methodist embarrassing: February 2013

Thursday, February 28, 2013

Physical Gold Shortage Possible in the Near Future, Reports Gold Price

The financial crisis in the West has central banks buying up large amounts of gold to hedge against devaluing reserve currencies, a practice that could effect a shortage in the global gold supply, reports Gold Price.

New York, NY (PRWEB) February 25, 2013

In response to the economic stimulus programs employed by the world?s most powerful governments, central banks in many developing countries are transferring their holdings into gold, as the metal is considered a more tangible asset than reserve currencies that are being devalued in the ongoing currency war. According to reports from the World Gold Council, central bank buying accounted for 534.6 tons in 2012. Quite the shift from the previous trend of central banks selling 400 tons a year, accounting for over 900 tons in a 4,000 ton market. Among the new players in the central bank buying game were Latin American countries including Brazil, Paraguay, Venezuela and Mexico. Russia, South Korea and the Philippines held their status of recent big buyers, and Iraq made an appearance onto the scene last year, buying 24.1 tons of gold.

Arthur McGuire, Vice President of Gold Price, says, ?As the world?s most powerful central banks print money without restraint, up-and-coming central banks all over the world are starting to realize that they don?t want to hold money that is being devalued and set to see hyperinflation in the future. China and India have been buying vast amounts of gold for years, but now we?re seeing smaller countries jump on the bandwagon, and this shift could cause a shortage soon. We?re recommending that investors buy gold coins and bars now, while prices are low compared to what they could rise to if we end up seeing a significant shortage of physical gold supply.?

Gold Price (GoldPrice.net) is a leading precious metals advisor with headquarters in New York, California, Texas, Utah, New Mexico and Puerto Rico. A direct gold and silver dealer as well, Gold Price specializes in purchasing, selling and trading physical gold and silver such as modern bullion bars and coins and certified rare coins. Investors can visit http://www.goldprice.net or call 1-800-767-1423 to receive a free award-winning gold starter?s kit.

Arthur McGuire
Gold Price
1-800-767-1423
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/physical-gold-shortage-possible-near-future-reports-gold-195614805.html

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Russian Meteor Likely an Apollo Asteroid Chunk

These guys are smoking dope, don't believe a word they say

Is that supposed to be funny or just plain ignorant?

1. The name of the country is Colombia, not Columbia.
2. Colombia isn't a big marijuana producer or consumer. Paraguay and Mexico are the big producers, and the biggest consumers (by population percentage) in America are the US and Canada.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annual_cannabis_use_by_country [wikipedia.org]
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/06/daily-chart-16 [economist.com]

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/-g6BfaPN_vk/story01.htm

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Video: Maria's Observation: You Can't Fight the Fed

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50979330/

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Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Putting malaria on the SHELPH

Monday, February 25, 2013

Experts have disabled a unique member of the signalling proteins which are essential for the development of the malaria parasite. They have produced a mutant lacking the ancient bacterial Shewanella-like protein phosphatase known as SHLP1 (pronounced shelph). This mutant is unable to complete its complex life cycle and is arrested in its development in the mosquito. The discovery could help in the design of new drugs to arrest the spread of this killer disease.

SHLP1is critical to the cellular development of the malaria parasite. It can be found at every stage in the lifecycle of the malaria parasite and for the first time experts led by The University of Nottingham have analysed their biological function.

Dr Rita Tewari and her team in the Centre for Genetics and Genomics in the School of Biology have spent three years studying the phosphatase proteins that are important building blocks in the life cycle of the malaria parasite. The findings of their latest study are published today, 21 February 2013, in the academic journal Cell Reports.

Dr Tewari said: "SHLP1 is absent in humans and can be explored as an excellent target for malaria transmission control. Prevention of malaria transmission to and from the mosquito is vital in order to stop the devastating spread of malaria. Targeting SHLP1 could be an important step to achieve this goal."

Although great strides have been made in reducing the number of deaths from malaria, half the world's population remains at risk from the disease. In 2010 90 per cent of all malaria deaths occurred in Africa ? mostly among children under the age of five.

Dr Tewari's latest research has focused on the ancient bacterial Shewanella-like protein phosphatase (SHLP1) which is found only in bacteria, fungi, protists (organisms which paved the way for the evolution of early plants, animals and fungi) and plants.

The researchers, funded by the MRC and the Wellcome Trust, have discovered how SHLP1 controls development of the parasite at an essential stage of its life cycle. The parasite must move between human and mosquito in its quest to spread the disease. It does this every time the mosquito bites. Removing this enzyme causes defects in structures vital for invading the mosquito gut ? effectively stopping the mosquito from passing the disease on to another victim.

###

University of Nottingham: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Nottingham for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 53 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127005/Putting_malaria_on_the_SHELPH

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How to Fix Your Sticky Brakes

Clearly, you shouldn't be driving this car in traffic until the problem is fixed. In cases like this it pays to be very systematic about diagnosing the cause and testing any repairs. Start from the outermost brake corners and work upstream. The first thing to consider is that a caliper piston might be dragging, causing friction that cooks the brake fluid and results in high brake-line pressure, locking that corner. Drive around the block and see if you notice just one brake hotter than the others. Unfortunately, I doubt that it's a caliper. If all your brakes are locking up simultaneously, the problem is likely with your master cylinder.

The master cylinder is what transforms the mechanical force you develop by pushing the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure, which does the work of moving the caliper pistons (or brake cylinders in drum brakes). The system relies on a series of seals to maintain pressure, and those seals need to slide in the housing easily. If the seals in the master cylinder begin to break down, the piston running through it doesn't return properly and may maintain line pressure even if your foot isn't on the brake. If the line pressure is enough to press the pads into contact, all four brakes will generate heat and lock up. The only solution in this case is to replace the master cylinder?not a huge issue with your car because the master cylinder and vacuum brake booster sit right on the firewall. Still, all the brakes must be bled, and if you have ABS, the ABS distribution block may need to be cycled at a brake shop to get a proper bleed. The valving and mechanisms in the distribution block can trap air, and the only reliable way to get rid of it is to hook up the car to a specialized piece of hardware that will cycle the system according to maintenance requirements.

