Futuristic Technology Crystal Ball Reviews

Multi-core processor

2010-01-07T02:31:00.000+08:00

A multi-core processor is a processing system composed of two or more independent cores. It can be described as an integrated circuit to which two or more individual processors (called cores in this sense) have been attached.[1] The cores are typically integrated onto a single integrated circuit die (known as a chip multiprocessor or CMP), or they may be integrated onto multiple dies in a single chip package. A many-core processor is one in which the number of cores is large enough that traditional multi-processor techniques are no longer efficient — this threshold is somewhere in the range of several tens of cores — and likely requires a network on chip.

A dual-core processor contains two cores, and a quad-core processor contains four cores. A multi-core processor implements multiprocessing in a single physical package. Cores in a multi-core device may be coupled together tightly or loosely. For example, cores may or may not share caches, and they may implement message passing or shared memory inter-core communication methods. Common network topologies to interconnect cores include: bus, ring, 2-dimensional mesh, and crossbar. All cores are identical in homogeneous multi-core systems and they are not identical in heterogeneous multi-core systems. Just as with single-processor systems, cores in multi-core systems may implement architectures such as superscalar, VLIW, vector processing, SIMD, or multithreading.

Multi-core processors are widely used across many application domains including: general-purpose, embedded, network, digital signal processing, and graphics.

The amount of performance gained by the use of a multi-core processor is strongly dependent on the software algorithms and implementation. In particular, the possible gains are limited by the fraction of the software that can be parallelized to run on multiple cores simultaneously; this effect is described by Amdahl's law. In the best case, so-called embarrassingly parallel problems may realize speedup factors near the number of cores. Many typical applications, however, do not realize such large speedup factors and thus, the parallelization of software is a significant on-going topic of research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-core_processor

Elliott Wave Principle: Key to Market Behavior by Robert Prechter

2009-04-09T22:41:00.001+08:00

Highly acclaimed basic handbook of Elliott Wave Theory which has come to be regarded as a definitve work in this area. Thoroughly covers all the relative concepts. Fibonacci Numbers, wave analysis, time sequence, cyclic analysis, etc. One of the most fascinating books on market forecasting you'll ever read.

Part 1: Elliott Theory Chapter One: The Broad Concept including, *Basic Tenets *Terminology and Labeling * Impulse Waves and Variations *Corrective Waves *Zigzags * Flats * Triangles * Double and Triple Threes * Diagonal Triangle Type 2

Chapter Two: Associated Rules and Guidelines * Counting Rules * Alternation * Depth of Corrective Waves * Wave Equality * Charting the Waves * Channeling * Volume * The Right Look * Wave Personality * Learning the Basics * Applying the Basics

Chapter Three: Historical and Mathematical Background of the Wave Principle * Leonardo Fibonacci da Pisa * the Fibonacci Sequence * The Golden Section * The Golden Rectangle * The Golden Spiral * The Meaning of Phi

http://stockcharts.stores.yahoo.net/elwaprropr.html

Elliott wave principle

2009-04-09T22:29:00.001+08:00

The Elliott wave principle is a form of technical analysis that attempts to forecast trends in the financial markets and other collective activities. It is named after Ralph Nelson Elliott (1871–1948), an accountant who developed the concept in the 1930s: he proposed that market prices unfold in specific patterns, which practitioners today call Elliott waves. Elliott published his views of market behavior in the book The Wave Principle (1938), in a series of articles in Financial World magazine in 1939, and most fully in his final major work, Nature’s Laws – The Secret of the Universe (1946).[1] Elliott argued that because humans are themselves rhythmical, their activities and decisions could be predicted in rhythms, too. Critics argue that the Elliott wave principle is pseudoscientific and contradicts the efficient market hypothesis.

The wave principle posits that collective investor psychology (or crowd psychology) moves from optimism to pessimism and back again. These swings create patterns, as evidenced in the price movements of a market at every degree of trend.

Practically all developments which result from (human) socialeconomic processes follow a law that causes them to repeat themselves in similar and constantly recurring series of waves of definite number and pattern. R. N. Elliott's model, in Nature’s Law: The Secret of the Universe says that market prices alternate between five waves and three waves at all degrees within a trend, as the illustration shows. As these waves develop, the larger price patterns unfold in a self-similar fractal geometry. Within the dominant trend, waves 1, 3, and 5 are "motive" waves, and each motive wave itself subdivides in five waves. Waves 2 and 4 are "corrective" waves, and subdivide in three waves. In a bear market the dominant trend is downward, so the pattern is reversed—five waves down and three up. Motive waves always move with the trend, while corrective waves move opposite it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elliott_wave_principle

The Television of the Future OLED-TV Pictures

2009-03-18T11:28:00.001+08:00

Plasma, and LCD televisions will soon be a thing of the past, imagine a television screen as thin as a piece of paper that weighs no more than a few ounces. Or, so flexible it could be worn around your wrist and is virtually indestructible.

The primary benefit of OLED displays over traditional LCDs is that OLEDs do not require a backlight to function, and consume less power during operation. OLED displays are expected to be more efficiently manufactured than LCDs and plasma displays.

The AMOLED technology have full layers of cathode, organic molecules and anode, the anode layer overlays a thin film transistor (TFT) array that forms a matrix. The TFT array itself is the circuitry that determines which pixels get turned on to form an picture.The fledgling technology of making ultra-thin displays using organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) is starting to bear fruit finally with Sony, Samsung SDI and other makers introducing new applications.

Sony says that it is going to sell 11-inch OLED TVs for the first time in the world this year. Korean firms such as Samsung Electronics, Samsung SDI, LG Electronics, LG.Philips LCD and Neoview Kolon are also investing in the technology, which should replace the current LCD and plasma screens panels in the long term, becoming the norm for digital displays.

Samsung Electronics Digital Media President Park Jong-woo said that organic displays can be a breakthrough in its TV business, as the competition for creating bigger screens now does not carry much meaning to consumers.

http://www.oled-display.net/oled-television

PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500UB Projector

2009-03-17T20:37:00.000+08:00

Overview
A superior cinematic experience. Quality beyond compare.
1600 lumens; 75,000:1 contrast ratio
D7 C2Fine® TFT technology for greater image detail
Built-in HQV processor
Color isolation feature for easy adjustments
120 Hz FineFrame™ tech. for smoother video
Preset color space
Anamorphic scaling mode
ISF calibration for customized viewing
Cinema filter for true-to-life color
Fujinon lens with 2.1 zoom ratio
12-bit panel driver for smoother gradations
Auto iris function for optimum speed/quality

PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500UB Marketing Brochure
Enjoy the home theater experience in a way you never thought possible. With a 75,000:1 contrast ratio, the highest currently available in its class, the Epson PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500 UB puts you right in the middle of where the action is, as larger-than-life images leap right off the screen.

Whether you’re watching movies or sports, or playing video games, this 1080p projector ensures amazing image quality with the latest-generation Epson D7 panels, UltraBlack™ technology and 1600 lumens of color and white light output.1 With innovative color adjustment features and a state-of-the-art Fujinon lens, the kind typically used by renowned Hollywood filmmakers, this product delivers blockbuster video performance. And, with Epson’s 3LCD, 3-chip optical engine, it offers such incredible quality, you’re sure to achieve a true cinematic experience.
Setup is easy with the color isolation feature and ISF calibration, which allows you to adjust colors according to that which the filmmaker intended. The PowerLite Pro Cinema 7500 UB brings big-screen entertainment home in a whole new way.

http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/consumer/consDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&oid=63077381

The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization - Thomas L. Friedman

2009-03-17T20:32:00.001+08:00

One day in 1992, Thomas Friedman toured a Lexus factory in Japan and marveled at the robots that put the luxury cars together. That evening, as he ate sushi on a Japanese bullet train, he read a story about yet another Middle East squabble between Palestinians and Israelis. And it hit him: Half the world was lusting after those Lexuses, or at least the brilliant technology that made them possible, and the other half was fighting over who owned which olive tree.

Friedman, the well-traveled New York Times foreign-affairs columnist, peppers The Lexus and the Olive Tree with stories that illustrate his central theme: that globalization--the Lexus--is the central organizing principle of the post-cold war world, even though many individuals and nations resist by holding onto what has traditionally mattered to them--the olive tree.
Problem is, few of us understand what exactly globalization means. As Friedman sees it, the concept, at first glance, is all about American hegemony, about Disneyfication of all corners of the earth. But the reality, thank goodness, is far more complex than that, involving international relations, global markets, and the rise of the power of individuals (Bill Gates, Osama Bin Laden) relative to the power of nations.

No one knows how all this will shake out, but The Lexus and the Olive Tree is as good an overview of this sometimes brave, sometimes fearful new world as you'll find. --Lou Schuler --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

http://www.amazon.com/Lexus-Olive-Tree-Understanding-Globalization/dp/0385499345/ref=pd_sim_b_4

The World Is Flat 3.0: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century - Thomas L. Friedman

2009-03-17T20:30:00.000+08:00

Thomas L. Friedman is not so much a futurist, which he is sometimes called, as a presentist. His aim in The World Is Flat, as in his earlier, influential Lexus and the Olive Tree, is not to give you a speculative preview of the wonders that are sure to come in your lifetime, but rather to get you caught up on the wonders that are already here. The world isn't going to be flat, it is flat, which gives Friedman's breathless narrative much of its urgency, and which also saves it from the Epcot-style polyester sheen that futurists--the optimistic ones at least--are inevitably prey to.
What Friedman means by "flat" is "connected": the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution that have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet. This in itself should not be news to anyone. But the news that Friedman has to deliver is that just when we stopped paying attention to these developments--when the dot-com bust turned interest away from the business and technology pages and when 9/11 and the Iraq War turned all eyes toward the Middle East--is when they actually began to accelerate. Globalization 3.0, as he calls it, is driven not by major corporations or giant trade organizations like the World Bank, but by individuals: desktop freelancers and innovative startups all over the world (but especially in India and China) who can compete--and win--not just for low-wage manufacturing and information labor but, increasingly, for the highest-end research and design work as well. (He doesn't forget the "mutant supply chains" like Al-Qaeda that let the small act big in more destructive ways.)

Friedman has embraced this flat world in his own work, continuing to report on his story after his book's release and releasing an unprecedented hardcover update of the book a year later with 100 pages of revised and expanded material. What's changed in a year? Some of the sections that opened eyes in the first edition--on China and India, for example, and the global supply chain--are largely unaltered. Instead, Friedman has more to say about what he now calls "uploading," the direct-from-the-bottom creation of culture, knowledge, and innovation through blogging, podcasts, and open-source software. And in response to the pleas of many of his readers about how to survive the new flat world, he makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he thinks will be required to compete in the "New Middle" class.

As before, Friedman tells his story with the catchy slogans and globe-hopping anecdotes that readers of his earlier books and his New York Times columns know well, and he holds to a stern sort of optimism. He wants to tell you how exciting this new world is, but he also wants you to know you're going to be trampled if you don't keep up with it. A year later, one can sense his rising impatience that our popular culture, and our political leaders, are not helping us keep pace. --Tom Nissley

http://www.amazon.com/World-Flat-3-0-History-Twenty-first/dp/0312425074/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1237292540&sr=1-1

Sony KDL 40D3500 PICTURE QUALITY

2008-06-20T21:56:00.000+08:00

I intend to buy an lcd TV in the near future.

I have to buy from John Lewis as i have a credit voucher from them.

The TV which to me seems the best value for money in my price range is the SONY KDL40D3500. However, the expert reviews i've read are quite critical of the tvs SD picture quality and this is putting me off it (motion blur seems to be the main problem).

I currently dont have Sky and or cable but the reception in my area is good.

Can anyone who has this TV comment on the picture quality they get from this TV on standard definition ie using the TVS freeview with the feed from a tv aerial .

THANKS

TERRY H

http://www.avforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=724131

The Future of Books

2008-05-14T22:57:00.000+08:00

Jason Epstein was a publisher for more than 40 years. Now in retirement, he wants to replace Gutenberg with a digital press.

Jason Epstein worked in book publishing for more than 40 years. He was editorial director of Random House and founded Anchor Books, the New York Review of Books, the Library of America, and the Readers Catalog. Now in retirement, he wants to digitally reconstruct publishing, as digitization is re-creating the music industry.

I became a publisher by accident. When I entered Columbia College in 1945, I was only 17, but I found myself surrounded by veterans in their 20s, some still in their flight jackets and peacoats, many of them married, some with infants. Most of them were in a hurry to find careers and get on with their lives. Some, however, were incipient scholars, and I was fascinated by their worldly talk of Marvell and Donne, Pascal and Voltaire, James and Proust, and Joyce and Eliot. Some of my elders became my friends. For four years we formed an intense coterie of which I was the chief beneficiary because I joined it knowing nothing and acquired from it the rudiments of an education. I had no thought of a job, much less a career in business, certainly not one in book publishing. Thus it did not occur to me that my friends, thanks to the GI Bill, belonged to a large, unprecedented, and undiscovered market for serious books -- a new phenomenon in the cultural and commercial life of the United States.

In September 1950, after wasting a year in graduate school, I was on my own financially. For want of a better plan, and with only the vaguest idea of what a book publisher actually did (I had recently seen a film called The Scoundrel, starring Noël Coward, about the ruin of a glamorous but dissolute book publisher), I applied to Doubleday's training program, which promised to indoctrinate prospective publishers by rotating them through various departments. Although Doubleday's personnel manager insisted that I was unsuited for the program, Ken McCormick, the firm's editor in chief, hired me nonetheless.

In those days, paperback publishing was an offshoot of magazine distribution. Every month a bundle of cheaply printed popular novels, each selling for 25 cents, was delivered along with that month's magazines to drugstores and newsstands around the country. Last month's unsold paperbacks were collected, pulped, and reborn as next month's (hence "pulp fiction"). I had been at Doubleday for six months, long enough to grasp the essentials of the business, when I proposed to Ken a plan for another kind of paperback. One February afternoon, as we walked across Central Park, I asked, Why not sell paperbacks in bookstores instead of newsstands? We would publish the kinds of serious works that my friends and I had read at Columbia, but which were available only in hard covers and at prohibitive prices. These paperbacks could, I suggested, be slightly more expensive than mass-market pulps: we would break even when we had sold 20,000 copies instead of 100,000. Wouldn't it make more sense to sell 20 copies of The Sound and the Fury at a dollar than one hardcover copy at ten dollars?

What I was proposing was a paperback program that would expand the market for publishers' backlists -- that is, books that sell year after year and in the aggregate contain nearly all that we think we know about ourselves and the world. In the 1950s, backlists were the life's blood of publishing: backlisted titles had recouped their costs, and their sales provided book publishers with a steady stream of profit.

Ken agreed and suggested that I talk to people in production and sales and come up with a business plan. We decided to call the new series Anchor Books, after Doubleday's Aldine colophon, with its frisky dolphin wrapped around a weighty anchor. We began by testing the market with 20,000 copies of 12 titles in sturdy paper bindings, priced between 65 cents and $1.25. The first list included Joseph Conrad, Edmund Wilson, D. H. Lawrence, André Gide, and Stendhal. Within a year or two, nearly every publisher in New York and Boston had a line of "quality paperbacks," which bookstores were selling by the millions. The "paperback revolution," as it would be called, had begun.

The essential factors in the success of this format (new to the United States, although European publishers had been publishing quality paperbacks for some time) were an audience for serious reading created by the GI Bill and the 3,000 to 4,000 independent booksellers who constituted the retail market for books. Many of these stores were hardly more than gift shops carrying greeting cards, regional titles, and a few bestsellers, but perhaps a thousand booksellers in cities and major suburbs maintained deep backlist inventories and catered to the eclectic interests of sophisticated readers who found their way to the low-rent neighborhoods where many of the shops were located. Our marketing strategy was simple. We put Anchor Books displays wherever we could, hoping that readers would find them and tell their friends. The books sold themselves.

http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/14064/

what will happen in 2012?

2008-05-02T13:39:00.001+08:00

According to their calendar, the Maya believed that their world would end on Dec 21, 2012. Of all the dates put forth by prophets and cultures for a doomsday, this is one with an authentic almost eerie feel to it. But what will happen? A global cataclysm is one possibility. Presented here is enough information to help you decide - be you an expert or a beginner.

http://www.survive2012.com/

Cosco Crossroad

2008-05-01T18:31:00.005+08:00

An interesting intersection of the old red major downtrend resistance turned support line and the new blue uptrend support turned resistance line has developed. On the first day after the crossroad was formed price closed below the red line showing weakness. However, on the second day it moved from the low and pushed upwards until it met resistance at the blue line before losing some momentum closing near the middle of the candlestick bar. This closing above the red line gives a more bullish outlook than the previous day. However, there is still no clear direction where the trend is heading based on current data. For uptrend price just need to move along the blue line. Breakout above the blue line will be a bonus but not a necessity. Immediate support is $3.04 followed by $2.94 . If this support does not hold expect a retest of $2.79 .

