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Articles by Jay Stone
How to Find and Embrace Your Personal Style
Your personal style is something that changes and evolves over time, and in today's world of trends and consumerism, finding the clothes that you truly feel comfortable and confident in can be a challenge. Discovering your unique style is about expressing yourself authentically and feeling great about how you look.
Top 10 movies about university life
The 2026 Academy Awards don’t include any movies about universities, but academic life has been a favourite setting for Hollywood over the years. This year’s absence partly reflects a current anti-education bias in certain quarters of North America, and also implicitly acknowledges the fact that the new go-to protagonists of film — superheroes — can begin their exploits immediately, without a long and annoying (and expensive!) college education.
Dark Shadows On Amazon Prime
What was the story in that episode you watched? As you are new to the show, here a small bit of backstory. DS started its run as a 'gothic' romance themed serial (yes, not all daytime soaps were the same genre, some were straight up dramas, some mystery serials). It was on for nearly a year following tnis format, with ratings that weren't spectacular. Then, tney decided to tell a ghost story in an attempt to liven (hehe) things up. I guess it worked and ratings perked upward.
The mystery of e-liquid: Everything you need to know
If you’re new to vaping or just curious about the world of electronic cigarettes, you may have heard about e-liquid or vape juice. Most people still smoke their cannabis, but many are concerned about the health effects of smoke.Electronic cigarettes, or e-cigarettes, have gained significant popularity over the years, and it is not hard to see why. Vaping is a convenient and safe way to enjoy the experience of inhaling and exhaling vaporised liquid.
What is cell line development?
Cell line development is a crucial process in biotechnology that involves the establishment of a stable and reproducible cell culture system. It is the foundation of many applications in the fields of drug discovery, biologics production, and basic research. In this article, we’ll explore what cell line development is, its importance, and how it is performed. What is Cell Line Development?
The 3 Most Commonly Used Protein Analysis Techniques
Proteins are distinct from one another with respect to their number, type, and sequence of amino acids making up the polypeptide backbone. Therefore, they have unique nutritional attributes, physicochemical properties, and molecular structures. There are companies and CDMOs that have protein analysis as their main line of work. Currently, there are three major techniques for protein analysis, i.e. western blotting, protein separation, and protein identification.
New CRISPR methods with potential for microbiome genome editing
New CRISPR methods with potential for microbiome genome editing 13 December 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1125 Researchers have developed several new approaches using CRISPR to modify the genomes of bacterial populations on a large scale. Two landmark studies have reported successfully using CRISPR to alter bacterial genomes within their natural populations. The advances could pave the way for so-called 'community editing', where diverse populations of bacteria are modified simultaneously, and in-situ.
Genetic variants could link anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome
Genetic variants could link anxiety and irritable bowel syndrome 15 November 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1121 Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and mood and anxiety disorders are genetically linked, with brain-gut pathways playing a key role. IBS is a common condition affecting the gut, however, the causes of the disease are not well understood. An international team of scientists coordinated by researchers in the UK and Spain used a genome-wide association study to assess genetic susceptibility to IBS.
Stone: King of Cartoons — a book tribute to talented satirist and social critic Alan King
The amazing thing is how many of Alan King's works are still relevant today: war, hunger, health-care emergencies, OC Transpo, all of the evergreen topics of (often very comical) outrage. Author of the article: Jay Stone Even today, Alan King's cartoons still resonate. jpg Article content Alan King’s most famous cartoon is probably the one he did in 1996 when Conrad Black bought the chain of Southam newspapers.
CRISPR genome editing blocks SARS-CoV-2 replication
CRISPR genome editing blocks SARS-CoV-2 replication 19 July 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1104 CRISPR-based genome editing can be used to stop SARS-CoV-2 being replicated inside infected cells, researchers have shown. SARS-CoV-2 is an RNA-virus, meaning it encodes its genetic information in RNA. While CRISPR-based genome editing approaches such as CRISPR/Cas9 target DNA, use of a different enzyme in CRISPR/Cas13b genome editing means RNA can be cut and edited instead.
How to Remove Iron from Well Water
Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay Iron is one of the most frequent pollutants that water well owners must deal with. Iron creates a trail of stains, discoloration, and sour tastes in its wake, from muddy-colored drinking glasses to vivid orange streaks in toilets and baths. There are a couple of ways one can opt for this purpose, like investing in a water filter to remove ironbut depending on the type of iron; other processes may be more effective.
Most sophisticated in vitro mouse embryo created from stem cells
Most sophisticated in vitro mouse embryo created from stem cells 5 July 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1102 A mouse embryo has been developed artificially in a lab from embryonic stem cells that represents the most sophisticated in vitro mammalian model ever created. Using embryonic stem cells collected from mice, scientists from the University of Virginia have been able to produce a mouse embryo with a beating heart.
