Weekend Rituals with Mandy

Hi,

Weekends are spent playing with Mandy. Mandy is a female golden retriever, very smart, and super playful. She is very strong and does not get tired easily. I play fetch with her and sometime I hide her toys and let her find them. One of the games I also play is when I put her toy on the tree and then tell her to jump and get it. She is getting good at it. Also, golden retrievers have a very soft mouth i.e. they can carry 2 - 3 raw eggs in their mouth without breaking them. No wonder they were bred to retrive the hunt undamaged. Here are some pictures and a video of me playing with Mandy.

Enjoy...
A

Technology for healing hearts...

Hi,

Just read an article in Science Translation Medicine, where researchers have used nanofibers to repair heart. Here is what they did:

Currently, there are no approved therapies in regenerative

medicine for heart failure. In this work, scientists have used nanotechnology materials to repair vital tissues damaged by heart attacks in animals. The experiments, done in rats and pigs, led to the growth of fresh blood vessels and improved heart function without harmful side effects.

To promote blood-vessel growth in the heart, a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor, or VEGF was delivered. Previously this method hasn't worked well because the heart's blood circulation tends to rapidly wash away the VEGF. In this work the researchers developed an engineering fix for the problem. They made fibers from bits of protein and then assembled them into a lattice-like structure. Each fiber is just five nanometers wide and 100 nanometers long. The lattice structure is in the form of a sticky gel. The scientists mixed it with the VEGF and injected the combination into the hearts of two groups of test animals, rats and pigs, in which they had induced heart attacks. (Pig hearts bear significant similarities to human ones.) In both cases, instead of being washed away, the VEGF stayed on the lattice and slowly got released over several weeks.

Source: WSJ

Bone-marrow stem cells normally circulate in the blood and are part of the "repair crew" for damaged tissue. In the animal experiments, when those cells sensed the release of VEGF, they relocated to the heart and began to grow tiny blood vessels known as capillaries. The nanofibers create a special microenvironment in the heart for recruiting stem cells. However, fresh capillary formation isn't enough to help a failing heart. For regeneration to continue, stem cells from both the bone marrow and the heart itself must be coaxed to grow a second layer of tissue that is necessary for the formation of arteries, which are bigger and thicker than capillaries.

To the scientists' surprise, the prolonged release of VEGF achieved that result. The researchers also detected the creation of fresh heart muscle. This, too, is significant because the "scarring" tissue that naturally forms after a heart attack is thin and can get stretched in ways that alter the shape of the heart. In the latest experiments, the nanofiber gel appeared to strengthen these weak areas of the heart.

While the beneficial results in pig hearts were particularly important due to their resemblance to human ones, two challenges remain before the same technique can be safely attempted in people:

1. long-term effect in animals, and

2. determine the optimal time window" when the VEGF nanofibers need to be administered

Long live science...

For the aficionados, here is the full paper. 

A

The man has a point....watch this video

This guy so clear and precise. Love the way he answers....watch it.

Grit - what separates the wheat from the chaff.....

Hi,
Just got this article today, so thought of sharing with all. Read it, its inspirational!

"Came across an amazing and touching story about Dawn Loggins, a homeless American teenager, who got into Harvard recently. The story has so many life lessons.

Dawn grew up in a home without electricity and water. To wash her hands, she had to walk 20 minutes to get water. At times, she would take a bath or shower 4 - 6 times a YEAR. Just past the midpoint of high school, she was fortunate enough to gain entry to an elite summer program for promising students in her state. When she called her parents to come pick her up, she discovered that her parents phone had been disconnect. When she called friends to try and contact her parents, she eventually discovered her parents had moved out of state without telling her, without bringing her, and with no plans to return. In other words, Dawn had been abandoned.

Under these extreme circumstances, most people would simply give up on life. But, Dawn had a different idea. She knew that if she didn't do something about it, her life would take a path similar to her parents--and she definitely did not want to repeat their mistakes. Her dream?

She wanted to go to college and make something of herself.

Her dream of dreams?

To go to Harvard -- even though nobody in her area, in her school nobody has ever gotten into any Ivy League school let alone Harvard.

Her teachers and principal took turns letting her sleep on their couch and feeding her. To help pay the bills she took the job of janitor at her school -- cleaning the floors and toilets before school started each day. She would wake up at 4am to go to school to clean her classmates messes, attend school all day, do her after school activities, come home, study, sleep and repeat the whole process again. Her entire community helped to raise, shelter, feed and clothe her. Everybody pitched in where they could. And after all this hardship (and probably heart ache), Harvard sent a reply to her application... and She GOT IN!

Now lets examine this situation more closely. Dawn's grades were good, but definitely not perfect. Her test scores were good, but again not exceptional.

So why did Harvard say yes?

Simple.

For someone in Dawn's situation, the magnitude of her accomplishment vs her resources was just exceptional.

One of professor at University of Pennsylvania Angela Duckworth has been doing some exceptional research in psychology and education. Her area of focus has been trying to answer the question of where does success come from. Her latest work has identified that one of the leading predictors of life success, that is MORE predictive of life success than grades, test scores, or degrees, is what she calls "Grit".

Grit is the ability to work HARDER in the face of ADVERSITY.

It is one thing to work harder when what you do is working and you're "winning", it is another thing entirely to refuse to quit, focus, and worked harder with absolutely no short term indicators that you'll succeed.

THAT is what Prof. Duckworth calls "grit".

