Prion disease found lurking in deer muscle

The infectious prions that cause Chronic Wasting Disease, an infection similar to BSE that afflicts North American deer and elk have been found in the parts of the animals that people eat. No one knows if CWD can jump to humans, but if it does hunters in affected areas might be at risk.

CWD was first diagnosed as a spongiform encephalopathy in captive deer and elk in Colorado in the 1970s, and in wild deer and elk in the region in the 1980s. But in the 1990s it spread widely within the elk farming industry, jumped to wild deer, and now affects two provinces of Canada and 13 US states.

Like the related sheep disease scrapie – though unlike BSE – CWD spreads from animal to animal, says Glenn Telling of the University of Kentucky at Lexington, US. Deer housed with infected animals, or fed infected brain experimentally, contract the disease.

Because of this there are fears that the CWD prion might be distributed widely in the deer’s tissues – as scrapie is in sheep. Efforts to find the infectious prion in the muscle of infected animals, by seeing whether antibodies to the prion could find any and bind on, have previously failed.

But Telling’s lab has now shown that diseased prions can reside in muscle of deer infected with CWD, by using transgenic mice.

Transgenic mice
The team replaced the gene for the normal mouse version of the prion protein with the normal gene from deer, so the mice made the normal, healthy deer protein. They then injected the mouse brains with tissue from infected deer. Twelve to 18 months later, the mice developed encephalopathy.

Tissues from both the infected deers' brains and thigh muscle caused disease. Muscle took slightly longer to cause disease than brain tissue, showing it had slightly less prion.

“We don’t know that it is transmitted in the wild by animals eating muscle from infected animals,” cautions Telling. “We now have to see where else the prion might be,” including saliva and even excrement, using more transgenic mice.

Brain warnings
“Because we tested deer that were already ill,” he told New Scientist, “we don’t know what the distribution of prion is in animals that are still incubating the disease.” Hunters have been warned by wildlife agencies not to kill and eat obviously ill animals, but an animal not yet showing signs of the disease might still carry the abnormal prion, albeit less of it.

It is also unknown whether people can catch encephalopathy by eating CWD-infected meat, as they can from eating BSE-tainted meat. Anecdotal reports that hunters develop the human prion disease CJD in unusual numbers have never been confirmed. State officials have issued warnings to hunters not to eat brain or spinal cord – the tissues most affected.

“If I were a hunter I would be cautious about eating deer in areas affected,” says Telling. But he notes that not much testing of wildlife has been done, and it is not clear how prevalent the infection is.

Dominant Seahawks reach first Super Bowl

SEATTLE (Jan. 22, 2006) -- Fans chanted "Super Bowl, Super Bowl" as Shaun Alexander carried the NFC championship trophy down the field at Qwest Stadium, a joyous trip that was 30 years in the making.

Alexander, a killer defense and playing on a field where they didn't lose this season, all combined perfectly to help the Seahawks rout the Carolina Panthers 34-14 in the NFC title game.

"I think we got people excited about football again here in the Pacific Northwest," coach Mike Holmgren said. "They're all coming to Detroit with us; everybody in the stadium's coming. They were great for us all year. Home-field advantage in this place means everything."

In this case, it means the Seahawks (15-3) will meet the Pittsburgh Steelers, 34-17 winners against Denver in the AFC, in the Super Bowl. That game will be played Feb. 5 at Detroit's Ford Field.

Alexander, the league's MVP, came back from a concussion he suffered last week to rush for a team playoff-record 132 yards and two touchdowns, and Seattle pressured Carolina stars Jake Delhomme and Steve Smith into oblivion.

"We have an unbelievable team, an unbelievable group of fans," Alexander said. "Prayer works. I get knocked out and guys step up. One guy goes down and another guy steps up."

The Seahawks picked off three passes in winning their 12th consecutive home game and shattering the fifth-seeded Panthers' stunning postseason road run.

"We're not done yet," said quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who was a precise 20-for-28 for 219 yards and two scores. "We've got another game we've got to go win."

A game the Seahawks approached only once, before losing the 1984 AFC Championship Game to Oakland. A dozen years later, then-owner Ken Behring was planning a move to Los Angeles.

But current owner Paul Allen stepped in, eventually getting Qwest Field built. And Holmgren, now the fifth coach to take two franchises to the Super Bowl, put together the NFC's best team.

"We've come a long way, it's taken five years to put this group together," Alexander said. "Now we are one of the elite teams."

LEGO Life Size Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite - 10,000 Bricks!

Nathan Sawaya is a professional LEGO artist and former LEGO Master Model Builder and he spent 3 months constructing a 10,000 piece, life size (6-foot-tall) replica of Han Solo Frozen in Carbonite almost entirely out of dark gray LEGOs.

If this was actually for sale I would buy one to decorate my home. Think about it. If you had one of those to greet guests at the front door, without a doubt it would make a great conversation piece.

Visit Natha Sawaya for more pictures of the replica art piece [b]here[/b].

