HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

HIV-like viruses in non-human primates have existed much longer than previously thought

Friday, January 25, 2013

Viruses similar to those that cause AIDS in humans were present in non-human primates in Africa at least 5 million years ago and perhaps up to 12 million years ago, according to study published January 24 in the Open Access journal PLOS Pathogens by scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Until now, researchers have hypothesized that such viruses originated much more recently.

HIV-1, the virus responsible for AIDS, infiltrated the human population in the early 20th century following multiple transmissions of a similar chimpanzee virus known as SIVcpz. Previous work to determine the age of HIV-like viruses, called lentiviruses, by comparing their genetic blueprints has calculated their origin to be tens of thousands of years ago.

However, other researchers have suspected this time frame to be much too recent. Michael Emerman, Ph.D., a virologist and member of the Human Biology Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Alex Compton, a graduate student in the Emerman Lab, describe the use of a technique to estimate the extent to which primates and lentiviruses have coexisted by tracking the changes in a host immunity gene called APOBEC3G that were induced by ancient viral challenges.

They report that this host immunity factor is evolving in tandem with a viral gene that defends the virus against APOBEC3G, which allowed them to determine the minimum age for the association between primates and lentiviruses to be around 5 or 6 million years ago, and possibly up to 12 million years ago.

These findings suggest that HIV-like infections in primates are much older than previously thought, and they have driven selective changes in antiviral genes that have incited an evolutionary arms race that continues to this day. The study also confirms that viruses similar to HIV that are present in various monkey species today are the descendants of ancient pathogens in primates that have shaped how the immune system fights infections.

"More than 40 non-human primate species in sub-Saharan Africa are infected with strains of HIV-related viruses," Emerman said. "Since some of these viruses may have the potential to infect humans as well, it is important to know their origins."

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Public Library of Science: http://www.plos.org

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126471/HIV_like_viruses_in_non_human_primates_have_existed_much_longer_than_previously_thought

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Total Recall: Anthology Movies

86%

The Directors: Olivier Assayas, Fr?d?ric Auburtin, Emmanuel Benbihy, Gurinder Chadha, Sylvain Chomet, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Isabel Coixet, Wes Craven, Alfonso Cuar?n, G?rard Depardieu, Christopher Doyle, Richard LaGravenese, Vincenzo Natali, Alexander Payne, Bruno Podalyd?s, Walter Salles, Oliver Schmitz, Nobuhiro Suwa, Daniela Thomas, Tom Tykwer, Gus Van Sant

The Big Idea: As you've probably already inferred from its title, Paris, je t'aime is all about the City of Light -- and whatever you think about the movie itself, let's say this much for it: With 18 segments and more than 20 directors wrapped into its two-hour running time, this is one anthology that takes the "short films" part of "collection of short films" seriously. With so many disparate talents jostling for attention, Paris probably should have been a disjointed mess, but according to most critics, it was quite the opposite -- as Owen Gleiberman put it for Entertainment Weekly, "Anthology films usually work better in theory than execution, but this feature parade of shorts is a blithe, worldly, and enchanting exception."

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926709/news/1926709/

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iTwin Connect turns a humble USB stick into your own VPN (video)

Passing files over the internet using iTwin's 256-bit AES encryption's all well and good, but wouldn't it be nice if you could use that connection for other things? Luckily for you, that's just what the iTwin Connect was designed to do. In addition to the usual file-sharing jiggery-pokery, the new hardware can let you surf via your domestic internet connection, control devices on your home network and play with your desktop from afar. Even better, the company is throwing in US, Asia and Europe-based VPN servers of its own, so you can still catch that episode of Duck Dynasty on Hulu if your primary machine's turned off. Despite the raft of new features on offer, the company isn't charging a regular subscription, so all of that will set you back a rather meager $130.

Continue reading iTwin Connect turns a humble USB stick into your own VPN (video)

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/EDeRU_dlf4A/

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Barcelona boss Tito Vilanova: My cancer hell is not over | The Sun ...

TITO VILANOVA admits his cancer hell is not over and he could be again forced to step down temporarily as Barcelona boss.

The 44-year-old underwent surgery for a second time on a tumour on a saliva gland on December 20.

