Science: 2021 Oklahoma GeroOncology symposium (8/18-19/2021)

 Yesterday and today we had the 2021 Oklahoma GeroOncology symposium. This year it was a two-day online event via zoom. For both of the days, each of 5-6 speakers gave a 30 (20) min talk, followed by 40 min roundtable discussion by the speakers. Attendees may post questions with Q&A box or chat box. No recording for the talks.

Indeed, it is a fact that a great majority of cancers occurs with age. Although genetic predisposition-driven cancers can occur in early age (e.g., children's cancers; fortunately they are rare), sporadic cancers caused by somatic mutations usually occur later in life. The age factor in cancer is getting attention, both from cancer researchers and aging researchers.

Another reason for cancer-aging joint conference occurring more often is because the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and National Institute of Aging (NIA) are launching more joint programs and grant announcements lately. Leadership and direction. Or, if I say it bluntly, science can go to where the money is. Carrot and horse.

I am on cancer researchers' side. Most of the symposium speakers are aging researchers. Perhaps I wrote this before, but the differences in cultures and standard methodologies between aging researchers and cancer researchers are noticeable.

I'll cite three examples of the cultural differences.

(1) Research timespan is longer for aging research.  Lab mice live up to 2.5-years. 2 year-old mice are considered equivalent of human 65 years old. Aging researchers regularly use 2 year old mice. If they are funded by NIA, they have better access to aged mice. In contrast, mouse-based cancer research tend to use shorter time (3, 6, or up to 12 months), because (i) we don't want to wait for 2 years, and (ii) keeping mice for 2 years is costly. 

I was running a project that kept mice for 2 years (for an "aging and cancer" study using transgenic mice). But it is highly unusual for a cancer research project. 

(2)  Cancer research field is finely segmented by organs. Lung cancer specialists and colon cancer specialists have very different sets of knowledge. Specific organs have different modes of maintaining the organ, and the stem cells have different sets of markers. Previously I was looking at datasets from lung. Now I am working on data from another organ site. The difference is striking.

Apparently, aging researchers do not have much of this "segmentation by organs". Perhaps because aging is a systemic event, they seem to seek general principles common among many organs.

(3)  Approaches (and, perhaps, types of researchers)

A main rationale for cancer research is "to cure cancer". Cancer is a disease, an unusual state that needs to be eradicated. In the past several decades, we have obtained huge knowledge on the nature of cancer with the slogan of "to cure cancer". Therapy development has always been the mainstream of cancer research. 

Aging,..is aging a disease to be eradicated or intervened? Or is aging a natural state that may  be modifiable? ...Aging studies seem to have to start from more basic questions; semantics, interpretations, and definitions. 

That reminds me of differences between reductionist approaches and holistic approaches.

Both research fields use model systems and intervention agents. In both research fields, concepts of "pathways" and their manipulation with experiments are similar. Both research fields have been benefiting from recent technological advancements in single cell-level analysis of organs and cancers. Yet, I am under impression that aging research people excel at descriptive studies, while cancer research value experiments (I may be wrong). 

The cultural differences may prove beneficial, as cultural interface sites are where innovation occurs. Or at least, to know the difference would be good for avoiding pitfalls while cancer researchers investigating aging-associated events. Good to know that what we value and what they value may be different.

Some time ago, I reviewed a manuscript on colon cancer. The authors, obviously from a different research field, did not do what colon cancer researchers do regularly, so I pointed that out and suggested to do the "routines". There were a few misinterpretations (or unusual/unorthodox ways of interpreting the data), too. I don't remember how editors handled the manuscript, but the manuscript was not accepted outright.

 

Later I learned that two other reviewers said nearly the same thing independently. I guess people with the same training background would read the manuscript in a similar manner and make similar comments. 

In other words, we need to do our homework to work well in another research field.

Just logging a few of my thoughts. 

Dance: Pivot-based moves and Walking-based moves in Argentine Tango; Ordering "All in One step" book

 You can categorize Argentine Tango basics to Pivot-based moves and Walking-based moves.

 Pivot-based moves include pivot (literally), ochos (step+pivot), giro, and embellishments like boleo (pivot+ decoration use of your leg) and foot play (tap, ankle flick, etc. "gesture" moves. Subtle but nice). As Pivot-based moves use rotation around your axis, the motions tend to be circular or curvy. Also, Pivot-based moves can quickly change the angle of you and your partner's bodies. The quick changes in appearance can defy viewers' predictions and overwhelm spectators' brain processing speed, leading the dance looks more impressive (maybe).

Pivot occurs on one spot. In a given moment, you are staying there, instead of traveling far. In a milonga with crowded floor, people tend to use more of pivot-based moves.

Walking-based moves are more directional. By walking, you reach from point A to B. Walking means that you'll shift your axis from one to another. You can travel further and faster than pivot-based moves by taking big strides. You need to stretch your stride for proper looks.

As they are different types of moves, people tend to do better at one than another. In a milonga, you can observe your potential partner, and figure out his/her preference or strength/weakness in the techniques.

She may be good at pivot-based embellishments like foot plays, which occur within a foot distance from her axis. But she may not be used to take a big stride, and collapse if led to do it.

If it is the case, just use more of pivot-based moves. Do what she can do better. 

Trying to correct technical issues during a social dance is not a good idea. They don't want to be corrected. They are there to have fun. And it is the same here, of course.

Only when it is for a stage dance in which appearances and presentation of techniques matter, and only when you are an instructor (i.e., they are paying to listen to you), or otherwise in a position to be heard, it makes sense to attempt correction.

Milongas and other dance parties are restarting around here. Got to remember particulars in social dance.

