Mining the botulinum genome

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

The toxin that causes botulism is the most potent that we know of. Eating an amount of toxin just 1000th the weight of a grain of salt can be fatal, which is why so much effort has been put into keeping Clostridium botulinum, which produces the toxin, out of our food.

The Institute of Food Research on the Norwich Research Park has been part of that effort through studying the bacteria and the way they survive, multiply and cause such harm. In new research, IFR scientists have been mining the genome of C. botulinumto uncover new information about the toxin genes.

There are seven distinct, but similar, types of botulinum neurotoxin, produced by different strains of C. botulinumbacteria. Different sub-types of the neurotoxin appear to be associated with different strains of the bacteria. Genetic analysis of these genes will give us information about how they evolved.

Dr Andy Carter, working in Professor Mike Peck's research group, used data generated from sequencing efforts at The Genome Analysis Centre, on the Norwich Research Park. Andy compared the genome sequence of five different C. botulinumstrains, all from the same group and all producing the same sub-type of neurotoxin.

An initial finding was that the five strains were remarkably similar in the area of the genome containing the neurotoxin gene. This suggests that the bacteria picked up the gene cluster in a single event, sometime in the past. Bacteria commonly acquire genes, or gene clusters, from other bacteria through this horizontal gene transfer. It is a way that bacteria have evolved to share 'weapons', such as antibiotic activity or the ability to produce toxins. To find out more about how C. botulinumacquired its own deadly weapon, Andy delved deeper into the genome sequence.

Like fossils of long lost organisms, Andy found, in the same region of the genome, evidence of two other genes for producing two of the other types of neurotoxin. Although these gene fragments are completely non-functional, finding them in the same place in the genome as the functional neurotoxin gene cluster is significant as it suggests that this region of the genome could be a 'hotspot' for gene transfer.

Looking to either side of the neurotoxin gene cluster uncovered more evidence supporting the hotspot idea. When the gene cluster inserted into the C. botulinum genome, it cut in two another gene. This gene is essential for the bacteria to replicate its DNA, so why does destroying it not prove fatal? C. botulinumwas unaffected by this because contained in the segment of imported DNA was another version of the chopped-up gene.

Perhaps this is pointing us to the way C. botulinumfirst picks up its lethal weapon. This should help us prepare against the emergence of new strains, and may even one day help us disarm this deadly foe.

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The research was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and published in the journal Genome Biology and Evolution Advance.

Norwich BioScience Institutes: http://www.nbi.ac.uk/

Thanks to Norwich BioScience Institutes for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/128267/Mining_the_botulinum_genome

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Schieffer: "Is anybody home" in Washington? (cbsnews)

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Why Greed Is Not Your Friend When It Comes to Investing

Wednesday, May 15th, 2013
By George Leong, B.Comm. for Profit Confidential

I just had lunch with a friend who previously was an active investor. He was there right in the thick of it during the Black Monday crash in 1987 and the Internet bubble in 2000.

He made tons of money in the stock market in a short period of time, but his actions were driven solely by excess greed, refusing any advice to lighten his positions. He had a sense of invincibility and felt the stock market was heading much higher.

In 2000, when the NASDAQ traded above 5,000, my overconfident friend was so extremely bullish on the stock market that he decided to take out a reverse mortgage on his parent?s home to play stocks. He promised great returns, early retirement, and a new lifestyle.

The problem was he was investing in speculative issues that had minimal history and financial success. He thought the NASDAQ could rise another 30%.

At that level, he was thinking he would make over a million dollars, pay back the mortgage, and quit his day job to become a day trader.

Luckily, he did not quit his day job, as it?s the only thing he had left after the stock market imploded in early 2000.

New bubbles come and go. Each one is different and driven by different factors?the only commonality is greed.

We are hearing some whispers that this current stock market is bubble-like. While I?m not fully in agreement, I do feel the rally in the stock market to record highs has largely been driven by the Federal Reserve?s easy monetary policy, as is the case with stock markets around the world as global central banks from Europe to Asia cut interest rates.

The reality is there is no viable alternative in which to invest your money other than the stock market. Investment-grade bonds are yielding very little, and unless you are willing to take the risk and invest in bonds in Greece, Spain, Italy, or Portugal, you are out of luck.

There is little choice at this time. I don?t think the stock market is in a bubble yet, as long as the Fed maintains its easy money flow. But you should be careful; interest rates will inevitably rise, and then we?ll see traders making a mad dash toward the exits.