Using Technical Analysis: A Step-by-Step Guide to Understanding and Applying Stock Market Charting Techniques, Revised Edition

2008-05-01T14:56:00.001+08:00

This is a practical book about Technical Analysis written by an investor with over 30 years of experience who has "been there and done it". The book has a section with exercises. If I had a complaint, it would be that the patterns shown in the example charts are too clear; things are not that crystal clear in real life. Anyone who reads this book should also read "Trading The Plan" by Robert Deel. Both are very practical.

I really like this book as it covers the basics and has examples where you have to use what you've learned to do the exercises. The reading is pretty dry but I still refer back to the book often when I'm trying to remember what a "double bottom" means or what an "ascending triangle" helps you predict.

http://www.amazon.com/Using-Technical-Analysis-Step-Step/dp/1557385270/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209625101&sr=1-21

Carl Zeiss & SEMATECH Develop Novel Design for Photomask Registration and Overlay Metrology to Enable Double-Patterning- Lithography

2008-05-01T13:48:00.001+08:00

n a potential boost to advance lithography, engineers at SEMATECH and Carl Zeiss SMT today announced the completion of their final design for the next generation Photomask Registration and Overlay Metrology system – called PROVE™. The successful final system design release is a major milestone within the project. PROVE™ will allow for the production of more advanced photomasks with substantially improved image placement accuracy. Double patterning lithography, in particular, requires tighter image placement control for photomasks, but the new system will also enhance photomask production in general.

The new metrology system PROVE™ developed by a team of more than 40 Carl Zeiss SMT engineers and supported by SEMATECH ascertains the accuracy of mask pattern alignment, and registration for 32nm half-pitch and beyond photomasks. Double patterning is a technology for enhancing feature density by using standard 193nm wavelength technology. The newly developed metrology technology also forms part of the critical infrastructure of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. “Future lithographic scaling places a high reliance on very tight overlay control of the various device levels, and the photomask is a key component of the overlay error budget,” said Michael Lercel, SEMATECH Director of Lithography and chairman of the ITRS Litho Working Group. “This new system will get us past several previously ‘no known solution’ challenges.”

“Exploiting the core competencies of Carl Zeiss SMT and our long-term experience in 193nm lithography optics and metrology enabled us to create a revolutionary new system design which will close the technology gap for overlay metrology at 32nm and beyond. Additionally, the broad presence of ZEISS products within the mask industry will be most beneficial for our customers in providing them an increased on-site applications and service support,” said Oliver Kienzle, Member of the Board of Carl Zeiss SMT’s Semiconductor Metrology Systems Division.

“With double patterning coming on strong as an optical extension, registration tolerances are getting even smaller,” said Patricia Gabella, SEMATECH project engineer and manager of the joint project. “Working with Carl Zeiss SMT we have completed a design for quantifying image placement errors as small as 2.4 nm according to the ITRS roadmap. This is a major milestone towards making double patterning a commercially viable technology.” Gabella said the tool itself is targeted for production in 2009, with mask manufacturers being the primary customers.

http://www.zeiss.com/C1256A770030BCE0/WebViewAllE/76439906A09CCF39C12573FA0048B42E

Nanowires and Carbon Nanotubes

2008-05-01T13:39:00.000+08:00

Currently, scientists find two nano-size structures of particular interest: nanowires and carbon nanotubes. Nanowires are wires with a very small diameter, sometimes as small as 1 nanometer. Scientists hope to use them to build tiny transistors for computer chips and other electronic devices. In the last couple of years, carbon nanotubes have overshadowed nanowires. We're still learning about these structures, but what we've learned so far is very exciting.

A carbon nanotube is a nano-size cylinder of carbon atoms. Imagine a sheet of carbon atoms, which would look like a sheet of hexagons. If you roll that sheet into a tube, you'd have a carbon nanotube. Carbon nanotube properties depend on how you roll the sheet. In other words, even though all carbon nanotubes are made of carbon, they can be very different from one another based on how you align the individual atoms.

With the right arrangement of atoms, you can create a carbon nanotube that's hundreds of times stronger than steel, but six times lighter [source: The Ecologist]. Engineers plan to make building material out of carbon nanotubes, particularly for things like cars and airplanes. Lighter vehicles would mean better fuel efficiency, and the added strength translates to increased passenger safety.

Carbon nanotubes can also be effective semiconductors with the right arrangement of atoms. Scientists are still working on finding ways to make carbon nanotubes a realistic option for transistors in microprocessors and other electronics.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology2.htm

Future of lithography still undecided

2008-05-01T13:36:00.000+08:00

The semiconductor fabrication industry still appears to be undecided as to just what is next. 90nm seems pretty much settled, but the tools and techniques to go as far as 45nm are still very much on the drawing board. Teams from Sony have demonstrated a resolution capable of 45nm but, like Intel's well-publicized 10GHz ALUs, they're a long way from making anything real and marketable. An interesting piece at EETimes highlights the uncertainty in the industry.

Despite the fact that the industry is moving into 90 nm pilot production with existing 193 nm steppers for critical layers, vendors of alternative technologies are pushing their systems toward production.

Alternative methods, and their patent holders, see the processes beyond 90nm as their holy grail, where they can make their mark on the market. Today's extreme-ultra-violet lithography is nearing the limits of its resolution. As we have gone through optical to ultra-violet, the next logical step is x-ray lithography. Not according to JMAR Research who, as well as X-ray lithography, are researching the possible applications of Collimated Plasma Lithography (CPL) for future semiconductor fabrication.

With the big two of AMD and Intel designing x86 processors for higher and higher clock frequencies, as well as a host of embedded and mobile applications from thousands of vendors, more precise and smaller fabrication nodes are required to keep the die size down and to keep the power consumption within reasonable levels. Future fabrication techniques are designed to help designers achieve these complimentary aims which benefit both our top spec desktops and our hand held devices.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20030301-533.html

Many options expected in the future of lithography

2008-05-01T13:29:00.000+08:00

Maintaining the historical pace of reducing half-pitch for each technology generation requires overcoming the challenge of extending the incumbent optical projection lithography technology at 193nm while simultaneously developing alternative, next generation lithography (NGL) technologies. Not only is it necessary to invent technical solutions to challenging problems, it is critical that die costs remain economical even as the costs of design, process development, masks, resist, and exposure tools rise. Maintaining economical production costs is becoming a bigger challenge as the rising costs of developing a new generation of lithography technology must be amortized over relatively few generations of integrated circuits.

In the Difficult Challenges tables in the 2005 ITRS, stronger emphasis was placed on challenges related to immersion lithography. The 2005 chapter includes more detail describing cost of ownership, resolution enhancement techniques (RET), and design for manufacturing (DFM) with lithography-friendly design rules.

Continued emphasis was placed on challenges for implementing cost-effective post-optical lithography solutions, and more detail was added on the requirements for extreme ultraviolet (EUV), imprint, and maskless lithographies.

http://sst.pennnet.com/Articles/Article_Display.cfm?Section=ARTCL&ARTICLE_ID=247497&VERSION_NUM=2&p=5

Technical Analysis of Stock Trends

2008-05-01T09:23:00.002+08:00

This review is from: Technical Analysis of Stock Trends (Hardcover)

I read Edwards and McGee, Technical Analysis of Stock Market Trends with great enthusiasm. Here was a book that was originally written in the 1940's that is equally valid to anyone trying to play the stock market in the Twenty First Century. It also gave me insights into the wild times on Wall Street in the Roaring 20's, and taught me how the pros did stock manipulation and organized "bear traps." Understanding Wall Street irrational exuberance in 1928 helps a smart investor understand the irrational exuberance in 1999. I started reading and then using Technical Analysis because I found I couldn't make money on the market just using the fundamental analysis that my accounting professors taught me in business school. I bought stocks based on detailed analysis of the firm's fundamentals and then could not understand why the prices of my "smart" investments immediately dropped like a rock. Technical analysis provides an investor with insights into the market forces (supply and demand) that affect the rise and fall of stock prices and give a rational investor understanding of the psychology of the herd of investors.

Modern web technology available from Clearstation and E-trade take the drudgery out of the technical charting, and make it easy for an amateur investor to become an experienced technical chart reader. Edwards and McGee was the book that helped me develop this skill. I can not praise the authors of this book enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Analysis-Trends-Robert-Edwards/dp/0814408648/ref=pd_sim_b_img_2/002-3486549-0660035

China Oil Fields Clone Inverted Hammer Doji Candlestick Charting Pattern

2008-04-30T22:35:00.004+08:00

Since the formation of the clone shooting star doji candlestick pattern on 24th April 2008 there has been 3 down bar candlesticks. Now a similar candlestick to that formed on 24th April 2008 has appeared signaling that a potential bottom may be forming. This candlestick looks like a clone inverted hammer doji candlestick charting pattern. Expect sideways trading the next few days until a clearer candlestick bar forms. Any upward move will probably be resisted by the 20 days EMA resistance line followed by the 50 days EMA resistance line. Expect strong resistance at the horizontal blue line 53 to 53.5 cents band. A breakout above this resistance band will propel price towards 58.5 cents and may challenge the gap resistance at 61.5 cents. Conversely, any weakening will meet immediate resistance at 41 to 40 cents support band. Support failure here may retest 37 cents support followed by 35 cents. If this support does not hold expect a challenge on 32 cents mid March 2008 low.

Cosco 30mins chart surrounded by trendlines

2008-04-30T15:07:00.004+08:00

An early upthrust was blocked by the blue support turned resistance line. Price now under pressure by the black downtrend line. Breakdown below $3.14 to $3.13 may retest previous low at $3.05 . If this support does not hold a breakdown below $3.04 will see a retracement towards the red downside resistance turned support line. Any price rebound will meet immediate resistance at 20 EMA line followed by $3.20 to $3.18 resistance band . Clearing this resistance band will propel price towards 50 EMA resistance line and challenge the blue support turned resistance line for the third time .

Candlestick Charting History

2008-04-30T14:53:00.001+08:00

The Japanese began using technical analysis to trade rice in the 17th century. While this early version of technical analysis was different from the US version initiated by Charles Dow around 1900, many of the guiding principles were very similar:

The "what" (price action) is more important than the "why" (news, earnings, and so on).
All known information is reflected in the price.
Buyers and sellers move markets based on expectations and emotions (fear and greed).
Markets fluctuate.
The actual price may not reflect the underlying value.

According to Steve Nison, candlestick charting first appeared sometime after 1850. Much of the credit for candlestick development and charting goes to a legendary rice trader named Homma from the town of Sakata. It is likely that his original ideas were modified and refined over many years of trading eventually resulting in the system of candlestick charting that we use today.

http://stockcharts.com/school/doku.php?id=chart_school:chart_analysis:introduction_to_candlesticks

Option Contract specifications

2008-04-30T14:48:00.001+08:00

Every financial option is a contract between the two counterparties with the terms of the option specified in a term sheet. Option contracts may be quite complicated; however, at minimum, they usually contain the following specifications:^[3]

whether the option holder has the right to buy (a call option) or the right to sell (a put option)
the quantity and class of the underlying asset(s) (e.g. 100 shares of XYZ Co. B stock)
the strike price, also known as the exercise price, which is the price at which the underlying transaction will occur upon exercise
the expiration date, or expiry, which is the last date the option can be exercised
the settlement terms, for instance whether the writer must deliver the actual asset on exercise, or may simply tender the equivalent cash amount
the terms by which the option is quoted in the market, usually a multiplier such as 100, to convert the quoted price into actual premium amount

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Option_%28finance%29

Nanoscale

2008-04-30T13:14:00.001+08:00

It's a Small World After All

At the nanoscale, objects are so small that we can't see them -- even with a light microscope. Nanoscientists have to use tools like scanning tunneling microscopes or atomic force microscopes to observe anything at the nanoscale. Scanning tunneling microscopes use a weak electric current to probe the scanned material. Atomic force microscopes scan surfaces with an incredibly fine tip. Both microscopes send data to a computer, which can assemble the information and project it graphically onto a monitor

[source: Encyclopædia Britannica].

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology1.htm

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) and Transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA

2008-04-30T13:10:00.001+08:00

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a small RNA chain of about 80 nucleotides that transfers a specific amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain at the ribosomal site of protein synthesis during translation. It has sites for amino acid attachment and an anticodon region for codon recognition that binds to a specific sequence on the messenger RNA chain through hydrogen bonding.^[20]

Ribosomal RNA (rRNA) is the catalytic component of the ribosomes. Eukaryotic ribosomes contain four different rRNA molecules: 18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S rRNA. Three of the rRNA molecules are synthesized in the nucleolus, and one is synthesized elsewhere. In the cytoplasm, ribosomal RNA and protein combine to form a nucleoprotein called a ribosome. The ribosome binds mRNA and carries out protein synthesis. Several ribosomes may be attached to a single mRNA at any time.^[19] rRNA is extremely abundant and makes up 80% of the 10 mg/ml RNA found in a typical eukaryotic cytoplasm.^[22]

Transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) is found in many bacteria and plastids. It tags proteins encoded by mRNAs that lack stop codons for degradation and prevents the ribosome from stalling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

Satellite DNA

2008-04-30T13:06:00.001+08:00

Satellite DNA consists of highly repetitive DNA, and is so called because repetitions of a short DNA sequence tend to produce a different frequency of the nucleotides adenine, cytosine, guanine and thymine, and thus have a different density from bulk DNA - such that they form a second or 'satellite' band when genomic DNA is separated on a density gradient.

Types of satellite DNA

Satellite DNA, together with Minisatellite and Microsatellite DNA constitute the Tandem repeats.

Some types of satellite DNA are:

Type	Size of repeat unit (bp)	Location
α (alphoid DNA)	171	All chromosomes
β	68	Centromeres of chromosomes 1, 9, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22 and Y
Satellite 1	25-48	Centromeres and other regions in heterochromatin of most chromosomes
Satellite 2	5	Most chromosomes
Satellite 3	5	Most chromosomes

Length

A repeated pattern can be between 1 base pair long (a mononucleotide repeat) to several thousand base pairs long, and the total size of a satellite DNA block can be several megabases without interruption. Most satellite DNA is localized to the telomeric or the centromeric region of the chromosome. The nucleotide sequence of the repeats is fairly well conserved across a species. However, variation in the length of the repeat is common. For example, minisatellite DNA is a short region (1-5kb) of 20-50 repeats. The difference in length of the minisatellites is the basis for DNA fingerprinting.

Origin

Satellite DNA, at least the microsatellite variety, is thought to have originated by slippage of a replicated chromosome against its template.

Pathology

Microsatellites are often found in transcription units. Often the base pair repetition will disrupt proper protein synthesis, leading to diseases such as myotonic dystrophy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_DNA

Dow Jones Industrial Index Clone Shooting Star Doji Candlestick Pattern

2008-04-29T20:59:00.003+08:00

Giant hanging man followed by tiny clone shooting star doji candlestick charting pattern. Expect a drop towards the green dotted line support at 12765. If this support hold does not hold the next support is at the mid Bolinger Band at 12640. Conversely, if the unexpected happens the index will propel towards the upper resistance line of the raising wedge and test the 13000 mark.

Cosco 30 mins chart Testing Major Support

2008-04-29T16:02:00.003+08:00

Broke blue uptrend support line during early morning trading and attempted to rebound back above this support line but failed and continue to drop to intraday low of $3.05 . Next support is the red downtrend resistance turned support line. Breakdown below $3.04 to $3.00 support band will retest next support at $2.94 . Immediate resistance is the support band $3.15 to $3.13 followed by 20 EMA resistance line.

Intraday Charting from Shareinvestor

2008-04-29T14:55:00.001+08:00

Latest membership with real-time streaming applet which can be accessed through your browser. You are able to view Streaming Stock Price, Time & Sales, Trade Summary Matrix and Intraday Charts within the stock streamer. This membership gives you access to all Jade Standard features and Tick Charts. Specially priced at S$24.00 per month.

For the full list of features, please click here.

This membership is ideal for the sophisticated investor who wants all the features of Jade Standard and Jade Standard Plus together with live Dow Jones News, Dynamic Technical Charts, Historical Price Download and Quote Movements. Value package at S$38.00 per month.

