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Posted by marientina at 6:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Speakers: Tom DeFanti, Dan Sandin, Greg Dawe, Todd Margolis, (University of California San Diego/CalIT2, University of Illinois at Chicago, Electronic Visualization Laboratory)
Time: Wednesday, April 23, 6-8pm
Location: USC's Robert Zemeckis Center for Digital Arts (RZC)
Room 201 Zemeckis Media Lab (ZML)

"CineGrid: Networked Digital Cinema Challenges"
Tom DeFanti

"VR W/O Attachments"
Dan Sandin

"The Calit2 StarCAVE, a 3rd Generation VR Room"
Greg Dawe

"CRCA: Examples of Collaborative Practice for Large Scale New Media Art Projects"
Todd Margolis

BIOS

Tom DeFanti is an internationally recognized expert in computer graphics since the early 1970s. DeFanti has amassed a number of credits, including: use of EVL hardware and software for the computer animation produced for the 1977 “Star Wars” movie; contributor and co-editor of the 1987 National Science Foundation-sponsored report “Visualization in Scientific Computing;” recipient of the 1988 ACM Outstanding Contribution Award; appointed an ACM Fellow in 1994; and appointed one of several USA technical advisors to the G7 GIBN activity in 1995. He also shares recognition along with EVL director Daniel J. Sandin for conceiving the CAVE™ Virtual Reality Theater in 1991. Currently he is a research scientist at the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2). At the University of Illinois at Chicago, DeFanti was director of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL), a distinguished professor and a distinguished professor emeritus in the department of Computer Science, and the director of the Software Technologies Research Center. Striving for a more than a decade to connect high-resolution visualization and virtual reality devices over long distances, DeFanti has collaborated with Maxine Brown to lead state, national and international teams to build the most advanced production-quality networks available to scientists, with major NSF funding.

Dan Sandin is an internationally recognized pioneer in computer graphics, electronic art and visualization. He is Professor Emeritus of the School of Art & Design, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Director Emeritus of the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has worked on a number of inventions such as the Sandin Image Processor (1971-1973), a patch programmable analog computer for real-time manipulation of video inputs through the control of the grey level information. This modular design was based on the Moog synthesizer, the Sayre Glove (1977), the first data glove, as part of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a type of VR photography called PHSColograms (1988), a system whereby a number of still images were situated in an auto-stereoscopic manner and back-projected with light. In 1991, in conjunction with Tom DeFanti and graduate students, he designed the CAVE™ Virtual Reality Theater. More recently, he has been working on The Varrier™ Auto-Stereographic Display.

Greg Dawe's unique background mixes mastery in electronics, optics, video technology, material fabrication, computers, and software, complemented by a Florida building contractor’s license acquired in the early 1990s. Dawe holds a BFA in design from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an MFA in video art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, working under Phil Morton, the legendary video artist. Working with colleagues Tom DeFanti and Dan Sandin at EVL, Dawe is known for his contributions to the CAVE™ Virtual Reality Theater and its derivatives, the ImmersaDesk™, and PARIS™. The CAVE is a multi-screen, projection-based, virtual-reality system, and the ImmersaDesk is a single-screen, drafting table-style device. Both are commercial products sold by Fakespace Systems (formerly Pyramid Systems Inc.). Dawe also did the mechanical design for and assembled the Varrier™ auto-stereographic display, many large tiled displays and recently a six-wall CAVE (StarCAVE) installed on the ground floor of the UCSD Calit2 building.

Todd Margolis is artist, educator and technologist. He received his MFA in Electronic Visualization from the Electronic Visualization Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is a founding member of the immersive and interactive art and technology non-profit organization, Applied Interactives, and also a member of the art collaborative Sine::apsis Experiments. Margolis ic currently appointed the Technical Director of the Center for Research in Computing and the Arts(CRCA) at UCSD. Margolis was previously a Visiting Research Programmer at UIC developing a new virtual reality system, The Varrier™ Auto-Stereographic Display with Dan Sandin.

Posted by marientina at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

FYI, Yahoo has a Widget called Avalanche that ties into Basecamp and is very convenient to use instead of browser. I know that many of you use this.

There are several extras to be found here:
http://www.basecamphq.com/extras

Posted by marientina at 10:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This may explain why I was breaking into hives all summer...

Enhancement of allergic skin wheal responses in patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome by playing video games or by a frequently ringing mobile phone

* H. Kimata, Ujitakeda Hospital, Kytoto Prefecture, Japan

Department of Allergy, Ujitakeda Hospital, Kytoto Prefecture, Japan (H. Kimata).

Background: Playing video games causes physical and psychological stress, including increased heart rate and blood pressure and aggression-related feelings. Use of mobile phones is very popular in Japan, and frequent ringing is a common and intrusive part of Japanese life. Atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome is often exacerbated by stress. Stress increases serum IgE levels, skews cytokine pattern towards Th2 type, enhances allergen-induced skin wheal responses, and triggers mast cell degranulation via substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factor.

Materials and methods:(1) In the video game study, normal subjects (n = 25), patients with allergic rhinitis (n = 25) or atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (n = 25) played a video game (STREET FIGHTER II) for 2 h. Before and after the study, allergen-induced wheal responses, plasma levels of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factor, and in vitro production of total IgE, antihouse dust mite IgE and cytokines were measured. (2) In the mobile phone study, normal subjects (n = 27), patients with allergic rhinitis (n = 27) or atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome (n = 27) were exposed to 30 incidences of ringing mobile phones during 30 min. Before and after the study, allergen-induced wheal responses, plasma levels of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factor were measured.

