President Barack Obama will nominate Charlotte, N.C., Mayor Anthony Foxx to run the Transportation Department, the Associated Press reports.
Foxx will be the first black nominee among Obama's picks for second-term Cabinet spots.
Also worth noting on Monday:
? Obama will speak at the National Academy of Sciences annual meeting. ? Republican former Gov. Mark Sanford and Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch, sister of political satirist Stephen Colbert, face off in a debate leading up to a May 7 special election to fill South Carolina?s 1st Congressional District seat. ? U.S. Senate chaplain Barry Black speaks at the Heritage Foundation on ?Bridging the Religious and Secular Divide.?
And then there is this: Newt Gingrich will begin a three-day ?Thank You South Carolina Tour.? It is the first time Gingrich has returned to the Palmetto State since winning the Republican presidential primary last year.
Sources: Yahoo! News Politics, ABC News, Reuters and Associated Press.
Protein shaped like a spiderPublic release date: 26-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. Jan Grabowski jan.grabowski@helmholtz-hzi.de 49-531-618-11407 Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Joint press release of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and the Technische Universitat Darmstadt -- The immune protein C4BP is potentially suitable as a transporter for drugs
This press release is available in German.
The protein C4BP is similar to a spider in its spatial form with eight "arms". The structure of the "spider body" has recently been described in detail by researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and the Technische Universitt Darmstadt. This leads the scientists to unconventional ideas the protein is possibly suitable as a scaffold for the transport of active pharmaceutical substances, particularly biomolecules. The researchers are publishing their results in the current edition of the international journal Journal of Molecular Biology.
The so-called complement system is a part of the innate immune defence within the human body: more than sixty different proteins form one of the first countermeasures against invading pathogens. One of them is the C4b binding protein known as C4BP. It is involved in the immune defence against bacteria in the blood. How precisely such protein substance carries out its function or how it interacts with other molecules this can only be predicted by scientists once they have identified the spatial structure of the molecule. Structural biologists therefore examine the substance in its purest form with x-ray machines and are able to reconstruct the spatial design in a computer. Regarding the case of the recently-described C4BP, they found out that it has eight "arms" and thus resembles a spider to a certain degree. Seven of the "arms" are identical as "alpha chains", while the eighth, a "beta chain" is different from the others. The spider body that holds these side chains together is called the oligomerisation domain. Its structure was of special interest to researchers, since it determines the spatial alignment of the "arms".
The newly-described structure allows two possible variants. "However, there is one of these two possibilities that is more feasible because it is much more stable", says Thomas Hofmeyer, PhD student at the Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of TU Darmstadt and first author for the publication. And the C4BP is quite stable, as explained by the other first author Dr. Stefan Schmelz from the Department of Molecular Structural Biology of HZI: "Even boiling is not able to break down its form." Usually, human proteins remain stable up to about 40C. Higher temperatures are of course not found in the body, but the stability of C4BP has a completely different purpose: "As is the case with all components of the complement system, the C4b binding protein is present in blood plasma. The proteins are exposed to enormous shear forces in the blood stream", explains Dr. Andrea Scrima, head of the junior research group "Structural Biology of Autophagy" at HZI. Therefore, the protein needs a high stability in order to be able to withstand these forces.
The researchers now would like to make use of the spatial structure. Their discoveries have facilitated biochemical synthesis of the molecule. In the context of replication within a test tube, the researchers can undertake alterations in a targeted way: "Instead of the seven alpha chains, we could implement other biomolecules", claims Prof. Harald Kolmar, director of the work group Applied Biochemistry at the Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Technische Universitt Darmstadt. "We can use the oligomerisation domain as a framework, in order to decorate it with drug molecules." These could be vaccines, for example. Seven with one stroke, by means of the seven-fold binding capability. Bundled in this manner, more active ingredient could make its way to its target. The dosage could be reduced but the immune system would still be considerably stimulated. "It is thereby possible in the future that bottlenecks, limiting the supply of vaccine, could be avoided and side effects reduced", says Kolmar.
###
Original publication:
Thomas Hofmeyer*, Stefan Schmelz*, Matteo T. Degiacomi, Matteo Dal Peraro, Matin Daneschdar, Andrea Scrima, Joop van den Heuvel, Dirk W. Heinz, Harald Kolmar, * contributed equally
Arranged Sevenfold: Structural Insights into the C-Terminal Oligomerization Domain of Human C4b-Binding Protein
Journal of Molecular Biology, 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.12.017
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research:
At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, scientists are studying microbial virulence factors, host-pathogen interactions and immunity. The goal is to develop strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of human infectious diseases.
http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
The Technische Universitt Darmstadt:
The Technische Universitt (TU) Darmstadt is one of Germany's leading technical universities. Its around 300 professors, 4,500 scientific and administrative employees and 25,000 students devote their talents and best efforts to the significant future research fields energy, mobility, communications and information technologies, housing and living.
http://www.tu-darmstadt.de
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Protein shaped like a spiderPublic release date: 26-Apr-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dr. Jan Grabowski jan.grabowski@helmholtz-hzi.de 49-531-618-11407 Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research
Joint press release of the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research and the Technische Universitat Darmstadt -- The immune protein C4BP is potentially suitable as a transporter for drugs
This press release is available in German.
