Scientists Revise Map of Human Genome

Scientists have revised the map of the human genome, saying human beings are genetically more complex than previously thought. The discovery has surprised experts who say it is likely to transform medical research. VOA’s Jessica Berman reports.

In 2000, the Human Genome Project unveiled a road map of the six billion chemical bases, or alphabet molecules, that make up the body’s genetic structure called DNA.

The DNA encodes for 30,000 genes or proteins which are responsible for every physical characteristic in the body, including eye and hair color. At the time, scientists said all humans could be 99.9 percent genetically identical.

But as they peered more deeply into the DNA of unrelated individuals, researchers made a startling discovery – large segments of their DNA, from thousands to millions of units, varied greatly, a phenomenon called copy number variations, or CNVs.

The discovery means that the genes of any given individual are at least 10 to 12 percent different from those of another human. “This was really quite startling and shocking,” said Stephen Scherer. “So, it adds a whole new type of variation for us to consider in disease mapping studies.”

Each person inherits 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent, which means that genes usually come in pairs. But not always, according to Scherer.

“What we found in this study of 270 individuals worldwide is that up to 10 percent of the genes are actually present varying from the general two that we usually see,” he said. “So, in some cases there’s one. In some cases there’s three. In some cases there’s five. In some cases, there’s actually none.”

The findings, published in Nature, are part of the international HapMap project to identify and catalog similarities and differences among human beings of different racial and ethnic groups. Investigators sampled the DNA of people in Africa, Asia and Europe. – voanews

Huh? How do you get five of one gene if you only get one copy from your mother and one from your father? Ah, here is a clue:

“Ectopic recombination between locally repeated DNA sequences is of fundamental importance in the evolution of gene families, generating copy-number variation in human DNA and often leadingto pathological rearrangements. Despite its importance, little is known about the dynamics and processes of these unequal crossovers and the degree to which meiotic recombination plays a role in instability” – pnas

So what is Ectopic recombination?

“Ectopic recombination refers to when recombination occurs out of register to produce deletions, duplications and other rearrangements. This occurs because there are many identical or very similar stretches of DNA sequence in chromosomes. ” – ergito

So, very similar patterns in DNA can cause confusion, perhaps when egg and sperm cells are formed during meiosis and/or during fertilization when the DNA from egg and sperm combine. Interestingly “Mechanisms that prevent ectopic recombination seem also to exist in mammals.” The natural random mixing of genes that does happen causes extra copies of some genes and increases the genetic variation between individual humans.

Team finds more traces of lost Amazon civilization

A well-known Japanese archaeologist said Tuesday a team he is leading has found further evidence of a little-known ancient civilization in the Bolivian Amazon. Katsuyoshi Sanematsu, a professor of anthropology at Rikkyo University in Tokyo, completed an excavation in August of a massive man-made mound, or “loma,” in Bolivia’s northeastern Beni state.

Such mounds mark settlements of the Mojos civilization, which is thought to have flourished in the Amazon region for thousands of years before the arrival of the Spanish.

… The four-week excavation confirmed that the mound, called Loma Chocolatalito, is full of pottery and animal bones. “There were over 10,000 fragments of pottery unearthed from the top 100-cm layer of just one of the units,” he said, referring to a sectional cut from the loma. “Also we discovered numerous animal bones, some of which had been worked and painted. All this suggests that this place was densely populated in ancient times.”

Among the most interesting objects are a fish hook made of animal bone and a pottery fragment with a carved design that Sanematsu believes may be a map. – japantimes

PhD from Princeton: Google Go Should Nuclear.

See more about Boron Hydrogen fusion. This guy really knows his stuff. This talk summarizes 18 billion dollars of research. Google should fund his new direction in fusion research.

[googlevideo]1996321846673788606[/googlevideo]

Amateur Nuclear Fusion – Fusion is Easy!

Fusion is the act of joining two light atomic nuclei. This will yield excess energy in the form of radiation and high speed particles. This is the process believed to power the Sun which gives this planet warmth and life. … The only easy fusion reaction suitable for amateur study is that involving deuterium-deuterium or “d-d” fusion. … The process is easier than you might imagine!