Because a master cylinder replacement is the most expensive repair in a brake system, you may want to consider throwing a few extra dollars toward getting new calipers and rotors all around. You'll have peace of mind knowing that brake problem won't come back any time soon.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/repair-questions/how-to-fix-your-sticky-brakes-15146608?src=rss

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Spiral-toothed fossil mystery solved

27 February 2013 Last updated at 03:28 By Ella Davies Reporter, BBC Nature

An ancient spiral-toothed fish has been reconstructed from fossil evidence by scientists.

US researchers used CT scans to build a computer model of what Helicoprion looked like and how it ate.

They were also able to resolve an ongoing puzzle over whether the unique saw-like spirals were located inside or outside the mouth.

The findings show the animals were more closely related to modern chimaeras, or ratfish, than sharks.

The study is published by researchers from Idaho State University in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

The university's Museum of Natural History has the largest public collection of fossilised Helicoprion in the world.

The fish lived 270 million years ago but because they were largely formed from cartilage, which does not preserve well, their fossil record comprises unusual spiral structures.

Referred to as "whorls", these features have been compared to spiralling saw blades and have puzzled the scientific community for over a century.

Early theories suggested that they were actually used for defence and were located on the fish's upper or lower jaws, or even the dorsal fin.

Dental records

In order to solve the mystery, Dr Leif Tapanila and colleagues investigated the most complete fossil in the collection.

The fossil, discovered in Idaho, has a whorl measuring 23cm with 117 individual teeth. Unlike other specimens, the fossil also includes impressions of the cartilage structures.

The team used a high-powered CT scan, which uses X-rays to create a detailed computer image, in order to fully analyse what was inside the rock.

"When we got the images back, we could easily see that we had the upper and lower jaw of the animals, as well as the spiral of teeth," said Dr Tapanila.

"For the first time we were able to very clearly image how that spiral of teeth relates to the jaw."

The scientists found that the spiral was connected to the fish's lower jaw, in the back of the mouth.

"Imagine that... instead of having a tongue, you have this large spiral of teeth," Dr Tapanila explained.

"Only maybe a dozen teeth are poking up out of your lower jaw so you can bite."

"The rest of those teeth are stored inside and are not being used, those are your baby teeth - the teeth you had when you were younger."

Dr Tapanila said this discovery supports the argument that unlike sharks, which constantly replace their teeth, Helicoprion retained its teeth permanently.

Using the computer images, the team could build a 3D model of the jaw, to reveal how the tooth spiral worked.

"As the mouth closes, the teeth spin backwards... so they slash through the meat that they are biting into," Dr Tapanila told BBC Nature.

"The teeth themselves are very narrow: nice long, pointy, triangular teeth with serrations like a steak knife.

"As the jaw is closing and the teeth are spinning past whatever it's eating, it's making a very nice clean cut."

Of the 100 fossils of Helicoprion that have been discovered, very few show broken or worn teeth.

Ancient diet

Dr Tapanila said that this evidence, combined with the "rolling and slicing" mechanism, provided clues to what the ancient fish ate.

"If this animal were eating other animals that were very hard or [had] hard armour plating or dense shells, you would expect more damage to their teeth.

"This leads us to believe that our animal was probably eating soft, squishy things like calamari. It was probably eating squid or its relatives that were swimming in the ocean at the time."

The study also highlighted the family connections of the ancient fish, categorising it with chimaeras and ratfish rather than sharks.

"One of the main ways that fish are identified is based on how the upper jaw connects to the rest of the skull," said Dr Tapanila.

"Because we have the upper jaw we can look at the bumps and grooves on it and see how it would have connected.

"It was fixed in two positions and was fused essentially to the brain tip... a feature that's distinctive for chimaeras and ratfish."

Following the reconstruction the jaw of the fish, the team is using inferred characteristics to create a scale model of the 4m animal for an exhibition at the Idaho State University Museum of Natural History this summer.

Based on fossil evidence, scientists believe the fish could have measured up to 7.6m long.

Join BBC Nature on Facebook and Twitter @BBCNature.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/21589719

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New type of gene that regulates tumor suppressor PTEN identified

Monday, February 25, 2013

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have identified a new so-called pseudogene that regulates the tumour-suppressing PTEN gene. They hope that this pseudogene will be able to control PTEN to reverse the tumour process, make the cancer tumour more sensitive to chemotherapy and to prevent the development of resistance. The findings, which are published in the scientific journal Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, can be of significance in the future development of cancer drugs.

The development of tumours coincides with the activation of several cancer genes as well as the inactivation of other tumour-suppressing genes owing to damage to the DNA and to the fact that the cancer cells manage to switch off the transcription of tumour-suppressor genes. To identify what might be regulating this silencing, the researchers studied PTEN, one of the most commonly inactivated tumour-suppressor genes. It has long been believed that the switching-off process is irreversible, but the team has now shown that silenced PTEN genes in tumour cells can be 'rescued' and re-activated by a 'pseudogene', a type of gene that, unlike normal genes, does not encode an entire protein.

"We identified a new non-protein encoding pseudogene, which determines whether the expression of PTEN is to be switched on or off," says research team member Per Johnsson, doctoral student at Karolinska Institutet's Department of Oncology-Pathology. "What makes this case spectacular is that the gene only produces RNA, the protein's template. It is this RNA that, through a sequence of mechanisms, regulates PTEN. Pseudogenes have been known about for many years, but it was thought that they were only junk material."

No less than 98 per cent of human DNA consists of non-protein encoding genes (i.e. pseudogenes), and by studying these formerly neglected genes the researchers have begun to understand that they are very important and can have an effect without encoding proteins. Using model systems, the team has shown that the new pseudogene can control the expression of PTEN and make tumours more responsive to conventional chemotherapy.

"This means that we might one day be able to re-programme cancer cells to proliferate less, become more normal, and that resistance to chemotherapy can hopefully be avoided," says Per Johnsson. "We also believe that our findings can be very important for the future development of cancer drugs. What we're seeing here is just the tip of the iceberg. The human genome conceals no less than 15,000 or so pseudogenes, and it's not unreasonable to think that many of them are relevant to diseases such as cancer."