Blind man regains partial vision after optogenetic therapy
Blind man regains partial vision after optogenetic therapy 1 June 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1097 A new type of gene therapy has helped a man regain some vision after 40 years. The French man, who was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) in his teens, began to show signs of visual improvement a few months after the therapy, and was able to see things like the stripes of a pedestrian crossing, and objects on a table in from of him.
Dumbwaiters - Not So Dumb After All
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels A dumbwaiter provides convenience and versatility to your home or company. Laundry, firewood, pet food, store equipment, supermarket products, industrial kitchen supplies — all that can fit easily inside these tiny freight elevators — are all simple to transport. What Is a Dumbwaiter and What Does It Do? A dumbwaiter is a tiny elevator that looks like a freight elevator.
Crying human tear glands grown from stem cells
Crying human tear glands grown from stem cells 22 March 2021 Appeared in BioNews 1088 Human tear gland organoids, which actually produce tears, have been grown in the lab from stem cells and transplanted into mice. Tear glands are located in the upper inner corner of each eye and produce tears, which keep the eyes lubricated. When they are not working properly, as in conditions such as Sjögren's syndrome and dry-eye syndrome, this can lead to damage to the surface of the eye.
Cambridge Savings Bank Provides $5MM Credit Facility to Eastland Shoe Corp.
Cambridge Savings Bank Provides $5MM Credit Facility to Eastland Shoe Corp. February 09, 2021, 07:50 AM Cambridge Savings Bank (CSB) recently extended a new credit facility for Freeport, Maine-based Eastland Shoe Corp.
Human egg cells are often genetically abnormal
Human egg cells are often genetically abnormal 14 December 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1076 Meiosis, when cells divide to produce eggs, goes wrong much more than previously thought. A team at Washington State University has found that immature human egg cells, or oocytes, contain an unbalanced number of chromosomes around seven percent of the time. This suggests that meiosis, the process of division that produces oocytes with half the chromosomes, goes wrong more often than previously thought.
Gene therapy injected in one eye improves vision in both
Gene therapy injected in one eye improves vision in both 14 December 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1076 Vision improves in both eyes when gene therapy is administered to only one eye, an international team of researchers has found, whilst treating a rare form of blindness. The team injected a harmless virus containing the gene into the back of one eye of 37 patients who had vision loss for six to 12 months from a condition called Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON).
Safer, targeted method to deliver CRISPR genome therapy developed
Safer, targeted method to deliver CRISPR genome therapy developed 16 November 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1072 Light-activated liposomes may deliver CRISPR gene therapy more safely than current methods, researchers have found. Liposomes are spherical fat structures which resemble cell membranes and can be used to encapsulate and deliver drugs or genes to patients' cells.
Powerful new CRISPR approach allows larger genome edits
Powerful new CRISPR approach allows larger genome edits 26 October 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1069 Researchers in the US have developed a new CRISPR genome editing approach for making much larger edits to the genome. The newly identified CRISPR/Cas3 system is similar to pre-existing CRISPR/Cas9 system, but can make larger and more reliable changes to DNA. The discovery has potentially vast implications for genome editing applications, such as gene therapy and genetic engineering in agriculture.
CRISPR genome editing improved by enzyme testing
CRISPR genome editing improved by enzyme testing 14 September 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1063 The safety and efficiency of CRISPR genome editing can be improved by identifying the best genome editing option for a specific application. CRISPR is a powerful approach to genome editing where several different enzymes, known as Cas nucleases, are used to edit the genome. However, each of these enzymes vary in characteristics and choosing the right enzyme is crucial.
A 3D bioprinter produces a beating human heart using stem cells
A 3D bioprinter produces a beating human heart using stem cells 27 July 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1057 In a world first, scientists at the University of Minnesota have shown it is possible to 3D print a mini beating human heart. Previous attempts to grow a heart in the lab have involved taking human pluripotent stem cells, differentiating them into heart cells and then using 3D printing technology to graft them into a structure known as an extracellular matrix.
Genome editing in human embryos has unintended side-effects
Genome editing in human embryos has unintended side-effects 29 June 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1053 CRISPR genome editing may result in unwanted heritable genetic changes, which could lead to long-term risks in a clinical context. Three independent studies published on the preprint platform bioRxiv have reported unintended DNA changes adjacent to the target site when using CRISPR/Cas9 in human embryos.
Stone: The best of the Trump Flu diaries (or, how I spent my time in self-isolation)
Author of the article: Jay Stone Publishing date: May 7, 2020 • 10 minute read Jay Stone hauls out the puzzles to help him pass the time during self-isolation. Wayne Cuddington / Postmedia Article content In a series of daily Facebook postings he calls The Trump Flu Diaries — in honour of “the president’s mishandling of the pandemic” — former Ottawa Citizen movie critic Jay Stone has been documenting the experience of coping with weeks of self-isolation.
