Tuesday, October 31, 2006
拔山倒樹
沈復《浮生六記》裡寫到的「忽有龐然大物拔山倒樹而來」大概就是這等模樣氣勢吧。凡凡現在對相機特感興趣，只要一發現便暴衝而至，絕不怠慢。屢勸不聽，只是世道已大不相同，若我也學沈復來一段「鞭數十驅之別院」可能我會上新聞然後抓去關吧。
萬聖節隨景
今天是美國人的鬼節 Halloween，僅僅一夜之間各式各樣精靈鬼怪便傾巢而出，據滿了家家戶戶的門口窗台。
圖片是今早騎車上學途中在康橋的一戶人家，白色的小鬼會躲進南瓜裡再冒出頭來，十分可愛。
Detyrosinated (Glu) Microtubules Are Stabilized by an ATP-Sensitive Plus-End Cap
JCS 113:3907 (2000/10)
Greg Gundersen
Microtubule cap is an idea people talked about for a very long time but no one really identifies any so far. Greg's paper is the only one I could find trying to show there is a microtubule cap existed. By gentle detergent extraction experiments, stabilized microtubules (Glu-MTs) were proved cannot polymerize or shrink at their plus-end. However calcium-generated fragments of Glu-MTs incorporated free tubules, showing that Glu-MTs ends are capped. Glu-MTs are ten times more stable than regular dynamic MTs (Tyr-MTs). Studies showed that this post-translational modification is the result of MT stabilization but not the reason for it, that is, detyrosination does not directly cause MT stability. Greg showed these MTs in interphase but rarely addressed M or C phase. Detergent extraction combined with labeled tubulins is a good experiment. And calcium caused Glu-MT fragments are good control too.
Authors failed to demonstrate the constitution of this hypothesized MT cap but did suggest several end-associated proteins such as EB1, APC, p150 (Glued), and vinculin focal adhesions were not localized at Glu-MT ends. Authors thought ATP modifies Glu-MT cap which then permits MTs to depolymerize by subunit exchange. AMP-PNP blocks it. These properties of the ATPase regulating Glu-MT stability resemble those of kinesin; both prefer ATP, but can use other nucleotide triphosphates, and both are inhibited by AMP-PMP and vanadate, but not by kinase of other inhibitors. Therefore it is unlikely a kinase-involved mechanism. Authors tried kif5 and kif3a, but neither of them fit.
One interesting question is it what Greg thinks is true. There is a MT cap for Glu-MTs in interphase. How about M or C phase? Microtubules in M or C phase are more dynamic than interphase but somehow cells also need to stabilize a sub-set of microtubules at specific stage, such as spindles, or stabilized microtubules in furrow regions.
Greg Gundersen
Microtubule cap is an idea people talked about for a very long time but no one really identifies any so far. Greg's paper is the only one I could find trying to show there is a microtubule cap existed. By gentle detergent extraction experiments, stabilized microtubules (Glu-MTs) were proved cannot polymerize or shrink at their plus-end. However calcium-generated fragments of Glu-MTs incorporated free tubules, showing that Glu-MTs ends are capped. Glu-MTs are ten times more stable than regular dynamic MTs (Tyr-MTs). Studies showed that this post-translational modification is the result of MT stabilization but not the reason for it, that is, detyrosination does not directly cause MT stability. Greg showed these MTs in interphase but rarely addressed M or C phase. Detergent extraction combined with labeled tubulins is a good experiment. And calcium caused Glu-MT fragments are good control too.
Authors failed to demonstrate the constitution of this hypothesized MT cap but did suggest several end-associated proteins such as EB1, APC, p150 (Glued), and vinculin focal adhesions were not localized at Glu-MT ends. Authors thought ATP modifies Glu-MT cap which then permits MTs to depolymerize by subunit exchange. AMP-PNP blocks it. These properties of the ATPase regulating Glu-MT stability resemble those of kinesin; both prefer ATP, but can use other nucleotide triphosphates, and both are inhibited by AMP-PMP and vanadate, but not by kinase of other inhibitors. Therefore it is unlikely a kinase-involved mechanism. Authors tried kif5 and kif3a, but neither of them fit.
One interesting question is it what Greg thinks is true. There is a MT cap for Glu-MTs in interphase. How about M or C phase? Microtubules in M or C phase are more dynamic than interphase but somehow cells also need to stabilize a sub-set of microtubules at specific stage, such as spindles, or stabilized microtubules in furrow regions.
Monday, October 30, 2006
救啦啦隊救世界
唉，又中招了。
電視影集實在是個害人的東西，讓你看了一次就想一直看下去，有一陣子每天只看Friends，終於在看到完結篇後成功戒了，之後好一段時間保持著沒有固定收看特定節目的習慣，頂多是吃飯時看看 Deal or No Deal，現在好像又破功了，這次的禍首是 NBC 本季新推的影集 Heroes。
美國人一直有種英雄情結，總愛看些超人拯救世界之類的故事，Heroes 大概可以算是現代正常人版的 X-men，裡面有好的超人，也有壞的超人；另外就像選美比賽每個人都要來句世界和平那樣，這故事很老套地也是好超人要對抗壞超人拯救世界。它的 slogan 就是 "save the cheerleader, save the world" 有點沒頭沒腦，不過我想如果我乖乖地繼續準時收看應該就會告訴我答案吧，希望‧‧‧
雖然拯救世界很老套，還實在是蠻好看的啊！說到裡面的超能力，如果我可以擁有其中一項能力的話，看來看去還是那個日本人的時間凍結能力最酷！
電視影集實在是個害人的東西，讓你看了一次就想一直看下去，有一陣子每天只看Friends，終於在看到完結篇後成功戒了，之後好一段時間保持著沒有固定收看特定節目的習慣，頂多是吃飯時看看 Deal or No Deal，現在好像又破功了，這次的禍首是 NBC 本季新推的影集 Heroes。
美國人一直有種英雄情結，總愛看些超人拯救世界之類的故事，Heroes 大概可以算是現代正常人版的 X-men，裡面有好的超人，也有壞的超人；另外就像選美比賽每個人都要來句世界和平那樣，這故事很老套地也是好超人要對抗壞超人拯救世界。它的 slogan 就是 "save the cheerleader, save the world" 有點沒頭沒腦，不過我想如果我乖乖地繼續準時收看應該就會告訴我答案吧，希望‧‧‧
雖然拯救世界很老套，還實在是蠻好看的啊！說到裡面的超能力，如果我可以擁有其中一項能力的話，看來看去還是那個日本人的時間凍結能力最酷！
Scary, Huh?
Today, in my lab, Aaron asked me whether I am gonna wear any Halloween costume for tomorrow night.
"Probably not." said I, "Will you?"
Aaron answered, "Oh yeah, I am gonna wear as a G6 student, pretty scary, huh?"
(Picture: Aaron as Star Wars' Darth Maul in UC Berkely graduation ceremony)
* In my current school, first-year graduate student is called G1, and so on...
Uri Alon 打書廣告
今天竟然收到 Uri Alon 的 E-mail，原來是他的書要出版了寫來打書的。不過還是很怪，寄給我做啥？如果我都有收到，那麼收信人可能有上千人吧！Anyway，有興趣的可以留意一下。
Uri Alon 可以說是 Systems Biology 裡面響噹噹的一號人物，我還在台灣的時候就看過他 yeast genome-wide protein-protein interaction screening 的 paper。我們 department 裡以色列人不少，幾乎都是從 Weizmann Institute 來的，三不五時還有人過來演講或做訪問學者。以色列這麼小個地方又處在戰亂威脅下科研能做得著麼好，不知原因是甚麼？
--
Hi,
I'm happy to say that my new book, "An Introduction to Systems
Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits" has just been published by Chapman & Hall/CRC.
This book was a pleasure to write and to teach with.
Yours,
Uri.
For details, please see
http://www.crcpress.co.uk/shopping_cart/products/product_reviews.asp?id=&parent_id=&sku=C6420&pc=
Contents
INTRODUCTION
TRANSCRIPTION NETWORKS, BASIC CONCEPTS
Introduction
The Cognitive Problem of the Cell
Elements of Transcription Networks
Dynamics and Response Time of Simple Gene Circuits
AUTO-REGULATION, A NETWORK MOTIF
Introduction
Patterns, Randomized Networks and Network Motifs
Autoregulation is a Network Motif
Negative Auto-Regulation Speeds the Response Time of Gene
Circuits
Negative Auto-Regulation Promotes Robustness to Fluctuations
in Production
Positive auto-regulation speeds responses and widens cell-cell
variability
Summary
THE FEEDFORWARD LOOP NETWORK MOTIF
Introduction
The Number of Appearances of a Subgraph in Random
Networks
The Feedforward Loop (FFL) is a Network Motif
The Structure of the Feedforward Loop Circuit
Dynamics of the Coherent FFL with AND-Logic
The C1-FFL is a Sign-Sensitive Delay Element
The Incoherent FFL: a pulse generator and response accelerator
Why Are Some FFL Types Rare?
Convergent Evolution of FFLs
Summary
TEMPORAL PROGRAMS AND THE GLOBAL STRUCTURE OF TRANSCRIPTION NETWORKS
Introduction
The Single-Input Module (SIM) Network Motif
SIMs Can Generate Temporal Expression Programs
Topological Generalizations of Network Motifs
The Multi-Output FFL Can Generate FIFO Temporal Order
Signal Integration and Combinatorial Control: Bi-Fans and
Dense-Overlapping Regulons
Network Motifs and the Global Structure of Sensory
Transcription Networks
NETWORK MOTIFS IN DEVELOPMENTAL, SIGNAL-TRANSDUCTION AND NEURONAL
NETWORKS
Introduction
Network Motifs in Developmental Transcription Networks:
Positive feedback loops and bistability
Motifs in Signal Transduction Networks
Information Processing Using Multi-Layer Perceptrons
Composite Network Motifs: Negative Feedback and Oscillator
Motifs
Network Motifs in the Neuronal Network of C. Elegans
Summary
ROBUSTNESS OF PROTEIN CIRCUITS, THE EXAMPLE OF BACTERIAL CHEMOTAXIS
The Robustness Principle
Bacterial Chemotaxis, or How Bacteria 'Think'
The Chemotaxis Protein Circuit of E. coli
Two Models Can Explain Exact Adaptation, One is Robust and
the Other Fine Tuned
The Barkai-Leibler model
Individuality and Robustness in Bacterial Chemotaxis
ROBUST PATTERNING IN DEVELOPMENT
Introduction to Morphogen Gradients
Exponential Gradients Are Not Robust
Increased Robustness by Self-Enhanced Morphogen
Degradation
Network Motifs That Provide Robust Patterning
The Robustness Principle Can Distinguish Between
Mechanisms of Fruit Fly Patterning
KINETIC PROOFREADING
Introduction
Kinetic Proofreading of the Genetic Code Can Reduce Error
Rates of Molecular Recognition
Recognition of Self and Non-Self by the Immune System
Kinetic Proofreading May Occur in Diverse Recognition
Processes in the Cell
OPTIMAL GENE CIRCUIT DESIGN
Introduction
Cost and Benefit Analysis of Gene circuits
Optimal Expression Level of a Protein Under Constant
Conditions
To Regulate or Not to Regulate: Optimal Regulation in Variable
Environments
Environmental Selection of the Feedforward Loop Network Motif
Summary
DEMAND RULES FOR GENE REGULATION
Introduction
The Savageau Demand Rules
Rules for Gene Regulation Based on Minimal Error Load
Demand Rules for Genes with Multiple Regulators
Summary
EPILOGUE: Simplicity in Biology
APPENDIX A: The Input-Function of a Gene, Michaelis-Menten and Hill
Equations
APPENDIX B: Multi-Dimensional Input-Functions
APPENDIX C: Graph Properties of Transcription Networks
APPENDIX D: Cell-Cell Variability in Gene Expression
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
-----------------------------------------------------------
Uri Alon
Depts. Molecular Cell Biology and Physics of Complex Systems
Weizmann Institute of Science
Rehovot Israel 76100
www.weizmann.ac.il/mcb/UriAlon
FAX: 972-8-934-4125 Tel: 972-8-934-4448
NEW BOOK: An Introduction to Systems Biology (CRC press,2006)
See: www.weizmann.ac.il/mcb/UriAlon
Uri Alon 可以說是 Systems Biology 裡面響噹噹的一號人物，我還在台灣的時候就看過他 yeast genome-wide protein-protein interaction screening 的 paper。我們 department 裡以色列人不少，幾乎都是從 Weizmann Institute 來的，三不五時還有人過來演講或做訪問學者。以色列這麼小個地方又處在戰亂威脅下科研能做得著麼好，不知原因是甚麼？
--
Hi,
I'm happy to say that my new book, "An Introduction to Systems
Biology: Design Principles of Biological Circuits" has just been published by Chapman & Hall/CRC.
This book was a pleasure to write and to teach with.
Yours,
Uri.
For details, please see
http://www.crcpress.co.uk/shopping_cart/products/product_reviews.asp?id=&parent_id=&sku=C6420&pc=
Contents
INTRODUCTION
TRANSCRIPTION NETWORKS, BASIC CONCEPTS
Introduction
The Cognitive Problem of the Cell
Elements of Transcription Networks
Dynamics and Response Time of Simple Gene Circuits
AUTO-REGULATION, A NETWORK MOTIF
Introduction
Patterns, Randomized Networks and Network Motifs
Autoregulation is a Network Motif
Negative Auto-Regulation Speeds the Response Time of Gene
Circuits
Negative Auto-Regulation Promotes Robustness to Fluctuations
in Production
Positive auto-regulation speeds responses and widens cell-cell
variability
Summary
THE FEEDFORWARD LOOP NETWORK MOTIF
Introduction
The Number of Appearances of a Subgraph in Random
Networks
The Feedforward Loop (FFL) is a Network Motif
The Structure of the Feedforward Loop Circuit
Dynamics of the Coherent FFL with AND-Logic
The C1-FFL is a Sign-Sensitive Delay Element
The Incoherent FFL: a pulse generator and response accelerator
Why Are Some FFL Types Rare?