He missed the away win over Valladolid but was back in charge on Sunday for the 4-0 derby demolition of Espanyol at the Camp Nou.

Vilanova said: ?This is not over yet and there will be days that I can take training and others I can?t but I want the media to realise that this illness is mine and it is private even if I am a public figure.

?I would like to thank everyone for their support. This club has had a lot of knocks in the last couple of years but I always want to take the positive approach. What has happened to me could have happened to anyone.?

Lionel Messi started 2013 where he left off in 2012 by scoring in the win over Espanyol. Pedro also hit a double while Xavi notched the other goal.

Superstar Messi broke the record for most goals in a calendar year in 2012 when he finished with a staggering tally of 91.

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/4730518/Barcelona-boss-Tito-Vilanova-My-cancer-hell-is-not-over.html

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Romper suit with sensors may protect against sudden infant death

Jan. 7, 2013 ? Breathing sensors built into romper suits could help prevent sudden cot deaths in the future. The basis for this is a stretchable printed circuit board that fits to the contours of the body and can be manufactured using routine industrial processes.

Parents of newborn babies are always creeping into the nursery at night to check that their infant is still breathing. Alternatively, they might let baby sleep in their room, hoping to notice any respiratory arrest and intervene before it is too late. In future, a romper suit with an integrated sensor system could warn parents as soon as their child stops breathing. The cornerstone of the sensor system is a stretchable printed circuit board that fits to the contours of the body, making it hardly noticeable. It was developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM in Berlin. To demonstrate one of the many possible applications of the stretchable PCB, scientists fitted it with two commercially available sensors and ironed the whole system onto a romper suit. This allows them to monitor breathing in the chest and stomach areas.

The circuit board is made of polyurethane, also known as PU. This is a cost-efficient material more commonly used for coating surfaces, as a sealant, or as a cushioning material. "The circuit board we have developed can be manufactured using routine industrial processes, meaning a high throughput and, consequently, good cost-efficiency," says Manuel Seckel, scientist at the IZM. "Furthermore, components can be positioned on it just as precisely as on a standard board thanks to the stability of the stretchable substrate during processing. This stands in contrast to textile-based electronics, where one can expect an offset of up to five millimeters over a half-meter area." However, the researchers had to overcome a number of challenges to achieve the high level of accuracy required. One of these was how to handle and process the polyurethane. "As with stretch fabric, PU PCBs are hard to machine manufacture because they tend to change shape. To counter this, we developed a support system on which we place the PU boards and machine process them before removing the support once more," explains Seckel. The method is currently being tested by various industrial concerns.

The example of the romper suit is just one of many potential applications for flexible circuit boards. For instance, the technology could also be used to provide subtle lighting in the roof lining of cars -- "stars" on the car roof, for example. Equally, it could be set to work in the pressure bandages applied to burn wounds. Here, PU plasters equipped with integrated sensors would help nurses find the optimal placement for the bandage.

Using plasters to inspect kidney function

The stretchable circuit board is also the basis for a plaster being developed by medical scientists from the University of Heidelberg in collaboration with the Fraunhofer researchers. In future, doctors will be able to use this plaster to test the kidney function of their patients. Up to now, the procedure has involved injecting a substance that only the kidney is able to break down, and then taking blood samples roughly every 30 minutes over a three-hour period. If a kidney is healthy, it will almost completely break down the substance within three hours; if it is diseased, it will only manage a slow reduction in concentration. Equipped with a PU circuit board plaster, a blue LED and a detector, in future doctors will be able to spare patients a lot of jabbing -- and examine them with much more precision.

As in the standard procedure, the investigation begins with the doctor injecting a substance, in this case an organic colorant. The blue LED causes this colorant to fluoresce, making it glow, a development in turn picked up by the detector located in the plaster. As the natural colorant is broken down by the kidney, the concentration of fluorescent radiation also decreases. "The plaster allows doctors to continually monitor the concentration of the test substance, giving them a more accurate diagnosis than the standard check. In addition, the costs of the test can be reduced by up to 60 per cent," says Seckel. Already, there are plans for clinical trials, though it will be three to five years before the plaster can be used for kidney testing and make life easier for both doctors and patients.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/matter_energy/electronics/~3/TDzbYjRTqoo/130107095736.htm

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