Tridimity

Hi cr4u, I think the reason that you feel sad is because you are missing that special emotional connection that you shared with your wife. Basically to fix the problem and to feel better, I think you need to find a new relationship in which you have that same intense degree of emotional connection. It’s hard in the meantime, I know, but don’t forget that you’re not alone. Hugs, Tridimity

Hmm

Mass spec would be your best bet

Yes, I have been thinking about this too. It is possible to pose many such 'why' questions involving scientific concepts. For example, why do opposite forces attract? (Quite possibly there is a valid answer to this question and I am just too ignorant of Physics to know what that answer is). Nevertheless, just because a question can be formed does not necessarily mean to say that it makes sense or leads in a positive way to expansion of the body of scientific knowledge. Certain scientific 'why' questions can, in a way, be answered e.g. Q. why did the pencil fall from a height onto the desk? A. because of the effect of gravity. However, even this answer is meaningless without an appreciation of the nature of gravity itself. Which brings us to the point of Science: understanding the nature of phenomena, not necessarily their ultimate reason for being - in fact, there may well be no ultimate reason for existence.

Drat, I was going to suggest McMurry's! Hmph. Stuart G.Warren's Organic Chemistry?

As CharonY has stated. Hint: Think about the organisms that are capable of carrying out photosynthesis and about the organisms that are in turn directly or indirectly reliant on those organisms capable of photosynthesis. What might happen to various ecosystems? What alternative energy-capturing mechanisms might have replaced photosynthesis? I hope that I am right in guiding you in this way, the task that you have been set seems rather vague to me. Good luck, Tri

Does 3D-printing a husband count?

Yes, I have read Campbell-Reece Biology. Yes, it is ideal for pinning down the fundamentals of Biology, which will be beneficial if you wish to become a medical doctor. However, you should of course also read more medically-relevant textbooks. For example, the Director of Studies in Medicine at King's College Cambridge recommends the following: G. J Tortora and B.H. Derrickson, Essentials of Anatomy and Physiology: International Student Version (John Wiley & Sons, 2009) or E. N. Marieb,Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology (Pearson, 2008) B. Alberts, D. Bray, K. Hopkin & A. Johnson, Essential Cell Biology (Garland, 2009) S. Nuland, How we live (Vintage, 1998) S. Nuland, How we die: Reflections on Life's Final Chapter (Vintage, 1995) S. Mukherjee, The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer (Schribner, 2011) A. Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right (Profile Books, 2010) http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/offerholders/reading-lists/medicine.html At the very least, I would add: 1. Martini's Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology 2. Dale's Pharmacology 3. Robbins Basic Pathology 4. Burkitt's Essential Surgery 5. Churchill's Differential Diagnosis 6. Wheater's Functional Histology 7. Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine All the best, Tri

Might also be worth taking a look at Illumina's Every Genome: www.everygenome.com Still costs several thousands of pounds/dollars per genome... going to wait until the service is more affordable and see how my ACTGs line up. Happy sequencing

Agreed, ACG52. WWLabRat, there cannot be anything beyond the beginning of the Universe. If there was an observable event immediately preceding the Big Bang, then it would become part of our working definition of 'Universe' and therefore still exclusively within the remit of Science.

So great a deal that no energy need be expended in thinking. "Goddidit" Now let's all go to sleep Religious/spiritual discussion is reserved for supernatural phenomena. Frankly I don't see how phenomena can be 'supernatural'. By definition, such occurences would need to be 'outside of the natural order.' Any 'supernatural' event to be observed using sensory perception would then be a natural event and within the remit of scientific investigation. Our ignorance as to the ultimate origins of the Universe is a testament to our status as primates, whom Evolution has gifted with brains suited to hunting and gathering, on an obscure blue sphere spinning in one corner of the selfsame Universe that we strive to understand.

Hi J, Ultimately, only you can make this decision. I would advise you to consider which career path you would most wish to pursue. Both Pharmacy and Medicine will lead to careers in which you can make a positive difference to the health and wellbeing of others. One of the main distinctions is: would you rather work in an environment with more pressure (certainly true if you choose to become a Physician, less so if you choose to become a GP) and which involves a high degree of contact with patients - or one that involves less immediate pressure and no/minimal contact with patients? A day in the life of a (Principal) Pharmacist: http://www.ealinghospital.nhs.uk/work-for-us/a-day-in-the-life-of/a-day-in-the-life---principal-pharmacist/ A day in the life of a Physician: http://www.princetonreview.com/careers.aspx?cid=115 I would also advise you to try to get as much work experience/shadowing of healthcare professionals as possible, so that you can see which is most likely to suit your preferences and abilities. Both careers, however, are likely to be rewarding. Best wishes, Tridimity

Hi Nomad, Well, it depends in part on what kind of a scientist you wish to be, as to how difficult your career path will be. It is certainly possible to pursue Science at a later stage in life - one of the guys I used to work with is in his mid-40s, he completed his doctoral studies a little over a year ago, had a brief spell of unemployment, undertook a 1 year contract as a technician, and now is well integrated into the group as a post-doc. Tbh I think interpersonal skills are more important in determining career prospects in Science, than is age - networking will get you far. Personally I initially found it difficult to secure my first job in Science after completing my BSc. I used to have insatiable dreams of curing all manner of diseases and of discovering fundamental biological truths. That's all well and good until you experience the realities of work in Science - the bureaucracy, the intense competition (the people who are prepared to walk all over you in order to get to the top), the sexism, ageism, nepotism that still exist within our higher education institutions. I used to dream but now I am too damn tired. Be prepared for these realities.

