i wonder what poppa neutrino is up to now?
November 5, 2010
Random Blogging
can’t put it here, have to go to poppa’s site
This guy, how he got started — he found this dog dying. he helped the dog. the dog looked at him with love, and then bit him. then died.
“ok, death is coming. what can i do before it happens?”
“This guy makes jack kerouac look like he lived with his mother, and went out on the road on weekends…”
“When you go for your three deepest desires, you know what you want to do…”
“We likes a soft deck. It’s easy to sleep on.”
“I am a snake. I’m going to bite you. Stay away from me.”
“Todd forgot about the rabbit part, If you see my rabbit face, approach me.”
“Severity was a word thrown around a lot.”
“going across the atlantic was a plan and a half.”
“Just hanging out there, trying not to go backwards.”
“Extremity in all areas. moderation in none.”
and what’s up now? think it has something to do with this.
“The shoes separated and my toes kept going…”
In Mexico, he and his family joined a circus
“We were actually sort of a hit.”
“The truck is wearing out,”
“I didn’t know where I was going, but i didn’t show that.”
A couple of years ago, an eclipse occurred on my birthday, or should I say that the other way around? Anyway, all my carefully laid plans for the evening went up in smoke. Nothing really changed though. The eclipse went through its cycle just as it was intended. It was my cycle that went through a turn I didn’t expect.
Anyway, while thinking of that, I recall another birthday, my 30th.
That day, I was in charge and the day cycled the way I had planned it. During that time, we had a major drought in the San Francisco Bay area. I don’t remember how long it lasted, but, especailly in Marin County, it was felt. Marin has a reservoir, and unlike other communities, it did not have other water piped in.
So, on that day, we did a rain dance on Mount Tam (and it rained), and we also got off the wheel of life and death — Werner Erhard had brought Karmapa to San Francisco. (that’s not the site of the present two Karmapas, both who do have sites, but rather of the Present 12th Kenting Tai Situpa, who is the main guru of Orgyen Trinlay Dorje, one of the two Karmapas, and whatever you do, don’t skip the intros, they are the best parts! but I’m getting ahead of myself)
Doing some research on all that now, so many years later, was kind of amazing. The 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpel Dorye that I remember, blessed my kids and me that day and we also watched the Black Crown ceremony.
I see, now, that there are two Karmapas – some say that’s ok, a Karmapa should easily be able to be in two places at the same time, but others, are dedicated to their chosen champion, and so even in the higher realms, among the enlightened ones, there are dualities!
But, that there is also trouble in heaven, does not make me feel better for my own sorry existence…
Anyway, seems like the black crown has been put away for a while.
I remember paying such close attention that day, not sure what I was expecting — Karmapa was said to be Buddha — probably a sign, although I can’t remember thinking that. Most likely, I thought getting off the wheel of life and death would make me feel better or different.
Surely, something. Something would happen when I was released from the cycle of life and death.
Anyway, all of my concentration was focused, in a totally attached kind of way.
And the only momentous thing that happened that I can remember, is that the Karmapa made this weird snuffing sound. Like he was clearing his nose big time – mostly something that’s not done in polite social settings.
And that was so unexpected and so sudden that my entire concentration was broken. I remember being startled and jumping out of my skin a bit. I guess that’s a good thing? the sign I was looking for?
Here, child, is your sign. A mucous filled snort to wake you up and send you on your way…
Here’s the meditation that goes with the drawing above.