###

'A pseudogene long noncoding RNA network regulates PTEN transcription and translation in human cells', Per Johnsson, Amanda Ackley, Linda Vidarsdottir, Weng-Onn Lui, Martin Corcoran, Dan Grand?r och Kevin V. Morris, Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, AOP 24 February 2013, doi: 10.1038/nsmb.2516.

Karolinska Institutet: http://info.ki.se/ki

Thanks to Karolinska Institutet for this article.

This press release has been viewed 6 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126994/New_type_of_gene_that_regulates_tumor_suppressor_PTEN_identified

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Video: Pope Benedict makes final Sunday blessing

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50933219/

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Heat blow huge lead then beat Cavs for 11th in row

Miami Heat forward LeBron James (6) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Luke Walton (4) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem (40) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson, right, looks for an opening past Miami Heat center Chris Bosh, left, and forward Udonis Haslem (40) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Cleveland Cavaliers center Tyler Zeller, left, and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade battle for a loose ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI (AP) ? Dwyane Wade got hot down the stretch, and LeBron James missed a layup in the final minute.

Both were huge breaks for the Miami Heat.

James scored 28 points, Wade scored 11 of his 24 in the final five minutes ? when Miami needed him most ? and the Heat extended the NBA's longest current winning streak to 11 games, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 109-105 in a back-and-forth matchup Sunday night.

The Heat blew a 22-point second-half lead then rallied from eight down with 5:16 left.

"We're a veteran ballclub and we've been in every situation that an NBA game can offer us," James said. "We don't get too high, we don't get too low, we just play the 48 minutes out and see where it takes us."

Dion Waiters scored 26 points, C.J. Miles added 19 and Kyrie Irving scored 17 for Cleveland, which outscored Miami by a stunning 30 points over a 17-minute stretch of the second half, yet still came up empty.

The Cavaliers are now 1-8 against the Heat since James signed with Miami in July 2010.

"We had a very good chance against a very good basketball team, the world champions, and we lost the game because of mental mistakes," Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. "That's just something that we can't have happen again."

In fairness, it wasn't just mental mistakes that doomed Cleveland late. There was a bit of luck involved for the Heat.

Miami was up by two and held possession with 1:03 remaining. The shot clock was running down and Chris Bosh was open to try a 16-footer from the right wing. As Bosh was about to release, James got inexplicably free under the basket, thrusting both his arms skyward. Bosh threw him the pass ? and James, enjoying the best shooting season of his career, did the unthinkable: He missed the easy one.

This is where the luck comes into play.

The rebound found its way back to Bosh, the Heat ran down another shot clock, and Wade got loose for a two-handed dunk that pushed Miami's lead to 105-101 with 24.4 seconds left.

It was a double-whammy for Cleveland. Miami scored and took nearly 40 seconds off a dwindling clock in the process.

"Hey, I'm a smart player. That's what basketball IQ is all about," James said afterward, unable to hold back a sly grin. "I have no idea how I blew that layup. But it did work out for us. Got an extra possession, D-Wade was able to turn the corner and get a slam."

Said Heat coach Erik Spoelstra: "I liked that play."

Wade started what turned into a 16-4 run with a fadeaway with just under 5 minutes to go, then added a three-point play on the next Miami possession to cut the Cavs' lead to 97-94.

And after Irving missed a layup with 1:35 left, Wade got the rebound and set up Battier for a 3-pointer that put Miami on top again ? and for good.

"I thought that we had the game," Cavaliers forward Alonzo Gee said.

Sure looked like that was the case, after a ridiculously good third quarter.

Down 68-46 early in the third, the Cavaliers looked finished ? last-place team, on the road, against the reigning NBA champions who just happened to have the league's longest current winning streak.

Midway through the third, Miami's lead was still 17.

With two minutes left in the period, the cushion was 10.

By the start of the fourth, it was nonexistent.

The C.J. Miles Show lasted for all of 63 seconds. And they were a scintillating 63 seconds.

It starts with 1:35 left, a 3-pointer from Miles getting the Miami lead down to seven. Then he got a rebound, came downcourt and connected on another 3-pointer. Lead down to four. Another stop by the Cavs on one end, then another 3-pointer for Miles on the other ? that one coming both with him drawing a foul from Chalmers, and with Spoelstra getting hit with a technical from referee Ed Malloy for arguing.

Miles made the technical free throw to tie the game, the free throw for the Chalmers hit to put the Cavs ahead, and they carried that 82-81 lead into the fourth, having closed the quarter on a 36-13 run.

"Guys just finally decided to start playing," Miles said.

Miami used a 23-4 run in the first half to take what looked like a commanding 42-22 lead ? with more than 9 minutes left until the break. And after Cleveland got within seven, Miami answered with another burst.

James didn't miss in the final 4:29 of the half, scoring 10 points on a 4-for-4 run from the floor and fueling what became 16-5 spurt that gave Miami a 64-46 lead going into the locker room. And for good measure, Miami got the first two baskets of the second half, pushing the lead to 22, the biggest of the night.

Over, right?

Not even remotely close. Not until the final frantic seconds, as the Heat not only extended their win streak but won for the fourth time in five nights.

"We found a way," Wade said. "I felt like in the first three quarters, I couldn't move. But in the fourth, you just find it. ... We just turned that other switch on."

NOTES: Miami's two wins over Cleveland this season, both at home, have come by a combined six points. ... The Cavs were without Daniel Gibson (personal) and Omri Casspi, who remained hospitalized in Orlando after surgery to remove his appendix. ... Heat F Mike Miller (ear infection) was back with the team Sunday, though did not play. "He can't hear anything we're saying," Spoelstra quipped before the game. ... The Heat held a moment of silence pregame for Los Angeles Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss, the moment ending with warm applause from the crowd.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-02-24-BKN-Cavaliers-Heat/id-c7238153f1e04cdfbe079e89dcfac036

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Markets brace for crucial Italy election test

MILAN (Reuters) - Investors are awaiting the outcome a wide open Italian election that could trigger a sell-off in stocks and bonds and renew concerns about the euro if the polls bring an unstable government.

Polling stations open for a second and final day on Monday and exit polls will be published soon after they close at 3 p.m. (1400 GMT).

