�Fairway Medical Technologies, Inc. has received a $900,000, 3-year contract from the Department of the Navy to apply its optoacoustic technology to the real-time sensing of blood borne pathogens and biological warfare agents under battleground conditions. This grant is part of a bigger, $3 gazillion project light-emitting diode by Prof. Randolph Glickman, Principal Investigator from the University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) at San Antonio.
The assignment, entitled "Rapid identification of pathogenic agents in biological samples victimisation pulsed laser optoacoustic spectroscopy with targeted nanoparticle direct contrast agents," volition be carried out as a collaborative project betwixt UTHSC, Fairway Medical Technologies and the Naval Health Research Center Detachment Directed Energy Bioeffects Laboratory at Brooks City-Base.
"This enquiry is intended to grow a rugged battlefield instrument capable of detecting chemical and biological agents such as anthrax, plague, variola major, and others with the speed, accuracy, sensitivity and reliability of analytical techniques and instruments found in the state of the art laboratory today," said Dr. Glickman.
The optoacoustic biosensor tests samples of blood plasma or other liquids by using monoclonal antibodies (MAB) targeted to specific pathogens. "Elongated gold nanoparticles designed to strongly imbibe near-infrared laser pulses commode be conjugated to each type of MAB to create a specificity mechanism that will signal the presence of targeted pathogens," explained Dr. Alexander Oraevsky, VP of Research and Development at Fairway and an inventor of this nano-biosensor. "When the nanoparticles produce an acoustic response to optical maser pulses, the presence and concentration of the pathogens is established." Unique ultrawide-band transducers highly-developed by Fairway for medical imaging and other analytic optoacoustic systems fit the signal acquisition needs of this application, he added.
"This is an authoritative continuation of Fairway's current government and industry-sponsored research. When the R&D persona of this project is over, Fairway will manufacture the devices for the Navy and other DoD customers," aforesaid Fairway president James Meador.
"Early front line detection of biological threats using this kind of rugged field of honor system will provide critical information that can save Navy sailors and lives of other US military personnel, as well as support fast, well-informed bidding decision-making," commented Norman Barsalou, project co-investigator from the Navy Bioeffects lab. "We are proud that this collaboration betwixt the UT Health Science Center San Antonio, the Naval Health Research Center Detachment at Brooks and Fairway Medical Technologies throne move this important process ahead."
About Fairway
Privately held Fairway, which has more than doubled its manufacturing and research capacity in the past 24 months, develops and commercializes products based on proprietary or accredited technologies, and provides contract development and manufacturing services for outside clients. A portfolio company of BCM Technologies, the venture uppercase subsidiary of Baylor College of Medicine, Fairway has close relationships with most of the research institutions located in the Texas Medical Center, and has successfully orchestrated the design, development and manufacturing of scores of medical products, including FDA Class III (life supporting) devices.
Fairway Medical Technologies
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Tuesday 2 September 2008
Wednesday 13 August 2008
The worst films of the decade
A pop film site has compiled a list of the worst films from the past tenner, and John Travolta's Battlefield Earth is just one of the shameful flicks to pull in the�list.
Battlefield Earth, a critical and commercial-grade disaster and suspected Scientology vehicle starring John Travolta, was named the worst film of 2000 by www.RottenTomatoes.com.
It was a film so bad, Boxoffice Magazine's Wade Major described it as, "Utterly inane and innocuous in the virtually harmless, uninteresting way - the fruit of an overrated star's overblown ego, recklessly indulged by studio excess."
But Travolta wasn't the only vainglorious name player to lineament on the list.
High school drama Jawbreaker was named the worst film of 1998, and it starred�actress Rose McGowan.
Christian Slater also starred in 2005's worst film, Alone in the Dark. Reviewer Jovanka Vuckovic called it "overblown, inexpert gibberish".
There were no surprises as Jennifer Lopez' wide criticised Gigli was named the worst film of 2003. Empire's Simon Braund called it "torture"� and aforementioned it was "impossible to imagine how it could have been worse."
