Louse genetics offer clues on human migrations

Thursday, February 28, 2013

A new genetic analysis of human lice from across the world sheds light on the global spread of these parasites, their potential for disease transmission and insecticide resistance. The results are published February 27 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Marina S. Ascunce and colleagues from the Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida.

Lice have been constant travel companions for humans ever since they left Africa and began colonizing other parts of the world. Since they have evolved along with humans, the geographic distribution of lice can reveal patterns of human migrations.

In the present research, the authors used available genomic data from human lice to identify genetic markers that can be used to determine which louse populations bred with one another. Their results improve our understanding of how lice have evolved resistance to insecticides, and can help improve methods of controlling these pests. These genetic markers can also be used to understand the differences between head and clothing lice, since the latter are capable of transmitting deadly bacterial diseases.

The authors suggest that these genetic markers may also reveal the tracks of human migrations across the globe, and can be used to test ideas about human evolution.

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Ascunce MS, Toups MA, Kassu G, Fane J, Scholl K, et al. (2013) Nuclear Genetic Diversity in Human Lice (Pediculus humanus) Reveals Continental Differences and High Inbreeding among Worldwide Populations. PLoS ONE 8(2): e57619. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057619

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

Thanks to Public Library of Science for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127059/Louse_genetics_offer_clues_on_human_migrations

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Super Sync Sports makes Chrome sync between devices fun!

The latest Chrome Experiment out of Google shows off the power of sync between devices with a fun little game called "Super Sync Sports". Head to chrome.com/supersyncsports on your computer and g.co/super on your phone or tablet (Android 4.0 and above), enter the code to get them synced up and you're off to the races. Literally. You use your phone or tablet as a controller, with the computer display as just a portal to view the game. Select a character, and you can run, swim or bike against the computer or friends that you invite.

It's a fun game to play, especially with more than one device, but it what it really shows off is the power of Chrome to provide real-time syncing between devices using just a browser. When on Wifi, there isn't any perceptible lag between actions on the phone and the response on the screen, which is quite impressive considering that you're just using an HTML5 game in two browsers.

Google loves to do fun little experiments like this, and when they show it off to the public it's even better. Hopefully this means that it is planning to leverage these technologies in user-facing Chrome products in the future. Head to the source links to learn a bit more about how it works and to play the game for yourself.

Source: Google; More: Play Super Sync Sports

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/AhT-3CpErKc/story01.htm

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How Can I Make My Cubicle More Comfortable and Less Boring?

Dear Lifehacker,
I am condemned to being stuck in a small cubicle with low walls. I know Lifehacker has plenty of showcases for home offices but what do people like me do when they work in an office? I'd like some advice on what to do to make my cubicle a more comfortable and less sterile place.
Signed,
Cube Dweller

Dear C.D.,
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the cubicle?a long sentence for office workers like yourself indeed. Although there's not much you can do about the tight space, you don't have to put up with the generic gray color scheme and other uninviting features of your cubicle. Here's how you take that cube from cookie cutter to comfortable and customized.

One thing to find out before you make any changes, though, is what kind of decorating upgrades you're allowed to do in your workplace. Some offices are fine with accessories but might not be too happy if you hang up a privacy curtain or turn your cubicle into an indoor garden.

Mask the Largest Surfaces: the Walls and Floor

Most likely you're boxed in by boring gray or dull white modular panels and the carpet is some equally bland industrial type. Since these constitute the greatest area of your small space, the most effective way to upgrade your workspace is to customize those panels and floor.

The floor is pretty easy to change: Just add an area rug with a pattern or colors that appeal to you. If you tend to use your chair's casters a lot, though, you could instead get an attractive chair mat, like this bamboo rollup mat.

You have a lot of options for the walls too, from covering them up completely to more subtly decorating them. Many cubicle walls are made of bulletin-board like panels, so a simple solution is to tack fabric over them. If yours isn't the kind that accommodates tacks, use fabric and starch to make a removable wall covering or decorations or tape on printed paper, such as actual wallpaper or even gift wrap. (If you really want to go crazy, you could even cover your walls and floor in mahogany wood or cover your entire cubicle in camouflage, as Mark MacAskill did in our 2008 Coolest Cubicle Contest.)