Opinion polls have suggested the center-left Democratic Party (PD) of Pierluigi Bersani could secure a narrow victory in the recession-hit country, the euro zone's third-largest economy.

But the rise of anti-establishment comedian Beppe Grillo's 5-Star Movement and the impressive comeback of center-right leader Silvio Berlusconi have cast doubt over Bersani's ability to govern even if he forms a coalition with the centrist party of outgoing technocrat Prime Minister Mario Monti.

Exit polls soon after 1400 GMT could spark an initial market reaction although a clear political picture may emerge well after market close. Official results are expected by early Tuesday.

"If we don't have an indication of clear winner, there will be pressure on Italian bond yields," said Ishaq Siddiqi, market strategist with trading house ETX Capital who said markets were expecting a Bersani win.

"If this is confirmed, there should be a short-lived positive reaction and the euro should go up," he said.

"But next immediate question for the market will be how viable the winning coalition will be and whether it is able to continue with much-needed reforms."

Italian stocks, which had remained mostly stable in the last two weeks before the vote, lost ground on Thursday on concerns that the rise of Berlusconi and Grillo would make it more difficult for PD to secure a majority.

A debt auction scheduled for 1000 GMT on Monday could give an early indication of whether nervousness is prevailing. Italy is selling up to 4.25 billion euros in two-year zero-coupon bonds and inflation-linked BTPei bonds.

This, and the sale of six-month BOTs on Tuesday, should be a relatively safe play for the Italian Treasury ahead of a more challenging auction on Wednesday of 10-year bonds, which have been sold off by some foreign investors ahead of the elections.

"Most investors adjusted positions on Italy's debt two weeks ago and now they are sitting on the fence, waiting for the outcome of the election," said Luca Cazzulani at UniCredit.

"On Monday we could see volatility and the market may react to rumors on the polls ... The volatility may imply somewhat higher rates for Rome relative to most recent auctions, but I do not see difficulties on the demand."

WHAT NEXT?

The yield gap between 10-year Italian and German bonds stood at around 288 basis points on Friday, nearly half levels seen in late 2011, when Monti was called in to bring Italy back from the brink of a possible default that would have sunk the euro zone.

But Italian borrowing costs are still far too high, Italian bankers and businesses say.

"We need political stability and lower bond spreads," said UniCredit boss Federico Ghizzoni. "At 270, 280, 290 basis points the spread is unsustainable. Either it goes down or it creates serious problems for the Italian economy."

Analysts say 10-year bond yields, now at around 4.40 percent could drop to 4 percent if the vote delivers a stable government, but would rise towards 4.75-4.90 if results are inconclusive.

The European Commission is forecasting Italy's economy to shrink by 1 percent in 2013, worst than previously expected and a painful reminder of the challenges awaiting Monti's successor.

"Foreign investors fear government instability in Italy or a fragmented government," said a senior Italian banker. "If this is the case, we could see a lot of market volatility."

Many Italians are already expecting a new general election should the new government turn out to be a very weak one.

"Our base case is for a weak Bersani-plus-Monti coalition potentially needing to be enlarged to take in other minor parties," said Antonio Guglielmi, an analyst with Mediobanca. "This would clearly not generate a strong government."

(Additional reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/markets-brace-crucial-italy-election-test-230203620--business.html

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Obama urges Congress to compromise on cuts

President Barack Obama addresses the National Governors Association in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal listens as National Governors Association Chairman, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, speaks with reporters outside the White House in Washington, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, following their meeting with President Barack Obama. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, accompanied by White House press secretary Jay Carney, briefs reporters on the sequester, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013, at the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Facing an end of the week deadline, President Barack Obama said Monday that Congress can avert sweeping across-the-board cuts with "just a little bit of compromise," as he sought to stick lawmakers with the blame if the budget ax falls.

Speaking to the nation's governors, Obama acknowledged that the impact of the $85 billion in cuts may not be felt immediately. But he also said the uncertainty already is impacting the economy, as the Pentagon and other agencies get ready to furlough employees.

"At some point we've got to do some governing," Obama said. "And certainly what we can't do is keep careening from manufactured crisis to manufactured crisis."

Despite Obama's urgent rhetoric, there is no indication that the White House and Congress were negotiating a deal to avoid cuts by Friday's deadline. White House press secretary Jay Carney said he had no new telephone calls to announce since the president's conversations with Republican congressional leaders last week. "We will continue to engage with Congress this week," Carney said.

Obama wants to offset the so-called sequester through a combination of targeted spending cuts and revenue increases, but Republicans oppose any plan that would include tax hikes.

Emerging from a closed-door meeting with Obama, governors said the president had assured the administration is pursuing solutions, but didn't offer assurances that officials would find a way ahead out ahead of the deadline.

The $85 billion budget-cutting mechanism could affect everything from commercial flights to classrooms to meat inspections. Domestic and defense spending alike would be trimmed, leading to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of government workers and contractors.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has said the cuts would harm the readiness of U.S. fighting forces. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said travelers could see delayed flights. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said 70,000 fewer children from low-income families would have access to Head Start programs. And furloughed meat inspectors could leave plants idled.

The White House continued laying out in stark terms what the cuts would mean for government services, dispatching Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano to warn of the implications for critical security functions.

"I don't think we can maintain the same level of security at all places around the country with sequester as without sequester," said Napolitano, adding that the impact would be "'like a rolling ball. It will keep growing."

Despite the Friday deadline, there are no serious negotiations happening between the White House and Congress. Obama is focused instead are trying to rally public support for his stance in the debate by warning Americans of the dire consequences of the across-the-board cuts.

The president told the governors that cuts would "''slow our economy, eliminate good jobs, and leave a lot of folks who are already pretty thinly stretched scrambling to figure out what to do."

The spending cuts have frustrated governors attending the National Governors Association meeting in Washington. They contend it has created widespread uncertainty in the economy and hampered economic recovery in their states.

"The president needs to show leadership," said Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, a Republican considered a potential 2016 presidential contender, outside the West Wing. "The reality is it can be done. This administration has an insatiable appetite for new revenue."

Democratic governors, meanwhile, laid responsibility squarely at the feet of Congress, but called on lawmakers from both parties to compromise.

