Pulses of light clean key membrane to prevent the onset of macular degeneration

Millions of people could have their eyesight saved thanks to ground-breaking laser treatment that has the potential to eradicate the most common cause of blindness.

One of Britain's leading eye experts has developed a technique to reverse the disabling effects of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), which leaves many older people unable to read, drive or live independently, and eventually robs them of sight in one or both eyes.

Professor John Marshall has developed a way of "cleaning" eyes which, due to the ageing process, have accumulated tiny particles of debris which start to cloud their sight. His pioneering technique uses a painless "short pulse" laser to solve the otherwise intractable problem of how to help the eye's waste disposal system do its job after it has been weakened by age.

Marshall, a senior ophthalmologist at King's College London, said he hopes this "retinal regeneration therapy" could prevent and reverse the onset of AMD.

The technique works by rejuvenating a thin membrane behind the retina, called Bruch's membrane. Over time this membrane becomes so "clogged" with the by-product of cell renewal that vital nutrients can no longer cross from the bloodstream into the retina and excess material becomes trapped, unable to pass in the other direction. This leads to the death of retinal cells and, in time, to AMD and eventual blindness.

Marshall's technique promises to prevent and even reverse the process, allowing the eye to return to something like its youthful, uncluttered state. In a clinical trial involving more than 100 diabetics, Marshall found that focusing a laser beam on one part of the retina helps stimulate the release of enzymes, which then set about cleaning up the waste material. Participants reported this led to a marked improvement in their sight.

Marshall now plans to conduct a wider trial among those suffering the early stages of AMD. In most cases the "clogging" begins when people reach their mid-40s, but does not always lead to significant sight loss. Some are more at risk, because of a number of factors in addition to their age. These include genetics - such as a family history of AMD. Women are more likely to suffer, and environmental factors can play a part, with smokers at greater risk.

AMD is the leading cause of blindness in those aged over 60 in the western world. Initially it causes blurred or distorted central vision, but worsens over time leaving sufferers unable to do everyday tasks. About a quarter of all over-60s in the UK suffer some loss of vision as a result of the condition.

Eye specialists say Marshall's discovery could mark a breakthrough in tackling the condition. There is currently no effective treatment for "dry" AMD - the less serious form of the disease. The drugs Lucentis and Avastin are used to treat the more disabling and aggressive "wet" version, but these usually do little more than stabilise the condition. Marshall's use of laser technology to restore an ailing eye could therefore open up a whole new method of treatment.

Conventional lasers have been used previously, but they have damaged the eye's light-sensitive cells in the process. Marshall said: "The laser I've used is a totally new soft-pulse laser which doesn't cause any damage to any of the nearby tissues, unlike conventional lasers. All it does is stimulate the required chemical reaction. And it treats both 'dry' AMD and the effects of ageing."

Marshall's next clinical trial of the technique will be with patients who are already being treated for AMD in one eye. He hopes that it will prove that treating the patient's other eye will delay the onset of AMD by up to seven years.

If further trials are successful, it could open many possibilities. "In the short term it could benefit anybody with a family history or with diagnostic signs that they are at high risk of AMD," Marshall said. "In the longer term it could be that we all decide to have our retinas cleaned so that we don't develop these problems later in life."

Eyesight specialists say Marshall's research could be of huge importance. Tom Pey of Guide Dogs for the Blind, which funded the work, said: "This is potentially a huge breakthrough for millions of people across the world."