So now dissolve everything to emptiness. So from emptiness, then your visualization manifests. You visualize your father on one side and your mother on another side. So all sentient beings, friends and enemies, and all sentient being, all mother sentient beings right and left and behind you like ocean of sentient beings, endless, countless. All facing same direction as you. So in front of all of you, beautiful meadow, green, flat, green. In the middle of meadow, beautiful lake filled with most sacred water we call. Something likes ‘Kan Lu’ (nectar). In the middle of that lake, wish fulfilling tree. And huge tree with four branches; one coming this way, one growing that way, one growing that way, one growing behind and one trunk in the middle. You can call it the four branches or you can call it five branches, because the middle one is trunk, you know. And the central trunk, the central branch, is the Guru; all the gurus of the lineage. So top is Buddha Vajradhara. Buddha manifests in the form of Buddha Vajradhara. In the middle is Guru Vajradhara. Your guru manifests in the form of Buddha Vajradhara. In between, all the lineage masters until your guru. So in this lineage guru then Marpa’s Guru is actually Maitripa. Because Marpa had many great masters during his three trips to India and spending twenty-one years in India , out of which sixteen years and seven months with his gurus receiving transmissions. He has many masters. And his main masters are Naropa and Maitripa. From Naropa he received the transmission of the Kagyu, that means the oral transmission which is known as Ka Shi Gyu Pa. The four mainstreams of Ka oral transmission and one of them is named as Maha Mudra. And from Maitripa he received many transmissions but he considered Maitripa particularly his Maha Mudra Ji-Kan-Sun-Shi (Vajra Guru). Okay. So now, but Tilopa and Naropa are also part of the lineage. So they are in the space. Here and there. Tilopa here and Naropa here; not in the Buddha Vajradhara to Guru Vajradhara kind of line, but it is in the space here and there, Tilopa and Naropa. And out of many great masters, one of his master is known as Khadroma Miru Key Gyen Chen that means Dakini who is adorned with ornament of human bones. And she is also his Maha Mudra master. But not in the. Not here. Not in the, you know. Not there. Not under refuge tree. And of course, the Maha Mudra teaching is the teaching of Buddha which is transmitted by great masters like Tilopa, Naropa, Maitripa etc. And the Maitripa’s teaching is known as golden rosary. Now the visualization of the masters all the orders this thangka is the most updated accurate thangka and I think it have sixteenth Gaylwa Karmapa also here. For that way it is most updated and complete thangka. And here the front branch is for the deity. So in this thangka the Khorlo Demchog and Dorje Pagmo, the Vajravarahi and Chakrasamvara in union, is practiced here. And surrounded by field of the our main Yidams. Actually our main Yidam of the lineage is Vajravarahi. The reason is although the Chakrasamvara is the king and Vajravarahi is the queen But Vajravarahi represents the wisdom and Chakrasamvara represents the method; So in our lineage Vajravarahi is which represents the wisdom is main deity because method is for what, method is to acquire wisdom; method is to awaken the primordial wisdom. Essence of all sentient being is primordial wisdom. Enlightenment is the full realization of the primordial wisdom; because of that, Vajravarahi is our main Yidam. Now the tree on the right, the branch on the right, that means the right of the refuge, not right of you. Right of the refuge is over here. Right of you over there. So right of the refuge tree which is facing you that is the Buddha, the Nirmanakaya Buddha. The Buddha, Dharmakaya, Sambhogakaya, Nirmanakaya, Svabhavikakaya is right on top on the lineage. But the Nirmanakaya Buddha, the Buddha Sakyamuni, is over there in the center. And who is surrounded by all the Buddha which is represented by Buddha of ten directions. So the branch which is behind, that is the Dharma, so all the teaching of Buddha the text. The Vinaya, Abhidharma Sutra and Tantra and all of the teachings of Buddha is in form of texts on the branch which is behind; grows behind. And in thangka you cannot draw. Therefore just symbolically, right side here and left side here few books shelves, you know, are shown. And we call it text style are shown here and that is just to symbolize; otherwise we don’t know how to draw behind it, you know. Now the left of the refuge tree which is over there, which is your right but left of the refuge tree. On that all the Sangha and holy Sangha on top and ordinary Sangha underneath. But of course holy Sangha, ordinary Sangha the difference is the Bodhisattvas like Avalokitesvara and Manjushri they are considered holy Sangha, And then all the Arhats considered second to them. They are holy Sangha too. Very very holy. So center is Avalokitesvara Bodhisattvas surrounded by other seven Bodhisattvas which are altogether known as eight Bodhisattvas. So three main Arhants are depicted here in the middle Kungawo (Ananda). And then Ananda’s right is Sariputra. And Ananda’s left is Mongalputra. So they represent the eight Bodhisattvas represent all the Bodhisattvas. And these three Arhants represent all the Arhants. So now that is the refuge tree. And now the underneath the branches, below the branches facing toward you are all the Protectors. And two-arm Mahakala is in the middle, and then surrounded by all the other Protectors of the lineage. So two-arm Mahakala is our main protector. And then in the space above, then all the masters of all the lineages. Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana all the great masters. Like clouds. Space filled with them.
10. I sometimes wonder if the Expert Fallacy is itself a fallacy itself. The difficulty lay in some experts adding value, while the bulk do not. If you can identify the difference between the two — which apparently, most folks cannot – its money.
