-
-
I'm going to die on Monday at 6.15pm
When Marc Weide's mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she chose euthanasia. Here, He publish his shockingly frank diary of her final days. When Marc Weide's mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she chose euthanasia. Here, He publish his shockingly frank diary of... more
-
A new tactic against HIV: T-cell tweaks
"Scientists searching for anti-HIV drugs have been stymied by the fast-evolving, continuously adapting nature of the virus.
Some researchers are taking a different tack: rather than attacking the virus itself, they're targeting the cells that HIV infects.
In a study published yesterday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team led by National Human Genome Research Institute cell biologist Pamela Schwartzberg turned off a protein that helps mobilize immune system cells against infection.
Once T-cells were stripped of the protein, HIV couldn't get traction: the signaling pathways it normally exploits to invade a cell and copy itself were short-circuited.
Disabling T-cells may seem counterintuitive, as the disease is so terrible precisely because it destroys these cells, which are necessary to defend against unhealthy bacteria and viruses. But Schwartberg found that modified mice still fought off other viral infections, albeit with a delayed response.
It remains to be seen whether the tweak works as well in people as it did on a laboratory bench, where HIV struggled to spread through a culture of ITK-deficient cells. But in the long, losing battle against AIDS, every new lead is welcome.
ITK, though targeted by some drug companies for its role in asthma and allergies, "has not been really thought about in the context of HIV," said Schwartzberg. "The work provides a model for finding novel targets that can affect HIV replication."
Selective Targeting of ITK blocks multiple steps of HIV Replication [PNAS]
Image: Courtesy of the Institut Cochin, a T-cell (blue) and a dendritic cell (yellow). The latter help calibrate immune response". "Scientists searching for anti-HIV drugs have been stymied by the fast-evolving, continuously adapting nature of the virus. ... more -
Hemingway: the most inspirational toilet reading
Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” Last year, SMITH Magazine re-ignited the recountre by asking readers for their own six-word memoirs. They sent in short life stories in droves, from the bittersweet (“Cursed with cancer, blessed with friends”) and poignant (“I still make coffee for two”) to the inspirational (“Business school? Bah! Pop music? Hurrah”) and hilarious (“I like big butts, can’t lie”).
Not Quite What I was Planning: Six Word Memoirs from Writers Famous and Obscure [the book] collects almost 1,000 six-word memoirs, including additions from many celebrities including Stephen Colbert, Amy Sedaris, Dave Eggers, Richard Ford, Deepak Chopra, Moby, and more. A New York Times bestseller and subject of hundreds of stories from The New Yorker to NPR and hailed as "American haiku," SMITH's book of six-word memoirs is both a moving peek at the minutia of humanity and the most inspirational toilet reading you'll ever find.
Everyone has a story. Can you tell yours in six words? Submit yours to be considered for SMITH's next six-word memoir book.
http://www.sixwordmemoirs.com
Post below for fun.. Legend has it that Hemingway was once challenged to write a story in only six words. His response? “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”... more -
Whatcha' Got There Elvis?
Singer/Songwriter Elvis Perkins came to the Chemosphere with a bunch of stuff.
-
Proof of Purchase
Since August 2007, Riley Harmon (an art major at the University of Oklahoma) has been saving every single receipt he receives and uploading them to the website proofpurchase.com as a form of web art. The tagline of the website reads, "hopes, fears, dreams, and visa check-card. this is a documentation of my life." He writes short notes on the receipts about the thoughts, feelings, and circumstances revolving around each purchase. Since the creation of the site, over 43,000 people have visited with more than 1,000,000 hits. Since August 2007, Riley Harmon (an art major at the University of Oklahoma) has been saving every single receipt he receives and uplo... more
-
Worlds longest diary comes to an abrupt end
He spent a quarter of a century chronicling his life in five-minute segments. In his journal he faithfully recorded his reflections on God and his every visit to the lavatory. He even taped a nostril hair to its pages so that future scientists can study his DNA.
He slept for just two hours at a time so that he could record his dreams. He had three dozen ways of describing the act of urination. At his most prolific, he wrote three million words a year. He spent a quarter of a century chronicling his life in five-minute segments. In his journal he faithfully recorded his reflections on... more
-
related topics
Journals
Contributors (39)
Journals