• Medical research
• Health
• Older people

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Hugh Pickens writes "Launched in May, BBC reports that Europe's Planck observatory has reached its operating temperature, a staggering minus 273.05C — just a tenth of a degree above what scientists term "absolute zero." and although laboratory set-ups have got closer to absolute zero than Planck, researchers say it is unlikely there is anywhere in space currently that is colder than their astronomical satellite. This frigidity should ensure the bolometers will be at their most sensitive as they look for variations in the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) that are about a million times smaller than one degree — comparable to measuring from Earth the heat produced by a rabbit sitting on the Moon. Planck has been sent to an observation position around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2, some 1.5 million km from Earth and Planck will help provide answers to one of the most important sets of questions asked in modern science — how did the Universe begin, how did it evolve to the state we observe today, and how will it continue to evolve in the future. Planck's objectives include mapping of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies with improved sensitivity and angular resolution, determination of the Hubble constant, testing inflationary models of the early Universe, and measuring amplitude of structures in Cosmic Microwave Background. 'We will be probing regimes that have never been studied before where the physics is very, very uncertain,' says Planck investigator Professor George Efstathiou from Cambridge University. 'It's possible we could find a signature from before the Big Bang; or it's possible we could find the signature of another Universe and then we'd have experimental evidence that we are part of a multi-verse.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Hugh Pickens writes "Launched in May, BBC reports that Europe's Planck observatory has reached its operating temperature, a staggering minus 273.05C — just a tenth of a degree above what scientists term "absolute zero." and although laboratory set-ups have got closer to absolute zero than Planck, researchers say it is unlikely there is anywhere in space currently that is colder than their astronomical satellite. This frigidity should ensure the bolometers will be at their most sensitive as they look for variations in the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) that are about a million times smaller than one degree — comparable to measuring from Earth the heat produced by a rabbit sitting on the Moon. Planck has been sent to an observation position around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2, some 1.5 million km from Earth and Planck will help provide answers to one of the most important sets of questions asked in modern science — how did the Universe begin, how did it evolve to the state we observe today, and how will it continue to evolve in the future. Planck's objectives include mapping of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies with improved sensitivity and angular resolution, determination of the Hubble constant, testing inflationary models of the early Universe, and measuring amplitude of structures in Cosmic Microwave Background. 'We will be probing regimes that have never been studied before where the physics is very, very uncertain,' says Planck investigator Professor George Efstathiou from Cambridge University. 'It's possible we could find a signature from before the Big Bang; or it's possible we could find the signature of another Universe and then we'd have experimental evidence that we are part of a multi-verse.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Hugh Pickens writes "Launched in May, BBC reports that Europe's Planck observatory has reached its operating temperature, a staggering minus 273.05C — just a tenth of a degree above what scientists term "absolute zero." and although laboratory set-ups have got closer to absolute zero than Planck, researchers say it is unlikely there is anywhere in space currently that is colder than their astronomical satellite. This frigidity should ensure the bolometers will be at their most sensitive as they look for variations in the temperature of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) that are about a million times smaller than one degree — comparable to measuring from Earth the heat produced by a rabbit sitting on the Moon. Planck has been sent to an observation position around the second Lagrange point of the Sun-Earth system, L2, some 1.5 million km from Earth and Planck will help provide answers to one of the most important sets of questions asked in modern science — how did the Universe begin, how did it evolve to the state we observe today, and how will it continue to evolve in the future. Planck's objectives include mapping of Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies with improved sensitivity and angular resolution, determination of the Hubble constant, testing inflationary models of the early Universe, and measuring amplitude of structures in Cosmic Microwave Background. 'We will be probing regimes that have never been studied before where the physics is very, very uncertain,' says Planck investigator Professor George Efstathiou from Cambridge University. 'It's possible we could find a signature from before the Big Bang; or it's possible we could find the signature of another Universe and then we'd have experimental evidence that we are part of a multi-verse.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Francis Cairns, Generic Composition in Greek and Roman Poetry. Corrected and with new material. First edition published in 1972, Ann Arbor: Michigan Classical Press, 2007. ix, 336 pages. ISBN 9780979971310 $65.00 Recension par Anna S. Uhlig (Princeton University) dans Bryn Mawr Classical Review 2009.05.25. Présentation de l'éditeur: Original in conception and powerful in scope, Generic Composition in Greek and Roman Poetry remains one of the most important books on early Greek, Hellenistic and Roman poetry in a generation. First published in the philological climate of the early 1970s, Francis Cairns' book was among the first works that sought to further our comprehension of difficult or obscure ancient poems by applying new literary-critical conventions and terminology, notably the concept of genre. Ancient literary studies have grown more sophisticated over the last years, and Generic Composition in Greek and Roman Poetry now finds itself very much in the midst of current debates. The new edition includes a new Postscript by the author, and important corrections to the text, notes, and indices. The original publisher remarked, "This is the first serious attempt to formulate a system of literary criticism for ancient poetry, derived wholly from ancient evidence. It is based on methods of generic analysis, assignment and interpretation applicable to all Greek and Roman poetry. It outlines what the author deduces are the creative principles informing ancient poets' approach to their subject matter, and establishes criteria that enable an objective discussion of the poems' originality and merit." Generic Composition in Greek and Roman Poetry examines uses of topoi and categories of genres, and offers detailed and insightful interpretations of many individual poems in both languages. It also highlights five specific generic sophistications, among them inversion and inclusion. The work is accompanied by extensive notes and indices, together with translations of the original texts that make it accessible and valuable to classicists and non-classicists alike. One of the great contributions of Francis Cairns' work has been firmly to move the study of ancient poetry away from the realm of fictive literary biography, while grounding critical analysis in the techniques that were employed by ancient authors to create meaning. Francis Cairns is Professor of Classical Languages at [...]

