No Runny Eggs

The repository of one hard-boiled egg from the south suburbs of Milwaukee, Wisconsin (and the occassional guest-blogger). The ramblings within may or may not offend, shock and awe you, but they are what I (or my guest-bloggers) think.

Archive for February 10th, 2010

Cartilage from stem cells

by @ 18:00. Filed under Health.

(H/T – Kevin Binversie)

ScienceDaily reports that researchers at a Big Ten university found a way to do the naturally-impossible using stem cells – create new cartilage in adults:

Northwestern University researchers are the first to design a bioactive nanomaterial that promotes the growth of new cartilage in vivo and without the use of expensive growth factors. Minimally invasive, the therapy activates the bone marrow stem cells and produces natural cartilage. No conventional therapy can do this….

Damaged cartilage can lead to joint pain and loss of physical function and eventually to osteoarthritis, a disorder with an estimated economic impact approaching $65 billion in the United States. With an aging and increasingly active population, this is expected to grow….

Type II collagen is the major protein in articular cartilage, the smooth, white connective tissue that covers the ends of bones where they come together to form joints.

“Our material of nanoscopic fibers stimulates stem cells present in bone marrow to produce cartilage containing type II collagen and repair the damaged joint,” Shah said. “A procedure called microfracture is the most common technique currently used by doctors, but it tends to produce a cartilage having predominantly type I collagen which is more like scar tissue.”

The Northwestern gel is injected as a liquid to the area of the damaged joint, where it then self-assembles and forms a solid. This extracellular matrix, which mimics what cells usually see, binds by molecular design one of the most important growth factors for the repair and regeneration of cartilage. By keeping the growth factor concentrated and localized, the cartilage cells have the opportunity to regenerate.

As Kevin noted, embryonic stem cells are (once again) not involved. Why do I get the feeling that UW backed the wrong end of stem-cell research?

Evan “Waldo” Bayh (D-not exactly IN)

by @ 17:03. Filed under Politics - National.

Remember when the Left made hay with former Sen. Norm Coleman’s DC housing arrangements? Jim Geraghty the Indispensible found that Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN Who Knows Where) used the business address of his campaign treasurer as his “home-state address of record” on his current Statement of Candidacy. Said Statement of Candidacy was filed with the secretary of the Senate, and signed by Bayh, in July 2005.

While the Constitution is silent on the DC-area living arrangements of Senators, it isn’t exactly silent on where a Senator must be living at the time of his or her election. From Article I, Section 3 (emphasis added):

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

Roll bloat – Owning the roll edition

by @ 16:13. Filed under The Blog.

BigFurHat found the Obamese thread Shoebox put together, and his (or perhaps her) readers kicked in some seriously-good suggestions. Based partly on that, partly on The Obamas comic, and partly on the other work the gang does there, it’s past time to add iOwnTheWorld to the seriously-overstuffed roll.

The Party of “No”

by @ 5:21. Filed under Economy, Politics - National.

Earlier this week, President Obama announced that he would hold a televised meeting that would include himself and leaders of both Congressional Chambers on February 25th.  According to Obama, the purpose of the meeting is to hear ideas from all parties, forge them in a bipartisan bill and get health care reform passed.

Coincidental with the announcement of his desire to hear Republican input on health care, Obama has increased the volume and frequency of accusing Republicans of being the “party of no.”  Last Wednesday, President Obama called Republicans “obstructionists” during a meeting with Democrat lawmakers.  On Monday of this week, President Obama characterized the Republican desire to start the health care process over again as “doing nothing.”  With this kind of rhetoric, some, including myself, wonder whether President Obama is sincere in is attempt to hear ideas or whether the health care meeting is a first step in an attempt to color the Republicans as the “party of no” in an attempt to save the sure November disaster waiting for the Democrats.

Today, President Obama had a closed door meeting with Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner.  The meeting was set to discuss what was to be included in and how to pass a “jobs bill.”  Reportedly, on the topic of credits for jobs created, Nancy Pelosi expressed skepticism of the bill and said that she knew of no one who believed the plan would actually create any jobs!

Hallelujah!  I’m not sure that I’ve ever agreed with Nancy Pelosi before!  Further, I think this may be the first time this session that Pelosi and Boehner agree, although they may not realize it!

Boenher has diagnosed the problem properly.  Jobs are not returning because businesses have too many uncertainties.  Health care costs, energy costs, capital gains, income taxes and many other items are currently being considered by the Obama administration.  In each case, the administration is proposing legislation that would either cost businesses more or put further regulation on their ability to do business.  When businesses see uncertainty that they have no ability to hedge against, they respond by taking less risk.  Taking less risk translates to less hiring and fewer jobs.

Pelosi is also right, even though she doesn’t know why.  Given the uncertainty described previously, jobs credits will have little to no effect on hiring.  The issue, simply, is that employers are not hiring because they see high risk in expanding their business.  Increasing hiring, even if it’s partially paid for by the government, does nothing to change the broader economic issues.

Who would have guessed that when it came to assessing a jobs program, Nancy Pelosi and John Boehner would be on the same side of the argument, neither party wants to pursue one.

So, who’s the “party of no” now?

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