At this juncture, don?t fight the trend. (Read ?S&P 500 Could Hit 1,700, but Weaker Stock Cycle Ahead.?) You will never win.

Ride the stock market higher, but at the same time, understand the current rate of the advance this year is not sustainable.

Yes, I feel there will be a pending correction; I?m just not sure when it will happen and by how much. The only thing I know is that a stock market correction will provide a buying opportunity.

Remember the story of my friend; look to lighten up on some of your bigger winners, especially those in the growth and technology areas.

Take some profits off across the board. There?s no shame in this. Greed is not your friend.

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Source: http://www.profitconfidential.com/stock-market/why-greed-is-not-your-friend-when-it-comes-to-investing/

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Child welfare worker adopts teen she has been helping to find a family

CORPUS CHRISTI ? A dream came true for a local foster child who never had a permanent place to call home. That all changed thanks to one family who granted his wish, 24 hours before it was too late.

Damien Cavazos waited his whole life for a family to call his own and he was all smiles Tuesday after being adopted into his new family

?It?s just real special, I got adopted and its one day right before my birthday. I?ve always wanted brothers and sisters and now I have them and everything,? Damien said.

Damien turns 18 years old Wednesday and would?ve aged out of the adoption system, leaving him with no one to call Mom and Dad. Rebecca Cavazos, a child protective services employee, wasn?t going to let that happen.

?They were unable to adopt him so Tuesday morning I walked into my boss?s office and I told her I?m not taking no for an answer and he?s going to be my son,? Rebecca said.

Rebecca had been working to get Damien adopted since November, when she first met him at an adoption event.

?I said why are you sitting back here in the corner, he said, ?nobody wants me they want the little ones,?? Rebecca said.

Damien always believed that parents were only interested in adopting young children into their homes but his wish came true in the court room when Judge Brent Chesney made it official.

?Thank you for making it come true, it was a good birthday wish,? Damien said.

Rebecca and her husband Steven say they are the modern day Brady Bunch with 3 girls and two boys of their own and now a third son. She says she couldn?t be happier.

?I couldn?t ask for anything more and my children and my family are amazing,? Rebecca said.

Damien plans to go to Carroll High School and join the ROTC program.

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Source: http://nbclatino.com/2013/05/15/child-welfare-worker-adopts-teen-she-has-been-helping-to-find-a-family/

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HP SlateBook x2: An Android Notebook With Sweet Tegra 4 Guts

On the heels of its very first Android tablet after a long affair with webOS, HP's just announced its second device running the Google operating system, and it's ushering in that Android notebook fad we've all heard whispers about. Enter the SlateBook x2, the first Tegra 4-powered, 10-inch Android convertible.

We only got to spend a little time with the SlateBook x2, but enough to see that everything ran plenty smooth on top of that supercharged quadcore Tegra 4 and the 1920 x 1200 IPS display was crisp and clear. Though having a keyboard sitting in front of your Android tablet is admittedly a little weird, but we could get used to it. Maybe.

Just like the Slate 7 tablet, HP's SlateBook x2 will be rocking an almost pure version of Android. Its Jelly Bean 4.2.2 base will be augmented with just a few extra apps, but some pretty useful ones like a file explorer, a text editor, and some stuff that HP hopes will help bridge the gap between tablet and notebook mode.

Squirreled away inside the keyboard base, there's a second battery to both help extend the battery life and weight down the otherwise top-heavy little rig. You'll also find a touchpad on there, so you aren't stuck with just touch in notepad mode. It weighs in at 2.8 pounds and has two USB ports with its dock in tow.

Alongside the SlateBook x2, HP is also rolling out the Split x2, a Windows 8 convertible. With its 1366 x 768, 13.3-inch IPS display, it's a bit bigger than its Android twin, and takes after last year's slightly smaller Envy x2. The tablet itself has an SSD, with an option for 500 GB more hard drive space in the keyboard, if you want it. And like the Envy x2, it's got Intel guts?your choice of a Core i3 or i5?but we're talking Ivy Bridge, for the first run anyway.

Both the convertibles are due out this August, with the SlateBook coming in at $480 and the Split at $800. HP's already jumped into the cheaper end of the Android pool with its budget $169 Slate 7, but the SlateBook x2 looks like that high-end HP tablet we heard rumors about. So who knows, maybe that phone is real too.

