tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-118419612024-03-03T19:25:34.694-05:00Home RangeNature, Science, Technology, History, InspirationJonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-26666425184090453832014-10-07T05:59:00.000-05:002014-10-07T05:59:24.036-05:00Investigational Antiviral Drug approved for use on US Ebola patient<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The FDA approved the use of an investigational drug, CMX001 (brincidofovir), to attempt to treat Ebola Virus Disease in the sole US case so far. The drug has been in clinical trials for Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a common complication in bone-marrow transplants and other immunosupressed populations. The drug has also been used for Adenovirus infections in pediatric cancer patients. Based on its activity against poxviruses it was selected for investigation as a possible treatment for Smallpox (Variola) infection for bioterrorism defense.<br />
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Brincidofovir is an orally active prodrug of cidofovir (Vistide), an injectable antiviral drug used to treat CMV retinitis in AIDS patients. Brincidofovir is converted to the active drug in the body and its lipid conjugation allows lower plasma levels (less toxicity) and higher levels inside cells, where it can act on the virus.<br />
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<a href="http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/202/10/1492.full.pdf+html" target="_blank"><br /></a>
<a href="http://jid.oxfordjournals.org/content/202/10/1492.full.pdf+html" target="_blank">Link to Publication of CMX001 efficacy in Herpes Virus Infections</a> -Note: CMV is in the Herpes Virus family. Paper give some background on the mechanism of action in Brincidofovir.<br />
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<a href="http://ir.chimerix.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=874647" target="_blank">Chimerix Press Release</a></div>
Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-91318730584566458252014-10-02T05:04:00.001-05:002014-10-02T05:51:42.767-05:00Ebola and Melatonin: Could a Common Sleep Aid help fight Ebola?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The growing outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease in West Africa has focused the world's attention on one of the most deadly infectious diseases known. Rapid depletion of experimental drugs including those used to successfully treat several American patients have clinicians scrambling for something other than supportive care. </div>
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A recent paper describes the possible use of <a href="http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep" target="_blank">melatonin</a>, a natural hormone that controls the wake-sleep cycle and widely available sleep aid, to counter some of EVD's severe effects on the body. Because of Melatonin's wide availability and excellent safety profile, a positive effect could be an important weapon in the fight against the outbreak in Africa and a potential addition to the treatment of EVD. Because Melatonin is classified as a food additive in the US, it can be purchased over the counter and is relatively inexpensive. Obviously more work needs to be done in clinical trials, which could begin immediately since the human safety phases of a clinical trial can be skipped, because of its widespread use. </div>
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Ebola kills in a particular way that turns the body's immune system on itself. Ebola virus infection causes a cascade of immuno-inflamatory reactions including the production of reactive molecules that damage the lining of blood vessels and trigger the clotting cascade in the blood. This reaction has similarities to bacterial sepsis. Several studies have shown a positive effect from Melatonin in preventing both endothelial damage and intravascular coagulation. The author's of this paper have suggested that because similar mechanisms are at work in Ebola virus infection, Melatonin may be beneficial in treating EVD.</div>
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Link to article: </div>
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<input id="option1" name="doi" type="checkbox" value="10.1111/jpi.12186" /><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpi.12186/pdf" shape="rect" target="_blank">Ebola virus disease: Potential use of melatonin as a treatment</a><br />
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpi.12186/pdf" target="_blank">Dun-Xian Tan, Russel J. Reiter and Lucien C. Manchester</a><br />
<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpi.12186/pdf" target="_blank">Accepted manuscript online: 27 SEP 2014 01:25AM EST</a></div>
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<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jpi.12186/pdf" target="_blank">Journal of Pineal Research </a></div>
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Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-11049999410632386352013-02-10T22:46:00.001-05:002013-02-10T22:46:48.041-05:00The Leidenfrost Effect<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've observed this many times but haven't really thought about what is happening. When you drop water on a stove burner that is at the right temperature, they form little beads that skitter around on the burner and only slowly get smaller. What is happening is referred to as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leidenfrost_effect" target="_blank">Leidenfrost effect</a>. When a liquid comes in contact with a mass significantly higher than its boiling point, a layer of vapor insulates the liquid and prevents it from boiling, at least for a little while.<br />
