Name: Jolene Chang Title: The Mechanism of Agrin's Function in Synaptogenesis Degree: MD/PhD program at UC Davis, with a PhD in Neuroscience. Graduate student Expected graduation date: 2011 My PhD dissertation is on the subject of synaptogenesis, studying the molecular cues involved in synapse formation and differentiation that is essential for the developing nervous system. Specifically, our lab studies agrin, a heparan sulfate proteoglycan that has been widely studied for its synaptogenic effects, especially at the neuromuscular junction. My project studies agrin's function in synaptogenesis in the peripheral nervous system. In this dance, I represent a motile growth cone, an immature neuron searching for its postsynaptic partner to form a synapse. It starts out as a slow awakening, as the growth cone explores its environment. As a growth cone responds to guidance cues in its environment, the growth cone in the video responds to the music with an ebb and flow that reflects the stochastic movement of a growth cone's exploratory path. The nude colored leotard represents the yet-to-be myelinated neuron, decorated with open circles to depict synaptic vesicles characteristic of a presynaptic neuron. The other dancers represent other neurons that serve as possible postsynaptic targets. The growth cone interacts with each target by dancing with them briefly before turning away as the search for the "correct" postsynaptic target continues. The last postsynaptic target is dressed in complementary colors as the growth cone to symbolize complementary molecular cues that direct the final steps of synaptogenesis. The final dip signals that a successful synapse has formed, and synapse formation is complete. Our collective stats for the five of us in the studio filming this video: Collective education (earned and ongoing): one Masters in Computer Science, two PhD's in Neuroscience, one PhD in Physiology, one medical (MD) degree, one veterinary (DVM) degree. Collective dance experience: 17 years and three months of ballet, one quarter of Renaissance dance, a smattering of swing experience. For more detailed information, click here for more information on my website: http://snurl.com/54wdm

Photos of horses affected by DSLD (Degenerative Suspensory Ligament Desmitis), more recently termed ESPA (Equine Systemic Proteoglycan Accumulation) as it has been shown to affect much more than the legs. ESPA is a connective tissue disease and has been found in the tendons & ligaments throughout the body as well as the eyes, and aorta. For more info, visit http://dsldequine.info/

Visit http://www.heparinrecall.info for more information on this heparin recall. If you or someone you know has been injured by contaminated heparin, you may be entitled to a CASH settlement. Although used principally in medicine for anticoagulation, the true physiological role in the body remains unclear, because blood anti-coagulation is achieved mostly by endothelial cell-derived heparan sulfate proteoglycans.[3] Heparin is usually stored within the secretory granules of mast cells and released only into the vasculature at sites of tissue injury

Glucosamine stimulates chondrocytes to produce more collagen and proteoglycans. The more glucosamine there is, the more collagen and proteoglycans there are in bone joints and tissues, with more water being absorbed. The result is healthier cartilage with greater ease of movement. AIM Frame Essentials® contains two types of glucosamine, with methylsulfonylmethane and boswellin extract included in our formula for a combined, enhanced effect.