Hi victorqedu, The crux of the question you pose is really one for the field of developmental biology. It is fascinating to contemplate how the genomic DNA present in the zygote following fusion of the gametes - invisible to the naked eye - contains all of the instructions required to specify the development of the organism, including organ size and shape. The genomic DNA present within each cell of the body is identical (excepting sporadic mutations and epigenetic profiles); the difference is that different cell-types have their own unique spatiotemporal gene expression profiles. Drosophila embryogenesis provides an example of the mechanisms by which differences in gene expression can arise. Differences in gene expression are initiated by asymmetries in the distribution of maternal mRNA present in a gradient in the oocyte: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila_embryogenesis Maternal effect genes mediate specification of the anterior-posterior axis patterning. The maternal effect gene products, in turn, determine the expression patterns of gap genes. Gap genes and pair rule genes then regulate Hox genes, which are critical in determining organ size and shape (1): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hox_genes See also this open access PLOS paper on how genes interact to control flower shape in the Snapdragon (2): Organ size and shape is, of course, determined by the number of cells within the organ and their spatial interactions with one another and with their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Cell number is determined by the rates of cell proliferation and death (by necrosis or by the programme of apoptosis). Progression through the cell cycle including commitment to entry into somatic cell division, or mitosis, is intricately regulated by molecular signalling pathways - key components of which are the cyclins and cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cell_cycle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclin_dependent_kinase Contact inhibition illustrates the way in which cells typically temper their proliferation in response to their immediate neighbours: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contact_inhibition Cells will eventually become quiescent (replicative senescence) which usually mirrors the stage of cellular differentiation. Stem cells retain the capacity to proliferate. Apoptosis is similarly regulated by networks of signalling pathways: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apoptosis All of these processes act in concert to determine the overall size and shape and organs. Best wishes, Tridimity Ref. 1. Stem DL (2000) The Hox gene Ultrabithorax modulates the shape and size of the third leg of Drosophila by influencing diverse mechanisms. Dev Biol 256 (2): 355-662. Cui M, Copsey L, Green AA, Bangham JA & Coen E (2010) Quantitative Control of Organ Shape by Combinatorial Gene Activity. PLoS Biol 8(11): e1000538 doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000538

Contraceptive pills and condoms provide a means of engaging in sexual behaviour without contracting STIs and without becoming pregnant at an inappropriate time of life. As such, contraception promotes survival by warding off death that might otherwise be induced by STIs - and it also confers control over investment in the next generation at a time at which the parents are prepared to have children. It may seem initially counter-intuitive, but having fewer offspring may be a better strategy for propagation of genes than is having a large number of offspring. In the former case, offspring receive relatively more parental investment, in turn promoting their survival and reproductive chances. Nuclear weapons, once developed, may function as a means of deterring retaliation via the prospect of mutually assured destruction (MAD). So long as nuclear weapons are not actually used, and as long as the explicit or implicit threat to use them is maintained, they may actually serve to promote the survival of a nation's people.

Hi all, I am trying to understand matrix multiplication in MATLAB. If we have the following two matrices: a b w x c d y z Then, in what order should the elements by multiplied? Any help is greatly appreciated. Tridimity

Hi Raphael, One possibility is to measure Oxygen consumption: 'Oxygen Electrode Measurement Two independent Clark oxygen electrodes (Instech Laboratories, Plymouth Meeting, PA) with two independent thermojacketed chambers were used to analyze two samples in parallel. HeLa cells stably expressing the wt or the D255A form of p75 were incubated or not with 1 μM staurosporine for 6 hr as indicated. Cells were then digitonin permeabilized (see Supplemental Data) and washed with respiration buffer (RB = 250 mM sucrose, 2 mM EDTA, 30 mM KH2PO4, 5 mM MgCl2, 50 mM Tris [pH 7.4]) In Figures 3Dc and 3Dd, RB contained 2 mM ADP. The permeabilized cells were injected into the chambers containing 600 μl of air-saturated RB prewarmed at 37°C. To rule out an effect of dilution of cytochrome c, all measurements of apoptotic cells were performed in the presence of 100 μM cytochrome c. Substrates and inhibitors were added in the following order and final concentration: 5 mM malate, 5 mM glutamate, 2 μM rotenone, 5 mM succinate, 1 μM antimycin A. Oxygen concentration was calibrated with air-saturated buffer, assuming 390 ng atoms of oxygen/ml of buffer (Schulze-Osthoff et al., 1992). Rates of oxygen consumption are expressed as ng atoms of oxygen/min/mg of proteins.' The overall morphology of the mitochondria would also be indicative and staining for cytochrome C release from the mitochondria would give a readout of mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilisation (MOMP). In order to confirm localisation of the compound at mitochondria, a mitochondrial fractionation may be performed, followed by detection of the compound in cytosolic versus mitochondrial fractions. Hope this helps Best wishes, Tridimity Ref. Ricci J, Munoz-Pinedo C, Fitzgerald P, Bailly-Maitre B, Perkins GA, Yadava N, Scheffler IE, Ellisman MH & Green DR (2004) Disruption of Mitochondrial Function during Apoptosis Is Mediated by Caspase Cleavage of the p75 Subunit of Complex I of the Electron Transport Chain. Cell 117: 773-786