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I came across this interesting video demonstrating the effect when dropping a red hot metal (Nickel) ball into water. For a while you can see a thin layer of vapor surrounding the ball. Eventually, the insulating effect is overwhelmed as the ball cools and the water is not vaporizing instantaneously. After this the water boils furiously.<br />
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Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-7247670215491351262013-02-07T21:30:00.000-05:002013-02-07T21:30:18.371-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b>50 Things to do before you're 11 3/4</b><br />
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While looking at the UK National Trust site about Stowe Gardens I came across a National Trust website that encourages kids to get outside and experience nature. Its called <a href="https://www.50things.org.uk/parents-area.aspx" target="_blank">50 Things to do before you're 11 3/4</a> and it uses badges and a list of activities to motivate kids and their parents to experience the outdoors. The British always seem to be ahead of us when it comes to natural history, more walkers, birdwatchers and amateur naturalists per capita...at least it seems so to me. Maybe there is more of an appreciation of the natural world because there is less wilderness. In America, we have so much that it is sometimes taken for granted.<br />
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Kids are naturally curious. The infinite variety and potential for discovery in the outdoors is the perfect place to satisfy that curiosity.<br />
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Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-27159624081118889022013-02-06T23:48:00.001-05:002013-02-07T21:04:19.502-05:00Temple of British Worthies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I checked a book out of the Library called A Global History of Architecture by Ching et al. I am reading about Stowe Gardens in England and am interested in a structure called Temple of the British Worthies - a shrine to Great Britons. There are 16 individuals depicted on the shrine among them Shakespeare, John Milton and Alexander Pope. Others like the Architect Inigo Jones I had never heard of before. When I have a bit of time I'll look them all up and see what they did . Since this was built in the 18th Century it reflects the ideals of the Age. I wonder who would make it to a 21st Century Temple of British Worthies or a Global list?<br />
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<a href="http://faculty.bsc.edu/jtatter/worthies.html" target="_blank">Page on the Temple and links to the other sights at Stowe</a> <br />
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<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATemple_of_British_Worthies_-_geograph.org.uk_-_643854.jpg" title="David M Jones [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Temple of British Worthies - geograph.org.uk - 643854" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Temple_of_British_Worthies_-_geograph.org.uk_-_643854.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-43602525772316612232013-01-27T12:30:00.001-05:002013-01-27T12:30:57.297-05:00<b>Meet the Lobster Moth</b><br />
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I came across a picture of this unusual moth caterpillar called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster_Moth">Lobster Moth</a> or Lobster Prominent (<i>Stauropis fagi</i>). I've never seen anything like it. Its front legs are huge and it really looks like some alien creature. The adult moth is a nondescript Notodontid found throughout the Palearctic that looks like many species I find outside my house. Some of the local species have pretty unusual looking caterpillars with weird humps and tentacles, but nothing like this species.<br />
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Interesting video on the reappearance of wildlife in the evacuation zone of Chernobyl. Tweny Six years ago 300,000 people were evacuated from the area around the nuclear reactor. The re-wilding of the area is an interesting subject. The animals in the zone have very high levels of radiation, however there have been few malformations observed. Over time perhaps more radiation-resistant animals will flourish as those more sensitive will die at a differentially higher rate. Alternatively, a tremendous amount of unobserved damage may be occuring. I wonder how the radiation affects things like the bacterial and fungal communities in the soil. An interesting anecdote was that radioactive mushrooms collected in the evacuation area occasionally make it to markets in populated areas.<br />
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I'm wondering about the parallels to Fukashima.<br />
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Hopefully, EarthFirst or some other radical environmentalist group never gets a nuke or radiological weapon. One could imagine a future scenario, where in order to exclude people from some area, they paradoxically contaminate it to (partially) save it.<br />
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Here's my movie script idea - Radical group seeks to "save" large swaths of the planet from human habitat destruction by radiological contamination. Crowdsource the script.<br />