The protein C4BP is similar to a spider in its spatial form with eight "arms". The structure of the "spider body" has recently been described in detail by researchers from the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig and the Technische Universitt Darmstadt. This leads the scientists to unconventional ideas the protein is possibly suitable as a scaffold for the transport of active pharmaceutical substances, particularly biomolecules. The researchers are publishing their results in the current edition of the international journal Journal of Molecular Biology.
The so-called complement system is a part of the innate immune defence within the human body: more than sixty different proteins form one of the first countermeasures against invading pathogens. One of them is the C4b binding protein known as C4BP. It is involved in the immune defence against bacteria in the blood. How precisely such protein substance carries out its function or how it interacts with other molecules this can only be predicted by scientists once they have identified the spatial structure of the molecule. Structural biologists therefore examine the substance in its purest form with x-ray machines and are able to reconstruct the spatial design in a computer. Regarding the case of the recently-described C4BP, they found out that it has eight "arms" and thus resembles a spider to a certain degree. Seven of the "arms" are identical as "alpha chains", while the eighth, a "beta chain" is different from the others. The spider body that holds these side chains together is called the oligomerisation domain. Its structure was of special interest to researchers, since it determines the spatial alignment of the "arms".
The newly-described structure allows two possible variants. "However, there is one of these two possibilities that is more feasible because it is much more stable", says Thomas Hofmeyer, PhD student at the Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of TU Darmstadt and first author for the publication. And the C4BP is quite stable, as explained by the other first author Dr. Stefan Schmelz from the Department of Molecular Structural Biology of HZI: "Even boiling is not able to break down its form." Usually, human proteins remain stable up to about 40C. Higher temperatures are of course not found in the body, but the stability of C4BP has a completely different purpose: "As is the case with all components of the complement system, the C4b binding protein is present in blood plasma. The proteins are exposed to enormous shear forces in the blood stream", explains Dr. Andrea Scrima, head of the junior research group "Structural Biology of Autophagy" at HZI. Therefore, the protein needs a high stability in order to be able to withstand these forces.
The researchers now would like to make use of the spatial structure. Their discoveries have facilitated biochemical synthesis of the molecule. In the context of replication within a test tube, the researchers can undertake alterations in a targeted way: "Instead of the seven alpha chains, we could implement other biomolecules", claims Prof. Harald Kolmar, director of the work group Applied Biochemistry at the Institute for Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Technische Universitt Darmstadt. "We can use the oligomerisation domain as a framework, in order to decorate it with drug molecules." These could be vaccines, for example. Seven with one stroke, by means of the seven-fold binding capability. Bundled in this manner, more active ingredient could make its way to its target. The dosage could be reduced but the immune system would still be considerably stimulated. "It is thereby possible in the future that bottlenecks, limiting the supply of vaccine, could be avoided and side effects reduced", says Kolmar.
###
Original publication:
Thomas Hofmeyer*, Stefan Schmelz*, Matteo T. Degiacomi, Matteo Dal Peraro, Matin Daneschdar, Andrea Scrima, Joop van den Heuvel, Dirk W. Heinz, Harald Kolmar, * contributed equally
Arranged Sevenfold: Structural Insights into the C-Terminal Oligomerization Domain of Human C4b-Binding Protein
Journal of Molecular Biology, 2013, DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2012.12.017
The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research:
At the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in Braunschweig, scientists are studying microbial virulence factors, host-pathogen interactions and immunity. The goal is to develop strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and therapy of human infectious diseases.
http://www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en
The Technische Universitt Darmstadt:
The Technische Universitt (TU) Darmstadt is one of Germany's leading technical universities. Its around 300 professors, 4,500 scientific and administrative employees and 25,000 students devote their talents and best efforts to the significant future research fields energy, mobility, communications and information technologies, housing and living.
http://www.tu-darmstadt.de
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Dimple Natali easlpressoffice@cohnwolfe.com 44-790-013-8904 European Association for the Study of the Liver
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Friday 26 April 2013: New data from two clinical trials presented today at the International Liver Congress 2013 demonstrate substantial improvements in the detection of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) using diagnostic urine tests.
HCC is common throughout the world and most often develops as a late complication of chronic viral hepatitis or cirrhosis of any cause. The overall survival rate of HCC is poor and so screening for HCC offers the best hope for early detection, eligibility for treatment, and improved survival. While effective therapies exist, the available screening tests to detect HCC alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound are reported to have low sensitivity and specificity (5085% and 7090%, respectively).
Preliminary data demonstrate the performance of urinary metabolites in helping to diagnose HCC. Urine samples were collected from four subject groups in West Africa on the case-control platform of PROLIFICA 'Prevention of Liver Fibrosis and Carcinoma in Africa' as follows: patients with HCC (n=65), cirrhosis (Cir, n=36), non-cirrhotic liver disease (DC, n=110) and healthy controls (NC, n=91). HCC patients were diagnosed using EASL guidelines.
Multivariate analyses of urinary nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra showed a distinct profile for urine of patients with HCC compared to Cir, DC and NC with sensitivity of 87%, 86% and 97% respectively. These results suggest that Urinary metabolite profile outperforms serum AFP which only differentiated HCC from these groups by 79% (Cir), 75% (DC) and 76% NC) respectively. The metabolites that were significantly increased (p
EASL General Secretary, Prof. Mark Thursz commented: "These findings will be welcomed by physicians as they validate urinary metabolic profiling as a potential screening tool for HCC, with superior diagnostic accuracy to serum AFP and if investigated further and put into practice this non-invasive technique could simplify and improve clinical diagnosis and outcomes for patients."
