Vemurafenib (Zelboraf) is approved for the treatment of melanoma

Yesterday FDA announced that Vemurafenib (Zelboraf, PLX4032, RG7204 or RO5185426), the inhibitor of B-RAF (an enzyme, serine/threonine protein kinase), was approved for the treatment of the late stage melanoma.  B-RAF is the most frequently mutated kinase in the human cancers (Bollag et al., 2010 Nature) and in melanomas it is mutated in about 50% of the cases

Custom protein models

Ever wanted to make proteins? Of course you make them all the time, but if your goal is to make some foreign to your body protein? From from a jellyfish, for example. Now it is all possible with a new service by a small company 3Diversity. They have 3D printed a "mutated" version of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from a jellyfish. As the name tells it is green, and especially so under the UV light. 3Diversity went beyond the mere representation of the naturally occuring protein and used the protein model as GFP lapmshade.

GFP: protein model as a LED candle shade

GFP-lamp

GFP-lamp: colored version

If you are not happy with this one you can chose from the already designed protein models in their shop or order the custom molecular model

Snowdrop

Spring. Surprise.

A snowdrop

Via Le_lapin and Волчара

Scientific approach

Those who remember the Schrödinger's cat would love this communication between scientists and service engineers.

Via TheMad

We are all Japanese

Despite the name of this blog this particular post I don't like and wish it would never appear. The sheer scale of destruction is horrifying.

Sendai airport

A whirlpool near the Oarai City

However, the majority of the destruction and deaths was caused by a 10 meter-high tsunami, not the quake itself. The power of a quake was estimated as 8.8 Richter scale. The devastating earthquake in 2010 in Haiti, which killed more than 300,000 people was "only" 7 Richter scale, perhaps, thousands times weaker than that of yesterday. The relatively low death toll in Japan undelines the fact that the natural disasters are the disasters only to the extent the socio-economical (and thus infrastructural) situation permits.

Japan

via BoingBoing.net

Hunley the first deadly submarine

Hunley made it to the History as the first underwater ship that was documented to sank the enemy ship. It happened during the Civil war in North America.

On the Feb. 17th, 1864 Hunley has successfully attacked "U.S.S. Housatonic". She never made home though. Hunley was found only in 1995 with all the crew members in their positions.

Steam crawler

http://www.hornsbycrawler.org/ :  "This steam-powered tractor has been in Canada since it was shipped as a new machine from England in 1910. Built by R. Hornsby & Sons of Grantham England, the crawler track principle was patented in 1904. The following year, the device known as a "chain track" was fitted to a Hornsby oil tractor built in 1896. Several other Hornsby oil powered tractors were completed with crawler tracks, but despite energetic promotion, including the first film ever made for commercial purposes (1908), and demonstrations for high-ranking military personnel, the idea did not catch on. This machine was originally sold to the Northern Light Power & Coal Company for hauling coal to Klondike gold fields in the Yukon. After this lone sale, the Hornsby company became disillusioned and sold the patent rights of the "chain track" to the Holt Manufacturing Company in 1914. Holt later combined with Best to become the Caterpillar Tractor Company. This was the only steam powered machine built and is the only steam crawler existing today".

Weddings in Siberia

What would be your wedding limo if it was to be held in Siberia? Obviously the off-road vehicle that has a qualities of a tank.

Wedding limo

Via dickiy_m via experov

30,000 years old painting

This post is a bit outdated as the very fine painting I am presenting today is around 30,000 year old. It is located in the Chauvet Cave in France. Pay attention, please, to the unusual (except for their zoo) for the modern France fauna.

 And this is, perhaps, a signature of an Artist.

If the Southern France is a bit too far away for your immediate visit you may wait till it becomes closer (you know Earth's crust is drifting  ;) or have a virtual tour
 via sudo

Japan in space

These are the photos and a story of Japan's space launch that were obtained by somewhat prohibited means

Tanegashima launch site

via ralfmirebs