The fusor III setup of Richard Hull is shown in the above photo. It is the result of 3 years of work with the IECF (Inertial Electrostatic Confinement Fusion) concept. The Fusor was the brainchild of Philo T. Farnsworth, the
inventor of electronic television. The device is best described as a spherical geometry, electrostatically focused, deuteron accelerator-collider.

It might appear that nuclear fusion is very difficult for the amateur physics experimenter to consider, but it is actually relatively easy to achieve. Costs can be controlled by working in stages and acquiring parts used or surplus. Skills are the key factor. The experimenter should have some basic skill sets including welding,
machining, vacuum technology, gas handling, electronics, and nuclear instrumentation. Naturally, knowledge
regarding the safety aspects of such an effort is essential! Among the more common concerns are the work
with the explosive hydrogen gas, deuterium. High voltage hazards abound as over 20,000 volts is needed to accelerate the deuterons. Radiation in the form of X-rays and neutrons must be dealt with as well. – more

TEEN GOES NUCLEAR: He creates fusion in his Oakland Township home

This seems to be legit, although I was unable to verify that he was a runner up in the Siemens competition. You can read about Philo Taylor Farnsworth on time.com and the wiki article on him includes info on his fusor which injects “high temperature” ions directly into a reaction chamber.? “On November 9, 2006, Robert W. Bussard gave a speech at Google with more details on his team’s results.”? As far as I know, no one has created a fusion reaction yet which produces more energy than it takes to sustain. That’s the holy grail of alternative energy.

In fact, on www.fusor.net, the Stoney Creek [Thiago Olson] senior is ranked as the 18th amateur in the world to create nuclear fusion. So, how does he do it? Pointing to the steel chamber where all the magic happens, Thiago said on Friday that this piece of the puzzle serves as a vacuum. The air is sucked out and into a filter.Then, deuterium gas — a form of hydrogen — is injected into the vacuum. About 40,000 volts of electricity are charged into the chamber from a piece of equipment taken from an old mammogram machine. As the machine runs, the atoms in the chamber are attracted to the center and soon — ta da — nuclear fusion. Thiago said when that happens, a small intense ball of energy forms. He first achieved fusion in September and has been perfecting the machine he built in his parents’ garage ever since.

This year, Thiago was a semifinalist for the Siemens Foundation’s National Research Competition. He plans to enter the Science and Engineering Fair of Metropolitan Detroit, which is in March, in hopes of qualifying to be in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in New Mexico in May.

… Thiago’s mom, Natalice Olson, initially was leery of the project, even though the only real danger from the fusion machine is the high voltage and small amount of X-rays emitted through a glass window in the vacuum chamber — through which Olson videotapes the fusion in action.. But, she wasn’t really surprised, since he was always coming up with lofty ideas.

“Originally, he wanted to build a hyperbaric chamber,” she said, adding that she promptly said no. But, when he came asking about the nuclear fusion machine, she relented. “I think it was pretty brave that he could think that he was capable to do something so amazing,” she said.

Thiago’s dad, Mark Olson, helped with some of the construction and electrical work. To get all of the necessary parts, Thiago scoured the Internet, buying items on eBay and using his age to persuade manufacturers to give him discounts. The design of the model came from his own ideas and some suggestions from other science-lovers he met online.

Someday, he hopes to work for the federal government — just like his grandfather, Clarence Olson, who designed tanks for the Department of Defense after World War II. Thiago, who is modest and humble about his accomplishment, said he knew from an early age what he would do for a living. ” – freep

Britain plans Iraq pull out

Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett this afternoon surprised MPs by signalling the countdown to a withdrawal from Iraq.She told the Commons that Basra, where the bulk of the UK’s 7,200 personnel are stationed, could be handed over from British military control to Iraqi forces as early as next spring. … Political control in the city was handed over to the Iraqi authorities in June last year but it has continued to suffer spiralling violence. New figures show the Iraqi death toll hit a record monthly high in October, with more than 3,700 people deaths.- slhisotindon

Hitachi: Commercial Mind-Machine Interface by 2011

Hitachi’s new neuroimaging technique allows its operator to switch a train set on and off by thought alone, and the Japanese company aims to commercialize it within five years.