Similarly, detection of CC remains a diagnostic challenge and physicians will be encouraged by results from a Phase II study showing that a combined bile and urine proteomic test increased diagnostic accuracy of CC in patients with biliary strictures (an abnormal narrowing of the common bile duct) of unknown origin.
Having recently established diagnostic peptide marker models in bile and urine to detect both local and systemic changes during CC progression, investigators combined both models with the aim of reaching a higher diagnostic accuracy.
The data demonstrated this model enables impressive CC-diagnosis with an accuracy of more than 90% that is most applicable for patients with biliary strictures of unknown origin referred to endoscopy.
Prof. Mark Thursz added: "These important findings substantially improve the diagnosis of CC and may lead to early therapy and improved prognosis. Overall both data sets demonstrate the increasing value of proteomic and metabonomic techniques and if confirmed by further investigation, clinicians may soon be using simple urine dip-stick tests to diagnose HCC and CC."
A logistic regression model composed of the bile and urine proteomic classification factors lead to an area under curve (AUC) of 0.96, and 92% sensitivity and 84% specificity at the best cut-off. Only three of the 36 CC patients were false negative and two of the 33 PSC patients were false positive classified. Inclusion of CA19-9 and bilirubin values to the logistic regression model was of minor benefit.
Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer is rare and almost always adenocarcinoma which starts in the lining of the bile duct. The cause of most cholangiocarcinomas is unknown but people with chronic inflammatory bowel conditions or congential abnormalities of the bile duct have a higher risk of developing the cancer.
Disclaimer: the data referenced in this release is based on the submitted abstract. More recent data may be presented at the International Liver Congress 2013.
###
Notes to Editors
About EASL
EASL is the leading European scientific society involved in promoting research and education in hepatology. EASL attracts the foremost hepatology experts and has an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education and promoting changes in European liver policy.
EASL's main focus on education and research is delivered through numerous events and initiatives, including:
The International Liver CongressTM which is the main scientific and professional event in
hepatology worldwide
Meetings including Monothematic and Special conferences, Post Graduate courses and other
endorsed meetings that take place throughout the year
Clinical and Basic Schools of Hepatology, a series of events covering different aspects in the field
of hepatology
Journal of Hepatology published monthly
Participation in a number of policy initiatives at European level
About The International Liver Congress 2013
The International Liver Congress 2013, the 48th annual meeting of the European Association for the study of the Liver, is being held at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam from April 24 28, 2013. The congress annually attracts in excess of 9000 clinicians and scientists from around the world and provides an opportunity to hear the latest research, perspectives and treatments of liver disease from principal experts in the field.
References:
1 De Masi S et al, Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma. Digestive and Liver Disease 2005;3(4): 219 300.
2 Ladep NG et al, URINARY METABOLIC PROFILE DISCRIMINATES HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA BETTER THAN SERUM ALPHA FETOPROTEIN IN WEST AFRICANS. Presented at the International Liver Congress 2013
3 EASL Guidelines: Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Available at
http://www.easl.eu/_clinical-practice-guideline/issue-7-april-2012-management-of-hepatocellular-carcinoma
[Accessed 11/4/13]
4 Metzger J, et al, A COMBINED BILE AND URINE PROTEOMIC TEST INCREASES DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA IN PATIENTS WITH BILIARY STRICTURES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. Presented at the International Liver Congress 2013
5 Macmillan Cancer Support. Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma). Available at http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Bileduct/Bileductcancer.aspx [Accessed 9/4/13]
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Dimple Natali easlpressoffice@cohnwolfe.com 44-790-013-8904 European Association for the Study of the Liver
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Friday 26 April 2013: New data from two clinical trials presented today at the International Liver Congress 2013 demonstrate substantial improvements in the detection of both hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) using diagnostic urine tests.
HCC is common throughout the world and most often develops as a late complication of chronic viral hepatitis or cirrhosis of any cause. The overall survival rate of HCC is poor and so screening for HCC offers the best hope for early detection, eligibility for treatment, and improved survival. While effective therapies exist, the available screening tests to detect HCC alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and ultrasound are reported to have low sensitivity and specificity (5085% and 7090%, respectively).
Preliminary data demonstrate the performance of urinary metabolites in helping to diagnose HCC. Urine samples were collected from four subject groups in West Africa on the case-control platform of PROLIFICA 'Prevention of Liver Fibrosis and Carcinoma in Africa' as follows: patients with HCC (n=65), cirrhosis (Cir, n=36), non-cirrhotic liver disease (DC, n=110) and healthy controls (NC, n=91). HCC patients were diagnosed using EASL guidelines.
Multivariate analyses of urinary nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra showed a distinct profile for urine of patients with HCC compared to Cir, DC and NC with sensitivity of 87%, 86% and 97% respectively. These results suggest that Urinary metabolite profile outperforms serum AFP which only differentiated HCC from these groups by 79% (Cir), 75% (DC) and 76% NC) respectively. The metabolites that were significantly increased (p
EASL General Secretary, Prof. Mark Thursz commented: "These findings will be welcomed by physicians as they validate urinary metabolic profiling as a potential screening tool for HCC, with superior diagnostic accuracy to serum AFP and if investigated further and put into practice this non-invasive technique could simplify and improve clinical diagnosis and outcomes for patients."
Similarly, detection of CC remains a diagnostic challenge and physicians will be encouraged by results from a Phase II study showing that a combined bile and urine proteomic test increased diagnostic accuracy of CC in patients with biliary strictures (an abnormal narrowing of the common bile duct) of unknown origin.
