Zinc oxide microwires improve the performance of light-emitting diodes

Public release date: 30-Oct-2011
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Contact: John Toon
jtoon@gatech.edu
404-894-6986
Georgia Institute of Technology Research News

Piezo-phototronic effect

Researchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light. The devices are believed to be the first LEDs whose performance has been enhanced by the creation of an electrical charge in a piezoelectric material using the piezo-phototronic effect.

By applying mechanical strain to the microwires, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology created a piezoelectric potential in the wires, and that potential was used to tune the charge transport and enhance carrier injection in the LEDs. This control of an optoelectronic device with piezoelectric potential, known as piezo-phototronics, represents another example of how materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties can be controlled mechanically.

"By utilizing this effect, we can enhance the external efficiency of these devices by a factor of more than four times, up to eight percent," said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. "From a practical standpoint, this new effect could have many impacts for electro-optical processes including improvements in the energy efficiency of lighting devices."

Details of the research were reported in the Sept. 14 issue of the journal Nano Letters. The research was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In addition to Wang, the research team mainly included Qing Yang, a visiting scientist at Georgia Tech from the Department of Optical Engineering at Zhejiang University in China.

Because of the polarization of ions in the crystals of piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide, mechanically compressing or otherwise straining structures made from the materials creates a piezoelectric potential an electrical charge. In the gallium nitride LEDs, the researchers used the local piezoelectric potential to tune the charge transport at the p-n junction.

The effect was to increase the rate at which electrons and holes recombined to generate photons, enhancing the external efficiency of the device through improved light emission and higher injection current. "The effect of the piezopotential on the transport behavior of charge carriers is significant due to its modification of the band structure at the junction," Wang explained.

The zinc oxide wires form the "n" component of a p-n junction, with the gallium nitride thin film providing the "p" component. Free carriers were trapped at this interface region in a channel created by the piezoelectric charge formed by compressing the wires.

Traditional LED designs use structures such as quantum wells to trap electrons and holes, which must remain close together long enough to recombine. The longer that electrons and holes can be retained in proximity to one another, the higher the efficiency of the LED device will ultimately be.

The devices produced by the Georgia Tech team increased their emission intensity by a factor of 17 and boosted injection current by a factor of four when compressive strain of 0.093 percent was applied to the zinc oxide wire. That improved conversion efficiency by as much as a factor of 4.25.

The LEDs fabricated by the research team produced emissions at ultraviolet frequencies (about 390 nanometers), but Wang believes the frequencies can be extended into the visible light range for a variety of optoelectronic devices. "These devices are important for today's focus on green and renewable energy technology," he said.

In the experimental devices, a single zinc oxide micro/nanowire LED was fabricated by manipulating a wire on a trenched substrate. A magnesium-doped gallium nitride film was grown epitaxially on a sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, and was used to form a p-n junction with the zinc oxide wire.

A sapphire substrate was used as the cathode that was placed side-by-side with the gallium nitride substrate with a well-controlled gap. The wire was placed across the gap in close contact with the gallium nitride. Transparent polystyrene tape was used to cover the nanowire. A force was then applied to the tape by an alumina rod connected to a piezo nanopositioning stage, creating the strain in the wire.

The researchers then studied the change in light emission produced by varying the amount of strain in 20 different devices. Half of the devices showed enhanced efficiency, while the others fabricated with the opposite orientation of the microwires showed a decrease. This difference was due to the reversal in the sign of the piezopotential because of the switch of the microwire orientation from +c to c.

High-efficiency ultraviolet emitters are needed for applications in chemical, biological, aerospace, military and medical technologies. Although the internal quantum efficiencies of these LEDs can be as high as 80 percent, the external efficiency for a conventional single p-n junction thin-film LED is currently only about three percent.

Beyond LEDs, Wang believes the approach pioneered in this study can be applied to other optical devices that are controlled by electrical fields.

"This opens up a new field of using the piezoelectric effect to tune opto-electronic devices," Wang said. "Improving the efficiency of LED lighting could ultimately be very important, bringing about significant energy savings because so much of the world's energy is used for lighting."

###

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?

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.

Public release date: 30-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: John Toon
jtoon@gatech.edu
404-894-6986
Georgia Institute of Technology Research News

Piezo-phototronic effect

Researchers have used zinc oxide microwires to significantly improve the efficiency at which gallium nitride light-emitting diodes (LED) convert electricity to ultraviolet light. The devices are believed to be the first LEDs whose performance has been enhanced by the creation of an electrical charge in a piezoelectric material using the piezo-phototronic effect.

By applying mechanical strain to the microwires, researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology created a piezoelectric potential in the wires, and that potential was used to tune the charge transport and enhance carrier injection in the LEDs. This control of an optoelectronic device with piezoelectric potential, known as piezo-phototronics, represents another example of how materials that have both piezoelectric and semiconducting properties can be controlled mechanically.

"By utilizing this effect, we can enhance the external efficiency of these devices by a factor of more than four times, up to eight percent," said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regents professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. "From a practical standpoint, this new effect could have many impacts for electro-optical processes including improvements in the energy efficiency of lighting devices."

Details of the research were reported in the Sept. 14 issue of the journal Nano Letters. The research was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In addition to Wang, the research team mainly included Qing Yang, a visiting scientist at Georgia Tech from the Department of Optical Engineering at Zhejiang University in China.

Because of the polarization of ions in the crystals of piezoelectric materials such as zinc oxide, mechanically compressing or otherwise straining structures made from the materials creates a piezoelectric potential an electrical charge. In the gallium nitride LEDs, the researchers used the local piezoelectric potential to tune the charge transport at the p-n junction.

The effect was to increase the rate at which electrons and holes recombined to generate photons, enhancing the external efficiency of the device through improved light emission and higher injection current. "The effect of the piezopotential on the transport behavior of charge carriers is significant due to its modification of the band structure at the junction," Wang explained.

The zinc oxide wires form the "n" component of a p-n junction, with the gallium nitride thin film providing the "p" component. Free carriers were trapped at this interface region in a channel created by the piezoelectric charge formed by compressing the wires.