Convergent Evolution of FFLs
Summary
TEMPORAL PROGRAMS AND THE GLOBAL STRUCTURE OF TRANSCRIPTION NETWORKS
Introduction
The Single-Input Module (SIM) Network Motif
SIMs Can Generate Temporal Expression Programs
Topological Generalizations of Network Motifs
The Multi-Output FFL Can Generate FIFO Temporal Order
Signal Integration and Combinatorial Control: Bi-Fans and
Dense-Overlapping Regulons
Network Motifs and the Global Structure of Sensory
Transcription Networks
NETWORK MOTIFS IN DEVELOPMENTAL, SIGNAL-TRANSDUCTION AND NEURONAL
NETWORKS
Introduction
Network Motifs in Developmental Transcription Networks:
Positive feedback loops and bistability
Motifs in Signal Transduction Networks
Information Processing Using Multi-Layer Perceptrons
Composite Network Motifs: Negative Feedback and Oscillator
Motifs
Network Motifs in the Neuronal Network of C. Elegans
Summary
ROBUSTNESS OF PROTEIN CIRCUITS, THE EXAMPLE OF BACTERIAL CHEMOTAXIS
The Robustness Principle
Bacterial Chemotaxis, or How Bacteria 'Think'
The Chemotaxis Protein Circuit of E. coli
Two Models Can Explain Exact Adaptation, One is Robust and
the Other Fine Tuned
The Barkai-Leibler model
Individuality and Robustness in Bacterial Chemotaxis
ROBUST PATTERNING IN DEVELOPMENT
Introduction to Morphogen Gradients
Exponential Gradients Are Not Robust
Increased Robustness by Self-Enhanced Morphogen
Degradation
Network Motifs That Provide Robust Patterning
The Robustness Principle Can Distinguish Between
Mechanisms of Fruit Fly Patterning
KINETIC PROOFREADING
Introduction
Kinetic Proofreading of the Genetic Code Can Reduce Error
Rates of Molecular Recognition
Recognition of Self and Non-Self by the Immune System
Kinetic Proofreading May Occur in Diverse Recognition
Processes in the Cell
OPTIMAL GENE CIRCUIT DESIGN
Introduction
Cost and Benefit Analysis of Gene circuits
Optimal Expression Level of a Protein Under Constant
Conditions
To Regulate or Not to Regulate: Optimal Regulation in Variable
Environments
Environmental Selection of the Feedforward Loop Network Motif
Summary
DEMAND RULES FOR GENE REGULATION
Introduction
The Savageau Demand Rules
Rules for Gene Regulation Based on Minimal Error Load
Demand Rules for Genes with Multiple Regulators
Summary
EPILOGUE: Simplicity in Biology
APPENDIX A: The Input-Function of a Gene, Michaelis-Menten and Hill
Equations
APPENDIX B: Multi-Dimensional Input-Functions
APPENDIX C: Graph Properties of Transcription Networks
APPENDIX D: Cell-Cell Variability in Gene Expression
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY
-----------------------------------------------------------
Uri Alon
Depts. Molecular Cell Biology and Physics of Complex Systems
Weizmann Institute of Science
Rehovot Israel 76100
www.weizmann.ac.il/mcb/UriAlon
FAX: 972-8-934-4125 Tel: 972-8-934-4448
NEW BOOK: An Introduction to Systems Biology (CRC press,2006)
See: www.weizmann.ac.il/mcb/UriAlon
Sunday, October 29, 2006
噗噗噗噗
凡凡這陣子又喜歡上另一種發音方法，就是嘴唇緊閉一直在那兒噗噗噗噗地狂噴口水，不過活動能力強化後就很難抓到這些鏡頭，凡凡只要一看到 digital camera 就會放下一切正在進行的活動撲上來要搶去玩，這次算是趁他沒注意的時候偷拍到的。
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Three Parties at the Same Day
這個禮拜六該是很豐富的一天，凡凡跟我們共有三個行程。 中午到正江家吃飯，三點再趕到 Peabody Terrace 參加 HSSPA 的 Holloween party，四點多再轉檯 Dudley House 參加GSAS graduate parents’ Holloween party。十二點先在家中餵飽凡凡，穿上長頸鹿裝加件外套便動身展開精采的一天。
到了正江家，發現正江真的很會煮，一人變出滿桌的菜；凡凡自然也成為在場其他人特別是女生的注意焦點，紛紛要抱他找他玩。剛到時凡凡還不太放得開，一臉呆樣環顧四週以及週遭的陌生人，沒五分鐘就回復本性開始又叫又爬，誰抱他都可以玩得很高興。只是好景不常，大概一小時後就進入第三階段開始想睡了，可能是在陌生環境不好入睡，開始哭鬧不停，是真的大哭還不是假哭，帶他去外面走動也沒甚麼效果，眼睛都給哭腫了。大概兩點半時我們決定帶他回家睡覺，因為下雨，勁葦跟他女友很好心地開車送我們回家，不過正江的 party 似乎也因為凡凡提早打烊了。
凡凡到家果然馬上就睡得很沉，所以後續的計劃也全都打消，本來該是很豐富的一天就以很平淡的方式度過了。
到了正江家，發現正江真的很會煮，一人變出滿桌的菜；凡凡自然也成為在場其他人特別是女生的注意焦點，紛紛要抱他找他玩。剛到時凡凡還不太放得開，一臉呆樣環顧四週以及週遭的陌生人，沒五分鐘就回復本性開始又叫又爬，誰抱他都可以玩得很高興。只是好景不常，大概一小時後就進入第三階段開始想睡了，可能是在陌生環境不好入睡，開始哭鬧不停，是真的大哭還不是假哭，帶他去外面走動也沒甚麼效果，眼睛都給哭腫了。大概兩點半時我們決定帶他回家睡覺，因為下雨，勁葦跟他女友很好心地開車送我們回家，不過正江的 party 似乎也因為凡凡提早打烊了。
凡凡到家果然馬上就睡得很沉，所以後續的計劃也全都打消，本來該是很豐富的一天就以很平淡的方式度過了。
哭吆
中午煮好了稀飯要餵凡凡，伺候大爺上座更衣之後，凡凡他媽隨即轉往廚房準備，動作雖快沒想到還是被凡凡眼尖發現了，便開始假哀想把他媽媽給騙出來，後來轉頭發現我正在看他，便向我露出了一抹詭譎的微笑‧‧‧
RacGAP50C Is Sufficient to Signal Cleavage Furrow Formation During Cytokinesis
JCS 119::4402
David Glover @ University of Cambridge, UK
In this paper, authors forced RacGAP50C localized on the cortex during cytokinesis by fusing with CD8, a membrane protein. Authors found this CD8::RacGAP50C fusion protein is sufficient for triggering ectopic furrowing even in the absence of its motor partner MKLP1, in Drosophila S2 cells.
The first part of this paper was nothing special. It showed cleavage furrowing is centralspindlin dependent but the astral microtubules contacted the equatorial cortex is not. In the second part, authors mislocalized the GAP-signaling component around the entire cortex using a membrane-tethering motif and caused ectopic furrowing. Ed Salmon’s taxol stabilized microtubules experiment showed that the entire cortex has the ability to generate furrows. This paper further demonstrated that only RacGAP50C is sufficient for ectopic furrowing in cytokinesis. Unfortunately pictures in the paper were very bad. Cannot clearly see the cortical localization of various proteins in those pictures. It was also a hugh shame that aurhors could not demonstrate cortical localizations of other Rho pathway proteins such as Rho and Ect2, although authors did it on anillin and septin.
Centralspindlin’s cortical localization is astral/midzone microtubule dependent. Results from this paper also suggested that those proteins might not involve in the global inhibitory (if it exists). It appeared that anillin was recruited and concentrated to the furrow region. If that is true, RacGAP50C might also involve in the local amplification processes.
David Glover @ University of Cambridge, UK
In this paper, authors forced RacGAP50C localized on the cortex during cytokinesis by fusing with CD8, a membrane protein. Authors found this CD8::RacGAP50C fusion protein is sufficient for triggering ectopic furrowing even in the absence of its motor partner MKLP1, in Drosophila S2 cells.
The first part of this paper was nothing special. It showed cleavage furrowing is centralspindlin dependent but the astral microtubules contacted the equatorial cortex is not. In the second part, authors mislocalized the GAP-signaling component around the entire cortex using a membrane-tethering motif and caused ectopic furrowing. Ed Salmon’s taxol stabilized microtubules experiment showed that the entire cortex has the ability to generate furrows. This paper further demonstrated that only RacGAP50C is sufficient for ectopic furrowing in cytokinesis. Unfortunately pictures in the paper were very bad. Cannot clearly see the cortical localization of various proteins in those pictures. It was also a hugh shame that aurhors could not demonstrate cortical localizations of other Rho pathway proteins such as Rho and Ect2, although authors did it on anillin and septin.
Centralspindlin’s cortical localization is astral/midzone microtubule dependent. Results from this paper also suggested that those proteins might not involve in the global inhibitory (if it exists). It appeared that anillin was recruited and concentrated to the furrow region. If that is true, RacGAP50C might also involve in the local amplification processes.
Friday, October 27, 2006
The challenges of interfacing between biological knowledge and computational models
SysBio Theory Lunch 有個很好玩的現象，那就是由於很大部分的聽眾都是 experimental biologists，所以往往與 modeling/simulation 相關的主題都會遇到十分嚴厲的挑戰與質疑。
今天來的 Martin Meier-Schellersheim 也不例外，他想講的題目是他自身對 modeling 在實驗上的助益與可能遇到的問題，應該會是個不錯的 talk 可惜開始沒有五分鐘就掛了。首先是他提到大部份的生物學家都相信 modeling 可以對他們的研究帶來些幫助，馬上就有人答腔說 "No, at least not in this room!"，之後接連幾個問題則是完全擊沉了 Martin 的信心，他開始自顧自地說著，低頭從房間的這端走到另一端再走回來，我也算很無聊開始幫他算起來回走動的次數，不過當我數到第五十次時我便決定放棄不再數下去了。其實他還是有提到幾個不錯的點，只是一亂了就甚麼都聽不懂。
Modeling 一個很大的問題就是數學家或物理學家這些搞 modeling 的人的方式是簡化這個系統，試著找出其中的規律。這邊就有簡化與失真的問題，簡化過後的系統在紙上看起來可能十分完美，卻有很大的機會根本就不存在于真實世界中。當然可以做到最細層分子的 simulation or modeling 這就沒有失真的問題，但基本上這是不可能達到的運算量，而且也失去了 modeling 的意義。
另一個問題是判斷問題，系統中不同的部分要怎麼決定其重要性，那些可以簡化或忽略，那些不行，各部分的 threshold 要怎麼設？ Jeremy 提到你可以有一萬種參數讓同一個 model 跑出各種結果適合各種情況，但那並沒有意義。
之前我曾認為數學家或物理學家跨進生物領域比反過來簡單不少，現在我的想法有些改變。有時那很難說明，像是具不具有某種 sense 的問題，各領域的人受的思考訓練相當不同，注意的重點也不同，這些都是跨進來生物領域的阻力。自然背景算是頗純生物的我在這方面也有盲點，不過幸好我現在功未成名未就，思考模式也還沒完全定型，應該還有得救才是！
Martin Meier-Schellersheim
Laboratory of Immunology
NIAID, NIH
Abstract
The deep scepticism that most experimental biologists have towards computational modeling in biology is rooted in the fact that computational models are frequently overly simplified caricatures of the biological processes they are supposed to represent. Two main factors account for those simplifications:
limitations in computing power and simulation algorithms and
the difficulty of creating formalized representations of the components and interactions in biological systems.
I would like to focus on the second aspect and discuss the question of how we can provide ways for (experimental) biologists to turn their knowledge and hypotheses about how cells behave into formal descriptions that can be investigated through quantitative simulations.
References
M. Meier-Schellersheim, X. Xu, B. Angermann, E.J. Kunkel, T. Jin & R.N. Germain, "Key role of local regulation in chemosensing revealed by a new molecular interaction-based modeling method", PLOS Comp Biol, 2:710-24 2006. PubMed
今天來的 Martin Meier-Schellersheim 也不例外，他想講的題目是他自身對 modeling 在實驗上的助益與可能遇到的問題，應該會是個不錯的 talk 可惜開始沒有五分鐘就掛了。首先是他提到大部份的生物學家都相信 modeling 可以對他們的研究帶來些幫助，馬上就有人答腔說 "No, at least not in this room!"，之後接連幾個問題則是完全擊沉了 Martin 的信心，他開始自顧自地說著，低頭從房間的這端走到另一端再走回來，我也算很無聊開始幫他算起來回走動的次數，不過當我數到第五十次時我便決定放棄不再數下去了。其實他還是有提到幾個不錯的點，只是一亂了就甚麼都聽不懂。
Modeling 一個很大的問題就是數學家或物理學家這些搞 modeling 的人的方式是簡化這個系統，試著找出其中的規律。這邊就有簡化與失真的問題，簡化過後的系統在紙上看起來可能十分完美，卻有很大的機會根本就不存在于真實世界中。當然可以做到最細層分子的 simulation or modeling 這就沒有失真的問題，但基本上這是不可能達到的運算量，而且也失去了 modeling 的意義。
另一個問題是判斷問題，系統中不同的部分要怎麼決定其重要性，那些可以簡化或忽略，那些不行，各部分的 threshold 要怎麼設？ Jeremy 提到你可以有一萬種參數讓同一個 model 跑出各種結果適合各種情況，但那並沒有意義。
之前我曾認為數學家或物理學家跨進生物領域比反過來簡單不少，現在我的想法有些改變。有時那很難說明，像是具不具有某種 sense 的問題，各領域的人受的思考訓練相當不同，注意的重點也不同，這些都是跨進來生物領域的阻力。自然背景算是頗純生物的我在這方面也有盲點，不過幸好我現在功未成名未就，思考模式也還沒完全定型，應該還有得救才是！
Martin Meier-Schellersheim
Laboratory of Immunology
NIAID, NIH
Abstract
The deep scepticism that most experimental biologists have towards computational modeling in biology is rooted in the fact that computational models are frequently overly simplified caricatures of the biological processes they are supposed to represent. Two main factors account for those simplifications:
limitations in computing power and simulation algorithms and
the difficulty of creating formalized representations of the components and interactions in biological systems.
I would like to focus on the second aspect and discuss the question of how we can provide ways for (experimental) biologists to turn their knowledge and hypotheses about how cells behave into formal descriptions that can be investigated through quantitative simulations.
References
M. Meier-Schellersheim, X. Xu, B. Angermann, E.J. Kunkel, T. Jin & R.N. Germain, "Key role of local regulation in chemosensing revealed by a new molecular interaction-based modeling method", PLOS Comp Biol, 2:710-24 2006. PubMed
我的志願
古早時候小嬰兒滿一歲的時候要抓週，這好像頗有名，Chris 就問過我相關的事，只是她弄錯了以為是滿月就要抓。抓週的理由是認為小嬰兒對哪個東西有興趣將來就很有機會在那方面出人頭地，算是古時的性向測驗吧。賈寶玉當初就是抓週時撿了個脂粉盒子結果被他老爸打得半死，認為他一輩子只會窩在脂粉堆裡，不過事後看來也蠻準的啦。
在家裡為了不讓凡凡「爬爬走」三不五時爬到玄關品嘗把玩各種品牌樣式的鞋子，我們放了張海報將客廳與玄關隔開，框子是 Shattuck House 鄰居留下來的，海報則是凡凡在媽媽肚子裡還只有葡萄那麼大的時候，網路上跟一些研究單位要來有關人類染色體的教學海報。凡凡似乎對海報十分感興趣，或許可以做為將來發展職業的參考。
By seeing this beautiful human chromosome graph,
- if FanFan is thinking about "genetic linkage" or "mutations", maybe FanFan could be a Geneticist. Although it is a little bit out of fashion and less and less people do these things now.
- if FanFan is thinking about "cloning" stuffs, maybe FanFan could be a Molecular Biologist. Although there are millions molecular biologists already, doing similar things nowadays.
- if FanFan is thinking about "genome-wide" ideas, maybe FanFan could be a Systems Biologist. Althuogh it's a very bad idea because more and more people claim themselves as systems biologists but actually no one knows what that means.