Scripps Research Scientists Identify New Mechanism Regulating Daily Biological Rhythms
(What goes around, comes around, and, in fact, its cycles are regulated…)
In a study published November 12 in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, scientists from the Jupiter campus of The Scripps Research Institute announced that they have identified a mechanism that regulates circadian rhythm, the master clock that controls the body’s natural 24-hour cycle. These new findings may help scientists in their search for treatments for sleep disorders, diabetes, obesity as well as some types of cancer.
“It’s well known that the “nuclear receptors” RORα and REV-ERBα, regulate expression of the gene, BMAL1, which is vital to virtually every aspect of human physiology and a core component of the circadian clock,” said Tom Burris, a professor in the Department of Molecular Therapeutics at Scripps Florida who led the study. But, he added, scientists did not how…
By way of explanation, nuclear receptors are proteins that recognize and regulate genes. They have “ports,” so to speak, that scientists can either block or send a protein to bind with, for a desired effect. As a result, the receptors control an organism’s metabolism by activating gene expression.
Gene expression is the scientific term used to describe the process where the information contained in DNA is transcribed into Messenger DNA (MRNA), and then is translated into the proteins necessary to perform critical cell functions. (DNA copies itself backwards into RNA. That process is called transcription. If a gene is not transcribed, it just sits in the cell inactive).
Now, back to the study. Here’s what the Scripps study found: The variations of the distribution of the proteins RORα and REV-ERBα not only regulate the activation of BMAL1, but also of the protein, NPAS2.
And, the scientists asked, since the expression of RORα and REV-ERBα follows a 24-hour circadian pattern, with opposing phases, and leads to the correct circadian pattern of gene expression of BMAL1 and NPAS2, what is the mechanism that governs that?
“We think it’s something of a competition between these two receptors for binding to promoters (proteins that allow expression) of these genes that triggers either the activation (RORα) or repression (REV-ERBα) of the gene,” Burris said.
Learning more about this process is important, because disorders linked to dysfunctional circadian rhythms can be severe and potentially deadly.
“When you’re dealing with circadian rhythm, the most obvious disease target is sleep – for people who do shift work, critical jobs like police work, fire fighting, and medicine,” he said. “If circadian rhythm is disrupted, you’re prone to metabolic disorders like diabetes and obesity and even breast cancer – because the core clock is closely linked to the cell cycle. If your clock goes awry, you run the risk of your cell cycle going awry as well.”
Nuclear receptors have been implicated in a number of cancers, including prostate, breast, and colon cancers, and other diseases as well, including type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, and metabolic syndrome.
In addition, nuclear-receptor proteins can be influenced by specific drugs, and so they can be activated by compounds such as the sex hormones, vitamins A and D, and glucocorticoids, which modulate the body’s response to stress. Actually, Scripps scientists have already identified several new drug-like molecules that can influence both of these receptor proteins.
As more is understood about the relationship between these receptors and their gene targets, researchers can consider the possibility of modulating the body’s core clock.
The first author of the study, “Characterization of the Core Mammalian Clock Component, NPAS2, as a REV-ERBα/RORα Target Gene,” is Christine Crumbley of The Scripps Research Institute. Others authors include Yongjun Wang and Douglas J. Kojetin, also of Scripps Research. For more information, see http://www.jbc.org/content/285/46/35386.abstract
This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health.
The Scripps Research Institute, a large independent, non-profit biomedical research organization, is internationally recognized for its discoveries in immunology, molecular and cellular biology, chemistry, neurosciences, autoimmune, cardiovascular and infectious diseases, and synthetic vaccine development.
Headquartered in La Jolla, California, the institute also includes Scripps Florida, whose researchers focus on basic biomedical science, drug discovery, and technology development. Scripps Florida is located in Jupiter.
Late October, at BioFlorida’s 13th annual conference, co-host FLCURED organized a presentation, “Greasing the Skids For Clinical Trials; Making Florida a leader in New Medical Treatments given by Dr Edith Perez, deputy director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center; Terre McJoynt, director of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center; and Dr. Steven Ryder, president of Astellas Pharma Global Development.
Florida could potentially be a lab for clinical trials said both Russell Allen, president and CEO of BioFlorida and Mike Devine, director of FLCURED.