Traditional LED designs use structures such as quantum wells to trap electrons and holes, which must remain close together long enough to recombine. The longer that electrons and holes can be retained in proximity to one another, the higher the efficiency of the LED device will ultimately be.

The devices produced by the Georgia Tech team increased their emission intensity by a factor of 17 and boosted injection current by a factor of four when compressive strain of 0.093 percent was applied to the zinc oxide wire. That improved conversion efficiency by as much as a factor of 4.25.

The LEDs fabricated by the research team produced emissions at ultraviolet frequencies (about 390 nanometers), but Wang believes the frequencies can be extended into the visible light range for a variety of optoelectronic devices. "These devices are important for today's focus on green and renewable energy technology," he said.

In the experimental devices, a single zinc oxide micro/nanowire LED was fabricated by manipulating a wire on a trenched substrate. A magnesium-doped gallium nitride film was grown epitaxially on a sapphire substrate by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, and was used to form a p-n junction with the zinc oxide wire.

A sapphire substrate was used as the cathode that was placed side-by-side with the gallium nitride substrate with a well-controlled gap. The wire was placed across the gap in close contact with the gallium nitride. Transparent polystyrene tape was used to cover the nanowire. A force was then applied to the tape by an alumina rod connected to a piezo nanopositioning stage, creating the strain in the wire.

The researchers then studied the change in light emission produced by varying the amount of strain in 20 different devices. Half of the devices showed enhanced efficiency, while the others fabricated with the opposite orientation of the microwires showed a decrease. This difference was due to the reversal in the sign of the piezopotential because of the switch of the microwire orientation from +c to c.

High-efficiency ultraviolet emitters are needed for applications in chemical, biological, aerospace, military and medical technologies. Although the internal quantum efficiencies of these LEDs can be as high as 80 percent, the external efficiency for a conventional single p-n junction thin-film LED is currently only about three percent.

Beyond LEDs, Wang believes the approach pioneered in this study can be applied to other optical devices that are controlled by electrical fields.

"This opens up a new field of using the piezoelectric effect to tune opto-electronic devices," Wang said. "Improving the efficiency of LED lighting could ultimately be very important, bringing about significant energy savings because so much of the world's energy is used for lighting."

###

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/giot-zom103011.php

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Halloween dos and don'ts at work

EDMONTON - Showing up to work dressed as Superman sounds like fun, but the blue spandex and red cape might not fly so well with your boss.

Halloween, a creative and cathartic time of the year, usually means wearing as much makeup or as little clothing as you want without consequence. But for some big workplaces, there are guidelines that must be followed before your inch-thick Frankenstein makeup and skimpy maid costume make an appearance at the water cooler.

According to Chris Gerritsen, senior communications manager for Telus, there isn?t a written rule that dictates what is and isn?t appropriate for the office. Instead, it?s more of an unwritten agreement that employees use common sense and wear Halloween attire that doesn?t affect their jobs.

?For some, [Halloween] is the most wonderful time of the year,? Gerritsen says. ?We allow costumes, of course, as long as they?re appropriate,? and as long as they don?t interfere with a worker?s ability to do his or her job, he adds.

Safety is Telus? main concern when it comes to dressing up for Halloween. Gerritsen notes that installers and repair technicians are not allowed to wear costumes because loose material from Batman capes, for example, might interfere with safe driving or climbing.

?Safety first, because we?ve got a fairly rigorous and comprehensive safety policy,? Gerritsen explains. ?Our team needs to work in a safe environment in appropriate, approved attire for the job so they don?t put themselves or others at risk of injury.?

Otherwise, Gerritsen says office employees are welcome ? and sometimes encouraged ? to dress up in a giant chicken suit, as long as they keep things professional and classy.

He says there are even branches of the company that go all out, decorating their spaces with ghoulish accessories.

?Each area of Telus decides for themselves what events they?ll have,? Gerritsen says, adding Halloween activities can be team builders that boost office morale. ?So it?s often used as a fun-filled activity day filled with costumes and prizes. It lets them let loose a little bit.?

Tim le Riche, external communications supervisor for Epcor, says employees are allowed to dress up at work, but he cannot recall anybody doing so over the past few years.

The office doesn?t usually hold any Halloween-inspired activities. However, Epcor?s costume guidelines are similar to Telus? in that common sense and safety prevail if employees choose to partake in the festivities.

?Overall, the number 1 corporate policy is safety,? le Riche says. ?Obviously, there are operational staff, such as line men and water operators that simply cannot wear Halloween costumes while on duty. And as for the rest, although it is permissible, there are some rules.?

Any kind of ?sexy? outfit is prohibited, as well as politically incorrect costumes, he says. Any kind of revealing flapper girl dress or distasteful garb must be left at home.

?First of all, it can?t be offensive,? le Riche says. ?And second, we obviously insist that our staff do their jobs and be productive. So if people choose to do some kind of Halloween dress up, they?re permitted to do that as long as they continue to do their job as expected and it?s not offensive to anyone.?

At Telus, racy costumes are also not permitted. Only costumes that are respectful are allowed. According to Gerritsen, some office-appropriate costumes for call centre agents, for example, include zombies, pirates and superheroes.

?Let?s say they?re wearing a mask, for example. They may not be able to see the computer screen very well,? Gerritsen says. ?So it?s a lot of common sense. If our call centre agent is speaking with a customer, as long as they can be understood and they can be heard and you don?t have prosthetic teeth in there or anything like that prevents you from doing your job properly, then I?m sure it would be fine.?

In the sales department, Telus employees are encouraged to check with their manager about their costume beforehand. They must also be aware of the clients or customers they may be meeting that day.

For Gerritsen and le Riche, it all comes down to knowing your workplace standards and what?s appropriate for your daily work schedule.

?But then again, if someone wears a Calgary Flames jersey, that could be considered inappropriate,? Gerritsen jokes. ?It?s hard to say, but common sense should always prevail.?

aash@edmontonjournal.com

Twitter.com/AmandaAsh

? Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F264/~3/3vxlXPVSUOI/story.html

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Obama vs. GOP on jobs: Let the blame game begin (The Christian Science Monitor)

The partisan debate over jobs creation has descended into a blame game between President Obama and congressional Republicans.