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<a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/life-after-chernobyl-sergei-gaschaks-photography-from-inside-the-zone-8467725.html">http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/life-after-chernobyl-sergei-gaschaks-photography-from-inside-the-zone-8467725.html</a> Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-69839530613631027712012-12-23T08:47:00.001-05:002012-12-23T08:48:14.732-05:00Wingless MothHere's a photo from a few weeks ago of a wingless female Fall Cankerworm Moth. Only the males fly in this species. They must find the females via pheromones. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtpRp2BfPtKuKGqdXT1P-1gZRFUrAhJqnPOYexTEYQ4DjiRdRaZDgoj__trbHkwvzivliS_2hBNyarvPcoI4-jLw1PqDd29R2h2DL4jpU0Bk_LJItEGGyuM2ALPpS5Zn9tzsNGA/s640/blogger-image-989354690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVtpRp2BfPtKuKGqdXT1P-1gZRFUrAhJqnPOYexTEYQ4DjiRdRaZDgoj__trbHkwvzivliS_2hBNyarvPcoI4-jLw1PqDd29R2h2DL4jpU0Bk_LJItEGGyuM2ALPpS5Zn9tzsNGA/s640/blogger-image-989354690.jpg" /></a></div>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-71628369992478029152011-05-26T08:54:00.002-05:002011-05-26T09:07:16.602-05:00Global Amphibian BlitzA new citizen-science project has kicked off this week called the <a href="http://www.inaturalist.org/projects/global-amphibian-blitz">Global Amphibian Blitz</a>. It is like eBird in that it hopes to gather large amounts of distribution data via a network of observers around the world. Also like eBird it is a good way to store your observations for your personal records.<br /><br />Another interesting feature is the ability to upload photos of your observations. This is useful if you are unsure of a species identification. This allows other people to weigh in on the correct species ID.<br /><br />The first day in operation the database recorded observations of 154 species from 18 countries.<br /><br /><iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PnM3u3Jcc48" allowfullscreen="" width="640" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-91736588539700063172011-02-26T13:53:00.002-05:002011-02-26T13:59:07.872-05:00Freaky Optical IllusionThis moving pattern really messes with your vision. Very weird.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.neave.com/strobe/">http://www.neave.com/strobe/</a>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-17636403010240464622011-02-21T15:09:00.003-05:002011-02-21T15:28:15.611-05:00BBC - Chemistry, a volatile history<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQTn3zHJQsOFQE-zz87Nayj0USMYofaakXMsYLBdDdy-FQ2nK4_4uxIxXH-5otXLwQWzn1b7OFYpAEqd6QpaUkzsSK1Z4nMv6bI-fpD7whHdORqfPhp7LB7-DdZKQuRz5eseOeQ/s1600/AL-Khalili.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQTn3zHJQsOFQE-zz87Nayj0USMYofaakXMsYLBdDdy-FQ2nK4_4uxIxXH-5otXLwQWzn1b7OFYpAEqd6QpaUkzsSK1Z4nMv6bI-fpD7whHdORqfPhp7LB7-DdZKQuRz5eseOeQ/s400/AL-Khalili.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576238399058431218" border="0" /></a>I just finished watching a 3 part BBC series by Professor Jim Al-Khalili called <span style="font-weight: bold;">Chemistry, a volatile history</span>. Orignally broadcast in 2010. I particularly enjoyed going through the stories about the discovery of some of the 92 naturally occurring elements. Above Al-Khalili holds a flask containing burning Phosphorous, the first element discovered that does not occur naturally in a pure elemental form. An alchemist was attempting to transmute Urine into Gold. It took over 1000 liters of urine to produce 60 grams of phosphorous.<br /><br />The series also has the fascinating story of the creation of the periodic table and the creation of man-made elements including Plutonium.<br /><br />I found the series informative and recommend watching it, especially for students who may need a bit of inspiration while studying chemistry.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00q2mk5">BBC Page for Series</a><br /><br />The series is available to watch on Youtube, but is annoyingly split up into 6 clips per episode, I think because of Youtube's limitations.<br /><br /><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/25lprEvoFJ8" allowfullscreen="" width="640" frameborder="0" height="390"></iframe>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-70231907730070799722011-02-11T06:32:00.003-05:002013-01-27T17:06:13.986-05:00Big January<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J1xyn5hPvNglv0FgxNf9fX3x0ROkhZk9lgnB_HAC_L0OH7FwHIBt0IRKvGmP2Bw6sdvPVb16W9ozlwROAPECn9aurHLGNxSETzLpZUWGkXu5juVEKPfhuvfemEbqAAqvhOcM9g/s1600/IMG_4177.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 224px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-J1xyn5hPvNglv0FgxNf9fX3x0ROkhZk9lgnB_HAC_L0OH7FwHIBt0IRKvGmP2Bw6sdvPVb16W9ozlwROAPECn9aurHLGNxSETzLpZUWGkXu5juVEKPfhuvfemEbqAAqvhOcM9g/s400/IMG_4177.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5572402138184668482" border="0"></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Canada Geese resting on the snow - Cedar Hill Cemetary, Hartford, CT</span><br />
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My goal for January was to see at least 90 species in CT. I didn't reach my goal, but I saw lots of good birds and managed to get outside quite a bit. I also really started using eBird, both to enter my observations and to scout out new locations where others were seeing birds in the state. The deep snow definitely hampered my efforts a bit. Many trails and nature areas didn't have their parking areas plowed and still don't.<br />
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In the course of the month I discovered a few new areas for me that I will be going back to later in the season. <font style="font-weight: bold;"><br />
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</font><font>One of these new areas for me was Farmington Meadows, Riverside Cemetary in Farmington.</font> Even though I have been birding the Farmington Valley for years, I never made it over to this area before. I saw that people using eBird had been reporting various ducks there, so I went and checked it out. Even with the cold weather the Farmington River is has ice free areas, especially at the bend of the river near Riverside Cemetary. This has proven to be a reliable place to find wintering ducks. Wood Ducks especially seem to like to tuck themselves into little holes and tangles in the riverbank. The last time I visited also saw a female hooded merganser sitting on the edge of the ice preening herself. She started making low grunting noises, I think calling for the spectacular male that was downriver. He responded and flew over, landed in the water next to her then climbed up next to her like a dutiful husband.<br />