For the full list of features, please click here.

http://www.shareinvestor.com/users/membership/index.pl?partner_code=jade_extra

Option (finance)

2008-04-29T14:51:00.000+08:00

Options are financial instruments that convey the right, but not the obligation, to engage in a future transaction on some underlying security, or in a futures contract. In other words, the holder does not have to exercise this right, unlike a forward or future. For example, buying a call option provides the right to buy a specified quantity of a security at a set strike price at some time on or before expiration, while buying a put option provides the right to sell. Upon the option holder's choice to exercise the option, the party who sold, or wrote, the option must fulfill the terms of the contract.^[1]^[2]

The theoretical value of an option can be determined by a variety of techniques. These models, which are developed by quantitative analysts, can also predict how the value of the option will change in the face of changing conditions. Hence, the risks associated with trading and owning options can be understood and managed with some degree of precision.

Exchange-traded options form an important class of options which have standardized contract features and trade on public exchanges, facilitating trading among independent parties. Over-the-counter options are traded between private parties, often well-capitalized institutions, that have negotiated separate trading and clearing arrangements with each other. Another important class of options, particularly in the U.S., are employee stock options, which are awarded by a company to their employees as a form of incentive compensation.

Other types of options exist in many financial contracts, for example real estate options are often used to assemble large parcels of land, and prepayment options are usually included in mortgage loans. However, many of the valuation and risk management principles apply across all financial options.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Option_(finance)

The World of Nanotechnology

2008-04-29T13:01:00.000+08:00

Experts sometimes disagree about what constitutes the nanoscale, but in general, you can think of nanotechnology dealing with anything measuring between 1 and 100 nm. Larger than that is the microscale, and smaller than that is the atomic scale.

Sam Yesh/AFP/Getty Images
An engineer prepares a silicon wafer in an early stage of microchip production.

Nanotechnology is rapidly becoming an interdisciplinary field. Biologists, chemists, physicists and engineers are all involved in the study of substances at the nanoscale. Dr. Störmer hopes that the different disciplines develop a common language and communicate with one another [source: Störmer]. Only then, he says, can we effectively teach nanoscience since you can't understand the world of nanotechnology without a solid background in multiple sciences.

One of the exciting and challenging aspects of the nanoscale is the role that quantum mechanics plays in it. The rules of quantum mechanics are very different from classical physics, which means that the behavior of substances at the nanoscale can sometimes contradict common sense by behaving erratically. You can't walk up to a wall and immediately teleport to the other side of it, but at the nanoscale an electron can -- it's called electron tunneling. Substances that are insulators, meaning they can't carry an electric charge, in bulk form might become semiconductors when reduced to the nanoscale. Melting points can change due to an increase in surface area. Much of nanoscience requires that you forget what you know and start learning all over again.

So what does this all mean? Right now, it means that scientists are experimenting with substances at the nanoscale to learn about their properties and how we might be able to take advantage of them in various applications. Engineers are trying to use nano-size wires to create smaller, more powerful microprocessors. Doctors are searching for ways to use nanoparticles in medical applications. Still, we've got a long way to go before nanotechnology dominates the technology and medical markets.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology1.htm

Messenger RNA (mRNA) and Transfer RNA (tRNA)

2008-04-29T12:57:00.002+08:00

Messenger RNA (mRNA) carries information about a protein sequence to the ribosomes, the protein synthesis factories in the cell. It is coded so that every three nucleotides (a codon) correspond to one amino acid. In eukaryotic cells, once precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA) has been transcribed from DNA, it is processed to mature mRNA. This removes its introns—non-coding sections of the pre-mRNA. The mRNA is then exported from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it is bound to ribosomes and translated into its corresponding protein form with the help of tRNA. In prokaryotic cells, which do not have nucleus and cytoplasm compartments, mRNA can bind to ribosomes while it is being transcribed from DNA. After a certain amount of time the message degrades into its component nucleotides with the assistance of ribonucleases.

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is a small RNA chain of about 80 nucleotides that transfers a specific amino acid to a growing polypeptide chain at the ribosomal site of protein synthesis during translation. It has sites for amino acid attachment and an anticodon region for codon recognition that binds to a specific sequence on the messenger RNA chain through hydrogen bonding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

Functions for Some Subsets of Junk DNA

2008-04-29T12:53:00.000+08:00

A 2002 study from the University of Michigan showed that segments of junk DNA called LINE-1 elements, once thought to be "leftovers from the distant evolutionary past" now "deserve more respect" because they are capable of repairing broken strands of DNA. ^[18]

A 2003 study from Tel Aviv University found crucial uses for "junk" sequences in human DNA. [3]

A 2004 study from the Cell Press suggests that "more than one third of the mouse and human genomes, previously thought to be non-functional, may play some role in the regulation of gene expression and promotion of genetic diversity." [4]

An article from BioEd Online details DNA which appears crucial although no function has yet been discovered. [5]

A 2005 study from the National Institutes of Health found that social behavior in rodents (and, possibly humans [6]) was affected by portions of the genetic code once thought to be "junk." [7]

A 2005 study from University of California-San Diego suggested that junk DNA is "critically important to an organism’s evolutionary survival." [8]

Findings from Purdue University in 2005 stated that "many DNA sequences previously believed to have no function actually may play specialized roles in cell behavior." [9]

A 2006 study by the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine (Johns Hopkins) stated that "Junk DNA may not be so junky after all." [10]

Researchers at the University of Illinois Society for Experimental Biology found an antifreeze-protein gene in a species of fish which "evolved" from junk DNA. [11]

A mathematical analysis of the genetic code by IBM identified patterns that suggested junk DNA had an important role after all. [12]

In 2006, University of Iowa researchers documented segments of RNA (previously considered "junk") that regulated protein production, and could generate microRNAs. [13]

A 2007 study from Stanford University School of Medicine found that "Large swaths of garbled human DNA once dismissed as junk appear to contain some valuable sections."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_DNA

Yangzijiang Ship Still Docked At Port

2008-04-28T20:59:00.007+08:00

Tested both the upper uptrend channel resistance line and the immediate support at 50 days EMA. Closed at the same price as Friday closing. The Volume Distribution Chart below shows that there was more selling than buying by the Big Boys. With the decline in volume in the lastl 2 days an imminent price fall seems inevitable unless buying volume returns.

Cosco Testing Previous Downtrend Resistance Turned Support Line

2008-04-28T15:58:00.002+08:00

Another down candlestick bar today pulling price lower and lower. Next critical support is the red bold downtrend resistance turned support line. If price does not rebounce from this support line next support will be the $3.18 to $3.15 support band. Support failure here will see a retest of $3.00 support. Immediate resistance now is $3.34 .

Sony Ericsson P1i Memory Card

2008-04-28T14:34:00.004+08:00

Expand your memory

Extend a device’s memory with the smallest memory card on the market, Memory Stick Micro™ (M2™). Adaptors are available if you want to use with Memory Stick PRO-compatible products.

High capacity, high speed

Memory cards are IC recording media that use flash memory to record various digital media on a single stick. Also known as silicon media, IC uses an Integrated Circuit to store data and offer compact high capacity, high-speed data read/write, expandability and copyright protection.

Unlimited connectivity

Send and receive text messages – even while browsing the Web or writing email – and edit your phonebook from the Wireless Manager interface.

Small is beautiful

As everyday technology becomes increasingly compact, a memory card is the ideal storage device – compatible with many devices such as mobile phones, IC recorders, PDAs, e-books, games and audio players. But small physical size doesn’t mean compromised storage capacity!

http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/topics/p1i/memorystickmicrom2?cc=us&lc=en

How New is Nanotechnology?

2008-04-28T14:16:00.001+08:00

Nanotechnology deals with materials and machines on an incredibly tiny scale -- less than one billionth of a meter. To learn more about nanotechnology

In 1959, physicist and future Nobel prize winner Richard Feynman gave a lecture to the American Physical Society called "There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom." The focus of his speech was about the field of miniaturization and how he believed man would create increasingly smaller, powerful devices.

In 1986, K. Eric Drexler wrote "Engines of Creation" and introduced the term nanotechnology. Scientific research really expanded over the last decade. Inventors and corporations aren't far behind -- today, more than 13,000 patents registered with the U.S. Patent Office have the word "nano" in them [source: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office].

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology.htm

Types of RNA

2008-04-28T14:01:00.000+08:00

Overview

Structure of a hammerhead ribozyme, a ribozyme that cuts RNA

Messenger RNA (mRNA) is the RNA that carries information from DNA to the ribosome, the sites of protein synthesis (translation) in the cell. The coding sequence of the mRNA determines the amino acid sequence in the protein that is produced.^[19] Many RNAs do not code for protein however. These non-coding RNAs can be encoded by their own genes (RNA genes), but can also derive from mRNA introns.^[20] The most prominent examples of non-coding RNAs are transfer RNA (tRNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA), both of which are involved in the process of translation.^[13] There are also non-coding RNAs involved in gene regulation, RNA processing and other roles. Certain RNAs are able to catalyse chemical reactions such as cutting and ligating other RNA molecules,^[21] and the catalysis of peptide bond formation in the ribosome;^[15] these are known as ribozymes.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

Evolutionary conservation of "junk" DNA

2008-04-28T13:58:00.000+08:00

Comparative genomics is a promising direction in studying the function of junk DNA. Biologically functional sequences, as the theory goes, tend to undergo mutation at a slower rate than nonfunctional sequence, since mutations in these sequences are likely to be selected against. For example, the coding sequence of a human protein-coding gene is typically about 80% identical to its mouse ortholog, while their genomes as a whole are much more widely diverged. Analyzing the patterns of conservation between the genomes of different species can suggest which sequences are functional, or at least which functional sequences are shared by those species. Functional elements stand out in such analyses as having diverged less than the surrounding sequence.

Comparative studies of several mammalian genomes suggest that approximately 5% of the human genome has evolved under purifying selection^[14] since the divergence of the mammals. Since known functional sequence comprises less than 2% of the human genome, it appears that there may be more functional "junk" DNA in the human genome than there is known functional sequence.

A surprising recent finding was the discovery of nearly 500 ultraconserved elements^[15], which are shared at extraordinarily high fidelity among the available vertebrate genomes, in what had previously been designated as junk DNA. The function of these sequences is currently under intense scrutiny, and there are preliminary indications^[15]^[16]^[17] that some may play a regulatory role in vertebrate development from embryo to adult.

It must be noted that all present results concerning evolutionarily conserved human "junk" DNA are expressed in highly preliminary, probabilistic terms, since only a handful of related genomes are available. As more vertebrate, and especially mammalian, genomes are sequenced, scientists will develop a clearer picture of this important class of sequence. However, it is always possible, though highly unlikely, that there are significant quantities of functional human DNA that are not shared among these species, and which would thus not be revealed by these studies. Conversely there are even some questions about basic hypothesis that conserved sequences all must function ^[13].

On a theoretical note, it is often observed that the presence of high proportions of truly nonfunctional "junk" DNA would seem to defy evolutionary logic. Replication of such a large amount of useless information each time a cell divides would waste energy. Organisms with less nonfunctional DNA would thus enjoy a selective advantage, and over an evolutionary time scale, nonfunctional DNA would tend to be eliminated. If one assumes that most junk DNA is indeed nonfunctional, then there are several hypotheses for why it has not been eliminated by evolution: (1) The energy required to replicate even large amounts of nonfunctional DNA is in fact relatively insignificant on the cellular or organismal scale, so no selective pressure results (selection coefficients less than one over the population size are effectively neutral); (2) The aforementioned possible advantage of having extra DNA as a reservoir of potentially useful sequences and similarly as a protective buffer against harmful genetic damage or mutations; and (3) Retrotransposon insertions of nonfunctional sequence occurring faster than evolution can eliminate it. These are all hypotheses for which the time scales involved in evolution may make it difficult for humans to investigate rigorously.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_DNA

China Oil Fields Shooting Stars Triangles Chart Formation

2008-04-27T22:25:00.009+08:00

First shooting star on 23rd April 2008 attempted to breakout from the red symmetrical triangle but failed. Second shooting star on 24th April 2008 managed to clear the red symmetrical triangle but was trapped by the ascending triangle blue horizontal resistance line. After the formation of the double shooting stars finally a down bar appeared as confirmation. This down bar candlestick is resting on the 50 days EMA support. Next support is the 20 days EMA support line. If this support does not hold the next support is the 45 to 44 cents support band. If this support can be defended the ascending triangle will be transformed into a rectangle trading range. However support failure here will test next support at 41 to 40 cents support band. Breakdown from this support band may result in a retest of mid March 2008 low at 32 cents. Conversely a rebounce at the ascending triangle uptrend line may propel price back towards the blue horizontal resistance line. Breakout above this resistance line will retest next resistance at 58.5 to 57.5 resistance band.

Yangzijiang Doji Candlestick Charting Pattern

2008-04-27T16:10:00.003+08:00

The doji is a warning sign of a pending reversal. The lack of a real body conveys a sense of indecision between buyers and sellers and the balance of power may be shifting. The open and close are almost equal. The length of the upper and lower shadows can vary and the resulting candlestick looks like a cross, inverted cross or plus sign. The next candlestick bar may decide the new direction. Current location near the upper uptrend channel resistance line suggests there may be a pullback towards 50 days EMA support line followed by $1.05 support level . If this support does not hold expect further retracement to the 20 days EMA support and 97.5 to 96.5 cents support band. Breaking the lower uptrend channel support line will invalidate the current uptrend channel. Conversely a move above the top of the doji may be resisted by the upper uptrend channel resistance line . A breakout above this resistance will propel price to next resistance at $1.16 followed by $1.20 .

Sony Ericsson P1i

2008-04-27T14:36:00.004+08:00

Staying connected is staying efficient. The Sony Ericsson P1i gives you always-on access to your company email, calendar and contacts. No matter where you go.

Bring your office on the road. 3G gives you the speed you need. And you have full office applications on your phone - view and edit documents on the go.

When you unwind after work, the Sony Ericsson P1i stays on duty. Listen to music. Snap a picture with the 3.2 megapixel camera. Or just relax with a game.

Business in your pocket

The Sony Ericsson P1i combines business with pleasure in one stylish, compact package. Mobile efficiency that keeps you in touch - and fits in your pocket.

Business card scanner

Take a photo of a business card. Use the Business Card Reader to scan the text - and then save it as a contact.

http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/overview/p1i?cc=us&lc=en

How Nanotechnology Works

2008-04-27T14:31:00.001+08:00

There's an unprecedented multidisciplinary convergence of scientists dedicated to the study of a world so small, we can't see it -- even with a light microscope. That world is the field of nanotechnology, the realm of atoms and nanostructures. Nanotechnology is so new, no one is really sure what will come of it. Even so, predictions range from the ability to reproduce things like diamonds and food to the world being devoured by self-replicating nanorobots.

In order to understand the unusual world of nanotechnology, we need to get an idea of the units of measure involved. A centimeter is one-hundredth of a meter, a millimeter is one-thousandth of a meter, and a micrometer is one-millionth of a meter, but all of these are still huge compared to the nanoscale. A nanometer (nm) is one-billionth of a meter, smaller than the wavelength of visible light and a hundred-thousandth the width of a human hair [source: Berkeley Lab].

As small as a nanometer is, it's still large compared to the atomic scale. An atom has a diameter of about 0.1 nm. An atom's nucleus is much smaller -- about 0.00001 nm. Atoms are the building blocks for all matter in our universe. You and everything around you are made of atoms. Nature has perfected the science of manufacturing matter molecularly. For instance, our bodies are assembled in a specific manner from millions of living cells. Cells are nature's nanomachines. At the atomic scale, elements are at their most basic level. On the nanoscale, we can potentially put these atoms together to make almost anything.

In a lecture called "Small Wonders:The World of Nanoscience," Nobel Prize winner Dr. Horst Störmer said that the nanoscale is more interesting than the atomic scale because the nanoscale is the first point where we can assemble something -- it's not until we start putting atoms together that we can make anything useful.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/nanotechnology.htm

RNA Synthesis

2008-04-27T14:24:00.001+08:00

Synthesis of RNA is usually catalyzed by an enzyme—RNA polymerase—using DNA as a template, a process known as transcription. Initiation of transcription begins with the binding of the enzyme to a promoter sequence in the DNA (usually found "upstream" of a gene). The DNA double helix is unwound by the helicase activity of the enzyme. The enzyme then progresses along the template strand in the 3’ to 5’ direction, synthesizing a complementary RNA molecule with elongation occurring in the 5’ to 3’ direction. The DNA sequence also dictates where termination of RNA synthesis will occur.^[16]

RNAs are often modified by enzymes after transcription. For example, a poly(A) tail and a 5' cap are added to eukaryotic pre-mRNA.

