the skeptical alchemist

oh no, internet blues for me

2008-06-28T06:26:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately at the moment I am in a place where there is very limited access to internet, so that it will basically be impossible to post anything until September. I deeply apologize - I am writing this as I am out of this usual place, and I managed to find a place with fast internet.

The skeptical alchemist, and the Molecular and Cell Biology Carnival, will be back in September.

Apologies again,

steppen wolf

american life

2008-06-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

How about some food for thought while you wonder what the heck happened at Hillary's house today? Only one thing: make sure to watch the video till the end, or you will miss the most important part. Cheers.

In this video, the very last part has been censored. If you want to find out what really happens in the end, you should watch the last part of the video here.

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Country of Jokes: death of a democracy

2008-06-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

I have to interrupt my usually calm blogging on science and other topics to bring you this news: a democracy is dying. While I wish the best to the newest republic in the world, I have to announce that, in the heart of Europe, one of the youngest democracies, celebrating its anniversary today, is as close to death as it has ever been since its inception.

In these days, in Italy, we are seeing things that have not occurred probably since the times of Mussolini. You must think I am exaggerating - Italians are passionate people who tend to complain a lot and exaggerate things, right? Think again. I am not asking you to believe me, either. I am asking you to watch this with your own eyes. And you do not need to understand the language at all, to see what I am talking about.

You might have heard about the Italian garbage emergency. No? Too engrossed in the American campaign, uh? OK, no problem, I will give you a blitzkrieg-style introduction to what is going on.

Not so long ago, Berlusconi came to power for the third time. Immediately, he tried to pass a law (fortunately he did not succeed) to protect his televisions, one of which is illegally taking over frequencies that should belong to another broadcaster. At this time, the garbage scandal, exploded under the now defunct Prodi government, reached such gravity that immediate action was required to address the issue. So he moved to try and solve a crisis avoiding all the most reasonable solutions, and continuing on the road taken by his predecessors: instead of implementing a recycling program immediately, he gave one man (the "commissary") power to handle the whole issue, and promised to open more dumps, as well as have the police and the army defend these sites in case people opposed this move.

People surely opposed it, as they always have. One of the sites will be an old cave in Chiaiano, a Naples neighbourhood. A place where there are hospitals, about 250,000 inhabitants, and where a solar power plant was supposed to be built. They happen to have old caves made of porous materials, materials which will not be able to protect underground waters used for drinking and agriculture.

So the people of Chiaiano decided to protest. They did this peacefully. Some pushing here and there, but the protest was peaceful. You do not believe me? In the videos below the fold, look at the raised hands, at the police charging unarmed men and women, throwing tear gas at them, and even beating up journalists.

In this area, more and more towns are starting to adopt recycling. Reusing and reducing are the only ways out of this crisis, a crisis created by governments (national, regional and provincial) as well as businesses (Impregilo, among these, deserves a special note) which have profited from the misery of a region infested by criminality, and blessed with the most fertile lands in the country...and some of the highest tumor loads, because of all the illegal (and legal) garbage dumping.

Look at how our democracy is dying, with the armed forces are taking over the streets, citizens being ignored AND punished for speaking up, and all decency and rationality being thrown out of the window. In the meantime, our media are becoming more and more censored, so that now you are forced to find information on the internet. In the current climate of desperation, people are unable to find jobs (the unemployment rate is sky-high, inflation at 3.6%, and 40% of degree holders unable to find a job two years after graduating), xenophobia and environmental degrade are raging, and I expect that the attacks to our young democracy will become worse and worse in the months to come.

The silent dictatorship of the powerful, the criminal and the corrupt is growing stronger, and this birthday feels like a morning bell for the so-called Second Republic. Watch the videos below the fold.

The actual charge - here it comes. Some of the protesters are shouting "murderers" at the police (they expect the dump will bring increased cancer incidence to the town. They are not wrong).

[If you cannot see the video, you can watch it here.]

Here, Euronews reports on the clashes in Chiaiano.

[If you cannot see this video, watch it here.]

Here, a national news broadcast reports on, and condemns, the beating of a reporter in Chiaiano.

[If you cannot see the video, watch it here.]

A slideshow of the protest..and the beating.

[If you cannot see this video, you can watch it here.]

Check out the related videos for more.

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is moderate Islam a lie? (part I)

2008-05-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

I have not written about religion for a while. Some of you might be happy about that, some of you might be wondering why I have not touched the topic. The truth is that I am confused. I really am!