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The meadows area also has some riparian woodlands that have trails originating from Tunxis Meade Park and very large open fields on both sides of Meadow Road. Before the snow there was a group of 3 snow geese hanging out with the hundreds of Canada Geese. My last foray in the deep snow I watched 4 Wild Turkeys feeding in the fields.<br />
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Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-91500888444333739162010-11-30T14:00:00.004-05:002010-11-30T14:15:04.294-05:00Geosense - Online Geography Game<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3MPEcDLRGheM00GkdWGCyq-4dJSA8MAdeNHxNS3mjvIo65dqJhXaIJcGUj9Qy87kvWXpGNWmcYsJ6D2CIt9KsIkl_jxY9WbbxAqlhWJhc3EESjAegN4-VbWUhkBhBd2xH4iO2Q/s1600/geosense.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 177px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3MPEcDLRGheM00GkdWGCyq-4dJSA8MAdeNHxNS3mjvIo65dqJhXaIJcGUj9Qy87kvWXpGNWmcYsJ6D2CIt9KsIkl_jxY9WbbxAqlhWJhc3EESjAegN4-VbWUhkBhBd2xH4iO2Q/s400/geosense.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545423131543745874" border="0" /></a><br />I have enjoyed playing this online geography game for years. I even played it while in Iraq in 2004. It is a great way to brush up on your geography with a seemingly limitless database of obscure locations in countries around the world. You can play with several maps (World, Europe or US) and you can play alone and rack up points or you can play against someone. The target location is displayed on the top of the map and you click on the corresponding place on the map. Points are awarded for speed and how close you get to the actual location.<br /><br />I am pretty good and often pummel my opponents who don't know what continent Ghana is on, for example. I at least can locate almost every country and if I don't know the actual city or town location I can take a wild guess (Doesn't work so well for Russian locations). Interestingly I sometimes come across a prodigy who really knows their esoteric map knowledge. I have found in several instances their uncanny knowledge falls apart in the United States and they place Ohio in Arizona and I can get back on equal footing with them. Not sure why that is.<br /><br />This is a great game for kids to increase their geography knowledge substantially. The competitive nature helps keep them interested.<br /><a href="http://www.geosense.net"><br />Geosense Website</a>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-56819185061062198892010-11-29T18:23:00.004-05:002013-02-06T21:04:54.638-05:00Gigapan - Inexpensive Robotic Camera Mount<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6536012.290;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464048;pid=23305905;usg=AFHzDLvRDmHLPbMM40UCAi5QPDAG1vTsYg;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.officemax.com%252Ftechnology%252Fdigital-cameras-camcorders-accessories%252Fdigital-cameras%252Fproduct-prod3940304%253Fcm_mmc%253DPerformics-_-Technology-_-Digital%252520Cameras%252C%252520Camcorders%252520and%252520Accessories-_-Digital%252520Cameras%2526ci_src%253D14110944%2526ci_sku%253D23305905;pubid=619590;price=%24229.99;title=Nikon+Coolpix+L810+16M...;merc=OfficeMax;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.officemax.com%2Fcatalog%2Fimages%2F397x353%2F23305905i_01.jpg;width=95;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe>I came across this website and was fascinated with the images produced with even a cheap digital camera.<br />
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Gigapan Systems was established as a commercial spinoff of research from NASA and Carnegie Mellon University to produce high resolution panoramic photos.<br />
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Essentially a small robotic camera mount takes hundreds to thousands of pictures of a subject and software stitches these images together to produce a seamless high resolution image.<br />
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The model of the Gigapan system for small digital cameras is about 300 bucks.<br />
<a href="http://gigapan.org/gigapans/48492/"><br />Here's a 45 Gigapixel shot of Dubai</a><br />
<br />
North Carolina State University's Insect Museum <a href="http://www.gigapan.org/profiles/23796/">digitized hundreds of their drawers of specimens using Gigapan</a>. The snapshot feature allows for annotation of the image such as species determinations and loan requests.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-83117135502267574882010-11-23T11:24:00.002-05:002010-11-23T11:36:49.116-05:00Autotune thisI have been enjoying the creative exploits of The Gregory Brothers, who have used the Autotune program to make some hilarious videos. Their latest is a mashup of a bizarre and entertaining Adidas Video feature Slim Chin - Beast of the Far East. He sound like Malibu's most wanted.<br /><br /><object style="height: 390px; width: 640px;"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/v3bfR3RKdO0?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/v3bfR3RKdO0?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-19666147051096654142010-11-22T21:53:00.002-05:002010-11-22T22:04:54.217-05:00I know what I'm giving for ChristmasToy Exec: I need some new ideas people!!!<br /><br />Designer: How about a Dachschund that eats then takes a dump. The winner is the person with the most dog crap.<br /><br />Toy Exec: Brilliant!! Make the poop neon.<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O6nmHzPCTdw?