Having recently established diagnostic peptide marker models in bile and urine to detect both local and systemic changes during CC progression, investigators combined both models with the aim of reaching a higher diagnostic accuracy.
The data demonstrated this model enables impressive CC-diagnosis with an accuracy of more than 90% that is most applicable for patients with biliary strictures of unknown origin referred to endoscopy.
Prof. Mark Thursz added: "These important findings substantially improve the diagnosis of CC and may lead to early therapy and improved prognosis. Overall both data sets demonstrate the increasing value of proteomic and metabonomic techniques and if confirmed by further investigation, clinicians may soon be using simple urine dip-stick tests to diagnose HCC and CC."
A logistic regression model composed of the bile and urine proteomic classification factors lead to an area under curve (AUC) of 0.96, and 92% sensitivity and 84% specificity at the best cut-off. Only three of the 36 CC patients were false negative and two of the 33 PSC patients were false positive classified. Inclusion of CA19-9 and bilirubin values to the logistic regression model was of minor benefit.
Cholangiocarcinoma or bile duct cancer is rare and almost always adenocarcinoma which starts in the lining of the bile duct. The cause of most cholangiocarcinomas is unknown but people with chronic inflammatory bowel conditions or congential abnormalities of the bile duct have a higher risk of developing the cancer.
Disclaimer: the data referenced in this release is based on the submitted abstract. More recent data may be presented at the International Liver Congress 2013.
###
Notes to Editors
About EASL
EASL is the leading European scientific society involved in promoting research and education in hepatology. EASL attracts the foremost hepatology experts and has an impressive track record in promoting research in liver disease, supporting wider education and promoting changes in European liver policy.
EASL's main focus on education and research is delivered through numerous events and initiatives, including:
The International Liver CongressTM which is the main scientific and professional event in
hepatology worldwide
Meetings including Monothematic and Special conferences, Post Graduate courses and other
endorsed meetings that take place throughout the year
Clinical and Basic Schools of Hepatology, a series of events covering different aspects in the field
of hepatology
Journal of Hepatology published monthly
Participation in a number of policy initiatives at European level
About The International Liver Congress 2013
The International Liver Congress 2013, the 48th annual meeting of the European Association for the study of the Liver, is being held at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam from April 24 28, 2013. The congress annually attracts in excess of 9000 clinicians and scientists from around the world and provides an opportunity to hear the latest research, perspectives and treatments of liver disease from principal experts in the field.
References:
1 De Masi S et al, Screening for hepatocellular carcinoma. Digestive and Liver Disease 2005;3(4): 219 300.
2 Ladep NG et al, URINARY METABOLIC PROFILE DISCRIMINATES HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA BETTER THAN SERUM ALPHA FETOPROTEIN IN WEST AFRICANS. Presented at the International Liver Congress 2013
3 EASL Guidelines: Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma. Available at
http://www.easl.eu/_clinical-practice-guideline/issue-7-april-2012-management-of-hepatocellular-carcinoma
[Accessed 11/4/13]
4 Metzger J, et al, A COMBINED BILE AND URINE PROTEOMIC TEST INCREASES DIAGNOSTIC ACCURACY OF CHOLANGIOCARCINOMA IN PATIENTS WITH BILIARY STRICTURES OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN. Presented at the International Liver Congress 2013
5 Macmillan Cancer Support. Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma). Available at http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Bileduct/Bileductcancer.aspx [Accessed 9/4/13]
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Apr. 24, 2013 ? Biologists at UC San Diego have identified eight genes never before suspected to play a role in wound healing that are called into action near the areas where wounds occur.
Their discovery, detailed this week in the open-access journal PLOS ONE, was made in the laboratory fruit fly Drosophila. But the biologists say many of the same genes that regulate biological processes in the hard exoskeleton, or cuticle, of Drosophila also control processes in human skin. That makes them attractive candidates for new kinds of wound-healing drugs or other compounds that could be used to treat skin ailments.
"Many of the key molecules and proteins involved in Drosophila wound healing are involved in mammalian wound healing," says Rachel Patterson, the first author who published the paper with Michelle Juarez and William McGinnis, a professor of biology and interim dean of the Division of Biological Sciences. "The genetics of Drosophila are not as complicated as mammalian genetics, so it's easier to attribute specific biological functions to individual genes."
By puncturing the cuticle and epidermis of fruit fly embryos in their experiments, the researchers examined 84 genes that are turned on and 78 that are turned off as the fly embryo responds to healing. From these 162 genes, they identified eight genes that are expressed at either very low levels or not at all in most cells during development, but are activated near the puncture wounds.
The researchers were surprised to discover that an immune response begins as soon as the flies' cuticles and epidermis were punctured, releasing antimicrobial peptides and other compounds that prepare the embryo should bacteria or fungi enter the site of injury. The key to their technique was the use of trypsin, a member of a family of enzymes called serine proteases, which activates genes involved in wound healing. The next step is to see if these genes play a comparable role in humans.
"I think one amazing application of our studies may be to build a better bandage -- containing compounds to promote would healing," said Juarez, a former postdoctoral fellow in McGinnis's lab who is now an assistant medical professor at the City College of New York.