There are also a number of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases as well that use RNA as their template for synthesis of a new strand of RNA. For instance, a number of RNA viruses (such as poliovirus) use this type of enzyme to replicate their genetic material.^[17] Also, it is known that RNA-dependent RNA polymerases are required for the RNA interference pathway in many organisms.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

Junk DNA Hypotheses of origin and function

2008-04-27T14:18:00.001+08:00

There are some hypotheses, none conclusively established, from the most academic to the less expected, for how junk DNA arose and why it persists in the genome:

These chromosomal regions could be composed of the now-defunct remains of ancient genes, known as pseudogenes, which were once functional copies of genes but have since lost their protein-coding ability (and, presumably, their biological function). After non-functionalization, pseudogenes are free to acquire genetic noise in the form of random mutations.
8% of human junk DNA has been shown to be formed by retrotransposons of Human Endogenous Retroviruses (HERVs)^[5], although as much as 25% is recognisably formed of retrotransposons^[6]. This is a lower limit on how much of the genome is retrotransposons because older remains might not be recognizable having accumulated too much mutation. New research suggests that genome size variation in at least two kinds of plants is mostly because of retrotransposons.^[7]
In 1997, Steven Sparks proposed that "The end purpose of this "excess DNA" must be to reduce the probability of transcribable genes being cut by chromosomal crossover. Gametes can survive only when their important, transcribed genes are saved from meiotic cutting by being surrounded with "buffer DNA"."^[8]
Junk DNA might provide a reservoir of sequences from which potentially advantageous new genes can emerge. In this way, it may be an important genetic basis for evolution^[9].
Some junk DNA could simply be spacer material that allows enzyme complexes to form around functional elements more easily. In this way, the junk DNA could serve an important function even though the actual sequence information it contains is irrelevant.
Some portions of junk DNA could serve presently unknown regulatory functions, controlling the expression of certain genes, the development of an organism from embryo to adult^[10], and/or development of certain organs/organelles^[11].
More and more scientists believe that in fact regulatory layer(s) in the "junk DNA", such as through non-coding RNAs, altogether contain genetic programming at least on par with, and possibly much more important than protein coding genes.^[12] But still how much of the 98% would be involved in such activity is unknown.
Junk DNA may have no function. For example, recent experiments removed 1% of the mouse genome and were unable to detect any effect on the phenotype^[13]. This result suggests that the DNA is, in fact, non-functional. However, it remains a possibility that there is some function that the experiments performed on the mice were merely insufficient to detect.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_DNA

Dow Jones Industrial Index Weekly Chart Hanging Man Candlestick Charting Pattern

2008-04-26T15:31:00.003+08:00

Weekly chart has hangning man candlestick chart pattern near the intersection of 2 resistance lines. The weekly black downtrend resistance line and the red upper channel resistance line may be tested next week. Breakout above these 2 resistances will propel Dow Jones Index to next resistance at 13270. However, if this weekly hanging man is confirmed by a long down bar expect a drop towards mid Bolinger Band support at 12544 . If this support does not hold a further retracement towards the blue mid channel support line is likely.

Sony Ericsson X1 is coming soon

2008-04-26T14:41:00.003+08:00

XPERIA™ X1 lets you enjoy the convergence of communication and entertainment. Choose an experience by simply touching the XPERIA™ panel interface. The QWERTY keyboard makes writing fast and easy.

With Windows Mobile® inside, you can enjoy your favorite entertainment and work efficiently on the move. XPERIA™ X1 is a premium mobile experience.

Arc slider design, 3 inch Wide VGA display and premium metal body: with its sophisticated and distinctive design, XPERIA™ X1 redefines premiumness.

http://www.sonyericsson.com/cws/products/mobilephones/overview/x1?cc=us&lc=en

Genentech Leading the Biotechnology Industry

2008-04-26T14:24:00.001+08:00

Considered the founder of the biotechnology industry, Genentech has been delivering on the promise of biotechnology for more than 30 years, using human genetic information to discover, develop, manufacture and commercialize biotherapeutics that address significant unmet medical needs. Today, Genentech is among the world's leading biotech companies, with multiple products on the market for serious or life-threatening medical conditions, more than 100 projects in the pipeline and a long term plan for growth. For more general information about the company, visit our corporate overview section.

Corporate Giving

Committed to being a strong and engaged corporate citizen, Genentech supports a wide variety of organizations and initiatives through our corporate giving programs.

http://www.gene.com/gene/about/

RNA Comparison with DNA

2008-04-26T14:22:00.001+08:00

RNA and DNA differ in three main ways. First, unlike DNA which is double-stranded, RNA is a single-stranded molecule in most of its biological roles and has a much shorter chain of nucleotides. Second, while DNA contains deoxyribose, RNA contains ribose, (there is no hydroxyl group attached to the pentose ring in the 2' position in DNA). These hydroxyl groups make RNA less stable than DNA because it is more prone to hydrolysis. Third, the complementary nucleotide to adenine is not thymine, as it is in DNA, but rather uracil, which is an unmethylated form of thymine.^[13]

The 50S ribosomal subunit. RNA is in orange, protein in blue. The active site is in the middle (red).

Like DNA, most biologically active RNAs including tRNA, rRNA, snRNAs and other, non-coding, RNAs are extensively base paired to form double stranded helices. Structural analysis of these RNAs have revealed that they are highly structured. Unlike DNA, this structure is not long double-stranded helices but rather collections of short helices packed together into structures akin to proteins. In this fashion, RNAs can achieve chemical catalysis, like enzymes.^[14] For instance, determination of the structure of the ribosome—an enzyme that catalyzes peptide bond formation—revealed that its active site is composed entirely of RNA.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

What are the potential uses of human stem cells and the obstacles that must be overcome before these potential uses will be realized?

2008-04-26T14:19:00.000+08:00

There are many ways in which human stem cells can be used in basic research and in clinical research. However, there are many technical hurdles between the promise of stem cells and the realization of these uses, which will only be overcome by continued intensive stem cell research.

Studies of human embryonic stem cells may yield information about the complex events that occur during human development. A primary goal of this work is to identify how undifferentiated stem cells become differentiated. Scientists know that turning genes on and off is central to this process. Some of the most serious medical conditions, such as cancer and birth defects, are due to abnormal cell division and differentiation. A better understanding of the genetic and molecular controls of these processes may yield information about how such diseases arise and suggest new strategies for therapy. A significant hurdle to this use and most uses of stem cells is that scientists do not yet fully understand the signals that turn specific genes on and off to influence the differentiation of the stem cell.

Human stem cells could also be used to test new drugs. For example, new medications could be tested for safety on differentiated cells generated from human pluripotent cell lines. Other kinds of cell lines are already used in this way. Cancer cell lines, for example, are used to screen potential anti-tumor drugs. But, the availability of pluripotent stem cells would allow drug testing in a wider range of cell types. However, to screen drugs effectively, the conditions must be identical when comparing different drugs. Therefore, scientists will have to be able to precisely control the differentiation of stem cells into the specific cell type on which drugs will be tested. Current knowledge of the signals controlling differentiation fall well short of being able to mimic these conditions precisely to consistently have identical differentiated cells for each drug being tested.

Perhaps the most important potential application of human stem cells is the generation of cells and tissues that could be used for cell-based therapies. Today, donated organs and tissues are often used to replace ailing or destroyed tissue, but the need for transplantable tissues and organs far outweighs the available supply. Stem cells, directed to differentiate into specific cell types, offer the possibility of a renewable source of replacement cells and tissues to treat diseases including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns, heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Figure 4. Heart muscle repair with adult stem cells. Click here for larger image.

For example, it may become possible to generate healthy heart muscle cells in the laboratory and then transplant those cells into patients with chronic heart disease. Preliminary research in mice and other animals indicates that bone marrow stem cells, transplanted into a damaged heart, can generate heart muscle cells and successfully repopulate the heart tissue. Other recent studies in cell culture systems indicate that it may be possible to direct the differentiation of embryonic stem cells or adult bone marrow cells into heart muscle cells (Figure 4).

In people who suffer from type I diabetes, the cells of the pancreas that normally produce insulin are destroyed by the patient's own immune system. New studies indicate that it may be possible to direct the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells in cell culture to form insulin-producing cells that eventually could be used in transplantation therapy for diabetics.

To realize the promise of novel cell-based therapies for such pervasive and debilitating diseases, scientists must be able to easily and reproducibly manipulate stem cells so that they possess the necessary characteristics for successful differentiation, transplantation and engraftment. The following is a list of steps in successful cell-based treatments that scientists will have to learn to precisely control to bring such treatments to the clinic. To be useful for transplant purposes, stem cells must be reproducibly made to:

Proliferate extensively and generate sufficient quantities of tissue.
Differentiate into the desired cell type(s).
Survive in the recipient after transplant.
Integrate into the surrounding tissue after transplant.
Function appropriately for the duration of the recipient's life.
Avoid harming the recipient in any way.

Also, to avoid the problem of immune rejection, scientists are experimenting with different research strategies to generate tissues that will not be rejected.

To summarize, the promise of stem cell therapies is an exciting one, but significant technical hurdles remain that will only be overcome through years of intensive research.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics6.asp

Junk DNA

2008-04-26T14:13:00.000+08:00

In molecular biology, "junk" DNA is a provisional label for the portions of the DNA sequence of a chromosome or a genome for which no function has yet been identified. Scientists fully expect to find functions for some, but definitely not all, of this provisionally classified collection. About 80-90% of the human genome has been designated as "junk", including most sequences within introns and most intergenic DNA. While much of this sequence may be an evolutionary artifact that serves no present-day purpose, some is believed to function in ways that are not currently understood. Moreover, the conservation of some junk DNA over many millions of years of evolution may imply an essential function. Some consider the "junk" label as something of a misnomer, but others consider it apposite as junk is stored away for possible new uses, rather than thrown out; others prefer the term "noncoding DNA" (although junk DNA often includes transposons that encode proteins with no clear value to their host genome). However it now appears that, although protein-coding DNA makes up barely 2% of the human genome, about 80% of the bases in the genome may be transcribed, ^[1]but transcription by itself does not necessarily imply function.

Broadly, the science of functional genomics has developed widely accepted techniques to characterize protein-coding genes, RNA genes, and regulatory regions. In the genomes of most plants and animals, however, these together constitute only a small percentage of genomic DNA (less than 2% in the case of humans). The function, if any, of the remainder remains under investigation. Most of it can be identified as repetitive elements that have no known biological function for their host (although they are useful to geneticists for analyzing lineage and phylogeny). Still, a large amount of sequence in these genomes falls under no existing classification other than "junk".

Overall genome size, and by extension the amount of junk DNA, appears to have little relationship to organism complexity: the genome of the unicellular Amoeba dubia has been reported to contain more than 200 times the amount of DNA in humans"^[2] ^[3].

The pufferfish Takifugu rubripes genome is only about one tenth the size of the human genome, yet seems to have a comparable number of genes. Most of the difference appears to lie in what is now known only as junk DNA. This puzzle is known as the C-value enigma or, more conventionally, the C-value paradox

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junk_DNA

Dow Jones Industrial Index Hanging Man Candlestick Charting Pattern Invalidated

2008-04-25T21:21:00.002+08:00

With the latest strong candlestick formation the hanging man candlestick chart pattern formed earlier has lost its bearish power. Expect closing above black downtrend line today. Trading will probably still be restricted within the blue raising wedge lines. If the unexpected happens a drop towards mid Bolinger Band support at 12575 will be imminent.

Cosco 15 mins chart testing intraday low

2008-04-25T15:11:00.002+08:00

Testing of intraday low at $3.41 is imminent. Any retracement will meet resistance at the green downtrend line, 20 EMA and 50 EMA resistance lines. Breakdown below intraday low will retest 200 EMA support and gap support at $3.34

RNA Structure

2008-04-25T14:57:00.001+08:00

Each nucleotide in RNA contains a ribose sugar, with carbons numbered 1' through 5'. A base is attached to the 1' position, generally adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) or uracil (U). Adenine and guanine are purines, cytosine and uracil are pyrimidines. A phosphate group is attached to the 3' position of one ribose and the 5' position of the next. The phosphate groups have a negative charge each at physiological pH, making RNA a charged molecule (polyanion). The bases may form hydrogen bonds between cytosine and guanine, between adenine and uracil and between guanine and uracil.^[1] However other interactions are possible, such as a group of adenine bases binding to each other in a bulge,^[2] or the GNRA tetraloop that has a guanine–adenine base-pair.^[1]

Chemical structure of RNA

An important structural feature of RNA that distinguishes it from DNA is the presence of a hydroxyl group at the 2' position of the ribose sugar. The presence of this functional group causes the helix to adopt the A-form geometry rather than the B-form most commonly observed in DNA.^[3] This results in a very deep and narrow major groove and a shallow and wide minor groove.^[4] A second consequence of the presence of the 2'-hydroxyl group is that in conformationally flexible regions of an RNA molecule (that is, not involved in formation of a double helix), it can chemically attack the adjacent phosphodiester bond to cleave the backbone.^[5]

RNA is transcribed with only four bases (adenine, cytosine, guanine and uracil),^[6] but there are numerous modified bases and sugars in mature RNAs. Pseudouridine (Ψ), in which the linkage between uracil and ribose is changed from a C–N bond to a C–C bond, and ribothymidine (T), are found in various places (most notably in the TΨC loop of tRNA).^[7] Another notable modified base is hypoxanthine, a deaminated adenine base whose nucleoside is called inosine. Inosine plays a key role in the wobble hypothesis of the genetic code.^[8] There are nearly 100 other naturally occurring modified nucleosides,^[9] of which pseudouridine and nucleosides with 2'-O-methylribose are the most common.^[10] The specific roles of many of these modifications in RNA are not fully understood. However, it is notable that in ribosomal RNA, many of the post-transcriptional modifications occur in highly functional regions, such as the peptidyl transferase center and the subunit interface, implying that they are important for normal function.^[11]

Secondary structure of a telomerase RNA

The functional form of single stranded RNA molecules, just like proteins, frequently requires a specific tertiary structure. The scaffold for this structure is provided by secondary structural elements which are hydrogen bonds within the molecule. This leads to several recognizable "domains" of secondary structure like hairpin loops, bulges and internal loops.^[12] There has been a significant amount of research directed at the RNA structure prediction problem.

Watson-Crick base pairs in a siRNA (hydrogen atoms are not shown)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RNA

What are the similarities and differences between embryonic and adult stem cells?

2008-04-25T14:52:00.000+08:00

Human embryonic and adult stem cells each have advantages and disadvantages regarding potential use for cell-based regenerative therapies. Of course, adult and embryonic stem cells differ in the number and type of differentiated cells types they can become. Embryonic stem cells can become all cell types of the body because they are pluripotent. Adult stem cells are generally limited to differentiating into different cell types of their tissue of origin. However, some evidence suggests that adult stem cell plasticity may exist, increasing the number of cell types a given adult stem cell can become.

Large numbers of embryonic stem cells can be relatively easily grown in culture, while adult stem cells are rare in mature tissues and methods for expanding their numbers in cell culture have not yet been worked out. This is an important distinction, as large numbers of cells are needed for stem cell replacement therapies.

A potential advantage of using stem cells from an adult is that the patient's own cells could be expanded in culture and then reintroduced into the patient. The use of the patient's own adult stem cells would mean that the cells would not be rejected by the immune system. This represents a significant advantage as immune rejection is a difficult problem that can only be circumvented with immunosuppressive drugs.

Embryonic stem cells from a donor introduced into a patient could cause transplant rejection. However, whether the recipient would reject donor embryonic stem cells has not been determined in human experiments.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics5.asp

Dow Jones Industrial Index Raising Wedge Chart Pattern

2008-04-24T22:23:00.003+08:00

Black downtrend resistance line still intact. Since 18th April 2008 the bulls have not been able to clear this downtrend line. Price will probably move within the raising wedge as shown in blue bold lines . Breakdown below lower raising wedge support will see retest of previous trough at 12269.80 .

Cosco Testing 50 Days EMA

2008-04-24T16:07:00.002+08:00

Another milestone target being tested now. Testing 50 days EMA resistance line in progress. Clearing this resistance will propel price towards next resistance at $3.74 . The gap resistance at $4.02 is getting nearer. Immediate support is gap support at $3.53 .