We are told basically every day, that this or that religion encourages love, tolerance and strengthens us as human beings - whether this is Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. I hardly hear about the polytheistic religions anymore, even if I know that there is probably more than a billion people who does not only believe in God, but in Gods. But forget that. The main point is that I am being fed this notion that the true meaning of all these religions, and their true aims, are peaceful and bent on tolerance and love.

However, I keep seeing the opposite. I keep seeing people dying and being killed in the name of God (or Gods) all over the world, and freedom of speech being attacked, together with many other human rights, always in the name of God and Paradise. Then one skeptical like me would start asking him/herself a simple question: if this is not the true meaning and aim of religion, then why are all these people perverting the real aim? How can I tell who is the real Muslim, the real Christian, and who is not? Are the fundamentalists of any religion perverting the meaning of their religious scriptures?

Because the Western world is basically split between people who hate Muslims, people who tolerate them, people who love anything to do with Islam, and people who, like me, don't really know what to think anymore, and I find myself stranded without a position. I know plenty of Muslim people. I do not have any close Muslim friend, but I see, work, and talk to Muslims often. They are people like anybody else, not worse not better. But things are being done, in the name of their religion and their God, that have not been done in "Christendom" for a long time. So I need to make up my mind to whether Muslims are stuck in a pre-illuministic age just like Christians used to be at the time of the Crusades (not likely) or whether there is something fundamentally different between the preachings of Christianity and those of Islam. Or, as well, if this mess is to be tributed to hotheads and despots, rather than to Islam itself.

So I am going to embark in this journey. It is going to be a reflection about the main monotheistic religions, what they mean, what their objectives are, and what they mean to me - in terms of how I see them affecting world history and order. You might agree or disagree along the way - great, we can discuss about that. But seeing as I am basically an atheist, this is sure going to look like an interesting journey. I am not going to diminish religious people, religion, and their books. I am not going to be talking about delusions. But I am going to be looking at the facts, and trying to understand what they mean - at least, for me.

I will start with looking at Islam. Why? Because at this moment in history, Islam and the way it is affecting world order can possibly help me better answer those questions for myself: how can I tell who is the real Muslim, the real Christian, and who is not? Are the fundamentalists of any religion perverting the meaning of their religious scriptures?

I am going to start looking at what Islam says the role of the woman should be. According to moderate Muslims and to sympathetic Westerners, the true Islam defends the woman, and gives her rights that previous religions had never accorded her. What I see in most countries where Islam is the official religion is that women are bereft of most rights accorded to them in the West, abused, and treated as mentally inferior beings. So I am going to try and reconcile these two things, while trying to address the issue of whether true Islam is being subverted in these countries, or whether the true Islam is actually at the basis for this discrimination.

As a prelude, I would like you to know that I am not a scholar versed in reading the Quran and that I do not have a strong background in religious studies/theology. So forgive me if I have to cite what other people have said, and limit myself to judge, using my logic only, whether what they say potentially makes sense or not.

First of all, I should explain what the position of moderate Muslims is. Since I am not one of them, I am going to have to use their own words to describe it. I think to find a simple explanation of this position you need go no further than here or here. Basically, the main argument used by moderate Muslims to explain this is that abusive practices do not have a basis in true Islam - the Quran and the Hadiths. Instead, these abusive and/or discriminatory practices are rooted in the pre-Islamic culture of the places where they are carried out. These moderates then go on to cite the Quran and the Hadiths to show that Islamic scriptures protect women and consider them to be individuals with the same rights as men. With the exception, of course, for prescription that relate to topics such as pregnancy, menstruation, and other issues only pertaining to women.

Anyone wishing to understand Islam must first separate the religion from the cultural norms and style of a society. Female genital mutilation is still practised in certain pockets of Africa and Egypt, but viewed as an inconceivable horror by the vast majority of Muslims. Forced marriages may still take place in certain Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities, but would be anathema to Muslim women from other backgrounds.

This argument can be made to address basically all human rights violations related to women in countries where Islam is the prevalent, or official religion. There is then, of course, the topic of the veil, which is strongly linked to this discussion. But the veil is dismissed as a personal choice, not an obligation - again, the obligation can be linked to cultural, rather than strictly religious, practices.

If you ask a group of Muslim women why they wear the headscarf, you will definitely get diverse answers since it is a very personal issue. Islamically, it is believed that in matters of religion and faith, no one can simply force an ideal on you; for, as it says in the Quran, "there is no compulsion in religion."

When accepting the choice to embrace the veil, then, a Muslim woman becomes the epitome of good character. She is not only modest in her dress, but in her actions and manners as well.

