the political blogosphere. Citizen Journalism is a major problem for reactionaries. The only reason the policies I have outlined here have worked these last two decades is extraordinary success in policing the media and in destroying evidence. You just made sure everyone with a press-pass was out of the area before the final assault (sound familiar?) You just made sure the satellite TV crew were embedded with you, so you could control precisely what they see. You just made sure that anyone with a camera got arrested; doesn't matter what Section you quote, the stupid bastards won't know the difference and you can erase their memory stick.
You can't get all the cameras now; too many of us have the technology, the will and the social networks to get the word out around, through and over their whitewashed walls. To catch Nixon took two dedicated men, two years and over fifty thousand dollars worth of corporate backing; today it took one organised movement which put its legal observer team together in advance, a few blogs, some video snap-shots and one honest newspaper.


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Governor Abbott opted for freedom when he killed mental health bill
We have our local morning paper to thank for bringing this to our attention, although it was in the form of another newspaper's editorial presented as a Guest View. (See snapshot on the right.) It was about Texas Senate bill 359, which if it had not been vetoed, would have given employees at a hospital or free standing emergency medical center the right to detain someone for four hours if a physician determined that person was mentally ill and decided restraint was necessary to prevent that person from hurting himself or others.
In other words, the medical center staff would be given the powers of arrest that are traditionally reserved for law enforcement officers. What could possible go wrong? The aforementioned editorial quotes a statement from LULAC's state director saying that the action could be taken against a normal person who simply lost it because of a long wait for help in an emergency room. We can all see that happening. And suddenly he's got a mental illness label to carry around with him for the rest of his life.
This may not be an example of the liberal fascism Jonah Goldberg talks about, but it's not far off. People old enough to remember the Soviet Union may also recall the way they used a diagnosis of mental illness as an excuse to silence dissidents. By the way, the author of the bill is Dallas Democrat Royce West.
But for the best argument against the bill, see Governor Abbott's veto Proclamation. Excerpt:
The Fourth, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution limit the state's authority to deprive a person of liberty. Under our constitutional tradition, the power to arrest and forcibly hold a person against his or her will is generally reserved for officers of the law acting in the name of the people of Texas. By bestowing that grave authority on private parties who lack the training of peace officers and are not bound by the same oath to protect and serve the public, SB 359 raises serious constitutional concerns and would lay the groundwork for further erosion of constitutional liberties.
Medical facilities have options at their disposal to protect mentally ill patients and the public. Many hospitals already keep a peace officer on site at all times. For smaller facilities, law enforcement are always just a phone call and a few minutes away. Medical staff should work closely with law enforcement to help protect mentally ill patients and the public. But just as law enforcement should not be asked to practice medicine, medical staff should not be asked to engage in law enforcement, especially when that means depriving a person of the liberty protected by the Constitution.
Yes. Let's protect those Constitutional liberties. There are too many people trying to take them away.
Posted by George Johns on July 28, 2015 at 02:37 PM in Crimes, Law | Permalink


The hotel is situated in a classical building which was built in 1886 and renovated in 2012. The hotel has more than 100 years history as it is one of the first hotels built in Baku. The historical center of Baku – Old City Icheri Sheher, the pearl of Baku Maiden Tower, Caspian Boulevard, Shopping Malls - amp; Cinemas, Puppet Theater, Opera - amp; Ballet Theater, Famous Nizami street in Fountain Square are not the only places of interest located... Прочетете повече at a walking distance. The hotel is decorated with paintings of famous Azerbaijani artist, famous worldwide for his oil paintings, Sabir Chopuroglu.
The hotel is situated in a classical building which was built in 1886 and renovated in 2012. The hotel has more than 100 years history as it is one of the first hotels built in Baku. The historical center of Baku – Old City Icheri Sheher, the pearl of Baku Maiden Tower, Caspian Boulevard, Shopping Malls - amp; Cinemas, Puppet Theater, Opera - amp; Ballet Theater, Famous Nizami street in Fountain Square are not the only places of interest located at a walking distance. The hotel is decorated with paintings of famous Azerbaijani artist, famous worldwide for his oil paintings, Sabir Chopuroglu.