Sony HDD HandyCam DCR-SR60E

2008-04-24T14:33:00.002+08:00

Model: DCR-SR60E
Sony HDD Mega Pixel Hard Disk Handycam

Weight and Dimensions:
350.0 gm
69.0 x 71.0 x 117.0 mm (W x H x D)

A large 30GB Hard Disk Drive and compact design for movie-making on the go

Featuring a large 30GB built-in Hard Disk Drive for 20 hours of recording, a powerful 1 Mega Pixel CCD and a high-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens, the Handycam DCR-SR60E offers beautiful images with outstanding colour, excellent contrast and superb clarity across the entire field of view. The Mega Pixel Engine offers high resolution and lowered noise levels, with Variable Bit Rate (VBR) providing an even further reduction in noise during scenes with fast movement.

An integrated 3G Sensor detects any sudden drops or jolts, automatically safeguarding the HDD from memory damage and data loss. And footage can be easily viewed on the 2.7” Wide Hybrid LCD Display in full 16:9 format, even under bright sunlight, with Video Index and Date Index functions providing easy access to scenes. Then copy video to DVD with the convenient One Touch DVD Burn function, use the supplied Handycam Station to connect via AV or USB to your PC, printer or TV, or transfer files automatically using the Easy PC Back-Up function and bundled ImageMixer software

Features
30GB Capacity 1 Mega Pixel CCD 12X Optical, 800X Digital Zoom Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens 2.7" High Quality Wide Hybrid LCD Screen Auto Lens Cover Dolby Digital Stereo Creator	One Touch DVD Burn P series battery, STAMINA 5hrs Wide Select Button USB2.0 High-Speed Super Nightshot Plus Super Steadyshot Image Stabilizer Easy Handycam
Supplied Accessories
InfoLITHIUM P series battery (NP-FP50) AC adapter AV cable	USB cable Handycam Station PC Software - ImageMixer Remote

http://www.expandore.com/product/sony/Consumer/Camcorder/HDD_Cam3.htm

Sony HD HandyCam Camcorders HDR-SR1E

2008-04-24T14:29:00.001+08:00

High Definition 1080 Recording
Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Lens
ClearVid CMOS Sensor
Enhanced Imaging Processor
10x Optical & 80x Digital Zoom
4 Mega Pixel Still Picture Recording

Large Capacity 30GB HDD
Active Interface Shoe
Dual Recording (Movie & 2.3Mega Still Image Recording)
3.5" Clear Photo LCD Plus Screen
Memory Stick Duo Slot
HDMI terminal

Model: HDR-SR1E

http://www.expandore.com/product/sony/Consumer/Consumer_Camcorders.htm

Stem cell funding & policy debate in the US

2008-04-24T14:18:00.000+08:00

1993 - As per the National Institutes of Health Revitalization Act, Congress and President Bill Clinton give the NIH direct authority to fund human embryo research for the first time.
1995 - The U.S. Congress enacts into law an appropriations bill attached to which is the Dickey Amendment which prohibited federally appropriated funds to be used for research where human embryos would be either created or destroyed. This predates the creation of the first human embryonic stem cell lines.
1999 - After the creation of the first human embryonic stem cell lines in 1998 by James Thomson of the University of Wisconsin, Harriet Rabb, the top lawyer at the Department of Health and Human Services, releases a legal opinion that would set the course for Clinton Administration policy. Federal funds, obviously, could not be used to derive stem cell lines (because derivation involves embryo destruction). However, she concludes that because human embryonic stem cells "are not a human embryo within the statutory definition," the Dickey-Wicker Amendment does not apply to them. The NIH was therefore free to give federal funding to experiments involving the cells themselves. President Clinton strongly endorses the new guidelines, noting that human embryonic stem cell research promised "potentially staggering benefits." And with the guidelines in place, the NIH begins accepting grant proposals from scientists.
02 November, 2004 - California voters approve Proposition 71, which provides $3 billion in state funds over ten years to human embryonic stem cell research.
2001-2006 - U.S. President George W. Bush signs an executive order which restricts federally-funded stem cell research on embryonic stem cells to the already derived cell lines. He supports federal funding for embryonic stem cell research on the already existing lines of approximately $100 million and $250 million for research on adult and animal stem cells.
5 May, 2006 - Senator Rick Santorum introduces bill number S. 2754, or the Alternative Pluripotent Stem Cell Therapies Enhancement Act, into the U.S. Senate.
18 July, 2006 - The U.S. Senate passes the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act H.R. 810 and votes down Senator Santorum's S. 2754.
19 July, 2006 - President George W. Bush vetoes H.R. 810 (Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act), a bill that would have reversed the Clinton-era law which made it illegal for federal money to be used for research where stem cells are derived from the destruction of an embryo.
07 November, 2006 - The people of the U.S. state of Missouri passed Amendment 2, which allows usage of any stem cell research and therapy allowed under federal law, but prohibits human reproductive cloning.^[42]
16 February, 2007 – The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine became the biggest financial backer of human embryonic stem cell research in the United States when they awarded nearly $45 million in research grants

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

What are the key questions about adult stem cells?

2008-04-24T14:15:00.000+08:00

Many important questions about adult stem cells remain to be answered. They include:

How many kinds of adult stem cells exist, and in which tissues do they exist?
What are the sources of adult stem cells in the body? Are they "leftover" embryonic stem cells, or do they arise in some other way? Why do they remain in an undifferentiated state when all the cells around them have differentiated?
Do adult stem cells normally exhibit plasticity, or do they only transdifferentiate when scientists manipulate them experimentally? What are the signals that regulate the proliferation and differentiation of stem cells that demonstrate plasticity?
Is it possible to manipulate adult stem cells to enhance their proliferation so that sufficient tissue for transplants can be produced?
Does a single type of stem cell exist—possibly in the bone marrow or circulating in the blood—that can generate the cells of any organ or tissue?
What are the factors that stimulate stem cells to relocate to sites of injury or damage?

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp

Dow Jones Industrial Index Hanging Man Candlestick Pattern Confirmation

2008-04-23T21:07:00.002+08:00

With the down bar candlestick formation after the hanging man candlestick chart pattern more downslide is expected. The mid Bolinger Band support at 12531 will be the support that traders will be monitoring for possible rebounce. In case of unexpected upward movement the immediate resistance is at the black downtrend resistance line followed by the recent peak at 12894 .

Cosco 15 mins chart Uptrend Support Line

2008-04-23T15:40:00.006+08:00

Uptrend bold blue line is the immediate support followed by $3.43 to $3.40 support band. Immediate resistance is $3.54 t0 $3.53 resistance band followed by $3.62 resistance level. Clearing $3.62 will propel price towards next resistance at $3.70 . Monitor 50 EMA support line. Set trailing stops to lock in profits.

Toshiba 32A3500E 32" LCD TV

2008-04-23T14:57:00.001+08:00

Features

32-inch "meta brain PRO" LCD TV.
WXGA (1,366x768) High Resolution Panel.
4,750:1 Dynamic Contrast Raio.
950:1 Contrast Ratio.
500cd/m2 Brightness.
HD1080I/720p Ready.
8ms High Response Rate.
178o Wide Viewing Angle.
Intelligent Backlight Control.
3D Colour Management.
2 HDMI Input (V1.3a with Lip Sync).
SXGA PC Signal Compatible.
Jet Slit Speaker System (Joint Developed with ONKYO).
SRS WOW Surround Sound System.
NICAM & Multi-system

http://sumaria.co.in/product_info.php?products_id=3145

Key stem cell research events

2008-04-23T14:45:00.003+08:00

1960s - Joseph Altman and Gopal Das present scientific evidence of adult neurogenesis, ongoing stem cell activity in the brain; their reports contradict Cajal's "no new neurons" dogma and are largely ignored.

1963 - McCulloch and Till illustrate the presence of self-renewing cells in mouse bone marrow.

1968 - Bone marrow transplant between two siblings successfully treats SCID.

1978 - Haematopoietic stem cells are discovered in human cord blood.

1981 - Mouse embryonic stem cells are derived from the inner cell mass by scientists Martin Evans, Matthew Kaufman, and Gail R. Martin. Gail Martin is attributed for coining the term "Embryonic Stem Cell".

1992 - Neural stem cells are cultured in vitro as neurospheres.

1997 - Leukemia is shown to originate from a haematopoietic stem cell, the first direct evidence for cancer stem cells.

1998 - James Thomson and coworkers derive the first human embryonic stem cell line at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

2000s - Several reports of adult stem cell plasticity are published.

2001 - Scientists at Advanced Cell Technology clone first early (four- to six-cell stage) human embryos for the purpose of generating embryonic stem cells.^[30]

2003 - Dr. Songtao Shi of NIH discovers new source of adult stem cells in children's primary teeth.^[31]

2004-2005 - Korean researcher Hwang Woo-Suk claims to have created several human embryonic stem cell lines from unfertilised human oocytes. The lines were later shown to be fabricated.

2005 - Researchers at Kingston University in England claim to have discovered a third category of stem cell, dubbed cord-blood-derived embryonic-like stem cells (CBEs), derived from umbilical cord blood. The group claims these cells are able to differentiate into more types of tissue than adult stem cells.

August 2006 - Rat Induced pluripotent stem cells: the journal Cell publishes Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka, "Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Mouse Embryonic and Adult Fibroblast Cultures by Defined Factors".

October 2006 - Scientists in England create the first ever artificial liver cells using umbilical cord blood stem cells.^[32]^[33]

January 2007 - Scientists at Wake Forest University led by Dr. Anthony Atala and Harvard University report discovery of a new type of stem cell in amniotic fluid.[5] This may potentially provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells for use in research and therapy.^[34]

June 2007 - Research reported by three different groups shows that normal skin cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic state in mice.^[35] In the same month, scientist Shoukhrat Mitalipov reports the first successful creation of a primate stem cell line through somatic cell nuclear transfer^[36]

October 2007 - Mario Capecchi, Martin Evans, and Oliver Smithies win the 2007 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for their work on embryonic stem cells from mice using gene targeting strategies producing genetically engineered mice (known as knockout mice) for gene research.^[37]

November 2007 - Human Induced pluripotent stem cells: Two similar papers released by their respective journals prior to formal publication: in Cell by Kazutoshi Takahashi and Shinya Yamanaka, "Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Human Fibroblasts by Defined Factors", and in Science by Junying Yu, et al., from the research group of James Thomson, "Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Derived from Human Somatic Cells": pluripotent stem cells generated from mature human fibroblasts. It is possible now to produce a stem cell from almost any other human cell instead of using embryos as needed previously, albeit the risk of tumorigenesis due to c-myc and retroviral gene transfer remains to be determined.

January 2008 - Human embryonic stem cell lines were generated without destruction of the embryo^[38]

January 2008 - Development of human cloned blastocysts following somatic cell nuclear transfer with adult fibroblasts^[39]

February 2008 - Generation of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Mouse Liver and Stomach: these iPS cells seem to be more similar to embryonic stem cells than the previous developed iPS cells and not tumorigenic, moreover genes that are required for iPS cells do not need to be inserted into specific sites, which encourages the development of non-viral reprogramming techniques

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

What is known about adult stem cell differentiation?

2008-04-23T12:50:00.001+08:00

Hematopoietic and stromal stem cell differentiation

As indicated above, scientists have reported that adult stem cells occur in many tissues and that they enter normal differentiation pathways to form the specialized cell types of the tissue in which they reside. Adult stem cells may also exhibit the ability to form specialized cell types of other tissues, which is known as transdifferentiation or plasticity.

Normal differentiation pathways of adult stem cells. In a living animal, adult stem cells can divide for a long period and can give rise to mature cell types that have characteristic shapes and specialized structures and functions of a particular tissue. The following are examples of differentiation pathways of adult stem cells (Figure 2).

Hematopoietic stem cells give rise to all the types of blood cells: red blood cells, B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, natural killer cells, neutrophils, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, macrophages, and platelets.
Bone marrow stromal cells (mesenchymal stem cells) give rise to a variety of cell types: bone cells (osteocytes), cartilage cells (chondrocytes), fat cells (adipocytes), and other kinds of connective tissue cells such as those in tendons.
neural stem cells in the brain give rise to its three major cell types: nerve cells (neurons) and two categories of non-neuronal cells—astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
Epithelial stem cells in the lining of the digestive tract occur in deep crypts and give rise to several cell types: absorptive cells, goblet cells, Paneth cells, and enteroendocrine cells.
Skin stem cells occur in the basal layer of the epidermis and at the base of hair follicles. The epidermal stem cells give rise to keratinocytes, which migrate to the surface of the skin and form a protective layer. The follicular stem cells can give rise to both the hair follicle and to the epidermis.

Adult stem cell plasticity and transdifferentiation. A number of experiments have suggested that certain adult stem cell types are pluripotent. This ability to differentiate into multiple cell types is called plasticity or transdifferentiation. The following list offers examples of adult stem cell plasticity that have been reported during the past few years.

Hematopoietic stem cells may differentiate into: three major types of brain cells (neurons, oligodendrocytes, and astrocytes); skeletal muscle cells; cardiac muscle cells; and liver cells.
Bone marrow stromal cells may differentiate into: cardiac muscle cells and skeletal muscle cells.
Brain stem cells may differentiate into: blood cells and skeletal muscle cells.

Current research is aimed at determining the mechanisms that underlie adult stem cell plasticity. If such mechanisms can be identified and controlled, existing stem cells from a healthy tissue might be induced to repopulate and repair a diseased tissue

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp

Dow Jones Industrial Index Hanging Man Candlestick Pattern

2008-04-22T18:38:00.005+08:00

Hanging Man is a bearish candlestick pattern that forms at the end of an uptrend. It is created when there is a significant sell-off near the market open, but buyers are able to push this index back up so that it closes at or near the opening price. Generally the large sell-off is seen as an early indication that the bulls (buyers) are losing control. This formation does not mean that the bulls have definitively lost control, but it may be an early sign that the momentum is decreasing and the direction of the index may be getting ready to change. The reliability of this signal is drastically improved when the the index decreases the day after the signal. The location of this hanging man near the black downtrend resistance increases it significant and many candlestick chartists will be watching the next candlestick formation. A bearish candlestick bar will indicate a trend change and more downslide back towards mid Bolinger Band support at 12522. A bullish candlestick formation at this location will cause a breakout above both the major horizontal and downtrend resistance lines and increase the upthrust momentum propelling the index to challenge the previous peak at 13563.30 .

Cosco 15 mins chart breakout above major downtrend line

2008-04-22T15:19:00.003+08:00

Major downtrend breakout after lunch has propel price towards next resistance at $3.44 . If momentum continues price will challenge $3.54 . Immediate support is $3.34 the previous gap resistance turned support. Next support is $3.30 to $3.28 support band.

Wide-angle Digital IXUS 860 IS: the photographer’s IXUS

2008-04-22T14:55:00.003+08:00

Equipped with a 28mm (35mm equivalent) 3.8x wide-angle zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer, the 8.0 Megapixel Digital IXUS 860 IS is the successor to the hugely popular Digital IXUS 850 IS. The Digital IXUS 860 IS offers a range of enhancements over its acclaimed predecessor. These include a 3.0” PureColor LCD and improved Face Detection Technology*. The camera’s high ISO capabilities work in tandem with an optical Image Stabilizer lens* to significantly reduce the risk of image blur.

“A winning combination of style, compactness and wide-angle capabilities made the Digital IXUS 850 IS one of our most popular models of the last two years,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “With extensive improvements introduced in this upgrade, we are confident that the Digital IXUS 860 IS will follow on from its predecessor as the designer compact of choice for photographers everywhere.”

Features:

3.8x (28mm) wide-angle lens with optical Image Stabilizer
8.0 Megapixels
High ISO 1600 and Auto ISO Shift
DIGIC III* with Noise Reduction technology and Face Detection AF/AE/FE
Improved Red-Eye Correction in playback
3.0” PureColor LCD
Digital Tele-Converter and Safety Zoom* for extra telephoto reach
17 shooting modes and My Colors photo effects
Extensive movie options including VGA 30fps, Long Play and Time Lapse movie modes

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0708/07082002canonsd870is.asp

Controversy surrounding human embryonic stem cell research

2008-04-22T10:38:00.000+08:00

Main article: Stem cell controversy

There exists a widespread controversy over human embryonic stem cell research that emanates from the techniques used in the creation and usage of stem cells. Human embryonic stem cell research is controversial because, with the present state of technology, starting a stem cell line requires the destruction of a human embryo and/or therapeutic cloning. However, recently, it has been shown in principle that embryonic stem cell lines can be generated using a single-cell biopsy similar to that used in preimplantation genetic diagnosis that may allow stem cell creation without embryonic destruction.^[29] It is not the entire field of stem cell research, but the specific field of human embryonic stem cell research that is at the centre of an ethical debate.

