- Have you ever wondered what’s going on inside a mouse’s
tiny brain? If not, maybe it’s time you start wondering because researchers at
Stanford University have found a way to look into those small brains by using mini-microscopes
embedded into the brains of genetically engineered mice. Those cameras are
offering a window onto the inner workings of the mammalian mind and the early
results are interesting. In one of the mice in the study, the research team
recorded the firing of more than 1,000 individual neurons. The camera can record
for weeks on end and provide a detailed picture of how brain activity evolves
over time. “That kind of question, the time-lapse question, has not been
previously examined in freely behaving mice,” said Mark Schnitzer, an associate
professor of biology and applied physics at Stanford University. To capitalize
on their new gadget, Schnitzer and his colleagues have launched a startup
company, Inscopix Inc., to market the mini-microscopes to researchers who study
neurodegenerative diseases. Mounting the cameras involves removing small
circles of bone from the mouse cranium, allowing the mice to wear the
microscopes around like a hat. This allows researchers to watch neurons in the
mice’s hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with spatial memory. These
neurons are genetically engineered to express green fluorescence protein and
when a neuron fires, the cell naturally floods with calcium ions, and thus
fluoresces more intensely. Each mini-microscope is connected to a camera chip
that sends images of neurons fluorescing to a computer screen. These images
comprise a near real-time video of the mouse’s brain activity as it runs around
a small enclosure. Schnitzer’s team detected a pattern in the firing of the
neurons and found that specific neurons fire in association with specific areas
in the enclosure. “The individual neurons seem to have preferences regarding
the mouse’s location in space,” Schnitzer explained. “This neuron might fire
when the mouse is over here and that neuron might fire when the mouse is over
there.” He theorized that this new tool may come in handy for researchers
studying the evolution all types of neurodegenerative conditions……….
- The Oscar or Grammy bump is one of the best parts of a
nomination for any film or album. Being nominated for one of those iconic
statues is a virtual guarantee for a surge in earnings and more movie tickets
or albums being sold are sure to follow once a nomination is announced. Win the
award and the bump is typically even bigger. With the Grammys in the rearview
mirror, several artists who took home golden gramophones this year are already reaping the rewards
of their recognition. No one has seen a bigger bump from their Grammy success
than British indie/folk rockers and Album of the Year winners Mumford &
Sons, whose sophomore album “Babel” jumped three spots and claimed the top spot
on the Billboard 200 chart thanks to sales of nearly 185,000, up 242
percent from the week before, according to figures provided by Nielsen
SoundScan. That was enough to put it one spot ahead of the shameless,
collaborative cash grab that is “The 2013 Grammy Nominees compilation,”
which shot up 136 percent and managed to fend off challenges from the tandem of
Bruno Mars and Taylor Swift to claim that second spot. Marcus Mumford and his
mates weren’t the only ones to see a post-Grammys sales surge; the Lumineers,
whose self-titled debut was nominated but didn’t win any awards, saw their
sales rise 70 percent after also performing at the ceremony, while double
winners fun. had sales of their album “Some Nights” shoot up 118 percent. Sadly,
the Grammys bump also extends to hacks who produce terrible music and merely
perform at the Grammys. That includes the glorified man-banders of Maroon 5,
whose “Overexposed” had its sales increase by 119 percent. Carrie
Underwood, Alicia Keys, Miguel, Zac Brown Band, Frank Ocean, Kelly Clarkson and
Jack White also had large sales increases after either being nominated for a
Grammy or performing at the show………
- Riot Watch! Riot Watch! Look at Bulgarians, rising up to
overthrow their government, fueled by high power prices that have led to violent
nationwide protests. The uprising has grown so strong that the Bulgarian
government resigned Wednesday, becoming the latest in a long line of European
administrations topped by austerity during Europe's debt crisis. Prime Minister
Boiko Borisov’s position is now that much more untenable ahead of a probable
early election and the man who rose to power in 2009 on pledges to root out
corruption and raise living standards in the European Union's poorest nation
now has more plates to juggle. Wage and pension freezes have amplified the
unrest and high power prices pushed the masses over the edge to the point where
tens of thousands of Bulgarians have rallied in protests that have turned
violent, chanting "Mafia" and "resign.” Protestors, angry over living
standards that are less than half the EU average, brawled Wednesday with
police, hurling road flares and battling armed riot cops with shields and
truncheons. Eleven arrests were reported from the uprising and 11 people were
hospitalized, but the bigger story was Borisov resigning from the regime. "I
will not participate in a government under which police are beating
people," Borisov proclaimed. Even with Borisov gone, Bulgarians still must
cope with high electricity bills boosted after the government raised prices by
13 percent last July. Some of the rage from protestors centered on Borisov's
domineering manner and unpredictable decision-making, criticisms that seem to
have merit given the way he fired his finance minister, tried a hollow
reduction of power prices and risked a diplomatic feud with the Czech Republic
by punishing foreign-owned companies, all in an attempt to keep his hold on
power. Borisov's Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, or GERB, will
not take part in talks to form a new government and socialists are seen as
having the inside track on seizing power……..