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O6nmHzPCTdw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />via <a href="http://www.boingboing.net">Boing Boing</a>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-73144674755734084922010-11-22T12:30:00.004-05:002010-11-22T12:58:01.301-05:003-D printing in glass, metal, plasticI've been fascinated by stereolithography since I heard about it years ago. Originally it involved lasers and a polymer bath. The 3-D object literally rose out of the liquid polymer as it was being cured by the laser.<br /><br />While not exactly the same process this company <a href="http://www.shapeways.com/">ShapeWays</a> in the Netherlands looks extremely interesting. Essentially, they can bring your 3-D models to life in a variety of materials from stainless steel to glass to metal. I'm thinking this would be a great thing to use to teach kids or adults to use the 3-D modeling software packages.<br /><br />In the past prototyping was an expensive process and was a barrier to entry. Now someone at home with an idea for a widget has the capability to get it done cheaply and professionally.<br /><br />Video showing huge stereolithography machine making a car bumper prototype<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ky87zxNy1oo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ky87zxNy1oo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-86520794388434517502010-11-19T23:30:00.002-05:002010-11-19T23:44:30.506-05:00History of the World in 100 Objects<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcmORXOPKMswkIgdaaRUYEyfIPt8owHJtDW0iJ8YXjViL-mJKJVj1uIZ0G0noTJvA7ObTZOi2s9q_3EdEythNLOZwiSVnlwaDbv8ruiZrlzSezNvTpX06nKBnlkUa5RuXsH3KpA/s1600/ahow.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcmORXOPKMswkIgdaaRUYEyfIPt8owHJtDW0iJ8YXjViL-mJKJVj1uIZ0G0noTJvA7ObTZOi2s9q_3EdEythNLOZwiSVnlwaDbv8ruiZrlzSezNvTpX06nKBnlkUa5RuXsH3KpA/s400/ahow.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541488152751813250" border="0" /></a><br />I've been listening to this BBC Radio 4 series, broken up into 15 minute segments called the History of the World in 100 Objects. The director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor tells the story of history through 100 objects from the Museum collection. He uses an individual object as a jumping off point for great themes of human history. Each object has an associated page where you can examine the object in detail. Very worthwhile.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/">Radio 4 History of the World Homepage</a>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-55596711859314525332008-08-03T13:58:00.005-05:002008-08-03T14:59:57.408-05:00Beetle Sumo - Go Heracross!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktgraI1SuE_NMu4KTftUO3jw491C2_FYTzKpVewgw-nR21Znke-e6Vfb3kCaKTRfABtPSWjUbMB6ImXz50DwA3t7gkm4b9ACZ0A07fIvdM0298G9-MNVK95EXJ746t9S8iaYwQg/s1600-h/214Heracross.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5230371968686023234" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgktgraI1SuE_NMu4KTftUO3jw491C2_FYTzKpVewgw-nR21Znke-e6Vfb3kCaKTRfABtPSWjUbMB6ImXz50DwA3t7gkm4b9ACZ0A07fIvdM0298G9-MNVK95EXJ746t9S8iaYwQg/s320/214Heracross.png" border="0" /></a><br />Here's a video about The Beetle Battle Event in Japan. It looks like they use a variety of rhinoceros and hercules beetles. Note the perfect form in the video of a beetle doing a suplex. There is a pokemon-like thing going on. The kid talking about his beetle fighting so hard for him could just as well be talking about Pikachu or should I say Heracross. In fact there is a pokemon-like game involving various beetles called <a href="http://web-japan.org/trends/arts/art050513.html#">Mushiking</a> which is very popular in Japan. Pet insects are also extremely popular in Japan. There are magazines devoted to them and some are even sold in vending machines.<br /><br />Some people in Japan are <a href="http://www.gettingit.com/article/350">particularly nutty </a>about spending giant amounts of money on rare beetles, especially really large Stag Beetles (Lucanidae). Mushiking, has apparently accelerated this with hundreds of thousands of Stag Beetles and Rhinoceros Beetles being imported yearly. Many enthusiasts rear the beetles, but most are caught in the wild. Apparently a subspecies of a large eurasian Stag Beetle species is being overcollected in Turkey to fuel the Japanese market. The high price commanded by the beetles has even <a href="http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-3818086/FEATURE-Japanese-stag-beetle-boom.html">spawned a black market</a>, with would-be beetle dealers smuggling live beetles out of places like national parks in Nepal.<br /><br /><embed name="flashObj" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=" src="http://services.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f8/452319854" width="486" height="412" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=1705272248&playerId=452319854&viewerSecureGatewayURL=https://console.brightcove.com/services/amfgateway&servicesURL=http://services.brightcove.com/services&cdnURL=http://admin.brightcove.com&domain=embed&autoStart=false&" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" seamlesstabbing="false" swliveconnect="true"></embed>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-53965031871837908232008-07-23T20:00:00.007-05:002008-07-31T02:57:37.556-05:00Annual Training - Fort Indiantown Gap Pennsylvania<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQ3nyZ_GTZgd3V3l-qHxWNMSXzA_N2DTlDTFoWCbA48qep7CHkXX8J2yRs-214ApJzw1sWHPCyfM6v8px_aDj54TI1wk8xfw5fkcvrie3Kamp4Q1lGnvMHh7IjjMbnWgfZQ2Byg/s1600-h/Milli.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5229051640206983506" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTQ3nyZ_GTZgd3V3l-qHxWNMSXzA_N2DTlDTFoWCbA48qep7CHkXX8J2yRs-214ApJzw1sWHPCyfM6v8px_aDj54TI1wk8xfw5fkcvrie3Kamp4Q1lGnvMHh7IjjMbnWgfZQ2Byg/s320/Milli.