Clinical results released from a novel blood-based multicancer test
Clinical results released from a novel blood-based multicancer test 4 May 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1045 A new blood test can double the number of cancer cases detected before symptoms develop, when combined with existing screening programmes. The study is the first to exclusively screen healthy individuals who had no known cancer at the time of enrolment. The results enabled physicians to provide earlier, guided intervention, which is thought will increase the chances of survival.
Coronavirus widespread in UK at very start of pandemic
Coronavirus widespread in UK at very start of pandemic 4 May 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1045 Testing for coronavirus in Iceland has revealed that the virus may have been more widespread in the UK in February and early March than was previously thought. In a population study, approximately 13,000 randomly selected Icelandic participants were screened for coronavirus between 16 March and 4 April.
CRISPR helps uncover new leukaemia genes
CRISPR helps uncover new leukaemia genes 27 April 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1044 CRISPR has been used, for the first time, to identify novel genes that are key drivers of aggressive chronic myeloid leukaemia. Researchers from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and Moores Cancer Centre, California conducted a genome-wide screen in leukaemia cells.
Neighbour cells implicated in colorectal cancer
Neighbour cells implicated in colorectal cancer 6 April 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1042 A new study characterising the microenvironment of colorectal cancers has revealed a distinct population of cells, residing next to tumour-initiating stem cells, which themselves promote the start of tumour growth in the colon. The work, published in Nature, is a collaboration between scientists at Yale School of Medicine, Connecticut, and Alexander Fleming, Biomedical Sciences Research Centre in Greece.
CRISPR pioneer Doudna opens COVID-19 testing lab
CRISPR pioneer Doudna opens COVID-19 testing lab 6 April 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1042 Academic and industry researchers led by Professor Jennifer Doudna, a pioneer of CRISPR genome editing, have opened a new COVID-19 testing centre at University of California (UC) Berkeley. The team, which consists largely of volunteers, will be working in a converted 2500-square-foot scientific laboratory to run tests for hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area.
CRISPR can now target RNA - including coronavirus genome
CRISPR can now target RNA - including coronavirus genome 23 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1040 A new CRISPR-based technology can target RNA in human cells, including the RNA-based genome of the coronavirus. Until now all CRISPR approaches have targeted DNA.
Microbial DNA in blood may help diagnose cancer
Microbial DNA in blood may help diagnose cancer 16 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1039 Different types and stages of cancer may cause unique microbial DNA signatures that can be detected in the blood, according to new research published in Nature. The preliminary study, led by a team in the Centre for Microbiome Innovation at the University of California, San Diego, mined the Cancer Genome Atlas to determine whether specific patterns of microbial DNA are present in cancer.
Egg stem cells not found in the human ovary
Egg stem cells not found in the human ovary 9 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1038 After analysing all cell types in the human ovary, scientists at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have shown so-called 'egg stem cells' do not exist. The new findings, published in Nature Communications, align with previous animal studies and finally put an end to the argument over whether egg stem cells exist in the adult ovary or not.
CRISPR genome editing used directly in patient's eye
CRISPR genome editing used directly in patient's eye 9 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1038 A team of researchers in the US has become the first to use CRISPR genome editing directly in a person's body. The team from Oregon Health & Science Institute in Portland delivered the CRISPR components directly into the eye of a patient with a rare, inherited form of blindness.
Common gut bacteria may cause bowel cancer
Common gut bacteria may cause bowel cancer 2 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1037 A common gut bacteria may drive genetic changes that cause bowel cancer, according to research published in Nature. The study showed a toxin called colibactin, which is released by a particular strain of E. coli that is part of the normal gut flora (the trillions of bacteria that naturally live in the bowel), can induce specific DNA changes in cells that line the gut.
Retinal gene therapy trial shows positive result
Retinal gene therapy trial shows positive result 2 March 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1037 A clinical trial using gene therapy for treating a common cause of genetic blindness published positive results in Nature Medicine. Eighteen men with the genetic disorder X-linked retinitis pigmentosa were enrolled in a six-month clinical trial, seven of whom saw improvements in their vision for the full duration of the trial.
Gene therapy for blindness begins on the NHS
Gene therapy for blindness begins on the NHS 24 February 2020 Appeared in BioNews 1036 The NHS has started to offer people with an inherited retinal disorder, known as Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA) a new gene therapy that restores eyesight. LCA is a rare type of retinal dystrophy estimated to effect 1 in 80,000 people in the UK.
Tea or coffee preference may be down to your genes
19 November 2018 Your preference for tea or coffee could be down to a genetic predisposition to perceiving bitterness, a new study has found. Researchers from Australia, the USA and England found that people with a specific genetic variant that increases sensitivity to the bitter flavour of caffeine are more likely to be coffee drinkers. Conversely, tea drinkers more commonly have genetic variants that increase their sensitivity to the bitterness of other chemicals.