- if FanFan is thinking about "wow! it's a cool poster although I'm not interested in what that is", hmm... maybe FanFan could be a Normal Ordinary Person without making the wrong decision to go to Graduate Schools in the future. That is good enough for me.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
City of Angels (1998)
既然最近提了不少 City of Angels 的歌，也該講一下電影本身才是。這部電影上映時我還在台北唸書，跟著實驗室一大群人跑去國賓看的。國賓的大螢幕果然是不同凡響，人稱「甜姐兒」的 Meg Ryan 一張甜臉在國賓看起來清晰得不得了，一切細節都清清楚楚，簡直就跟風乾橘皮沒甚麼兩樣，是故好好的文藝愛情片當場成了驚悚片。這片是重拍自 Wim Wenders 1987 年的德語片 Wings of Desire (中文翻慾望之翼，不過這又跟另一片 The Wings of the Dove 中文名稱撞名了)。Wim Wenders 的原片雖然是黑白片，相比之下實在是好太多了。片中許多想強調的主題在商業片的本質上也顯得很突兀，像在 Seth 變為凡人之後好死不死偏偏在親熱的時候猛問感覺如何？你感覺到了沒有？弄得好像鹹濕三級片一樣。
還有還有 Nicolas Cage 的臉到底是怎麼回事？好像肉毒桿菌打太多沒甚麼表情的感覺。晚期幾部片都是差不多那號表情，與他早期在 Coen brothers 的 Raising Arizona 裡那一臉生動的痞子樣相比實在是差太多太多了，以前好多了。
總之是部失敗的商業化藝術片，兩面不討好。不過如果你沒看過或看過了但還想再看一次，那麼就請繼續往下看。
City of Angels
Movie Trailer
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Goo Goo Dolls
這首 Goo Goo Dolls 才是 City of Angels 真正的主題曲，雖然賣得不錯但似乎還是沒有另一首搭順風車的 Angel 來得出名。
Goo Goo Dolls / Iris
And I'd give up forever to touch you / Cause I know that you feel me somehow / You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be / And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment / And all I can breathe is your life / Cause sooner or later it's over / I just don't want to miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me / Cause I don't think that they'd understand / When everything's made to be broken / I just want you to know who I am
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming / Or the moment of truth in your lies / When everything seems like the movies / Yeah you bleed just to know your alive
And I don't want the world to see me / Cause I don't think that they'd understand / When everything's made to be broken / I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
Goo Goo Dolls / Iris
And I'd give up forever to touch you / Cause I know that you feel me somehow / You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be / And I don't want to go home right now
And all I can taste is this moment / And all I can breathe is your life / Cause sooner or later it's over / I just don't want to miss you tonight
And I don't want the world to see me / Cause I don't think that they'd understand / When everything's made to be broken / I just want you to know who I am
And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming / Or the moment of truth in your lies / When everything seems like the movies / Yeah you bleed just to know your alive
And I don't want the world to see me / Cause I don't think that they'd understand / When everything's made to be broken / I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
小孩像誰？
今天凡凡他媽媽帶著凡凡去 Boston downtown 辦些事情，途中遇到了對老夫婦，老人家總是對小嬰兒特別感興趣，特地繞過來想瞧瞧凡凡的模樣。
看到了之後那老太太便一直誇凡凡說「這小孩長得好漂亮呀！真是漂亮！」
凡凡他媽媽聽了心頭大喜正準備說謝謝的時候，那老太太又接著說了「一定長得像他爸爸對不對？」
當場凡凡他媽媽臉上就出現了三條黑線，謝謝兩字卡在喉頭不知是說好還是不說好‧‧‧
Angel
Angel 原是收錄在 Sarah McLachlan 1997 年專輯 Surfacing 裡的歌曲，但一直等到 1999 年伴隨著電影 City of Angels 重新以單曲型式發行才獲得重視而大紅的一首歌，電影本身我覺得不怎麼樣，不過歌本身倒是很不錯。Sarah McLachlan 是加拿大人，嗓音十分乾淨，很棒的女歌手。現場演唱功力超強，下面是幾個不同場合的現場演唱版本，其中我覺得第二個自彈自唱的版本最好。
獨唱伴奏版
自彈自唱版
Sarah Mclachlan & Santana 伴奏版
Sarah McLachlan & Josh Groban 合唱版
Spend all your time waiting / For that second chance / For a break that would make it okay / There’s always one reason to feel not good enough / And it’s hard at the end of the day / I need some distraction / Oh beautiful release / Memory seeps from my veins / Let me be empty and weightless and maybe I’ll find some peace tonight
In the arms of an angel fly away from here / From this dark cold hotel room and the endlessness that you fear / You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie / You’re in the arms of the angel / May you find some comfort there
So tired of the straight line / And everywhere you turn / There’s vultures and thieves at your back / And the storm keeps on twisting / You keep on building the lie that you make up for all that you lack / It don’t make no difference escaping one last time / It’s easier to believe in this sweet madness oh / This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees
In the arms of an angel fly away from here / From this dark cold hotel room / And the endlessness that you fear / You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie / You’re in the arms of the angel /May you find some comfort there / You’re in the arms of the angel / May you find some comfort here
獨唱伴奏版
自彈自唱版
Sarah Mclachlan & Santana 伴奏版
Sarah McLachlan & Josh Groban 合唱版
Spend all your time waiting / For that second chance / For a break that would make it okay / There’s always one reason to feel not good enough / And it’s hard at the end of the day / I need some distraction / Oh beautiful release / Memory seeps from my veins / Let me be empty and weightless and maybe I’ll find some peace tonight
In the arms of an angel fly away from here / From this dark cold hotel room and the endlessness that you fear / You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie / You’re in the arms of the angel / May you find some comfort there
So tired of the straight line / And everywhere you turn / There’s vultures and thieves at your back / And the storm keeps on twisting / You keep on building the lie that you make up for all that you lack / It don’t make no difference escaping one last time / It’s easier to believe in this sweet madness oh / This glorious sadness that brings me to my knees
In the arms of an angel fly away from here / From this dark cold hotel room / And the endlessness that you fear / You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie / You’re in the arms of the angel /May you find some comfort there / You’re in the arms of the angel / May you find some comfort here
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
這是我最早聽到的幾首英文歌之一，當時還是小朋友覺得好聽得不得了，現在聽雖然有點芭樂但還是不錯聽啦。Ah~ Those good old 80's...
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now / StarShip
Looking in your eyes I see a paradise / This world that I've found is too good to be true / Standing here beside you / Want so much to give you / This love in my heart that I'm feeling for you
Let'em say we're crazy, I don't care about that / Put your hand in my hand baby / Don't ever look back / Let the world around us just fall apart / Baby we can make it if were heart to heart / And we can build this dream together / Standing strong forever / Nothing's gonna stop us now / And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other / Nothings gonna stop us, nothings gonna stop us now
I'm so glad I found you / I'm not gonna lose you / Whatever it takes I will stay here with you / Take it to the good times / See it through the bad times / Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do
Let'em say were crazy, what do they know / Put your arms around me baby / Don't ever let go / Let the world around us just fall apart / Baby we can make it if were heart to heart / And we can build this dream together / Standing strong forever / Nothing's gonna stop us now / And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other / Nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us now
Ooh, all that I need is you / All that I ever need / And all that I want to do is hold you forever, ever and ever, hey / And we can build this dream together / Standing strong forever / Nothing's gonna stop us now / And if this world runs out of lovers / We'll still have each other / Nothing's gonna stop us / Nothing's gonna stop us, whoa / Nothing's gonna stop us now, oh no
Hey baby, I know, hey baby, nothing's gonna stop us / Hey baby, woo, nothing, hey baby / Nothing's gonna stop us now yeah
--
這首歌也是電影 Mannequin 的主題曲，也在年紀仍小的時候租錄影帶把這部片看過了，蠻好玩的片子，當時印象最深的就是裡面女主角好漂亮。沒想到現在一看才發現，God！原來是 Kim Catrall，就是 Sex and the City 裡的 Samantha！ 小朋友的清純童真玻璃心就這樣碎掉了。而且，嗯，比照一下，真的是很久遠的片子了啊‧‧‧後來還拍了續集，全部人物只有那個黑人 Hollywood 還在，感覺起來也都比不上第一集了。
整部片以現在的描述方式來說就是部電車男系電影，一個喜歡對塑膠模特兒 (mannequin) 講話的百貨公司櫥窗設計師宅男，遇到個被詛咒只要有他人在場就會變成塑膠人的正妹，宅男愛正妹，正妹也愛上宅男，壞心人阻撓，壞心人被打敗，宅男正妹快樂在一起。大概就是這樣。不過我覺得這故事的創意還是挺不錯的，因為工作關係，宅男每晚都得單獨留在百貨公司內設計擺設展示的儲窗，因為有很多機會跟塑膠人正妹在一起，現在還記得的一幕就是當兩人正在做愛做的事的時候，警衛走了過來，宅男當場被石化的正妹給「卡」住。當時幼小純真的我還因此若有其事地思考了好幾天這是怎樣的情況。直到現在我還是非常喜歡這部電影。
Mannequin (1987) 電影預告
Mannequin (1987) 電影片段
Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now / StarShip
Looking in your eyes I see a paradise / This world that I've found is too good to be true / Standing here beside you / Want so much to give you / This love in my heart that I'm feeling for you
Let'em say we're crazy, I don't care about that / Put your hand in my hand baby / Don't ever look back / Let the world around us just fall apart / Baby we can make it if were heart to heart / And we can build this dream together / Standing strong forever / Nothing's gonna stop us now / And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other / Nothings gonna stop us, nothings gonna stop us now
I'm so glad I found you / I'm not gonna lose you / Whatever it takes I will stay here with you / Take it to the good times / See it through the bad times / Whatever it takes is what I'm gonna do
Let'em say were crazy, what do they know / Put your arms around me baby / Don't ever let go / Let the world around us just fall apart / Baby we can make it if were heart to heart / And we can build this dream together / Standing strong forever / Nothing's gonna stop us now / And if this world runs out of lovers, we'll still have each other / Nothing's gonna stop us, nothing's gonna stop us now
Ooh, all that I need is you / All that I ever need / And all that I want to do is hold you forever, ever and ever, hey / And we can build this dream together / Standing strong forever / Nothing's gonna stop us now / And if this world runs out of lovers / We'll still have each other / Nothing's gonna stop us / Nothing's gonna stop us, whoa / Nothing's gonna stop us now, oh no
Hey baby, I know, hey baby, nothing's gonna stop us / Hey baby, woo, nothing, hey baby / Nothing's gonna stop us now yeah
--
這首歌也是電影 Mannequin 的主題曲，也在年紀仍小的時候租錄影帶把這部片看過了，蠻好玩的片子，當時印象最深的就是裡面女主角好漂亮。沒想到現在一看才發現，God！原來是 Kim Catrall，就是 Sex and the City 裡的 Samantha！ 小朋友的清純童真玻璃心就這樣碎掉了。而且，嗯，比照一下，真的是很久遠的片子了啊‧‧‧後來還拍了續集，全部人物只有那個黑人 Hollywood 還在，感覺起來也都比不上第一集了。
整部片以現在的描述方式來說就是部電車男系電影，一個喜歡對塑膠模特兒 (mannequin) 講話的百貨公司櫥窗設計師宅男，遇到個被詛咒只要有他人在場就會變成塑膠人的正妹，宅男愛正妹，正妹也愛上宅男，壞心人阻撓，壞心人被打敗，宅男正妹快樂在一起。大概就是這樣。不過我覺得這故事的創意還是挺不錯的，因為工作關係，宅男每晚都得單獨留在百貨公司內設計擺設展示的儲窗，因為有很多機會跟塑膠人正妹在一起，現在還記得的一幕就是當兩人正在做愛做的事的時候，警衛走了過來，宅男當場被石化的正妹給「卡」住。當時幼小純真的我還因此若有其事地思考了好幾天這是怎樣的情況。直到現在我還是非常喜歡這部電影。
Mannequin (1987) 電影預告
Mannequin (1987) 電影片段
Monday, October 23, 2006
I'm an Officer Now
今天下午收到一封學校寄來的信，打開原來是新的 ID Card，隨函還附了張說明，上面有一段文字寫著：
“Please note that employee and affiliate ID cards are no longer being printed with ststus designations.”
看了有一點小失望，我現在同時擁有兩張 ID cards，而這張新卡是給我的 Teaching Fellow 身份用的，照舊例的話上面應該會印上大大的 OFFICER 這個字，拿起來多威風啊，結果現在都沒了。不過其實這也還好，真正引起我注意的是緊接在後面的幾段文字：
“Gold cards are no longer being distributed; however, perks associated with achieving 15 years of service have not changed and eligible employees can continue to receive such perks by showing this ID Card.”
Wow，原來還有金卡喔，所以我們的都算是普卡。從來沒有見過金卡長甚麼模樣，很多教授每天都跟學生一樣刷學校的 ID 卡坐免費的 M2 shuttle bus 往返康橋與波城之間，改天應該找機會排隊時排在這些人後面偷瞄一下看看他們的卡是不是閃閃發亮閃耀著金光。
學校很出名的就是 decentralization，這點就算在餐廳這種小地方也是落實的十分徹底的，Memorial Hall 的餐廳只准 freshmen進去吃，Dudley House 則是專給 graduate students 供餐的地方，當然，也有 faculties 才能進去吃的 Faculty Club。擁有OFFICER ID Card 的好處不是可以上街指揮交通，而是可以進出學生或職員無法進入的 Faculty Club 吃東西，至於說裡面還有沒有甚麼其它的東西，說實話我也不知道。
改天該找機會進去瞧瞧，否則這學期過完 OFFICER 卡到期就沒機會了。
“Please note that employee and affiliate ID cards are no longer being printed with ststus designations.”
看了有一點小失望，我現在同時擁有兩張 ID cards，而這張新卡是給我的 Teaching Fellow 身份用的，照舊例的話上面應該會印上大大的 OFFICER 這個字，拿起來多威風啊，結果現在都沒了。不過其實這也還好，真正引起我注意的是緊接在後面的幾段文字：
“Gold cards are no longer being distributed; however, perks associated with achieving 15 years of service have not changed and eligible employees can continue to receive such perks by showing this ID Card.”
Wow，原來還有金卡喔，所以我們的都算是普卡。從來沒有見過金卡長甚麼模樣，很多教授每天都跟學生一樣刷學校的 ID 卡坐免費的 M2 shuttle bus 往返康橋與波城之間，改天應該找機會排隊時排在這些人後面偷瞄一下看看他們的卡是不是閃閃發亮閃耀著金光。
學校很出名的就是 decentralization，這點就算在餐廳這種小地方也是落實的十分徹底的，Memorial Hall 的餐廳只准 freshmen進去吃，Dudley House 則是專給 graduate students 供餐的地方，當然，也有 faculties 才能進去吃的 Faculty Club。擁有OFFICER ID Card 的好處不是可以上街指揮交通，而是可以進出學生或職員無法進入的 Faculty Club 吃東西，至於說裡面還有沒有甚麼其它的東西，說實話我也不知道。
改天該找機會進去瞧瞧，否則這學期過完 OFFICER 卡到期就沒機會了。
Sunday, October 22, 2006
自然嗨
凡凡體力愈來愈好，長距離爬行也不是問題。研究顯示運動時大腦會分泌 endorphin 讓人 natural high，所以有的人會有運動成癮的現象；不知凡凡是不是一下子分泌太多了，也太 high 了一點吧。
Mitotic-Specific Mechanosensing and Contractile-Protein Redistribution Control Cell Shape
Current Biology 16:1962
Douglas Robinson @ JHU School of Medicine
This is a short paper talking about asymmetric cell shape induced contractile-protein redistribution during cytokinesis. Authors employed extrinsic force to generate asymmetric cell shape and found myosin-II and cortexillin, an actin-cross linker, can response to this change, concentrating at the forced region and processing contraction. This phenomenon is spindle independent and cytokinesis specific.
“In early cytokinesis, mechanical load overrides spindle cues and slows cytokinesis progression while contractile proteins accumulate and correct shape asymmetries. In late cytokinesis, mechanical perturbation also directs contractile proteins but without apparently disrupting cytokinesis”
It is a shame that authors didn’t address possible reasons for these findings. I think a bigger question should be answered first before this issue. That is what proteins work in the same way as myosin-II and cortexillin. And which proteins in them are truly responsible for the different effect between early and late cytokinesis. Maybe some of those proteins are essential for early cytokinesis events which are titrated by the extra-mechanical force on cortical somewhere else. I am disappointed that authors didn’t show any experimental data related to myosin-II upstream proteins, such as Rho Kinase, Citron Kinase, Rho etc… And more, it is quite common cell blebbing at polar region. Exists there any similarity between?
After all, this paper showed that there exists a cortical mechanism which is cytokinesis specific and independent to mitotic spindles. This mechanism might play a role in cytokinesis by regulating cortex activities and cell shape.