"Perhaps our results can be translated to existing human therapies by incorporating specific, regulated series proteases and antimicrobial peptides at the sites of diabetic ulcers or skin grafts for more efficient wound healing," said Patterson. She said her team's results might also have application to treating chronic skin diseases such as psoriasis, severe dry skin and eczema in which levels of these enzymes are known to be abnormal.
Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health (GM077197 and HD28315), a Developmental Biology of Neural Diseases Training grant, the Ray Thomas Edwards Fellowship and the family of Herbert Stern.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - San Diego. The original article was written by Kim McDonald.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Rachel A. Patterson, Michelle T. Juarez, Anita Hermann, Roman Sasik, Gary Hardiman, William McGinnis. Serine Proteolytic Pathway Activation Reveals an Expanded Ensemble of Wound Response Genes in Drosophila. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (4): e61773 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061773
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
A United Airlines jet departs in view of the air traffic control tower at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Seattle. A day after flight delays plagued much of the U.S., air travel is smoother Tuesday. But the government is warning passengers that the situation can change by the hour as it runs the nation's air traffic control system with a smaller staff. Airlines and members of Congress urged the Federal Aviation Administration to find other ways to make mandatory budget cuts besides furloughing controllers. While delays haven't been terrible yet, the airlines are worried about the long-term impact late flights will have on their budgets and on fliers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
A United Airlines jet departs in view of the air traffic control tower at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport Tuesday, April 23, 2013, in Seattle. A day after flight delays plagued much of the U.S., air travel is smoother Tuesday. But the government is warning passengers that the situation can change by the hour as it runs the nation's air traffic control system with a smaller staff. Airlines and members of Congress urged the Federal Aviation Administration to find other ways to make mandatory budget cuts besides furloughing controllers. While delays haven't been terrible yet, the airlines are worried about the long-term impact late flights will have on their budgets and on fliers. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? With flight delays mounting, the Senate approved hurry-up legislation Thursday night to end air traffic controller furloughs blamed for inconveniencing large numbers of travelers.
A House vote on the measure was expected as early as Friday, with lawmakers eager to embark on a weeklong vacation.
Under the legislation, which the Senate passed without even a roll call vote, the Federal Aviation Administration would gain authority to transfer up to $253 million from accounts that are flush into other programs, to "prevent reduced operations and staffing" through the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year.
In addition to restoring full staffing by controllers, Senate officials said the available funds should be ample enough to prevent the closure of small airport towers around the country. The FAA has said it will shut the facilities as it makes its share of $85 billion in across-the-board spending cuts ? known as the sequester ? that took effect last month at numerous government agencies.
The Senate acted as the FAA said there had been at least 863 flights delayed on Wednesday "attributable to staffing reductions resulting from the furlough."
Administration officials participated in the negotiations that led to the deal and evidently registered no objections.
After the vote, White House press secretary Jay Carney said, "It will be good news for America's traveling public if Congress spares them these unnecessary delays. But ultimately, this is no more than a temporary Band-Aid that fails to address the overarching threat to our economy posed by the sequester's mindless, across-the-board cuts."
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, a key participant in the talks, said the legislation would "prevent what otherwise would have been intolerable delays in the air travel system, inconveniencing travelers and hurting the economy."
Senate approval followed several hours of pressure-filled, closed-door negotiations, and came after most senators had departed the Capitol on the assumption that the talks had fallen short.
Officials said a small group of senators insisted on a last-ditch effort at an agreement before Congress adjourned for a vacation that could have become politically problematic if the flight delays continued.
"I want to do it right now. There are other senators you'd have to ask what the hang-up is," Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colo., said at a point when it appeared no compromise would emerge.
For the White House and Senate Democrats, the discussions on legislation relating to one relatively small slice of the $85 billion in spending cuts marked a shift in position in a long-running struggle with Republicans over budget issues. Similarly, the turn of events marked at least modest vindication of a decision by the House GOP last winter to finesse some budget struggles in order to focus public attention on the across-the-board cuts in hopes they would gain leverage over President Barack Obama.
The Professional Aviation Safety Specialists, a union that represents FAA employees, reported a number of incidents it said were due to the furloughs.
In one case, it said several flights headed for Long Island MacArthur Airport in New York were diverted on Wednesday when a piece of equipment failed. "While the policy for this equipment is immediate restoral, due to sequestration and furloughs it was changed to next-day restoral," the union said.
It added it was "learning of additional impacts nationwide, including open watches, increased restoration times, delays resulting from insufficient funding for parts and equipment, modernization delays, missed or deferred preventative maintenance, and reduced redundancy."
The airlines, too, were pressing Congress to restore the FAA to full staffing.
In an interview Wednesday, Robert Isom, chief operations officer of US Airways, likened the furloughs to a "wildcat regulatory action."
He added, "In the airline business, you try to eliminate uncertainty. Some factors you can't control, like weather. It (the FAA issue) is worse than the weather."
In a shift, first the White House and then senior Democratic lawmakers have signaled a willingness in the past two days to support legislation that alleviates the budget crunch at the FAA, while leaving the balance of the $85 billion to remain in effect.
Obama favors a comprehensive agreement that replaces the entire $85 billion in across-the-board cuts as part of a broader deficit-reduction deal that includes higher taxes and spending cuts.
One Senate Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington, noted that without the type of comprehensive deficit deal that Obama favors, a bill that eases the spending crunch at the FAA would inevitably be followed by other single-issue measures. She listed funding at the National Institutes of Health as one example, and cuts that cause furloughs of civilians who work at military hospitals as a second.