?Over and over, they have refused to even debate the same kind of jobs proposals that Republicans have supported in the past ? proposals that today are supported, not just by Democrats, but by Independents and Republicans all across America,? Obama complained in his radio address Saturday morning. ?Meanwhile, they're only scheduled to work three more weeks between now and the end of the year.

Republicans in the House respond that they?ve passed 15 job-creating bills only to have those measures bottled up in the Democrat-controlled Senate.

?We call these bills the 'forgotten 15',? Rep. Bobby Schilling of Illinois said in the Republican address Saturday.

?These are common-sense bills that address those excessive federal regulations that are hurting small business job creation,? said Rep. Schilling, a freshman lawmaker whose family owns a pizza business in Moline. ?A number of them have bipartisan support. Yet the Senate won't give these bills a vote, and the president hasn't called for action.?

The essence of the divide remains: Increase federal investment to stimulate job creation versus easing environmental and other regulatory restrictions that critics say can hinder job creation.

As with much of the debate in Washington these days ? including the effort by the bipartisan congressional ?super committee? to cut the federal deficit by $1.2 trillion before draconian budget cuts kick in automatically ? this one can?t avoid the subject of taxes.

A new report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office gives Obama ammunition for his assertion that ?millionaires and billionaires? can afford to pay more.

The CBO reported this week that while the rich got a lot richer over the past 30 years, the rest of American society struggled to keep up.

The CBO found that average after-tax income for the top 1 percent of US households had increased by 275 percent while middle-income households saw just a 40 percent rise and for those at the bottom of the economic scale, the jump was 18 percent.

"The distribution of after-tax income in the United States was substantially more unequal in 2007 than in 1979," CBO Director Douglas Elmendorf said in a blog post. " Income ??? for households at the higher end of the income scale rose much more rapidly than income for households in the middle and at the lower end of the income scale.??

Obama says he?s doing what he can through executive order because GOP lawmakers refuse to consider his proposals.

On Friday, Obama directed government agencies to shorten the time it takes for federal research to turn into commercial products in the marketplace. The goal is to help startup companies and small businesses create jobs and expand their operations more quickly.

The president also called for creating a centralized online site for companies to easily find information about federal services. He previously had announced help for people who owe more on their mortgages than their homes are worth and for the repayment of student loans. The White House also challenged community health centers to hire veterans.

"We can no longer wait for Congress to do its job," Obama said Saturday. "So where Congress won?t act, I will."

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20111029/ts_csm/418643

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UNESCO to vote on Palestinian membership Monday (AP)

PARIS ? The Palestinian request for full membership in the U.N. Cultural Agency goes to a vote on Monday.

Frustrated by stalled peace talks and the slow pace of their bid for recognition at the United Nations, the Palestinians are seeking other, potentially faster avenues to get the world to consider their territories a nation.

Paris-based UNESCO, the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is seen as a test case for that strategy.

The Palestinians will need to win over two-thirds of UNESCO's 193 members on Monday to get full membership.

The United States, which has said it will use its Security Council veto to derail the Palestinians bid at the U.N. in New York, has warned that its funding to UNESCO could be cut if the bid passes there.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111028/ap_on_re_eu/eu_unesco_palestinians

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Sandra Lee hosts the first official Baileys Friendsgiving

Celebrity chef Sandra Lee kicked off the holiday season by hosting the first official Baileys Friendsgiving gathering in NYC. Sandra asked her guests to forgo the usual hostess gift, and instead get into the holiday spirit by giving back and bringing canned goods to donate to a local NYC food bank. To thank her guests [...]

Source: http://www.celebritymound.com/sandra-lee-hosts-the-first-official-baileys-friendsgiving/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sandra-lee-hosts-the-first-official-baileys-friendsgiving

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Experts Design 'Toolkit' to Help Spot Teens With Mental Health Issues (HealthDay)

FRIDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Because many adolescents with mental health problems are never diagnosed and treated, an expert team has come up with a "toolkit" aimed at identifying those kids and getting them the right help.

"One in 10 youths have a mental health condition that is severe enough to impair functioning, either at home, school or in the community," said Gary Blau, chief of the child, adolescent and family branch of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Blau spoke at a Friday news conference to unveil the toolkit, which appeared online simultaneously in Pediatrics. Although the journal is published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, that organization has not endorsed the toolkit. SAMHSA provided partial funding for the project.

"This toolkit will allow pediatricians, teachers and others that could help get the word out to families we can close the gap so the three out of four children with mental health disorders who aren't identified do get identified," said Dr. Peter Jensen, who was the lead investigator on the project.

About half of mental health disorders manifest themselves by the time a child has turned 14, and 75 percent manifest by age 24, Blau said.

Yet treatment is often years away for that child, added Lisa Hunter Romanelli, an assistant professor of clinical psychology in psychiatry at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons in New York City.

"That is too long in the life of a child," said Romanelli, who is also executive director of the nonprofit REACH Institute, whose mission is to shorten the length of time it takes for effective interventions to reach teens. Jensen is president and CEO of the institute.

Researchers convened over a period of several years to analyze data collected from more than 6,000 children and parents to identify the most common symptoms of mental health disorders and to see if children with these troubling signs were receiving appropriate care.

This information was then translated into warning signs that are written in "crisp, easy-to-understand language," said Jensen, who is vice chair of research in the department of psychiatry and psychology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. "They don't sound like mental health jargon. It was deliberate, to make them as parent-friendly as possible."

Because differentiating a true mental health disorder from the inevitable ups and downs of adolescence is difficult, the authors chose to focus on the more severe end of the mental health spectrum.

"We realized there was a potential for harm for parents to worry when they didn't need to be worried," said Jensen. "So we decided to target not the 15 percent or so who have these problems, but the 8 percent who are at the more severe end."

