Community blog entries

Finite possibilities of the finite element method

October 16, 2009 by popiol

Recently, I have been on a conference of young scientists in Warsaw. These were great three days of meeting people, eating, drinking, sightseeing, and, occasionally, watching some presentations. I didn't prepare anything myself, but it was still a good opportunity to see what other PhD students work on, and how they handle all the difficulties caused by the imperfect system of higher education in Poland (mainly related to money). One of the precious observations I have made during the conference is that engineers are not as fond of the finite element method as I had imagined. This is a great news for me because I want to put a lot of effort to improve the FEM by making it easier to use, and, this way, available for more people. Let me share with you some of my thoughts.

Collagen: not just a requirement for aging socialites or fashionistas?

October 16, 2009 by DuncanAzzopardi

A new review published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN) shows how stem cell based therapies in mice can slow down the progression of kidney disease in Alport Syndrome: “Stem Cell Therapies Benefit Alport Syndrome” LeBleu V et al, 2009.

What Is Reality?

October 16, 2009 by Ayad

What is reality?

You may say, ‘All that is real, is reality.’ And, by the word ‘real’, I understand, all that can be seen, felt or heard. So, for example, if I see a flower in front of me, then it is obviously real. No one can seriously doubt that fact! No one can seriously say that the flower is not ‘real’.

Really?

Diagnosing Tietze's Syndrome Requires Multiple Tests, New Study Reports

October 14, 2009 by Mihc

Tietze's syndrome--a painful disorder of the costal cartilage--can mimic a heart attack, pulmonary blood clots, or even psychological stress. Diagnosing the disorder is often a matter of ruling out what disorders a patient doesn't have, and reaching a diagnosis by exclusion.

Recruiting Laboratory Participants

October 13, 2009 by coglanglab

Where do research participants come from?

I am in the process of revamping the Internet laboratory, as I'm trying to increase the number of participants. Some very successful websites recruit ~500/day. I have been averaging about 30/day -- still respectable, but it limits what I can do.

No Data, No Results, No Problem, No Bel!

October 9, 2009 by Renaisauce

As a fan of professional science, I was thrilled to hear that the Nobel Peace Prize was offered to President Obama, and not just because I want to hear someone yell "you lie!" during his speech in Oslo before getting tazed by agents of the King. My hope is that the bold initiative taken by the Peace Prize committee will finally extend to all the other Nobel categories.