חברי לעבודה, אשר, הסב את תשומת ליבי לכיתוב על ארגז גדול שהיה על גבי שולחן האוכל בעבודה
בעברית זה: כוסות פיפי
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
F5 Networks' Purim party pictures
Occasionally, I take pictures of my peers at the Tel-Aviv office of F5 Networks.
The latest pictures are from the Purim party.
The latest pictures are from the Purim party.
syndication feed of my pictures
I am posting, once a week in average, pictures that I take with my camera to a picture gallery where I keep these pictures. I've been doing this since my first child, Aviv, was born more than 7 years ago.
The process goes like this:
I want to introduce some additional automation to the process:
I just don't seem to find the time to see how to automatically do this.
Finally, I'd also like to add RSS or ATOM feed of the newly added picture set so my family and friends that monitor this site can get the updates with their feed reader rather than periodically probing the site for new content.
I'd appreciate suggestions on how to do these automation steps easily using Perl.
The process goes like this:
- I create a new directory that has a name of the day that I process the images, e.g., 25.3.2008
- I insert the memory card from the camera onto a card reader that is connected to a USB port on my computer
- I mount the device
- I copy all *.jpg files into the newly created directory
- I review and delete by hand pictures that I don't want to be on the site
- I then execute a script that goes over the new pictures, creates thumbnails for them, scales images to 900x600, (they don't need to be big for web consumption), and generates HTML code that allows their display. The script also updates the main page of the site with the newest set of pictures and updates the archives (by year and month).
- then I execute GIMP and go over the new set of image and I manually rotate, adjust colors and unsharp mask those that need it.
- finally, I merge changes to my home page using Unison.
I want to introduce some additional automation to the process:
- auto rotate the scaled images according to the exif orientation information.
- be able to automatically add 30% saturation to color
- unsharp mask all images with static values for the unsharp mask parameters (I use 0.1, 1 and 0).
I just don't seem to find the time to see how to automatically do this.
Finally, I'd also like to add RSS or ATOM feed of the newly added picture set so my family and friends that monitor this site can get the updates with their feed reader rather than periodically probing the site for new content.
I'd appreciate suggestions on how to do these automation steps easily using Perl.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Kode Vicious
There's a column in the ASM Queue magazine about software development, sort of a Q&A where people ask questions the mighty Kode Vicios, which then answers. The questions and mostly the answers are written with some humor which makes it a more attractive read.
Check it out at: http://acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=list_pages_categories&cid=10
Check it out at: http://acmqueue.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=list_pages_categories&cid=10
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
XML Security online "books"
http://free-ebook-collection.blogspot.com/2008/02/xml-security-free-download.html
I think that the book is so-so... but then again, you get what you pay for :-)
http://soasecurityarchitect.com/2008/02/15/ibm-websphere-datapower-soa-appliances-part-iii-xml-security-guide.aspx
A guide to XML security using IBM DataPower tools
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Graphics Programming Black Book
Check out the online version of the book Graphics Programming Black Book by Michael Abrash
Among some useful topics that I found interesting to read about in a different view than I'm used to are:
Among some useful topics that I found interesting to read about in a different view than I'm used to are:
- Boyer-Moore String Searching
- Linked Lists and Unintended Challenges
- The Idea of BSP Trees
- Sorted Spans in Action
Monday, January 21, 2008
בלוג פוסט בעברית כמו שצריך?
הא! סוף סוף בלוגר תומכים בעברית ואפשר לכתוב ולקוות שיש גם bi-di ראוי.
הטקסט מיושר לימין בלי חוכמות.
רק מה... אין גישה נוחה לשינוי שפה ממסך יצירת פוסט חדש -- צריך ללכת לטאב של ההגדרות ולשנות הגדרה גלובלית.
הטקסט מיושר לימין בלי חוכמות.
רק מה... אין גישה נוחה לשינוי שפה ממסך יצירת פוסט חדש -- צריך ללכת לטאב של ההגדרות ולשנות הגדרה גלובלית.
A recent publication of my father: as a poster
INCREASED EXPRESSION OF pERK AND pJNK KINASES IN PERIPHERAL BLOOD MONONUCLEAR CELLS REFLECTS DISEASE ACTIVITY IN SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS PATIENTS
Bloch O. 1, Molad Y. 5 , Yona E. 3 , Amit M. 4, Rapoport M.J. 1,2
Background
It was demonstrated previously that aberrant signaling of the p21RAS /MAP kinase pathway reflects disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) patients ( Rapoport MJ et al 1999,2002). In addition, up-regulated activity of JNK kinase in lymphocytes of (NZBxNZW)F1 mice which manifest SLE -like disease is normalized following curative treatment ( Rapoport MJ et al, 2005).
Aim
The aim of this study was to investigate whether expression and activity of the MAP kinases ERK and JNK reflect disease activity in SLE patients.