If your child has any of these 11 warning signs, he or she may have a mental health disorder and should be referred to treatment as soon as possible:

• Feeling very sad or withdrawn for two or more weeks
• Seriously trying to harm or kill themselves, or making plans to do so
• Sudden overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes with a racing heart or fast breathing
• Involved in multiple fights, using a weapon, or wanting badly to hurt others
• Severe out-of-control behavior that can hurt the teenager or others
• Not eating, throwing up, or using laxatives to lose weight
• Intense worries or fears that get in the way of daily activities
• Extreme difficulty in concentrating or staying still that puts a teenager in physical danger or causes school failure
• Repeated use of drugs or alcohol
• Severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships
• Drastic changes in behavior or personality

"This data substantiates what we already knew, that there are warning signs of significant mental illness, but children and adolescents aren't getting help because health care providers don't share the same language," said Dr. Abigail Schlesinger, medical director of outpatient behavioral health services at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh.

"This toolkit will help mental health providers and others on the front lines, such as teachers, people in the juvenile justice system [and] parents speak the same language," added Schlesinger, who was not part of the research team.

More information

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health has more on child and adolescent mental health issues.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111029/hl_hsn/expertsdesigntoolkittohelpspotteenswithmentalhealthissues

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Cameras stream Canadian polar bear migration

HELENA, Mont. (AP) ? In the harsh, remote wilds of the Canadian tundra, a wolverine scampers up to a polar bear snoozing near the shore of the Hudson Bay. The bear rises and makes a half-hearted charge, driving away the fierce, badger-like animal.

The brief encounter Thursday was streamed live to computers around the world through a new program that aims to document in real time the annual migration of hundreds of polar bears outside Churchill, Manitoba.

The bears travel through the small town each October and November and then wait for the Hudson Bay freeze-up, when they can get out on the ice and hunt for seals. In the past, their trek was witnessed mainly by scientists and intrepid tourists.

Now, thanks to a $50,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation to set up four cameras on a makeshift lodge and a roaming Tundra Buggy, the bears' antics and actions at this way station can be viewed from anybody's living room through the foundation's website, www.explore.org.

"It brings the Arctic to the people," said Krista Wright, executive vice president of Polar Bears International, an advocacy group based in Bozeman, Mont. "The polar bear is the North's iconic species. This is that exotic animal that people travel from all over the world to see."

There are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears worldwide. The Western Hudson Bay polar bears, one of 19 subpopulations, are estimated to number between 600 and 800. Their gathering point near the former military town of Churchill makes them among the most accessible and studied group of bears in existence.

Their numbers are expected to grow over the next few weeks as the weather turns colder, culminating with the bay expected to freeze around the third week of November.

The Polar Bears International camp on the tundra is about 30 miles (50 kilometers) outside of town. Each September through November, they host scientists and hold webcasts for schoolchildren to give them a firsthand view of how climate change is damaging the bears' habitat.

It's unseasonably warm in Manitoba, as evidenced on the webcam by the tundra bare of snow. That raises concerns that ice will be late in forming again this year ? last year, freeze-up didn't happen until mid-December, nearly a month later than usual. That's a problem for the bears, Wright said.

"It's breaking up earlier and freezing later, so the time they're spending on land is longer. The time they're on land, they're basically fasting," she said.

Charles Annenberg Weingarten, the foundation's vice president and a trustee, said the polar bear webcam is an experiment he hopes to expand into a program called Pearls of the Planet that would place streaming cameras in various wild places.

Weingarten said a new feature will be added to the polar bear webcam soon that will allow viewers to document their observations of the polar bears on the website. The idea, he said is to encourage scientific learning, something like a Sesame Street for adults.

____

Online:

http://explore.org

http://www.polarbearsfoundation.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2011-10-27-Polar%20Bear%20Webcam/id-827f0f4c18e5431990c7fa5fc482812e

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Different paths to drug resistance in Leishmania

Public release date: 27-Oct-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Don Powell
press.office@sanger.ac.uk
44-012-234-96928
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Parasite genomes speak of evolution by changes in gene, region and chromosome number, not by mutation in genes

Two remarkable discoveries were today revealed by researchers into genome analysis of Leishmania parasites. These results uncovered a surprising level of variation at the genome structure level.

First, they found that the DNA sequence of individual strains of each species populations is almost completely identical. It appears that only a small number of genes may cause different symptoms of infection. Second, the parasite's evolutionary development and success may be driven by a genetic abnormality leading to multiple copies of chromosomes that would kill most organisms. This process leads to multiple copies of chromosomes and genes known as copy number variation. These studies increase our understanding of the process of drug resistance in Leishmania.

Leishmaniasis is a disfiguring and potentially fatal disease that affects two million people each year. There are four main forms of the disease; ranging from skin lesions (cutaneous leishmaniasis), caused by species that include Leishmania mexicana, to a deadly infection of internal organs (visceral leishmaniasis) caused by Leishmania donovani parasites.

In the first study, the researchers generated a high-quality draft genome of L. donovani using a sample taken from an infected patient in Nepal. The team used this as a reference framework to analyse a further 16 isolates from Nepal and India that had different responses to antibiotic medications.

"Our work highlights how genomic research changes our perspectives about these parasites," says Dr Matt Berriman from the Sanger Institute, and a leading author on both studies. "We show that the evolution of these organisms is driven not only by single-letter changes in their genetic codes, but also by larger mutations in the copy numbers of genes and entire chromosomes. The findings have enabled us to discover more about its natural variation and genetic structure which is vital for the further development of effective treatments."

The second study focused on producing a reference genome for L. mexicana from a sample taken in Guatemala and comparing it with existing reference genomes for various Leishmania species on the spectrum of cutaneous to visceral disease. Working with colleagues from the University of Glasgow and University of York, the research team discovered that each of the Leishmania species that have been fully sequenced hasroughly 8,000 genes, yet L. mexicana has only two genes that are unique to it.

"These findings have important implications for the understanding of parasite variation and the genetic basis of disease. Leishmania has taken a different path to most organisms because of its extensive and highly unusual variation in chromosome and gene-specific copy numbers," says Tim Downing, a lead author on the research from the Sanger Institute. "This variation in the copy numbers of chromosomes and genes provides a new dimension to monitoring the evolution of drug resistance in these parasites."

