Cheating slime mold gets the upper hand

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

A 'cheater' mutation (chtB) in Dictyostelium discoideum, a free living slime mould able to co-operate as social organism when food is scarce, allows the cheater strain to exploit its social partner, finds a new study published in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Evolutionary Biology. The mutation ensures that when mixed with 'normal' Dictyosteliummore than the fair share of cheaters become spores, dispersing to a new environment, and avoiding dying as stalk cells.

Dictyosteliumhave an unusual life style. They generally live as individual amoeboid cells, eating bacteria in leaf litter and soil. However when they run out of food they form a multi-cellular 'slug' capable of travelling to a new environment. However if conditions are right they behave more like a fungus, producing a stalk and a fruiting body which releases spores. During this co-operative behaviour approximately 20% become stalk cells which are doomed to starvation but, after dispersal, the spores germinate into new amoeba.

The chtB strain is able to reduce the ability of normal Dictyostelium to form spores so that when mixed in equal numbers with wild type Dictyostelium60% of the spores will be chtB. The chtB mutation appeared to be normal in all other respects and the mutation had no 'fitness cost' which might impede its behaviour or lifespan. In fact the mutation allowed chtB to divide faster in liquid medium.

Dr Lorenzo Santorelli from the University of Oxford who led this study, conducted at Baylor College of Medicine in the Shaulsky lab explained, "chtB cells inhibit the pre-spore gene cotB in their wild type partner. This appears to force the wild type Dictyosteliumto become cells at the base of the stalk rather than stalk cells or spores. Cheaters are essentially parasites, but we could not find the expected fitness cost which usually prevents such cheaters from taking over."

###

BioMed Central: http://www.biomedcentral.com

Thanks to BioMed Central for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 30 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126204/Cheating_slime_mold_gets_the_upper_hand

Steel Magnolias Niels Bohr the Rumble 2012 Columbus Day 2012 carlina white Sam Champion Engaged Infield fly rule

2nd Winehouse inquest held after coroner glitch

LONDON (AP) ? A British court is holding a second inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse after the coroner who ruled the singer had drunk herself to death was found to lack the proper qualifications.

The soul singer was found dead at her London home in July 2011 at the age of 27. An inquest later that year found that the star had died from accidental alcohol poisoning.

The coroner later resigned after her qualifications were questioned. She had been hired by her husband, the senior coroner for inner north London. But she had not been a registered lawyer in Britain for five years as required.

The family has said Tuesday's hearing at St. Pancras Coroner's Court is expected to reach the same conclusion about the cause of death.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-08-Britain-Amy%20Winehouse/id-780801a909ec45ce95f3ad9f1db1fbe0

lyme disease symptoms esperanza spalding jessica sanchez robert kennedy cardinals san diego weather north korea

BlueAnt announces Q3 Bluetooth headset

BlueAnt offers up its 3rd iteration of the Q-series of bluetooth headsets at CES 2013: say hello to the BlueAnt Q3. Packed in the new Q3's curvier shell are all the niceties of a modern Bluetooth headset including Siri support, Google Voice actions -- using free downloadable app -- wind noise protection up to 22mph, wideband audio and the promise of 7 hours talk and 100 hours standby time. Like the Q1 and Q2 before it, the Q3 will launch shortly after its launch here at CES but unlike them the introductory price of the headset will be $30 less at $99. Look for the BlueAnt Q3 to begin shipping in either black or platinum in March this year.

Continue reading BlueAnt announces Q3 Bluetooth headset

Filed under: Wireless

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/PuZw0xTYwg8/

saints willis mcgahee willis mcgahee ship aground off italy nfl playoff schedule 2012 nfl live saints vs 49ers

China newspaper dispute sparks petition, protest

BEIJING (AP) ? A dispute over censorship at a Chinese newspaper known for edgy reporting evolved Monday into a political challenge for China's new leadership as prominent scholars demanded a censor's dismissal and hundreds of protesters called for democratic reforms.