Douglas Robinson @ JHU School of Medicine
This is a short paper talking about asymmetric cell shape induced contractile-protein redistribution during cytokinesis. Authors employed extrinsic force to generate asymmetric cell shape and found myosin-II and cortexillin, an actin-cross linker, can response to this change, concentrating at the forced region and processing contraction. This phenomenon is spindle independent and cytokinesis specific.
“In early cytokinesis, mechanical load overrides spindle cues and slows cytokinesis progression while contractile proteins accumulate and correct shape asymmetries. In late cytokinesis, mechanical perturbation also directs contractile proteins but without apparently disrupting cytokinesis”
It is a shame that authors didn’t address possible reasons for these findings. I think a bigger question should be answered first before this issue. That is what proteins work in the same way as myosin-II and cortexillin. And which proteins in them are truly responsible for the different effect between early and late cytokinesis. Maybe some of those proteins are essential for early cytokinesis events which are titrated by the extra-mechanical force on cortical somewhere else. I am disappointed that authors didn’t show any experimental data related to myosin-II upstream proteins, such as Rho Kinase, Citron Kinase, Rho etc… And more, it is quite common cell blebbing at polar region. Exists there any similarity between?
After all, this paper showed that there exists a cortical mechanism which is cytokinesis specific and independent to mitotic spindles. This mechanism might play a role in cytokinesis by regulating cortex activities and cell shape.
Mickey
第一次對這歌有深刻印象是因為看了啦啦隊電影 "Bring It On" (2000)，Mickey 這首歌可是美國啦啦隊文化裡具有神聖不可侵犯地位的代表歌曲，理所當然就被電影就拿來當主題曲了。
後來才知道它是 1982 年 Toni Basil 的暢銷曲，不過 Toni Basil 並不是第一個唱這首歌的人，1979 年英國團體 Racey 就發表了這首歌，只是當時歌名叫 "Kitty" 主角的性別也是女生；後來 Toni Basil 把歌改成 Mickey 並把主角改作男生，Mickey 隨即衝上了 U.S. Billboard 的第一名。不過在 "Bring It On" 中這歌又被愛爾蘭團體 B*witched 給重唱了一遍。
--
B*witched version
Bring It On (2000) 的 closing credits 畫面，當時完全沒注意到原來主角是 Kirsten Dunst。
Toni Basil MV (1982)
看完的感想是當時的人營養真好‧‧‧
Oh Mickey You're so fine / You're so fine you blow my mind / Hey Mickey (Huff Huff)/ Hey Mickey (Huff Huff) / Oh Mickey You're so Fine / You're so fine you blow my mind / Hey Mickey (Huff Huff) / Hey Mickey
You've been around all night and that's a little long / You think you've got the right but I think you've got it wrong / Why can't you say goodnight / So you can take me home Mickey
Cause when You say you will it always means you won't / You're givin me the chills baby, please baby don't / Every night you still leave me all alone Mickey
Oh Mickey what a pity you don't understand / You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand / Oh Mickey You're so pretty / Can't you understand? / It's guys like you Mickey / Oh what you do Mickey / Do Mickey / Don't break my heart Mickey.
Now when you take me by the hooves everyone's gonna know / Everytime you move I get a little more sure / There's Something we can use so don't say no Mickey / So come on and give it to me anyway you can / Anyway you want to do it / I'll take it like a man / Oh please, baby please / Don't leave me in the down Mickey
Oh Mickey what a pity you don't understand / You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand / Oh Mickey You're so pretty / Can't you understand? / It's guys like you Mickey / Oh what you do Mickey / Do Mickey / Don't break my heart Mickey
後來才知道它是 1982 年 Toni Basil 的暢銷曲，不過 Toni Basil 並不是第一個唱這首歌的人，1979 年英國團體 Racey 就發表了這首歌，只是當時歌名叫 "Kitty" 主角的性別也是女生；後來 Toni Basil 把歌改成 Mickey 並把主角改作男生，Mickey 隨即衝上了 U.S. Billboard 的第一名。不過在 "Bring It On" 中這歌又被愛爾蘭團體 B*witched 給重唱了一遍。
--
B*witched version
Bring It On (2000) 的 closing credits 畫面，當時完全沒注意到原來主角是 Kirsten Dunst。
Toni Basil MV (1982)
看完的感想是當時的人營養真好‧‧‧
Oh Mickey You're so fine / You're so fine you blow my mind / Hey Mickey (Huff Huff)/ Hey Mickey (Huff Huff) / Oh Mickey You're so Fine / You're so fine you blow my mind / Hey Mickey (Huff Huff) / Hey Mickey
You've been around all night and that's a little long / You think you've got the right but I think you've got it wrong / Why can't you say goodnight / So you can take me home Mickey
Cause when You say you will it always means you won't / You're givin me the chills baby, please baby don't / Every night you still leave me all alone Mickey
Oh Mickey what a pity you don't understand / You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand / Oh Mickey You're so pretty / Can't you understand? / It's guys like you Mickey / Oh what you do Mickey / Do Mickey / Don't break my heart Mickey.
Now when you take me by the hooves everyone's gonna know / Everytime you move I get a little more sure / There's Something we can use so don't say no Mickey / So come on and give it to me anyway you can / Anyway you want to do it / I'll take it like a man / Oh please, baby please / Don't leave me in the down Mickey
Oh Mickey what a pity you don't understand / You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand / Oh Mickey You're so pretty / Can't you understand? / It's guys like you Mickey / Oh what you do Mickey / Do Mickey / Don't break my heart Mickey
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Understanding Systems Biology: Minds among the Molecules
學期中的每個禮拜五中午都有 SysBio Dept. Theory Lunch，請一些不是做傳統 bench work 的人來講述他們的研究方向與成果。通常我只要有空就會去，一方面是瞭解一下其他人在做甚麼；另一方面提供免費午餐何樂而不為？也因此通常我不會特別查看這禮拜是請誰來講，只管拿了吃的坐著聽便是了。
今天一進門就看到 Marc Kirschner 和 Chris Walsh 這兩個加起來大概超過一百三十歲的老頭坐在裡面聊天，Marc 雖然少來，畢竟是 department chair，看到他還可以理解，Chris 搞化學與生化的來聽就很奇怪，想是演講者大概來頭不小的樣子。後來我才發現原來今天講的人是另一個我也常碰見的老頭，這一年來時常看到他在 department 內走動，始終不清楚他的來歷只知道他正在寫一本書，結果原來他就是 Carl Pabo。
Carl 今天講的就是他這幾年來的研究內容，大致上就是思考 Systems Biology 這個新的領域將來應該有的發展方向與架構。簡單說就是由於現在的 biology data >>>>> long-term memory >>>>> short-term memory，研究任何一個生物機制所需要的知識與訊息量都遠超過一個人所能記得的極限，是故生物界，或說系統生物界，將來勢必不能依靠個別實驗室的單打獨鬥來解決生物問題，而如何合作才能產生最大的效益便是他所思考的問題。他認為該模仿大腦的運作模式，而神經元如何溝通以及傳送訊息的格式則扮演了關鍵的角色，之後拉里拉雜地講了許多細節。整體來說他的演講技巧是很不錯的，今天帶了一整個推車的書供他在引述，大概有二十多本。不過或許內容實在是太玄了些，我坐在 Marc 和 Chris 的右後方，大概演講開始二十分鐘後兩個人便顯示出沒有繼續 follow 下去的徵狀，Chris 一直輪流將手上的 Diet Coke / Starbucks coffee 拿在手上再放回地上，Marc 則根本就睡著了。
語言是 Carl 提及很重要的一個例子，人們在聽到一串由單字所組成的句子時，如何由不同神經元把聽到的訊息單字重組解譯成有意義的句子，席間他並引用了 Norm Chomsky 的著作。我有點意外他竟然會引用Chomsky 來解釋他的想法，Chomsky 是 MIT 一位很傑出的語言學家，不過後期在 Chromsky 跨入認知心理的領域開始提出一連串激進的主張如天賦知識論後，幾乎與所有人如皮亞傑 (Piaget) 派、行為主義學派、訊息處理等學派都發生衝突，被狗幹得很慘。雖然 Chomsky 的某些觀點如大腦先天的構造與發展過程影響了認知能力的進程現在已經證實，但許多激進的主張就算以現今的眼光來看還是很誇張的。回到正題，Carl 主要的意思是說人類的大腦對訊息的處理有一定的格式，也就是現今所有已發展出的語言所依賴的文法，如果將這些格式加以改變或在語句的中間部分加上大量贅字或贅辭，同樣一個句子被理解的程度便會大量降低。
他接著補了一句，這就是為甚麼詩會讓人那麼難懂的原因。
我想的是，這也許就是詩意這種奇妙感覺的由來吧。
下面是 Carl Pabo Theory Lunch 的 Abstract:
Understanding systems biology: minds among the molecules
20 October 2006
Carl Pabo
Department of Systems Biology, HMS
National Academy of Sciences Bio
Stanford Bio-X Bio
Abstract
This seminar builds on ideas that I developed during my recent Guggenheim Fellowship for work on "Theories of Thought", and considers how some of these issues may be relevant in planning overall directions for the field of systems biology. My argument will proceed in three stages:
I'll start by considering several basic aspects of the function of the mind/brain (including issues such as limits of short-term memory, ambiguity and context-dependence in the meaning of symbols, use and limits of strategies for abstraction and "chunking", etc.).
I'll then briefly introduce a range of models that have been used in systems biology (including dynamical systems simulations, network motifs, theories of noise, scale-free networks, etc.) and will point out some significant differences in the cognitive, computational, and informational correlates of the various ways that biological information is represented in these different models.
I'll close by considering how the differing cognitive/informational characteristics of the models may help to determine which types of models will be most useful to the broader biomedical community [which is, itself, comprised of scientists working under the same types of cognitive constraints mentioned at the start of the talk].
Obviously, the scope of the issues raised here means that one cannot be entirely precise ("fully scientific") in representing each aspect of this argument. However, the analysis builds on a rich foundation of data from the cognitive neurosciences, and several constraints seem so clear and so striking that I expect that they will have profound practical implications for the optimal development of this new field.
今天一進門就看到 Marc Kirschner 和 Chris Walsh 這兩個加起來大概超過一百三十歲的老頭坐在裡面聊天，Marc 雖然少來，畢竟是 department chair，看到他還可以理解，Chris 搞化學與生化的來聽就很奇怪，想是演講者大概來頭不小的樣子。後來我才發現原來今天講的人是另一個我也常碰見的老頭，這一年來時常看到他在 department 內走動，始終不清楚他的來歷只知道他正在寫一本書，結果原來他就是 Carl Pabo。
Carl 今天講的就是他這幾年來的研究內容，大致上就是思考 Systems Biology 這個新的領域將來應該有的發展方向與架構。簡單說就是由於現在的 biology data >>>>> long-term memory >>>>> short-term memory，研究任何一個生物機制所需要的知識與訊息量都遠超過一個人所能記得的極限，是故生物界，或說系統生物界，將來勢必不能依靠個別實驗室的單打獨鬥來解決生物問題，而如何合作才能產生最大的效益便是他所思考的問題。他認為該模仿大腦的運作模式，而神經元如何溝通以及傳送訊息的格式則扮演了關鍵的角色，之後拉里拉雜地講了許多細節。整體來說他的演講技巧是很不錯的，今天帶了一整個推車的書供他在引述，大概有二十多本。不過或許內容實在是太玄了些，我坐在 Marc 和 Chris 的右後方，大概演講開始二十分鐘後兩個人便顯示出沒有繼續 follow 下去的徵狀，Chris 一直輪流將手上的 Diet Coke / Starbucks coffee 拿在手上再放回地上，Marc 則根本就睡著了。
語言是 Carl 提及很重要的一個例子，人們在聽到一串由單字所組成的句子時，如何由不同神經元把聽到的訊息單字重組解譯成有意義的句子，席間他並引用了 Norm Chomsky 的著作。我有點意外他竟然會引用Chomsky 來解釋他的想法，Chomsky 是 MIT 一位很傑出的語言學家，不過後期在 Chromsky 跨入認知心理的領域開始提出一連串激進的主張如天賦知識論後，幾乎與所有人如皮亞傑 (Piaget) 派、行為主義學派、訊息處理等學派都發生衝突，被狗幹得很慘。雖然 Chomsky 的某些觀點如大腦先天的構造與發展過程影響了認知能力的進程現在已經證實，但許多激進的主張就算以現今的眼光來看還是很誇張的。回到正題，Carl 主要的意思是說人類的大腦對訊息的處理有一定的格式，也就是現今所有已發展出的語言所依賴的文法，如果將這些格式加以改變或在語句的中間部分加上大量贅字或贅辭，同樣一個句子被理解的程度便會大量降低。
他接著補了一句，這就是為甚麼詩會讓人那麼難懂的原因。
我想的是，這也許就是詩意這種奇妙感覺的由來吧。
下面是 Carl Pabo Theory Lunch 的 Abstract:
Understanding systems biology: minds among the molecules
20 October 2006
Carl Pabo
Department of Systems Biology, HMS
National Academy of Sciences Bio
Stanford Bio-X Bio
Abstract
This seminar builds on ideas that I developed during my recent Guggenheim Fellowship for work on "Theories of Thought", and considers how some of these issues may be relevant in planning overall directions for the field of systems biology. My argument will proceed in three stages:
I'll start by considering several basic aspects of the function of the mind/brain (including issues such as limits of short-term memory, ambiguity and context-dependence in the meaning of symbols, use and limits of strategies for abstraction and "chunking", etc.).
I'll then briefly introduce a range of models that have been used in systems biology (including dynamical systems simulations, network motifs, theories of noise, scale-free networks, etc.) and will point out some significant differences in the cognitive, computational, and informational correlates of the various ways that biological information is represented in these different models.
I'll close by considering how the differing cognitive/informational characteristics of the models may help to determine which types of models will be most useful to the broader biomedical community [which is, itself, comprised of scientists working under the same types of cognitive constraints mentioned at the start of the talk].
Obviously, the scope of the issues raised here means that one cannot be entirely precise ("fully scientific") in representing each aspect of this argument. However, the analysis builds on a rich foundation of data from the cognitive neurosciences, and several constraints seem so clear and so striking that I expect that they will have profound practical implications for the optimal development of this new field.
魔鏡呀魔鏡
小嬰兒都會對鏡子感到非常著迷，凡凡也不例外。一早凡凡剛醒，睡眼惺忪，在等著吃早飯的當下看到玩具上的小鏡子，便不自主地把嘴湊過去親了又親，好像在親教宗一樣；聽凡凡他媽說，很多比較大的小嬰兒看到凡凡就會爬過來親凡凡，所以大概又是 play group 那邊學來的新招吧。
Both Midzone and Astral Microtubules Are Involved in the Delivery of Cytokinesis Signals: Insights from the Mobility of Aurora B
JCB 15:45 (2002/10)
Yu-li Wang @ UMMS
This paper took me two days. It is not because this paper is especially difficult or what. I just couldn't help but kept fallen asleep while reading it. I always like Yu-li's paper because of their micromanipuation experiments. However I just don't understand why they had not published any paper in top profile journals these years? Is that because their papers only give a descriptive conclusion but no detailed mechanism?
Anyway, in this paper, authors performed the FRAP experiment for Aurora B on different parts of the cell at different stages. It showed that Aurora B has a very slow turnover rate along midzone microtubules which is in contrast to before cytokinesis on kinetochores. Authors also suggested that Aurora B was directly relocating from centromeres to midzone microtubules. It disagrees with later findings that you don't need chromosomes to localize Aurora B on midzone microtubules. Aurora B also localized on astral microtubules and at least it suggested kinetochores/centromeres are not the only entry point for Aurora B on microtubules. Astral microtubules could transport Aurora B to equatorial cell cortex where the cleavage will be.
Authors thought midzone and astral microtubules might play their roles in different stages such as late and early cytokinesis. But I don't buy it. Is that clear what is different between midzone and astral microtubules before the former got stabilized?