Opponents of the research argue that embryonic stem cell technologies are a slippery slope to reproductive cloning and can fundamentally devalue human life. Those in the pro-life movement argue that a human embryo is a human life and is therefore entitled to protection.

Contrarily, supporters of embryonic stem cell research argue that such research should be pursued because the resultant treatments could have significant medical potential. It is also noted that excess embryos created for in vitro fertilisation could be donated with consent and used for the research.

The ensuing debate has prompted authorities around the world to seek regulatory frameworks and highlighted the fact that stem cell research represents a social and ethical challenge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

What tests are used for identifying adult stem cells?

2008-04-22T10:35:00.000+08:00

Scientists do not agree on the criteria that should be used to identify and test adult stem cells. However, they often use one or more of the following three methods: (1) labeling the cells in a living tissue with molecular markers and then determining the specialized cell types they generate; (2) removing the cells from a living animal, labeling them in cell culture, and transplanting them back into another animal to determine whether the cells repopulate their tissue of origin; and (3) isolating the cells, growing them in cell culture, and manipulating them, often by adding growth factors or introducing new genes, to determine what differentiated cells types they can become.

Also, a single adult stem cell should be able to generate a line of genetically identical cells—known as a clone—which then gives rise to all the appropriate differentiated cell types of the tissue. Scientists tend to show either that a stem cell can give rise to a clone of cells in cell culture, or that a purified population of candidate stem cells can repopulate the tissue after transplant into an animal. Recently, by infecting adult stem cells with a virus that gives a unique identifier to each individual cell, scientists have been able to demonstrate that individual adult stem cell clones have the ability to repopulate injured tissues in a living animal.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp

Cosco Next Objective to close gap at $3.34

2008-04-21T17:41:00.003+08:00

Next technical objective is to fill gap at $3.34 which is also the gap resistance. Immediate resistance is 20 days EMA . Breakout above this resistance will propel price to cover gap at $3.34 and test the red bold downtrend line. Successful breakout above this major downtrend line will generate greater momentum to challenge 50 EMA resistance line followed by $3.92 and $4.02 . However, if the red downtrend is not clear expect price retracement to retest the $3.00 support.

Cosco 15 mins chart Testing Support Band

2008-04-21T15:53:00.003+08:00

Price lost momentum after reaching $3.24 just 1 cents from mid gap resistance at $3.25 . Monitor immediate support band $3.18 to $3.15 . Support failure here will retest next support band at $3.10 to $3.08 . Need to clear $3.22 resistance to regain momentum to retest $3.24 to $3.25 resistance band. Breakout above this band will propel price to gap resistance at $3.35

Cosco 15 mins chart breakouts above Ascending Triangle

2008-04-21T10:10:00.004+08:00

Gapped up this morning breaking above both the ascending triangle resistance at $3.04 and short term green downtrend line. Immediate resistance is $3.18. Breakout above $3.18 will propel price towards mid gap resistance at $3.25 and will challenge gap resistance at $3.35 . Immediate support is $3.10 to $3.08 support band followed by $3.04 the ascending triangle horizontal resistance turned support line.

Courage Marine Ascending Triangle Chart Pattern

2008-04-20T15:33:00.003+08:00

Ascending triangle is bullish chart pattern used in technical analysis that is easily recognizable by the distinct shape created by two trendlines. In an ascending triangle, one trendline is drawn horizontally at a level that has historically prevented the price from heading higher, while the second trendline connects a series of increasing troughs. Traders enter into long positions when the price of the asset breaks above the top resistance. Horizontal resistance is 40.5 to 41 cents resistance band. Need to clear 41 cents resistance to proceed to next resistance at 44.5 cents. Immediate support is the internal uptrend dashed red line. Main ascending triangle uptrend support is the red bold line. Key support to monitor is the 200 days EMA support line.

Stem cell Treatments

2008-04-20T14:56:00.000+08:00

Medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy has the potential to dramatically change the treatment of human disease. A number of adult stem cell therapies already exist, particularly bone marrow transplants that are used to treat leukemia.^[25] In the future, medical researchers anticipate being able to use technologies derived from stem cell research to treat a wider variety of diseases including cancer, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries, and muscle damage, amongst a number of other impairments and conditions.^[26]^[27] However, there still exists a great deal of social and scientific uncertainty surrounding stem cell research, which could possibly be overcome through public debate and future research, and further education of the public.

Stem cells, however, are already used extensively in research, and some scientists do not see cell therapy as the first goal of the research, but see the investigation of stem cells as a goal worthy in itself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

Scientists uncover the potential to control adult stem cells

2008-04-20T14:54:00.000+08:00

Research being presented today (10 April) at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh represents a step towards the use of Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) to repair damaged tissue. Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Professor Cay Kielty of the University of Manchester describes how she and her team have uncovered a messaging system that instructs ASCs to contribute to tissue repair in response to chemical signals in the body. This work, funded by the Medical Research Council, holds great hope for the development of techniques by which ASCs could be instructed to repair damaged tissues.

ASCs have potential for therapeutic use and avoid many of the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells. However, at present it is necessary to gain a better understanding of how, from first principles, ASCs can be controlled based on signalling systems that normally give instructions within the body. There is the potential in the future to apply such understanding to the generation of cells for transplant.

Professor Kielty’s team study stem cells that are found in human bone marrow called mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs have the ability to relocate and develop into several different types of cells and tissue and are very promising as a source of cells for transplant in tissue repair. As well as offering the potential for bespoke treatments derived from a person’s own cells, MSCs are unlikely to trigger a severe immune response, and may be suitable for “off-the-shelf” treatments for tissue repair. This research focuses on the details of a messaging system that leads to the development of blood vessels from MSCs in the body. This system is called ‘PDGF receptor signalling’.

In PDGF receptor signalling, receptors on the surface of the MSCs receive messages in the form of molecules that are involved in directing human growth and development – ‘growth factors’. It has been found that there is a complex messaging system that relays and coordinates the signals from certain growth factors to the MSCs, which encourage their recruitment to new blood vessels. This involves cooperation between two types of receptor called ‘PDGF receptor’ and ‘neuropilin-1’ that respond to growth factors called PDGF and VEGF-A arriving at the cell surface, as well as sensing close proximity to other cells that make up the blood vessel.

As well as offering insights into the use of ASCs for tissue repair therapies, a better knowledge of how blood vessels develop is crucial to understanding and treating a huge range of diseases such as cancer, diabetic retinopathy and cardiovascular disease.

Professor Kielty said: “What we have shown is that adult stem cells respond in particular ways to some of the chemical signals in the body. The next stage will be to understand how this messaging system regulates relocation of the MSCs and instructs them to become blood vessel cells. After that, we can look at applying our understanding to develop stem-cell derived therapies for tissue repair.”

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/babs-sut040808.php

Where are adult stem cells found and what do they normally do?

2008-04-20T14:51:00.000+08:00

adult stem cells have been identified in many organs and tissues. One important point to understand about adult stem cells is that there are a very small number of stem cells in each tissue. Stem cells are thought to reside in a specific area of each tissue where they may remain quiescent (non-dividing) for many years until they are activated by disease or tissue injury. The adult tissues reported to contain stem cells include brain, bone marrow, peripheral blood, blood vessels, skeletal muscle, skin and liver.

Scientists in many laboratories are trying to find ways to grow adult stem cells in cell culture and manipulate them to generate specific cell types so they can be used to treat injury or disease. Some examples of potential treatments include replacing the dopamine-producing cells in the brains of Parkinson's patients, developing insulin-producing cells for type I diabetes and repairing damaged heart muscle following a heart attack with cardiac muscle cells.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp

Dow Jones Industrial Index Testing Downtrend Resistance Line

2008-04-19T16:45:00.004+08:00

Strong upthrust has propelled the index towards the black downtrend resistance line. Next week may see a test of this line and probable breakout above it. Next resistance will be the red bold line. Failure to breakout above 13000 will result in fall back into trading zone and retest previous trough at 12269.80 . Interesting week ahead.

Stem Cells Lineage

2008-04-19T14:23:00.001+08:00

Main article: Stem cell line

To ensure self-renewal, stem cells undergo two types of cell division (see Stem cell division and differentiation diagram). Symmetric division gives rise to two identical daughter cells both endowed with stem cell properties. Asymmetric division, on the other hand, produces only one stem cell and a progenitor cell with limited self-renewal potential. Progenitors can go through several rounds of cell division before terminally differentiating into a mature cell. It is possible that the molecular distinction between symmetric and asymmetric divisions lies in differential segregation of cell membrane proteins (such as receptors) between the daughter cells.^[21]

An alternative theory is that stem cells remain undifferentiated due to environmental cues in their particular niche. Stem cells differentiate when they leave that niche or no longer receive those signals. Studies in Drosophila germarium have identified the signals dpp and adherins junctions that prevent germarium stem cells from differentiating.^[22]^[23]

Main article: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell

The signals that lead to reprogramming of cells to an embryonic-like state are also being investigated. These signal pathways include several transcription factors including the oncogene c-Myc. Initial studies indicate that transformation of mice cells with a combination of these anti-differentiation signals can reverse differentiation and may allow adult cells to become pluripotent.^[24] However, the need to transform these cells with an oncogene may prevent the use of this approach in therapy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

Viewty KU990

2008-04-19T14:18:00.001+08:00

The Complete Camera Phone
Following the huge success of the LG Mobile Black Label Series Chocolate and Shine, LG has progressed into the high-technology camera phone category with LG Viewty.
View the Next Technology
5 Megapixel Camera, 3 Inch Touch Sensitive Screen, High Speed Video Recording (120 FPS), Auto and Manual Focus, ISO 800 and SmartLight

Features

Capturing the best moment even in low light
Increasing the ISO standard to 800 and including SmartLight™ technology users can capture better pictures in low light without the artificial glare of the flash.
5.0 MP Camera certified by Schneider-Kreuznach
LG Viewty’s 5 megapixel camera is capable of taking clearer and more vivid images with its high-resolution capturing technology.
Manual & Auto Focus, Face Tracking Focus
LG Viewty not only includes the conventional auto focus function, but for the first time in camera phone history, it offers a manual function that enables users to focus independently.

Specifications

Network: 3G
Camera phone: 5.0 Mega pixel auto / manual & auto focus camera with Xenon Flash
Size: 103.5 * 54.4* 14.8 mm
Display: 3.0-inch 262K TFT-LCD, 240x400 (WQVGA)
RF Band: HSDPA (3.6Mbps), WCDMA, Tri-band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE)
Bluetooth: 1.2 (A2DP)
Memory Slot: Micro SD 2Gb
Weight (g): 112
Battery Capacit..: 1000m Ah, LI-Ion (inner pack)
USB: Yes (2.0)
Touchscreen: Yes

http://sg.lgmobile.com/web/web.product.RetrievePhoneInfo.laf#

LG gets smart with the KS20

2008-04-19T14:13:00.001+08:00

Asian launch of LG’s first Windows Mobile ® 6 smartphone in Singapore

• Fully Integrated HSDPA Technology with 3.6Mbps downloads
• 2.8” Wide LCD, full flat Touch Screen and Stylish & Slim look (12.8mm)
• Microsoft’s Windows Mobile® 6, Push E-mail, WiFi connectivity

LG Electronics, a worldwide technology leader in mobile communications has today announced the launch of its first Windows Mobile ® 6 smartphone in Asia – the LG KS20. Designed to provide an enriched mobile internet experience in a slim and stylish device, the LG KS20 smartphone features a full complement of multimessaging and multimedia functionality including push email, instant messaging, video calling and even an inbuilt FM radio. The LG KS20 also provides unsurpassed flexibilities in wireless connectivity options with built-in WiFi and support for HSDPA (high speed downlink packet access) wireless broadband at speeds of up to 3.2Mbps.

“LG’s first Windows Mobile®-powered smartphone integrates the latest in connectivity and productivity technologies in a compact and slim device,” said Mr. Jae Bae, Managing Director of LG Electronics Singapore. “The innovations found in the LG KS20 – together with its cutting edge design - have made it a compelling device for individuals that want to balance work and leisure while on the go, further extending LG’s leadership in next-generation 3G mobile devices.”

Appealing to those who admire a phone for its design as much as its features, the glossy KS20 has a 2.8” LCD flat touch screen with an intuitive touch system that users can navigate and input instructions with a stylus as well as with their fingers. Slim and sleek at only 12.8mm thin, the LG KS20 further integrates a 2 megapixel camera, MP3 playback, Bluetooth 2.0, Cursive script recognition, WiFi connectivity, 128MB internal memory, Micro SD external memory support and video calling.

Customers can also appreciate the LG KS20’s full complement of office productivity applications from Microsoft®, such as Outlook®, Office, and Windows Live™ for Windows Mobile. Productivity users will be able to sync with Microsoft® Exchange out-of-the-box, create and edit Word and Excel documents, as well as view PowerPoint presentations.

LG-KS20

Features
 Video Telephony: 2.0 Mega Pixel + VGA videoconferencing Camera
 3.6Mbps HSDPA Capability
 Full-Touchscreen and 2.8” Wide Flat LCD Screen
 Natural Handwriting Recognition
 Internet Environment: Windows Mobile 6/Windows Live/Windows Media DRM Playback
 MMS/Push E-mail/Java/WAP2.0
 Bluetooth 2.0 / MP3 Player
 MicroSD External Memory
 128MB Internal Memory
 FM Radio

Specifications
 Radio Bands: HSDPA (3.6Mbps), WCDMA, Tri-band (GSM/GPRS/EDGE)
 Display: 240 x 320(QVGA), 2.8”, 262K TFT-LCD
 Dimensions: 99.5mm x 58mm x 12.8mm
 Talk Time/Standby Time: 4hr/400hr
 Battery: 1050mAh
 Weight: 92.5g

For more information,
Please visit LG-KS20 Microsite: http://KS20.lgmobile.com

About LG Electronics, Inc.
LG Electronics, Inc. (KSE: 066570.KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications, employing more than 82,000 people working in over 110 operations including 81 subsidiaries around the world. Comprising four business units -- Mobile Communications, Digital Appliance, Digital Display and Digital Media with 2006 global sales of US $38.5 billion -- LG Electronics is the world’s largest producer of CDMA handsets, air conditioners, optical storage products, DVD players.

LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company (LG) is a leading producer of UMTS (WCDMA), CDMA and GSM handsets. LG draws upon its cutting-edge technology and innovative handset design capabilities to create a higher quality mobile environment for its customers around the world. With a total range of wired and wireless solutions, LG is rapidly expanding its presence and market share in the global mobile industry. For more information, please visit www.lgmobile.com

About LG Electronics Asia
Based in Singapore, LG Electronics Asia is the Asia-Pacific regional headquarters for LG Electronics Inc, a major global force in consumer electronics, home appliances & mobile communications. It serves as a "center of excellence" for service, human resource, supply chain operations and brand marketing for LG’s Asian operations outside of Korea, in South Asia, South East Asia, and Oceania. The new Asia Regional HQ, with the injection of senior management and regional operational expertise, signifies LG’s efforts to take its business to the next level and strengthen LG’s goal for 2008 to redefine itself as a premium international brand and a global top-three company across all business categories.

About LG Electronics Singapore Pte. Ltd
LG Electronics Singapore Pte. Ltd. is a fully-owned subsidiary of LG Electronics Inc., the pioneer and market leader of the Korean electronics industry for over four decades. In recognition of its vision of bringing great design to category defining products, and its fast-growing market appeal in Singapore, LG Electronics Singapore Pte. Ltd is a recipient of leading local and international industry accolades such as the Red dot Design and GfK No. 1 Awards. For more information, please visit http://sg.lge.com

http://sg.lge.com/ir/html/ABboards.do?action=read&group_code=AB&list_code=PRE_MENU&seq=6089&page=1&target=pressreleases_read.jsp

LG KS20 review: Fashion Pocket PC

2008-04-19T14:06:00.000+08:00

With the highly successful KE850 Prada and KU990 Viewty, it's a point taken for LG - users just love their touchscreen handsets with big displays and no keypads.

Seeing the next in line was only a matter of time and last summer's announcement LG KS20 makes a glorious entry running on Windows Mobile 6.0 Professional.