The scholars and protesters were acting in support of the Southern Weekly in its confrontation with a top censor after the publication was forced to change a New Year's editorial calling for political reform into a tribute praising the ruling Communist Party. Rumors circulated that at least one of the newspaper's news departments was going on strike, but they could not be immediately confirmed.

Protesters, including middle school students and white-collar workers, gathered outside the offices of the newspaper in the southern city of Guangzhou to lay flowers at the gate, hold signs and shout slogans calling for freedom of speech, political reform, constitutional governance and democracy.

"I feel that the ordinary people must awaken," said one of the protesters, Yuan Fengchu, who was reached by phone. "The people are starting to realize that their rights have been taken away by the Communist Party and they are feeling that they are being constantly oppressed."

Political expression in the public sphere is often viewed as risky in China, where the authoritarian government frequently harasses and even jails dissidents for pro-democracy calls.

Another protester, Guangzhou writer and activist Wu Wei, who goes by the pen name Ye Du, said the protest marked a rare instance in which people were making overt calls for political freedom since large-scale pro-democracy demonstrations were crushed in a military crackdown in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in 1989.

"In other cities, we've seen people march, but most of the time they are protesting environmental pollution or people's livelihood issues," Wu said. "Here they are asking for political rights, the right to protest. The Southern Weekly incident has provided an opportunity for citizens to voice their desires."

The protest came as 18 Chinese academics signed an open letter calling for the dismissal of Tuo Zhen, a provincial propaganda minister blamed for the censorship. The scholars included legal professors, liberal economists, historians and writers.

Peking University law professor He Weifang, who was among the signers, said the newspaper's good work needed to be defended from censorship.

"Southern Weekly is known as a newspaper that exposes the truth, but after Tuo Zhen arrived in Guangdong, he constantly pressured the paper. We need to let him know that he can't do this," He said. "This incident is a test to see if the new leadership is determined to push political reform."

Six weeks ago, China installed a new generation of Communist Party leaders for the next five years, with current Vice President Xi Jinping at the helm. Some of Xi's announcements for a trimmed-down style of leadership, with reduced waste and fewer unnecessary meetings, have raised hopes in some quarters that he might favor deeper reforms in the political system to mollify a public long frustrated by local corruption.

The Guangdong provincial propaganda department did not immediately respond to a faxed list of questions. But the Communist Party-run Global Times newspaper said in an editorial that no Chinese media outlet should fool itself into thinking that it could occupy a "political special zone" in which it is free from government control.

"Regardless of whether these people are willing or unwilling, common sense says: In China's current social political reality, there cannot be the kind of 'free media' that these people hope in their hearts for," the editorial said.

China's media in recent years have become increasingly freewheeling in some kinds of coverage, including lurid reports on celebrities and sports figures. Still, censorship of political issues remains tight ? although government officials typically claim there is no censorship at all ? and the restrictions have drawn increasingly vocal criticism from journalists and members of the public.

___

Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter: http://twitter.com/gillianwong

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-newspaper-dispute-sparks-petition-protest-101724274.html

spice girls justin theroux Bumbo recall USA Basketball taio cruz taio cruz Winter Olympics 2014

This Insane Transparent Washer Is Already the Best Vaporware of 2013

At last year's CES, Haier showed off a transparent TV, which never took off for the obvious reason that nobody needs or wants a transparent TV. Today, a great leap forward: a neon, see-through washing machine. This is. The. Future. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/vwICIAVGCvM/this-insane-transparent-washer-is-already-the-best-vaporware-of-2013

lucky numbers odds of winning mega millions mary mary sag aftra merger dj am bully bohemian rhapsody

Bee Species Named after 'Big Bang Theory' Catchphrase - Ft. Smith ...

(CNN) ? If you watch ?The Big Bang Theory,? you probably laugh every time Sheldon Cooper says the B-word: ?Bazinga!?

Now, in one of those amusing science-imitates-art moments, ?bazinga? has been officially dubbed a species of a bee.

The writers of the hit comedy probably never imagined that the persnickety physicist Cooper?s favorite word would be immortalized in actual science.

But thanks to a team of Brazilian biologists, a Brazilian orchid bee is now known by the name Euglossa bazinga.