Source: http://gizmodo.com/hp-slatebook-x2-an-android-notebook-with-sweet-tegra-4-505963207

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Repeat brain injury raises soldiers' suicide risk

May 15, 2013 ? People in the military who suffer more than one mild traumatic brain injury face a significantly higher risk of suicide, according to research by the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah.

A survey of 161 military personnel who were stationed in Iraq and evaluated for a possible traumatic brain injury -- also known as TBI -- showed that the risk for suicidal thoughts or behaviors increased not only in the short term, as measured during the past 12 months, but during the individual's lifetime.

The risk of suicidal thoughts increased significantly with the number of TBIs, even when controlling for other psychological factors, the researchers say in a paper published online May 15 in JAMA Psychiatry, a specialty journal of the American Medical Association.

"Up to now, no one has been able to say if multiple TBIs, which are common among combat veterans, are associated with higher suicide risk or not," says the study's lead author, Craig J. Bryan, assistant professor of psychology at the University of Utah and associate director of the National Center for Veterans Studies. "This study suggests they are, and it provides valuable information for professionals treating wounded combat servicemen and women to help manage the risk of suicide."

Results showed that one in five patients (21.7 percent) who had ever sustained more than one TBI reported suicidal ideation -- thoughts about or preoccupation with suicide -- at any time in the past. For patients who had received one TBI, 6.9 percent reported having suicidal thoughts, and zero percent for those with no TBIs. In evaluating the lifetime risk, patients were asked if they had ever experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors up to the point they were assessed.

The increases were similar for suicidal thoughts during the previous year rather than at any time: 12 percent of those with multiple TBIs had entertained suicidal ideas during the past year, compared with 3.4 percent with one TBI and zero percent for no TBIs.

In this study, suicidal ideation was used as the indicator of suicide risk because too few patients reported a history of suicide plan or had made a suicide attempt for statistically valid conclusions to be made.

Researchers found that multiple TBIs also were associated with a significant increase in other psychological symptoms already tied to single traumatic head injuries, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or PTSD, and the severity of the concussive symptoms. However, only the increase in depression severity predicted an increased suicide risk.

"That head injury and resulting psychological effects increase the risk of suicide is not new," says Bryan. "But knowing that repetitive TBIs may make patients even more vulnerable provides new insight for attending to military personnel over the long-term, particularly when they are experiencing added emotional distress in their lives."

How the Study was Conducted

During a six-month period in 2009, 161 patients who received a suspected brain injury while on duty in Iraq were referred to an outpatient TBI clinic at a combat support hospital there. Patients were predominantly male, average age of 27, with 6.5 years of military service.

Diagnosis of traumatic brain injury was made by a clinical psychologist specifically trained in the assessment, diagnosis and management of the condition. Only patients with mild or no TBI completed all assessments; patients with moderate to severe TBI were immediately evacuated from Iraq.

TBI was confirmed if at least one clinical event was newly presented or worsened following the injury: loss of consciousness or memory, alteration of mental state, some neurological decline or brain damage.

Patients were divided into three groups based the total number of TBIs during their entire lives -- zero, single TBI and two or more -- the most recent of which was typically within the days immediately preceding their evaluation and inclusion in the study.

Each individual was also given surveys as part of his or her evaluation and treatment. Using standard evaluation tools, patients were surveyed about their symptoms of depression, PTSD and concussions, and their suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

"An important feature of the study is that by being on the ground in Iraq, we were able to compile a unique data set on active military personnel and head injury," Bryan says. "We collected data on a large number of service members within two days of impact."

At the same time, because the results of this study are based on a single clinical sample -active military in a war zone within days of the injury -- the researchers note that caution is advised before assuming that the results from this particular group will apply to every other group. Studies with larger sample sizes and conducted over longer periods of time will be needed.

Why TBI is of Concern for Military Personnel

As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a traumatic brain injury is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head, or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Effects can be mild to severe. The majority of TBIs that occur each year are concussions or other mild forms.

TBI is considered a "signature injury" of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and is of particular concern because of the frequency of concussive injuries from explosions and other combat-related incidents. Estimated prevalence of TBI for those deployed in these two countries ranges from 8 percent to 20 percent, according to a 2008 study.

In addition, according to studies by the RAND Corp., suicide is the second-leading cause of death among U.S. military personnel, and the rate has risen steadily since the conflicts began in Iraq and Afghanistan. Prevalence of PTSD, depression and substance abuse have risen as well, especially among those in combat, and each has been shown to increase risk for suicidal behaviors.