Yu-li Wang @ UMMS
This paper took me two days. It is not because this paper is especially difficult or what. I just couldn't help but kept fallen asleep while reading it. I always like Yu-li's paper because of their micromanipuation experiments. However I just don't understand why they had not published any paper in top profile journals these years? Is that because their papers only give a descriptive conclusion but no detailed mechanism?
Anyway, in this paper, authors performed the FRAP experiment for Aurora B on different parts of the cell at different stages. It showed that Aurora B has a very slow turnover rate along midzone microtubules which is in contrast to before cytokinesis on kinetochores. Authors also suggested that Aurora B was directly relocating from centromeres to midzone microtubules. It disagrees with later findings that you don't need chromosomes to localize Aurora B on midzone microtubules. Aurora B also localized on astral microtubules and at least it suggested kinetochores/centromeres are not the only entry point for Aurora B on microtubules. Astral microtubules could transport Aurora B to equatorial cell cortex where the cleavage will be.
Authors thought midzone and astral microtubules might play their roles in different stages such as late and early cytokinesis. But I don't buy it. Is that clear what is different between midzone and astral microtubules before the former got stabilized?
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Teaching Fellow for SimuCast Course
I got a teaching fellow job this semester for Jeff Lichtman's microscopy course. Jeff has this course in Cambridge and broadcasts it simultaneously to the Neuroscience department in Boston. I am the fellow at the Boston end. Most people here are postdocs, plus several students and PIs. Jeff is a terrific lecturer. I had this course last year and learnt a lot from it.
Part of my job is setting up the connection between Cambridge and Boston. When someone here asks questions, I control the camera shooting that person so Jeff in Cambridge can see his/her face. I took this movie by my digital camera this afternoon. If you see this movie carefully, you will find there is an empty zone in the middle of the classroom. No one like to sit there because that is the default position for camara shooting while no one asks questions. :)
I finished my teaching requirement last year by teaching 8th grade public school kids cell biology and microbiology. Therefore, I get paid by doing this TF. After all, I like this job. The pay is good; loading is not heavy; and it somehow recalls what I have learnt last year. All of them are good for me.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
The Force Drives Evolution
高中課本裡很多人都讀過，脖子短的長頸鹿吃不到高的地方的樹葉，所以最後就死光光了。或許，人可以站起來，最初也祇是因為想要多吃一點東西這小小的心願吧！凡凡可以站起來後，可以吃的東西更多了，這應該就是直立人的由來了。
挺起腰桿
凡凡現在洗澡時又想到了新招，本來躺平在小浴缸裡凡凡不太容易出力坐起來或站起來，後來他自己找到了破解的方法，先把整個身體直挺挺地頂著，腳出力讓身體往上移動接著腰再放軟，這時下來的位置就剛好可以讓他順勢坐著，腳再出些力就站起來了。Bravo！
Synchronized Swimming Mitosis
UCSF Tetrad Granlibakken Skits 2006.
Aquatic cell division at its finest.
A very good and educational movie from the brilliant UCSF people. This Tetrad program is an integrative biology program in UCSF, one of the top in the States. I applied for it two years ago but got rejected. It left me no choice but went to my current school, ha-ha. Lots of top faculties in my school were recruited from UCSF. There is a joke here talking about we see UCSF as our farm system of faculties. I was told by Chris that UCSF is(was?) a tough place for PhD students. Students there had to pass two qualify exams, one for thesis and one for non-thesis. Geez...
Okay, here is what happened in this movie.
Second 4: It appears that the cell is in G2 phase or G2/M boundary. Chromosomes grouped and centrosomes stayed together on a virtual nuclear membrane.
Second 10: Centrosomes segregated toward two opposed poles. This step is difficult to judge the cell was in which subphase since differnt cells make it happened at different subphases. Based on what had been shown in this movie, since the virtual nuclear membrane was still intact, this cell should be in prophase.
Second 15: Nuclear membrane break down (NMBD) happened so the cell was in prometaphase. Centrosomes nucleated spindle started to capture chromosomes throught the famous feature named "dynamic instability".
Second 23: All chromosome were captured by spindles and properly aligned in the equatorial plane. Therefore this cell was in metaphase.
Second 31: Spindle checkpoint got inactivated and chromosome segregated quickly and robustly. Cell processed into anaphase and cytokinesis. There are two stages in anaphase, A and B. In anaphase A, centrosomes stay at the same localization but spindles between chromosomes and centrosomes were shortened. And two centrosomes start to move further apart from equatorial plane in Anaphase B. But, just like what this movie showed, cytokinesis is a very robust and fast reaction, anaphase in this movie is so fast that anaphase A and B were difficult to make a clear distinguishment between.
Second 34: It looks like a membrane insertion mechanism. If that is the case, this cell could be a embryo or stem cell. A alternative explanation is this is a plant cell division so in the last step it built a cell plane between two daughter cells.
Aquatic cell division at its finest.
A very good and educational movie from the brilliant UCSF people. This Tetrad program is an integrative biology program in UCSF, one of the top in the States. I applied for it two years ago but got rejected. It left me no choice but went to my current school, ha-ha. Lots of top faculties in my school were recruited from UCSF. There is a joke here talking about we see UCSF as our farm system of faculties. I was told by Chris that UCSF is(was?) a tough place for PhD students. Students there had to pass two qualify exams, one for thesis and one for non-thesis. Geez...
Okay, here is what happened in this movie.
Second 4: It appears that the cell is in G2 phase or G2/M boundary. Chromosomes grouped and centrosomes stayed together on a virtual nuclear membrane.
Second 10: Centrosomes segregated toward two opposed poles. This step is difficult to judge the cell was in which subphase since differnt cells make it happened at different subphases. Based on what had been shown in this movie, since the virtual nuclear membrane was still intact, this cell should be in prophase.
Second 15: Nuclear membrane break down (NMBD) happened so the cell was in prometaphase. Centrosomes nucleated spindle started to capture chromosomes throught the famous feature named "dynamic instability".
Second 23: All chromosome were captured by spindles and properly aligned in the equatorial plane. Therefore this cell was in metaphase.
Second 31: Spindle checkpoint got inactivated and chromosome segregated quickly and robustly. Cell processed into anaphase and cytokinesis. There are two stages in anaphase, A and B. In anaphase A, centrosomes stay at the same localization but spindles between chromosomes and centrosomes were shortened. And two centrosomes start to move further apart from equatorial plane in Anaphase B. But, just like what this movie showed, cytokinesis is a very robust and fast reaction, anaphase in this movie is so fast that anaphase A and B were difficult to make a clear distinguishment between.
Second 34: It looks like a membrane insertion mechanism. If that is the case, this cell could be a embryo or stem cell. A alternative explanation is this is a plant cell division so in the last step it built a cell plane between two daughter cells.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
Phosphorylation of the Cytokinesis Regulator Ect2 at G2/M Phase Stimulates Association of the Mitotic Kinase Plk1 and Accumulation of GTP-Bound RhoA
Oncogene 25:827 (2006)
Toru Miki @ NIH
Authors made a model that Cdk1 phosphorylated Ect2 on T412 generating a priming site for Plk1 PBD binding. Ect2 was shown to be phosphorylated by Cdk1 and Plk1 in vitro. T412 is Cdk1 phosphorylation site. Ect2 has more than one Plk1 phosphorylation site but none has been identified in this paper.
T412A dampened cortical Rho accumulation but T412D caused cortical hyperactivity during cell division. It suggests T412 plays an important role for regulating Rho activity. Plk1 interacted with wildtype Ect2, T412D, but not T412A. Plk1 binding Ect2 is important for this paper's novelty. However, authors did not show any direct evidence that Plk1 interacts with phosphor-T412. A direct phosphopeptide binding experiment will be perfect for this issue. In David Pellman's yeast Cdc5 and Rho GEFs paper, David mentioned Plk1 interaction cannot be rescued by phosphor-mimic mutant. So Plk1 should not interact with T412D if T412 serves as a priming site for PBD.
Although Ect2 contains a PH domain, it appears that the main functional localization is on midzone/midbody. It is different to the Science paper from David Pellman's lab. However, it is still very interesting to figure out whether Plk1 phosphorylates Ect2 in vivo. Cdk1/cyclin B degradation is an essential step for cytokinesis entry. Therefore the T412 phosphorylation must happens before cytokinesis if it is essential for fully activating Rho.
Toru Miki @ NIH
Authors made a model that Cdk1 phosphorylated Ect2 on T412 generating a priming site for Plk1 PBD binding. Ect2 was shown to be phosphorylated by Cdk1 and Plk1 in vitro. T412 is Cdk1 phosphorylation site. Ect2 has more than one Plk1 phosphorylation site but none has been identified in this paper.
T412A dampened cortical Rho accumulation but T412D caused cortical hyperactivity during cell division. It suggests T412 plays an important role for regulating Rho activity. Plk1 interacted with wildtype Ect2, T412D, but not T412A. Plk1 binding Ect2 is important for this paper's novelty. However, authors did not show any direct evidence that Plk1 interacts with phosphor-T412. A direct phosphopeptide binding experiment will be perfect for this issue. In David Pellman's yeast Cdc5 and Rho GEFs paper, David mentioned Plk1 interaction cannot be rescued by phosphor-mimic mutant. So Plk1 should not interact with T412D if T412 serves as a priming site for PBD.
Although Ect2 contains a PH domain, it appears that the main functional localization is on midzone/midbody. It is different to the Science paper from David Pellman's lab. However, it is still very interesting to figure out whether Plk1 phosphorylates Ect2 in vivo. Cdk1/cyclin B degradation is an essential step for cytokinesis entry. Therefore the T412 phosphorylation must happens before cytokinesis if it is essential for fully activating Rho.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
覓食
現在真的很有體力也很能動，能爬的地方就爬，能站的地方就站，能抓的東西就抓，能吃的東西就吃，不能吃的東西也是照吃。只是奶瓶太大手太小不容易抓穩，加上正在打嗝，一不小心就失去平衡，不過，摔倒事小，到手的奶瓶當然還是得死抓著不放啊。
Cooperation between Mitotic Kinesins Controls the Late Stages of Cytokinesis
Current Biology 16:301 (2006/02)
Francis Barr @ Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry
There are two possible Aurora B phosphorylation sites in MKLP1, S821 and S911. Due to the failure in generating phospho-S821-specific antibody, only S911 was addressed in this paper. Authors showed that Aurora B phosphorylates MKLP1 S911 during anaphase. The S911A mutant did not cause any defect in early stages of cytokinesis, including contractile ring build-up and furrow ingression. However, this phosphorylation on S911 is required for MKLP1 stay at the midzone/midbody during late cytokinesis. A bipartite NLS in MKLP1 was disrupted by S911 phosphorylation so MKLP1 will not be recruited back to nucleus after nuclear membranes reformed.
Plk1, Cdk1, and Aurora B were all tested and only Aurora B could phosphorylate MKLP1 S911 both in vitro and in vivo. Besides, MKLP2 is required for this phosphorylation since it regulates the translocation of Aurora B in cytokinesis. Unfortunately authors didn’t address how the mislocalization of MKLP1 causes cytokinesis failure during late stages. The only evidence authors had is a increase of binucleate cell percetage. It is just not solid enough.
Unlike vertebrates and Drosophila, C. elegans appears to lack MKLP2. Besides, S911-containing NLS region in C-terminus of mammalian MKLP1 is absent from the C. elegans homolog ZEN-4. It suggests this regulatory mechanism is specific for vertebrates and either does not occur in C. elegans or involves a different mechanism. The second site, S812 in the tail region downstream of the actin binding domain, is conserved in ZEN-4, where it is required for regulation of the late stages of cytokinesis. Whether MKLP2 is also required for S812 phosphorylation in human cells and for other Aurora B substrates such as Cyk-4 (MgcRacGAP), is still unknown.
Francis Barr @ Max-Planck-Institute of Biochemistry
There are two possible Aurora B phosphorylation sites in MKLP1, S821 and S911. Due to the failure in generating phospho-S821-specific antibody, only S911 was addressed in this paper. Authors showed that Aurora B phosphorylates MKLP1 S911 during anaphase. The S911A mutant did not cause any defect in early stages of cytokinesis, including contractile ring build-up and furrow ingression. However, this phosphorylation on S911 is required for MKLP1 stay at the midzone/midbody during late cytokinesis. A bipartite NLS in MKLP1 was disrupted by S911 phosphorylation so MKLP1 will not be recruited back to nucleus after nuclear membranes reformed.
Plk1, Cdk1, and Aurora B were all tested and only Aurora B could phosphorylate MKLP1 S911 both in vitro and in vivo. Besides, MKLP2 is required for this phosphorylation since it regulates the translocation of Aurora B in cytokinesis. Unfortunately authors didn’t address how the mislocalization of MKLP1 causes cytokinesis failure during late stages. The only evidence authors had is a increase of binucleate cell percetage. It is just not solid enough.
Unlike vertebrates and Drosophila, C. elegans appears to lack MKLP2. Besides, S911-containing NLS region in C-terminus of mammalian MKLP1 is absent from the C. elegans homolog ZEN-4. It suggests this regulatory mechanism is specific for vertebrates and either does not occur in C. elegans or involves a different mechanism. The second site, S812 in the tail region downstream of the actin binding domain, is conserved in ZEN-4, where it is required for regulation of the late stages of cytokinesis. Whether MKLP2 is also required for S812 phosphorylation in human cells and for other Aurora B substrates such as Cyk-4 (MgcRacGAP), is still unknown.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
I Like the Way
這歌在去年底是可口可樂的電視廣告歌，是我覺得畫面和音樂配合的最好的可樂廣告。有時要寫東西或者騎車時會拿來聽，提振一下精神。
I Like the Way / Bodyrockers
MV version
Live version
There's so many things I like about you / I / I just don't know where to begin / I like the way you look at me with those beautiful eyes / I like the way you act all surprised / I like the way you sing along / I like the way you always get it wrong / I like the way you clap your hands / I like the way you love to dance / I like the way you put your hands up in the air / I like the way you shake your hair / I like the way you like to touch / I like the way you stare so much / But most of all / Yeah / Most of all / I like the way you move / I like the way you move
I like the way you put your hands up in the air / I like the way you shake your hair / I like the way you like to touch / I like the way you stare so much / But most of all / Yeah / Most of all / I like the way you move / I like the way you move
I like the way you put your hands up in the air / I like the way you shake your hair / I like the way you like to touch / I like the way you stare so much / But most of all / Yeah / Most of all / I like the way you move / I like the way you move
I Like the Way / Bodyrockers
MV version
Live version
There's so many things I like about you / I / I just don't know where to begin / I like the way you look at me with those beautiful eyes / I like the way you act all surprised / I like the way you sing along / I like the way you always get it wrong / I like the way you clap your hands / I like the way you love to dance / I like the way you put your hands up in the air / I like the way you shake your hair / I like the way you like to touch / I like the way you stare so much / But most of all / Yeah / Most of all / I like the way you move / I like the way you move
I like the way you put your hands up in the air / I like the way you shake your hair / I like the way you like to touch / I like the way you stare so much / But most of all / Yeah / Most of all / I like the way you move / I like the way you move
I like the way you put your hands up in the air / I like the way you shake your hair / I like the way you like to touch / I like the way you stare so much / But most of all / Yeah / Most of all / I like the way you move / I like the way you move
Black TGIF
This week, it is our lab's turn to host the happy hour party.
Kueh made a brilliant flyer for it.
Kueh made a brilliant flyer for it.
Darth Tater: Your microtubule is short, old man.
Mr.Potato: Size matters not. Dynamic instability does.
75. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
我的 list 上第 75 項，這是部得獎連連的電影，不過我看完後並不覺得真有這麼好看。劇情主要是描述一個餐廳女侍為了自己的夢想，不甘於一輩子生活在悲慘中，努力成為頂尖拳手卻在即將成功之際，重重跌下變成植物人的故事，故事也沒因此結束，最後在幾次試圖自殺不成後，教練終於答應幫他結束了她的生命。戲裡主要是繞著 Clint Eastwood 扮演的教練和 Hilary Swank 的拳手鋪陳，兩人如同父女般，互相補足了對方生命中的缺陷。Morgan Freeman 則幾乎始終都處在旁觀者的角度冷眼看待這整件事。
Clint Eastwood 確實是個很好的導演，劇中人物的深度也很足，但我就是對這劇情沒甚麼感覺，有點像是美化後的勵志片，而我始終對勵志這類的東西都是提不起甚麼勁的。
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Polo-Like Kinase Cdc5 Controls the Local Activation of Rho1 to Promote Cytokinesis
Science 313:108 (2006/07)
David Pellman @ DFCI
In this paper, authors provided a possible link between Cdc5, the Polo-like kinase in yeast, and Rho1, the critical regulator in cytokinesis contractile ring construction. Authors stated “we found that budding yeast Polo-like kinase Cdc5 controls the targeting and activation of Rho1 (RhoA) at the division site via Rho1 guanine nucleotide exchange factors. This role of Cdc5 (Polo-like kinase) in regulating Rho1 is likely to be relevant to cytokinesis and asymmetric cell division in other organisms.
Authors specifically screened GEFs in yeast genome and found several candidates which interact with Cdc5. Functional assay showed at least Tus1 and Rom2 interacts with Cdc5 by a mechanism similar to that other known Polo substrates, that is, PBD binding to the pilot phosphorylation site on substrates. Authors also showed the Cdc5 phosphorylation targets Tus1 to the division sites. However, authors didn’t address much on the part between GEF Tus1 and Rho1, or the data is not solid / convincing enough for the title of this paper. How GEFs bring Rho1 to the division site? A live imaging experiment to clarify the spatial and temporal relationship between Cdc5, GEFs, and Rho1 will be great for addressing this issue.
At the end, authors referenced that RhoA GEF Ect2 is a substrate for Plk1 in vitro. So the similar task should be done in mammalian systems to make the story more complete.
The selected pictures in figures are crappy too. Since usually pictures shown in figures are the best pictures the authors have, it is very difficult to make conclusions based on those pictures if they are the best ones.
It is disappointing that the work between GEFs and Rho1, and at least trying other organisms are not been well done. It should not be a Science paper. The main reason it got accepted might be the novelty of Polo regulating Rho activity, and very likely because David Pellman is a pushy man too.
David Pellman @ DFCI
In this paper, authors provided a possible link between Cdc5, the Polo-like kinase in yeast, and Rho1, the critical regulator in cytokinesis contractile ring construction. Authors stated “we found that budding yeast Polo-like kinase Cdc5 controls the targeting and activation of Rho1 (RhoA) at the division site via Rho1 guanine nucleotide exchange factors. This role of Cdc5 (Polo-like kinase) in regulating Rho1 is likely to be relevant to cytokinesis and asymmetric cell division in other organisms.
Authors specifically screened GEFs in yeast genome and found several candidates which interact with Cdc5. Functional assay showed at least Tus1 and Rom2 interacts with Cdc5 by a mechanism similar to that other known Polo substrates, that is, PBD binding to the pilot phosphorylation site on substrates. Authors also showed the Cdc5 phosphorylation targets Tus1 to the division sites. However, authors didn’t address much on the part between GEF Tus1 and Rho1, or the data is not solid / convincing enough for the title of this paper. How GEFs bring Rho1 to the division site? A live imaging experiment to clarify the spatial and temporal relationship between Cdc5, GEFs, and Rho1 will be great for addressing this issue.
At the end, authors referenced that RhoA GEF Ect2 is a substrate for Plk1 in vitro. So the similar task should be done in mammalian systems to make the story more complete.
The selected pictures in figures are crappy too. Since usually pictures shown in figures are the best pictures the authors have, it is very difficult to make conclusions based on those pictures if they are the best ones.
It is disappointing that the work between GEFs and Rho1, and at least trying other organisms are not been well done. It should not be a Science paper. The main reason it got accepted might be the novelty of Polo regulating Rho activity, and very likely because David Pellman is a pushy man too.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Kinesin-13s Form Rings Around Microtubules
JCB 175:25 (2006/10)
Hernando Sosa @ Albert Einstein College of Medicine
In this paper, authors demonstrate by EMs that kinesin-13 proteins form oligomeric rings and spirals around microtubules. Several kinesins in this family were tested, including KLP10A and KLP59C in Drosophila and MCAK from hamster. Rings only formed in the presence of both microtubules and kinesin-13 proteins, but the formation is independent of the nucleotide condition of the polymerized tubulin. Authors suggested the rungs could function as a movable sleeve around the microtubule, similar to the Dam1-DASH kinetochore complex in yeast.
Several people in out lab said they don’t understand why this paper could be published on JCB. The main reason is this paper didn't provide details of the molecular mechanism. However, I like this paper. This paper is small but clear. The structural novelty obviously is the point to sell. Kinesin-13 proteins have different microtubule depolymerizing function to other kinesin proteins. Now this paper showed the structure is also different to other kinesin motors. The EM data are solid and live imaging experiments are good too. Reasonably authors thought kinesin-13s might work as Dam1 complex in yeast since the Dam1 homologous genes in higher eukaryotes have not been found. Even in the Dam1 paper, the model was also built on in vitro experiment and has no solid in vivo data supported it. So the sleeve model is still a juicy hypothesis. Many people, including Tim, love it but it is not carved on the stone yet. However, realized kinesin-13s formed ring structure is still very helpful for people to study its possible molecular mechanism in the future.
Hernando Sosa @ Albert Einstein College of Medicine
In this paper, authors demonstrate by EMs that kinesin-13 proteins form oligomeric rings and spirals around microtubules. Several kinesins in this family were tested, including KLP10A and KLP59C in Drosophila and MCAK from hamster. Rings only formed in the presence of both microtubules and kinesin-13 proteins, but the formation is independent of the nucleotide condition of the polymerized tubulin. Authors suggested the rungs could function as a movable sleeve around the microtubule, similar to the Dam1-DASH kinetochore complex in yeast.
Several people in out lab said they don’t understand why this paper could be published on JCB. The main reason is this paper didn't provide details of the molecular mechanism. However, I like this paper. This paper is small but clear. The structural novelty obviously is the point to sell. Kinesin-13 proteins have different microtubule depolymerizing function to other kinesin proteins. Now this paper showed the structure is also different to other kinesin motors. The EM data are solid and live imaging experiments are good too. Reasonably authors thought kinesin-13s might work as Dam1 complex in yeast since the Dam1 homologous genes in higher eukaryotes have not been found. Even in the Dam1 paper, the model was also built on in vitro experiment and has no solid in vivo data supported it. So the sleeve model is still a juicy hypothesis. Many people, including Tim, love it but it is not carved on the stone yet. However, realized kinesin-13s formed ring structure is still very helpful for people to study its possible molecular mechanism in the future.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
爬樓梯
這次用單色復古色調來拍，理論上畫質應該會好上很多，看起來也的確有點舊時光的味道。
凡凡趁著他媽媽折衣服沒注意，開始亂爬，凡凡的媽媽發現後直講「我絕對相信你會爬樓梯」，大概意思是要凡凡不要在展示他的能力了，我們都相信他做得到。
Monday, October 9, 2006
My Name Is Not Earl but I Have a List Too
Recently Sakula started burrowing some DVDs from the Cambridge Main Library which is just steps away from our place. It is free and a very good resource especially to a poor student like me. Through an on-line catalog named "Minuteman", we can search and burrow any collection from all Massachusetts public libraries, and the pick it up at the nearest library.
Sakula asked me what movies I would like to see. In order to get some ideas, I checked the list of IMDb top 250 movies. I found that I have already seen many of them and labeled those movies in red. Now it is like the stuff in the TV show "My Name Is Earl" in which Earl also got a list to complete. However, it is much enjoyable crossing my listed items out than his!
Here is the list:
Rank / Rating / Title / Votes
1. 9.1 The Godfather (1972) 178,017
2. 9.0 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 214,347
3. 8.9 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 101,153
4. 8.8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 161,683
5. 8.8 Casablanca (1942) 87,202
6. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993) 129,615
7. 8.8 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) 48,614
8. 8.7 Shichinin no samurai (1954) 46,866
9. 8.7 Pulp Fiction (1994) 184,353
10. 8.7 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 139,369
11. 8.7 Star Wars (1977) 175,820
12. 8.7 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 93,690
13. 8.7 Rear Window (1954) 55,330
14. 8.7 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 205,442
15. 8.6 12 Angry Men (1957) 41,449
16. 8.6 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 120,253
17. 8.6 The Usual Suspects (1995) 136,212
18. 8.6 Cidade de Deus (2002) 50,839
19. 8.6 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) 83,582
20. 8.6 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 161,419
21. 8.6 Citizen Kane (1941) 78,128
22. 8.6 Psycho (1960) 70,354
23. 8.6 Goodfellas (1990) 94,482
24. 8.6 C'era una volta il West (1968) 26,991
25. 8.6 North by Northwest (1959) 46,908
26. 8.6 Memento (2000) 124,289
27. 8.5 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 118,998
28. 8.5 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 40,942
29. 8.5 Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) 84,690
30. 8.5 Sunset Blvd. (1950) 23,185
31. 8.5 It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 52,807
32. 8.5 Fight Club (1999) 159,491
33. 8.5 American Beauty (1999) 143,304
34. 8.5 The Matrix (1999) 188,252
35. 8.4 Vertigo (1958) 44,903
36. 8.4 Taxi Driver (1976) 65,353
37. 8.4 Apocalypse Now (1979) 86,167
38. 8.4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 84,482
39. 8.4 Paths of Glory (1957) 20,024
40. 8.4 Se7en (1995) 121,286
41. 8.4 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 41,001
42. 8.4 Untergang, Der (2004) 26,512
43. 8.4 Léon (1994) 77,041
44. 8.4 Chinatown (1974) 35,143
45. 8.4 American History X (1998) 86,994
46. 8.4 The Third Man (1949) 25,042
47. 8.4 The Pianist (2002) 48,727
48. 8.4 Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) 39,952
49. 8.4 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 81,387
50. 8.3 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) 14,283
51. 8.3 Boot, Das (1981) 37,779
52. 8.3 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 29,414
53. 8.3 Hotel Rwanda (2004) 29,330
54. 8.3 M (1931) 17,090
55. 8.3 The Maltese Falcon (1941) 25,704
56. 8.3 L.A. Confidential (1997) 88,723
57. 8.3 Requiem for a Dream (2000) 72,845
58. 8.3 Alien (1979) 83,643
59. 8.3 A Clockwork Orange (1971) 88,165
60. 8.3 Metropolis (1927) 16,961
61. 8.3 Rashômon (1950) 16,750
62. 8.3 Double Indemnity (1944) 16,002
63. 8.3 Reservoir Dogs (1992) 94,554
64. 8.3 The Shining (1980) 70,957
65. 8.3 Saving Private Ryan (1998) 131,523
66. 8.3 Sin City (2005) 90,664
67. 8.3 Singin' in the Rain (1952) 27,206
68. 8.3 The Manchurian Candidate (1962) 18,769
69. 8.3 Modern Times (1936) 14,621
70. 8.3 Raging Bull (1980) 37,675
71. 8.3 Aliens (1986) 82,807
72. 8.3 Rebecca (1940) 15,845
73. 8.3 Some Like It Hot (1959) 33,640
74. 8.3 The Great Escape (1963) 27,671
75. 8.3 Million Dollar Baby (2004) 50,475
76. 8.3 All About Eve (1950) 17,409
77. 8.2 Touch of Evil (1958) 15,623
78. 8.2 Vita è bella, La (1997) 50,427
79. 8.2 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 83,210
80. 8.2 Amadeus (1984) 48,303
81. 8.2 The Sting (1973) 31,593
82. 8.2 Jaws (1975) 64,048
83. 8.2 Strangers on a Train (1951) 14,834
84. 8.2 Batman Begins (2005) 93,238
85. 8.2 On the Waterfront (1954) 18,003
86. 8.2 Forrest Gump (1994) 124,603
87. 8.2 Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957) 14,281
88. 8.2 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) 15,719
89. 8.2 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 102,004
90. 8.2 The Incredibles (2004) 56,777
91. 8.2 The Wizard of Oz (1939) 50,406
92. 8.2 Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1989) 19,471
93. 8.2 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) 97,286
94. 8.2 Braveheart (1995) 120,102
95. 8.2 The Apartment (1960) 15,407
96. 8.2 Blade Runner (1982) 94,183
97. 8.2 City Lights (1931) 10,930
98. 8.2 The Elephant Man (1980) 23,050
99. 8.2 High Noon (1952) 16,540
100. 8.2 Full Metal Jacket (1987) 65,061
101. 8.2 Notorious (1946) 14,556
102. 8.2 The Big Sleep (1946) 13,636
103. 8.2 Donnie Darko (2001) 85,293
104. 8.2 Ran (1985) 16,756
105. 8.2 Crash (2004/I) 66,640
106. 8.2 Fargo (1996) 83,635
107. 8.1 Finding Nemo (2003) 63,601
108. 8.1 The Great Dictator (1940) 14,992
109. 8.1 Salaire de la peur, Le (1953) 4,677
110. 8.1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) 110,714
111. 8.1 Once Upon a Time in America (1984) 28,062
112. 8.1 Cool Hand Luke (1967) 19,316
113. 8.1 Mononoke-hime (1997) 28,459
114. 8.1 The Sixth Sense (1999) 125,442
115. 8.1 Oldboy (2003) 27,487
116. 8.1 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) 71,340
117. 8.1 Annie Hall (1977) 29,403
118. 8.1 Unforgiven (1992) 41,648
119. 8.1 Ben-Hur (1959) 27,781
120. 8.1 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) 80,256
121. 8.1 Wo hu cang long (2000) 64,890
122. 8.1 Yojimbo (1961) 13,028
123. 8.1 Notti di Cabiria, Le (1957) 3,704
124. 8.1 Back to the Future (1985) 91,832
125. 8.1 The Killing (1956) 10,043
126. 8.1 The Princess Bride (1987) 69,336
127. 8.1 Life of Brian (1979) 44,825
128. 8.1 The Green Mile (1999) 83,889
129. 8.1 V for Vendetta (2006) 65,021
130. 8.0 The Deer Hunter (1978) 38,764
131. 8.0 It Happened One Night (1934) 10,868
132. 8.0 The Graduate (1967) 37,813
133. 8.0 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 27,018
134. 8.0 Platoon (1986) 48,219
135. 8.0 Per qualche dollaro in più (1965) 14,241
136. 8.0 Ladri di biciclette (1948) 10,562
137. 8.0 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) 5,245
138. 8.0 The African Queen (1951) 17,844
139. 8.0 Diaboliques, Les (1955) 4,943
140. 8.0 Gladiator (2000) 124,683
141. 8.0 The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) 10,184
142. 8.0 Battaglia di Algeri, La (1966) 4,010
143. 8.0 Amores perros (2000) 23,321
144. 8.0 Toy Story 2 (1999) 53,999
145. 8.0 Shadow of a Doubt (1943) 8,470
146. 8.0 Brief Encounter (1945) 4,374
147. 8.0 Gandhi (1982) 21,462
148. 8.0 Lola rennt (1998) 43,303
149. 8.0 The Night of the Hunter (1955) 10,716
150. 8.0 The General (1927) 9,038
151. 8.0 Smultronstället (1957) 8,018
152. 8.0 Duck Soup (1933) 13,245
153. 8.0 The Conversation (1974) 14,194
154. 8.0 Harvey (1950) 10,592
155. 8.0 8½ (1963) 11,601
156. 8.0 Stand by Me (1986) 41,508
157. 8.0 Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) 12,156