At the same time, Democratic aides said resolve had crumbled under the weight of widespread delays for the traveling public and pressure from the airlines.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., involved in the discussions, said the issue was big enough so "most people want to find a solution as long as it doesn't spend any more money."
Officials estimate it would cost slightly more than $200 million to restore air traffic controllers to full staffing, and another $50 million to keep open smaller air traffic towers around the country that the FAA has proposed closing.
Across the Capitol, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa., said, "We're willing to look at what the Senate's going to propose."
He said he believes the FAA has the authority it needs under existing law to shift funds and end the furloughs of air traffic controllers, and any legislation should be "very, very limited" and direct the agency to use the flexibility it already has.
In a reflection of the political undercurrents, another House Republican, Rep. James Lankford of Oklahoma, said FAA employees "are being used as pawns by this (Obama) administration to be able to implement the maximum amount of pain on the American people when it does not have to be this way."
The White House and congressional Democrats vociferously dispute such claims.
___
Associated Press writers Joan Lowy, Henry C. Jackson and Alan Fram in Washington and David Koenig in Dallas contributed to this report.
This is one Apple event that's fairly constant, but the company has confirmed today that the 2013 edition of its Worldwide Developers Conference -- otherwise known as WWDC -- will take place from June 10th to 14th at Moscone West in San Francisco. In a statement, Apple's Phil Schiller says that its "developers have had the most prolific and profitable year ever, and we're excited to show them the latest advances in software technologies and developer tools to help them create innovative new apps," adding, "we can't wait to get new versions of iOS and OS X into their hands at WWDC." Not exactly a huge surprise there, but you can rest assured we'll be there to cover that and anything else the company might have up its sleeve. Tickets are set to go on sale tomorrow.
Apr. 24, 2013 ? Who would have thought that two very different species, a small insect and a furry alpine mammal, would develop a shared food arrangement in the far North?
University of Alberta researchers were certainly surprised when they discovered the unusual response of pikas to patches of vegetation that had previously been grazed on by caterpillars from a species normally found in the high Arctic.
U of A biology researcher Isabel C. Barrio analyzed how two herbivores, caterpillars and pikas, competed for scarce vegetation in alpine areas of the southwest Yukon. The caterpillars come out of their winter cocoons and start consuming vegetation soon after the snow melts in June. Weeks later, the pika starts gathering and storing food in its winter den. For the experiment, Barrio altered the numbers of caterpillars grazing on small plots of land surrounding pika dens.
"What we found was that the pikas preferred the patches first grazed on by caterpillars," said Barrio. "We think the caterpillar's waste acted as a natural fertilizer, making the vegetation richer and more attractive to the pika."
U of A biology professor David Hik, who supervised the research, says the results are the opposite of what the team expected to find.
"Normally you'd expect that increased grazing by the caterpillars would have a negative effect on the pika," said Hik. "But the very territorial little pika actually preferred the vegetation first consumed by the caterpillars."
The researchers say it's highly unusual that two distant herbivore species -- an insect in its larval stage and a mammal -- react positively to one another when it comes to the all-consuming survival issue of finding food.
These caterpillars stay in their crawling larval stage for up to 14 years, sheltering in a cocoon during the long winters before finally becoming Arctic woolly bear moths for the final 24 hours of their lives.
The pika does not hibernate and gathers a food supply in its den. Its food-gathering territory surrounds the den and covers an area of around 700 square metres.
The researchers say they'll continue their work on the caterpillar-pika relationship to explore the long-term implications for increased insect populations and competition for scarce food resources in northern mountain environments.
Barrio was the lead author on the collaborative research project, which was published April 24 in the journal Biology Letters.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alberta, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. The original article was written by Brian Murphy.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
I. C. Barrio, D. S. Hik, K. Peck, C. G. Bueno. After the frass: foraging pikas select patches previously grazed by caterpillars. Biology Letters, 2013; 9 (3): 20130090 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0090
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.
PARIS (Reuters) - France has opened a probe into whether British bank HSBC offered illicit products to help French clients avoid tax in Switzerland, the Paris prosecutors' office said on Tuesday.
It is the latest sign of governments cracking down on tax evasion and money laundering after the financial crisis. France is also probing Swiss bank UBS over whether it offered to help clients avoid tax.
An HSBC spokeswoman declined to comment.
The British bank last year agreed to pay a record $1.92 billion in fines to U.S. authorities for allowing itself to be used to launder drug money flowing out of Mexico and for other banking lapses.
The French investigation into the alleged sale of illicit products and tax fraud is based on a list of clients at HSBC's Swiss unit obtained in 2009, the prosecutor's office said.
The list forms part of a batch of data leaked by former HSBC employee Herve Falciani, who is wanted in Switzerland on allegations of stealing data on tens of thousands of bank accounts. Falciani told a Spanish court last week he was a whistleblower fighting corruption.
The French government is fighting to regain credibility on the issue of tax after the dramatic resignation of former budget minister Jerome Cahuzac and his admission earlier this month that he had held a secret bank account in Switzerland.
Government minister Arnaud Montebourg had last week called for the French judiciary to "wake up" on the issue of tax fraud.
A historical bastion of banking secrecy, Switzerland has been under fire for several years for turning a blind eye to the sheltering of taxable income by its banking sector.
UBS, Switzerland's largest bank, paid $780 million in 2009 and handed over thousands of client names to settle U.S. charges that it helped U.S. citizens hide funds.