For those who say she's oppressed, let me ask you this: Is it not also a form of oppression to set extremely high standards for the "acceptable" look, weight, and style for a woman in a capitalist society, and to end up with some women spending hours perfecting themselves in order to become an acceptable member of that society? Alternately, is it not a type of freedom and honour when a woman, any woman - Muslim or not - believes her attractiveness comes from her personality and intelligence (along with having a decent, good-looking style that is not set back in the '50s), rather than how low her "low rise" pants go?

But we know that women in countries where Islam is the prevalent, or official religion, simply do not have the same status as men - often by law. And even where the law consents that they are equal under the law, they are still often the victims of honor killings, rapes, and disfiguration. Of course, Muslim countries are not the only ones where this happens - but that is another story. Now, is there any evidence, in the Quran, the Hadith, or the writing of Muslim scholars, against the argument brought forth by the moderate Muslims? That is, is there any evidence that discrimination against women is actually enshrined in the sacred texts of Islam, and in the works of revered Muslim scholars?

I am afraid there is. So I guess I will follow the same line of argument, and let this evidence speak for itself.

The best way to subjugate women is to make them financially dependent on males. This usually implies an inequality enshrined in law, and the lack of access to family wealth (inheritance). This is what the Quran says regards to inheritance:

4.11-12. A male shall inherit twice as much as a female. If there be more than two girls, they shall have two thirds of the inheritance, but if there be one only, she shall inherit the half. Parents shall inherit a sixth each, if the deceased have a child; but if he leave no child and his parents be his heirs, his mother shall have a third. If he have brothers, his mother shall have one sixth after payment of any legacy he may have bequeathed or any debt he may have owed.

Of course, there is more. Remember what moderate Muslims said about the veil: it is supposed to be up to the woman. But if a state considers the Quran to be law, then using a veil is not a personal choice but a legal obligation for women. In fact, the Quran says:

24.30-31. Enjoin believing women to turn their eyes away from temptation and to preserve their chastity: to cover their adornments - except such as are normally displayed; - to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their finery, except to their husbands.

There is more, of course, but I am not going to mention it all at this point. However, it comes to mind that if women and men really are equal, then they should at least get equal treatment in Paradise. What is a man that fought for Allah supposed to get as a reward in the afterlife? The Quran puts quite a bit of emphasis on sexual compensation. But this compensation is notably skewed - because only men are entitled to it. The Islamic Paradise has a serious "glass ceiling" issue when it comes to sexual empowerment...

46.10-22. They shall recline on jeweled couches face to face, and there shall wait on them immortal youths with bowls and ewers and a cup of purest wine (that will neither pain their heads nor take away their reason); with fruits of their own choice and flesh of fowls that they relish. And theirs shall be the dark-eyed houris, chaste as hidden pearls: guerdon for their deeds.

44.51-55. The pious will be in a peaceful abode among, gardens and fountains; clothed in satin and brocade, face to face. We shall marry them to wide-eyed houris. In utter tranquility, they will demand all kinds of fruit.

Of course, the pious would be getting houris in addition to their wives. Mohamed said that "there will be no bachelors in Paradise". Alas, it also sounds like there will be no blondes, and no gigolos for the ladies...

At this point, I somehow feel that I have not really convinced you that it is considered acceptable, from an Islamic point of view, to consider women inferior to men. Again, I will let the Quran convince you:

4.34. Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart; and scourge (beat) them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them Lo! Allah is ever High Exalted, Great.

If you are a Muslim, and you believe, as any good Muslim should, that the Quran is the word of God, and that the word of God must be obeyed, than you are obliged to consider women inferior: they are worth about half a man when it comes to giving testimony, they should cover themselves while men are not obliged to do that, they get no reward in Paradise that is comparable to a man's, and they should be subordinate to men, as men are in charge of women - financially in charge too, as women are not entitled to family property, or to the full inheritance from their dead husband.

All of this is sanctioned by the Quran, and those moderate Muslims who deny it are either ignorant or worse, blasphemous, and they will probably be punished for it.

If you, of course, believe that there is a Hell...

Source: the websites linked from this post, and the book by Ibn Warraq, "Why I am not a Muslim", published by Prometheus Books.

P.S. The latest edition of Gene Genie is out! So if you are tired of reading about women and the Quran, I suggest you get over there to get a science injection.

P.P.S. There are two new additions to my blogroll - introducing...Lesboprof and Confessions of a Community College Dean.

Disclaimer: this post is not intended to offend, nor is it intended to incite to hate and harm other people. You are free to disagree with what I say, of course, but that's how free speech works. If you disagree with me, you are free to express your opinion in the comments...as long as you do not break any US laws, as this is where this blog is hosted. Cheers.

