Immigrants Have Been Founded 51% of U.S. Billion-Dollar Startups

It seems that immigration is good for US business as start-ups worth $1 billion or more are started by immigrants. The Arlington-based think tank National Foundation for American Policy has carried out the research. Public data was used and the 3 highest valued were Uber Technologies, Palantir Technologies and Space Exploration Technologies and calls are now being made for visas to become more readily available for entrepreneurs.

With backing from Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, it would seem that all would back the view but some claim it is an attempt to obtain cheap labour and Donald Trump would like to see the number reduced. New legislation could mean workers need advanced degrees, 10 years experience and the expectation of lower pay than US citizens.

Getting a visa is not easy as there are 233,000 applications for 85,000 visas. 20,000 places are for American university graduates and when it comes to the rest, new entrepreneurs will struggle as many are given to those whose employers speak up for them. No employer means no chance of a visa. Many companies are late being set up as this can only happen after permanent residency is secured and then a green card obtained. Raising funds would be hard as no one would invest knowing the owner may be deported. It took Jyoti Bansal 7 years to get a green card and he could not start AppDynamics Inc. before then in case he lost his H-1B status. A two-year green card may become available and will be removed if business promises are not kept.

Scientists in Japan Made a Skin That Replicates Function of Tissue

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Scientists in Japan made a skin by first creating 3-Dimentional clusters of cells that looked like womb embryos. These embryo-like cells were then implanted into mice that had an immune deficiency. It was found that the cells grew some more. So grafts of these cells were put onto bodies of other mice. This completed the cells’ transformation into skin.

Finally, the integumentary tissue was born. This is thickly layered tissues that enable our skin to work as the biggest organ. Dr. Takashi Tsuji, the lead scientist at the RIKEN Center for Development Biology, confirmed that so far the development of artificial skin has been unsuccessful because no skin had hair follicles and exocrine glands. He continued to praise the new technique saying that they had successfully made a skin that performs just like the normal tissue.

Dr. Takashi expressed his belief that they are almost near creating real organs in the lab for transplantation purposes, and to serve as substitutes for chemical tests on animals.

Scientists in Japan Made a Skin That Replicates Function of Tissue — Scientists seeking to replicate human skin, pictured, have grown functional elements for the first time. Photograph: Steve Gschmeissner/Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF

When the experiment began, cells were extracted from the gums of mice. Then they were converted into induced pluripotent stem cells via exposure to a blend of chemicals. These cells were then forced to become EBs in the lab.

Former similar studies didn’t go beyond growing epithelial cells of the outermost skin layer.

On the other hand, Dr. Takashi’s team discovery consisted of real synthetic skin with hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. It made amazing connections with the nearby nerves and muscle tissues.

This study was published in Science Advances journal and is thought to be an answer to patients with severe burns and skin ailments.

Story Via; The Guardian

Minecraft Helps Kids With Autism Build Life Skills

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Children with ASD – autism spectrum disorder are playing Minecraft in school and the 8-11-year-olds seem like any other children at this point. Like many others, Hamish Ellen would wander around rather than settle down and look how to mine and build the surrounding area. It teaches the children the logic of progression and what steps need to be followed to get where they want to be.

Leading charity Aspect provides teachers and Craig Smith is one who has introduced Minecraft to the curriculum. He believes it helps the children understand the world around them and lessons are built around Minecraft including art, English and Science. “Minecraft in Your Classroom” is a free download they have produced.

It is estimated that 1% of the world’s population has ASD, and many find empathy for others and communication a problem. Minecraft requires interaction and it seems that many can work together within the confines of Minecraft mode. Sparkiverse Labs Jessica Koehler has found that despite initial disagreements children are finding ways to work together for the good of the game. At home, for example, Hamish and brother Harrison can put differences aside and play Minecraft together.

It has been shown that in the same way they understand the reasons for actions in Minecraft any children can bring this into the real world. Teachers are given the tools to show the children that the world around them is not as complicated or frightening as they may have thought. Judging by the happy children, it seems the plans are working.

Story Via; Cnet.com

Geologists Will Drill into Heart of Dinosaur-Killing Deep Impact

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Further research is expected to start in April in Mexico and will be focused on the 66 million-year-old Chicxulub crater that is the site where the dinosaur destroying asteroid hit the earth in Mexico. The peak ring will be the first place to be probed as scientists are still unaware as to how this circle of mountains came about despite the fact that often appear after large impact craters appear.