There are lots of different routes for you to choose from, depending on how long you wish to take and your fitness pick accordingly . We took the Platteklip Gorge route, right around the corner from the cable cars. It's hard work, but the views you get make it worth it. In total it took us about 2 hrs. We range in fitness but I would say we are all average or above. We never rushed and did take loads of water breaks! That's one thing you need to make sure you have lots of- WATER. This hike is said to be the one that gets the most sunshine! Try to avoid doing it in the midday sun (something we failed at!). Take your time up at the top, the views are incredible. There is a place you can get more water, food and ice cream. Plus all the other facilities you need after a long walk. There is also a gondola you can take up and down. We had planned to take it down but some one had set four fires along the mountain so it was closed. For some crazy reason we decided rather than waiting we would walk back down. Something my legs regretted for the next four days! Try to pick your timings when you go up – you'll want a clear day though this can sometimes be unpredictable. If you are in Cape Town for a few days try to stay flexible so you can pick the best time to climb up.
Penguins, penguins and MORE penguins! What is not to love. It costs R65 to get in, but this can be used at any of the 3 entrances so you get to see as many penguins as you want. The first gate we went through went onto the beach. Here you can actually, paddle/swim with the penguins. But remember these are wild animals. They will bite and they do get stressed. Try to keep a safe distance and NEVER cut off a penguin from his buddy. It's not fair on them, they are only little! Also, whatever you take with you make sure you take away, think plastic bags/bottles and wrappers. It's hard when you get excited to remember these things but it's better for everyone if you do. The second entrance we went into takes you along the boardwalk. It takes you right up to the beach where (during April) you can see the baby penguins as well as ones sitting on their eggs. It's an amazing site! You'll see nature at it's best. I loved just watching them all. I could have stayed for hours but the entrances close at 5pm during April and varies throughout the year so make sure you get your timings right.
So we actually ended up here for the day as our tour for Robben Island was cancelled due to poor visibility . Apparently this is quiet common. Something you should remember when you book your tickets. We were all gutted that we couldn't go but it means we will be back! But as we couldn't make it we did Jerry 1, which is only small but still moving. This is actually the original site where people were taken before they were taken to Robben Island. It's full of letters and people's requests to see loved ones on the island. Really powerful stuff.
The waterfront has a fair amount to do. We started with breakfast at the V&A Food Market. Literally heaven. Has something for everyone and seating where you can all reconvene when you've picked your food! Plus it's cheap! A win win in my world! I personally loved the coffee from the Coffee Power Station. And if you bring your reusable cup coffee only costs R20!
Just behind this is the Water Shed – a huge hall filled with craft bits. There was some lovely stuff here from cushions to clothing to jewellery. You'll definitely be able pick up some nice items for people or something for yourself of course.
If you enjoy your rugby the Springbok Experience is a must! You start with fun games where you try to get on the team (remember those sore legs from our hike… This did not help). But we had fun looking silly and laughing the whole time. You then move on to learn about the history of the sport in South Africa. With the Apartheid being such a prominent part of the sports history it's incredibly interesting to see the changes it went through. The most moving part is South Africa beating the New Zealand favourites in the 1995 World Cup and the handing over of the cup by President Mandela to Peinaar, the Springbok captain. The embrace and smiles reverberated through all of South Africa. An incredibly moving piece of history. Oh and if you're an adult you get a free beer with your ticket to have down on the Water front she you're done.
If your lucky or bold enough like my sister and brother-in-law were try to get up to the rooftop bar at the top of the Silo Hotel. The views are incredible! The perfect place for an afternoon drink in the sun.
This is the perfect day out … wine and (hopefully) sunshine. There are so many different vineyards you can choose from. As we had locals taking us round, we let them pick as they definitely know what they are doing. We started at the Haute Cabrière vineyard in Franschhoek, where for about £3 you get a tour, wine tasting for 4 wines (red, whites and sparkling!) And you get so see them open a bottle in the old French style, Sabrage, they cut the top off with a sword. It's great. Plus the view is pretty spectacular.
Once you are done here head into the town. It's fill of small shops and there is a great little coffee shop, The Hoek, where I would recommend you get an afrogatto from. It's incredibly refreshing after all the wine. Plus gives you a little boost to carry on.
A little further out is the Spice Route in Paarl. A vineyard with so much more… They pride themselves on having other small independent business all in one place, where neither two are the same! Here you can do more wine tasting, beer tasting at CBC brewer or even ice cream tasting!
I would love to go back soon, I feel like we only scratched the surface of this amazing city. Have you been to Cape Town? What was your favourite thing or things to do?


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