"They need to get out of that box that sits under the dome and understand that this has real implications in people's lives," said Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. "Work with the president, find a way to get it done ? or if you want, just turn it over to us governors, and we'll negotiate."

The White House, seeking to ratchet up pressure on congressional lawmakers, gave the governors state-by-state reports on the impact of the cuts on their constituencies.

White House officials pointed to Ohio ? home of House Speaker John Boehner ? as one state that would be hit hard: $25.1 million in education spending and another $22 million for students with disabilities. Some 2,500 children from low-income families would also be removed from Head Start programs.

Officials said their analysis showed Kentucky would lose $93,000 in federal funding for a domestic abuse program, meaning 400 fewer victims being served in Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's home state. Georgia, meanwhile, would face a $286,000 budget cut to its children's health programs, meaning almost 4,200 fewer children would receive vaccinations against measles and whooping cough.

The White House compiled its state-by-state reports from federal agencies and its own budget office. The numbers reflect the impact of the cuts this year. Unless Congress acts by Friday, $85 billion in cuts are set to take effect from March to September.

As to whether states could move money around to cover shortfalls, the White House said that depends on state budget structures and the specific programs. The White House did not have a list of which states or programs might have flexibility.

Republican leaders were not impressed by the state-by-state reports.

"It's time for the White House to stop spending all its time campaigning, and start finding smarter ways to reduce the deficit," said McConnell.

___

Associated Press writers Ken Thomas and Josh Lederman contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-25-Budget%20Battle/id-1519488276624d50a93b9d8443bbda1d

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Mozilla details apps for Firefox OS: Facebook, Cut the Rope, Nokia Here and Twitter confirmed

We've only just stepped into Mozilla's press arena but the Firefox creators handed a rich press kit as we did, detailing a fair chunk of what we're expecting to see over the next hour. One of the more noticeable announcements focused on Firefox Marketplace, detailing HTML5 apps you might have heard of before. Along the predictable likes of Facebook and Twitter, games like Cut The Rope will also make an appearance on the new mobile OS, as well as Where's My Water, Disney Mobile and EA game titles. There will be support for cloud file storage through Box too, as well as a mapping app from Nokia Here. Yes, the Finnish phone maker will be bringing its location clout to Firefox OS. SoundCloud, Pulse News, Time Out and Airbnb have also signed up for the new operating system.

Developing...

Filed under: Cellphones, Software, Mobile

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/cgjOJWExi_w/

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Monday, February 25, 2013

China tensions with Japan sell fireworks?

Some manufacturers of New Year fireworks are profiting from strong anti-Japanese sentiment related to territorial disputes. Just check out the names of certain pyrotechnics for sale on Beijing streets.

By Peter Ford,?Staff Writer / February 6, 2013

A vendor walks out from a room where boxes of firecrackers with the words 'Tokyo Big Explosion' are stored in Beijing, Wednesday. The vendor said Chinese authorities have asked that the fireworks not be sold due to its name on the package. China and Japan are in a tense dispute over East China Sea islands that have inflamed anti-Japanese sentiment among Chinese.

Andy Wong/AP

Enlarge

Nothing defines Chinese New Year like fireworks. On the stroke of midnight, Beijing erupts in a riotous, deafening barrage of explosions that out-bangs any war zone.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

AP PHOTOS: Highlights from the Oscars

Actors Channing Tatum, left, and Jenna Dewan-Tatum arrive at the 85th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)

Actress Helena Bonham Carter, left, and director Tim Burton arrive at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP)

Actors Michael Douglas, left, and Catherine Zeta-Jones arrive at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by John Shearer/Invision/AP)

The cast and producers of "Argo" accept the award for best picture during at the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Jennifer Lawrence stumbles as she walks on stage to accept the award for best actress in a leading role for "Silver Linings Playbook" during the Oscars at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday Feb. 24, 2013, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Just as Oscar host Seth MacFarlane set his sights on a variety of targets with a mixture of hits and misses, the motion picture academy spread the gold around to a varied slate of films.

From red carpet pageantry to the unexpected stumbles, here's a gallery of images from Sunday night's Oscars.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-02-25-Oscars-Photo-Gallery/id-f6e9f7f145ec44d1b86db3c25e9dc5d8

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Carl Pistorius' Twitter account hacked

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/507650-Carl-Pistorius-Twitter-account-hacked?goto=newpost

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Cycles in Action ? Automotive Rendering | BlenderNation

I always enjoy watching Cycles rendering. In this short video, eMirage shows Cycles at work in rendering a car.

eMirage writes:

A quick video showcasing the power of blender?s render engine (Cycles) in automotive rendering.

The purpose of this demo is to show you how practical cycles is, and how much it helps to quickly set shaders / material colors, change the lighting and set the render views

The video playback run slightly faster than normal speed, but you can see the real render times in the top of the render view ?elapsed? (expressed in fraction of seconds)
the playback runs faster because it was recorded at 20i/s and plays at 24i/s

Used hardware spec (GPU rendering):

CPU: intel core i7 2600 3.5GHz ? RAM: 16Gb
GPU: Geforce GTX285 as a display device
2x Geforce GTX580 as CUDA compute devices

follow my works and stay tuned, thanks :)

Link

Source: http://www.blendernation.com/2013/02/24/cycles-in-action-automotive-rendering/

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Sunday, February 24, 2013

Dr. Michael J. Breus: Sleep: The Key to a Long-Term, Loving Relationship?

It is one of the most common struggles that couples face: Over the life of a relationship, partners can lose a sense of appreciation for one another. Holding onto a sense of gratitude for each other is one of the hallmarks of couples who stay content in their relationships over the course of many years. On the other hand, loss of gratitude and appreciation between partners can jeopardize a relationship's long-term success.

A new study suggests that poor sleep may contribute to a lack of appreciation between romantic partners. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley conducted a multi-part study to examine how sleep may affect people's feelings of gratitude and the ability to value and appreciate romantic partners. The study was presented recently at the annual conference of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. The study included more than 60 heterosexual couples between the ages 18-56. They participated in three separate exercises designed to measure how sleep affects individual levels of gratitude and sense of appreciation between partners:

After a night of sleep, people were asked to make a list of five things for which they were grateful. Those with poor sleep demonstrated less of a sense of appreciation than those with better sleep quality and sleep quantity.
Participants were asked to keep a daily record for two weeks of both their sleep and their feelings of gratitude -- and lack thereof. Researchers identified a decline in levels of gratitude that was associated with poor sleep. People were more likely to report feelings of selfishness after a night of sleeping poorly.
The third section of the study looked specifically at how sleep affects the dynamic of gratitude and appreciation between couples. Their results showed that people tended to feel less appreciated by their partners if either they or their partner slept poorly.

