Researchers discover turbo switch of calcium pump in biological cells

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 21-Oct-2012
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Contact: Thomas Zoufal
presse@desy.de
49-408-998-1666
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

This press release is available in German.

A Danish-British research team has discovered a turbo switch in the vital calcium pump in our body's cells. In studies at the X-ray source DORIS at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotorn DESY in Hamburg and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF in Grenoble the team discovered that the on-off switch of the pump has a previously unknown third position, which switches the pump into a turbo gear.

The group of Henning Tidow from Aarhus University and Lisbeth Poulsen from the University of Copenhagen published its studies in the British journal Nature (advance online publication). "The discovery not only improves our understanding of a fundamental mechanism in the biology of all higher organisms, but could one day allow for better treatment of certain diseases in which the calcium balance is disturbed," says Tidow. The researchers used the measuring station of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory EMBL at DORIS.

The element calcium plays a central role in many processes of life, such as cell division, the day-night cycle and the communication of cells. The decisive factor is a gradient in the calcium concentration, which is normally high outside the cell and low inside it. This gradient is maintained among others through a calcium pump, which occurs in all higher organisms (eukaryotes) from the nettle to the blue whale. For example, under stress the calcium concentration in the cell increases and triggers a corresponding reaction. Afterwards, the concentration must be lowered again.

"The calcium transport from the cell requires a lot of energy. It is therefore important that the pump is activated only when needed," explains Poulsen. The pump known as PMCA (plasma-membrane calcium-ATPase) thus has a switch, which is actuated by the protein calmodulin. When calcium binds to calmodulin, the latter changes its shape so that it can dock onto a binding site of the cell's calcium pump, thereby activating the pump. When the calcium concentration in the cell increases, more and more pumps are thus switched on.

The researchers led by Tidow viewed the entire switching complex with X-rays to reveal its molecular structure. They chose the switching complex from cells of the plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), studying it first in crystal form and then in solution, which is closer to the natural environment of the molecule. "Based on this analysis, we were able to create a detailed three-dimensional model of the region of the calcium pump that interacts with calmodulin," says Tidow. "To our great surprise, we found that the calcium pump has two binding sites for calmodulin and not just one as previously thought."

The switching complex thus consists of a dumbbell-like structure with two calmodulin binding sites. To determine whether the second site has a biological significance, the researchers tested pumps in which they had disabled one switch. Indeed, these pumps could not run at full power. "Our results show that the calcium pump is controlled in three steps," explains Poulsen. "It is switched off when no calmodulin is bound to the switching complex. The pump is running at medium speed as soon as one binding site is occupied, and at full speed when calmodulin is bound to both sites."

The pump is thus activated step by step, depending on how much calcium is present in the cell. When the calcium concentration increases, the pump first operates in an energy-efficient way at moderate speed. If the calcium threatens to reach an amount that is dangerous for the cell, the pump changes into the turbo gear, which enables it to very quickly reduce the concentration.

Bioinformatics analyses revealed that this double switch occurs not only in all plant species, but in general in all cells with a nucleus (eukaryotes). "This study underscores the strength of integrating structural biology in interdisciplinary research," underlines Poul Nissen of Aarhus University. As the next step, the researchers aim to decipher the structure of the entire calcium pump.

###



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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.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 21-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Thomas Zoufal
presse@desy.de
49-408-998-1666
Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

This press release is available in German.

A Danish-British research team has discovered a turbo switch in the vital calcium pump in our body's cells. In studies at the X-ray source DORIS at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotorn DESY in Hamburg and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility ESRF in Grenoble the team discovered that the on-off switch of the pump has a previously unknown third position, which switches the pump into a turbo gear.

The group of Henning Tidow from Aarhus University and Lisbeth Poulsen from the University of Copenhagen published its studies in the British journal Nature (advance online publication). "The discovery not only improves our understanding of a fundamental mechanism in the biology of all higher organisms, but could one day allow for better treatment of certain diseases in which the calcium balance is disturbed," says Tidow. The researchers used the measuring station of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory EMBL at DORIS.

The element calcium plays a central role in many processes of life, such as cell division, the day-night cycle and the communication of cells. The decisive factor is a gradient in the calcium concentration, which is normally high outside the cell and low inside it. This gradient is maintained among others through a calcium pump, which occurs in all higher organisms (eukaryotes) from the nettle to the blue whale. For example, under stress the calcium concentration in the cell increases and triggers a corresponding reaction. Afterwards, the concentration must be lowered again.

"The calcium transport from the cell requires a lot of energy. It is therefore important that the pump is activated only when needed," explains Poulsen. The pump known as PMCA (plasma-membrane calcium-ATPase) thus has a switch, which is actuated by the protein calmodulin. When calcium binds to calmodulin, the latter changes its shape so that it can dock onto a binding site of the cell's calcium pump, thereby activating the pump. When the calcium concentration in the cell increases, more and more pumps are thus switched on.

The researchers led by Tidow viewed the entire switching complex with X-rays to reveal its molecular structure. They chose the switching complex from cells of the plant thale cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), studying it first in crystal form and then in solution, which is closer to the natural environment of the molecule. "Based on this analysis, we were able to create a detailed three-dimensional model of the region of the calcium pump that interacts with calmodulin," says Tidow. "To our great surprise, we found that the calcium pump has two binding sites for calmodulin and not just one as previously thought."

The switching complex thus consists of a dumbbell-like structure with two calmodulin binding sites. To determine whether the second site has a biological significance, the researchers tested pumps in which they had disabled one switch. Indeed, these pumps could not run at full power. "Our results show that the calcium pump is controlled in three steps," explains Poulsen. "It is switched off when no calmodulin is bound to the switching complex. The pump is running at medium speed as soon as one binding site is occupied, and at full speed when calmodulin is bound to both sites."