(Additional reporting by Steve Slater in London; Writing by Lionel Laurent; Editing by James Regan and Anthony Barker)
The Great Wall: worth some clicks. Nice kids, good presentations. posted by mule98J at 10:35 AM on April 23 Oh wow this is awesome, and it looks like they sell posters too.
Funny aside, one of my friends has something like 9 brothers (and no sisters). In Chinese, you would normally refer to them as "oldest brother" or "second oldest brother" and so on. For some reason, they started doing this in English, and would say things like "Hey, how's two doing?" posted by jasonhong at 10:37 AM on April 23 [1 favorite]
Pfft. Unrealistic--needs more canine little brothers/sisters in that family tree.
Trust me, they get lai sze and eat moon cakes, they're family. posted by roquetuen at 2:49 PM on April 23
roquetuen, that's a cute comment :). Some of my Taiwanese friends call their pets "???" or "kids with fur", and do refer to them individually as "my daughter" or "my son". posted by Alnedra at 11:53 PM on April 23
? Older Broadway stars get together to "preview" Downton A...??|??Shakuntala Devi, the Indian "h... Newer ?
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Biotech giant Amgen Inc. says its first-quarter profit rose 21 percent on higher sales of drugs to treat arthritis and osteoporosis.
The company on Tuesday reported net income of $1.43 billion, or $1.88 per share, from $1.18 billion, or $1.48 per share, in the prior-year period. Adjusted earnings were $1.96 per share.
Revenue rose 5 percent, to $4.24 billion.
Analysts polled by FactSet expect earnings per share of $1.84 on sales of $4.37 billion.
Sales of the Thousand Oaks, Calif., company's biotech drugs were driven by growth of Enbrel for psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis and Prolia for osteoporosis.
Sales of anemia drugs Aranesp and Epogen continued their long slide due to limits on dosing and reimbursement because of safety concerns.
Shares are off 4.7 percent to $107.42 in after-hours trading.
We're on the hunt for a new editorial fellow based in New York City. Interested? Here's what you need to know.
A fellowship at Lifehacker means you'll help us with our daily pursuits and hunting down the best tips and tricks for getting things done. More specifically, the fellow will learn to be a Jack- or Jill-of-all-trades, assisting us with research, post-finding, basic copy editing, emailing, social media tasks and, with some guidance, writing. Basically, you'll get valuable experience in the skills needed at a site like Lifehacker that you can take with you to basically any writing/media job.
What You'll Need:
The ability to work out of our New York office full time, five days a week
Basic HTML skills
Modern computer skills such as Tweeting, Facebooking, RSSing, IMing and other ways of communicating on the internet
Talent, a good work ethic, ability to listen and learn fast
The ability to follow directions to the letter
Be at least college age
For Bonus Points:
The qualities of a good Lifehacker writer. Being able to write makes it much more likely that you'll get more writing time.
Graphics (mainly Photoshop/Photoshop alternative) and video skills.
The Focus
This fellowship is foremost a learning opportunity; a chance for you to quickly learn the skills that it takes to be a blogger/news writer/life hacker in a short amount of time. The pay is hourly; the position is full time, for about 3 to 6 months. If you come into the fellowship with a great attitude for learning and enthusiasm for the experience, you'll find that a Lifehacker fellowship is one of the best things you can do to get your writing career started. We're also looking for editorial assistants, and this fellowship is how we intend to find them.
How Do You Apply?
We get a lot of applications and rely on Gmail to help us keep things sorted, so it's very important to follow these instructions so we don't miss yours. Here's what to do:
Send an email to tips+fellowship@lifehacker.com with the subject Lifehacker Fellowship.
In the email, a few sentences about yourself. Good things to discuss are why you want to be an fellow, your interests and experience that fit with Lifehacker (programming/writing/hacking/DIY experience), and your availability (when you can start). Focus on the fact that being concise is much more effective, but write as much as you need to to tell us what experience you have and what special circumstances allow you to be a great Lifehacker fellow.
In the email, also include a couple of links to writing and/or projects you've done.
No attachments, please.
We get a lot of emails, so unfortunately we can't reply to everyone. If we do contact you, it may not be immediately so please be patient. If you don't hear from us, feel free to give it another shot the next time around.
Officers talk to residents before clearing them to return to their homes in West Texas (Adrees Latif/Reuters)
WEST, Texas?For the second day in a row, more than 100 displaced residents here lined up to gain access to their homes near the site of Wednesday?s deadly fertilizer explosion that killed 14 and injured at least 200.
City officials began allowing residents in homes farthest away from the center of the blast site in late Saturday, but imposed a strict curfew, permitting people to only enter the site between 7am and 7pm. Residents have the option of staying in their homes if they aren?t heavily damaged, but most of the area remains without power or running water. The explosion leveled a five-square block area of town, destroying dozens of homes, a nursing home and an apartment building adjacent to the plant.
On Sunday morning, a time when most residents would be in church, dozens of cars snaked through town, as residents who didn?t make it inside the blast area on Saturday returned in hopes of seeing the homes for the first time.
?You don?t know what to expect,? said Joanne Nors, who was cooking dinner at her home a few blocks from the plant when the explosion happened on Wednesday night. She and her husband fled their home and have been staying with relatives ever since.
State and local officials have warned residents that the city is unlikely to get back to normal anytime soon. ?This is going to be a very long process,? Mayor Tommy Muska said Saturday.