Some animals eat both plants and animals. They are omnivores . There has never been a culture that has thrived as vegetarians.. Depending mostly on climate conditions, the ratio of plant to animal intake varies. In colder and more severe environments, the meat in-take is usually much larger. This primarily occurs for two reasons: 1)plants won't grow. You can't eat what isn't there. (Ask an Eskimo. He'll know.) 2)the concentration of nutrients is much higher in meat than in vegetables. This means you can harvest less tonnage of food. It also means the culture can have less of an impact on the environment (then if they cut their meat in-take and became more herbivore-like.) Because of "survival of the fittest," there has never been a culture of herbivores. A human that tries to become a herbivore will cause physical damage to their neurological (and other) systems. A culture of herbivores would eventually wipe itself out. The easier the catch, the more an omnivorous culture will thrive. Fishing tribes are often good examples of what plentiful meat can do to better society. Teeth •32 teeth (16 on each jaw) •20 of these are carnivore type •These 20 are incisors, canines, and bicuspids for biting off pieces of animal flesh and crushing small, hallow bones and cartilage 12 of our 32 teeth are broad and flat for grinding. Interestingly in many cases, four of these 12 molars will not be able to fit in the spaces of jaws designated for posterior teeth. Human Evolutionary patterns may be showing us that only eight molars are sufficient for grinding the plant portions of the natural diet. Jaw motion •A carnivores jaw open straight up and down like a pure hinge. There are no circular, side to side motions as in chewing cud. The jaw opens wide in relation to the skull. •A herbivores jaw works in a circular motion and the jaw opens short in relation to its size. •The human jaw joint does both the Sliding movement and the pure hinge. The TMJ is labeled medically as a sliding/hinge joint Full size mammals like cows and deer are herbivores are ruminants. •Ruminants have complex stomachs made up of three to four chambers. •Ruminants must periodically regurgitate plant matter back up into the mouth for additional chewing. •Human dont have multiple stomachs or have special enzymes and bacteria for digesting plant matter. In the stomach, hydrochloric acid and various pepsinogens are produced by cells in the lining and act together to form pepsin. The purpose of pepsin is to digest COLLEGEN, which is the substance that makes up the connective tissue of meats. Also produced in the stomach are tributyrase, which digest butterfat, and gelatinase, which liquefies the protoglycans of meat. Collagen, butterfat, and meat proteoglycans are not in plants, yet humans have special enzymes for digesting them. Various enzymes digest triglycerides, which are primarily fats from animals. This process involves the emulsification of fats by bile acids and lecithin. Finally, humans have an enzyme called cholesterol ester hydrolase for the sole purpose of digesting CHOLOESTEROL. Remember that cholesterol isnt found in plants. If humans were designed to use plants as a food source, why are there so many enzymes for digesting the parts of animals in the normal human digestive system. If humans were designed to primarily eat plants, why doesnt our digestive system have an enzyme for digesting cellulose, the primary building block of vegetation. Realize that our digestion works more like a tigers that a cow. One stomach, lots of acid, stomach empties fast. Unlike a Herbivore which has little to no acid, multiple stomach which never empty, and need to fermentate due to the lack of acid. The Eskimos ate raw meat, which is very healthy, but there is a caveat for modern society: fresh meat often contains bacteria and parasites that can cause illness, and even death, therefore it is recommended by the government that all meat should be cooked well enough to kill all such pollutants. Humans only turned to plant foods as major food sources when, due to the ever-increasing human population, herds of animals became scarce. They learned to domesticate some animals and invented agriculture. Humans are omnivores and need animal protein as well as plant foods to maintain sound health. The author of this article and Dr. Melvin E. Page recommend, ... www.westonaprice.org/traditional_diets/gorilla.html

Kakadu Juice http://kakadujuice.com/teamkakadu teamkakadu@live.com.au Some of the amazing ingredients Kakadu Plum: A favourite healthy food of the Aboriginal people. Holds the World Record for Vitamin C content. Is a phytonutrient feast full of antioxidants, folic acid, iron. Pepperberry: Hailed as the World's strongest antioxidant food. A polygodial-rich food traditionally used as a bush medicine by indigenous Aboriginals of Australia. Quandong: Has a sweet peach flavour used in gourmet cuisine. Contains vitamins, minerals & unique oils. Wild Rosella: A tasty bush flower used in jams and sauces. A truly rich antioxidant food with incredibly high levels of the 2 most active anthocyanins. Goji: A natural cornucopia of nourishing vitamins including A, C, E & B, antioxidants, amino acids, essential oils, anti-inflammatories & proteoglycans. Mangosteen: A delicious fruit full of minerals, polyphenols, polysaccharides and anti-inflammatories plus over 40 different highly concentrated antioxidant Xanthones. Pomegranate: Juicy and sweet with an abundance of anti inflammatories and many antioxidant bioflavonoids including ellagic acid. Acai: The Acai fruit grows in the Amazon rainforest and is loaded with vitamins, protein and amino acids, fibre, antioxidants, electrolytes, Omega 3, 6 & 9 oils and sterols. A health-food favourite of the native South Americans with a taste like chocolate cherries! http://kakadujuice.com/teamkakadu