More lately, Sharon Stone's efforts in Basic Instinct 2 scored her the title for 2006, and Diane Keaton's comeback film Because I Said So was named last year's worst film.
RottenTomatoes.com's worst films from the past tenner (with trailers):
1998: Jawbreaker
1999: Chill Factor
2000: Battlefield Earth
2001: Corky Romano
2002: Ballistic: Ecks vs Sever
2003: Gigli
2004:� Twisted
2005: Alone in the Dark
2006: Basic Instinct 2
2007: Because I Said So
* What are the worst films you've seen? Do you have a pick for 2008? Post your comments below.
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Wednesday 6 August 2008
Thursday 19 June 2008
AMPAS gives students their due
Awards go to college filmmakers from nine schools
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rewarded 12 students from nine colleges and universities Saturday night at its Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills as it handed out its 35th annual Student Academy Awards.
Presenters Jason Reitman, Caleb Deschanel, Todd Holland and academy president Sid Ganis doled out the honors, which included an honorary foreign film award to Reto Caffi of Germany for the film "On the Line."
In the narrative category, the gold medal went to Rajeev Dassani for "A Day's Work," the silver to Z. Eric Yang for "The State of Sunshine" and the bronze to Melanie McGraw for "Pitstop."
The animation winners were Nicole Mitchell, "Zoologic," gold; Tatchapon Lertwirojkul, "Simulacra," silver; and Evan Mayfield, "The Visionary," bronze.
Signaled out for their documentary work were Laura Waters Hinson, "As We Forgive," gold; J.J. Adler, "Unattached," silver; and Brian Davis, "If a Body Meet a Body," bronze.
Two prizes were awarded in the alternative category: Shih-Ting Hung took the gold for "Viola: The Traveling Rooms of a Little Giant," and Phoebe Tooke collected the silver for "Circles of Confusion."
Besides trophies, the gold medal recipients received $5,000; silver were awarded $3,000; and bronze took home $2,000 each.
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Saturday 14 June 2008
Motograter
Artist: Motograter
Genre(s):
Metal
Discography:
Motograter
Year: 2003
Tracks: 22
The Texas experimental alloy play Motograter is comprised of Ghost (vocals), Smur (drums/samples), Crispy (drums/vocals) and Nuke (guitar). The angst-ridden iV hold their name from a self-built springed/percussion musical instrument that's made of cloggy cable, cranks, and gears. Their self-titled debut for Elektra appeared in May 2003.
Sunday 8 June 2008
Amy Winehouse - Winehouse Bailed After Drug Use Arrest
Amy Winehouse has been bailed after being arrested over her alleged use of hard drugs.
The singer attended a police station in London to answer questions that are thought to be related to a video clip, published in January, of her apparently smoking a pipe.
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan police confirmed a 24-year-old woman from Camden had been arrested at around 13:00 BST on Wednesday and taken to a local police station as a follow-up to evidence passed to them earlier this year.
"The woman attended a London police station by arrangement and was arrested in connection with the alleged possession of a controlled drug," the spokesperson added.
"This is in connection with an investigation connected to footage passed to the Metropolitan Police."
On January 22nd, a video and other still photography of Ms Winehouse apparently smoking crack cocaine was published by the Sun newspaper.
A spokesperson for Ms Winehouse said on Wednesday: "Amy Winehouse voluntarily attended a London police station today by appointment.
"She was arrested in order to be interviewed and is co-operating fully with inquiries.
"The interview relates to a video handed to police earlier this year."
08/05/2008 08:23:04
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Thursday 5 June 2008
Bo's influence can't be beat
Mention Bo Diddley to just about anybody, and they’ll break into that trademark, shuffling pattern that will forever be known as the Bo Diddley beat. It’s no small achievement to have rock ’n’ roll’s most recognizable rhythm named after you.