Other options include hanging motivational posters on each panel, using vinyl wall stickers, or simply putting up photos or postcards.Those 3M hooks and picture hanging strips are great for nail-free hanging, by the way.

Improve the Lighting and Temperature

Your office's lighting and temperature greatly influence your productivity and mood. Although you can't do anything about the soul-draining overhead fluorescent lighting, spot lighting can reduce some of its ills. Consider adding string lights (who doesn't like Christmas lights?), a small accent lamp with a bold shade (as in the Noir Cubicle shown at right), or a lamp with a full spectrum bulb (to make you feel like you're working in sunlight).

If your office thermostat is set to "frigid," get the temperature just right for you with a portable heater. Conversely, a desk fan might help if it feels like your officemates are trying see how fast they can bake you.

Bring in Your Own Furniture

Because you're going to sit in that office chair for a great deal of your working day, it's worth it to spend money on a more ergonomic, comfortable one. If you're lucky, you might even be able to get your office manager to get you a better chair. In not, see if it's okay to order a replacement chair delivered to your cube. (We have some chair suggestions when you're ready to upgrade.)

If you'd rather avoid the health problems associated with sitting all day, you can create a standing desk in your cubicle. The one at right, by Christopher, winner of our office Hacker Challenge, manages to blend into the beige cubicle decor, but there are also simpler solutions such as using reams of printer paper or a monitor mount to get your monitor to standing-friendly height.

Accessorize

Perhaps the easiest and quickest way to personalize your cubicle is through accessories. A few suggestions:

Live things like plants and bowls of fish: These add a unique energy to a workspace, and there are both cubicle-friendly plants and cubicle-friendly fish available. Don't have a green thumb or knack for keeping things alive? Don't worry, neither do I. Try one of these ultra-low-maintenance plants, make a tabletop biosphere, or just fake it. You can get amazingly realistic fake plants and flowers these days to brighten up your work area. They thrive in extreme conditions!

Toys and collections: While you probably don't want to go overboard with a ton of stuffed animals or other tchotchkes in your cubicle, a few well-placed, fun items could make your workspace more joyful. Some people like Sci-Fi action figures, some like building blocks, and others even more eclectic desk paraphernalia and accessories. Add a few of these?they work best if themed together?but be careful of going overboard cluttering your space or including items that could be deemed inappropriate for work. (Decorating your cubicle isn't the same as decorating your college dorm.)

Privacy-Boosting Accessories: If you have a problem with coworkers randomly invading your cubicle when you're trying to work, a folding shoji screen could come in handy. (Or at the very least, keep a pair of headphones at the ready so you can put up that universal sign for "don't bother me.")

Get Inspiration from Others' Cubicle Hacks

Here are some of the inspiring and creative cubicle upgrades and advice we've seen on Lifehacker. Adopt the ideas that work for you and enjoy making your workspace feel more like home and a little less like just another cell in the hive.

Love,
Lifehacker

Have a question or suggestion for Ask Lifehacker? Send it to tips+asklh@lifehacker.com.

Photo remixed from originals by maraga (Shutterstock) and OCAL

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/1BAzeNgVti0/how-can-i-make-my-cubicle-more-comfortable-and-less-boring

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US Airways flight attendants ratify contract

(Reuters) - Flight attendants at US Airways Group Inc approved a contract with the carrier which provides pay raises and job protections by a margin of 80 percent, their union said on Thursday.

The present US Airways, which has about 6,700 flight attendants, was formed from a 2005 merger with America West Airlines. Flight attendants at US Airways have been working under separate contracts for years as their union negotiated to reach a joint agreement. The new contract would apply to flight attendants of the premerger US Airways and of the former America West.

The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA said the agreement boded well for US Airways flight attendants, as US Airways has announced plans to merge with AMR Corp's American Airlines, a tie-up that would form the world's biggest air carrier.