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submit your post for the Molecular & Cell Biology Carnival #3

2008-05-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

That's right, the time is coming close again, and all submissions should be in by June 7 using this form. We already have a host for this edition - Bertalan over at ScienceRoll will be your host, and I am very happy that he is taking on the MCB Carnival for the upcoming edition.

If you are interested in hosting the next edition (July 13), shoot me an e-mail at the address in the sidebar, or leave a comment. You can find out more about the Carnival, how to host it, and how to get a button to put on your site at the official MCB Carnival website. You can also check the official website to find links to all previous editions of the Carnival.

So get this science thing going: send a post to Bertalan using that form and/or spread the good news - there is new science carnival in the blogosphere, and it wants you!

If the form does not work for you, just e-mail me and I will forward your submission to our host.

See you over the week-end with some peer-reviewed blog goodness!

P.S. Lest I forget: the latest edition of the Skeptics' Circle is up - in limericks.

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readings, readers and blogrolling

2008-05-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to welcome the new readers of the skeptical alchemist. Maybe you aren't necessarily new, but you sure added my feed to your reader/bookmarks, because today this blog register the highest number of subscribers since its start. I can't believe that there are 82 people out there reading my ramblings. Amazing.

In case you are totally new around here, there are a few good posts you can read - you can see them in the sidebar under the heading "the BEST of". These are some of the best/most searched posts on the blog, organized by topic.

Last but not least, you could also pay a visit to blogs in my blogroll, and to these new additions:

Sandwalk
Scienceroll
Eye on DNA

I hope you will enjoy your time spent reading the ramblings of the skeptical alchemist.

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first-class healthcare for developing countries? it is possible

2008-05-21T12:25:00.000-07:00

Did you know that the heaviest burden for cardiovascular disease is carried by Africans and African countries? Did you know that cardiovascular disease is going to be the next medical emergency in Africa and other developing countries, following AIDS and malaria? And worst of all, did you know that bringing first-class health care to poor country (and poor citizens) is possible, and can even generate profit?

All it takes is the will to change things, and a keen mind. Two things that Dr. Ernest Madu definitely has. If you think that realizing all of this is impossible and unrealistic, I will leave it to him to change your mind - with the facts.

[You might not be able to see this video in your feed. If that is the case, please click here.]

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around the blogs

2008-05-20T17:06:00.000-07:00

This is a mesh of interesting science-related news gathered from blog and traditional media. But I would not know most of these things if it weren't for my blogging addiction.

Alex Palazzo informs us that there is a new networking tool out there for the scientist 2.0 (something tells us that generations X and Y will be all over this). The tool is called SciLink, and it can be described as a version of LinkedIn for scientists and people in academic careers. Apparently it is not completely bug-proof, but it might be worth checking it out.

An old piece of DNA has been resuscitated. This does not qualify as a revival or remake of Jurassic Park, but it shows that ancient DNA can sometimes be rescued and even studied in vivo, granted that you had some samples preserved in decent conditions. Some century-old Tasmanian tiger pouch young and a team of Australian scientists need to be credited for this achievement.

But fear not, the Tasmanian tiger (just like mammoths and T Rex before it) will not be resuscitated any time soon. And you should not fear dead bodies either - at least, when it comes to natural disasters. Did you know that dead bodies do not cause disease epidemics? If you are unconvinced, pay a visit to Effect Measure.

Talking about old, but not dead, the old prejudices and ideologies linked to creationism are so hard to defeat that, it turns out, about 16% of American science teachers might actually subscribe to creationist views. As the authors of the study, reviewed over at The Lay Scientist point out,

Scientists concerned about the quality of evolution instruction might have a bigger impact in the classroom by focusing on the certification standards for high school biology teachers. Our study suggests that requiring all teachers to complete a course in evolutionary biology would have a substantial impact on the emphasis on evolution and its centrality in high school biology courses.

And to conclude, have you checked your tissue culture? It might be infected with Mycoplasma hominis. So make sure you always wash your hands after you go to the washroom or after you do...whatever it is you have done!

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Molecular and Cell Biology Carnival #2 is up!

2008-05-18T13:25:00.000-07:00

The Molecular and Cell Biology Carnival #2 has landed over at cotch.net! There is quite an assortment of science posts for the hardcore science blogging lovers.

If you are interested in hosting the next Carnival, or you simply want to submit a post, write to me (address in the sidebar) or leave a comment on this post.