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>I just spent about two weeks with my Army National Guard unit at Fort <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Indiantown</span> Gap, PA. This large PA National Guard training area has lots of interesting wildlife, including the only eastern population of the <a href="http://www.gpnc.org/regal.htm">Regal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fritillary</span></a>, a large orange butterfly. There were a few public butterfly walks, but I was training at the time. The base has a very active <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS206404+12-May-2008+PRN20080512">conservation management program</a> and The Nature Conservancy sponsored by the National Guard has been conducting studies on the butterfly and its management since 1992.<br /></div><br /><div>I've been to the Gap about 5 times in the last 10 years and have had some good wildlife sightings here. This is the only place I have ever seen two particular species of salamanders, the <a href="http://www.marshall.edu/herp/salamanders/northern_red.htm">Northern Red Salamander </a>and the <a href="http://www.pingleton.com/field/071605/longtail2.JPG">Long-tailed salamander</a>. Both are pretty striking species.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>My unit's field exercise was next to a large area that is maintained as a grassland. There were quite a few <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Grasshopper_Sparrow.html">Grasshopper Sparrows</a>, <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Field_Sparrow_dtl.html">Field Sparrows </a>and <a href="http://www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGuide/Eastern_Meadowlark.html#coolfacts">Eastern Meadowlarks </a>singing in the area as well as a pair of resident <a href="http://sdakotabirds.com/species_photos/american_kestrel.htm">American Kestrels </a>that hunted the fields. The field we were in had butterfly weed and lots of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dogbane</span> with lots of <a href="http://www.pbase.com/crocodile/image/31938479"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Dogbane</span> Leaf Beetles</a> eating them. Some butterflies I saw were <a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/153510/bgimage">Common Buckeye</a>, Monarch, Red Admiral, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Pipevine</span> Swallowtail, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Spicebush</span> Swallowtail, Yellow Swallowtail, Zebra Swallowtail and Pearl Crescent.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I believe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">FTIG</span> has the largest intact grasslands remaining in the northeast. Disturbance from track vehicles as well as small fires started by training exercises contribute to the maintenance of the grasslands. Annual mowing also keeps the woody plants at bay. In historic times the disturbance from large herds of bison and natural and man-made fires are thought to have maintained the grasslands. The biggest drops in grassland species have been in the last 40 years as suburban sprawl is thought to have fragmented <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">remnant</span> grasslands.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>This past week I also saw quite a few large Green Scarab Beetles (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Cotinus</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">nitida</span>) buzzing around. I saw a posting from Ohio that proclaimed the annual terrorizing of gardeners and unsuspecting people outdoors had begun. Because they are large and loud and like to cruise 2 or 3 feet off the ground when flying, they frequently induce panic in those that are unfamiliar with them. I can attest to witnessing several people in my unit beating hasty retreats when the beetles appeared. Because the beetles emerge around the same time there were often 3 or 4 in the air around us at the same time. I excused myself from several conversations to chase them down and catch them.</div><div></div><br /><div>Walking on a bridge over a small stream I saw a large wood turtle sunning itself on a rock. When it gets hot, wood turtles move to the water to cool off. The only snakes I saw were Eastern Garter Snakes, which I declined to catch because of their habit of crapping on me.<br /></div><div>When I was at FTIG back in September of 2007 for a medical course I spent a few hours at the Second Mountain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Hawkwatch</span>, that is conducted on one of the ridges on the base. I saw a few Osprey, many turkey vultures and lots of migrating Monarch butterflies. I think they had 5 or 6 Bald Eagles that day, but it was before I arrived. I also took a walk down one of the trails and found quite a few large dusky salamanders and red <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">efts</span> (immature red spotted newts) as well as a spectacular large orange and black millipede (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Apheloria</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">virginiensis</span>) shown in the picture above. </div><div></div><br /><div>On my way home in September I passed through <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Swatara</span> Gap State Park where I saw some cool black anthills near the river. The surface sand was white but there must have been a coal seam just underground since all the anthills were black. Near the same location I found a few marine fossils from the Ordovician period, mostly horn corals and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">brachiopods</span>.