Results: Playing video games had no effect on the normal subjects or the patients with allergic rhinitis. In contrast, playing video games significantly enhanced allergen-induced skin wheal responses and increased plasma levels of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factors in the patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome. Moreover, playing video games enhanced in vitro production of total IgE and anti-house dust mite IgE with concomitant increased production of IL-4, IL-10 and IL-13 and decreased production of IFN-γ and IL-12 in the patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome. However, exposure to frequently ringing mobile phones significantly enhanced allergen-induced skin wheal responses, plasma levels of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factors in the patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome, but not in the normal subjects or the patients with allergic rhinitis.

Conclusion: Playing video games enhanced allergic responses with a concomitant increased release of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factor, and skewing of the cytokine pattern toward Th2 type in the patients with atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome. In addition, exposure to frequently ringing mobile phones also enhanced allergic responses with a concomitant increased release of substance P, vasoactive intestinal peptide and nerve growth factor. Collectively, high technology causes stress, which in turn may aggravate symptoms of atopic eczema/dermatitis syndrome.

full article here: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2362.2003.01177.x

Posted by marientina at 3:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

It is the New Year so bear with me here. I promise to entertain you. You might even learn something...

On January 11, 2006, Mark Bolas asked us all about our New Year resolutions. It was the first CTIN 511 class of the semester/year. I believe that I said I wanted to submit a grant to the NIH. At the time, I was deeply into doing literature review for bipolar disorder, and also for Thalassemia. I post here from time to time, but I haven't posted much of what I have been doing recently. These mentioned topics I am quite passionate about. Bipolar disorder runs in my family and I have been very verbal about it. I have also been very verbal about Thalassemia because it I was so extremely tortured by the lack of knowledge about this topic in this country. It was nice to live in a country that has one of the best programs for dealing and treating it (Greece). But what about the rest of the world?

Continue reading "I have a dream" »

Posted by marientina at 11:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Resolutions may be banal, but they are heart-warming even to the most jaded of us. Inspired by Jamie, here are my resolutions:

a) let go more often
b) love the people you want to love
c) give 100%, take 100%
d) keep applying for grants no matter how scary, tiring and intimidating
e) don't stop working out
f) save more money

A year older, older in flesh, younger in spirit hopefully.

Posted by marientina at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Neptune passed away last weekend to an unknown infection. He was a boisterous and beautiful white zebra finch, mate to Dimanche and good friends with Fluorine and Neon. He woke us up every morning with his song and kept his mate company every night. He will be sorely missed.

Posted by marientina at 11:13 PM | Permalink

It seems that the cinema mail and/or usc mail is hosed today. I recommend that you use alternative email addresses from people or voicemail...I don't think that mailing from the outside of USC is reaching people. No word on a fix yet.

(^(*^@#$(@&^#(^@)#&!@_!#*_#(!#(*

Posted by marientina at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

http://sup.kathimerini.gr/xtra/media/files/var/PELMAP.jpg

5PM EST, 3AM in Greece.
Ashes fall as my paternal grandfather's village is surrounded by fire. Flashlights can be seen in television as people try to flee their homes. Meligalas, Zevgolatio, Dorio, Aetos surrounded. My extended family has been evacuated from their villages. Our properties at risk. Dozens of people dead. Relatives stranded. Mom sending sms "there is no help."

Friends battling new fires around Athens. Triple phone conference call with Paris and Athens as a friend's son is spraying his home with water and clutching his scuba oxygen tank as a last resort. Phone being cut off. Church bells ringing everywhere. Strong wind. No hope.

Mercy on the 'island' of Pelops.

Saturday/Sunday 12AM EST, 10AM in Greece
On the phone with mom. She has reached some immediate family in Zevgolateio. The fire has reached Vassiliko. They refuse to evacuate. I try to call them. The lines have been disconnected.

Sunday 2PM EST, 12AM in Greece
Ancient Olympia, the cradle of the Olympic Games converted to ashes. The locals have self organized and given up on the over-commited fireworkers. New fronts all over the country. 62 bodies found so far. Many people missing. Fires are so tall they are jumping the rivers. In Messinia, the fires are closing in on my father's house. It could reach by tomorrow.

Sunday/Monday 12AM EST, 10AM in Greece
Olympia museum was spared at the last minute. Four fires in the Peloponnese region may unite if the wind continues. The fire from the northeast is 12km from my family's villages, and 25km from the northwest front. There are two fires 30km southeast and southwest that are in danger of uniting also. There are so many fronts in the rest of the country, it is hard to keep track of them. I am starting to feel selfish that I am fixated on my family's four villages when dozens of others have been wiped off the map. The Peloponnese is my home. Will I ever return to my field of poppies?

Tuesday/Wednesday 11PM, 9AM in Greece
Fires partially under of control, but still burning. High wind expected today with fear it will re-ignite major fronts. Family safe so far. The nightmare is far from over, but a lot of help has trickled in from abroad. 184,000 hectares burned in 2 days is the preliminary estimate. 269,000 hectares burned year to date. 64 people dead in 2 days, large number of livestock destroyed. Arrests are being made. Civilian patrols have been able to spot fires before they get out hand. This is an outrage.

Posted by marientina at 4:51 PM | Permalink

http://web-app.usc.edu/ecal/custom/32/index.php?category=Item&item=0.864332
Friday, August 17, 2007 : 9:30am to 4:00pm
University Park Campus
Mobile Unit, University Village lot

Posted by marientina at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)