The next edition will be taking place on the second Sunday of June (June 8).The submission deadline is on June 7. You also have the option of sending posts through blogcarnival.com using this form.

Thank you to the host, and to all of those who have submitted articles for this second edition.

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finally an excuse for my sweet tooth!

2008-05-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

Finally I can blame this (supposedly, as I have not got my genome sequenced) on a genetic variant of the glucose transporter GLUT2. Yes, it does remind you of gluttony.

A glucose transporter is a channel that allows cells to import glucose, and apparently the variant of GLUT2 you possess will affect your intake of sugary foods and drinks. Or, at least, there is a positive correlation between possession of one variant and increased consumption of sugary foods. The study documenting this was published in Physiological Genomics.

The study looked at two cohorts of patients: older obese people, and young lean people. They then compared sugar consumption, as well as protein consumption, within the two groups, according to the GLUT2 variants. In this way, they found that age and sex seem not to affect sugar consumption, but a GLUT2 variant significantly correlated with increased "sweet toothedness".

These were the main finding of this study:

those individuals with the GLUT2 variation consistently consumed more sugars (sucrose (table sugar)), fructose (simple sugar such as corn syrup) and glucose (carbohydrates), regardless of age or sex.
the two sets of food records from the older group showed that the older individuals with the variation consumed more sugars than their non-variant older counterparts (112± 9 vs. 86±4 grams of sugar per day and 111±8 vs. 82± 4 grams per day).
the individuals in the younger population who carried the variant were found to consume more sweetened beverages (0.49±0.05 vs. 0.34±0.02 servings per day) and more sweets (1.45±0.10 vs. 1.08±0.05 servings per day) than their non-variant counterparts.
there were no differences in the amount of protein, fat, starch or alcohol that was consumed by those either with or without the variant.

What I find very interesting, and suggests to me that the study might be onto something, is that people with the "sweet channel" variant consumed more sugar regardless of sex and age. This still does not imply causation, but it definitely seems to suggest that there is a link.

Now, I would be interested in knowing whether people who consume more sugars also express higher levels of GLUT2 in general (regardless of the variant). You would expect that to be the case, as all this sugar has to be taken out of the circulation.

This seems to be a case of predisposition. But don't start being gluttonous now and blame it all on GLUT2.

Sources

American Physiological Society (2008, May 14). Genetic Variation Linked To Preference Sugary Food. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 15, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2008/05/080514064928.htm

Eny, K.M., Wolever, T.M., Fontaine-Bisson, B., El-Sohemy, A. (2008). Genetic variant in the glucose transporter type 2 is associated with higher intakes of sugars in two distinct populations. Physiological Genomics, 33(3), 355-360. DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00148.2007

P.S.: We had problem with the MCB Carnival, as the next host could not log in to BlogCarnival. If you are still interested in being included, and you have not submitted your post yet, you can contact him directly at his e-mail address, or you can just send it in to me. We will have the Carnival up soon!

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cyclone Nargis: do we let them stand alone?

2008-05-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

If you are a fan of the Lord of the Rings, you might just remember that moment when you see the Elves arriving at Helm's Deep, at a time when the Rohirrim thought that nobody would ever come to help in the fight against Saruman. I remember well, because so many things happen in this world when that moment comes again and again, and nobody ever decides not to let people in need stand alone. Rwanda and Darfur come to mind. Man-made wars.

But now, here comes this case. This case is, in most people's minds, so unequivocal, that our inability to react to it will be perceived by most as deeply unethical. Here comes a time when, struck by the force of nature, a government fails an entire nation...and we stand here to watch and pontificate on whether it would be legal for the UN to send troops to Myanmar. Too bad we know exactly why Russia and China voted against a UN resolution in favour of stronger UN intervention in Myanmar (two words: Tibet and Chechnya).

Burma continues to reject help

Burma's military rulers still oppose foreign aid workers helping the many thousands left destitute and in danger of disease by Cyclone Nargis.

Vice-Admiral Soe Thein said Burma was grateful for an aid shipment from the US, which arrived on Monday, but said there was no need for aid workers.

The UN has warned of the risk of a "second catastrophe" unless a massive aid operation is put in place rapidly.

The organisation is calling for a "transport corridor" to be set up.

The UN's humanitarian chief, Elisabeth Byrs, reiterated the international community's exasperation with Burma's ruling junta.

"We are only seeing the peak of the iceberg, and the situation risks becoming a lot more dramatic if there isn't an acceleration of humanitarian aid," she told journalists in the Swiss city of Geneva.

