We're Back!

Wow... it's been a while!

Even though this blog has been dormant for the past few months, it does not mean that we, at Connexins.com, have been. We have been working behind-the-scenes to improve and upgrade the virtual infrastructure and organization of Connexins.com.

We're done, though! What does this mean? From now on, we will be able to efficiently add new articles and resources frequently!

We are very excited about the new changes... stay tuned for new articles, resources, product reviews, and more... all of which will help you accomplish a well-rounded approach to healthy living.

To stay in the loop, please register to receive the Connexins.com updates. Or, please visit Connexins.com and let us know what you think!

News Game

MSNBC recently put a new, cool, and entertaining twist on the news:

Just like the classical game "pong", you try to break down bricks by bouncing a ball. As you break down bricks, news headlines fall down, if you catch it, you will gain points, and the headlines will accumulate in a column on the right, so after you finish your game, you can click the headline and read the news stories. Or you can pause the game to read a compelling news story.

Keeping up with what's going on in the world has never been this much fun: News Breaker Game

Trans Fats

The government, Philadelphia, New York City have been cracking down on trans fat. Restaurant chains are competing to find substitutes for trans fats.

For a good reason, trans fats (whose harmful effects have been known for some time), have been receiving quite a bit of negative publicity. Consumers have been aware of it... they avoid food items that contain trans fat and reach for the "0 grams trans fat" items.

While trans fats are the worst kind of fats you can ingest, they are not the only kind of fat you need to avoid. Saturated fats have also been shown to lead to heart disease.

Next time at the grocery store, in addition to avoiding trans fat, also try to minimize your intake for saturated fats.

For more information and more resources, check out this article on Yahoo Health: Does less trans fat make food healthier?

The IGF-I system

The Insulin-Like Growth Factor I (IGF-I) system has many important normal cellular functions, such as growth, survival, differentiation, and proliferation. The IGF-I system has also been blamed for providing a survival advantage to many types of cancer cells. In fact, a large portion of my dissertation research deals with understanding some of the benefits the IGF-I system provides to colon cancer cells.

Surprisingly, my goal from this blog entry was not to bore everyone...

I was reading my electronic version of The New York Times today, and on page 14 there was an article that talked about the IGF-I system. The article, however, was talking about a new discovery that scientists have recently revealed... an inhibitor of the IGF-I system is responsible for the huge variation in dog sizes. These scientists have shown that small dogs express the inhibitor, while big dogs do not... which makes sense since the IGF-I system is involved in growth.

Isn't that fascinating? One gene accounts for the difference between a tiny poodle and a great dane, which happens to be the same gene that can play an important role in some human cancers.

Note: now, you can receive The New York Times Electronic Edition. You will receive it for free for 7 days, after which it is $9.99/month.

Google's April Fool's Joke

Almost every April 1st since 2000, Google places a link on their homepage to a seemingly official new product or service, but in fact it's an April Fool's Joke.

This year, they introduced Google TiSP (BETA)" - a broadbrand internet service, which will work through your home plumbing system. The page includes a well done press release, installation manual, ordering information, and demonstrations. It's very funny. If you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely follow the link above.

Wikipedia has a page that tracks the different Google hoaxes over the years, here it is: Google Hoaxes on Wikipedia.

Also, if you are interested, here is an interesting article in Business Week that talks about the Google prank.

Prevent Your Identity Theft

How Much Is Your Identity Worth?

Recently, InfoWorld.com published an alarming article (review article here) that discusses the rising problem of identity theft. Hackers are selling sensitive information (bank account, credit card, date or birth, etc) for $14 to $18. Credit card numbers and the verification code can be sold anywhere from $1 to $6. This is pretty scary stuff.

While US banks have been doing all they can to protect their customers from the dangers of identity theft, identity thieves are very clever. For example, identity thieves (as the article indicates) exploit "zero-day vulnerability" – which refers to the period of time after a software is released and before the bank or issuer of the software become aware of a security flaw. In addition, the article states that some hackers have created malicious programs that can be attached to documents in Microsoft Office or other similar softwares.

The best way to protect your identity is to, of course, be cautious and always alert, especially when submitting sensitive information over the internet. Also, be cautious when opening attachments to emails, even if it is a seemingly harmless text or Office documents.

Further, there are many resources that can help you monitor your credit report, where most of the identity thief’s activity will appear (new credit card, new loan, etc). Some of these services are reviewed in Connexins' Prevent Identity Theft. In addition, Connexins' Prevent Identity Theft contains many other helpful tips to to protect yourself from identity theft.

Who, Why, and What?

We, at connexins.com, are actually a "One Man Show". I am a PhD student in the field of cancer research. Upon receiving my PhD, I do not see myself in one of the typical career paths that are generally in store for a PhD scientist. My vision is perform a direct and significant impact, which can be accomplished by establishing a privately-funded science-based non-profit organization that serves both the scientific community and the general public.

Connexins.com is my first attempt to develop an independent stream of income that will, in the future, pay my bills and privately fund my NPO.

The task ahead of me at Connexins.com is to combine my science education and training to my deep-rooted interest in leadership and personal development to create useful articles and resources. My hope for Connexins.com is to become a comprehensive resource that promotes a well-rounded approach to healthy living.

Welcome to Connexins Blog

Welcome to the brand new Connexins Blog. We will use this blog to post exciting updates and announcements from Connexins.com. In addition, we will use this blog to comment on news that are pertinent to the goals and areas of interest of Connexins.com.