The pump is thus activated step by step, depending on how much calcium is present in the cell. When the calcium concentration increases, the pump first operates in an energy-efficient way at moderate speed. If the calcium threatens to reach an amount that is dangerous for the cell, the pump changes into the turbo gear, which enables it to very quickly reduce the concentration.

Bioinformatics analyses revealed that this double switch occurs not only in all plant species, but in general in all cells with a nucleus (eukaryotes). "This study underscores the strength of integrating structural biology in interdisciplinary research," underlines Poul Nissen of Aarhus University. As the next step, the researchers aim to decipher the structure of the entire calcium pump.

###



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2012-10/haog-rdt101912.php

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You betcha: Fargo awaits TV version of hit movie

FARGO, N.D. (AP) ? Ask folks in Fargo what they first thought about the 1996 movie that made their city famous, and some will tell you they were not fans.

Some residents initially didn't appreciate the Coen brothers' dark humor or were offended by the extreme violence and depiction of Scandinavian culture. Not to mention those heavy accents on "you betcha" and "ya sure."

But the fame and cash it brought Fargo eventually brought the city around. Now, 16 years later, Fargo awaits the debut of a new cable television show by the same name, and many residents here are less apprehensive about how their hometown will be portrayed this time around. Just ask Kristin Rudrud.

"Anything the Coen brothers are going to be involved in is going to be brilliant," said Rudrud, 57, who played a supporting role in the movie and has a hankering to promote everything about her hometown. "And they love Fargo. They love this area. So it will be done in a very fun and loving way."

The Oscar-winning film starred Frances McDormand as Marge Gunderson, a pregnant police chief who investigates a series of murders, and William H. Macy as a car salesman who hires two criminals, played by Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare, to kidnap his wife. In one of the final scenes, Stormare feeds Buscemi's body into a wood chipper.

Though the movie made Fargo a household name for many across the country, it wasn't a sure bet when it premiered at the Fargo Theater in 1996. The theater was quiet inside and some moviegoers were offended, said Margie Bailly, who was executive director of the Fargo Theater at the time. Some residents even walked out.

"Those of us who were laughing were a little lonely," she said.

But locals later warmed up as the film was nominated for seven Academy Awards, and Fargo started to see the benefits from all the publicity. The theater hosted a free Oscar party with a polka band and Jell-O treats that Entertainment Weekly billed as one of the top soirees of the evening.

That event was publicized in several countries, and Fargo cashed in. Donations flowed for the theater's restoration, which dovetailed with plans to revitalize the city's downtown.

Sixteen years later, travelers looking to see the real Fargo still swing through, with many flocking to take a picture next to the iconic wood chipper, autographed on the chute by the Coen brothers and displayed at the city's main tourism center. Tourism staff hand out ear-flap hats to tourists and take pictures of them stuffing the leg of a mannequin into the Yard Shark.

"A good majority of people come in here just looking for the wood chipper," said Jayne Rieth, who works at the tourism center. She didn't like the movie on the big screen, but watched it at home recently so she could be better informed at work. And the tourism center and shops around town sell plenty of wood chipper T-shirts, shot glasses, koozies, mugs and ? of course ? ice scrapers.

City boosters hope the TV show, which will be produced by Minnesota-born filmmakers, Joel and Ethan Coen, will add to the notoriety. No timeline has been announced by the FX Network, and John Solberg, FX's senior vice president of public relations, did not return messages left by The Associated Press.

"I don't know how it can be a bad thing for us," said Charley Johnson, president and CEO of the city's convention and visitor's bureau. "People still talk about the movie all the time."

Larry Gauper, of Fargo, a retired health insurance executive, also thinks most people are looking forward to the TV show.

"There are some people who don't like us sort of being mocked or being made fun of, but I think most people really appreciate the attention Fargo gets," Gauper said.

But Fargo movie fan Marnie Piehl wonders if the city has changed too much ? thanks to population growth and a revitalized downtown with high-end restaurants and bars serving craft beer and organic vegetables ? that it no longer makes sense to situate the TV show here. McDormand's character would have left Fargo years ago, Piehl said.

"That may sound funny to someone from New York, but it just doesn't fit for me anymore," she said. "The North Dakota story is not the Marge Gunderson story anymore."

Though details about the plot and characters in the FX show are scant, that hasn't many stopped Fargo residents from speculating about it.

Mayor Dennis Walaker said his favorite character is the sheriff, and hopes McDormand gets a prominent role. And although Rudrud's character, Macy's wife, was killed off in the movie, she joked that there might be room for her in the adaptation.

"Well, I haven't been chopped up," she said. "There's always a possibility."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/betcha-fargo-awaits-tv-version-hit-movie-164712231.html

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Manning 77-yarder to Cruz rallies Giants 27-23

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) catches a pass as Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson (26) and Madieu Williams pursue him during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won the game 27-23. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) catches a pass as Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Wilson (26) and Madieu Williams pursue him during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won the game 27-23. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) looks to pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Washington Redskins Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw, top, leaps over Washington Redskins free safety Madieu Williams (41) for a first down during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Giants won the game 27-23. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III (10) rushes during the first half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Washington Redskins fullback Darrel Young (36) is tackled by New York Giants free safety Antrel Rolle (26), Justin Tuck (91), and Mathias Kiwanuka (94) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012 in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

(AP) ? Robert Griffin III came to the New York-metropolitan area and put on a show. He ran. He threw. He dodged New York Giants' defenders with breakaway speed and left many shaking their heads and bemoaning another meeting down the road.