"Being aware of the number of a patient's head injuries and the interrelation with depression and other psychological symptoms may help us better understand, and thus moderate, the risk of suicide over time," Bryan says. "Ultimately, we would like to know why people do not kill themselves. Despite facing similar issues and circumstances, some people recover. Understanding that is the real goal."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/PRIeGEpqYdY/130515163924.htm

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Pa. abortion doctor gets third life sentence

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? A Philadelphia doctor was sentenced Wednesday to a third life term for killing an aborted baby that he described as so big it could "walk to the bus."

Dr. Kermit Gosnell was convicted this week of first-degree murder in the deaths of three babies born alive at his rogue clinic, then stabbed with scissors. He was given two life sentences Tuesday in a deal with prosecutors that spared him a potential death sentence, and the third sentence was handed down Wednesday.

The sentences offer no chance at parole, meaning Gosnell, 72, will spend the rest of his life in prison.

The case has made Gosnell a flashpoint in the nation's bitter debate over legalized abortion.

Prosecutors argued that Gosnell savagely killed late-term babies born alive by severing their spines, and taught several staff members the technique. Nine former clinic workers were convicted in the case, and four others pleaded guilty to murder.

Despite the notoriety of the case, Gosnell has seemed oddly serene in court during the two-month trial, and apparently sees himself as a medical pioneer and tireless advocate for inner-city patients.

"I wanted to be an effective, positive force in the minority community," Gosnell told The Philadelphia Daily News in a 2010 interview, when he predicted he would be "vindicated" of the allegations in a harrowing grand jury report. He chose not to address the judge during Wednesday's sentencing.

But prosecutors said he grew increasingly reckless as he accumulated millions of dollars from his rogue clinic, which was described as a "pill mill" for addicts by day and an "abortion mill" by night.

The jury spent 10 days deliberating before finding that Gosnell had killed babies or had them killed. And the jury found him complicit in the death of the 41-year-old patient, a Virginia woman who was repeatedly sedated by his untrained medical assistants. He was also sentenced Wednesday to 2 ? to five years in her death.

Gosnell was also convicted of hundreds of abortion law violations for performing illegal, third-term abortions or failing to counsel women and teens. Gosnell was acquitted in the deaths of four other infants.

Prosecutors have declined to comment on the verdict, citing a gag order that was expected to be lifted Wednesday when Gosnell's sentence is finalized.

Prosecutors had planned to seek the death penalty because Gosnell killed more than one person and his victims were especially vulnerable given their age. But Gosnell's own advanced age had made it unlikely he would ever be executed before his appeals ran out.

Gosnell's lawyer, Jack McMahon, said his client accepts the verdict and isn't sorry he went to trial. He said Gosnell gave up a somewhat better deal early on but wanted to air the issues in court and is satisfied that he did so.

"He wanted this case aired out in a courtroom and it got aired out in a courtroom in a fair way. And now he's accepting what will happen. He's an intelligent guy," said McMahon, who said Gosnell would now plead to federal drug charges that are still pending.

The sentencing deal, reached after hours of terse negotiations Tuesday, spares Gosnell's family the task of pleading for his life in court, McMahon said. Gosnell has six children, the youngest of them a teenager born to his third wife, who has also pleaded guilty in the case.

"He's a proud man. To bring his young family into court was something he did not want to do," McMahon said.

A 2011 grand jury investigation into Gosnell's alleged prescription drug trafficking led to the gruesome findings about his abortion clinic. During an FBI raid, authorities found 47 aborted fetuses stored in clinic freezers, jars of tiny severed feet, bloodstained furniture and dirty medical instruments, along with cats roaming the premises.

Prosecution experts said the Delaware teen carrying Baby A, whose death Gosnell was sentenced in Wednesday, was nearly 30 weeks pregnant when Gosnell aborted her fetus. A second baby was said to be alive for about 20 minutes before a clinic worker snipped the neck. A third was born in a toilet and was moving before another clinic employee severed the spinal cord, according to testimony.

A fourth baby let out a whimper before Gosnell cut the neck, prosecutors alleged. Gosnell was acquitted in that baby's death, the only one of the four in which no one testified to seeing the baby killed.

McMahon has argued that none of the fetuses was born alive and that any movements were posthumous twitching or spasms.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pa-abortion-doctor-gets-third-life-sentence-155017106.html

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