Mind-machine interfacing isn’t unheard of: just weeks ago, a young patient was given a chance to play Space Invaders through the power of thought. And this all comes hot on the heels of a revolution in microsurgery, allowing artificial limbs to be wired to the brain by reusing existing nerves.

The difference this time is that Hitachi’s system doesn’t invasively co-opt the nervous sytem, instead using a topographic modelling system to measure blood flow in the brain, translating the images into signals that are sent to the controller. So far, this new technique only allows for simple switching decisions, but Hitachi aims to commercialize it within five years for use by paralyzed patients and those undergoing “cognitive rehabilitation.” – link

Humpback whales capable of emanating 622 social sounds

A new study has revealed that humpback whales are capable of emanating as many as 622 social sounds. Scientists believe the whales’ broad vocal repertoire enables them to communicate with their fellow whales, like summoning their young or even wooing potential mates by expressing emotions. Rebecca Dunlop, a researcher in the School of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Queensland, Australia said that while some sounds are brief, some are unpatterned, distinct from lengthier, complex whale songs. She said the study threw new light on the fact that whales convey more meaning through vocalizations than previously thought. “I wouldn’t say (whales possess) language, as that’s a human term. Whales don’t string these sounds together like words and form sentences. It’s more like a simple vocabulary,” Discovery News quoted Rebecca as saying. For their study, the team used a static hydrophone array – sensitive equipment that detects sound waves – to visually track 60 pods of whales migrating along the east coast of Australia. The waves linked the whale sounds to various activities and contexts. The team identified 622 distinct sounds, which fell into 35 basic types. Rebecca said these included “wops” made by females, “thwops” made by males, “yaps” made when pods split, and high pitched cries that appeared to express anger. In addition to vocalizations, the team also found that whales sent messages through body language – by breaching the surface, slapping water with their tails and blowing underwater bubbles. – more

Edible cotton breakthrough may help feed the world

Cotton that has been genetically engineered so its seed is no longer toxic could provide protein-rich food for poor countries. The researchers say the technology used could make other toxic plants safe to eat.

Cottonseed contains about 22% protein, and the cotton already produced worldwide has enough protein to meet the requirements of 500 million people. But it also contains the toxin gossypol, making it poisonous to animals, including humans.

In people, gossypol lowers blood potassium to dangerous levels, resulting in fatigue and even paralysis. A surprising side effect is that gossypol is an effective male contraceptive, but research on this aspect was abandoned in the late 1990s. Attempts to eliminate gossypol from cotton plants in the 1960s and 1970s failed: insects that had previously been kept at bay by the toxin happily ate the modified plant.

Keerti Rathore of Texas A & M University in the US has managed to remove gossypol from cotton seed without affecting the toxin load in the rest of the plant, meaning the plant will contain edible seed but not be destroyed by crop pests. – more

Couple calls for global orgasm on Dec. 22

The Global Orgasm for Peace was conceived by Donna Sheehan, 76, and Paul Reffell, 55, whose goal is for everyone in the world to have an orgasm Dec. 22 while focusing on world peace. “The orgasm gives out an incredible feeling of peace during it and after it,” Reffell said Sunday. “Your mind is like a blank. It’s like a meditative state….
And mass meditations have been shown to make a change.”

The couple are no strangers to sex and social activism. Sheehan brought together nearly 50 women in 2002 who stripped naked and spelled out the word “Peace.” The stunt spawned a mini-movement called Baring Witness that led to similar unclothed demonstrations worldwide.

The couple have studied evolutionary psychology and believe war is mainly an outgrowth of men trying to impress potential mates, a case of “my missile is bigger than your missile,” as Reffell put it. By promoting what they hope to be a synchronized global orgasm, they hope to have people channel their sexual energy into something more positive.

The couple said interest appears strong, with 26,000 hits a day to their website, www.globalorgasm.org. “The dream is to have everyone in the world (take part),” Reffell said. “And if that means laying down your gun for a few minutes, then hey, all the better.” – cnews