The pact requires discussions with management from American and US Air as well as the Association of Professional Flight Attendants union that represents American's flight attendants to develop a framework for integrating the two carriers' workers.

(Reporting by Karen Jacobs; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-airways-flight-attendants-ratify-contract-184809973--finance.html

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In telecommuting debate, Aetna sticks by big at-home workforce

(Reuters) - For more than six years, Tammy Saunders has woken at 5:30 a.m., showered, dressed and walked upstairs - to her office.

A nurse practitioner, Saunders works as a case manager for Hartford, Connecticut-based health insurer Aetna Inc, helping college students recovering from accidents or surgery get the follow-up services they need.

The bonuses? No ironing, no commute and no need for after-school care for the kids. Also, less chatting with other employees - so fewer distractions.

"There are days when I sit at my desk, and I don't move all day," said Saunders, a proud member of the 47 percent of Aetna employees who work at home. She lives 20 minutes away from headquarters by car.

Of course, that also means no coffee breaks, lunches or group chats about, say, the Oscars. "I miss them, but not enough to go back into the office."

Ever since Yahoo!'s new chief executive, Marissa Mayer, called at-home workers back to the office last Friday, American workplaces are buzzing with debate over the benefits of telecommuting. Mayer said employees needed to be back together to innovate better at the technology firm.

Silicon Valley may swear by its brainstorming-together-in-the-office culture, but many private companies and even the federal government have put their weight behind telecommuting.

In 2012, 63 percent of companies allowed employees to work some hours from home compared with 34 percent in 2005, according to the National Study of Employers, which was produced by the Society for Human Resource Management and the Families and Work Institute.

A 2010 survey by SHRM, the human resources industry's largest trade group, said that providing flexible work arrangements such as telecommuting, part-time work and phased-in retirement was the best way to attract and retain the best workers. And 20 percent of companies allow workers to work full-time from home.

Of health insurer Aetna's 35,000 employees, 14,500 do not have a desk at Aetna, a move that the company's top executives, CEO Mark Bertolini and national business chief Joseph Zubretsky, have said helps cut costs in real estate.

Another almost 2,000 people work from home a few days a week, putting teleworkers at 47 percent of its total.

That number has grown steadily since 2005, when about 9 percent of its employees were logging on outside of an office. Another 1,800 people spend half their time in an Aetna office. In part, that migration was hastened when the company closed down its Middletown, Connecticut campus in 2010, home to some 4,000 employees.

Through telecommuting, the company has cut 2.7 million square feet of office space at $29 a square foot, for about $78 million in cost savings a year including utilities, housekeeping, mail service and document shredding.

Teleworkers, who in addition to nurses and physicians include customer service representatives, claims processors, network managers, communications and human resources professionals, lawyers, underwriters, actuaries and others, have high productivity, Aetna says. Many are likely to be women as about three-quarters of the company's workforce is female.

SO HAPPY NOT TOGETHER

The company has built a culture around it. When CEO Bertolini, an admitted technophile, does his quarterly company-wide address, Aetna's employees don't dial into a conference call, they watch a video conference.

Another benefit of teleworking is retention, with annual voluntary turnover for those Aetna employees who work at home in the 2 to 3 percent range, Bertolini said this week at the Detroit Economic Club where he spoke to local business and health care leaders. That compares with company-wide turnover that is about 8 percent.

Shelly Ferensic is head of claims at Aetna, which processes 1 million claims a day. Her department has 2,000 employees around the country, about half of whom work from home.

These processors are responsible for handling more than 100 medical or dental claims a day, a largely electronic job. They receive the claims online, work out issues such as which provider needs to be reimbursed and then push them out.

Aetna provides a secure laptop or desktop computer, a separate modem and router, a separate phone line, a paper shredder and a locking file cabinet. Before workers can start, the company inspects the home office.

Ferensic, who works out of an office in Jacksonville, Florida, says that the claims teleworkers are 10 to 20 percent more productive than their in-office counterparts and produce comparable quality.

"They work a 40-hour work week, but it's flexible as long as they put in the hours and meet their productivity objective," she said. They are measured on producing a certain number of average claims per hour.