The rookie sensation left something else on the field. A couple of costly turnovers and way too much time for Eli Manning to pull off another fourth-quarter comeback.

Manning one-upped RGIII with a pinpoint 77-yard scoring pass to Victor Cruz with 1:13 to play and the Giants overcame a late touchdown toss by Griffin to defeat the Washington Redskins 27-23 on Sunday.

"He has done it so many times," veteran Giants defensive tackle Chris Canty said after Manning delivered his eighth fourth-quarter winning drive in less than two seasons. "He has really bridged his performance in the 2011 season to the 2012 season. It's just more of the same. He continues to get better. He is probably the most deadly quarterback in the fourth quarter."

Manning's pass to Cruz was the longest game-winning touchdown in the final two minutes in the history of the franchise, which dates to 1925. It came two plays and 19 seconds after Griffin capped what was a potential winning, 77-yard drive with a 30-yard touchdown toss to Santana Moss.

The rookie had kept the drive alive with a 19-yard pass off a desperate scramble on a fourth-and-10 play deep in his own territory, and a 24-yard run on the next play.

But Manning made one more play in keeping the Giants (5-2) in first place in the NFC East.

"With our offense and Eli at the helm, we're never too worried," said Cruz, who had seven catches for 131 yards. "No matter what situation we're in, no matter how many points we need or a field goal we need, we have the confidence we can do it. We have a lot of confidence in each other, and in Eli."

Redskins coach Mike Shanahan agreed even though he was miffed that defensive backs Josh Wilson and Madieu Williams allowed Cruz to blow by them on the seam pattern.

"He sure proved it today," Shanahan said after his team (3-4) blew a chance to move into a first-place tie. "It was a great throw. He was double-covered, but (Manning) put it right on the money."

Manning, who finished 26 of 40 for 337 yards, had to make the throw a little sooner than he wanted.

"I kind of threw it high and deep and saw the coverage and was hoping Victor saw it the same way I did," he said. "I didn't see the ball get caught. I heard the cheer and that was a good sign. I got up in time to see him run into the end zone."

Manning triumphantly pumped his fist once after the play as the more than 80,000 fans at MetLife Stadium erupted with cheers.

"He did a good job leading his team to victory today," said Griffin, who ran for 89 yards and passed for 258 and two touchdowns. "When the game is on the line, you want the ball in your hand, no doubt about it. He made the play to win it."

Griffin had the Redskins moving when Moss was tackled by Chase Blackburn and fumbled after an 11-yard reception. Rookie Jayron Hosley recovered at the Washington 43.

"There's no excuse for them, but with all that stuff, we had a chance to win at the end," Griffin said.

The wild finish capped a game in which both quarterbacks also made major mistakes.

Ahmad Bradshaw and Andre Brown scored on 1-yard runs and Lawrence Tynes kicked a pair of field goals for the Giants, who won despite giving up 480 yards in total offense.

Griffin was 20 of 28 with Moss catching both his TD passes. Fellow rookie Alfred Morris gained 120 yards rushing.

The Giants had 396 yards in total offense, with the biggest chunk coming on Manning's pass to Mr. Salsa.

Before the wild finish, the second half was dominated by turnovers.

Griffin was picked off by safety Stevie Brown and his 41-yard return late in the third quarter set up Bradshaw's 1-yard plow-job into the end zone, a play which was reviewed.

Griffin moved Washington into position to tie the game on the next possession, but he fumbled after being sacked by Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph recovered at the Giants 29.

On the next play from scrimmage, linebacker Rob Jackson intercepted a quick out by Manning and Forbath kicked a 45-yard field goal to narrow the lead to 20-16 with 5:21 to go.

The Giants were forced to punt on their next series and Washington got the ball back at its 23. After gaining nothing in three plays, Griffin went back to pass on fourth down, eluded Pierre-Paul and then danced around long enough to find tight end Logan Paulsen for a 19-yard gain and a first down at the 42. The 24-yard scamper got the ball to the New York 34 and two plays later Moss beat Hosley and hauled in Griffin's perfect pass as Griffin lay on his back and celebrated like a snow angel.

"He's tough," Blackburn said of Griffin. We played well for three downs got them into a fourth and 10, and had him. JPP had him dead to rights. Any other quarterback and he makes that sack."

Manning and Cruz spoiled the afternoon seconds later.

"I'm pretty mad at the football gods for putting him in the NFC East," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said. "To face that guy twice a year is going to be a headache."

There were seven offensive possessions in the first half that resulted in 439 total yards, six scores and a 13-13 tie.

NOTES: Washington TE Fred Davis suffered an Achilles tendon injury and will miss the rest of the season. ...Redskins LB London Fletcher, who has played in 231 straight games, suffered a leg-hamstring injury in the second half. ...The Redskins gained a season-high 248 yards rushing. ... Bradshaw gained 43 yards rushing after collecting 316 in the past two games. ... New York had three sacks, and allowed its first in four games.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-22-FBN-Redskins-Giants-Folo/id-08116a5ed57a4abbb2d462cfc8384038

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HBT: Jeter undergoes surgery to repair ankle

The Yankees just announced that Derek Jeter underwent surgery today in North Carolina to repair a left ankle fracture.

Jeter battled foot and ankle injuries down the stretch, but he suffered the fracture while trying to make a play on a ground ball in the 12th inning in Game 1 of the ALCS against the Tigers last Saturday. He?s expected to need 4-5 months of recovery time, which puts him on pace to be ready somewhere around the start of spring training in February if all goes well.