Seahawks Deserve Respect

When is this team going to get some respect? After a 42-0 road win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks have now assured themselves at least one home field playoff game and are two wins away from securing home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. In my opinion I thought last week's game against the New York Giants and this weeks game against the Eagles which was a must win game to have any hopes of making the playoffs. Two big games and two wins for the Seahawks. Last year was a let down. This year it's no let down but how good are they going to finish the season. At the top or right near the top? I have been holding back saying they are one of the top five teams in the NFL. Well now it's safe to say that they are one of the top three teams in the NFL. Give them respect as they have improved in every area (catching the ball) that they needed to improve on and they have the best record in the NFC at 10-2.

Eagles say Owens won't return this season

Terrell Owens can take his touchdowns and dance somewhere else.

The tempestuous star receiver won't return to the Philadelphia Eagles this season -- or probably ever -- ``a result of a large number of situations that accumulated over a long period of time,'' coach Andy Reid said Monday.

Owens was suspended for Sunday night's 17-10 loss at Washington, and will remain suspended for three more games without pay. After that, the Eagles plan to deactivate him for the rest of the season.

Reid said the outspoken player ``had been warned repeatedly about the consequences of his actions.'' ``We gave Terrell every opportunity to avoid this outcome,'' he said.

Owens was suspended Saturday, two days after he said the Eagles showed ``a lack of class'' for not publicly recognizing his 100th career touchdown catch in a game on Oct. 23. In the same interview with ESPN.com on Thursday, Owens said the Eagles would be better off with Green Bay's Brett Favre at quarterback instead of Donovan McNabb.

Owens also was involved in a fight last week with former Eagles defensive end Hugh Douglas, who remains with the team as its ``ambassador.'' Owens apologized for his comments about the organization in a brief statement on Friday, but he didn't apologize to McNabb or the team.

``The league has been notified by the players' union that they will be grieving our right to take that action,'' Reid said, ``therefore there is nothing more that I can say at this point.''

Owens' agent, Drew Rosenhaus, refused to comment. Owens' relationship with the Eagles took a drastic turn after he fired longtime agent David Joseph, hired Rosenhaus and demanded a new contract just one season into the seven-year, $48.97 million deal he signed when he came to Philadelphia in March 2004.

Owens is scheduled to earn $3.25 million this season, meaning the four-game suspension would cost him almost $800,000. The Eagles will have to pay Owens nearly $1 million to stay home the final five games.

Owens will either be traded or released after the season. He is due to receive a $5 million roster bonus in March 2006, so the Eagles will decide his fate before then.

Owens made more than $9 million last season, when he helped lead Philadelphia to the Super Bowl. Two years ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers decided they'd had enough of Keyshawn Johnson and did something similar.

After Johnson criticized coach Jon Gruden, the Super Bowl champion Bucs deactivated the star receiver and sent him home for the final six games with pay.

The Eagles are 4-4 this season. And McNabb, who feuded with Owens throughout the summer and has been a constant target of his criticism, finally took a stand in the matter, saying the team might be ``better off'' without Owens.

``Obviously it is tough losing a guy of his caliber, his ability, but I think we might be better off,'' McNabb said after throwing an interception that sealed the loss to Washington.

``I think what we did tonight, we showed that we played well together. I think we also showed that when given the opportunity, guys can make plays for us. We're 4-4. We're not 1-7. I think that's the way to look at it. For the guys in the locker room, we win together and we lose together,'' he said.

Asked to elaborate on how the team could be better off without its top receiver, McNabb emphasized the remaining players are united with the same goal of winning.

``Nothing against him and his attitude. It's just that when you get out there on the field, it's about playing together,'' McNabb said. ``I think we all played with a lot of attitude and a lot of adrenaline. Guys played well together. It was unfortunate that we didn't win this game, but I think it may be a steppingstone for us to move forward.''

Rookie Reggie Brown filled in for Owens against Washington and caught five passes for 94 yards, including a 56-yard TD reception. But the Eagles' offense continued to struggle and couldn't score the tying touchdown with three shots from the Redskins 7 in the final minutes.

The Eagles are 17-5 with Owens, including a 24-21 loss to New England in the Super Bowl. In that game, Owens had nine catches for 122 yards after defying his doctor's advice and playing 6 1/2 weeks after ankle surgery.They're 2-1 without him in games that matter, winning twice in the NFC playoffs.

Owens was set to earn base salaries of $770,000 in 2006, $5.5 million in 2007, $6.5 million in 2008, $7.5 million in 2009, and $8.5 million in 2010.

This was the second time Owens has been suspended during his controversial 10-year career. In 2000, he was suspended one game by San Francisco coach Steve Mariucci following his infamous touchdown celebrations on the Dallas Cowboys' famed star logo at the center of Texas Stadium.

Owens clashed with management this summer and earned a one-week exile from training camp after a heated dispute with Reid that followed a shouting match with offensive coordinator Brad Childress.

Owens forced a trade to the Eagles last year after eight seasons with the 49ers and invigorated the offense with his superior skills. He had 77 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 TDs in 14 games, helping the Eagles to a 13-1 start and nine victories by double-digit margins.

The bad blood between Owens and McNabb began after Owens went down with a severely sprained ankle and broken leg in Week 15 against Dallas. Owens was upset that McNabb and other players said the Eagles could reach the Super Bowl without him, which they did.

