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Friday, April 12, 2013

Researchers find new way to clear cholesterol from the blood

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Researchers at the University of Michigan have identified a new potential therapeutic target for lowering cholesterol that could be an alternative or complementary therapy to statins.

Scientists in the lab of David Ginsburg at the Life Sciences Institute inhibited the action of a gene responsible for transporting a protein that interferes with the ability of the liver to remove cholesterol from the blood in mice. Trapping the destructive protein where it couldn't harm receptors responsible for removing cholesterol preserved the liver cells' capacity to clear plasma cholesterol from the blood, but did not appear to otherwise affect the health of the mice.

In the research, published April 9 in the online journal eLife, scientists found that mice with an inactive SEC24A gene could develop normally. However, their plasma cholesterol levels were reduced by 45 percent because vesicles from liver cells were not able to recruit and transport a critical regulator of blood cholesterol levels called proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9. PCSK9 is a secretory protein that destroys the liver cells' receptors of low-density lipoprotein? LDL, the so-called "bad cholesterol"?and prevents the cells from removing the LDL.

"Inhibiting SEC24A or PCSK9 may be an alternative to statins, and could work together with statins to produce even greater effects," said Xiao-Wei Chen of the Ginsburg lab, the first author on the paper. "Also, they might be effective on patients who are resistant to or intolerant of statins."

Initial studies of anti-PCSK9 therapies in humans have shown that eliminating PCSK9 can lower cholesterol dramatically and work with statins like Lipitor to lower it even further. The Ginsburg lab's research points to a new area for study: rather than inhibiting PCSK9 itself, perhaps future therapies could block the transport mechanism that allows the destructive protein to reach the LDL receptors.

The paper, "SEC24A deficiency lowers plasma cholesterol through reduced PCSK9 secretion," explains the mechanism by which cells transport PCSK9. Vesicles transport proteins in the cell; the Ginsburg lab's research focused on a specialized type of vesicle packaged by the Coat Protein Complex II, which regulates the metabolism of cholesterol, among many other things. These vesicles selectively transport cargo proteins including PCSK9.

Without those LDL receptors (LDLR), liver cells are not able to remove LDLs from the bloodstream, so protecting the LDLR from PCSK9 would allow the receptors to continue to remove cholesterol.

"Without SEC24A, much of the PCSK9 couldn't make its way out of the cells to destroy the LDLR, which then clears cholesterol from the blood," Chen said.

The part of the vesicle that selects which proteins to transport is SEC24. By blocking SEC24A gene, the researchers disabled the vesicle's selection of PCSK9. The destructive protein remained trapped within the cells, leaving the LDLR intact and enabling the liver to clear the body of cholesterol that otherwise could accumulate in arteries.

"We have no reason at this point to expect that this strategy will be any better than anti-PCSK9 therapy for treating high cholesterol, but it would be another alternative approach, and it's hard to predict which drugs will work the best and be the safest until we actually try them out in people," Ginsburg said.

Ginsburg is a research professor at the Life Sciences Institute, where his laboratory is located. He is also the James V. Neel Distinguished University Professor and the Warner-Lambert/Parke-Davis Professor in the Division of Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Department of Internal Medicine and departments of Human Genetics and Pediatrics at the U-M Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

###

University of Michigan: http://www.umich.edu/

Thanks to University of Michigan for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127704/Researchers_find_new_way_to_clear_cholesterol_from_the_blood

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UK National Theatre chief to step down in 2015

LONDON (AP) ? The widely praised chief of Britain's National Theatre says he will leave his post in two years.

Nicholas Hytner plans to step down from one of the biggest jobs in the theater world in March 2015.

Britain's flagship state-funded theater company has had a run of successes since Hytner took charge in 2003, transferring hits including "War Horse" and "One Man, Two Guvnors" to Broadway and reaching millions with live broadcasts to cinemas around the world.

National Theatre productions reached 3.2 million people worldwide in 2012 and generated 80 million pounds ($122 million) in revenue.

Hytner also directs films, including "The Madness of King George" and "The History Boys."

The theater also announced Wednesday that Nick Starr, its executive director since 2002, will step down next year.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-national-theatre-chief-step-down-2015-101311163.html

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Thursday, April 11, 2013

Anthony Weiner to Run For Mayor of New York City?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/04/anthony-weiner-to-run-for-mayor-of-new-york-city/

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Data storage: Shingled tracks stack up

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Simply changing the pattern by which data is recorded may lead to increased hard drive capacities.