Any setbacks could put Jeter at risk for missing the start of the 2013 season, but Yankees general manager Brian Cashman told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com this week that a shortstop isn?t on his offseason shopping list and that he?s prepared to forge ahead with Eduardo Nunez and Jayson Nix as backups.

?I haven?t looked at that at this stage,? Cashman said. ?We do have Eduardo Nunez, we have Jayson Nix [as backups]. So it?s not something we?ve focused on, and I wouldn?t think that that?s something I would gravitate to.?

Jeter, 38, continued to defy father time this year by batting .316/.362/.429 with 15 home runs, 58 RBI and a .791 OPS while leading the majors with 216 hits. He is owed $17 million next season while his contract includes an $8 million player option or $3 million buyout for 2014.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/20/derek-jeter-undergoes-surgery-to-repair-left-ankle-fracture/related/

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Great Tips And Advice For A Successful Home Business - PDF

Great Tips And Advice For A Successful Home Business

If someone told you that you could start up a business today at home and eventually quit
your job, would you believe them? Most of the people offering these opportunities make their
money by convincing others to purchase work from home packages. Starting a successful
home business is definitely a real possibility; however, there are no short cuts. Read the
following tips that will show you how to begin with your home business aspirations.

Before you sell your product, do some research to see what the current price points are for
your product in the market. Price the item or service as offered by your competitors, and aim
your price just slightly lower. It is unprofessional and generally a bad business practice to
speak negatively about your competition. Pay attention to your own business and run it
ethically and professionally.

While setting up your business at home, do research on rates charged by your local
competitors. Use the information you glean from your research to determine what you should
charge. Charge what you are worth to earn what you need.

Create a banner section for your site. That way, you can have a banner exchange program
with partnered businesses. This will provide many backlinks, which will increase your Google
page rank as well as providing the users of the sites your link.

When you have your home business in operation, always keep a record of any traveling that
you do for business purposes. As a new business owner, you may not know that you can
deduct business-related mileage from your taxes. By claiming your business travel expenses
on your taxes, you can save a lot of money.

If you can't decide what your home business should sell, look around your own home for
inspiration in a void that needs filling or a product you can't live without. Highlighting a need
is your number one step to picking a successful product. Most likely, others can use some of


the same products you use in your everyday life.

When you are "knee-deep" in work, inform your friends and loved ones so that you are not
bothered at that time. Politely tell those friends or family who drop in that you are busy
working. You might ask that they wait in a different room while you finish the job at hand.
Suggest that they watch television or read a magazine during their wait.

Consider charging a membership fee for your website to earn profits. In most cases, your
website could effortlessly execute a membership enlistment fee that could increase your
profits.

The support and even assistance of any relatives who live with you is critical to a successful
home based business. Operating a home business takes up a great deal of time, and can be
fraught with hardships and stress. Without the support of your family members, your home
business is very unlikely to succeed.

Start your home business while you are still employed. Chances are that your new business
will not bring in a profit for quite a while, and it is best to have regular income from your
current job during that time. Having an income while building up your new business is highly
beneficial.

A lot of people would love to work from home and run their own business. Sadly, most people
do not know how to get on track with their own home enterprise. Use the above advice to
achieve success in your home business.

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Source: http://pdfcast.org/pdf/great-tips-and-advice-for-a-successful-home-business

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British protesters demand end to "failing" austerity

LONDON (Reuters) - Thousands of British protesters marched through central London on Saturday against public spending cuts and tax rises enacted by a government fighting accusations it is run by an upper-class elite that ignores the plight of recession-hit voters.

Blowing horns and whistles, protesters filed past the Houses of Parliament behind a banner declaring "Austerity is Failing", calling on Prime Minister David Cameron to do more to revive Britain's struggling economy.

The march comes at a time when Cameron's Conservative-led coalition is reeling from the resignation on Friday of a senior minister accused of calling police "plebs", a class-laden insult for working people.

"If the working class strike for a day, we'll see who runs this country," said Nick Chaffey, 48, a Socialist Party campaigner married to a teacher who has taken a pay cut.

"I've got friends who are in desperate straits, living in fear of losing their job and their house."

Cameron's party has faced a barrage of negative headlines over the departure of Andrew Mitchell - the "Chief Whip" or party enforcer - four weeks after he swore at police guarding the gates to Cameron's Downing Street office.

A separate row involving finance minister George Osborne, who sat in a first class train carriage with a standard class ticket before paying for an upgrade, added ammunition to critics who say the Conservatives are privileged and out-of-touch.

"Who Do They Think They Are?" asked the Daily Mail newspaper in a front page headline, while the Financial Times said the bad news over Mitchell and Osborne capped a "dismal week for the Tories", the centre-right party that is trailing in the polls.

Under grey autumnal skies, demonstrators waved banners saying "No Cuts", "Tax the Rich, Teach the Poor" and "Plebs of the World Unite", poking fun at Mitchell's resignation.

Others handed out leaflets decorated with Wild West-style "Wanted" posters bearing Cameron's picture and the message: "Running a government by and for millionaires".

Nurses, cleaners, librarians and ambulance drivers were among tens of thousands who joined the march and a rally in London's central Hyde Park, in one of the biggest anti-austerity protests this year. Marches will also take place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Glasgow, Scotland.

Trade union leaders are trying to use the rally to pile more pressure on Cameron, telling protesters the government's economic plan has failed and only prolonged Britain's recession.

"Austerity isn't working. It is hammering the poorest and the most vulnerable," Brendan Barber, head of the Trades Union Congress, an umbrella group which represents 54 unions, will say in a speech at the rally.