'Haphazard' delivery

The official death toll from Cyclone Nargis is approaching 32,000 - but observers fear the final count will be much higher.

Ms Byrs said 55,000 tonnes of rice would be needed to feed the 750,000 people estimated to be in danger for three months. Half of the rice would need to be imported.

So far, she said, the World Food Programme had been able to send only 361 tonnes of food aid - and distribute just 175 tonnes.

Emergency help has been held up by Burma's rulers, who have accepted the aid but refused to allow experts from overseas to co-ordinate its delivery.

Aid agencies say much of the food and equipment arriving in the country is not getting to those who need it because the junta does not have the organisation to transport it.

A BBC correspondent inside Burma says aid delivery is haphazard and private citizens have begun to distribute water and cakes from the backs of their cars rather than waiting for the soldiers to help.

French news agency AFP reported that the military had imposed a curfew in some of the worst-affected areas in the Irrawaddy Delta region over fears that rice rations would be stolen.

"You can't go out after 7pm because the soldiers will shoot," a 60-year-old man from the village of Pyin Ka Yaing told an AFP reporter there.

Apparently, it can also take about 3 hours for a European national on Burmese ground to get a tourist visa, but if you happen to be a relief worker, you will simply not be allowed in.

I guess this is what the ruling junta wants, ahead of the upcoming constitutional referendum which could keep them in power for a very long time still. Which makes me wonder whether the area struck by the cyclone would have voted, before the events, against or in favor of the junta remaining in power.

Never underestimate a bureaucracy's instinct for self-preservation.

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if I had 3 trillion dollars...

2008-05-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

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Google management opposes motion against censorship

2008-05-02T16:39:00.000-07:00

Now that you have got angry, please hold on and get ready to read the news (via il blog censurato).

Google's management is encouraging their stockholders to vote against two motions being raised at the annual stockholders' meeting - a motion against internet censorship, and another in favor of the creation of an internal Human Rights Commission, aimed at legally fighting violation of human rights in the countries where Google operates.

Stockholders' hearts might be bad for their pockets, apparently.

Also via il blog censurato, I found this very cool tool comparing English search results for China, the USA, Germany and France. Check out this screen shot, looking at the difference in results when we compare France and China in relations to the search "human rights".

This is a tool developed by Mark Meiss and Filippo Menczer at the Indiana University School of Informatics - you can find more information on the Censearchip website about how the tool works. Notice how, in the image, some of the terms most frequently arising from the French search about human rights are "China" and "Beijing". Not surprisingly, these terms do not emerge in the Chinese search.

But my favorite has got to be the image search, comparing US and Chinese search, using the term "Tienanmen". Here comes the screenshot.

I hope you are not surprised by what's missing on the left side...and no, I was not referring to the lesbian kiss.

Censorship on the net is everybody's business. I encourage you to cover, no matter what the main subject of your blog is, as much news about censorship as you can.

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not just some chick...

2008-04-30T20:09:00.000-07:00

Fabulous comic with a temper from marriedtothesea.com, found through Homosecular Gaytheist.

Carnival update: the next Molecular and Cell Biology Carnival will be hosted on May 11 over at cotch dot net. We are still looking for hosts for future editions - if you are interested, check out the carnival's website and drop me a comment/e-mail. And the latest edition of Tangled Bank, which incidentally is celebrating its 4th birthday, is up over at Dammit Jim!

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i am tired of this CRAP!!!

2008-04-28T16:01:00.000-07:00

I do not understand why most of the science research news that can be found in some major mainstream broadcasters' websites are absolute crap. In a world where people are working on endogenous retroviruses, artificial life, stem cell research, and trying to assess and conserve biodiversity...all they are able to come up with in their breaking news is something related to the magical properties of tomato paste.

Maybe I am exaggerating, and I am sure that the study done on the...effects of 5 spoonful of tomato paste and olive oil given out to participants might be groundbreaking. Maybe, regardless of the fact that I am quite skeptical about whether testing tomato paste is a good use for research money (which is hard to come by these days), the science behind the study presented at the annual meeting of the British Society for Investigative Dermatology is sound and valid. But I still cannot see how this deserves a prime spot in the BBC Health section. Here is the summary of the report.

Pizza and spaghetti bolognese could become new tools in the fight against sunburn and wrinkles, a study suggests. A team found adding five tablespoons of tomato paste to the daily diet of 10 volunteers improved the skin's ability to protect against harmful UV rays. Damage from these rays can lead to premature ageing and even skin cancer. The study, presented at the British Society for Investigative Dermatology, suggested the antioxidant lycopene was behind the apparent benefit.
This component of tomatoes - found at its highest concentration when the fruit has been cooked - has already been linked to a reduction in the risk of prostate cancer.
Now researchers at the universities of Manchester and Newcastle have suggested it may also help ward off skin damage by providing some protection against the effects of UV rays.

