linkstream2 microblog

New $17M program exploring mysterious extracellular #RNA: defining its action, collecting #bigdata http://scim.ag/18nWSyU MT @lopezjenniferw

http://www.sciencemag.org/content/341/6149/947.full

[News & Analysis] Cell Biology: NIH Effort Gambles on Mysterious Extracellular RNAs
A $17 million research program, announced this month by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, aims to determine whether RNA molecules are deliberately released by cells as hormonelike signals—and whether such extracellular RNAs can be harnessed for diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.
Author: Mitch Leslie

Expanded speedtest results (in Mb/s downloading and then uploading + latency (ms)) comparing DSL & Cable

mb16 =>

432a => SSID=MarkGerstein : 267, 278, 13

860mbg11=>Verizon-DSL : 6.4, .9 (2nd try: 6.07, 0.84, 33)

860mbg11=>TW-Cable : 6.4, 5.2 (2nd try: 5.46, 5.18, 32)

“12c” SSID=>TW-Cable : .53, .68, 28

FD4CN=>Verizon-DSL : 5.1, .8

77c021=>TW-Cable : 8.8, 5.1

http://verizon.net/speedoptimizer

then

http://verizon.net/speedtest

http://www.ebi.ac.uk/ena/WebFeat/qualifiers/pseudogene.html
http://www.insdc.org/documents/pseudogene-qualifier-vocabulary see here as well
https://www.vectorbase.org/info/website/glossary.html

vs

http://gencodegenes.wordpress.com/toolbox

Also, on unitary pseudogene term “origin” here is the earliest use of the term findable :
http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/molgen/

Unitary & Processed as in Gencode
Unprocessed = Duplicated
Allelic = Polymorphic

Workouts are no antidote to death by desk: Great #graphics of writer v phys therapist daily exertion
http://www.newscientist.com/articleimages/mg21829232.200/1-workouts-are-no-antidote-to-death-by-desk-job.html via @mitchblunt

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg21829232.200-workouts-are-no-antidote-to-death-by-desk-job.html

Toy Stories: Nice listing of odd #toys from ’10, e.g. HexBug, Tetraxis, Flash Scrabble, Perfume Sci.
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/12/06/101206fa_fact_marx via @NewYorker

ON AND OFF THE AVENUE
TOY STORIES
Rating this year’s playthings.
BY PATRICIA MARX

* Tetraxis from momath.org
http://momath.org/shop/tetraxis-2/

* Sophisticated Science Perfume Science
by Thames & Kosmos
http://www.amazon.com/Thames-Kosmos-646517-Sophisticated-Science/dp/B001ALLMWS

* Diet coke & mentos – makershed.com

* Zometool Bucky Ball Kit
http://www.amazon.com/Zometool-0B-BKY-PRJ-Bucky-Ball-Kit/dp/B0007W1E3S

* Sophie the Giraffe
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dbaby&field-keywords=Sophie+the+Giraffe&rh=i%3Ababy%2Ck%3ASophie+the+Giraffe

* Scrabble Flash – high speed electronic version of the classic http://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Scrabble-Flash/dp/B004WOZZ6E

* HexBug (Am Mus Nat Hist)
https://www.facebook.com/hexbug

How to do scientific research without even trying… key is taking photos with good #metadata
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/08/how-to-do-scientific-research-without-even-trying-much via @WhitleyWildlife

How to do scientific research without even trying (much) | Ars Technica
http://arstechnica.com/science/2013/08/how-to-do-scientific-research-without-even-trying-much/

http://preview.reuters.com/2013/8/7/for-henrietta-lacks-famous-cells-new-and-unique-1

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/07/us-science-hela-idUSBRE9760YD20130807

QT:"

The decision applies only to researchers funded by NIH, which said it
"encourages" other scientists to abide by the agreement. Because
DNA-sequencing technology is cheap and ubiquitous in genetics labs,
the HeLa genome has been partly sequenced many times, and can easily
be fully sequenced again.

"Sequencing" refers to determining the precise order of the chemical
letters on a person’s genome, which is the full library of his or her
genetic information. Bits and pieces of that sequence spell out, for
instance, whether someone is at risk of diabetes or Alzheimer’s or
other genetic traits, as well as personal traits like the consistency
of ear wax.

These loopholes in the access agreement significantly weaken the NIH
move, said Mark Gerstein, a computational biologist at Yale University
who has raised concerns about threats to genetic privacy. "I doubt NIH
will get blanket agreement from scientists in every country" to follow
its protocol, "so it’s not clear what the agreement will be able to
accomplish."

"

speedtest results (in Mb/s downloading and then uploading + latency (ms)) comparing DSL & Cable

mb16 =>

860mbg11=>Verizon-DSL : 6.4, .9 (2nd try: 6.07, 0.84, 33)

860mbg11=>TW-Cable : 6.4, 5.2 (2nd try: 5.46, 5.18, 32)

“12c” SSID=>TW-Cable : .53, .68, 28

FD4CN=>Verizon-DSL : 5.1, .8

77c021=>TW-Cable : 8.8, 5.1

http://verizon.net/speedoptimizer

then

http://verizon.net/speedtest

I list below a number of courses that I think should be
included/excluded from the undergrad bioinformatics program. This is based on a discussion with a student who did an undergraduate double major in CS and Biology.

The courses that I think essential for the program are:

– Algorithms, Data structures, Cell & Molecular biology, and Genetics

The courses that I think should be included in the program are:

– Discrete mathematics, Algorithms on strings, Computational complexity, Statistics, Data mining and Databases, Machine Learning, Biochemistry, Unix/Linux operating system, Scripting Languages (Perl and/or Python), and Scientific writing

The courses that I think might less important are:

– Computer architecture, Compiler theory, Circuit design, Inorganic chemistry, and Chemical engineering

Curious to get people’s thoughts on this. Feel free to comment or email me (http://contact.gerstein.info).

Cancer Risk Increases With Height: +4-inch in height => +13% in risk for developing any #cancer
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/25/cancer-risk-increases-with-height #health via @nytimes

QT:”
They found that for every 4-inch change in height, there was a 13 percent increase in risk for developing any type of cancer. The cancers most strongly associated with height were cancers of the kidney, rectum, thyroid and blood. Risk for those cancers increased by 23 to 29 percent for every 4-inch increase in height.
“