"Ministers told us that if we only accept the pain, recovery would come. Instead we have been mired in a double-dip recession."

COALITION UNDER PRESSURE

The coalition government has responded to calls from unions and the opposition Labour Party to do more to increase growth by relaxing planning laws and boosting lending to businesses.

But its latest attempt to ease the pressure on squeezed households backfired this week when Cameron said the government would legislate to force energy companies to give customers their lowest tariff.

The announcement appeared to take his own ministers by surprise and sowed confusion over what he meant and whether it would actually happen.

Cameron's party staked its 2010 election campaign on the austerity program, calling for deeper cuts to welfare spending in the years to come while dismissing the idea of a tax on the wealthy.

In an emergency budget announced after winning power, his coalition government said it would cut most departmental budgets by an average of around 20 percent over four years.

It announced a public sector pay freeze, set a new ceiling on the total state benefits any family can receive and cut tax relief on pensions.

It has also raised the VAT sales tax to 20 percent from 17.5 percent, increased taxes on alcohol and tobacco and raised payroll taxes for employees.

Opposition Labour leader Ed Miliband said the government's policies had damaged the economic recovery.

"They told us austerity would help our economy grow. But our economy has not grown. It has flatlined," he will tell the demonstration in a speech.

But opponents of the unions say the government should stick to its plan to eliminate a budget deficit that stood at 8 percent of gross domestic product last year, the biggest of any major European country.

Sajid Javid, a Conservative Treasury minister, said the government was right to focus on cutting borrowing and data last week indicating a fall in unemployment and inflation showed its economic policies were on track.

"There is a still a lot to do," he told Sky News. "I don't pretend for a second that we are out of the woods, but this government is facing up to the problem, it is not sticking its head in the sand like Ed Miliband."

(Writing by Peter Griffiths; Additional reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Maria Golovnina and Sophie Hares)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-austerity-protesters-fed-economy-march-london-100805221.html

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Calling an ambulance improves heart attack survival

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2012) ? Patients with chest pain symptoms who call an ambulance have quicker, more appropriate treatment and better survival according to research presented at the Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2012. A study from Denmark shows that calling emergency services allows pre-hospital triage and transport to the most appropriate hospital, while a Turkish study reveals that only 29% of patients with chest pain went to hospital by ambulance.

The Acute Cardiac Care Congress 2012 is the first annual meeting of the newly launched Acute Cardiovascular Care Association (ACCA) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). It takes place from 20 to 22 October in Istanbul, Turkey, at the Istanbul Lufti Kirdar Convention and Exhibition Centre (ICEC).

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI), also called balloon treatment, opens the coronary vessel and is preferred over intravenous (IV) medicine (called thrombolysis) to dissolve blood clots in patients with heart attacks. To deliver this care, patients must be transported to a hospital that can provide balloon treatment. This requires well functioning treatment networks which integrate the pre-hospital and in-hospital phases of patient management so that even patients in remote areas receive high quality treatment that adheres to ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines.

"Transporting patients to hospitals with balloon treatment capacity often involves bypassing local hospitals in the vicinity of the patient," said Dr Mikkel M. Schoos from the University Hospital of Copenhagen, Denmark. "Pre-hospital triage involves digital transmission of the ambulance electrocardiogram (ECG) using telemedicine to the attending cardiologist at the hospital with the balloon capacity who can decide if the patient needs balloon treatment."

He added: "In this way, patients can be referred directly to the hospital that can perform balloon treatment, without first being seen in a local emergency room. This saves important time. We know from previous studies that reduced time to treatment equals greater salvage of the heart tissue near the blood clot after a heart attack."

Dr Schoos' study investigated the quality of these treatment networks in Denmark. The researchers found that 75% of all patients can be transferred directly to hospitals with balloon treatment capacity using pre-hospital triage.

But even when well functioning pre-hospital triage with telemedicine is in place, for 25% of patients it is not possible to deliver treatment within the time targets recommended by ESC Clinical Practice Guidelines if only ground ambulance is used. These are patients who live more than 100km (60 miles) away from the hospital with balloon treatment facilities and patients who go to a local hospital first.

The study showed that patients who are first brought to a local hospital lose important time and this increases their risk of death. "The time delay caused by first being taken to a local hospital that does not have the treatment facilities the patient needs is bad for the patient," said Dr Schoos. "Our study also shows that this system delay predicts all cause mortality in these patients who have big heart attacks. That means that a pit stop at a local hospital increases the risk of death."

There are several reasons why patients might go to the local hospital first. One is that the heart attack is not developed enough to be detected and diagnosed by the ambulance ECG. Dr Schoos is currently investigating ways to improve early diagnosis with ECG or biomarkers in the blood. A second reason could be a failure to transmit the ambulance ECG to the hospital. A third reason is that emergency medical personnel are not confident that the patient is stable enough for further transport and decide to do a pit stop at a local hospital.

Dr Schoos said: "By doing that they postpone the only right treatment. The majority of patients with acute heart attacks can be safely transported to a hospital with the needed treatment capacity, even if these hospitals are further away than smaller local hospitals."

He added: "Even though patients might get arrhythmias, which are bad heart rhythms, as a consequence of their blood clot, these can easily be treated in the ambulance by well educated emergency medical staff."

Ambulance staff must also be educated to perform and transmit the ECGs. "We need people with the right education in the ambulance for these treatment networks to function properly," said Dr Schoos.