As some residents were allowed back in to see their homes, dozens of insurance companies have descended on the region, setting up mobile offices and handing out business cards along Oak Street, the main drag in the West?s downtown district.
Agents have also been spotted at the press conferences held by local officials at City Hall, just two blocks from the cordoned off neighborhood near the fertilizer plant. One agent, who declined to be named, said he was just trying to ?gather as much information as I can for my clients.?
Indeed, residents here have grown frustrated with the lack of information from city officials about how long the area will be closed and other basic information. Speaking to constituents Saturday at an impromptu town meeting, Muska, who also lost his home in the blast, apologized and said, ?I need to be doing a better job.?
"When you see this place," he added, referring to the explosion site, "you will know a miracle happened."
But residents fear the bureaucracy around the site is only to get worse. Yesterday, word spread around town that the site would soon be taken over the by Federal Emergency Management Agency?something officials in town declined to confirm.
But at the Village Bakery, one of the state's most famous Czech bakeries and a gathering point for West residents, a man announced the FEMA rumor to the entire dining room before making his displeasure clear.
?FEMA is taking over,? the man said. ?I don?t like that acronym.?
But there was some good news to emerge from the scene. Steve Vanek, a West City Council member and mayor pro-tem, told reporters most of the 60 people listed as missing on Friday had been found. He said the death toll remains at 14.
Still, that number is a huge blow to a town of less than 3,000 people, where, as one local puts it, ?everybody knows everybody.?
On Saturday evening, a group of firefighters from nearby towns gathered on an Interstate 35 overpass and dangled an American flag over the highway as a motorcade of ambulances escorted by police cars passed underneath. The vehicles reportedly were transferring first responders injured in Wednesday?s blast from a Waco hospital to another facility in nearby Hillsboro.
At the same time, someone placed a bouquet of silk flowers on the door of a flower shop downtown, where one resident said the owner had lost both her brother and her husband in the explosion. The men had been a part of West?s volunteer firefighter department.
?We?re just waiting for the funerals to start,? a woman, who declined to be named, said as she stood outside City Hall on Sunday. ?That?s going to be real tough.?
State and local officials have said they still have no cause for Wednesday's explosion.
An intrepid critter crew of geckos, mice and gerbils and other animals launched into orbit Friday (April 19) to begin a month-long Russian experiment to study how space travel affects living creatures. The space mission, scientists assure, will return the animals to Earth alive.
The new?animal astronauts?launched into orbit at 6 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT) atop a Russian-built Soyuz 2 rocket that lifted off from Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, in Central Asia.
The rocket carried the Bion-M1 space capsule, which is filled with enclosures for 45 mice, eight Mongolian gerbils, 15 geckos and numerous other species. They are expected to spend a month in orbit, flying 357 miles (575 kilometers) above Earth while scientists on the ground monitor the health of the capsule's passengers.?[See photos of the Bion-M1 space animals mission]
"There has been a long history of this kind of biological research over the past 40 years, and NASA and the Russian side have been collaborating for that entire time, which is pretty remarkable. But each mission kind of brings a unique focus, be it the actual duration of the mission or the specimens being flown," Nicole Rayl, project manager for NASA's portion of the mission, told SPACE.com.
While the project is run by Russia's Federal Space Agency, also called Roscosmos, an international team of scientists is overseeing the mission's many experiments.
Bion-M1 is Russia's first mission dedicated to launching animals into space in 17 years. The last Bion mission carried rhesus monkeys, geckos and amphibians into orbit for 15 days in 1996.
And while there have been other animal-centric launches since that time, the Bion-M1 mission is the longest flight of its kind in the Russian science program's 40-year history. For this reason, Bion-M1 is designed to help scientists understand how?long-duration human spaceflight?might affect astronauts, Rayl said.
"The unique nature of this mission is that it's a 30-day mission, so it's longer than a lot of the other animal and biological missions we've flown," Rayl said. "The big importance for us is that we get to compare data from this longer mission with better analytical tools that we have today, [compared] to the missions we've flown in the past that were similar but not exactly the same."
Scientists will monitor a wide variety of health metrics for the animals while the creatures are on board. The spacecraft will beam down information about the health of the animals and the conditions inside the capsule.
Researchers are interested in understanding the many different ways spaceflight might change a mouse, for example, because the data could help scientists understand what humans need to be wary of on long-term trips.
One of the NASA experiments focuses on how microgravity and radiation affect sperm motility in mice. If humans are going to visit other planets on long flights, Rayl said, it's important to understand if people will be able to procreate from?sex in space. Some missions could take decades, so space-based reproduction could be a necessity.
Although one of the NASA scientists will examine the mice for sperm motility, there is no chance that the animals will reproduce while in the spacecraft. Only male mice were selected for this journey, Rayl said.
Other experiments take the wide view, looking into how different body systems are connected and changed during spaceflight.
"We often have very targeted scientific experiments where we have one investigator looking at, say, 'cardiovascular system function.' This [Bion-M1] is different because we have nine investigators [in] total looking at a whole organism approach to spaceflight," Rayl said. "That's a very exciting development for us, that we're able to bring so many investigators to the table to really maximize the scientific return from this mission."
After a month in orbit, the Bion-M1 spacecraft will fall to Earth and scientists will collect the animals and run tests.
While the mice, gerbils, geckos and other creatures should survive their plunge through the Earth's atmosphere, scientists will need to humanely euthanize the animals in order to get the data they need, Rayl added.
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Public release date: 26-Apr-2013
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