The presence of more than the standard two chromosomes is generally detrimental to other species, but for Leishmania, it seems to be a beneficial, common occurrence that may be a driver in evolutionary change. One example is chromosome 31, which is present in almost all Leishmania genomes in more than the standard two copies. This unusual variation is likely to be important in the ability of Leishmania to cause disease.

"We must maintain continuous surveillance to monitor the threat from the on-going emergence of drug resistance. These studies provide the tools to identify and analyse new variants as they emerge," says Jean-Claude Dujardin, senior author from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. "This basic biological difference in the way that drug resistance emerges in Leishmania is essential for tracking strains and resistance.

"We can't simply look for the single-letter changes, but must include structural changes. We have to search differently, more smartly."

The first study enhances the genomic understanding of the most dangerous end of the spectrum of Leishmania species, and also provides clues to the genetic and genomic basis of drug resistance. The second study shows for the first time the scale of abnormal chromosomes in Leishmania species. This is thought to help with the evolution of the species and a possible cause for antibiotic resistance.

The overall picture is of unusual genetic forces equipping the parasites in unexpected ways to circumvent attempts to control them. This research will go a long way to understanding the cause of drug resistance when treating Leishmania.

###

Notes to Editors

Leishmania parasites are transmitted by sand flies and are found in 88 countries around the world. It is poverty-related and typically affects the poorest of the poor: it is associated with malnutrition and displacement. The World Health Organisation is committed to eradicating the disease in endemic areas.

In visceral leishmaniasis (black fever), infection can spread to the internal organs and is potentially fatal. In its less severe form, cutaneous leishmaniasis, the infection is usually restricted to lesions around the site of the fly bite.

Publication Details

Downing T, Imamura H et al.(2011) Whole genome sequencing of multiple Leishmaniadonovani clinical isolates providesinsights into the evolution and mechanisms of drug resistance. Genome Research. Published online on 28 October 2011 doi:10.1101/gr.122945.111

Rogers MB, Hilley, JD et al. (2011) Chromosome and gene copy number variation allow major structural change between species and strains of Leishmania. Genome Research. Published online on 28 October 2011 doi:10.1101/gr.123430.111

Funding The L. donovanistudy(Downing et al.) was funded by the Wellcome Trustand by the Kaladrug and Geminiconsortia. The L. mexicanastudy (Rogers et al.) was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Participating Centres

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, U.K.

Unit of Molecular Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, U.K.

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical and Sciences, University of Strathclyde,161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, U.K.

Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, U.K.

B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Ghopa, Dharan, Nepal. InstitutfrMikrobiologie und Hygiene, CharitUniversittsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Current address: Centre for Genomic Research, Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, U.K.

Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK

Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK

Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK

Unit of Molecular Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium

Selected Websites

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease. http://www.sanger.ac.uk

The Wellcome Trustis a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. We support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. We are independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk

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Public release date: 27-Oct-2011
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Contact: Don Powell
press.office@sanger.ac.uk
44-012-234-96928
Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute

Parasite genomes speak of evolution by changes in gene, region and chromosome number, not by mutation in genes

Two remarkable discoveries were today revealed by researchers into genome analysis of Leishmania parasites. These results uncovered a surprising level of variation at the genome structure level.

First, they found that the DNA sequence of individual strains of each species populations is almost completely identical. It appears that only a small number of genes may cause different symptoms of infection. Second, the parasite's evolutionary development and success may be driven by a genetic abnormality leading to multiple copies of chromosomes that would kill most organisms. This process leads to multiple copies of chromosomes and genes known as copy number variation. These studies increase our understanding of the process of drug resistance in Leishmania.

Leishmaniasis is a disfiguring and potentially fatal disease that affects two million people each year. There are four main forms of the disease; ranging from skin lesions (cutaneous leishmaniasis), caused by species that include Leishmania mexicana, to a deadly infection of internal organs (visceral leishmaniasis) caused by Leishmania donovani parasites.

In the first study, the researchers generated a high-quality draft genome of L. donovani using a sample taken from an infected patient in Nepal. The team used this as a reference framework to analyse a further 16 isolates from Nepal and India that had different responses to antibiotic medications.

"Our work highlights how genomic research changes our perspectives about these parasites," says Dr Matt Berriman from the Sanger Institute, and a leading author on both studies. "We show that the evolution of these organisms is driven not only by single-letter changes in their genetic codes, but also by larger mutations in the copy numbers of genes and entire chromosomes. The findings have enabled us to discover more about its natural variation and genetic structure which is vital for the further development of effective treatments."

The second study focused on producing a reference genome for L. mexicana from a sample taken in Guatemala and comparing it with existing reference genomes for various Leishmania species on the spectrum of cutaneous to visceral disease. Working with colleagues from the University of Glasgow and University of York, the research team discovered that each of the Leishmania species that have been fully sequenced hasroughly 8,000 genes, yet L. mexicana has only two genes that are unique to it.

"These findings have important implications for the understanding of parasite variation and the genetic basis of disease. Leishmania has taken a different path to most organisms because of its extensive and highly unusual variation in chromosome and gene-specific copy numbers," says Tim Downing, a lead author on the research from the Sanger Institute. "This variation in the copy numbers of chromosomes and genes provides a new dimension to monitoring the evolution of drug resistance in these parasites."

The presence of more than the standard two chromosomes is generally detrimental to other species, but for Leishmania, it seems to be a beneficial, common occurrence that may be a driver in evolutionary change. One example is chromosome 31, which is present in almost all Leishmania genomes in more than the standard two copies. This unusual variation is likely to be important in the ability of Leishmania to cause disease.

"We must maintain continuous surveillance to monitor the threat from the on-going emergence of drug resistance. These studies provide the tools to identify and analyse new variants as they emerge," says Jean-Claude Dujardin, senior author from the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. "This basic biological difference in the way that drug resistance emerges in Leishmania is essential for tracking strains and resistance.

"We can't simply look for the single-letter changes, but must include structural changes. We have to search differently, more smartly."

The first study enhances the genomic understanding of the most dangerous end of the spectrum of Leishmania species, and also provides clues to the genetic and genomic basis of drug resistance. The second study shows for the first time the scale of abnormal chromosomes in Leishmania species. This is thought to help with the evolution of the species and a possible cause for antibiotic resistance.