Dr Schoos continued: "Patients and their relatives should call the emergency telephone number (112 in Denmark and Turkey) at the first symptoms of a heart attack. Valuable time is lost when patients drive themselves to emergency rooms or are driven there by relatives and they could develop a bad heart rhythm on the way. Ambulance staff can do an ECG straightaway, even in the patient's home, and ensure that patients are taken to the right hospital immediately."

He added: "Calling emergency is also important in countries that don't use pre-hospital triage with telemedicine because ambulance staff can give anti-thrombotic medicine to dissolve or stop the development of a blood clot."

To improve treatment for patients who live more than 100km away from a hospital with balloon treatment, Dr Schoos recommended arranging the catchment area of a hospital into geographical zones. This would make it possible to identify patients who might have long treatment delays because they live further away.

Geographical zone 1 could be for patients who live within 100km of the balloon treatment centre. These patients can receive pre-hospital triage with telemedicine. Geographical zone 2 is for patients more than 100km away. These patients could be transferred by helicopter, or be treated first with clot dissolving drugs (thrombolysis) followed by balloon treatment when they arrive at the centre.

In the second study, Dr Burcu Demirkan from the Turkiye Yuksek Ihtisas Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, investigated the factors influencing the use of an ambulance among Turkish patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

"Until recently there was a limited ambulance service in Turkey but the Ministry of Health has now made it available for the whole country," said Dr Demirkan. "The service is free of charge and quicker than in the past. Despite these improvements most patients still prefer self transport instead of using an ambulance when they have acute chest pain."

For the study the researchers collected data from 330 patients with ACS from 2 hospitals (a state hospital without pPCI capability and an education and research hospital that could perform pPCI).

The study found that just 29% of patients went to hospital by ambulance. This was despite the fact that 68% of patients knew the emergency telephone number (112). There were no differences in age, gender and marital status between patients who called an ambulance and patients who did not.

Patients who called an ambulance had a higher level of education, greater knowledge of the risk factors for coronary artery disease, and greater awareness of the fact that chest pain is related to heart attack and patients should quickly seek medical care. These patients were also more likely to have ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) (as opposed to non-STEMI), vertigo, syncope/near syncope, nausea, vomiting and more severe chest pain.

Among patients who did not use an ambulance, 37% were given a lift, 14% drove their own car, 26% took a taxi, 12% used public transport and 11% walked to the hospital.

Most patients (whether they used an ambulance or did not) were accompanied by family members or friends during transportation to the hospital.

Dr Demirkan said: "Less than one third of Turkish ACS patients used an ambulance for transportation to the hospital even though this service is free. This rate was lower than rates from previous studies in European countries and Australia but similar to rates in China."

She added: "The perception of symptoms as not serious or not of cardiac origin was the most common reason for not calling an ambulance. However among the patients who considered the symptoms to be serious, most of them thought that self transport would be faster. Contrary to the assumption of these patients, we found that ambulance users arrived at the hospital more quickly."

Dr Demirkan continued: "Instead of using an ambulance most of our patients used transportation that was unsafe and inappropriate for ACS patients, who urgently need reperfusion therapy. This situation was due to patients' misperceptions about the symptoms of a heart attack or false assumptions that self transport would be quicker."

She concluded: "Our study improves understanding of the reasons why patients do not call an ambulance and will help with planning health education programmes to increase ambulance use. Such programmes should teach patients about the characteristics of chest pain related to heart attack and the importance of calling 112 when they experience these symptoms."

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/tI1-3W4_QSo/121020162528.htm

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Singer Andy Williams remembered at Mo. tribute

BRANSON, Mo. (AP) ? Entertainer Andy Williams was remembered Sunday for a smooth voice that could soothe the soul, an inviting smile and a warmth that became synonymous with Christmas as celebrities and fans alike gathered for a memorial tribute at his Moon River Theatre in the southwest Missouri town he adopted as his home.

Williams, who died last month at the age of 84 after a battle with cancer, was serenaded in absentia by a series of musical artists who got their start with him decades ago or had performed with him over the years ? the Lennon Sisters, Osmond Brothers and Gatlin Brothers, among them. Entertainer Bob Newhart choked up with emotion as he joked of his friendship with Williams.

Others sent tributes by video, including comedian Bill Cosby and Ethel Kennedy, who recalled swooning as she once danced with Williams ? a family friend who sang at the memorial for her husband, Robert Kennedy, after his assassination in 1968.

Williams himself also appeared on the video screen as clips recalling his musical albums, TV variety show and Christmas specials were played.

More than 1,000 people attended the tribute hosted by entertainer Peter Marshall that started as an invitation-only event, but was opened to fans as word spread through Branson.

Williams had three platinum and 18 gold records, and five Grammy award nominations during a career that began at age 8 ? when he performed with his older brothers Dick, Bob and Don ? and continued nearly until his death as he performed at his Branson theater named for his signature song, "Moon River."

"For his fans, his music is the tapestry of our lives ? it can soothe life's difficult moments, help to celebrate the glorious ones," said Anthony Gigliotti, who spoke at the memorial service as a representative of Williams' fan club.

Williams became a big star in 1956, the same year as Elvis Presley, with the swing song "Canadian Sunset." He hosted "The Andy Williams Show" through the 1960s into 1971, and the show won three Emmys. His annual Christmas specials, featuring Williams dressed in colorful sweaters singing favorites such as "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," continued long after his TV show ended and were renewed with live performances after Williams opened his Branson theater in 1992.

"Christmas is never going to be the same to me," Newhart said Sunday, his voice breaking up with emotion.

A cross section of people who knew Williams was seated out of the spotlight in the theater that he built. Some knew him in passing from his friendly smile and wave that graced Branson, and others in a more personal way, including the man who regularly golfed with Williams or the woman who once lived next door to him.