The researchers hope to find out how rocks were pushed down to around 30 km from the earth’s surface before bouncing back up then dropping again to leave the peak ring in place. It is more surprising as all of this happened within a matter of minutes according to Joanna Morgan who is a geophysicist at London’s Imperial College.

The expedition will last for two months, and a drill will be passed through 1,500 metres into rocks on the sea floor. It will go through carbonate rocks and then arrive at the “impact breccias.” 12 other boreholes along with wells looking for oil have already dug into the land based part of Chicxulub. So far the find includes a picture of shattered rock rings that remain as a reminder of the Earth’s most devastating day.

Geologists Will Drill into Heart of Dinosaur-Killing Deep Impact

Mexico University geophysicist Jaime Urratia-Fucugauchi admits that whatever they find it will be a big surprise. The US, Mexico, and Europe are helping fund the $10 million project and due to the shallowness of the water, the lift boat “Myrtle” will be used to make a temporary drilling platform.

Story Via; Nature.com

The World’s First Life-Saving Gene Therapy For Children Has the Green Light

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Italian scientists along with SmithGlaxoKline, are likely to have gene therapy approved for use in Europe and many children with faulty genes will benefit. Strimvelis has been endorsed by the European Medicine Agency and will help those not obtaining a bone marrow match. Each year in Europe 15 children are born unable to produce white blood cells, and two years are all they can expect to live without a bone marrow transplant. Such is the degree of weakness that the child will often be confined to a bubble in order to remain totally germ-free.

It is expected that within a couple of months, this will become only the second therapy that Europe is happy to accept. The other – Glybera from UniQure treats adults rather than children. No gene therapies have yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but Bluebird Bio is hopeful that their products will pass on to development and BristolMyersSquibb are looking at becoming involved.

The World's First Life-Saving Gene Therapy For Children Has the Green Light — A vector, which is used to transport the healthy gene into the patient’s cells, is seen in this undated handout image provided by GlaxoSmithKline on April 1, 2016. REUTERS/Grant Thompson/GSK/Handout via Reuters

This research goes back a quarter of a century and since the death of a patient in the US in 1999 and some poor trial results, there have been setbacks. It is hoped that the future is brighter. Rare Diseases Unit at GlaxoSmithKlines’ head Martin Andrews as high hopes for the future. He accepts there are challenges as the bone marrow has to be taken, altered and then returned.

Pricing is going to be problematic as the market is limited and while GSK will not comment on the cost, once marketed, Strimvelis would be priced well below $1 million.

Uncomfortable Truths About Photography

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Photography is becoming more popular as a hobby and the development of cameras on phones is helping to get people involved. However, there are still problems and they are best dealt with if they are understood from the start.

Firstly, talent does not depend on the amount of equipment used. Lenses and other accessories can add something but you need to find the subject. New equipment is only the answer if you know that what you already have is not giving you the best results. Don’t buy just because you want something new. The effort is the important thing – practice and more practice and very often a string of failed shots in the past. Getting good results can be hard work and is not luck at all.

Uncomfortable Truths About Photography

Patience is important as often there have to be specific conditions for the right shot. It’s no good expecting to turn up and get the perfect shot – be prepared to wait. It also helps if you are taking pictures because you want to not because you are getting paid. That way you snap what you want not what others ask for. Often a professional will be using less expensive items than an amateur as they can afford them when they have bills to pay.

Images should never be over processed. Make it mean something rather than become an abstract and something that not many people are going to want to look at. The final product is the important thing. Don’t obsess about the equipment but concentrate on the details.

Heart Disease Could be Limited With This New Drug

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Heart disease could soon be limited if the drug being tested stops eggs and meat having the choline turned into artery blocking compounds. Last year tests on mice showed that there will be less artery damage and less of the compound produced.

Working on bacteria in the gut seems to be showing signs of being effective according to Martin Blaser, New York University microbiologist. He feels that is will give doctors more options when it comes to the treatment they can give. He points out that atherosclerosis is a common disease, and this is one that is going to be helped. Dealing with this will lead to fewer patients suffering either strokes or heart attacks.

The latest report shows that a compound like choline will help stop TMA production there will be a suppression of the microbes making TMA from choline. Called DMB, the drug was passed to mice through drinking water, and they produced less of the chemicals. The ones who were not given it did have a build-up and risked having clogged arteries. There were no side effects and passed through the bodies of the mice quickly. It is found in red wine and olive oil and Cleveland Clinic scientist Hazen believes it is not likely to become resistant to drugs.