- Connecticut, you’re onto something good and don’t you dare
let it go. Not only does the Nutmeg State already ban the filthy, revolting
habit of smoking in bars and restaurant from border to border, but the state's transportation committee has now
taken up a thoroughly brilliant and long-overdue bill that would ban smoking in
cars carrying young children. While the bill doesn’t go far enough and should
definitely ban smoking in vehicles whether children are present or not, it’s a
good start. Should it proceed through the legislative process and be passed by
the state legislature, it would mandate that anyone caught smoking in a vehicle
with children under the age of 6 would have to pay a fine. The hero behind this
bill is state Rep. Henry Ginga, who met with the committee Wednesday for a
public meeting on the bill Wednesday. Like any proposed bill that aims to
affect serious change, no matter how brilliant of an idea it may be, the
anti-smoking bill has its opponents. These cancer stick lovers don’t appreciate
the concept that the bill is meant to protect children and further eradicate one
of the most revolting practices known to mankind. They insist there doesn’t
need to be a law to keep children safe and that the law would further infringe
on their rights. The proposed law is also designed to be an educational one,
according to the state lawmakers supporting the bill, meaning that for a first
offense, a person would receive a warning and then issued an infraction similar
to a traffic ticket. It sounds a little weak to do much good and the
basic outline of the bill could use some more teeth, but at least it’s a
start…….
- Big, FAT Bartolo Colon feels really bad about taking
those illegal substances to keep himself strong enough to be a viable Major
League starter and leaving his team hanging with he was hit with a 50-game suspension last season – really. Colon, who went
10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts last season, was suspended for the end of the
season as his team made a postseason push and has admitted that he knew he had
failed a drug test for about six weeks before was actually suspended. He
started several games even after he knew he probably wouldn't participate in
the pennant race and said he did so even though he wasn’t in a good frame of
mind. "I continued to pitch, but my mind wasn't good," he said. In
spite of his cheating ways, the 39-year-old right-hander and former Cy Young
Award winner with 171 career victories Jedi mind-tricked the A’s into giving him
a raise with a $3 million, one-year contract. "I feel loved, because
Oakland gave me the opportunity to come back and be part of it again," he
said. Oakland re-signed Colon not only knowing he is a PED user, but also
knowing he traveled to the Dominican Republic two offseasons ago to undergo a
stem cell procedure that isn’t medically acceptable in the United States on his
elbow. Even with all of that baggage and last season’s positive testosterone
test, Colon walked into the A’s spring training clubhouse last week and spoke
Tuesday about his season-ending suspension through a translator. "The only
thing I can say about last year is I apologize to everybody, even the fans, the
team, the front office about what happened," he said. Forgiving Colon was
probably easier for a team that regrouped after his suspension and won the AL
West with a stunning late-season rally. Before Colon and retake the mound in
the regular season, he must first serve the last five games of his suspension
and miss one turn in the rotation………
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