The overall picture is of unusual genetic forces equipping the parasites in unexpected ways to circumvent attempts to control them. This research will go a long way to understanding the cause of drug resistance when treating Leishmania.

###

Notes to Editors

Leishmania parasites are transmitted by sand flies and are found in 88 countries around the world. It is poverty-related and typically affects the poorest of the poor: it is associated with malnutrition and displacement. The World Health Organisation is committed to eradicating the disease in endemic areas.

In visceral leishmaniasis (black fever), infection can spread to the internal organs and is potentially fatal. In its less severe form, cutaneous leishmaniasis, the infection is usually restricted to lesions around the site of the fly bite.

Publication Details

Downing T, Imamura H et al.(2011) Whole genome sequencing of multiple Leishmaniadonovani clinical isolates providesinsights into the evolution and mechanisms of drug resistance. Genome Research. Published online on 28 October 2011 doi:10.1101/gr.122945.111

Rogers MB, Hilley, JD et al. (2011) Chromosome and gene copy number variation allow major structural change between species and strains of Leishmania. Genome Research. Published online on 28 October 2011 doi:10.1101/gr.123430.111

Funding The L. donovanistudy(Downing et al.) was funded by the Wellcome Trustand by the Kaladrug and Geminiconsortia. The L. mexicanastudy (Rogers et al.) was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Participating Centres

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, U.K.

Unit of Molecular Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, U.K.

Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical and Sciences, University of Strathclyde,161 Cathedral Street, Glasgow, G4 0RE, U.K.

Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, Scotland, U.K.

B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Ghopa, Dharan, Nepal. InstitutfrMikrobiologie und Hygiene, CharitUniversittsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
Current address: Centre for Genomic Research, Institute of Integrative Biology, Biosciences Building, University of Liverpool, Crown Street, Liverpool, L69 7ZB, U.K.

Department of Biology, University of York, Heslington, YO10 5DD, UK

Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK

Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK

Institute of Molecular, Cell and Systems Biology, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK

Unit of Molecular Parasitology, Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium

Selected Websites

The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute is one of the world's leading genome centres. Through its ability to conduct research at scale, it is able to engage in bold and long-term exploratory projects that are designed to influence and empower medical science globally. Institute research findings, generated through its own research programmes and through its leading role in international consortia, are being used to develop new diagnostics and treatments for human disease. http://www.sanger.ac.uk

The Wellcome Trustis a global charitable foundation dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. We support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Our breadth of support includes public engagement, education and the application of research to improve health. We are independent of both political and commercial interests. http://www.wellcome.ac.uk

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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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/wtsi-dpt102711.php

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Ex-Goldman director to face criminal charges: source (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Rajat Gupta, former Goldman Sachs director and former head of McKinsey & Co, will surrender to the FBI on Wednesday to face criminal insider trading-related charges, a person familiar with the investigation said.

Gupta was named by prosecutors as an unindicted co-conspirator in the criminal case against hedge fund founder Raj Rajaratnam earlier this year.

Rajaratnam was convicted in May by a New York federal jury after a two-month-long trial. On October 13, a judge sentenced him to 11 years in prison, the longest recorded for insider trading.

Gupta's attorney, Gary Naftalis, would not comment late Tuesday on possible criminal charges but issued a statement echoing his previous comments that Gupta committed no wrongdoing.

"Any allegation that Rajat Gupta engaged in any unlawful conduct is totally baseless. The facts demonstrate that Mr Gupta is an innocent man and that he has always acted with honesty and integrity. He did not trade in any securities, did not tip Mr Rajaratnam so he could trade, and did not share in any profits as part of any quid pro quo."

Ellen Davis, a spokeswoman for Manhattan U.S. attorney Preet Bharara, declined to comment on Gupta's surrendering to authorities or any possible charges.

The expected charges were first reported by the New York Times on its website.

(Additional reporting by Grant McCool; editing by Carol Bishopric, Gary Hill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111026/bs_nm/us_gupta_charges

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Tropical Storm Rina forms off Honduras coast (Providence Journal)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/152444860?client_source=feed&format=rss

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[OOC] Outbreak Protocol

[unable to retrieve full-text content]This will be the OOC and discussion thread for an open-world MV event centered around an outbreak of a pathogenic, hyper-virulent bacteria by the name of Iramorbus.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/7WkQ2RAzxUU/viewtopic.php

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Officials: Soldier kills deputy, then self in Ga.

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) ? A National Guardsman who appeared to be drunk and had been firing at passing cars shot and killed a sheriff's deputy, then committed suicide alongside a Georgia road, authorities said Sunday.

Evidence shows Christopher Michael Hodges, 26, fired 35 rounds from his M4 semiautomatic rifle, said Richmond County Sheriff Ronnie Strength. The Augusta Chronicle reports (http://bit.ly/pxah3v) that Hodges and 47-year-old Deputy James D. Paugh were found dead on the side of Bobby Jones Expressway after 1 a.m. Sunday.

Hodges was based with the Tennessee National Guard but was on temporary duty at Fort Gordon in eastern Georgia for training, said Buz Yarnell, a spokesman for the military post. Yarnell said he was not aware of any problems with Hodges before the shooting, and he would not say if Hodges had previously been deployed overseas.

Strength said Paugh was off duty and on his way home when he saw a suspicious car on the side of the road. He was shot several times when he stopped to check on the car and apparently fired two shots from his service weapon before he was killed.

"He was just checking that car. He pulled over his motorcycle and didn't even get to put the kickstand down before the suspect began firing on him," the sheriff said.

Authorities said Hodges had been having some sort of dispute with his girlfriend, though it does not appear Paugh knew about that.

Two people could be heard speaking inside a house at Hodges' last known address in Millington, Tenn. A woman who answered the door at the house declined comment to an Associated Press reporter and refused to say whether he lived there and if she was related to Hodges.

___

Information from: The Augusta Chronicle , http://www.augustachronicle.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-10-23-Deputy%20Killed-Soldier/id-affe0e42c3db4492ae2e84bff5d54d59

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Keystone Automotive Acquires NTP Distribution | RV Business

NTP Distribution, Inc. and Keystone Automotive Operations, Inc. today (Oct. 20) announced a definitive agreement through which Wilsonville, Ore.-based NTP, a national distributor of aftermarket parts and accessories for dealers in the RV, hitch and tow industries, will be acquired by Keystone Automotive, according to an NTP release.

