Date: 04/27/05     Keywords: software, java

I remember the early days of Java Open Source Software. We all used to keep track of any new OSS release and literally salivate at being able to use something for free. When Tomcat came out I was one of the early adopters, same with Ant, JUnit, HttpUnit, Gcj, even tcl-tk based Java IDE's and [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/salivating-about-open-source-software-pavlovs-conditioning/

Date: 04/27/05     Keywords: no keywords

Yukiyasu Kamitani of ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories in Kyoto, Japan, and Frank Tong of Princeton University demonstrated the ability to correctly identify images viewed by volunteers using MRI scans of brain. The scientists wrote a computer program that recognized the patterns and found that they could successfully predict what images subjects saw. What is more, [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/researchers-use-brain-mri-scans-to-literally-read-minds/

Date: 04/27/05     Keywords: no keywords

Stanford scientists (Yuichi Hori1, Xueying Gu, Xiaodong Xie, Seung K. Kim) were able to transform "brain-derived human neural progenitor cells" (read stem cells from brain) to glucose responsive insulin producing cells after subjecting them to signals that regulate islet development. In simple words there were able to transform stem cells from brain to insulin producing [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/stanford-scientists-demonstrate-ability-to-transform-human-brain-cells-to-insulin-producing-cells/

Date: 04/26/05     Keywords: php, java

In response to my post PHP development practices from a Java Architects eye, Jeff Moore had some thoughts. I posted my response (to his reponse to my post) in his post. Dizzy yet? However after 12 hours it was still not approved! So I thought of posting it here in my blog. To get an idea what [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/re-re-php-development-practices-from-a-java-architects-eye/

Date: 04/26/05     Keywords: php, java

After my last post on the differences between Java and PHP development practices, I saw some strange notions surface in PHP developers regarding Java. This post is an attempt to dispel some myths about Java by PHP (and other non-Java) developers. Feel free to chime in. Myth 1: Strong Multi-threading support makes Java complicated and lack [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/debunking-java-myths-of-php-developers/

Date: 04/25/05     Keywords: web, ebay

Reuters reports that some joker sold Indian Prime Minister's house on Ebay to an American business man! And I thought selling the Brooklyn bridge was a myth! The businessman forked out 35 million rupees ($802,600) for the house that was up for sale on a Web site as a "huge sprawling mansion in the heart of Lutyen's [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/indian-prime-ministers-house-sold-on-ebay-for-35-million-rupees/

Date: 04/24/05     Keywords: no keywords

ThreadLocal allows you to have copy of variable per thread, which are subject to garbage collection when the thread goes away. IBM has an excellent article on understanding and using ThreadLocal. Read it here.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/excellent-article-on-understanding-javalangthreadlocal/

Date: 04/24/05     Keywords: no keywords

All Modifiers Matrix Protection Modifiers Matrix

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/java-modifiers-matrix/

Date: 04/24/05     Keywords: no keywords

Too many unanswered questions on logging package. Why is the package name a verb? Package names should be nouns as can be seen in the rest of the API. Why did the author suddenly decide on a verb? How is Logger.getLogger(String name) related to LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger(String name) ? Why is no relationship mentioned in the documentation? Why is LogManager.getLogManager().getLogger(String [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/too-many-questions-and-concerns-on-javautillogging-package/

Date: 04/23/05     Keywords: no keywords

Is public editing of wiki concept dead? On the apparent demise of C2 (the mother of all wiki's) as wiki.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/is-publicly-editing-wiki-dreams-over-wards-c2-has-caved-in-to-wiki-spamming/

Date: 04/22/05     Keywords: php

I had to do some hardcore PHP development recently. I got a new perspective on PHP during this time. This post is a summarization of my understanding. In this article I will be making few generalizations. Each of them can a topic by itself, if described in full. If you want to know more about any [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/php-development-from-java-architects-eye/

Date: 04/22/05     Keywords: no keywords

New study by 64 renowned scientists standardizes on microarray protocols. Microarrays allow scientists to see how differences in gene expression are linked to specific diseases. Standardization brings us closer to doing routine lab tests with microarrays. This paves the way for prescribing individualized drugs, drugs made just for you. The bottomline is that someone had [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/new-study-takes-us-a-step-closer-to-individualized-treatment/

Date: 04/22/05     Keywords: no keywords

According to a study, by Fred W. Turek, Ph.D., and Joseph Bass, M.D., Ph.D., of Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., a mutation in "Clock gene (which is responsible for circadian rhythm) also plays a role in regulating apetite and metabolism. BTW: Circadian rhythm controls your sleep/wake cycle. The National Institute on Aging (NIA), the National Heart, [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/study-suggests-clock-gene-plays-a-role-in-obesity/

Date: 04/22/05     Keywords: no keywords

The same gene that accounts for part of a genetic risk for developing alcoholism in a U.S. population is found in a Russian population, according to a published study by a Yale School of Medicine researcher. Two large genetic studies in the U.S. last year identified an association between genetic variations in the GABRA2 receptor subtype [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/drunkards-are-alike-genetically-whether-in-usa-or-russia/

Date: 04/22/05     Keywords: no keywords

According to recent statistics published in the Nature (cited by Thomas A. Steitz, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator at Yale University), hospitals in the United States see about two million cases of antibiotic-resistant infections each year; 90,000 patients die annually from such infections. Antibiotic resistance is a big problem for renal transplant recipients and is [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/new-study-gains-much-better-understanding-of-antibiotic-resistance-leading-to-new-antibiotic-development/

Date: 04/21/05     Keywords: no keywords

Dr Martin Panter, a medical doctor and international president of Christian Solidarity Worldwide, alleges the Burmese army was using chemical weapons against rebel fighters from the Karen ethnic minority. Now this is the type of news that gets good 'ol big brother (aka USA) all riled up and angry. USA already classes Burma as an "outpost [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/wild-allegations-against-burma-is-it-next/

Date: 04/21/05     Keywords: database, google

I have been a Google fan from his early search days when people still used say - have you checked Google. Google had a small database. Altavista was still the leader and dotcom was still booming. I tried GMail account, guess wasn't elite to be invited to Orkut, used Google Maps and Google Suggest etc. [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/sorry-google-i-draw-the-line-here/

Date: 04/21/05     Keywords: no keywords

I would like to point you to an excellent book on eye care - Better Eye Sight Without Glasses by Exercises, Herbal and Natural Therapy. It is written by renowned Dr. M.S. Agarwal. It has benefitted several people including our family. This site and the book is hosted for free, thanks to the benevolence of [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/excellent-book-on-eye-care-by-natural-methods-free/

Date: 04/20/05     Keywords: no keywords

Report from the 4th World Congress on Prevention of Diabetes and its Complications, organised by the World Health Organization and others.

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/indians-in-high-risk-group-for-diabetes/

Date: 04/20/05     Keywords: no keywords

VNC2SWF Recorder - Looks too complicated for making a simple presentation. I would rather use Wink. Thousands of Missiles Fired by Russian and American Forces over Earths Arctic Regions – completely unannounced – Are we fighting extraterrestrial UFOs? The news site does seem to access (and believe) UFOlogist's sources as are evidenced from few other articles. [...]

Source: http://blog.taragana.com/index.php/archive/few-interestingstrange-links/