The last finding is particularly interesting: A lack of sleep by one person in the relationship resulted in greater likelihood of diminished feelings of appreciation by both partners. This suggests just how deeply sleep can influence the emotional dynamic of a relationship.

Sleep can pose a number of challenges to relationships. Poor sleep can make for difficult sleeping conditions for couples. The tossing and turning of insomnia and the noisy, disrupted sleep of snoring and sleep apnea don't just diminish the quality of sleep for the individuals with the disorder. They also rob partners of restful sleep. Night owls and larks who share a bed may also have difficulty marrying their sleep schedules. If you're an early-to-bed, early-to-rise type, having a partner who likes to read or watch television late into the night can interfere with sleep.

These may be among the reasons why an increasing number of couples are choosing to sleep in separate beds. Research shows as many as 25 percent of couples are sleeping separately, and this is a number that's been rising for years. The separate-bed strategy may seem like an attractive option for couples struggling to sleep together well. But it's important to consider what might be lost in this choice. I'm talking about the intimacy created by sharing a bed. And I'm not only talking about sexual intimacy, although that's certainly a risk of sharing separate beds. (At the very least, couples are much less likely to have spontaneous sex if they're not sleeping together.) I'm also talking about the sense of togetherness and emotional connection that comes from sleeping together.

What's more, sleeping together can actually reinforce good sleep habits. Partners who sleep together can be a positive influence when it comes to keeping reasonable bedtimes and not falling asleep to the television. Studies have shown that sleep apnea patients who use CPAP therapy are 60 percent more likely to stick with the treatment if their partners continue to share a bed, rather than sleeping separately.

This latest research makes sense given what we know about how sleep affects mood and outlook, as well as emotional and mental health. Poor quality sleep and insufficient sleep can negatively affect mood and judgment, making us cranky and less apt to greet the inevitable ups and downs of life with perspective and an even keel. Research shows that poor sleep increases the likelihood of depression and anxiety, conditions that themselves can interfere with sleep. So it's not surprising that gratitude might diminish when we're short on sleep, and that the people closest to us -- our partners -- might bear the brunt of this diminished sense of appreciation.

I'd like to see more studies like this, both for the specific knowledge and insights they provide us about the functions of sleep, but also for the way they highlight the very central role that sleep plays in the quality of our waking lives and the lives of those we love.

Sweet Dreams,
Michael J. Breus, PhD
The Sleep Doctor?
www.thesleepdoctor.com

The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep

Everything you do, you do better with a good night's sleep?
Twitter: @thesleepdoctor
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesleepdoctor

For more by Dr. Michael J. Breus, click here.

For more on sleep, click here.

Follow Dr. Michael J. Breus on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thesleepdoctor

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-michael-j-breus/sleep-relationships_b_2687131.html

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Saturday, February 23, 2013

Hangout features zero-G antics ? and cats!

Astronauts on the International Space Station star in NASA's first space-plus-Earth Google+.

By Alan Boyle, Science Editor, NBC News

NASA followed one of the classic rules for Internet videos during its first space-to-Earth Google Hangout on Friday: If you want to bring in the viewers, don't forget the cats.

Astronaut Tom Marshburn's demonstration of how an astronaut in the International Space Station's zero-gravity environment can imitate a falling kitty was one of the highlights of the hourlong video chat, which addressed more than 30 questions sent in via YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and real-time hookups with kids across the country.

One of the questions, phrased in the form of a video, came from the host of the "Smarter Every Day" webcast series, a rocket engineer known as Destin. (He keeps mum about his last name to protect his kids, who appear in the webcasts.) Destin ran his own mini-video showing how a falling cat rights itself in the air to land on its feet, and asked if the astronauts could match that feat in zero-G.

"We don't have any cats onboard," said space station commander Kevin Ford, "but we have a medical doctor who maybe can try to demonstrate the next best thing to a cat."

Marshburn, who's a physician as well as an astronaut, then proceeded to float in front of the camera and twist his body to change position ? not quite as adroitly as the cats, but not bad for a human.

"I hope you believe that what you saw happened with the cat isn't a mystery, and that it can happen in space, too," Ford concluded. You can watch the demonstration around the 33-minute mark in the Hangout video.

Other astronauts participating in the chat included Canada's Chris Hadfield aboard the station, and NASA's Ron Garan and Nicole Stott on the ground. They took questions passed along from social media by NASA moderator John Yembrick; from live-video hookups with classrooms at University High School in Orlando, Fla., and Mescalero Apache School in New Mexico; and from a youngster named Fred whose video link was facilitated by the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Google

Astronauts Tom Marshburn, Kevin Ford and Chris Hadfield join the Google+ Hangout.

Here are a few more nuggets from the video:

Hadfield said that this week's communications outage on the space station was "not that big a deal," and that the crew members were well-trained to operate the station even when they were out of contact with ground controllers. "It wasn't any sort of panic or anything, it was just us dealing with a problem on the ground, and our crew dealing with the problem on board," he said.?
Getting into the right sleep cycle is a big challenge on the space station, where there are 16 sunsets and sunrises every day. Garan said that when it gets close to bedtime, some astronauts avoid looking out the window at Earth's bright side. Stott said NASA is experimenting with a scheme that makes the lighting inside the space station more bluish for the "morning" of the astronauts' workday, and more orangish during the "evening."
The station's crew members showed off the medical kits they kept on board for health problems, but if there's a life-threatening emergency on board, astronauts would get into one of the Russian Soyuz capsules attached to the station and fly the stricken crew member back to Earth. "Our Soyuz is our ambulance," Marshburn said.?
When the astronauts were asked which scientist from the past they wish they could bring to the space station, Marshburn instantly said Isaac Newton, who drew up physics' three laws of motion in the 17th century. "We see what he could only imagine," Marshburn said.?
Taking pictures from space is a challenging task that requires advance training, due to the sharp contrast between the blackness of outer space and the brilliance of the planet below, Hadfield said. But there's one big plus: Because of the zero-G environment, it's a lot easier to handle huge telephoto lenses. "Every photographer in the world would love to have that much glass in front of their eyes ... and not have to balance it," Hadfield said.
When the astronauts were asked about their growing social-media stardom, Hadfield said, "I don't think anybody tries to push the edge of human experience more than we do." Being able to see the whole world below is "too good an experience not to share," and avenues such as Twitter, Facebook and Google+ help facilitate that, he said. He noted that a lot of the astronauts' popularity had to do with their unique perspective. "We know just how lucky we are to be here," Hadfield said.

Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/22/17057588-nasas-spacey-google-hangout-shows-off-zero-g-antics-and-a-cat-video?lite

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Influenza study: Meet virus' new enemy

Feb. 21, 2013 ? Simon Fraser University virologist Masahiro Niikura and his doctoral student Nicole Bance are among an international group of scientists that has discovered a new class of molecular compounds capable of killing the influenza virus.

Working on the premise that too much of a good thing can be a killer, the scientists have advanced previous researchers' methods of manipulating an enzyme that is key to how influenza replicates and spreads.

Their new compounds will lead to a new generation of anti-influenza drugs that the virus' strains can't adapt to, and resist, as easily as they do Tamiflu. It's an anti-influenza drug that is becoming less effective against the constantly mutating flu virus.

These increasingly less adequate anti-influenza drugs are currently doctors' best weapons against influenza. They helped the world beat H1N1, swine flu, into submission four years ago.

The journal Science Express has just published online the scientists' study, revealing how to use their newly discovered compounds to interrupt the enzyme neuraminidase's facilitation of influenza's spread.

Tamiflu and another anti-influenza drug, Relenza, focus on interrupting neuraminidase's ability to help influenza detach from an infected cell's surface by digesting sialic acid, a sugar on the surface of the cell. The flu virus uses the same sugar to stick to the cell while invading it. Once attached, influenza can invade the cell and replicate.

This is where the newly discovered compounds come to the still-healthy cells' rescue. They clog up neuraminidase, stopping the enzyme from dissolving the sialic acid, which prevents the virus from escaping the infected cell and spreading.

The new compounds are also more effective because they're water-soluble. "They reach the patient's throat where the flu virus is replicating after being taken orally," says Niikura, a Faculty of Health Sciences associate professor.

"Influenza develops resistance to Relenza less frequently, but it's not the drug of choice like Tamiflu because it's not water-soluble and has to be taken as a nasal spray.

"Our new compounds are structurally more similar to sialic acid than Tamiflu. We expect this closer match will make it much more difficult for influenza to adapt to new drugs."

Ultimately, the new compounds will buy scientists more time to develop new vaccines for emerging strains of influenza that are resistant to existing vaccines.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Simon Fraser University.

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

Journal Reference:

Jin-Hyo Kim, Ricardo Resende, Tom Wennekes, Hong-Ming Chen, Nicole Bance, Sabrina Buchini, Andrew G. Watts, Pat Pilling, Victor A. Streltsov, Martin Petric, Richard Liggins, Susan Barrett, Jennifer L. McKimm-Breschkin, Masahiro Niikura, and Stephen G. Withers. Mechanism-Based Covalent Neuraminidase Inhibitors with Broad Spectrum Influenza Antiviral Activity. Science, 21 February 2013 DOI: 10.1126/science.1232552

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/bQcwTXMIazs/130221194241.htm

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Analysis: 'We'll tell you why gas prices are so high' -- 'U.S. is at center of the oil, gas, & coal world. The sooner federal officials relent, the sooner good jobs & much needed revenue can flow'

Source: http://www.climatedepot.com/a/19805/Analysis-Well-tell-you-why-gas-prices-are-so-high---US-is-at-center-of-the-oil-gas--coal-world-The-sooner-federal-officials-relent-the-sooner-good-jobs--much-needed-revenue-can-flow

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Friday, February 22, 2013

Defending Champ Men's Squash Looks For Repeat At Potter Cup ...

CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKETS l 2012: PRINCETON 5, TRINITY 4

It was only one year ago when Princeton made national headlines by ending Trinity's 13-year reign atop men's collegiate squash. The Tigers will look to match that effort this weekend when they head to Yale for the three-day CSA Potter Cup Championships.

Princeton will enter the tournament as the second seed (the same as it was last season), and it will open competition Friday at 11:30 am against seventh-seeded Franklin & Marshall. The winner will play in the Saturday semifinal against either third-ranked Harvard or sixth-ranked Rochester; that semifinal will be played Friday at 2:30 pm.

Princeton is 10-2 and won its 18th straight Ivy League championship after going 6-1 in league play. The Tigers shared the title with Harvard, though they earned the second seed thanks to their 5-4 victory over the Crimson in mid-January. The expected rematch would be for a spot in the 2013 national team final, which would be Sunday at 12:30. Trinity is the top seed and will likely see either fourth-seeded Yale or fifth-seeded Cornell in the other semifinal.

Princeton opened its season with a 9-0 victory over Franklin & Marshall, though the Diplomats have shown great improvement over the season and nearly upset fifth-ranked Cornell one day after the Big Red defeated Princeton. Cornell held on for a 5-4 victory, thanks in part to a 15-13 win in the fifth game at the No. 8 position and a 13-11 win in the fifth game at the No. 4 spot.

If Princeton moves past Friday, then it would see one of two teams it played prior to the finals break. Princeton defeated Harvard 5-4 on Jan. 13 in the Jadwin Courts in a match that featured the last two individual national champions. Reigning champion Ali Farag of Harvard topped Princeton senior Todd Harrity in four games, though Princeton won five of the remaining eight matches to take the win. The highlight victory came at the No. 2 spot, when sophomore Samuel Kang overcame late cramping and hit a diving winner on match ball to claim an 11-9 victory in the fifth game.