Patients and methods
Forty-two SLE patients (36 females and 6 males) were recruited from 2 Israeli hospital rheumatology outpatient clinics: Assaf Harofeh Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center. The patients had a mean age of 44.312.75 (range 25 to 79) and mean disease duration was 14.1 1.74 years. Patients were observed during routine consecutive 3-4 visits in the outpatient clinics. During each visit Disease activity was assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and whole blood was drawn and sent immediately to a central laboratory. Mean study duration from first to last visit was 13.4 0.83 months and mean interval between visits was 4.9 0.33 months. SLE patients with inactive disease were defined as SLEDAI score of 0 - 3 points and patients with active disease as a score of 4 – 20 SLEDAI points. The later group was divided on mild SLE ( SLEDAI 4 to 6 points) and moderate/severe SLE ( SLEDAI 7 to 20 points). The SELENA-SLEDAI modification score was used to assess changes in disease activity: an increase in SLEDAI ≥3 points was defined as mild or moderate flare and SLEDAI increase ≥12 as severe flare. Control group included samples of 20 healthy subjects. Expression of inactive (ERK, JNK) and phosphorylated active forms (pERK and pJNK) were determined in whole protein lysates of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by Western Blot analysis and quantified by computing densitometry.
Results
The mean levels of active pERK and pJNK kinases were significantly increased in active disease patients as compared with inactive SLE patients p=0.03 and p= 0.04 respectively and when compared to healthy controls (p=0.03 and p=0.003). Meanwhile, the mean expression of the inactive forms of ERK and JNK, remained unchanged in active and non active SLE patients. pERK/ERK ratio was increased in active SLE (1:1) versus healthy patients (1:2) as well as pJNK/JNK ratio which was higher in active SLE ( 1:2 ) compared with control (1:3).
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that ERK/JNK kinase activity reflects SLE disease activity in human patients. These MAP kinases may serve as potential biomarkers or future therapeutic targets.
Bloch O. 1, Molad Y. 5 , Yona E. 3 , Amit M. 4, Rapoport M.J. 1,2
Diabetes Research Laboratory,2Department C of Internal Medicine, 3Day Hospital and
4Rheumatology Departments, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center,
and 5Rheumatology Department, Rabin Medical Center,
both affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine,
Tel-Aviv University, Israel
4Rheumatology Departments, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center,
and 5Rheumatology Department, Rabin Medical Center,
both affiliated to Sackler Faculty of Medicine,
Tel-Aviv University, Israel
Background
It was demonstrated previously that aberrant signaling of the p21RAS /MAP kinase pathway reflects disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE) patients ( Rapoport MJ et al 1999,2002). In addition, up-regulated activity of JNK kinase in lymphocytes of (NZBxNZW)F1 mice which manifest SLE -like disease is normalized following curative treatment ( Rapoport MJ et al, 2005).
Aim
The aim of this study was to investigate whether expression and activity of the MAP kinases ERK and JNK reflect disease activity in SLE patients.
Patients and methods
Forty-two SLE patients (36 females and 6 males) were recruited from 2 Israeli hospital rheumatology outpatient clinics: Assaf Harofeh Medical Center and Rabin Medical Center. The patients had a mean age of 44.312.75 (range 25 to 79) and mean disease duration was 14.1 1.74 years. Patients were observed during routine consecutive 3-4 visits in the outpatient clinics. During each visit Disease activity was assessed using the SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) and whole blood was drawn and sent immediately to a central laboratory. Mean study duration from first to last visit was 13.4 0.83 months and mean interval between visits was 4.9 0.33 months. SLE patients with inactive disease were defined as SLEDAI score of 0 - 3 points and patients with active disease as a score of 4 – 20 SLEDAI points. The later group was divided on mild SLE ( SLEDAI 4 to 6 points) and moderate/severe SLE ( SLEDAI 7 to 20 points). The SELENA-SLEDAI modification score was used to assess changes in disease activity: an increase in SLEDAI ≥3 points was defined as mild or moderate flare and SLEDAI increase ≥12 as severe flare. Control group included samples of 20 healthy subjects. Expression of inactive (ERK, JNK) and phosphorylated active forms (pERK and pJNK) were determined in whole protein lysates of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by Western Blot analysis and quantified by computing densitometry.
Results
The mean levels of active pERK and pJNK kinases were significantly increased in active disease patients as compared with inactive SLE patients p=0.03 and p= 0.04 respectively and when compared to healthy controls (p=0.03 and p=0.003). Meanwhile, the mean expression of the inactive forms of ERK and JNK, remained unchanged in active and non active SLE patients. pERK/ERK ratio was increased in active SLE (1:1) versus healthy patients (1:2) as well as pJNK/JNK ratio which was higher in active SLE ( 1:2 ) compared with control (1:3).
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that ERK/JNK kinase activity reflects SLE disease activity in human patients. These MAP kinases may serve as potential biomarkers or future therapeutic targets.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
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