GUT CHECK Mice predisposed to heart disease and fed a diet high in choline — a compound found in meat and eggs — had plaque buildup in their arteries (left: plaques, red; artery, blue). Mice were also given a drug to prevent their gut microbes from breaking down the choline had much less artery clogging (right).

It is possible that it could become resistant as bacteria can evolve, and the study showed some bacteria increased while others decreased. It seems some are targeted over others, and further research is needed, and tests need to take place on humans.

Note; The compound also can be found in “olive oil and red wine “, for more info please check; French Paradox.

Story Via; sciencenews.org

How Much Money Would be Needed to Build a new New York City

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Some people are wondering how much money would be needed to build a new New York City and the surrounding area. This would include roads, trains, bridges and subways along with sewers and utilities, plus buildings and telecommunications.

To replicate the 6,000 miles of roads would be $30 billion and the subway $1 trillion. Bridges would be less so around $2.6 billion for the Verrazano Narrows, and therefore, the same can be estimated for the Manhattan Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, Triborough, Whitest0ne, George Washington, Throgs Neck, Henry Hudson, Williamsburg, Queensborough – then add on the smaller ones. All in all, around $25 billion for bridges.

Now to the buildings and we can start with the offices. The cost here could be $400 per square foot and then to the house where it will be $300 per square foot. As there is 1,300 square feet of space that are lived in and 600 million square feet classed as non-residential, it will add $630 billion to the bill.

How Much Money Would be Needed to Build a new New York City

The rest of the items mentioned above still have to be factored in and for most places they are going to need all 4 – water, electricity, sewage and communications, so this is going to add a lot.

Another $1 trillion may cover it, but due to the complexities of starting from scratch, it is hard to say if that is enough.

Now that the main issues are covered it is $2.6 trillion as New York stands. To do this on empty land, it could be as low as $1.5 trillion.

How Neanderthal Left Their Mark on Human Beings

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

It seems that some people contain a small amount of Neanderthal DNA. Pacific Island dwellers have Denisovans DNA while many others have other genes. Dr. Joshua Akey finds the area fascinating and accepts that it is going to be a hard journey to determine the extent of the differences between Neanderthals, Denisovans, and humans.

There is not a great deal of information held on the DNA of Denisovans, and there has only been knowledge of their existence for the last ten years. Part of the bone from a finger was found in Northern Siberian cave and as a result of the analysis carried out it was discovered that there are only a few people who have more than a slight amount of their DNA connected.

As Oceania and Siberia are a great distance apart, it is wondered how there has been a connection with humans. There has been debate surrounding it according to Dr. Akey when he was speaking to BBC News. It is suspected that there was a meeting in South East Asia, and then there was movement and settlement on the islands that are north of Australia. This is in contrast with humans and Neanderthals who often met across Eurasia, and their DNA lives on in the latest generations.

Non-Africans carry up to 4% of genomes from Neanderthals according to research from Svante Paabo from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology. According to Benjamin Vernot from the University of Washington Denisovans and Neanderthals travelled and we can now discover where they went.

Story Via; bbc.com

A Trash Incinerator in Norway Begins Carbon-Capture Testing

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Mehmet Hatipoglu

Since January, there have been attempts made to capture carbon dioxide from burning rubbish. In Oslo’s Klemetsrud incinerator household waste is burned and it is hoped this experiment will show a way to be successful and keep down costs. With 200 countries now agreeing to try to limit climate change, new programmes are expected. Klemtsrud already heats buildings all around the city and the aim is to use all waste that cannot be used elsewhere according to Johnny Stuen.

The intention is for 2,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year to be collected and so far there is a daily collection of 2 and a half tonnes. Espen Jorgensen, who is the site manager at Aker Solutions, says that there are restrictions on the unit preventing the figure from rising, but hopes are that this will change shortly. With luck and if the process is proved to be successful, by 2020 a plant could be built that would allow carbon dioxide to be stored below the bed of the North Sea and used to create pressure when injected into gas fields, and this will lead to increased production.

Costs are not being quoted at present and the end hope is that if the project is successful, there will be harmful emissions. If this happens, Aker Solutions will take the technology around the world as there are at present 700 waste to energy sites globally with 450 of them based in Europe.

Story Via; reuters.com

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