That's right. Forget the considerable amount of cholesterol that you can possibly find in pizza and spaghetti alla bolognese - go ahead and chug it down, because it might even make your skin look better!

Anti-ageing paste?

They gave 10 volunteers around 55g of standard tomato paste - which contains high levels of cooked tomatoes - and 10g of olive oil daily. A further 10 participants received just the olive oil.

After three months, skin samples from the tomato group showed they had 33% more protection against sunburn - the equivalent of a very low factor sun cream - and much higher levels of procollagen, a molecule which gives the skin its structure and keeps its firm.

"The tomato diet boosted the level of procollagen in the skin significantly. These increasing levels suggest potential reversal of the skin ageing process," said Professor Lesley Rhodes, a dermatologist at the University of Manchester.

Nice. I think I just got a new business idea - injecting tomato paste extracts, you know, for cosmetic purposes. I will call it the ForeverRipe(c) treatment, all rights reserved. Not joking, I am dead serious.

I am tired of Nisbet and Mooney and the other SciBlings arguing. Can somebody please do us a favor, and start writing a few decent articles for main broadcasters, send them out, and get hired part-time? Somebody who possibly knows better than to write about tomato paste, when we are in a time of fabulous advances in system biology, proteomics, synthetic biology, genomics, stem cell and regenerative research?

Please?

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where in Hell do you belong?

2008-04-24T16:50:00.001-07:00

I made it to the best place possible for people like me - the Limbo. Quite some high-level company over there:

First Level of Hell - Limbo
Charon ushers you across the river Acheron, and you find yourself upon the brink of grief's abysmal valley. You are in Limbo, a place of sorrow without torment. You encounter a seven-walled castle, and within those walls you find rolling fresh meadows illuminated by the light of reason, whereabout many shades dwell. These are the virtuous pagans, the great philosophers and authors, unbaptised children, and others unfit to enter the kingdom of heaven. You share company with Caesar, Homer, Virgil, Socrates, and Aristotle. There is no punishment here, and the atmosphere is peaceful, yet sad.

The Dante's Inferno Test has sent you to the First Level of Hell - Limbo!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:

Level	Score
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)	Very Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)	Very High
Level 2 (Lustful)	Moderate
Level 3 (Gluttonous)	High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)	Very Low
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)	Moderate
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)	Very High
Level 7 (Violent)	Very High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)	Moderate
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)	Low

Take the Dante's Inferno Hell Test

Hat tip: John Wilkins over at Evolving Thoughts.

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beware of the PANTHER(db)!

2008-04-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Once in a while i like going around the web looking for cool tools that can be used in research, but also just to visualize scientific knowledge. With the amount of our knowledge, and the size of our databases increasing daily, I find it quite useful to be able to put things in a picture - or to have a tool at hand that would be able to gather recent scientific information and do that for me.

PANTHER is just that kind of tool. If you have a favorite protein, and you want to see what pathways this protein is involved in, and what other protein it interacts with, PANTHER can give you a nice picture, and help you extricate yourself from the web of interactions that your favorite protein has drawn all around it.

If your protein happens to be, say, p53, then you might really find this useful. All you need is the name of a pathway and/or protein, an up-to-date Java applet, and a decent internet connection. And then, you are ready to explore.

Say we pick p53 and the pathways for Huntington disease. Then PANTHER would give you this kind of network as a result:

Now you want to keep everything as it is, but then concentrate on the downstream targets of, say, MLK-2 at the top. You right-click, choose to select the downstream players, and you get all the downstream players highlighted in yellow:

I have never personally used PANTHER for my actual work. But I do find it to be quite an interesting tool, if you are working with very well-known (and therefore, well connected) proteins, such as p53. But if you are working with something more obscure, I doubt that PANTHER could help you much.

Off topic, but important news to cap it off: the Skeptics' Circle is up, and yours truly has been kindly invited. Come join the skeptic meeting - we'll be checking out what you can find under a rock.

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science carnival looking for hosts!

2008-04-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

The next edition of the Molecular and Cell Biology Carnival will be around on May 11...but we need hosts!

If you are interesting in hosting a hardcore science carnival, please let me know and I will add you to the hosting list on blogcarnival.com. You can contact me at the e-mail you can see in the image on the right.