EARLY EDITION: Surviving the silver screen
Take a step behind the scenes as we highlight some memorable moments from the Ottawa Citizen’s storied past. Jay Stone was a print journalist for 46 years, covering everything from police to city hall. For two decades, until he retired in 2014, he was movie critic for the Citizen and later for the CanWest and Postmedia groups.—I was a movie critic for 20 years, so I went to a lot of films: At an average of five a week, it adds up to more than 5,000.
A VETERAN’S STORY: One soldier’s story on Christmas Day 1944
When Germany invaded France during World War II, they chose the Ardennes Forest as one of their main invasion routes. Lightly defended, the French considered the Ardennes “impassable” for modern warfare materials such as tanks, supply trucks, support artillery and other provisions needed to maintain a sustained campaign.
The Orillia Packet & Times: A Love Story - The Ex-Press
(Ottawa, ON — Nov. 27, 2017) I’ve been in love with several newspapers in my life — journalism tends to be a promiscuous passion — but none more deeply than I was in my first affair with the Orillia Packet & Times. It was the place where I started in the business, and now they’re going to close it down, another victim of Google or smart phones or whatever it is that has driven the wayward press to the fringes of our attention.
2018 Grammy Nominees: Country Music Snubs & Surprises
Over the years, country music has been getting much-deserved recognition at the Grammys. This year’s nominations paint a different picture as the genre is completely left out of the coveted all-genre spots. With more snubs than surprises, newcomers, independent artists and household names alike have all gotten the boot. Even Sam Hunt who has gone beyond the scope of the country genre to bring his song of the year to pop radio didn’t get the recognition he deserved.
(Ottawa, ON — Nov. 27, 2017) I’ve been in love with several newspapers in my life — journalism tends to be a promiscuous passion — but never more deeply than I was in my first affair with the Orillia Packet & Times. It was the place where I started in the business, and now they’re going to close it down, another victim of Google or smart phones or whatever it is that has driven the wayward press to the fringes of our attention.
People sometimes say to me, “Hey, Jay,” — or, more frequently these days, “Excuse me, Mr. Stone” — “how does a critic watch a movie? Please be brief and give examples.” My usual reply is, “No thanks, I’ve already eaten,” which is my fallback answer when I’ve totally stopped listening — or, more frequently these days, didn’t quite catch what they were saying. However, it’s a worthy question and I do have an answers. It’s brief and there are examples.
TORONTO — On the sidewalk of John Street, just around the corner from the theatre where most of the Toronto International Film Festival movies are screened, someone has stenciled the instruction, “Find out what you love and let it kill you.�
GIRONA, Spain — There’s a great lassitude that settles over Spain on a Sunday — or perhaps, that settles over the visitor to Spain on a Sunday — that is somehow ideal if you wash up in Girona. It’s a medieval city just east of Barcelona whose historic district, all cobbled streets and narrow alleys, were built circa 1000. Little wrought iron balconies are set in the stone walls, and I saw an older couple sitting at a bistro table, having lunch together and each looking at their own cell phone.
VALENCIA, Spain — We came here by chance, the way people used to travel when they were in their 20s and it was all about moving and a destination was just a name to drop, a place to rest on the road. We came in that spirit. We stayed for the paella. It was invented here, in this bustling city on the south coast of Spain (the Valencia orange was invented in California). It’s delicious too, although I’m not the one to ask. It was delicious everywhere.
There’s a film from France in which a man in horror mask chops down a tree — but it’s really a young girl. There’s an Indian movie that illustrates the coming crisis by showing the hands of a person paying more and more money for smaller and smaller bottles of water, until, a few decades from now, there’s none left.
TORONTO — Emory Cohen is explaining how he creates characters in his movies. Stealing has a lot to do with it. For instance, for his role in the melancholy love story Brooklyn — in which he plays Tony, a 1950s Italian plumber in love with a lonely Irish immigrant named Eilis (Saoirse Ronan) — Cohen was inspired by Marlon Brando’s working-class character in the drama On The Waterfront, as well as the naturalistic performances in the Italian neo-realist classic The Bicycle Thief.
TORONTO — Tom Hardy might be the best actor of his generation. He can do anything. He was the scary buff gangster in Bronson and then he was the scary but doomed hit man Ricki Tarr in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy. Next thing you know, he’s Bane, the gigantic muscled villain in The Dark Knight Rises, growling through a leather mask.
BARCELONA, Spain — The two big things to do here are to eat and to go to art galleries, and if you can eat where the painters used to hang out, it’s a huge time-saver. This comes in very handy when siesta runs over its limit. And so we arrive at 4 Cats, a famous cafe on a little alley called Montsio, just off the big Portal de L’Angel, one of the city’s main streets. 4 Cats is 118 years old, although it was closed now and then for civil wars, artistic revolutions and so on.
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