NTP, founded in 1962 by Wallace J. Lewis as Northwest Trailer Parts, currently has 200 employees and five distribution centers across the U.S.

Exeter, Pa.-based Keystone and its affiliates are retailers and wholesale distributors of aftermarket automotive accessories and equipment in the U.S., Canada and overseas. Operating a fleet of more than 300 delivery trucks, Keystone distributes specialty automotive accessories and high-performance products to a fragmented base of approximately 15,000 customers.

Under the agreement, the release stated, Keystone?s current RV Division will roll into NTP?s, which will then assume the distribution of RV parts and accessories for both NTP and Keystone customers. Keystone will serve as the parent company, while NTP will ?continue to service the RV industry under the same name with the same commitment to customers and service.?

Keystone President and CEO Ed Orzetti will lead the combined organization. Greg Boyd will continue to serve as president of NTP, reporting to Orzetti and serving as a member of Keystone?s senior leadership team. NTP Distribution?s senior management team will all continue in their current functions, reporting to Boyd.

?The sale is a positive outcome in our continuing efforts to seek new strategies, new regional markets and additional capital in order to better serve our customers and to stay competitive in our market,? said Boyd, adding that he looks forward to continuing to lead NTP to ?new opportunities and successes? as a part of Keystone.

?This acquisition rapidly expands our growing customer base and our product portfolio in the RV industry,? added Orzetti.

NTP will be seeking to grow its business and geographic reach, not cut back, the NTP release reported, noting that ?each of NTP?s employees has RV market expertise that will be needed to provide stability during the transition and support growth in the coming months.?

The release stressed that customers should also see little immediate impact in their dealings with either company, and that all existing contacts will remain in place until further communicated.

?We believe this transition will benefit our customers, suppliers, and the RV industry,? said Mark Jenson, vice president of sales and marketing for NTP. ?The integration of Keystone and NTP will enable us to support even more efficient and effective aftermarket operations.?

Source: http://www.rvbusiness.com/2011/10/keystone-automotive-acquires-ntp-distribution/

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In Pakistan, Clinton seeks strong anti-terror push (AP)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan ? The Obama administration delivered a blunt warning Thursday that the United States will do what it must to go after militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan, whether Pakistan helps or not.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton led an unusually large U.S. delegation for two days of talks with civilian and military leaders who have resisted previous U.S. demands to take a harder tack against militants who attack American soldiers and interests in Afghanistan.

The large U.S. contingent was meant to display unity among the various U.S. agencies, including the CIA, Pentagon and State Department, with an interest in Pakistan. CIA chief David Petraeus and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Martin Dempsey joined Clinton, who said the team would "push Pakistan very hard."

There were cordial handshakes and greetings among the large U.S. and Pakistani delegation gathered at the office of Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani as the first of two evening meetings began. Pakistan's foreign minister, Army chief and intelligence head were expected to see their U.S. counterparts Thursday.

Clinton arrived in Islamabad from Afghanistan, where she told Pakistan it must be part of the solution to the Afghan conflict. She said the U.S. expects the Pakistani government, military and intelligence services to take the lead in fighting Pakistan-based militants and also in encouraging Afghan militants to reconcile.

"Our message is very clear," Clinton said. "We're going to be fighting, we are going to be talking and we are going to be building ... and they can either be helping or hindering, but we are not going to stop."

The meetings focused on the recurrent U.S. demand that Pakistan launch its own offensive against a lethal Taliban affiliate known as the Haqqani network. It operates on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border; U.S. officials claim Pakistan either tolerates or supports the group's activities.

A senior U.S. official said Thursday's four hours of meetings were "extremely frank" and "very detailed" but declined to offer details.

In a statement, Gilani's office said the discussion was "cordial and frank." But it also suggested Pakistan was unhappy with the message push by recalling statements denying U.S. allegations of links between Pakistan and militants.

"Disagreements between the coalition partners in the war on terror should not undermine strategic relationship which is so vital for the promotion of mutual interests of the two countries," the statement quoted Gilani as saying.

U.S. military leaders have told the Pakistanis that if Islamabad does not act against the Haqqanis, the U.S. will.

"We must send a clear, unequivocal message to the government and people of Pakistan that they must be part of the solution, and that means ridding their own country of terrorists who kill their own people and who cross the border to kill people in Afghanistan," Clinton said.

Pakistan has deployed 170,000 soldiers to its eastern border with Afghanistan and more than 3,000 soldiers have died in battles with militants. So Pakistani leaders bristle at U.S. criticism that they have not done enough or that they play a double game ? fighting militants in some areas, supporting them in others where they might be useful proxies in a future conflict with India.

A new offensive unleashed in recent days by the U.S.-led coalition against the Haqqani network in Afghanistan has added a sense of urgency to the talks in Pakistan.

Gen. John Allen, the top U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan, described the offensive during an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press as a "high intensity sensitive operation." He would not give a precise location or other details.

For more than three decades, the Haqqani network, led by patriarch Jalaluddin Haqqani, has maintained a headquarters in Pakistan's Miran Shah district of North Waziristan. The United States has had some recent successes killing at least two top Haqqani commanders in drone attacks.

Senior U.S. officials said the CIA was given a clearer green light to go after the Taliban affiliate in its Pakistani stronghold after the attack on a military base in Wardak, Afghanistan, that wounded 77 American soldiers. The Sept. 10 attack, blamed on the Haqqanis, helped convince Clinton that the U.S. should take decisive action against the network, two officials said.

Clinton and other U.S. officials had worried that CIA pressure on the network, primarily through drone strikes, would make its leaders less likely to support peace efforts between the Afghan government and the Taliban. Washington has had contact with some within the Haqqani network, including Ibrahim Haqqani, the brother of Jalaluddin, according to several Afghan and U.S. officials.