Workers have webcams on their computers for monthly one-on-one meetings, attend videoconferences and work with a local office for support.

The main downsides are that employees who work at home aren't there to meet with customers and some issues have to be handled in person, Ferensic said, who has also worked from home.

And there is a limit to how much the company can handle in terms of at-home workforce and still ensure an Aetna culture.

"I think it's reached a point where it's a comfortable number at about half. I don't envision growing it much from that," Ferensic said, referring to her division.

(Reporting by Caroline Humer in New York; Editing by Jilian Mincer, Mary Milliken and Tim Dobbyn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/telecommuting-debate-aetna-sticks-big-home-workforce-051356649--sector.html

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Syrians are receiving US aid - they just don't know it

The widespread perception among Syrians that the US has abandoned them is untrue, but US aid is rarely branded as such and it is still far short of what is needed.?

By Tom A. Peter,?Correspondent / February 28, 2013

Syrian refugees carry a bucket of water as they walk at Atmeh refugee camp, in the northern Syrian province of Idlib, Syria, last week. Despite US efforts to increase humanitarian assistance to Syria, intended recipients say the American presence remains virtually invisible.

Hussein Malla/AP

Enlarge

At his tiny hospital in Turkey just a stone?s throw from the Syrian border, Qussay Said Essa says he?s all but given up on American assistance. Though he knows the US has pledged money both inside and outside of Syria, he says he doesn?t know of anyone who has seen American aid.

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?What they?ve given is not enough,? says Dr. Essa, a general surgeon at a hospital run by Orient Humanitarian Relief in Reyhanli. ?They?ve given what? $350 million over two years? [The actual American pledge is $385 million.] That?s nothing when you compare it to the size of the tragedy and the destruction.?

Just keeping his tiny clinic afloat in Reyhanli costs $200,000 per month and a sister clinic just across the border with better surgical facilities costs another $600,000 per month. Orient Humanitarian Relief, which Essa says receives funding from wealthy Syrian expatriates, is one of many hundreds of small charitable organizations helping those affected by the Syrian crisis that are in dire need of economic support.

Despite US efforts to increase humanitarian assistance to Syria, intended recipients say the American presence remains virtually invisible. Part of the perceived deficit of support comes from the US policy of not branding or labeling aid parcels to identify them as coming from the US. Many in the aid community say that this has resulted in Syrians feeling abandoned by the US.

In a region where perceptions often matter more than reality, the US has failed to convince many Syrians that it is doing good.

?There?s a sense inside Syria that the US has been stringing the Syrian opposition along,? says Christy Delafield, program director for the Syrian Expatriates Organization. ?Syrian-Americans have been begging the US to brand aid.? The US is doing some great things and the Syrian people aren't seeing it. When they get aid, they credit the Gulf countries, Turkey, or the Europeans, who do brand."

Early this year, President Barack Obama upped the US aid commitment to Syria from $210 million to $365 million. The money has been focused on providing food and healthcare, with more than half of the funds intended for those still inside Syria.

The US announced today that it will give nonlethal aid directly to the rebels that will include medical supplies and food. The US will also provide $60 million for opposition councils working to provide government services in rebel-controlled areas. This is on top of $50 million that the US has already provided for these groups.?Yet the US has intentionally made no effort to communicate to its recipients where the majority of this assistance comes from. Policy makers are concerned that if aid parcels are stamped with American flags or other symbols tying it back to the US, it could endanger the beneficiary or those delivering it inside Syria if they encounter a group hostile to the US.

?We are not putting flags on the aid so that it?s perhaps not as visible as it is in other situations. Our priority is to ensure that it reaches people and that it doesn?t create additional insecurity,? said Nancy Lindborg, USAID?s assistant administrator for democracy, conflict, and humanitarian assistance in recent remarks to the press.

Among those aware of US spending, many allege that a large portion of the money goes to the Syrian government or those inside government controlled areas ? areas less likely to be affected by shortages of food and medical supplies than opposition-controlled areas.