</div><div></div><br /><div>Links:</div><br /><div><a href="http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3845/is_200801/ai_n25419449/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Lepidoptera</span> of Fort <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Indiantown</span> Gap</a> - Paper describing the unique habitats and conservation importance of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">FTIG</span>.</div><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.frg.org/HMS/HMS_TV.htm">Turkey Vulture Migration Project</a> - radio tracking TVs in Pennsylvania</div><br /><br /><div><a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/collecting/lehmann.pdf"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">PaleoEcology</span> of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Swatara</span> Gap Fauna</a></div></div></div>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-72492400101547334082008-07-09T13:28:00.002-05:002008-07-09T14:32:26.310-05:00Public Data - Mining for GoldI saw an <a href="http://blogs.chron.com/houstonpolitics/2008/07/local_government_payroll_searc_1.html">interesting story</a> about how the Houston Chronicle has put the entire database of the names and salaries of 81,000 city of Houston employees online. Though all this is public data, they have put it all in one place for everyone to play with. I particularly love <a href="http://blogs.chron.com/houstonpolitics/hcc_cost_estimate.pdf">this estimate </a>from Houston Community College of how much labor it would take to compile the data. 70 hours of programming and validation seem a little steep to join a table or two. Perhaps there we vacuum tubes and punch cards involved. I imagine it created quite a bit of angst for some on the payroll. Among the fascinating tidbits, someone made almost<a href="http://www.chron.com/databases/publicemployeepay.html?&RecordID=&PageID=2&PrevPageID=2&cpipage=1&CPIsortType=asc&CPIorderby=OVERTIME"> $100,000 in overtime </a>in 1 year and the superintendent of schools made twice what the mayor did . Where do I apply? This is some serious territory for the <a href="http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2007/08/02/data-visualization-modern-approaches/">data visualization </a>folks. So many things can be done with this. Salary mapping by agency and district just scratches the surface. Of course the Chronicle is hoping to get some more story tips from the public miners of public data.<br /><br />Journalists are becoming much more sophisticated in analyzing this type of data. <a href="http://analyticjournalism.blogharbor.com/blog">The Institute for Analytical Journalism </a>appears to be an organization that promotes this. Using network analysis, spatial statistics, GIS and various data mining algorithms all have huge potential to unlock patterns and actionable knowledge, not only in journalism but in many domains.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-85697754926755107882008-07-07T07:56:00.005-05:002008-07-07T09:08:17.708-05:00Newspaper stand to the world - Kidon-Media<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcuBucrUncjGLA40kbwo56Gvx-61bstzIM72qSQhykPEZPRN4V-s2SsgXo0IDGV6-kU0E2tSta7v4yH8viw7eIA-zj8rWHJSQzzC9GrrDCvC0LCWpkzIZ8GXRrIZnj5H7-IUEJQ/s1600-h/ratattack.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5220265060826779090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimcuBucrUncjGLA40kbwo56Gvx-61bstzIM72qSQhykPEZPRN4V-s2SsgXo0IDGV6-kU0E2tSta7v4yH8viw7eIA-zj8rWHJSQzzC9GrrDCvC0LCWpkzIZ8GXRrIZnj5H7-IUEJQ/s320/ratattack.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div>You're not going to see this on TV or in your local US paper. <a href="http://www.thevoicebw.com/index.php/Frontpage-Story/Frontpage.html">Rats are eating the mail in Francistown, Botswana</a>. </div><div> </div><div><strong>"Instead of finding their mail neatly packed in the boxes, customers are met with chicken bones, used plastic forks and messed us papers" - Botswana Gazette</strong></div><div> </div><div>This is stuff I want to know! I don't care about the minutiae of some second rate starlet's life. This is what makes life interesting. This is the meat and potatoes of an true global infovore, not a rehash of the same old thing, with a thousand minor permutations. Creativity is often seen as the intersection of two previously unlinked ideas. Rats....mail.....chicken bones......plastic forks.....EUREKA!!!!!. Reading this type of thing is bound to spark a veritable lightning storm of creativity.</div><div> </div><div>For years I've been going to the Dutch website <a href="http://www.kidon.com/media-link/index.php">Kidon-media link </a>whenever I want a more in depth and local idea about things that are going on in the world. Unfortunately much of the world news in the US is really what are Americans doing in other countries. With the advent of passable machine translation it is possible to expand your reading far beyond your local language. I first used Altavista (now yahoo) <a href="http://babelfish.yahoo.com/?fr=avbbf-us">Babelfish</a> then switched to <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate_t?hl=en">google's translation applications </a>a few years ago. Teaming up Kidon and Google allows access to media in many major languages. Also many countries have at least one English language paper which can often be accessed online. Globally accessible media allows people to stay connected to their communities no matter where they live. I'm not sure if this is true but it seems that some languages like Chinese are much more amenable to machine translation. Perhaps there is less left to guessing or force fitting for the machine or there are less ambiguous idiomatic expressions. For a language like Arabic, MT is still useful, but the translations are often less satisfying.