And, as you are here...why don't you add our brand-new buttons to your blog? Spread some science love? You can find the code for the buttons here, and hosting guidelines (in case you are interested in that sort of thing) here.

I look forward to hearing from you!

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RAS is regulated by miRNAs

2008-04-21T13:00:00.000-07:00

I have already discussed one of the newest papers on miRNA-mediated control of oncogenes and cell pluripotency in the field a few days ago. Given the interest, also in the science blogosphere, for studies and news related to miRNAs, I thought I might write here about a few more papers focusing on how miRNAs are able to modulate the protein levels of several genes important for the regulation of major signal transduction pathways, as well as cell growth and differentiation.

Today I am going to be looking at the one that must be the first paper in the field to report the discovery that at least a family of miRNAs, the let-7 family - which you have encountered before on this blog - is able to regulate a major oncogene, RAS. For short review on what miRNAs are, you can check this out. Now, if you are ready...there's more, right below the fold.

This paper starts by looking at the role of the let-7 of miRNAs in vulva development in C. elegans, the nematode. As I have explained in a previous post, C.elegans come in two sexes: a few rare males, and the most common hermaphrodites. The hermaphrodites are able to produce eggs and self-fertilize them, therefore being able to generate progeny on their own. However, from time to time hermaphrodites will mate with males, and the male sperm will fertilize the hermaphrodite's eggs and generate both male and hermaphrodite progeny. The two sexes have distinct primary sexual characteristics identifiable in their genital apparatus, and the hermaphrodite has a vulva, while the male has a fan-like structure at the posterior end.

Vulval development is an excellent model for studying development at the cellular level (how cell lineages are defined), but also to dissect a major signal transduction pathway, the RAS/MAPK pathway, which is involved not only in development, but also in tumorigenesis.

In the course of the analysis of the effect of let-7 miRNAs on vulval development, Johnson et al. realized that these miRNAs can bind to a section of the 3' untranslated region of the C. elegans RNA equivalent of RAS, let-60 (lethal-60). In fact, this gene has let-7 complementary sites (LCSs) that allow the miRNAs to bind and inhibit its translation. Moreover, let-7-mutant animals will burst through the vulva, while they will not burst if let-60 protein expression is also inhibited by RNAi. This is shown in the following figure.

This finding prompted the authors to look for LCSs in the sequence of the human RAS genes (there are multiple versions of RAS). The human RAS genes also show the presence of LCSs, and are regulated by the human version of let-7 family miRNAs. Injecting let-7 in RAS-expressing cells reduces the levels of expressed RAS protein, and conversely inhibiting let-7 in let-7-expressing cells causes a rise in the levels of intracellular RAS (see figure below).

RAS overexpression or unregulated activity is known to be oncogenic, and many tumors show abnormal regulation of RAS. The authors then looked at human tissue samples derived from patients suffering from breast, colon and lung cancer, and compared levels of let-7 expression, and RAS protein in this samples, to those in adjacent normal tissue from the same patients. The experiments showed that let-7 expression was severely altered in lung cancer samples, and that when let-7 was not expressed at normal levels, this resulted in an increased load of RAS.

This study was of great importance at it showed a direct relationship between let-7 and RAS levels, as well as suggesting that miRNA regulation can be important in tumor biology, and possibly oncogenesis.

Citation

JOHNSON, S., GROSSHANS, H., SHINGARA, J., BYROM, M., JARVIS, R., CHENG, A., LABOURIER, E., REINERT, K., BROWN, D., SLACK, F. (2005). Is Regulated by the MicroRNA Family. Cell, 120(5), 635-647. DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2005.01.014

Blogroll Additions

Dispatches from the Culture Wars - how did I miss adding this link to my blogroll for so long? Well, here it is.

Dodo's Photoblog and Allen Capoferri: some art, be it sketching or photography, never harmed anybody. So when you feel like you really need a break, check out these two blogs.

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CENSORED: Hiroshima after the bomb in Technicolor

2008-04-18T10:33:00.000-07:00

This short movie was censored by the Pentagon, and only recently released. This is a look at the city of Hiroshima (and some of the victims) after the first atomic bombing in history. It is a must-see - because I am quite sure you have never seen this in color, ever.

We can only wish that something like this will never happen again. This is an undying message to all of us involved in scientific research of any kind - that we are not absolved from our ethical responsibilities, and that we should always ponder about the consequences of our actions. With great knowledge comes great responsibility - responsibility we should never abdicate.

Hat tip: il blog censurato. Follow the link to the blog in case you cannot see the video in your feed.

Warning: graphic images ahead.

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