In their own words

“Classlet is a brand-new website created by us, Brandon and Steve. Education is a huge area and we are brimming with ideas, but you've got to start somewhere.”

Why it might be a killer

It will be interesting to many professors that want to give a better education to their students.

Some questions

Is this service providing any additional feature that helps professors to plan activities?

What it does

Students should be more responsible and should get all their work done on time. That is a golden rule. Some people say “Poor students!” However, nobody thinks about professors and teachers that spend most of their free hours correcting and grading homework.

Classlet has come to help them out with anything that has to do with assigning and grading schoolwork. In this way teachers, will not have to use the inutile and obsolete software that is actually being provided by their schools.

In case you want to learn about an interesting solution that was created in order to help professors to maximize their time, this is the right place for you to stop by. You can give classlet a try now without having to pay anything for that.

Education is not only about assigning homework and correcting it. Education is about giving students the chance to enjoy from their learning experiences in a fast an efficient way. Therefore, professors will not have to waste their time grading schoolwork any more. This site's main mission is to provide students and educators with the chance to be in touch and learn from each other by exchanging their information.

Classlet is an interesting company that wants to provide people with high quality education software that is very simple to be used. There are many ways to improve the way you educate your students and saving time seems to be one of them.

Link: http://www.classlet.com
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cheezitmike writes "Researchers at Oregon State University are testing a new type of wave-energy converter to generate electricity from ocean waves: "Even when the ocean seems calm, swells are moving water up and down sufficiently to generate electricity. ... For decades the challenge has been to build a device that can withstand monster waves and gale-force winds, not to mention corrosive saltwater, seaweed, floating debris and curious marine mammals. ... In the most recent prototypes, a thick coil of copper wire is inside the first component, which is anchored to the seafloor. The second component is a magnet attached to a float that moves up and down freely with the waves. As the magnet is heaved by the waves, its magnetic field moves along the stationary coil of copper wire. This motion induces a current in the wire — electricity."" Meanwhile, researchers at Stanford are working to design "turbine kites" that operate at 30,000 feet, where air currents flow much faster than they do close to the ground. Ken Caldeira, a Standford associate professor, said, "If you tapped into 1% of the power in high-altitude winds, that would be enough to continuously power all civilization."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

cheezitmike writes "Researchers at Oregon State University are testing a new type of wave-energy converter to generate electricity from ocean waves: 'Even when the ocean seems calm, swells are moving water up and down sufficiently to generate electricity. ... For decades the challenge has been to build a device that can withstand monster waves and gale-force winds, not to mention corrosive saltwater, seaweed, floating debris and curious marine mammals. ... In the most recent prototypes, a thick coil of copper wire is inside the first component, which is anchored to the seafloor. The second component is a magnet attached to a float that moves up and down freely with the waves. As the magnet is heaved by the waves, its magnetic field moves along the stationary coil of copper wire. This motion induces a current in the wire — electricity.'" Meanwhile, researchers at Stanford are working to design "turbine kites" that operate at 30,000 feet, where air currents flow much faster than they do close to the ground. Ken Caldeira, a Standford associate professor, said, "If you tapped into 1% of the power in high-altitude winds, that would be enough to continuously power all civilization."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