Former neighbor Jude Rhodes recalled Williams holding her sick dog and singing to her for a birthday.

"I could go on for days and days what a wonderful man he was ? a sweet lovely man," Rhodes said.

Williams was passionate not only about singing and entertaining, but about art, architecture, golf and virtually everything he did, his family and friends said.

His older brother Dick drew a standing ovation after singing at the service. Then the 2?-hour memorial tribute closed with a video of Williams singing "May Each Day" ? a tune he often used to close his own shows.

"May each day in the year be a good day. May each day find you happy and gay. And may all of your days be as lovely as the one you shared with me today," Williams sang. "May each day of your life be a good day, and good night."

Then the theater lights went dark. And an audience applauded one final time for Williams.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/singer-andy-williams-remembered-mo-tribute-195224966.html

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France 24 TV: Cairo reporter 'savagely attacked'

PARIS (AP) ? A correspondent for France 24 TV was "savagely attacked" near Cairo's Tahrir Square after being seized by a crowd, the network said Saturday. It was the latest case of violence against women at the epicenter of Egypt's restive protests.

The news channel said in a statement that Sonia Dridi was attacked around 10:30 p.m. Friday after a live broadcast on a protest at the square and was later rescued by a colleague and other witnesses. France 24 did not give further details about the attack, but it said its employees were safe and sound, though "extremely shocked," and that it will file suit against unspecified assailants.

The network, which receives state funds but has editorial independence, said it and the French Embassy were working to bring Dridi back to France.

"More frightened than hurt," wrote Dridi in French on her Twitter page Saturday. Referring in English to a colleague, she tweeted: "Thanks to (at)ashrafkhalil for protecting me in (hash)Tahrir last nite. Mob was pretty intense. thanks to him I escaped from the unleashed hands."

Tahrir Square was the main hub of a popular uprising that toppled longtime Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak last year. Since then, it has seen numerous other protests staged by a range of groups.

At the height of the uprising against Mubarak, Lara Logan, a correspondent for U.S. network CBS, was sexually assaulted and beaten in Tahrir Square. She said later that she believed she was going to die. After being rescued, Logan returned to the United States and was treated in a hospital for four days.

The square has seen a rise in attacks against women since protesters returned this summer for new rallies, including incidents of attackers stripping women ? both fellow demonstrators and journalists ? of their clothes.

No official numbers exist for attacks on women in the square because police do not go near the area and women rarely file official reports on such incidents, but activists and protesters have reported an increase in assaults against women. And although sexual harassment is not new to Egypt, suspicions abound that many of the recent attacks are organized by opponents of various protests in a bid to drive people away.

Amnesty International said in a report in June that such attacks appeared designed to intimidate women and prevent them from fully participating in public life. The London-based human rights group has called on Egyptian authorities to investigate reports of sexual assault against women to counter the impression that no one will be punished.

___

Sarah El-Deeb contributed to this report from Cairo.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/france-24-tv-cairo-reporter-savagely-attacked-144050867.html

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Dot Earth Blog: A fusion energy researcher gets practical.

The speech, in which Hirsch questions the utility of the most prominent international experiment at the moment, the ITER project in France, is reproduced below as a ?Your Dot? contribution (I added a few links for context):

Where to Look for Practical Fusion Power
Robert L. Hirsch
Presented at the 14th U.S.-Japan IECF Workshop, October 16, 2012.

We learn; we learn more; we learn throughout life.? Some learning is easy; some is very difficult. After my experience in fusion research and many other energy technologies, I feel that I?ve learned where we might look for practical fusion power.? Part of that learning comes from where practical fusion power is not likely to be found.

Fusion is not like fire, although some fusion researchers seem to think so.? Fire became a major source of energy for early humankind, partly because it provided special capabilities, and it had essentially no competition.? Also, there were no cost or environmental issues to be concerned with when humans discovered fire and learned to use it.? Fire worked; it was convenient, and it did wonderful things when measured by then-existing lifestyles.

Fusion research started after World War II at a time when it was felt that science had wonderful things to provide for humankind.? The potential cost of fusion power was not an issue.? The wonders of the atom, or more properly the nucleus, were felt to be unbounded.? Fusion was the fundamental energy source in the universe, powering the sun and the stars.? Wonders awaited.

Many outstanding people turned to the pursuit of fusion power.? A number of fusion concepts emerged and were investigated.? Soon it became painfully clear that practical fusion power would not happen quickly.? First, we had to develop the science of plasma physics.

After decades of effort, a great deal has been learned and accomplished, but a practical fusion power concept has not been forthcoming.? Note that I said ?practical fusion power.?? Unlike fire, fusion power has to compete against a number of other options.? The word ?practical? means that a fusion power system must be desirable, based on the realities of the society into which it will be introduced.

An unfortunate problem today is that many people in fusion research believe that producing a fusion-something that simply works is the goal, but that is definitely wrong!? Fusion power and fire are distinctly different.

Let?s consider some specific criteria for practical fusion power.? In 1994, the U.S. Electric Power Research Institute ? EPRI ? convened a panel of utility technologists to develop ?Criteria for Practical Fusion Power Systems.? The result was a four-page folder that outlined ?Three principal types of criteria:?

  1. Economics,
  2. Public Acceptance, and
  3. Regulatory Simplicity.

The criteria are almost self-explanatory, but let me quote from the Economics Criteria:? ?To compensate for the higher economic risks associated with new technologies, fusion plants must have lower lifecycle costs than competing technologies available at the time of commercialization.?? Details for the criteria are given in the report, which I commend to anyone motivated to help develop fusion power.