</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Of course, learning the language makes for the best experience. I've liked using the <a href="http://www.rosettastone.com/">Rosetta Stone</a> products. Since I am a member of the military I have access to all the Rosetta Stone products through the Army web portal called AKO. The method of instruction and feedback is so intuitive that my children can easily master a module on counting in Hindi or learning the colors or Animals in Mandarin Chinese. The modules get progressively harder and sometimes it takes me a while to figure out what is trying to be communicated. I've focused primarily on Arabic and Spanish. I think its a great way to learn a lot of vocabulary, but I'm thinking that more advanced conversation requires a bit more. </div><div> </div>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-7172292507053215662008-07-01T13:39:00.003-05:002008-07-01T14:32:49.682-05:00Eye in the SkyI always like looking at the satellite tracking maps attached to all manner of beasts. From <a href="http://gis-lab.info/projects/piskulka-eng.html">tracking geese from Siberia to Iraq</a> with attached satellite transmitters or looking in on the secret life of the <a href="http://www.microwavetelemetry.com/newsletters/spring_2007Page5.pdf">Ocean Sunfish via popoff sensors </a>with GPS, these devices are giving us huge amounts of valuable information on migration routes, stop overs and home ranges. There is also potential for its use (and misuse) with people. I particularly like this application to make an emotional map of a city using <a href="http://biomapping.net/">GPS and glavanic skin response</a>. With more and more people with GPS enabled devices from cameras to cell phones to cars a huge amount of temporospatial data is being generated. You have to know that data aggregators like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acxiom">Acxiom</a> and big brother would love to put that data in your file and correlate it with where and how you spend your money or even better how you might feel about it.Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-40337432098628465022008-06-17T06:56:00.009-05:002008-06-17T10:06:50.068-05:00Meet the Neighbors - Saw-Combed Dark Fishfly<a href="http://www.lesinsectesduquebec.com/insecta/23-neuroptera/nigronia_serricornis-2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212865695331185602" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjffpKAkaTK5YitiPGG3ST11034iRXvNd-Gbmc6QS8s1vzDoJtvwCVyN6khCdTUeqe69zIg5ls3q7FlJy0jXT3FKQVZjsC5b3S6bjmrMdi8pz1H58WjfF-q33dsOf1we9iGFwx8rw/s320/nigronia_serricornis-2%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div><div>I was walking the dog a few days ago by Dickinson Creek, a stream that runs next to our property. I noticed a large smoky colored fishfly fluttering along the edge of the water. It was conspicious in that it had large white patches on its wings. This suggested a visual component in their mating system.<br /></div><div>After a few minutes it was apparent that there were several dozen of these large insects flying around. It looks A particularly interesting behaviour I have never seen before was that some insects fluttered up higher in the air, some into the overhanging treetops 40 or 50 feet up. Some of the high fliers flattened their wings into a fixed position and glided downward, until they reached the ground. Perhaps this was a display flight. Apparently an alternate French Name is Corydale papillon or Butterfly Fishfly.</div><div></div><br /><div>I think the species is Nigronia serricornis. </div><div></div><br /><div>According to a <a href="http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.02876.x?cookieSet=1&journalCode=mec">paper on post-glacial range expansion</a> by He the Connecticut population of this species moved up the coast from North Carolina in a contiguous range expansion. Genetic diversity, as in many species of plants and animals thought to have expanded their range from the south after the Wisconsonian Glaciation, decreases from South to North. This second paper by Soltis et al. from 1996 titled <a href="http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/showPdf?submitPDF=Full+Text+PDF+%28486+KB%29&doi=10.1111%2Fj.1365-294X.2006.03061.x">Comparative phylogeography of unglaciated Eastern North America </a>is a fascinating synthesis of many studies investigating how genetic differences in populations of the same species yield clues to population disperals after the last major glaciation.</div><br /><div><a href="http://bugguide.net/node/view/40329/bgimage">BugGuide.net </a>- a great reference, especially if you know the order or family your looking for.</div><div><a href="http://www.troutnut.com/specimen/754">Troutnut.com </a>- Specializing in aquatic insects with fantastic photos.</div><div><a href="http://employees.oneonta.edu/heilvejs/index.html">Dr. Jeffrey Heilveil</a> - Assistant Professor at SUNY Oneonta, has studied population dynamics of Nigronia serricornis.</div></div></div>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11841961.post-2747399679465678432008-06-11T03:44:00.004-05:002008-06-11T04:05:36.716-05:00Re-Animation - Resurrection of Tasmanian Tiger gene function in a mouse modelFor the first time, a gene from an extinct animal has been inserted into a living animal to assess gene function. Not quite Jurassic Park, but very interesting.<br /><br />The Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger became extinct in 1936 when the last one died in captivity. The species had been among the living dead for decades before. Neaderthal DNA has been partially sequenced. I wonder how long before investigators begin gene function research.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520090547.htm">Link to Science Daily Article</a><br /><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0002240">Link to PLoS article</a>Jonathanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00089939672571826874noreply@blogger.com0