December 10, 2004
December 09, 2004
Comment spam
Every blogger is inundated with comment spam. Jay Allen's MTBlacklist works pretty well. But, it is a lot of work to update the blacklist all the time with new spam that gets through the filter.
I decided to implement a new method to stop automated spam with a plugin called SCode. It adds a verification procedure on the comment page. It is similar to the verification process used by Yahoo when you open a new account. It makes sure that a person is inputing the information and not a bot.
aNYa wrote a post about another plugin that he installed to fight spam on his blog. If the SCode plugin isn't enough to stop the spam, I'll install this additional plugin that aNYa posted about.
You spammers, burn in hell or a place of your choice!!! But, you must burn.
Very Escheresque
Check out the zoomquilt at the following link...
Quite amazing!!!
Thanks, premkudva.
December 08, 2004
Owl babies
Recently bought this book, "Owl Babies" for Ashwini. It is one of the best babybooks ever. The story is very well presented and is not boring for parents to read out to their children. The illustrations are very beautifully done. The expressions on the owl babies are very realistic and through them, one can feel their anxiety about their missing mother.
I highly recommend it for children around 2yrs and over.
December 07, 2004
BCS bowl games
The final schedule for BCS bowls is out. Texas will play Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Texas got ranked higher in BCS rankings in the last week over California. It seems that coach Mac Brown did a lot of lobbying with voters to get more votes for Texas giving them the edge over Cal. We'll be rooting for the Longhorns, but don't know if we'll get to watch any of the games in India.
QOTD
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice; in practice, there is.
Computers in 2004
Do you have one of these at home? This was supposed to be published in 1954. If this is not a hoax, someone made really really wild prediction. I wonder what that big wheel is for...
The caption at the bottom reads: Scientists from the RAND Corporation have created this model to illustrate how a "home computer" could look like in the year 2004. However the needed technology will not be economically feasible for the average home. Also the scientitsts readily admit that the computer will require not yet invented technology to actually work, but 50 years from now scientific progress is expected to solve these problems. With teletype interface and the Fortran language, the computer will be easy to use.
Promiscuous enzymes
Cytochrome P450 (CYP) are the enzymes, mostly in liver that are responsible for breaking down all the foreign chemicals that get inside the body. They take out all foreign chemicals from the bloodstream as it passes through the liver. There are many different isoforms of this enzyme. One of them, 2E1 is responsible for metabolising alcohol. The same isoform is responsible for metabolising drugs like tylenol. Hence, the warning on the bottle about not taking it with alcoholic drinks. Other isoforms also show this very broad range of substrates that they metabolise.
Grapefruit juice is an inhibitor of isoforms 3A4 and 3A5. Patients who are taking drugs (e.g. lipitor, cardiazem) that are metabolised by these isoforms are told to avoid Grapefruit juice to avoid side effects caused by high levels of drug reached because they don't get metabolised.
Conversely, certain drugs (e.g. modafinil induces CYP3A4) can induce CYP450 enzymes causing rapid metabolism of other drugs making them ineffective. Cytochrome P450 metabolism is a topic of huge interest in drug development to ensure the effectiveness of the drugs while minimising side effects and drug-drug interactions.
Usually, enzymes are very specific about what substrate they process, but, Cytochrome P450 are inherently promiscuous. They have very floppy and hydrophobic active sites to accomodate a variety of substrates. This promiscuity allows them to catch any hydrophobic molecules (mostly drugs and other chemicals). Then, it pumps oxygen into those molecules to oxidise them and make them more hydrophilic (water soluble) so that they can be excreted out of the body quickly.
December 02, 2004
Biggest panoramic photo
Ever tried taking two or three photos and stitched them together to make a panoramic view? Here is
an extreme panoramic photo taken at Delft University by a company called TNO.
modern consumer cameras can easily take a picture with 5 million pixels.
...
One with 2.5 billion pixels - that's 500 times more pixels. If this photo were printed, it would measure 6.67 m by 2.67 m (300 dpi).