There was, of course, more to Bo Diddley than that one rhythm. Some of his most famous songs (such as “Crackin’ Up,” covered by the Rolling Stones) didn’t even use it. Another of his early hits, “Say Man,” has a fair claim as the first rap record.
But Diddley probably wouldn’t mind being remembered for a beat that’s known worldwide. Maybe in the afterlife, he’ll finally get paid for it.
Of all rock’s founding greats, Diddley was by far the most accessible: He was playing club gigs until a stroke took him off the road in May 2007. Like Chuck Berry, he often hooked up with available local bands and played with little rehearsal. But unlike Berry, he seldom walked through shows and seemed in his natural element onstage. True, Diddley gigged so hard in part because he needed to. He made it no secret that he never received a dime for his landmark Chess Records. And at his last local appearance at the Reggattabar in February 2007, he asked an overly eager photographer if he could have a cut of the profits.
Diddley penned a handful of rock classics - “Who Do You Love,” “I’m a Man” and his signature tune “Bo Diddley” among them - and he was a good enough guitarist to face off with Chuck Berry on a mid-’60s instrumental album. He was also one of rock’s genuine characters, and his music was all the better for it. The voodoo imagery in “Who Do You Love” went well outside the margins. And not many rock founders wrote about nurses who supplied good drugs during a hospital stay: Diddley pulled off that coup in the mid-’60s, though it took the New York Dolls to turn “Pills” into an underground classic. While out of the spotlight in the early ’70s, Diddley made a string of funk albums that stand with the genre’s wildest.
Diddley’s fans knew and loved his eccentric streak. I got a taste of it in 2001 when he gave a lecture/interview at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Art of the Guitar show. The presenters clearly hoped Diddley would act like a revered elder statesman and share old rock stories. Instead he went off at length about anything that came to mind until someone finally asked if he’d play “Bo Diddley,” which he did until the organizers all but pulled the plug. He livened up that night and gave the museum more rock ’n’ roll than it had bargained for.
There was, of course, more to Bo Diddley than that one rhythm. Some of his most famous songs (such as “Crackin’ Up,” covered by the Rolling Stones) didn’t even use it. Another of his early hits, “Say Man,” has a fair claim as the first rap record.
But Diddley probably wouldn’t mind being remembered for a beat that’s known worldwide. Maybe in the afterlife, he’ll finally get paid for it.
Of all rock’s founding greats, Diddley was by far the most accessible: He was playing club gigs until a stroke took him off the road in May 2007. Like Chuck Berry, he often hooked up with available local bands and played with little rehearsal. But unlike Berry, he seldom walked through shows and seemed in his natural element onstage. True, Diddley gigged so hard in part because he needed to. He made it no secret that he never received a dime for his landmark Chess Records. And at his last local appearance at the Reggattabar in February 2007, he asked an overly eager photographer if he could have a cut of the profits.
Diddley penned a handful of rock classics - “Who Do You Love,” “I’m a Man” and his signature tune “Bo Diddley” among them - and he was a good enough guitarist to face off with Chuck Berry on a mid-’60s instrumental album. He was also one of rock’s genuine characters, and his music was all the better for it. The voodoo imagery in “Who Do You Love” went well outside the margins. And not many rock founders wrote about nurses who supplied good drugs during a hospital stay: Diddley pulled off that coup in the mid-’60s, though it took the New York Dolls to turn “Pills” into an underground classic. While out of the spotlight in the early ’70s, Diddley made a string of funk albums that stand with the genre’s wildest.
Diddley’s fans knew and loved his eccentric streak. I got a taste of it in 2001 when he gave a lecture/interview at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Art of the Guitar show. The presenters clearly hoped Diddley would act like a revered elder statesman and share old rock stories. Instead he went off at length about anything that came to mind until someone finally asked if he’d play “Bo Diddley,” which he did until the organizers all but pulled the plug. He livened up that night and gave the museum more rock ’n’ roll than it had bargained for.
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