That same worry has held up an expected U.S. announcement that the Haqqani network will be placed on a list of terrorist groups subject to U.S. punishment. That move is now expected within a few weeks, two officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions are not complete.

The U.S. and NATO consider the Taliban affiliate to be the single greatest enemy in Afghanistan, and they accuse Pakistan of providing the group safe havens. There are also recent allegations that Pakistan has sent rocket fire into Afghanistan to provide cover for insurgents crossing the border.

Pakistan has denied aiding the Haqqanis. An increasingly angry Pakistani military has refused to carry out an offensive in the North Waziristan tribal region, saying it would unleash a tribal-wide war that Pakistan could not contain.

U.S. officials in Washington and elsewhere say the broader message for the meeting is that the U.S. still wants to have a strategic relationship with Pakistan. The gathering is also meant to dispel any mixed messages from U.S. officials.

Dempsey's predecessor as Joint Chiefs chairman, now-retired Adm. Mike Mullen, angered Pakistan and took U.S. colleagues by surprise when he told Congress last month that Pakistan's spy agency supported and encouraged attacks by the Haqqani network militants, including the massive truck bombing in Wardak.

He told lawmakers that the network "acts as a veritable arm" of Islamabad's Inter-Services Intelligence agency, the ISI, and said Pakistan is "exporting violence" and threatening any success in Afghanistan.

Mullen, who retired at the end of September, struggled to build relations with Pakistan during his four-year tenure, but became increasingly angry in recent months as the Haqqani attacks grew more aggressive and brazen.

Mullen's accusations complicated the already difficult American relationship with Pakistan, which hit its lowest point in years following the U.S. military raid inside Pakistan that killed Osama bin Laden in May.

___

Associated Press writers Kathy Gannon, and Adam Goldman and Anne Gearan in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111020/ap_on_re_as/as_us_pakistan

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MIND Reviews: Someone Else's Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth

Image:

Someone Else?s Twin: The True Story of Babies Switched at Birth
by Nancy L. Segal. Prometheus Books, 2011

In 1973 identical twins Delia and Bego?a were accidentally separated in the Canary Islands hospital where they were born. Bego?a went home with her parents and an unrelated baby, Beatriz, who was raised as her twin. Meanwhile, 50 miles away, Beatriz?s parents brought up Delia as their daughter.

Fast-forward 28 years, when a local store clerk mistakes Bego?a for Delia. Convinced the two are twins, she arranges a meeting. The meeting fundamentally alters the sisters? sense of identity?as well as that of their parents and siblings.

In Someone Else?s Twin, Nancy L. Segal delves into this extraordinary, tragic case to tackle both the scientific significance of identical twins and the humanistic questions they spark about identity. Segal, a fraternal twin and psychologist who directs the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton, gained access to the women in exchange for acting as an expert witness in their lawsuit against the Canary Islands Health Services. Her position is clear: ?Suddenly finding a twin in adulthood revises everything about one?s personal identity?who one is and who one should have been.?

She bolsters her position with findings from the 20-year Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart, in which Segal was an investigator, and other research. Regardless of how they are raised, identical twins are more alike than fraternal twins in height, weight, health, intelligence, athleticism, social attitudes and job satisfaction, underscoring the influence of genes on these qualities. Indeed, the relationship between identical twins is so unique that a Spanish physician contended that Delia and Bego?a?s separation violated their ?fundamental right to personal identity.?

Segal describes how Beatriz, too, suffered a devastating loss when the switch was discovered. The twins? parents also were shattered. Research on maternity certainty?a mother?s confidence that a child is her own?has shown that new mothers perform better than chance when trying to recognize their newborns within a couple of hours using senses other than sight; fathers are better at picking out their babies visually. Failing to spot a switch or to act forcefully on that instinct only adds to the grief of the new reality. ?Saying your child has been switched,? the father of a switched pair tells Segal, ?is like saying she?s been killed.?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=4738d72bbdb96484751ceca21e714133

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Optimal modulation of ion channels rescues neurons associated with epilepsy

ScienceDaily (Oct. 18, 2011) ? New research successfully reverses epilepsy-associated pathology by using a sophisticated single-cell modeling paradigm to examine abnormal cell behavior and identify the optimal modulation of channel activity. The study, published by Cell Press in the October 18th issue of Biophysical Journal, describes a procedure that may be useful for rescuing function in organs with excitable cells, such as the heart and pancreas.

Ion channels regulate the flow of ions into and out of the cell and are absolutely critical for a wide range of biological processes, including transmission of signals in the nervous system. Disrupting ion channel function can have disastrous consequences. For example, the severe neurological disorder epilepsy is characterized by spontaneous and recurrent seizures that are thought to be linked with ion channel dysfunction.

Dr. Erik Frans?n from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm was interested in examining neuronal excitability at the single-cell level and using sophisticated computational modeling to discover a way to restore normal neuronal function. "We studied ion channel alteration related to epilepsy," explains Dr. Frans?n. "Previously, we showed that dysfunction of a specific potassium channel, KA, was linked to synchronicity, one of the key elements of epilepsy. In this current study, we focused on improving the functional behavior of the neuron and reversing pathological changes."

Dr. Frans?n and colleagues studied the modulation of KA by substances known to influence channel activation. Sophisticated ion channel simulations allowed the researchers to examine known modulatory substances and to determine the most beneficial concentration of the modulators for reduction of abnormal neuron activity. Importantly, the optimization method revealed specific combinations of modulators that reversed pathological changes in KA observed in a patient with epilepsy.

The authors suggest that the optimization procedure may have widespread application. "The method we developed to functionally correct a pathological neuron can be used for other brain diseases where alterations of ion channels are involved," concludes Dr. Frans?n. "It may also be used in other organs with excitable cells, such as the heart or pancreas. For instance, atrial fibrillation is one of the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmias with an underlying pathology of cell hyperexcitability due to, among other things, alterations of ion channels."

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The above story is reprinted (with editorial adaptations by ScienceDaily staff) from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jenny Tigerholm, Erik Frans?n. Reversing Nerve Cell Pathology by Optimizing Modulatory Action on Target Ion Channels. Biophysical Journal, 2011; 101 (8): 1871 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2011.08.055

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://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018121838.htm

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