American officials remain insistent that no aid goes directly through the Syrian government, but concede that some may reach those sympathetic to the government when aid is disturbed through groups such as the Red Crescent, whose regional employees may still sympathize with the regime. Other projects benefit large swaths of people that include government supporters, as was the case with funding that provided chlorine for municipal water treatment facilities to produce clean water for 10 million people.

?Much of the aid that?s going in is benefiting a broad array of folks throughout Syria,? said Ms. Lindborg.

For the majority of Syrians, the widely held perception remains that what little US assistance has come their way, much of it has gone to the Assad regime, negating any good done by aid to the opposition that could serve to improve the US image among Syrians.

?I know the US has given money but I?m sure this money has gone to the Red Crescent and this organization has helped the regime so what is the benefit of this assistance?? asks Yasir Alsyed, who manages the Recovery House, which helps wounded Syrians in Reyhanli. ?The US has not supplied any help to the medical or humanitarian sector,? he adds, stating something that is incorrect.

Meanwhile, the scope of the financial commitment to Syria remains disproportionate to the level of need, which Lindborg and other US officials have admitted. Compared to other foreign aid campaigns, the US effort in Syria remains relatively low. During the 2012 fiscal year, the US pledged $2.3 billion to Afghanistan. Even in countries less central to US interests, American spending still exceeds its investment in Syria. During the previous fiscal year the US planned $676 million for aid spending in Jordan and $383 million in Columbia.

As the Syrian conflict approaches its two-year anniversary, the optimism that permeated the early days is gone and the assumption that it is only a matter of time before Assad steps down has faded away amid statements and other indicators that he will not willingly leave power and his troops remain well-armed and capable. Now many Syrians are hunkering down for a prolonged conflict in which they?re not expecting outside help.

?All these are blow after blow. Syrians really thought the West would come to their aid,? says Mouaz Moustafa, political director of the Syrian Emergency Task Force.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/VXeurF9RKIE/Syrians-are-receiving-US-aid-they-just-don-t-know-it

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Zeroing in on heart disease: Innovative strategy pinpoints genes underlying cardiovascular disease risk

Feb. 28, 2013 ? Studies screening the genome of hundreds of thousands of individuals (known as Genome-wide association studies or GWAS) have linked more than 100 regions in the genome to the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the University of Heidelberg, through the joint Molecular Medicine Partnership Unit (MMPU), are taking these results one step further by pinpointing the exact genes that could have a role in the onset of the disease.

Their findings are published today in the online journal PLoS Genetics.

The scientists used a technology called "RNA interference" that can selectively decrease the level of expression of targeted genes. By observing what changes, if any, this decrease causes in cells, researchers can identify the function of the genes and, on a larger scale, objectively test the function of many genes in parallel.

Cholesterol levels in the blood are one of the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease. They are controlled by the amount of cholesterol that cells can take in -- thus removing it from the blood -- and metabolise. The researchers used RNA interference to test the function of each of the genes within 56 regions previously identified by GWAS as being linked with cardiovascular disease. They selectively decreased their action and measured what, if any, changes this induced in cholesterol metabolism. From this they could deduce which of the genes are most likely to be involved in the onset of the disease.

"This is the first wide-scale RNA interference study that follows up on GWAS. It has proven its potential by narrowing down a large list of candidate genes to the few with an important function that we can now focus on in future in-depth studies," explains Rainer Pepperkok at EMBL, who co-led the study with Heiko Runz at the University of Heidelberg.

"In principle, our approach can be applied to any disease that has an observable effect on cells," adds Heiko Runz. "The genes identified here may further our understanding of the mechanisms leading to cardiovascular disease and allow us to improve its prediction and diagnosis."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Blattmann P, Schuberth C, Pepperkok R, Runz H. RNAi?Based Functional Profiling of Loci from Blood Lipid Genome-Wide Association Studies Identifies Genes with Cholesterol-Regulatory Function. PLoS Genetics, 2013; 9 (2): e1003338 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003338

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://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/MaxK-9Tdl-o/130228171405.htm

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