LG KS20 official photos

The new KS20 obviously takes after the prominent KE850 Prada, losing the haute couture ring to its name but adding some Pocket PC depth to the picture. The LG KS20 is a sleek lightweight phone of compact (in Pocket PC terms) dimensions and a large 2.8" QVGA TFT display. The handset has the mere Call and End keys and a joystick on the front - a direct reference to the Prada looks.

LG KS20 views

Key features

Custom LG implementation of the UI
2.8" 65K color touchscreen TFT display of QVGA resolution
HSDPA, 3.6 Mbps
400 MHz Qualcomm MSM7200 processor
128MB RAM and 256MB ROM, microSD expansion slot
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g
Bluetooth v2.0 with A2DP
Surprisingly good 2 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
Stereo FM radio with RDS
USB to 3.5mm jack adapter
Sturdy build, quality casing and compact dimensions

Main disadvantages

Can't-keep-clean casing
The joystick is too short and hard to operate
No reset hole
Proprietary LG USB connector
Battery fixed to the rear panel
Hard-to-pull-out stylus
No GPS

Just as HTC are venturing to pitch their handsets beyond the confines of the smartphone segment, the LG are somewhat unwilling to make Windows Mobile Pro the focal point of the LG KS20. They are keen to have the KS20 rub shoulders with the Viewty and the Prada and keep it hush about the Pocket PC in most of their marketing.

By the way, LG have their own personal touch to the Pocket PC platform. With the KS20 we get a custom LG implementation of the user interface. Also to mention is the very useful PSNote application. LG KS20 also brings two very amusing games (at least the Vodafone firmware handset that we tested) and Google Maps. More on this later on.

At this stage, there is only a black version of LG KS20 available, but given the LG approach, a silver version is sure to follow somewhere in the future. We already saw this happening with both LG KU990 Viewty and the LG Prada, which recently got dark silver outfit.

LG KS20 will be standing its ground to a mixed bunch. HTC Touch and Samsung Armani just come to mind on the spur for the fashion and for the smart of it. But we may as well make it a complete Apple and oranges.

The KS20 next to Apple iPhone and LG KU990 Viewty

http://www.gsmarena.com/lg_ks20-review-208.php

LG-KS20 GSM Mobile Phone

2008-04-19T13:48:00.003+08:00

Enrich Mobile Internet Experience

LG KS20 provides customers with an advanced mobile internet experience with its ’Broadband Mobile Internet’, ’2.8 inch Large Screen’ and ’Intuitive Touch Input,’ and is only 12.8 mm thick. Compatible with highly advanced Broadband Mobile Internet networks, the phone allows users to enjoy the full benefits of 3.6Mbps mobile internet, music downloads, video clips and Windows Live! ™ content, as well as push email.

• 2Mega pixel Auto Focus Camera
- Auto focus, Optical Zoom, Flash
• MP3 Player
- 128MB internal memory + Micro SD external memory card slot (up to 2GB Expandable)
- Windows Media DRM Playback (over 1 million songs from 14 online partners)
- Pluggable 3rd party DRM and CODECs
• Downloadable free applications
- Game, utility, business applications
- Auctions eBay, MySpace and Google Map Service etc.
• Bluetooth v2.0

Messaging

SMS/EMS/MMS	●/●/●

Video MMS	●

E-mail	●

Predictive Text Input (T9)	●

Basic Specifications

Type	slider

RF band	900/1800/1900

Dimension [LxWxD] (mm)	99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8

Weight with Batt. Standard (g)	118

Standard Battery, Max (mAh)	800 mAh,Li-on(Inner Pack)

Stand-by Time, Max (hrs)	280 hour

Talk Time (hrs)	2hr 40min

Vibration Alert	●

SIM Toolkit	●

Data/Fax	●/●

GPRS	●(10)

Internet

WAP (version)	●(2.0)

Download/Save as Support	●

Data Connectivity

USB/PC Sync	●/●

PIM

Scheduler/Alarm	●/●

Phonebook (# of names)	●(1000)

Personalization

Wallpaper/Screen Saver	●/-

Picture/Ringtone Downloading	●/●

Advanced Features

Java (version)	●(MIDP 2.0)

MIDI (palyphonic)	●(40)

Key Tone Effect	●

Built-in Game (# of games) / Java Game (data CD)	●(2)/●

VOD/AOD	●/●(AAC,AAC+,AAC++)

Image/Video Capture	●/●

Camera	●(2M, AF CMOS)

Internal Memory (MB)	Over 50M Byte

External Memory (MB)	●

Voice Memo	●

Bluetooth	●(1.2)

Enrich Mobile Internet Experience

LG KS20 provides customers with an advanced mobile internet
experience with its ‘Broadband Mobile Internet’, ‘2.8 inch Large
Screen’ and ‘Intuitive Touch Input,’ and is only 12.8 mm thick.
Compatible with highly advanced Broadband Mobile Internet
networks, the phone allows users to enjoy the full benefits of
3.6Mbps mobile internet, music downloads, video clips and
Windows Live! ™ content, as well as push email.
Application of the 2.8 inch large screen allows you to have an easy-to-use mobile internet environment which
is just the same as that of a PC screen. Also, the landscape function provides you with the optimum
convenience to enjoy video clips.
A completely flat touchscreen, a perfectly stylish and slim design and a fluent and direct interaction further enhances your mobile internet convenience.
With LG KS20, you can enjoy your mobile internet experience anywhere at any time.

Faster means more

- Broadband Mobile Internet
- Fast Music Download
- Seamless Video Streaming
- Push Email

Enhanced Usability

- 2.8 inch Large Screen
- Intuitive Touch Input
- Natural Handwriting Recognition

Microsoft OS & Windows Mobile 6

- Microsoft Windows Mobile 6
- Windows Live Support
- Customized UI for Mobile

Stylish & Slim Design

- Pitch Black
- Full, Flat Touch Screen (Minimal Design)
- Slim Dimension - 12.8 mm thick

Advanced feature

- 2Mega pixel Auto Focus Camera
- MP3 Player
- Downloadable free applications
- Bluetooth v2.0

http://www.lge.com/products/model/detail/lg-ks20.jhtml

NASDAQ Composite Index Symmetrical Triangle

2008-04-18T20:59:00.002+08:00

Symmetrical triangles can be characterized as areas of indecision. A market pauses and future direction is questioned. Typically, the forces of supply and demand at that moment are considered nearly equal. Attempts to push higher are quickly met by selling, while dips are seen as bargains. Each new lower top and higher bottom becomes more shallow than the last, taking on the shape of a sideways triangle. The current NASDAQ Index will move within the red symmetrical and once it clears this triangle it will probably move into the blue channel.

Dow Jones Industrial Index Doji Candlestick Pattern

2008-04-18T15:39:00.002+08:00

Doji form when a security's open and close are virtually equal. The length of the upper and lower shadows can vary, and the resulting candlestick looks like, either, a cross, inverted cross, or plus sign. Doji convey a sense of indecision or tug-of-war between buyers and sellers. Prices move above and below the opening level during the session, but close at or near the opening level. Any upward movement will be cap at major resistance shown as red dashed line in the chart above. Weakness will result in testing of mid Bolinger Band support at around 12484 .

What are adult stem cells?

2008-04-18T14:58:00.000+08:00

An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell found among differentiated cells in a tissue or organ, can renew itself, and can differentiate to yield the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary roles of adult stem cells in a living organism are to maintain and repair the tissue in which they are found. Some scientists now use the term somatic stem cell instead of adult stem cell. Unlike embryonic stem cells, which are defined by their origin (the inner cell mass of the blastocyst), the origin of adult stem cells in mature tissues is unknown.

Research on adult stem cells has recently generated a great deal of excitement. Scientists have found adult stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible. This finding has led scientists to ask whether adult stem cells could be used for transplants. In fact, adult blood forming stem cells from bone marrow have been used in transplants for 30 years. Certain kinds of adult stem cells seem to have the ability to differentiate into a number of different cell types, given the right conditions. If this differentiation of adult stem cells can be controlled in the laboratory, these cells may become the basis of therapies for many serious common diseases.

The history of research on adult stem cells began about 40 years ago. In the 1960s, researchers discovered that the bone marrow contains at least two kinds of stem cells. One population, called hematopoietic stem cells, forms all the types of blood cells in the body. A second population, called bone marrow stromal cells, was discovered a few years later. Stromal cells are a mixed cell population that generates bone, cartilage, fat, and fibrous connective tissue.

Also in the 1960s, scientists who were studying rats discovered two regions of the brain that contained dividing cells, which become nerve cells. Despite these reports, most scientists believed that new nerve cells could not be generated in the adult brain. It was not until the 1990s that scientists agreed that the adult brain does contain stem cells that are able to generate the brain's three major cell types—astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, which are non-neuronal cells, and neurons, or nerve cells.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics4.asp

Adult stem cells

2008-04-18T14:55:00.000+08:00

Main article: Adult stem cell

Stem cell division and differentiation. A - stem cell; B - progenitor cell; C - differentiated cell; 1 - symmetric stem cell division; 2 - asymmetric stem cell division; 3 - progenitor division; 4 - terminal differentiation

The term adult stem cell refers to any cell which is found in a developed organism that has two properties: the ability to divide and create another cell like itself and also divide and create a cell more differentiated than itself. Also known as somatic (from Greek Σωματικóς, "of the body") stem cells and germline (giving rise to gametes) stem cells, they can be found in children, as well as adults.^[13] Pluripotent adult stem cells are rare and generally small in number but can be found in a number of tissues including umbilical cord blood.^[14] Most adult stem cells are lineage-restricted (multipotent) and are generally referred to by their tissue origin (mesenchymal stem cell, adipose-derived stem cell, endothelial stem cell, etc.).^[15]^[16]

A great deal of adult stem cell research has focused on clarifying their capacity to divide or self-renew indefinitely and their differentiation potential.^[17] In mice, pluripotent stem cells are directly generated from adult fibroblast cultures.^[18]

While embryonic stem cell potential remains untested, adult stem cell treatments have been used for many years to treat successfully leukemia and related bone/blood cancers through bone marrow transplants.^[19] The use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not as controversial as embryonic stem cells, because the production of adult stem cells does not require the destruction of an embryo. Consequently, more US government funding is being provided for adult stem cell research.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

Cosco Bearish Engulfing Candlestick Charting Pattern

2008-04-17T23:03:00.003+08:00

Opening near the high of the day but unable to sustain the thrust up momentum resulting in a bearish closing at the low of the day. The bearish engulfing pattern consists of a small white candlestick with short shadows or tails followed by a large black candlestick that eclipses or "engulfs" the small white one. A bearish engulfing pattern may provide an indication of a future bearish trend. This type of pattern usually accompanies an uptrend in a security, possibly signaling a peak or slowdown in its advancement. However, whenever a trader analyzes any candlestick pattern, it's important for him or her, before making any decisions, to consider the prices of the days that precede and follow the formation of the pattern. A retest of recent low at $2.79 is expected and support failure here will result in price dropping to next support at $2.57 . Any unexpected rebounce will meet strong resistance at 20 days EMA resistance line and the red downtrend line.

Cosco 5 mins testing uptrend support line

2008-04-17T15:57:00.002+08:00

Support failure of red uptrend line will result in retracement towards next support level at $3.00 to $2.98 . Need to clear green downtrend line to regain momentum to clear $3.15 .

What are embryonic stem cells?

2008-04-17T13:53:00.001+08:00

A. What stages of early embryonic development are important for generating embryonic stem cells?

Embryonic stem cells, as their name suggests, are derived from embryos. Specifically, embryonic stem cells are derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro—in an in vitro fertilization clinic—and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman's body. The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst. The blastocyst includes three structures: the trophoblast, which is the layer of cells that surrounds the blastocyst; the blastocoel, which is the hollow cavity inside the blastocyst; and the inner cell mass, which is a group of approximately 30 cells at one end of the blastocoel.

B. How are embryonic stem cells grown in the laboratory?

Growing cells in the laboratory is known as cell culture. Human embryonic stem cells are isolated by transferring the inner cell mass into a plastic laboratory culture dish that contains a nutrient broth known as culture medium. The cells divide and spread over the surface of the dish. The inner surface of the culture dish is typically coated with mouse embryonic skin cells that have been treated so they will not divide. This coating layer of cells is called a feeder layer. The reason for having the mouse cells in the bottom of the culture dish is to give the inner cell mass cells a sticky surface to which they can attach. Also, the feeder cells release nutrients into the culture medium. Recently, scientists have begun to devise ways of growing embryonic stem cells without the mouse feeder cells. This is a significant scientific advancement because of the risk that viruses or other macromolecules in the mouse cells may be transmitted to the human cells.

Over the course of several days, the cells of the inner cell mass proliferate and begin to crowd the culture dish. When this occurs, they are removed gently and plated into several fresh culture dishes. The process of replating the cells is repeated many times and for many months, and is called subculturing. Each cycle of subculturing the cells is referred to as a passage. After six months or more, the original 30 cells of the inner cell mass yield millions of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells that have proliferated in cell culture for six or more months without differentiating, are pluripotent, and appear genetically normal are referred to as an embryonic stem cell line.

Once cell lines are established, or even before that stage, batches of them can be frozen and shipped to other laboratories for further culture and experimentation.

C. What laboratory tests are used to identify embryonic stem cells?

At various points during the process of generating embryonic stem cell lines, scientists test the cells to see whether they exhibit the fundamental properties that make them embryonic stem cells. This process is called characterization.

As yet, scientists who study human embryonic stem cells have not agreed on a standard battery of tests that measure the cells' fundamental properties. Also, scientists acknowledge that many of the tests they do use may not be good indicators of the cells' most important biological properties and functions. Nevertheless, laboratories that grow human embryonic stem cell lines use several kinds of tests. These tests include:

growing and subculturing the stem cells for many months. This ensures that the cells are capable of long-term self-renewal. Scientists inspect the cultures through a microscope to see that the cells look healthy and remain undifferentiated.
using specific techniques to determine the presence of surface markers that are found only on undifferentiated cells. Another important test is for the presence of a protein called Oct-4, which undifferentiated cells typically make. Oct-4 is a transcription factor, meaning that it helps turn genes on and off at the right time, which is an important part of the processes of cell differentiation and embryonic development.
examining the chromosomes under a microscope. This is a method to assess whether the chromosomes are damaged or if the number of chromosomes has changed. It does not detect genetic mutations in the cells.
determining whether the cells can be subcultured after freezing, thawing, and replating.
testing whether the human embryonic stem cells are pluripotent by 1) allowing the cells to differentiate spontaneously in cell culture; 2) manipulating the cells so they will differentiate to form specific cell types; or 3) injecting the cells into an immunosuppressed mouse to test for the formation of a benign tumor called a teratoma. Teratomas typically contain a mixture of many differentiated or partly differentiated cell types—an indication that the embryonic stem cells are capable of differentiating into multiple cell types.

D. How are embryonic stem cells stimulated to differentiate?

Figure 1. Directed differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells. Click here for larger image.

As long as the embryonic stem cells in culture are grown under certain conditions, they can remain undifferentiated (unspecialized). But if cells are allowed to clump together to form embryoid bodies, they begin to differentiate spontaneously. They can form muscle cells, nerve cells, and many other cell types. Although spontaneous differentiation is a good indication that a culture of embryonic stem cells is healthy, it is not an efficient way to produce cultures of specific cell types.

So, to generate cultures of specific types of differentiated cells—heart muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells, for example—scientists try to control the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. They change the chemical composition of the culture medium, alter the surface of the culture dish, or modify the cells by inserting specific genes. Through years of experimentation scientists have established some basic protocols or "recipes" for the directed differentiation of embryonic stem cells into some specific cell types (Figure 1). (For more examples of directed differentiation of embryonic stem cells, see Chapters 5–9 and Appendices B and C of the NIH report Stem Cells: Scientific Progress and Future Research Directions.)

If scientists can reliably direct the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into specific cell types, they may be able to use the resulting, differentiated cells to treat certain diseases at some point in the future. Diseases that might be treated by transplanting cells generated from human embryonic stem cells include Parkinson's disease, diabetes, traumatic spinal cord injury, Purkinje cell degeneration, Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and vision and hearing loss.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics3.asp

Cosco Internal Trendline

2008-04-16T15:07:00.004+08:00

Daily chart internal downtrend resistance shown as orange bold line holding price advance. If this resistance is not taken out price will retest the recent low of $2.79. Current trend is still down expect resistance at red downtrend resistance line if orange line is taken out.