Now going back to the story of Dawn and how she went from homeless to Harvard, the one thing she exhibited in spades (arguably more than any other in coming Freshman at Harvard) is GRIT.

Truly ANYTHING is possible. What a remarkably impressive young women".

Regards.
Anurag

From CAL with love - for my thesis advisor

Hi,

Here are the pics of my farewell from CU. Although many group members were out on vacation and some busy with experiments, all those who were there enjoyed it. What did we do? We went out got some nice drinks and than started playing ULTIMATE. I loved it. As a matter of fact outdoor activities and sports are something I enjoy a lot. I am one of those guys who will be ready to play and learn any game. So we played 2 games and needless to say that both the times my team was the winner, although one thing I noticed was that my boss (Jim Hone) is a pretty awesome player. He can do a forehand, backhand, can throw the frisbee this way, that way etc etc. In the first game we were in the same team and we completely obliterated the opposition. Then Jim switched sides and we had a difficult time in beating his team, in fact we were able to score just one goal in the stipulated 15 minutes (pretty lame compared to the 5 golas we scored in 15 min when both of us were on the same side). 

Pre-game relaxation

Hone group - Partial 

I think we did a pretty awesome job

Oh man I am tired 

Let me text my friend that we won

Victory tastes sweet

How do I describe Jim, who is rare combination of elegance, simplicity, and humility. My interactions with him have convinced me that he is one those guys who will excel in whatever they do in life. A true inspiration and role model he is a wonderful, wonderful person of the new world from whom I have learned a lot. I owe him an enormous amount of gratitude for what he has done for me. My whole time in his group was very fulfilling. He has had a great influence on my life and from him I have imbibed the importance of humility, dignity, and being dependable.

 Final goodbye pic - Me with Jim all sweaty and happy

Although words could never adequately express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for Jim -- I shall attempt to express my feelings by making him proud from my deeds as best as I can.
A poem by Emily Matthews is somewhat close to what I wish to say.

" There are wonderful people 

who give from their hearts

in thoughtful and unselfish ways,                                              

So willing to share, help out, or be there,                                               

no matter how busy their days...

There are people we count on,

whose wisdom and caring 

help everything workout just right - 

Wonderful people

who shine our lives

with their gentle and beautiful light".

Finally I would just say that -  if only you could hear the prayers that fill each thought of you. And the smiles that warm each memory of the generous things you do, you'd know your're treasured more than words can say. 

Thank you Sir, for showing me what I am not and what I could be!
Thank you endlessly,
For you, with you, always...

Anurag

Adieu Alma Mater

It is time for me to take the next step in my life, which means leaving the current place. My feelings are mixed, at times I feel very enthusiastic about the new place, people, and the opportunities it will offer but on the other hand there is a bit of apprehension. I guess it is human nature not to be comfortable with change, but seldom do we realize that the only thing constant is CHANGE. Whatever the future may behold one thing is sure, which is, my deep indebtedness to my Alma Mater i.e. Columbia University.  I owe this institution an enormous amount of gratitude for what it has taught me about life. My whole time here was full of growth - scientific, personal, and spiritual. Honestly, it is one of those moments in my life where I can look back and say - I do no regret any time I spent on and in the vicinity of this majestic institution. It was almost like a second home for me. A sense of comfort seemed to take over whenever I entered the neighborhood or the campus. It was a feeling that do not worry  you are protected from the rest of world. 

One of my favorite spot on campus was the steps of low library, where resides in her grandeur the great Alma Mater, silently being a witness to endless events. Alma has been a witness to all my trials, tribulations, and triumphs. Shared with her are the most sacred aspects of my life. When I fell in love I sat with her, when I fell out I was on the steps, when I was dejected she comforted me, when I was ecstatic she celebrated with me. These feelings and incidences are a secret and will remain a secret not because I am ashamed of them but because they are too sacred to be shared. Yes that is the thought in the orient i.e. all that is precious in life is a secret. The sure instinct of a person is to keep them withdrawn in the innermost recesses accessible to few - perhaps to none. So the experience of being with her can only be described in a very inadequate and misunderstood word called LOVE. Love in its purest form i.e. free of any kind of expectations and attachements. 

Who knows what will happen in future but the skills I have imbibed will remain with me and make me work harder, so looking back ALMA can be proud of her product.

Goodbye

Anurag

Some of my favorite quotes....

During a clean I stumbled on my old diary, which has some nice words of wisdom. I decided to compile and put them online, so here they are.

1. I have only just a minute, only 60 s in it, forced upon me - can't refuse it. Didn't seek it, didn't choose it, but it was up to me to use it. I must suffer if I loose it, give account if I abuse it. Just a tiny little minute. But eternity is in it. 


2. Do not tell your problems to people. 80% do not care about them and 20% are happy that you have them.


3. All that is precious in life is a secret. Love is a secret. Life is a secret. The world is a secret. Your feelings, your emotions are secret. You are the biggest secret. 


4. Everything is changing. And this is all there only to heat you up, to bake you. You are baked in joy, and you are baked in sorrow. You are baked in this event, and you are baked in that event. If you put your finger deeper into things you will get burned, so move lightly. 


5. (a) Reality exists as an objective absolute - facts are facts independent of man's feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.


(b) Every man is an end in himself, not the means to end of others. He must exits for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. 


(c) The pursuit of his own rational self interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life. 


Best regards,
Anurag