Soon after Philadelphia lost to the Patriots, Owens took his first shot at McNabb, suggesting the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback was tired in the fourth quarter of the loss.

McNabb responded harshly and the two didn't speak for a prolonged period in training camp. They eventually reconciled their relationship and performed well together on the field -- Owens has 47 catches for 763 yards and six TDs this season.

However, Owens continued to throw verbal jabs at McNabb during his weekly radio show or whenever he granted interviews.

A Sad Statistic For The Golden Gate

The Allure of the Golden Gate.....for Suicides

I really was shocked when I came across this article. I know the Golden Gate in San Franisco has had many suicides unfortunately to it's acclaim, but these chronicle graphics just shocked me.

*Suicides by location. This data is based on The Chronicle's review of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District records.



*Suicides by year. This data is based on The Chronicle's review of Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District records. Chronicle Graphic by Todd Trumbull

20 Years of Windows

from: PCMag.com

Windows is so ubiquitous that we often take it for granted. It's the operating system used on nearly 95 percent of all the desktops and notebooks sold worldwide, relegating other OSs to niche players. But that wasn't always the case. Indeed, when Windows first shipped, 20 years ago this month, it was considered nothing more than a slow operating environment that had arrived late to the party, well behind the industry leaders, Apple and Xerox PARC. Windows had a lot of growing up to do.

Though it is now the industry standard, Windows is still not everything we—or Microsoft—would like it to be. With its 20th anniversary approaching, I visited Microsoft's headquarters recently to talk with the team behind Windows—to get reflections on the key moments in its evolution, its position in the market today, and what lies in store for its future.

Read the rest of the article here and PC Mag's Windows' 20th Anniversary Dedication site.

Cities Take on Wi-Fi Challenge

from Yahoo News

The City of Philadelphia is taking the next step in its ambitious plan to deliver wireless broadband to the masses by giving the nod to EarthLink to roll out what could be the nation's largest municipal Wi-Fi network.

It is one of a number of similar projects in the works for other cities, including San Francisco, where search giant Google (Nasdaq: GOOG - news) is mounting a bid to deliver Wi-Fi services there to "bridge the digital divide," although analysts contend that local governments face some significant challenges in bringing the projects to fruition.

Broadband Access for All

The Wireless Philadelphia effort, announced in April, is designed to provide a competitive alternative to high-speed Internet offerings through a 135-square-mile, city-wide Wi-Fi mesh network that should be fully operational by the end of 2006.

Under terms of the proposal, the network would be deployed by EarthLink, with access available at wholesale rates to any private provider, such as ISPs and telecommunications companies.

Wireless Philadelphia will not sell access to the network directly to individuals or businesses. Free access will be provided in public spaces, such as parks and common areas.

Service providers will determine residential and small-business access, with basic service expected to cost $16 to $20 per month. A discounted rate would be offered to low-income subscribers.

Read the rest of the article [b]here[/b].

Baby Colby!!!

Congrats to Emily and Joe Johnston on the birth of their child Colby this past weekend. You can view more pictures of the baby and happy parents at The IdioTs Photo Album [b]here[/b].

Toshiba Develops Prototype Direct Methanol Fuel Cell for Portable Audio Player

Toshiba, the world leader in fuel-cell technology for handheld electronic devices, today announced that it has developed two prototype direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) units and begun tests to validate their operation with mobile audio players. Each unit integrates the DMFC that Toshiba announced in June 2004, the world's smallest, bringing its practical use a major step closer.

The new fuel cell units have an output power of 100mW and 300mW and have been applied to a flash-memory-based digital audio player and an HDD-based digital audio player, respectively

The 100mW unit, similar in shape and size to a pack of gum at a compact W23mm x L75mm x D10mm, can power the flash-based player for approximately 35 hours on a single 3.5ml charge of highly concentrated methanol, the fuel that drives the electricity producing chemical reaction in the fuel cell. The 300mW unit is W60mm x L75mm x D10mm and delivers enough power to keep an HDD-based audio player running for approximately 60 hours on a single 10ml charge.

Both prototype players include components related to the testing and are W35mm x L110mm x D20mm (flash memory) and W65mm x L125mm x D27mm (HDD) with the fuel cell units. These sizes can be reduced substantially by removing the extra components and applying optimal design for commercial products.

The design of the fuel cell units reflects current moves toward international standardization of micro fuel cells and meets the International Electrotechnical Commission's draft safety standards now under review.

Toshiba's DMFC features a passive fuel supply system that is suited to smaller fuel cells and use with a highly concentrated methanol solution. Fuel cells usually mix methane with water in a concentration of less than 30%, a dilution that supports generating efficiency but which requires a fuel tank that is much too big for portable equipment. Through durability and reliability tests with the new units, Toshiba will accelerate technology enhancements, including development of production technology, to support integration of DMFC into commercial products expected to appear in and after 2007.

The two prototype players and their methanol cartridges will be exhibited at the CEATEC JAPAN 2005 which will be held at Makuhari Messe, Chiba Prefecture, from October 4 to 8, 2005.

source - Fuel Cell Today