# Key Points from #hplusroadmap IRC Discussion

• A user reported significant health benefits from high-dose vitamin D supplementation, noting it prevented colds for 18 months except during periods of immune compromise from cortisol and sleep deprivation, highlighting vitamin D deficiency as potentially the largest micronutrient deficiency in the United States.

• Researchers shared a comprehensive connectome study of C. elegans that reconstructed neural mating circuits in male worms, revealing that mating requires 144 neurons (nearly half the worm's total) connected to 64 muscles through approximately 8,000 synapses.

• Technical professionals discussed freelance contracting rates ranging from $60-175/hour, with experienced contractors providing detailed advice on payment structures, deposits, and the importance of establishing clear terms with clients before beginning work.

• The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences at NIH was highlighted for overseeing $70 million in grants for developing tissue-chip culture systems that would allow drug screening on implanted tissue samples.

• Participants engaged in detailed hardware discussions comparing laptop models (particularly ThinkPad W520 vs T520), noting NVIDIA Quadro's advantages for professional applications, and identifying Atheros chipsets (especially ath9k) as having superior Linux driver compatibility.

• Users shared technical solutions for browser tab management (including Firefox's "TooManyTabs" and Opera's "Tab Vault") and command-line tools for downloading and converting YouTube videos, demonstrating the community's focus on practical technology optimization.