Modern hard drive technology is reaching its limits. Engineers have increased data-storage capacities by reducing the widths of the narrow tracks of magnetic material that record data inside a hard drive. Narrowing these tracks has required a concordant reduction in the size of the magnetic write head -- the device used to create them. However, it is physically difficult to reduce the size of write heads any further. Kim Keng Teo and co-workers at the A*STAR Data Storage Institute, Singapore, and the Niigata Institute of Technology, Japan, have recently performed an analysis that highlights the promise of an alternative approach, which may sidestep this problem completely.

In a conventional hard drive, a write head stores data by applying a magnetic field to a series of parallel, non-overlapping tracks. Halving the width of the track effectively doubles the data-storage capacity, but also requires the size of the write head to be halved. The head therefore produces less magnetic field than is needed to enable stable data storage. This is because the small magnetic grains that are characteristic of modern hard drive media need to be thermally stable at room temperature.

Shingled magnetic recording represents a step towards solving this problem as it allows for narrower track widths without smaller write heads. Rather than writing to non-overlapping tracks, the approach overlaps tracks just as shingles on a roof overlap (see image). Tracks are written in a so-called 'raster' pattern, with new data written to one side only of the last-written track.

Teo and co-workers analyzed the scaling behavior of this approach by using both numerical analysis and experimental verification. Their results showed that the size of the data track is not limited by the size of the write head, as in conventional hard drives. Instead, the track size is limited by the size of the magnetic read head, and by the 'erase bandwidth', which represents the portion of the track edge that is affected by adjacent tracks.

"This is a paradigm shift for the industry," says Teo. "A relatively small difference in the way that writing occurs calls for a completely new approach to head design." Teo expects the shingled approach to be a useful stop-gap measure prior to the arrival of more advanced, next-generation technologies in the next decade or so that will apply more radical modifications to the hard drive such as the use of heat to assist the write head.

The A*STAR-affiliated researchers contributing to this research are from the Data Storage Institute.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Kim Keng Teo, Moulay Rachid Elidrissi, Kheong Sann Chan, Yasushi Kanai. Analysis and design of shingled magnetic recording systems. Journal of Applied Physics, 2012; 111 (7): 07B716 DOI: 10.1063/1.3679383

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/k5ruVCxXZOM/130410114113.htm

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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Microsoft Xbox Next ?Durango? May Cost $500 ? Tech Analyst - X-bit ...

A renowned technology analyst has revealed that while Microsoft?s Corp.?s next-generation video game console will be heavily based on PC technology, it will cost more than an average personal computer. The reasons for Xbox code-named Durango are not completely clear, given the fact that it will compete against mobile devices, PCs and Sony PlayStation 4.

"Durango is going to be expensive ? $500, $300 with a subscription ? that kind of thing. Originally, they were going to announce this thing on April 24. Now they are going to announce it on May 21. We know there are events occurring this year where we are going to learn more about Durango. E3 is going to occur, Build is going to occur in San Francisco in June when they are going to talk about the developer story because it is a Windows 8 device. It is going to have the same, or basically the same, developer tools and developer APIs," said Paul Thurrott, a well-known Microsoft expert, in the recent What The Tech's video podcast.

Microsoft released the Xbox 360 console in the U.S. back in 2005 at $299 and $399 price-points and it has taken the company quite some time to slash pricing of the product to mainstream $199. With models priced at $399 and $499 the software giant will hardly be able to outsell the Xbox 360 game console at least early in the lifecycle. Mr. Thurrott also revealed that according to his sources, the console would require a constant internet connection

It is also rumoured that Microsoft intends to release a low-cost Xbox 360 version code-named Stingray at $99 price-point later this year, bringing value gaming and advanced entertainment capabilities to customers in budget. While the company is clearly interested in such an offering, given that modern Xbox 360 games cost $50 and higher, the Stingray will barely get popular among casual gamers, but will rather be a substitute for those, who want to play current titles that will not work on Xbox Next.

Microsoft Xbox Next ?Durango? is expected to be architecturally similar to the PlayStation 4. It is believed that the future Xbox will be powered by AMD Fusion custom-designed system-on-chip with eight x86 low-power/low-cost Jaguar cores, AMD Radeon HD graphics with GCN architecture as well as 8GB of DDR3 system memory. The console is projected to feature hard disk drive, Blu-ray disc drive as well as robust Xbox Live online service. It is believed that Microsoft Xbox ?Durango? has lower-performance graphics sub-system as well as slower memory sub-system when compared to Sony PS4.