Against these criteria, let?s consider tokamak fusion, the centerpiece of which is ITER ? the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ? under construction in France.? As we know, it?s an enormously large machine, which is generally considered to be a prototype of a practical fusion power plant.

Comparing the ITER and the core of a comparable commercial fission reactor shows an enormous difference in size ? a factor of 5-10 ? ITER being huge by comparison to a fission reactor core.

It is known in engineering and technology development that the cost of a finished machine or product is roughly proportional to the mass of the device.? Eyeballing ITER compared to a fission reactor core, it?s obvious that an ITER-like machine is many times more massive.? Yes, you can argue details, like the hollow bore of a tokamak, but the size of the huge superconducting magnets and their heavy support structures provides no relief.

Bottom line ? On the face of it, an ITER-like power system will be much more expensive than a comparable fission reactor, so I believe that tokamak fusion loses big-time on cost, independent of details.

Next, consider the fact that deuterium-tritium fusion inherently emits copious neutrons, which will induce significant radioactivity in adjacent tokamak structural and moderating materials.? Accordingly, a tokamak power system will become highly radioactive as soon as it begins to operate and, over time, radiation damage will render those same materials structurally weak, requiring replacement.

In the U.S., as elsewhere in the world, we have a Nuclear Regulatory Commission, which will almost certainly be given the task of ensuring that the public is safe from mishaps associated with tokamak power system failures.? Expected regulation will require all kinds of safety features, which will add further costs to tokamak power.

While the character of the plasma in a tokamak power reactor will not likely represent a large energy-release safety issue, the superconducting magnets would contain a huge amount of stored energy.? If those magnets were to go normal ? lose their superconducting properties ? the energy release would be very large.? It can be argued that the probability of that happening will be small, but it will nevertheless not be zero, so the regulators will require safety features that will protect the public in a situation where the magnets go normal, releasing very large amounts of energy.

Accordingly, it is virtually certain that the regulators will demand a containment building for a commercial tokamak reactor that will likely resemble what is currently required for fission reactors, so as to protect the public from normal-going superconducting magnet energy release.? Because an ITER-like tokamak reactor is inherently so large, such a building will be extremely expensive, further increasing the costs of something that is already too expensive.

Next, there?s the induced radioactivity in the structure and moderator of a tokamak power reactor.? Some tokamak proponents contend that structure might be made out of an exotic material that will have low induced radioactivity.? Maybe, but last I looked, such materials were very expensive and not in common use in the electric power industry.? So if one were to decide to use such materials, there would be another boost to cost, along with an added difficulty for industry to deal with.

No matter what materials are chosen, there will still be neutron-induced materials damage and large amounts of induced radioactivity.? There will thus be remote operations required and large amounts of radioactive waste that will have to be handled and sent off site for cooling and maybe burial.? That will be expensive and the public is not likely to be happy with large volumes of fusion-based radioactivity materials being transported around the country.? Remember the criteria of public acceptance.

I could go on with other downsides and showstoppers associated with tokamak fusion power, but I won?t.? It is enough to say that tokamak fusion power has what I believe are insurmountable barriers to practicability and acceptability.

By the way, my arguments assume that tokamak physics and technology works well and is reasonably simple, meaning that not many more components will have to be added to the system to allow it to operate on a steady basis for very long periods of time between the long shutdowns needed to change out radiation-damaged, radioactive materials.

What I?ve just described is not a happy story.? At some point, probably in a matter of years, a group of pragmatic power industry engineers will be convened to seriously scrutinize tokamak fusion, and they are virtually certain to declare that it cannot become a practical power system. That will certainly be a calamity for the people involved and for the cause of fusion power.

Let?s review what I?ve said.? First, we have to recognize that practical fusion power must measure up to or be superior to the competition in the electric power industry.? Second, it is virtually certain that tokamak fusion as represented by ITER will not be practical.

So where are we likely to find practical fusion power?? First, we must look for a concept or concepts that are inherently small in size, which means high plasma density.? Second, we must look for something that can be based on a low or zero neutron fusion reaction.? One example is the proton-boron reaction.

We know some things about proton-boron fusion.? First it requires much higher temperatures that deuterium-tritium.? Second, it cannot be based on a Maxwellian plasma particle distribution, because theory tells us that the plasma radiation losses (Bremsstrahlung) from a very high temperature, Maxwellian, proton-boron plasma will kill the concept.

That means that a proton-boron plasma must be non-Maxwellian, and it must be fashioned in such a way that normal inter-particle scattering reactions can be managed on an on-going basis.

For this audience, the requirements for practical fusion power sound like they could be met by Inertial Electrostatic Confinement (IEC) fusion.? As you well know, IEC is a family of possibilities from gridded systems to magnetically constrained systems and on and on.? They can in principle be very high density and therefore small, and they could have plasma distribution control as an element.? I can?t help but wonder if IEC just might be the key to practical fusion power.

In conclusion, in the early days of the U.S. fusion research, the program was classified secret and called Project Sherwood.? One explanation for that name was, if it works, it sure would be wonderful.

I hope that you and others will be able to help make it happen.

Thank you.

PS.? These thoughts were painful to formulate.? As a past leader of the U.S. federal fusion program, I played a significant role in establishing tokamak research to the U.S., and I had high hopes for its success.? Realities have emerged to dash those hopes.? When we learn unpleasant things, it is incumbent on us to speak up, even when it hurts.

Source: http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/19/a-veteran-of-fusion-science-proposes-narrowing-the-field/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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