cheezitmike writes "Researchers at Oregon State University are testing a new type of wave-energy converter to generate electricity from ocean waves: 'Even when the ocean seems calm, swells are moving water up and down sufficiently to generate electricity. ... For decades the challenge has been to build a device that can withstand monster waves and gale-force winds, not to mention corrosive saltwater, seaweed, floating debris and curious marine mammals. ... In the most recent prototypes, a thick coil of copper wire is inside the first component, which is anchored to the seafloor. The second component is a magnet attached to a float that moves up and down freely with the waves. As the magnet is heaved by the waves, its magnetic field moves along the stationary coil of copper wire. This motion induces a current in the wire — electricity.'" Meanwhile, researchers at Stanford are working to design "turbine kites" that operate at 30,000 feet, where air currents flow much faster than they do close to the ground. Ken Caldeira, a Standford associate professor, said, "If you tapped into 1% of the power in high-altitude winds, that would be enough to continuously power all civilization."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

"There is a kind of weird OpEd in today’s WSJ by Stan Liebowitz. The professor makes the incredible discovery that zero down payments, 100% LTV financings tend to slide in great numbers into foreclosure"

p2pnet news view | P2P | Politics:- It was Canada Day, yesterday. And because it fell almost in the middle of the week, a lot of fellow citizens celebrated it the weekend before, or are kicking it off today with July 4 coming up.

If there was an online Canadian parliament, law professor Michael Geist would be an MP. There isn’t — not officially, anyway — but meanwhile, he  continues to point up items of interest to anyone who cares about what’s happening, here, and yesterday, he cited VisibleGovernment.ca, which launched Beers For Canada.

It encourages Canadians to, “support transparency by buying your country a beer,”  he said.

Of course, we shouldn’t need special projects to make sure our elected representatives do what they’re supposed to do. But the sad reality is: it’s necessary and VisibleGovernment.ca says it wants government leaders and organizations to, “share their information openly, and work with developers to build tools and websites that make government information more accessible to average citizens”.

The organisationm says funds raised by Beers for Canada will be used for:

• Creating new tools and websites that encourage more open communication between government and citizens.
• Launching the Code For Canada application design competition that awards prizes to people who build apps that provide visualization, analysis, and access to federal government data sets.
• Working with other open government organizations like The Sunlight Foundation in the US and MySociety in the UK to bring tools they’ve created to Canadian screens, and to share Canadian-made applications with others.
• Encouraging government openness in public forums, helping government organizations to share their data, showcasing examples of open government, and promoting the benefits of transparency in public office.

There’s, “tremendous value in open government data and greater transparency,” says Geist. JN More

July, 2009

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Category: Chomsky
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Noam Chomsky - Buddhagem Interview - 01.05.2009 - Godcanjudgeme -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- "David Buccola (Buddhagem) interviews Noam Chomsky on May Day About labor history and anarchism. May 1st, 2009, at his MIT office, Cambridge, Mass. Recorded by David Buccola, Charngchi Way Edited by Charngchi Way Special thanks to Bev Stohl, and Professor Noam Chomsky" Check out our radio show: http://authoritysmashers.wordpress.com/ And Buddhagem: http://www.youtube.com/user/buddhagem -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Source : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AMNX2ZI9I9k Size : 4x100 MB Video : 1359 kbps Resolution : 720x400 Framerate : 29.971 kbps Audio : MP3 - 192 kbps - vbr - stereo - English Sample : 48000 Hz Subtitles : N/A Total Runtime : 03:14:07 -------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Please Seed x1/ x2 ..Keep Torrents Alive.. ..Godcanjudgeme..
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