158. 8.0 Cabinet des Dr. Caligari., Das (1920) 5,948
159. 8.0 Patton (1970) 19,327
160. 8.0 Die Hard (1988) 77,254
161. 8.0 Glory (1989) 28,051
162. 8.0 Dog Day Afternoon (1975) 21,982
163. 8.0 The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 13,795
164. 8.0 Belle et la bête, La (1946) 3,694
165. 8.0 Ying xiong (2002) 38,115
166. 7.9 Spartacus (1960) 22,979
167. 7.9 Gone with the Wind (1939) 38,650
168. 7.9 Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) 17,502
169. 7.9 Finding Neverland (2004) 37,792
170. 7.9 The Philadelphia Story (1940) 13,992
171. 7.9 Cinderella Man (2005) 23,579
172. 7.9 Before Sunset (2004) 18,395
173. 7.9 The Gold Rush (1925) 8,825
174. 7.9 A Christmas Story (1983) 26,543
175. 7.9 The Grapes of Wrath (1940) 10,624
176. 7.9 Toy Story (1995) 60,334
177. 7.9 Groundhog Day (1993) 60,560
178. 7.9 Trainspotting (1996) 69,794
179. 7.9 Mystic River (2003) 45,558
180. 7.9 Magnolia (1999) 61,830
181. 7.9 Tengoku to jigoku (1963) 2,963
182. 7.9 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) 8,262
183. 7.9 Out of the Past (1947) 4,056
184. 7.9 Shrek (2001) 88,270
185. 7.9 Walk the Line (2005) 33,044
186. 7.9 The Lady Vanishes (1938) 6,629
187. 7.9 Big Fish (2003) 52,926
188. 7.9 The Exorcist (1973) 46,605
189. 7.9 King Kong (1933) 17,129
190. 7.9 Idi i smotri (1985) 2,221
191. 7.9 The Hustler (1961) 11,286
192. 7.9 The Wild Bunch (1969) 14,468
193. 7.9 The Big Lebowski (1998) 71,291
194. 7.9 Du rififi chez les hommes (1955) 2,667
195. 7.9 Twelve Monkeys (1995) 81,551
196. 7.9 Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) 5,182
197. 7.9 Quatre cents coups, Les (1959) 9,355
198. 7.9 Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 12,906
199. 7.9 Ed Wood (1994) 32,274
200. 7.9 Heat (1995) 62,491
201. 7.9 Kumonosu jô (1957) 5,290
202. 7.9 Bride of Frankenstein (1935) 6,900
203. 7.9 Sleuth (1972) 6,389
204. 7.9 In the Heat of the Night (1967) 9,778
205. 7.9 Stalag 17 (1953) 9,687
206. 7.9 The Terminator (1984) 78,490
207. 7.9 Anatomy of a Murder (1959) 5,637
208. 7.9 Snatch. (2000) 65,720
209. 7.9 Hable con ella (2002) 18,818
210. 7.9 Hotaru no haka (1988) 11,990
211. 7.9 Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 7,122
212. 7.9 Young Frankenstein (1974) 29,624
213. 7.9 The Straight Story (1999) 20,149
214. 7.9 Manhattan (1979) 16,830
215. 7.9 Umberto D. (1952) 2,292
216. 7.9 Sling Blade (1996) 26,076
217. 7.9 Himmel über Berlin, Der (1987) 9,720
218. 7.9 The Lost Weekend (1945) 4,161
219. 7.9 Sweet Smell of Success (1957) 3,456
220. 7.9 Bonnie and Clyde (1967) 17,374
221. 7.9 Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) 14,994
222. 7.9 The Thing (1982) 26,777
223. 7.9 Monsters, Inc. (2001) 53,874
224. 7.9 Inherit the Wind (1960) 5,179
225. 7.9 Roman Holiday (1953) 13,185
226. 7.9 All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) 9,579
227. 7.9 Ikiru (1952) 6,619
228. 7.9 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) 49,099
229. 7.9 Rosemary's Baby (1968) 18,279
230. 7.9 Frankenstein (1931) 9,373
231. 7.9 Sherlock Jr. (1924) 2,599
232. 7.9 Haine, La (1995) 9,130
233. 7.9 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) 9,976
234. 7.9 Bringing Up Baby (1938) 12,397
235. 7.9 Central do Brasil (1998) 11,191
236. 7.9 Scarface (1983) 49,055
237. 7.9 The Searchers (1956) 13,892
238. 7.9 No Man's Land (2001) 10,403
239. 7.9 A Man for All Seasons (1966) 6,104
240. 7.9 Brazil (1985) 40,476
241. 7.9 Doctor Zhivago (1965) 14,145
242. 7.9 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 99,997
243. 7.8 Festen (1998) 16,074
244. 7.8 Harold and Maude (1971) 12,753
245. 7.8 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 13,734
246. 7.8 Ángel exterminador, El (1962) 2,673
247. 7.8 Planet of the Apes (1968) 27,190
248. 7.8 The Man Who Would Be King (1975) 10,825
249. 7.8 His Girl Friday (1940) 9,408
250. 7.8 All the President's Men (1976) 17,535
The formula for calculating the Top Rated 250 Titles gives a true Bayesian estimate:
weighted rating (WR) = (v ÷ (v+m)) × R + (m ÷ (v+m)) × C where: R = average for the movie (mean) = (Rating) v = number of votes for the movie = (votes) m = minimum votes required to be listed in the Top 250 (currently 1300) C = the mean vote across the whole report (currently 6.7)
for the Top 250, only votes from regular voters are considered.
Sakula asked me what movies I would like to see. In order to get some ideas, I checked the list of IMDb top 250 movies. I found that I have already seen many of them and labeled those movies in red. Now it is like the stuff in the TV show "My Name Is Earl" in which Earl also got a list to complete. However, it is much enjoyable crossing my listed items out than his!
Here is the list:
Rank / Rating / Title / Votes
1. 9.1 The Godfather (1972) 178,017
2. 9.0 The Shawshank Redemption (1994) 214,347
3. 8.9 The Godfather: Part II (1974) 101,153
4. 8.8 The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) 161,683
5. 8.8 Casablanca (1942) 87,202
6. 8.8 Schindler's List (1993) 129,615
7. 8.8 Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) 48,614
8. 8.7 Shichinin no samurai (1954) 46,866
9. 8.7 Pulp Fiction (1994) 184,353
10. 8.7 Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) 139,369
11. 8.7 Star Wars (1977) 175,820
12. 8.7 One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) 93,690
13. 8.7 Rear Window (1954) 55,330
14. 8.7 The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) 205,442
15. 8.6 12 Angry Men (1957) 41,449
16. 8.6 Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) 120,253
17. 8.6 The Usual Suspects (1995) 136,212
18. 8.6 Cidade de Deus (2002) 50,839
19. 8.6 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964) 83,582
20. 8.6 The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) 161,419
21. 8.6 Citizen Kane (1941) 78,128
22. 8.6 Psycho (1960) 70,354
23. 8.6 Goodfellas (1990) 94,482
24. 8.6 C'era una volta il West (1968) 26,991
25. 8.6 North by Northwest (1959) 46,908
26. 8.6 Memento (2000) 124,289
27. 8.5 The Silence of the Lambs (1991) 118,998
28. 8.5 Lawrence of Arabia (1962) 40,942
29. 8.5 Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) 84,690
30. 8.5 Sunset Blvd. (1950) 23,185
31. 8.5 It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 52,807
32. 8.5 Fight Club (1999) 159,491
33. 8.5 American Beauty (1999) 143,304
34. 8.5 The Matrix (1999) 188,252
35. 8.4 Vertigo (1958) 44,903
36. 8.4 Taxi Driver (1976) 65,353
37. 8.4 Apocalypse Now (1979) 86,167
38. 8.4 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) 84,482
39. 8.4 Paths of Glory (1957) 20,024
40. 8.4 Se7en (1995) 121,286
41. 8.4 To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) 41,001
42. 8.4 Untergang, Der (2004) 26,512
43. 8.4 Léon (1994) 77,041
44. 8.4 Chinatown (1974) 35,143
45. 8.4 American History X (1998) 86,994
46. 8.4 The Third Man (1949) 25,042
47. 8.4 The Pianist (2002) 48,727
48. 8.4 Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) 39,952
49. 8.4 Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) 81,387
50. 8.3 The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) 14,283
51. 8.3 Boot, Das (1981) 37,779
52. 8.3 The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) 29,414
53. 8.3 Hotel Rwanda (2004) 29,330
54. 8.3 M (1931) 17,090
55. 8.3 The Maltese Falcon (1941) 25,704
56. 8.3 L.A. Confidential (1997) 88,723
57. 8.3 Requiem for a Dream (2000) 72,845
58. 8.3 Alien (1979) 83,643
59. 8.3 A Clockwork Orange (1971) 88,165
60. 8.3 Metropolis (1927) 16,961
61. 8.3 Rashômon (1950) 16,750
62. 8.3 Double Indemnity (1944) 16,002
63. 8.3 Reservoir Dogs (1992) 94,554
64. 8.3 The Shining (1980) 70,957
65. 8.3 Saving Private Ryan (1998) 131,523
66. 8.3 Sin City (2005) 90,664
67. 8.3 Singin' in the Rain (1952) 27,206
68. 8.3 The Manchurian Candidate (1962) 18,769
69. 8.3 Modern Times (1936) 14,621
70. 8.3 Raging Bull (1980) 37,675
71. 8.3 Aliens (1986) 82,807
72. 8.3 Rebecca (1940) 15,845
73. 8.3 Some Like It Hot (1959) 33,640
74. 8.3 The Great Escape (1963) 27,671
75. 8.3 Million Dollar Baby (2004) 50,475
76. 8.3 All About Eve (1950) 17,409
77. 8.2 Touch of Evil (1958) 15,623
78. 8.2 Vita è bella, La (1997) 50,427
79. 8.2 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) 83,210
80. 8.2 Amadeus (1984) 48,303
81. 8.2 The Sting (1973) 31,593
82. 8.2 Jaws (1975) 64,048
83. 8.2 Strangers on a Train (1951) 14,834
84. 8.2 Batman Begins (2005) 93,238
85. 8.2 On the Waterfront (1954) 18,003
86. 8.2 Forrest Gump (1994) 124,603
87. 8.2 Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957) 14,281
88. 8.2 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) 15,719
89. 8.2 Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) 102,004
90. 8.2 The Incredibles (2004) 56,777
91. 8.2 The Wizard of Oz (1939) 50,406
92. 8.2 Nuovo cinema Paradiso (1989) 19,471
93. 8.2 Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) 97,286
94. 8.2 Braveheart (1995) 120,102
95. 8.2 The Apartment (1960) 15,407
96. 8.2 Blade Runner (1982) 94,183
97. 8.2 City Lights (1931) 10,930
98. 8.2 The Elephant Man (1980) 23,050
99. 8.2 High Noon (1952) 16,540
100. 8.2 Full Metal Jacket (1987) 65,061
101. 8.2 Notorious (1946) 14,556
102. 8.2 The Big Sleep (1946) 13,636
103. 8.2 Donnie Darko (2001) 85,293
104. 8.2 Ran (1985) 16,756
105. 8.2 Crash (2004/I) 66,640
106. 8.2 Fargo (1996) 83,635
107. 8.1 Finding Nemo (2003) 63,601
108. 8.1 The Great Dictator (1940) 14,992
109. 8.1 Salaire de la peur, Le (1953) 4,677
110. 8.1 Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) 110,714
111. 8.1 Once Upon a Time in America (1984) 28,062
112. 8.1 Cool Hand Luke (1967) 19,316
113. 8.1 Mononoke-hime (1997) 28,459
114. 8.1 The Sixth Sense (1999) 125,442
115. 8.1 Oldboy (2003) 27,487
116. 8.1 Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) 71,340
117. 8.1 Annie Hall (1977) 29,403
118. 8.1 Unforgiven (1992) 41,648
119. 8.1 Ben-Hur (1959) 27,781
120. 8.1 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) 80,256
121. 8.1 Wo hu cang long (2000) 64,890
122. 8.1 Yojimbo (1961) 13,028
123. 8.1 Notti di Cabiria, Le (1957) 3,704
124. 8.1 Back to the Future (1985) 91,832
125. 8.1 The Killing (1956) 10,043
126. 8.1 The Princess Bride (1987) 69,336
127. 8.1 Life of Brian (1979) 44,825
128. 8.1 The Green Mile (1999) 83,889
129. 8.1 V for Vendetta (2006) 65,021
130. 8.0 The Deer Hunter (1978) 38,764
131. 8.0 It Happened One Night (1934) 10,868
132. 8.0 The Graduate (1967) 37,813
133. 8.0 Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) 27,018
134. 8.0 Platoon (1986) 48,219
135. 8.0 Per qualche dollaro in più (1965) 14,241
136. 8.0 Ladri di biciclette (1948) 10,562
137. 8.0 Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) 5,245
138. 8.0 The African Queen (1951) 17,844
139. 8.0 Diaboliques, Les (1955) 4,943
140. 8.0 Gladiator (2000) 124,683
141. 8.0 The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) 10,184
142. 8.0 Battaglia di Algeri, La (1966) 4,010
143. 8.0 Amores perros (2000) 23,321
144. 8.0 Toy Story 2 (1999) 53,999
145. 8.0 Shadow of a Doubt (1943) 8,470
146. 8.0 Brief Encounter (1945) 4,374
147. 8.0 Gandhi (1982) 21,462
148. 8.0 Lola rennt (1998) 43,303
149. 8.0 The Night of the Hunter (1955) 10,716
150. 8.0 The General (1927) 9,038
151. 8.0 Smultronstället (1957) 8,018
152. 8.0 Duck Soup (1933) 13,245
153. 8.0 The Conversation (1974) 14,194
154. 8.0 Harvey (1950) 10,592
155. 8.0 8½ (1963) 11,601
156. 8.0 Stand by Me (1986) 41,508
157. 8.0 Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922) 12,156
158. 8.0 Cabinet des Dr. Caligari., Das (1920) 5,948
159. 8.0 Patton (1970) 19,327
160. 8.0 Die Hard (1988) 77,254
161. 8.0 Glory (1989) 28,051
162. 8.0 Dog Day Afternoon (1975) 21,982
163. 8.0 The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951) 13,795
164. 8.0 Belle et la bête, La (1946) 3,694
165. 8.0 Ying xiong (2002) 38,115
166. 7.9 Spartacus (1960) 22,979
167. 7.9 Gone with the Wind (1939) 38,650
168. 7.9 Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) 17,502
169. 7.9 Finding Neverland (2004) 37,792
170. 7.9 The Philadelphia Story (1940) 13,992
171. 7.9 Cinderella Man (2005) 23,579
172. 7.9 Before Sunset (2004) 18,395
173. 7.9 The Gold Rush (1925) 8,825
174. 7.9 A Christmas Story (1983) 26,543
175. 7.9 The Grapes of Wrath (1940) 10,624
176. 7.9 Toy Story (1995) 60,334
177. 7.9 Groundhog Day (1993) 60,560
178. 7.9 Trainspotting (1996) 69,794
179. 7.9 Mystic River (2003) 45,558
180. 7.9 Magnolia (1999) 61,830
181. 7.9 Tengoku to jigoku (1963) 2,963
182. 7.9 The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) 8,262
183. 7.9 Out of the Past (1947) 4,056
184. 7.9 Shrek (2001) 88,270
185. 7.9 Walk the Line (2005) 33,044
186. 7.9 The Lady Vanishes (1938) 6,629
187. 7.9 Big Fish (2003) 52,926
188. 7.9 The Exorcist (1973) 46,605
189. 7.9 King Kong (1933) 17,129
190. 7.9 Idi i smotri (1985) 2,221
191. 7.9 The Hustler (1961) 11,286
192. 7.9 The Wild Bunch (1969) 14,468
193. 7.9 The Big Lebowski (1998) 71,291
194. 7.9 Du rififi chez les hommes (1955) 2,667
195. 7.9 Twelve Monkeys (1995) 81,551
196. 7.9 Judgment at Nuremberg (1961) 5,182
197. 7.9 Quatre cents coups, Les (1959) 9,355
198. 7.9 Little Miss Sunshine (2006) 12,906
199. 7.9 Ed Wood (1994) 32,274
200. 7.9 Heat (1995) 62,491
201. 7.9 Kumonosu jô (1957) 5,290
202. 7.9 Bride of Frankenstein (1935) 6,900
203. 7.9 Sleuth (1972) 6,389
204. 7.9 In the Heat of the Night (1967) 9,778
205. 7.9 Stalag 17 (1953) 9,687
206. 7.9 The Terminator (1984) 78,490
207. 7.9 Anatomy of a Murder (1959) 5,637
208. 7.9 Snatch. (2000) 65,720
209. 7.9 Hable con ella (2002) 18,818
210. 7.9 Hotaru no haka (1988) 11,990
211. 7.9 Witness for the Prosecution (1957) 7,122
212. 7.9 Young Frankenstein (1974) 29,624
213. 7.9 The Straight Story (1999) 20,149
214. 7.9 Manhattan (1979) 16,830
215. 7.9 Umberto D. (1952) 2,292
216. 7.9 Sling Blade (1996) 26,076
217. 7.9 Himmel über Berlin, Der (1987) 9,720
218. 7.9 The Lost Weekend (1945) 4,161
219. 7.9 Sweet Smell of Success (1957) 3,456
220. 7.9 Bonnie and Clyde (1967) 17,374
221. 7.9 Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) 14,994
222. 7.9 The Thing (1982) 26,777
223. 7.9 Monsters, Inc. (2001) 53,874
224. 7.9 Inherit the Wind (1960) 5,179
225. 7.9 Roman Holiday (1953) 13,185
226. 7.9 All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) 9,579
227. 7.9 Ikiru (1952) 6,619
228. 7.9 Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) 49,099
229. 7.9 Rosemary's Baby (1968) 18,279
230. 7.9 Frankenstein (1931) 9,373
231. 7.9 Sherlock Jr. (1924) 2,599
232. 7.9 Haine, La (1995) 9,130
233. 7.9 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) 9,976
234. 7.9 Bringing Up Baby (1938) 12,397
235. 7.9 Central do Brasil (1998) 11,191
236. 7.9 Scarface (1983) 49,055
237. 7.9 The Searchers (1956) 13,892
238. 7.9 No Man's Land (2001) 10,403
239. 7.9 A Man for All Seasons (1966) 6,104
240. 7.9 Brazil (1985) 40,476
241. 7.9 Doctor Zhivago (1965) 14,145
242. 7.9 Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) 99,997
243. 7.8 Festen (1998) 16,074
244. 7.8 Harold and Maude (1971) 12,753
245. 7.8 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) 13,734
246. 7.8 Ángel exterminador, El (1962) 2,673
247. 7.8 Planet of the Apes (1968) 27,190
248. 7.8 The Man Who Would Be King (1975) 10,825
249. 7.8 His Girl Friday (1940) 9,408
250. 7.8 All the President's Men (1976) 17,535
The formula for calculating the Top Rated 250 Titles gives a true Bayesian estimate:
weighted rating (WR) = (v ÷ (v+m)) × R + (m ÷ (v+m)) × C where: R = average for the movie (mean) = (Rating) v = number of votes for the movie = (votes) m = minimum votes required to be listed in the Top 250 (currently 1300) C = the mean vote across the whole report (currently 6.7)
for the Top 250, only votes from regular voters are considered.