Of course, Rochester could become the second straight sixth seed to win its opening round match, matching Cornell's effort over Yale from last season. The Yellowjackets lost 5-4 to Harvard during the regular season, and they pushed Trinity in a 5-4 loss in late January. Princeton defeated Rochester 7-2 in a December match at Jadwin.

If Princeton returns to the national final, it would be its ninth national final in the last 12 years. Top-ranked Trinity scored a 6-3 win over Princeton last weekend, while the Tigers split their two road matches with Yale and Cornell. Princeton defeated Yale 6-3 at the Brady Squash Center, site of this weekend's championships, while Cornell scored a tight 5-4 home win over Princeton two weeks ago.

Princeton will be led by senior co-captains Harrity and Steve Harrington, as well as 2012 All-Americas Kang and Tyler Osborne. Junior Dylan Ward has been very strong at the No. 4 spot this season, including a match-clinching win against Harvard, and he ignited the comeback win over Trinity in the national final last season with a 3-1 win at the No. 7 spot.

Sophomores Taylor Tutrone and David Hoffman, as well as freshmen Vivek Dinodia and Michael LeBlanc, will all be making their Potter Cup debuts this weekend. Any of the four could have critical matches throughout the weekend, and each has at least one victory over a Top-6 opponent this season.

Source: http://www.goprincetontigers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=10600&ATCLID=206473777

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Forrester: Tablet Ownership In Europe To Rise 4x In 5 Years ? 55% Of Region?s Online Adults Will Own One By 2017, Up From 14% In 2012

Analyst Forrester is predicting tablet ownership in Western Europe will quadruple by 2017 -- with the percentage of online adults owning a slate projected to increase markedly from less than a fifth (14 per cent) last year to more than half (55 per cent) in 2017. In 2011 the tablet-owner figure stood at just 7 per cent, underlining how quickly digitally connected consumers are adopting slates.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/8HL8JAl_KtE/

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Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Michelle Obama on Bangs: My Midlife Crisis!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/02/michelle-obama-on-bangs-my-midlife-crisis/

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Tuesday, February 19, 2013

'Snooze button' on biological clocks improves cell adaptability

The circadian clocks that control and influence dozens of basic biological processes have an unexpected "snooze button" that helps cells adapt to changes in their environment.

A study by Vanderbilt University researchers published online Feb. 17 by the journal Nature provides compelling new evidence that at least some species can alter the way that their biological clocks function by using different "synonyms" that exist in the genetic code.

"This provides organisms with a novel and previously unappreciated mechanism for responding to changes in their environment," said Professor of Biological Sciences Carl Johnson. He and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Antonis Rokas collaborated on the study.

Like many written languages, the genetic code is filled with synonyms: differently spelled "words" that have the same or very similar meanings. For a long time, biologists thought that these synonyms, called synonymous codons, were in fact interchangeable. Recently, they have realized that this is not the case and that differences in synonymous codon usage have a significant impact on cellular processes, so scientists have advanced a wide variety of ideas about the role that these variations play.

The new insight is not only an important advance in understanding evolution at the molecular level, but it also has potential applications in biotechnology, such as biofuel production, and gene therapy.

"While biological clocks are vital to maintaining healthy patterns of sleep, metabolism, physiology and behavior, under certain environmental conditions strict adherence to these rhythms can be disadvantageous," said Michael Sesma of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which partially funded the work. "This work shows how organisms can ignore the clock under certain circumstances?much like hitting a biological snooze button on the internal timepiece?and enhance their survival in the face of ever-changing circumstances."

The basic letters of the genetic code are a quartet of molecules (nucleic acids) designated A, C, G and U. These are combined into 61 triplets called codons, which are analogous to words. The codons provide the blueprints that the cell's protein-building machinery uses to generate amino acids, which are the basic building blocks that make all the proteins found in living organisms. However, cells only use 20 amino acids. That means a number of amino acids are produced by several different codons. For example, CCA, CCG and CCC are synonymous codons because they all encode for the same amino acid, proline.

It turns out that there is a reason for this redundancy. Some codons are faster and easier for cells to process and assemble into proteins than others. Recognition of this difference led to the concept of optimal codons and the hypothesis that natural selection should drive organisms ? particularly fast growing ones ? to use genes that use optimal codons to make critical proteins that need to be highly abundant or synthesized rapidly in cells.

The problem with this hypothesis was shown by Johnson and Rokas' study of the effect of changing codon usage on the simple biological clock found in single-celled cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and a similar study of the more complex biological clock found in bread mold performed by a team led by Yi Liu that were published together.

"What the Liu team found was that optimizing all the codons used by the fungal biological clock knocked the clock out, which was totally unexpected! Those researchers concluded that clock proteins in the fungus are not properly assembled if they are synthesized too rapidly; it's as if the speed of one's writing affected our ability to read the text," Johnson summarized.

In the cyanobacteria, however, the researchers observed a different phenomenon. At Vanderbilt, Research Associate Professor Yao Xu optimized the codons in the cyanobacteria's biological clock. This did not shut the clock down in the algae, but it did have a more subtle, but potentially as profound effect: It significantly reduced cell survival at certain temperatures.

"Xu figured that the biological clock with optimized codons might work better at lower temperatures and it did," Johnson said. However the substitution also modified the biological clock so it ran with a longer, 30-hour period. When forced to operate in a 24-hour daily light/dark cycles, the bacteria with the optimized clock grew significantly slower than "wild-type" cells. "In cyanobacteria, it's as if writing speed changes the meaning," said Rokas.

The potential importance of changes in synonymous codon usage in adapting to environmental factors is magnified by the fact that they can influence the operation of biological clocks, which function as a key adaptation to daily environmental rhythms. Biological clocks control and influence dozens of different basic biological processes, including sleeping and feeding patterns, core body temperature, brain activity, hormone production and cell regeneration.

"It is now clear that variations in codon usage is a fundamental and underappreciated form of gene regulation," said Rokas.

Recognition of the importance of this process has a number of potential applications in biotechnology. For example, "it should be possible to improve the ability of algae to robustly express biofuel-producing proteins from other organisms by optimizing the codons that they use," Johnson said.

Journal reference: Nature

Provided by Vanderbilt University

Source: http://phys.org/news/2013-02-snooze-button-biological-clocks-cell.html

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