An analysis of what is known about the Xbox Next clearly points to the fact that Microsoft had put a great deal of attention to make the Durango a high-quality general-purpose device for the living room, while compromising some of the gaming-related aspects (e.g., graphics performance). The video games for the Microsoft Xbox Next will clearly look better and feel better than titles developed for the Xbox 360 simply because of the eight-year gap in technologies under the hoods of the systems. However, only time will show how future-proof will be Microsoft?s Durango console for the core gamers who demand improvements of titles throughout the active lifetime of the console that could span for eight years, as in the case of the Xbox 360.

Microsoft did not comment on the news-story.

Tags: Microsoft, Xbox, Durango, Xbox Next, Stingray, Loop, AMD, ATI, Radeon, Fusion, Jaguar, GCN

Comments currently: 4
Discussion started: 04/10/13 01:47:15 AM
Latest comment: 04/10/13 10:49:52 AM
Expand all threads | Collapse all threads

[1-2]

1.?

always on = DRM. Thanks, but no thanks M$.
I can wait for 2 min for console to boot up, no problem.

+ expand thread (2 answers) - collapse thread

That is not what they mean. 'Always on' means when the console is on you need to be connected to the internet for it to function correctly.

You can turn the power off when ever you want.

But you are right that it means DRM, but I really don't have any issues with DRM as long as it doesn't massively impede on my system performance. I am more than happy to wait for a game to come down to a price I feel it is worth. The game makers have put a lot of time and money into their games and if we want good, high quality games we have to accept to part with our money. I also think second hand games should be banned too. If there was no piracy and no second hand games then possibly the game price would come down but mainly the games companies would make more money which on the whole will lead to more and better games.

The bigger problem is that Durango will be tightly integrated into Microsoft' ecosystem and will not use any exclusive technologies. Therefore, "always on" requirement and constant DRM will likely be a part of all Microsoft's products going forward.

2.?

I can't help but laugh everytime I see the word Durango because ir is very close to the word Drongo which means in Australisn English someone who is an idiot.

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Source: http://www.xbitlabs.com/news/multimedia/display/20130408233854_Microsoft_Xbox_Next_Durango_May_Cost_500_Tech_Analyst.html

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Greenfiled: Ford, Carter set an example

By Jeff Greenfield

I suppose I can?t help it.

After a lifetime immersed in American politics, perhaps it was inevitable that my reaction to the early days of the new papacy has been to conjure up memories?.of Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

I mean no disrespect. But in watching Pope Francis? powerful first gestures?shunning the elaborate vestments for a simple garment, choosing a modest apartment over the lavish Papal accommodations, and heading back to his hotel in Rome to pay his bill!?I was reminded of two presidents who embraced simplicity but were ultimately rejected by voters. And thereby hangs a tale about the power, and the limits, of symbolism.

President Gerald Ford, right, and Jimmy Carter at a debate on Oct. 6, 1976 in San Francisco, Calif. (AP Photo)When Gerald Ford suddenly stepped into the presidency in August 1974 after Richard Nixon?s resignation, he was a relatively unknown figure despite his years as House Republican leader and his 10-month stint as vice president. After Nixon?s polarizing presidency?capped by nearly a year and a half of Watergate frenzy?Ford was at pains to establish him as a healing, unthreatening, modest leader. As he described himself even before taking the presidential oath, ?I?m a Ford, not a Lincoln.?

When Ford disclosed he had toasted his own English muffins and poured his own orange juice before heading to the Oval Office, pictures of the new president in the White House kitchen hit front pages across America. It was the perfect contrast with Nixon, who had ordered up uniforms for the White House Guard worthy of a European principality.

Now fast forward a few months to the impossibly long-shot presidential campaign of ex-Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, a self described peanut farmer whose quest seemed so improbable that a home state paper headlined: ?Jimmy WHO? Is Running for WHAT??

Making a virtue out of necessity, Carter?s financially challenged campaign drew attention to the candidate?s humility. He stayed at the homes of supporters, where he made his own bed; shared rooms with aides at low-cost motels; and carried his own garment bag.

In the post-Watergate atmosphere of 1975 and 1976, the just-plain-folks personalities of both Ford and Carter seemed the perfect antidote to Nixon?s arrogant, isolated presidency.

But as alert history-minded readers know, Ford and Carter were both rebuffed by voters in their efforts to hold on to the presidency.