Sunday, October 8, 2006
Saturday, October 7, 2006
Apple-Picking Day
連續兩個跟 Effie 約好的週末都下雨，今天總算是好天氣，不過 apple-picking season 大概也接近尾聲，這週末很可能就是今年最後的機會了。Effie 十一點半準時來接我們，還幫凡凡也借好了 car seat，目的地跟去年一樣是 Harvard，不過並不是在 Harvard Campus 裡面採蘋果，而是麻州一個叫 Harvard 的小鎮。
下面則是詳細的經過。
在採蘋果之前，大家先在果園外頭草地上野餐，凡凡似乎對這寬廣的鄉間風景十分感興趣，不時抬頭四顧張望；在 Effie 教凡凡他媽怎麼樣做萬聖節南瓜頭的同時，凡凡則時忙著親吻可樂罐子上的聖誕老公公，連舌吻都用上了。
凡凡身上穿的那件白色毛衣是他奶奶在懷他爸爸的時候打的，不過當時因為不知生男生女，所以是準備打給女兒穿的，凡凡的爸爸也就從來都沒穿過這件毛衣；現在凡凡穿著看起來其實男生穿也是蠻好看的嘛。
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開始採蘋果了！雖然過程有點混亂，最後蘋果還滾到了地上，凡凡終於還是摘下了他人生的第一顆蘋果，值得慶祝一下。這裡摘的是凡凡他媽喜歡吃的 Malcolm apple，Archie 也很喜歡吃這種蘋果，他說除了 Malcolm 其它的都稱不上是蘋果。
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這邊是採凡凡他爸喜歡吃的 Golden Delicious apple。
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不要看凡凡年紀小，他也有自己喜歡的口味。凡凡最喜歡吃的是 Delicious apple，因為甜度較高，蘋果泥較好吃。因為如此 Delicious apples 也是最多美國人喜歡吃的蘋果，超市商店裡隨處可見。另外台灣人也很愛，就是台灣的五爪蘋果。
因為我們來的時間算是晚了，所以 Delicious apple 這種熱門蘋果在伸手可及的範圍內早就被摘光了，只好多花點力氣用工具摘高處還沒被摘光的蘋果。講到這個，看了這麼多種蘋果樹，其實枝葉果實長得都很低，當初牛頓真的是在蘋果樹下看書被蘋果 K 中的嗎？這種高度大概得玩躲貓貓時窩進樹底才有被蘋果打中的機會吧。
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回程途中在車上，凡凡終於可以有真蘋果啃了，不用再啃家裡那兩顆假的了！
--
回到家裡當然得檢視一下戰利品，這一個袋子美金 12 元，能裝進多少就看你的本事；在園內可以儘量摘儘量吃，只有放在袋子裡的才算數。整袋的蘋果左看右看挑了半天，凡凡還是選定了一顆 Decilious apple 慢慢地享用。
至此採蘋果之旅也告順利結束，大家都有採到自己喜歡吃的蘋果，皆大歡喜。
下面則是詳細的經過。
在採蘋果之前，大家先在果園外頭草地上野餐，凡凡似乎對這寬廣的鄉間風景十分感興趣，不時抬頭四顧張望；在 Effie 教凡凡他媽怎麼樣做萬聖節南瓜頭的同時，凡凡則時忙著親吻可樂罐子上的聖誕老公公，連舌吻都用上了。
凡凡身上穿的那件白色毛衣是他奶奶在懷他爸爸的時候打的，不過當時因為不知生男生女，所以是準備打給女兒穿的，凡凡的爸爸也就從來都沒穿過這件毛衣；現在凡凡穿著看起來其實男生穿也是蠻好看的嘛。
--
開始採蘋果了！雖然過程有點混亂，最後蘋果還滾到了地上，凡凡終於還是摘下了他人生的第一顆蘋果，值得慶祝一下。這裡摘的是凡凡他媽喜歡吃的 Malcolm apple，Archie 也很喜歡吃這種蘋果，他說除了 Malcolm 其它的都稱不上是蘋果。
--
這邊是採凡凡他爸喜歡吃的 Golden Delicious apple。
--
不要看凡凡年紀小，他也有自己喜歡的口味。凡凡最喜歡吃的是 Delicious apple，因為甜度較高，蘋果泥較好吃。因為如此 Delicious apples 也是最多美國人喜歡吃的蘋果，超市商店裡隨處可見。另外台灣人也很愛，就是台灣的五爪蘋果。
因為我們來的時間算是晚了，所以 Delicious apple 這種熱門蘋果在伸手可及的範圍內早就被摘光了，只好多花點力氣用工具摘高處還沒被摘光的蘋果。講到這個，看了這麼多種蘋果樹，其實枝葉果實長得都很低，當初牛頓真的是在蘋果樹下看書被蘋果 K 中的嗎？這種高度大概得玩躲貓貓時窩進樹底才有被蘋果打中的機會吧。
--
回程途中在車上，凡凡終於可以有真蘋果啃了，不用再啃家裡那兩顆假的了！
--
回到家裡當然得檢視一下戰利品，這一個袋子美金 12 元，能裝進多少就看你的本事；在園內可以儘量摘儘量吃，只有放在袋子裡的才算數。整袋的蘋果左看右看挑了半天，凡凡還是選定了一顆 Decilious apple 慢慢地享用。
至此採蘋果之旅也告順利結束，大家都有採到自己喜歡吃的蘋果，皆大歡喜。
Friday, October 6, 2006
遠方的喜訊
接到消息說凡凡的爸爸的表妹在台灣時間 10 月 5 日也生了隻小狗狗，是女生不過名字和長相都還不清楚；這樣一來凡凡還沒有滿半歲就已經有兩個小表妹了，長幼有序，順序急速上升中。
總之是喜事，特此為文。
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Well, Another Great Dr. Mitchison...
One day, someone told my boss that this Mitchison had more publications than my boss last year. My boss was really pissed and kept saying "this guy is older than I; his lab is smaller than mine; how can it be possible he could have more papers published last year?" Therefore, it appears that a new rivalry of the Mitchison is forming...
If you wanna see the complete interview, please visit the website People Archive for more details.
If you wanna see the complete interview, please visit the website People Archive for more details.
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
The Inner Life of the Cell
學校不知哪時有的叫甚麼 BioVision 的單位搞出來的動畫，內容大致上是藉由白血球在血管表面移動及穿透管壁的過程帶到細胞內各個胞器與基本機制的大致作用過程，還蠻酷的，只是不知當初的目的是甚麼，可能是因為大學部的課程需要吧。
Tuesday, October 3, 2006
兩齒
Monday, October 2, 2006
The Hours (2002)
週末在家裡看了 The Hours 的 DVD，是還不錯，演員的表現整體來說也很突出，特別是 Nicole Kidman 戴上了個假鼻子後根本認不出來是她，不過看完之後卻沒有特別深的感觸或共鳴，或許是因為我不是女身無法感受那種困頓在日常生活中的苦悶的緣故罷。這樣講起來又有那麼點兒無間地獄的感覺，算是日常生活版無間道嗎？電影劇本是從小說改編來的，而小說裡的三段故事相互穿插對映，電影要在有限的時間內清楚地表達出這些脈絡本來就不是件容易的事，事實上導演已經做得很不錯了，只是讓我感覺整個故事力道還是不足，不夠深刻。故事藉由 Virginia Woolf 寫作她的第四本小說 Mrs. Dalloway 的過程，講述女性在不同的三個時代面對的困境，一位作家，一位讀者，以及一個書中的角色。小說作者表示在一開始的設定中其實只有 Virginia Woolf/Nicole Kidman 跟 Clarissa Vaughan/Meryl Streep 兩個角色，意想突顯昔今的不同或說現代版的 Mrs, Dalloway。之後覺得故事太過空泛才以作者自己的母親為藍本加上了 Laura Brown/Julianne Moore 這個夾在中間的角色。片中三人受困在日常生活中的瑣碎與規律，苦悶而找不到出口，Woolf 真正反抗的應該是她那時代對女性的種種不平等對待，不盡然是片中所強調的種種，事實上 Woolf 已經享有當時絕大部分的人所沒有的自由與不羈了。另有一點不解的是，為何三人都在片中都有與同性親吻的畫面出現，Woolf 有同性戀行為眾所皆知，但另外兩個角色的設定就不知為何也得與女同沾上邊？事實上 Woolf 的同性戀人大家所知道的是另一位女作家而不是姐姐。這樣的安排是刻意還是深意？是故事還是暗示？
同影片比較起來，可能更喜歡 special feature 的部分。Woolf 本名 Virginia Stephen，父母都是鰥寡再婚，Virginia 繼承了母親家族的美貌，父親是位爵士也是英國文壇的重要人士。Virginia 跟姐姐 Venessa 小時候曾被母方前段婚姻的兒子 George Duckworth 性侵，普遍被認為是造成她日後性格不穩的遠因。十三歲時母親去世對 Virginia 造成了重大的打擊，不久後精神便出現了異狀。由於是女生，Virginia 只能待在家中自學無法上學受教育，Virginia 對此一直耿耿於懷， 作品中一段描寫 Mrs. Dollaway 假想用手彎著自己的一生走到死去雙親面前證明這是自己的成就，便被認為有很強的自傳意味。而後 Virginia 搬去 Bloomsbury 後與一群相近的文學或藝術家共同過著狂放與反抗傳統的生活，此即著名的 Bloomsbury Group。Virginia 與 Leonard Woolf 的婚姻十分奇特，Leonard 終於放棄改而追求他與 Virginia 間無性的精神戀愛。這種種的形象與電影或小說中的 Virginia Woolf 皆不盡相符。Virginia 的 depression & mania 帶給了她無盡的痛苦也同時造就了他對於日常生活細節超於常人的敏感，充份展現在她的作品之中。她嘗表示她享受著發病時所帶來的感受度。
總之，對這部電影沒有甚麼太大的共鳴，或許因為我沒有看過原著小說，或許是因為我也沒看過 Virginia Woolf 的 Mrs. Dollaway；再不然，就是我太遲頓了。
延伸閱讀
The Hours (movie) in IMDb
The Hours (novel) in Wikipedia
Virginia Woolf in Wikipedia
Sunday, October 1, 2006
用力！
這是放在客廳裡的另一張 Graco high chair，因為價位比較高所以配件也較好，像坐墊就是全皮的。我們把這張椅子調低放在客廳，這樣可以讓凡凡在客廳坐著玩玩具，比較安全，另一方面也方便我們在沙發上餵他吃東西。凡凡這次玩著玩著就忽然想大便，就在那大聲地用力嗯了起來。
紅花雨
紅花雨。這次倒扁的主題歌。整個活動看來並未如許多人預想的隨著時間拖長而漸漸降溫，九月十五的遊行憾動了社會及各政黨，紅色也終於在台灣社會解開了桎梏。
胡德夫 男聲版
趙詠華 女聲版
紅花雨
詞: 小蟲. 洪宇 曲: 小蟲
紅花開 紅的心 紅的好美麗 為了你 等下去 我還在這裡
人不再 錯花季 雲濃月怎明 傷了心 不離棄 落成紅花雨
花若開 若有你 花才會美麗 盼望你 回頭看 我還在這裡
記得你 那一天 紅紅的眼睛 你的臉 你身影 笑容隨你去
在一起 流眼淚 一起看星星 能有幸 能相遇 永遠不忘記
飄著雨 迎著風 風過盼雲清 你牢記 我牢記 家就在這裡
胡德夫 男聲版
趙詠華 女聲版
紅花雨
詞: 小蟲. 洪宇 曲: 小蟲
紅花開 紅的心 紅的好美麗 為了你 等下去 我還在這裡
人不再 錯花季 雲濃月怎明 傷了心 不離棄 落成紅花雨
花若開 若有你 花才會美麗 盼望你 回頭看 我還在這裡
記得你 那一天 紅紅的眼睛 你的臉 你身影 笑容隨你去
在一起 流眼淚 一起看星星 能有幸 能相遇 永遠不忘記
飄著雨 迎著風 風過盼雲清 你牢記 我牢記 家就在這裡
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