As part of the overall presentation, Dr. Perez spoke on “A National Cancer Clinical Trials System for the 21st Century: Reinvigorating the National Cancer Institute’s Cooperative Group Program.”
The clinical trial component is essential to translate new knowledge into tangible results that will benefit patients with cancer,” she said.
For the past 50 years, the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program with its Ten Cooperative Groups, which includes doctors, researchers and cancer centers, has conducted trials through networks of cancer centers and community oncology practices across the country. More than 25,000 patients and thousands of clinical investigators participate annually.
In recent years, however, “Stakeholders (people and entities that take an active roll in the clinical trials) have expressed concerns that the program is falling short of its potential to conduct timely, innovative large-scale clinical trials,” Perez said, so NCI asked the National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine to review the program.
Four goals to guide improvement were identified:
Improve the speed and efficiency of the design, launch and conduct of clinical trials.
Make optimal use of scientific innovations.
Improve selection, prioritization, support and completion of clinical trials
Foster expanded participation of both patients and physicians.
The average time required to design, improve and activate a cancer clinical trial is two years. That’s too long, since a trial concept could become outdated during that time, she said.
To improve that, the committee she served on recommended that protocol development be streamlined, coordinated and consolidated (A Clinical Trial Protocol is a document that describes the objectives, design, methodology, statistical considerations, and organization of a clinical trial).
“Processes should be streamlined for prioritizing, selecting and supporting clinical trails and for enrolling patients quickly after the trial is launched,” Perez said.
In addition, only well designed clinical trails that have the greatest possibility of improving survival and quality of life for cancer patients should be undertaken.
“A robust trial depends on the mass of physicians and patients willing to participate, but participation is not the norm,” she said.
To remedy that, clinicians should be supported and encouraged. For patients, since care costs in clinical trials by health insurers are inconsistent, consistent payment policies should be established.
“Building a Protocol Expressway: the Case of Mayo Clinic Cancer Center” was the title of Terre McJoynt’s presentation. She is the director of research operations at Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Jacksonville.
This documented the review and revision of clinical trial protocols that was done by a team of experts from Mayo Clinic, including protocol development staff and management from three Mayo Clinic campuses, a systems and procedures analyst, a quality office analyst and two physicians.
The aim was to decrease the amount of time it takes when developing the protocol to get it to submission to an approving authority, such as the National Cancer Institute or Institutional Review Board (IRB).
“We worked on removing the inconsistencies, redundancies and errors resulting from nonstandard processes, which extended the time to get clinical trials to our patients who were waiting for them,” she said.
To study the process, they defined the problem, measured and analyzed tasks, and then made improvements. The project is now in the control phase.
“We wanted to reduce the time it took to move the new ideas through the system, without neglecting quality,” she said.
Time frames for internally authored protocols were reduced to ten weeks from 25 weeks. Externally authored protocols went from 20.61 weeks to 7.79 weeks.
Some asides here: Mayo Clinic is involved in 200 new clinical trials and oversees 1,800 trials in progress yearly.
It is reported to cost approximately $1 billion dollars for pharmaceutical companies to bring an idea to market for a new drug. A one-day delay in the development of a clinical trial for a drug that ultimately becomes successful, costs the pharmaceutical company between $800,000 and $5.4 million.
Steve Ryder, president of Astellas Parma Global presented “Clinical Trial Conduct: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities.”
Some points he made:
At Astellas Parma Global Development, patient accrual has declined over the last ten years from 2 patients per site a month to .5 patients
3-8 percent of eligible patients in the U.S. participate in clinical trials
Oncology trials: 3-4 percent of eligible patients participate
At Astellas Parma Global Development, approximately half of oncology sites fail to enroll or complete a single study subject
He then gave an example of a successful clinical trial his company conducted with Moffitt Research Institute, a study of YN155 plus Decetaxel in subjects with Stage III Melanoma, sponsored by Astellas Pharma.
The contract process was kept at three months from the initial final signed contract.
The Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval process took 3 months from the initial to final IRB approval, despite multiple committees and one key revision that were closely managed, he said.
Enrollment exceeded expectations, because:
They used clinically sound and appropriate inclusion/ exclusion criteria, which were collaboratively selected by sponsor and primary investigators
There were no competing studies at the time of enrollment
They took strong collaborative efforts with active surveillance for appropriate melanoma patients, and
Because of the site location and reputation.
what made him so grumpy?
Bitch Rag 