[Walking man emoji in Facebook]

Come to think of it, there is a new book on Tango in Amazon, titled "All in one step". It came up in my Facebook feed of a Tango group, and piqued my curiosity. I am going to order it with next Amazon order. The book seems to have many illustrations (better than emoji here) and mechanistic analysis, which would separate the book from many Tango essays that in general are not very useful in terms of actual dancing. Reading musicians' interviews alone does not make you a musician. Only when you practice with your instrument, the interviews may help. And dancing is as technical as playing music. A good technical reference will be a good addition to my Tango book library.

Only thing is that the book is a bit on expensive side ($45). But I'll check it out anyway. For an academic or a technical book, $45 is an okay cost.  I'd post my review after I read it.

Dance: 7/24/21 all-vax WCS dance (Tulsa), 8/7-8/21 mini milonga marathon (Dallas)

 Social dance is back. Facebook events page is getting repopulated. I started traveling to dance to neighboring cities (Tulsa, Dallas), just like pre-covid times.

Before the vaccine, covid was a new, potentially fatal disease. Our bodies did not seem to know how to handle the new virus well. How your particular body would respond to the infection was somewhat unpredictable, although there were some risk factors identified (age, pre-existing conditions). You could get by with no or little symptoms, or you could die of the infection. Even if you did not die of it, you could suffer from long-lasting after effects. The risk was great enough to warrant caution.

Then there came the vaccine, becoming available starting early 2021 in the US. The mRNA vaccines turned out to be highly effective ones. The vaccine would be counted as a triumph in medical science in the future.

My current take is that, once the vaccines teach the face of the new virus and train your immune system, covid becomes a "cold". You can still catch it, transmit it, or get sick with it (called a breakthrough infection). But you are unlikely to die, just like what we anticipate from a cold. This makes a huge difference.

For the unvaccinated, odds are actually getting worse, due to highly transmissible and potentially more damaging delta variant. In fact, a majority (>80%) of newly hospitalized covid patients are unvaccinated, consistent with this view.

Now, we are seeing a surge of patients of delta variant. In my university hospital, there has been an increase in covid patients. Department chair was talking about dusting off the surge plan. Sure, I may catch it and get sick. But probably, I'll be okay, as one of the "vaccinated". 

So this is my take on covid as of August 2021; "I hear a bad cold (for the vaccinated) spreading in the community. For the unvaccinated, the disease can kill them. I better be careful, with hand wash and mask when applicable. Sleep well and stay healthy. Try not to catch it nor give it. But I may not have to be overly cautious and I can 'live' a little." 

Note this is not an opinion as a public health official like Dr. Fauci, who needs to provide best possible guidance and options to protect the public from diseases, or as a politician who needs economy going, even at an expense of disease spreading and some peoples' lives. Just my current, personal and honest opinion.

With that view, I went to all-vax WCS party in Tulsa on 7/24, and Argentine Tango milonga on Sat and Sun, 8/7-8/8. 

The last visit for Dallas and attending a "proper" milonga was about 17 months ago, March 2020. Afterwards they closed down public parties. They restarted open milonga last month. 

I saw and danced with old and new people.

It seems, the break did not dull my ability to dance, fortunately. Actually, I felt that I was even better at social dancing than before the break.  ... well, that might be overestimating myself. I'd certainly need to check the way I am moving. Also, remembering moves and diagnostics of partners' skills for social dance would be helpful. But I am having as much fun for sure. Lucky me.

PS 

I delayed to write this entry by a few days, to make sure I am healthy after those parties.  Getting sick after this kind of entry would be uncool.

Book: "Directing in musical theater" by Joe Deer

 My home internet is down for a few days. According to Cox cable, "internet is down in your area". No idea what exactly happened and they do not explain, but they are certainly taking their time to fix it.

Thanks to the internet outage, I came back to DVD (!) and pile of books that I had not been attending to.

One of the books was "Directing in musical theater" by Joe Deer. Bought it on Dec 2017, read it halfway, and left it in the pile. Certainly I am taking my time.

But the book turned out to be quite good. I did a few dances on stage, and took interested in the bigger picture of how these stage shows are created and organized in theater by professionals. This book did a great job to fill me in on the works of stage preparation from stage director's side.

Like anything, if we know something more, we'd appreciate it better, in a more faceted way.

One way to know something more is by going through numbers and references. Another is to view the subject from different side. "Director's side" view is a nice viewpoint to know.

The contents are through and easy to follow. Just by reading, the book gave me good picture of what are done in the process of stage creation and how they allocate functions and tasks on people (director, producer, choreographer, stage manager, prop/stage engineer, clothes/costume designer, light technician, sound technician, and other support staff) in order to enable works by performers on stage (dancers, actors, singers, musicians).

It is not like reading Harry Potter or other fictions. As a technical, non-fiction book, it has a purpose of teaching information, and told me exactly what I wanted to know with added details, and many that I did not know. Knowing that the information would give me better appreciation on stage shows, I am quite satisfied. 

If I was doing a "research", I'd read at least 3-5 books on the same subject. But for now, this book alone did a great job. 

I want the internet to be fixed soon. But if not, it may help me to go through a few more books in the pile. It may not be all bad.

PS   After lengthy texting and attempts to reboot modem remotely, and attempts to sell "panoramic internet only $12 more/month" and "upgraded service only $5 more for the first 3 months" (I know they are following sales manuals, but don't you hate it?), they are going to send cable technician. 

The modem/router is offline, they said. Must be a case of downed line or other disconnection.

Incident like this reminds me of fragility of infrastructure. It does not have to be large scale ice storm or tornado-bearing hailstorm. Anyhow, it will be fixed soon.