The future of stem cells

2008-04-16T14:49:00.000+08:00

Expect rapid progress in adult stem cells and slower, less intense work with embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cell technology is already looking rather last-century, along with therapeutic cloning. History will show that by 2020 we were already able to produce a wide range of tissues using adult stem cells, with spectacular progress in tissue building and repair. In some cases these stem cells will be actually incorporated into the new repairs as differentiated cells, in other cases, they will be temporary assistants in local repair processes.

We will also see some exciting new pharmaceutical products in the pipeline, which promise to do some of the same tricks without having to remove a single stem cell from the body. These drugs may for example activate bone marrow cells and encourage them to migrate to parts of the body where repairs are needed.

And along the way we will see a number of biotech companies fold, as a result of over-investment into embryonic stem cells, plus angst over ethics and image, without watching the radar screen closely enough, failing to see the onward march of adult stem cell technology.

Using embryos as a source of spare-part cells will always be far more controversial than using adult tissue, or perhaps cells from umbilical cord after birth, and investors will wish to reduce uneccessary risk, both to the projects they fund, and to their own organisations by association.

Despite this, we can expect embryonic stem cell research to continue in some countries, with the hope of scientific breakthroughs of various kinds.

http://www.globalchange.com/stemcells2.htm

Embryonic stem cells

2008-04-16T14:47:00.000+08:00

Embryonic stem cell lines (ES cell lines) are cultures of cells derived from the epiblast tissue of the inner cell mass (ICM) of a blastocyst or earlier morula stage embryos.^[6] A blastocyst is an early stage embryo—approximately four to five days old in humans and consisting of 50–150 cells. ES cells are pluripotent and give rise during development to all derivatives of the three primary germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. In other words, they can develop into each of the more than 200 cell types of the adult body when given sufficient and necessary stimulation for a specific cell type. They do not contribute to the extra-embryonic membranes or the placenta.

Nearly all research to date has taken place using mouse embryonic stem cells (mES) or human embryonic stem cells (hES). Both have the essential stem cell characteristics, yet they require very different environments in order to maintain an undifferentiated state. Mouse ES cells are grown on a layer of gelatin and require the presence of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF).^[7] Human ES cells are grown on a feeder layer of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and require the presence of basic Fibroblast Growth Factor (bFGF or FGF-2).^[8] Without optimal culture conditions or genetic manipulation,^[9] embryonic stem cells will rapidly differentiate.

A human embryonic stem cell is also defined by the presence of several transcription factors and cell surface proteins. The transcription factors Oct-4, Nanog, and SOX2 form the core regulatory network that ensures the suppression of genes that lead to differentiation and the maintenance of pluripotency.^[10] The cell surface antigens most commonly used to identify hES cells are the glycolipids SSEA3 and SSEA4 and the keratan sulfate antigens Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81. The molecular definition of a stem cell includes many more proteins and continues to be a topic of research.^[11]

After twenty years of research, there are no approved treatments or human trials using embryonic stem cells. ES cells, being totipotent cells, require specific signals for correct differentiation - if injected directly into the body, ES cells will differentiate into many different types of cells, causing a teratoma. Differentiating ES cells into usable cells while avoiding transplant rejection are just a few of the hurdles that embryonic stem cell researchers still face.^[12] Many nations currently have moratoria on either ES cell research or the production of new ES cell lines. Because of their combined abilities of unlimited expansion and pluripotency, embryonic stem cells remain a theoretically potential source for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell

Cosco 5 mins key trading band

2008-04-15T15:55:00.003+08:00

Trading in narrow band $2.97 to $2.92 after moving above upper bear flag resistance line. Next resistance is $3 followed by $3.10 . Monitor $2.92 support level and green support line. Support failure of green line will retest upper bear flag resistance turned support line.

Do stem cells really repair tissue?

2008-04-15T14:56:00.000+08:00

For several years there has been a curious and very confusing debate in editorials of publications like the New England Journal of Medicine about whether adult stem cells actually regenerate tissue or not.

The debate centers on technical questions and semantics, rather than the reality of results. Take for example heart repair. We know that bone marrow cells can land up in damaged heart and when present, the heart is repaired. It is hard to be certain what proportion of this remarkable process is due to stimulants released locally by bone marrow cells, or by the bone marrow cells actually differentiating into heart tissue.

It remains a confusing picture, not least because in the lab, cells seem to change character profoundly, but in clinical trials it appears the effects of many stem cells are stimulatory. But who cares? As a clinician I am delighted if injecting your bone marrow cells into your back means that you are walking around 3 months after a terrible injury to your spine instead of being in a wheelchair for the rest of your life. I am not so concerned with exactly how it all works, and nor will you be.

http://www.globalchange.com/stemcells2.htm

Dow Jones Industrial Index Will Test Previous Trough Support

2008-04-14T21:08:00.000+08:00

Mid Bolinger Band support was taken out on Friday and next support will be the previous trough at 12176.10 indicated by the green dash line. Watch for possible short term rebounce at this level on volatile trading on Monday. Closing below this level will increase bearish momentum and will result in a test of the black dotted support line at around 11800.

Cosco 5 mins chart 14 Apr 2008 1521 hrs

2008-04-14T15:23:00.003+08:00

Intraday uptrend has formed after rebounce from low of $2.79 this morning. Key resistances are at $3.00 and $2.96 which is near the 200 EMA resistance line. Key support band is $2.87 to $2.85 followed by $2.82 to $2.79 the current day low. Monitor 20 and 50 EMA support lines.

promise of stem cells

2008-04-14T14:43:00.000+08:00

Much of the promise of stem cells rests on a scheme for replacing parts worn out by age, injury, or infirmity. Unfortunately, the reality of stem cell biology is overshadowed by the hype. For example, the future is imagined to hold an inexhaustible source of stem cells with a perfect genetic match banked at a local hospital, available for your every medical whim. Need a new pancreas? Place your order, and three weeks later a new one lies ready and waiting in the surgical suite. Heart failure? No worries -- a few injections with multipotent stem cells will grow new cardiac tissue. And thus may 21st century patients extend their lives -- through a kind of patchwork medicine, held together by a fabulous, potent cell. This future sounds incredibly exciting. But it will take time -- and vision -- to us get there.

The truth of the matter is, we've got a goodly distance to go before regenerative medicine -- a catchall term for stem cell therapy -- will help large numbers of patients. It is very possible that many diseases will have to wait for cures from other quarters of medicine. Before any medical treatment (including cell and tissue transplants) is made available through hospitals or clinics, it must first be tested in humans through tightly regulated phases of clinical trials. The first phase determines safety and side effects in a few dozen subjects; the second phase tests efficacy in hundreds of patients; the third and subsequent phases try to prove statistical significance and confirm its effects in many hundreds or thousands of patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates the data, and if the results pass muster, the product is approved for sale and moves to the market. Developing a new therapy goes slowly and is terribly expensive -- discovering, testing, and manufacturing one new drug can take between 10 and 15 years and cost nearly a billion dollars.

A hypothetical timeline of a new treatment for skin transplants might look like this:

• Basic Research: In 2006, a source of powerful adult stem cells is discovered beneath human skin. The rare cells are fingerprinted by genetic markers, and the markers are used to isolate the cells from the body and culture them in the lab. Over the next two years, technology is developed to grow the cells in quantity and used to change them into a variety of skin cell types.

• Preclinical Research: Different lines of skin stem cells and their progenitors are transplanted into the injured skin of a transgenic mouse with no immune system (to prevent rejection of the human cells). Over time the transplants are observed. One line works: the cells survive, go to the site of the injury, integrate into the skin, and heal the wound. Other kinds of animals are similarly tested. The tests take three years to complete.

• Clinical Research: The encouraging results in animals prompt tests in humans. In patients with severe burns, the patient's own skin stem cells are cultured, multiplied and then transplanted at the wound site. The cells improve blood flow, promote healing, and reduce scarring. Using adult stem cells is not the only way to approach the problem. An hESC line using nuclear transfer might also produce the skin stem cell in question. The technologies are further developed by companies, tested in more humans, and manufactured for use for burn victims. In 2014, the FDA approves the first cell therapy for use in clinics.

If the treatment being studied is for a disease with a genetic cause, another wrinkle must be ironed out. The faulty gene has to be corrected before the cells are reintroduced or the transplant could succumb with time, as did the original cells. This presents an added set of challenges to stem cell transplants. Once a genetically engineered stem cell is placed into the body and grafts into an organ, it may be there for life. If the change is in one of the wide-ranging cells of the blood or nervous system, the proteins made by the new gene will be everywhere in the body. Care must be taken to limit the effects of the therapy only to the affected areas.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5204335

What are the unique properties of all stem cells?

2008-04-14T14:39:00.000+08:00

Stem cells differ from other kinds of cells in the body. All stem cells—regardless of their source—have three general properties: they are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods; they are unspecialized; and they can give rise to specialized cell types.

Scientists are trying to understand two fundamental properties of stem cells that relate to their long-term self-renewal:

why can embryonic stem cells proliferate for a year or more in the laboratory without differentiating, but most adult stem cells cannot; and
what are the factors in living organisms that normally regulate stem cell proliferation and self-renewal?

Discovering the answers to these questions may make it possible to understand how cell proliferation is regulated during normal embryonic development or during the abnormal cell division that leads to cancer. Importantly, such information would enable scientists to grow embryonic and adult stem cells more efficiently in the laboratory.

Stem cells are unspecialized. One of the fundamental properties of a stem cell is that it does not have any tissue-specific structures that allow it to perform specialized functions. A stem cell cannot work with its neighbors to pump blood through the body (like a heart muscle cell); it cannot carry molecules of oxygen through the bloodstream (like a red blood cell); and it cannot fire electrochemical signals to other cells that allow the body to move or speak (like a nerve cell). However, unspecialized stem cells can give rise to specialized cells, including heart muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells.

Stem cells are capable of dividing and renewing themselves for long periods. Unlike muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells—which do not normally replicate themselves—stem cells may replicate many times. When cells replicate themselves many times over it is called proliferation. A starting population of stem cells that proliferates for many months in the laboratory can yield millions of cells. If the resulting cells continue to be unspecialized, like the parent stem cells, the cells are said to be capable of long-term self-renewal.

The specific factors and conditions that allow stem cells to remain unspecialized are of great interest to scientists. It has taken scientists many years of trial and error to learn to grow stem cells in the laboratory without them spontaneously differentiating into specific cell types. For example, it took 20 years to learn how to grow human embryonic stem cells in the laboratory following the development of conditions for growing mouse stem cells. Therefore, an important area of research is understanding the signals in a mature organism that cause a stem cell population to proliferate and remain unspecialized until the cells are needed for repair of a specific tissue. Such information is critical for scientists to be able to grow large numbers of unspecialized stem cells in the laboratory for further experimentation.

Stem cells can give rise to specialized cells. When unspecialized stem cells give rise to specialized cells, the process is called differentiation. Scientists are just beginning to understand the signals inside and outside cells that trigger stem cell differentiation. The internal signals are controlled by a cell's genes, which are interspersed across long strands of DNA, and carry coded instructions for all the structures and functions of a cell. The external signals for cell differentiation include chemicals secreted by other cells, physical contact with neighboring cells, and certain molecules in the microenvironment.

Therefore, many questions about stem cell differentiation remain. For example, are the internal and external signals for cell differentiation similar for all kinds of stem cells? Can specific sets of signals be identified that promote differentiation into specific cell types? Addressing these questions is critical because the answers may lead scientists to find new ways of controlling stem cell differentiation in the laboratory, thereby growing cells or tissues that can be used for specific purposes including cell-based therapies.

Adult stem cells typically generate the cell types of the tissue in which they reside. A blood-forming adult stem cell in the bone marrow, for example, normally gives rise to the many types of blood cells such as red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Until recently, it had been thought that a blood-forming cell in the bone marrow—which is called a hematopoietic stem cell—could not give rise to the cells of a very different tissue, such as nerve cells in the brain. However, a number of experiments over the last several years have raised the possibility that stem cells from one tissue may be able to give rise to cell types of a completely different tissue, a phenomenon known as plasticity. Examples of such plasticity include blood cells becoming neurons, liver cells that can be made to produce insulin, and hematopoietic stem cells that can develop into heart muscle. Therefore, exploring the possibility of using adult stem cells for cell-based therapies has become a very active area of investigation by researchers.

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/basics2.asp

Impact of embryonic and adult stem cells on the future of medicine and health care

2008-04-14T14:36:00.000+08:00

Stem cell therapy is not a conventional treatment using an external agent and so the normal 15 year development pipeline for new pharmaceutical products does not apply. Indeed the gap between seeing promising stem cell results in animals and starting first human trials can be as short as 15 days.

Suppose you have a heart attack. A cardiothoracic surgeon talks to you about using your own stem cells in an experimental treatment. You agree. A sample of bone marrow is taken from your hips, and processed using standard equipment found in most oncology centers for treating leukemia. The result is a concentrated number of special bone marrow cells, which are then injected back into your own body - either into a vein in your arm, or perhaps direct into the heart itself.

The surgeon is returning your own unaltered stem cells back to you, to whom these cells legally belong. This is not a new molecule requiring years of animal and clinical tests. Your own adult stem cells are available right now. No factory is involved - nor any pharmaceutical company sales team.

What is more, there are no ethical questions (unlike embryonic stem cells), no risk of tissue rejection, no risk of cancer.

Now we begin to see why research funds are moving so fast from embryonic stem cells to adult alternatives.

Harvard Medical School is another center of astonishing progress in adult stem cells. Trials have shown partially restored sight in animals with retinal damage. Clinical trials are expected within five years, using adult stem cells as a treatment to cure blindness caused by macular degeneration - old-age blindness and the commonest cause of sight-loss in America. Within 10 years it is hoped that people will be able to be treated routinely with their own stem cells in a clinic using a two-hour process.

If you want further evidence of this switch in interest from embryonic to adult stem cells,, look at the makers of Dolly the sheep. The Rosslyn Institute in Scotland are pioneers in cloning technology. They along with others campaigned successfully in UK Parliament for the legal right to use the same technology in human embryos (therapeutic cloning, not with the aim of clones being born). But three years later, they had not even bothered to apply for a human cloning licence.

Why not? Because investors were worried about throwing money at speculative embryo research with massive ethical and reputational risks. Newcastle University made headlines in August 2004 when granted the first licence to clone human embryos - but the real story was why it had taken so long to get a single research institute in the UK to actually get on and apply. Answer: medical research moved on and left the "therapeutic" human cloners behind.

http://www.globalchange.com/stemcells2.htm

Properties of stem cells

2008-04-14T14:31:00.000+08:00

The classical definition of a stem cell requires that it possess two properties:

Self-renewal - the ability to go through numerous cycles of cell division while maintaining the undifferentiated state.
Potency - the capacity to differentiate into specialized cell types. In the strictest sense, this requires stem cells to be either totipotent or pluripotent - to be able to give rise to any mature cell type, although multipotent or unipotent progenitor cells are sometimes referred to as stem cells.

Potency definitions

Pluripotent, embryonic stem cells originate as inner mass cells within a blastocyst. The stem cells can become any tissue in the body, excluding a placenta. Only the morula's cells are totipotent, able to become all tissues and a placenta.

Potency specifies the differentiation potential (the potential to differentiate into different cell types) of the stem cell.

Totipotent stem cells are produced from the fusion of an egg and sperm cell. Cells produced by the first few divisions of the fertilized egg are also totipotent. These cells can differentiate into embryonic and extraembryonic cell types.

Pluripotent stem cells are the descendants of totipotent cells and can differentiate into cells derived from any of the three germ layers.

Multipotent stem cells can produce only cells of a closely related family of cells (e.g. hematopoietic stem cells differentiate into red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, etc.).

Unipotent cells can produce only one cell type, but have the property of self-renewal which distinguishes them from non-stem cells (e.g. muscle stem cells).

Identifying stem cells

The practical definition of a stem cell is the functional definition - the ability to regenerate tissue over a lifetime. For example, the gold standard test for a bone marrow or hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) is the ability to transplant one cell and save an individual without HSCs. In this case, a stem cell must be able to produce new blood cells and immune cells over a long term, demonstrating potency. It should also be possible to isolate stem cells from the transplanted individual, which can themselves be transplanted into another individual without HSCs, demonstrating that the stem cell was able to self-renew.

Properties of stem cells can be illustrated in vitro, using methods such as clonogenic assays, where single cells are characterized by their ability to differentiate and self-renew.^[4]^[5] As well, stem cells can be isolated based on a distinctive set of cell surface markers. However, in vitro culture conditions can alter the behavior of cells, making it unclear whether the cells will behave in a similar manner in vivo. Considerable debate exists whether some proposed adult cell populations are truly stem cells.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stem_cell