Ford?s decision to pardon Nixon for crimes associated with Watergate cost him dearly, even though it now looks like a prudent choice to avoid years of contentious litigation. Ford?s occasional slips?of tongue and body?turned him, unfairly, into a comic figure that elevated Chevy Chase of ?Saturday Night Live? to national fame. And an overwhelmingly Democratic Congress all but assured Ford?s legislative goals would be dead on delivery.

Carter narrowly defeated Ford in 1976. But the charm of the peanut farmer faded under withering blows of double-digit inflation, recession, the Iranian hostage crisis and a deeply divided Democratic Party. Carter lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in 1980.

So does this history tell us that Pope Francis? early steps are doomed to irrelevance? No.
Unlike presidents, a pope?s personal decisions can have a swift, decisive impact on the actions of others. Offhand, I can?t think of any congressional committee chairs or Fortune 500 CEOs who felt it necessary to abandon the perks of their offices because Ford and Carter did so.

By contrast, Francis? rejection of the lavish pomp that surrounded his predecessor, Benedict, is offering a model that others in the Catholic hierarchy may well want to follow?if for no other reason than to avoid the embarrassment of the contrast.

The thick cloud that has surrounded the church in the wake of the pedophile priest scandals may strengthen the impulse toward humility. When it comes to the priestly vows of ?poverty, chastity and obedience,? the church has demonstrated some pretty serious problems with the second but can demonstrate its fealty to the third by more vigorously embracing the first.

There are, however, ways in which Francis will face challenges similar to those that tripped up Ford and Carter.

If the church does not clearly and unflinchingly demand and receive full accountability for the evasions and cover-ups that marred its response to the child abuse scandals, none of the pope?s humble gestures will count for much. If Francis? symbolic embrace of the poor does not govern the church?s behavior in the cities and towns of Latin America?where church and state have in the past been linked by privilege and indifference?then the words of the new pope will remain hollow. Ultimately, deeds trump symbols.

Of course, in one key way, the new pope has a powerful, perhaps decisive advantage over the 38th and 39th presidents: Having received the keys to the kingdom, his electoral lock is permanent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/setting-an-example-214225668.html

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Biofilm helps Salmonella survive hostile conditions

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Virginia Tech scientists have provided new evidence that biofilms -- bacteria that adhere to surfaces and build protective coatings -- are at work in the survival of the human pathogen Salmonella.

One out of every six Americans becomes ill from eating contaminated food each year, with over a million illnesses caused by Salmonella bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Finding out what makes Salmonella resistant to antibacterial measures could help curb outbreaks.

Researchers affiliated with the Fralin Life Science Institute discovered that in addition to protecting Salmonella from heat-processing and sanitizers such as bleach, biofilms preserve the bacteria in extremely dry conditions, and again when the bacteria are subjected to normal digestive processes. The study is now online in the International Journal of Food Microbiology and will appear in the April issue.

"Biofilms are an increasing problem in food processing plants serving as a potential source of contamination," said Monica Ponder, an assistant professor of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "We have discovered that Salmonella in biofilms survive on dried foods much better than previously thought, and because of this are more likely to cause disease," said Ponder.

Outbreaks of Salmonella associated with dried foods such as nuts, cereals, spices, powdered milk and pet foods have been associated with over 900 illnesses in the last five years. These foods were previously thought to be safe because the dry nature of the product stops microbial growth.

"Most people expect to find Salmonella on raw meats but don't consider that it can survive on fruits, vegetables or dry products, which are not always cooked," said Ponder.

In moist conditions, Salmonella thrive and reproduce abundantly. If thrust into a dry environment, they cease to reproduce, but turn on genes which produce a biofilm, protecting them from the detrimental environment.

Researchers tested the resilience of the Salmonella biofilm by drying it and storing it in dry milk powder for up to 30 days. At various points it was tested in a simulated gastrointestinal system. Salmonella survived this long- term storage in large numbers but the biofilm Salmonella were more resilient than the free-floating cells treated to the same conditions.

The bacteria's stress response to the dry conditions also made it more likely to cause disease. Biofilms allowed the Salmonella to survive the harsh, acidic environment of the stomach, increasing its chances of reaching the intestines, where infection results in the symptoms associated with food poisoning.

This research may help shape Food and Drug Administration's regulations by highlighting the need for better sanitation and new strategies to reduce biofilm formation on equipment, thus hopefully decreasing the likelihood of another outbreak.