?The idea was to honor actor Jim Parsons and his brilliant interpretation of Sheldon Cooper,? Dr. Andr? Nem?sio, a biology professor at the Universidade Federal de Uberl?ndia in Brazil told CNN.

?The show exaggerates a little bit, but in a sarcastic way, it shows how things do happen in the academic world,? he added. ?It is fantastic!?

Of course, it doesn?t hurt that the name draws attention to these creatures.

?Many orchid-bee species inhabit forested areas that may soon vanish and, as a consequence, it is possible that the bees might disappear, too,? Nem?sio said.

?For many areas and many species, only a strong action from the society can reverse the extinction process. So, I think it is also a valid way to make people know about these wonderful creatures and the situation concerning their conservation status.?

For his part, ?Big Bang Theory? executive producer Steve Molaro responded in a press release: ?We are always extremely flattered when the science community embraces our show. Sheldon would be honored to know that Euglossa bazinga was inspired by him. In fact, after ?Mothra? and griffins, bees are his third-favorite flying creatures.?

Source: http://5newsonline.com/2013/01/04/bee-species-named-after-big-bang-theory-catchphrase/

bristol motor speedway prometheus grand canyon skywalk tonga pid corned beef hash the walking dead season 2 finale

What To Expect When Your Personal Injury ... - Preszler Law Firm

The majority of personal injury claims are settled out of court.? However, for those claims where you and the person you have sued cannot reach a fair resolution, it will be necessary to go to Trial and ask a Judge or Jury to decide the case.

Most personal injury Trials are conducted in front of a Jury of six people.? The Jurors are considered the triers of fact.? The Trial Judge will decide what evidence is admissible at Trial and the Jury will be asked to decide whether the person you have sued was at fault for the accident, and then assign a dollar value to the injuries you have sustained.

The person who was injured and is seeking compensation is known as the ?Plaintiff?.? The Defendant is the person being sued by the Plaintiff.

The Plaintiff has the burden of proving their case.? For those of you who have watched one of the legal dramas on television, you might have some idea of what this means.? ?However, unlike a criminal case where the prosecutors have to prove their case ?beyond a reasonable doubt?, in personal injury cases the Plaintiff typically has to prove their case on a lower standard known as the ?balance of probabilities?.

You may have seen a picture of the scales of justice.? The balance of probabilities is often described as tipping the scales of justice ever so slightly in your favour, whereas proving a case beyond a reasonable doubt requires a Jury to be 99% convinced of the facts presented to them.

At the beginning of the trial, the parties typically make opening statements. Each party will provide an outline of the evidence they expect the Jury to hear from the witnesses that will testify.

To prove the case at Trial you would give evidence and explain how your life has been changed as a result of the accident.? While on the stand you would describe how the accident happened and then tell the Jury what your life was like before the accident; what injuries you sustained in the incident, and then describe how these injuries have impacted your life.

To assist the Jury in understanding the profound changes to your life, other supporting witnesses will also give evidence.? Friends, family, co-workers, usually known as ?lay witnesses?, would testify about the changes they have noticed in you since the accident.

In addition, treating health care providers, as well as various experts will help the Jury understand your medical diagnosis and prognosis.? The number and type of experts that will give evidence at Trial will depend on your specific injuries.

Keep in mind that once you, or any other of the witnesses who appear on your behalf, give evidence, the Defendant?s lawyer will have the opportunity to conduct a cross examination.

During a Cross Examination the lawyer will ask a series of leading questions which are typically designed to have you make a series of admissions.? These admissions are then used to paint a picture which undermines your case.

Careful preparation is required to anticipate the avenues by which a defendant?s lawyer will attempt to frame your case in an unfavourable light.? We at Preszler Law Firm LLP have been down this path many times, and will help you avoid the pitfalls facing a witness.

Once the plaintiff has called all of their evidence, the defendant will then present its case in the same manner.? The plaintiff will also have the opportunity to cross examine each of the defendant?s witnesses.

Once all the evidence has been put to the Jury, the parties will then make their closing arguments.? In the closing argument each party has the chance to weave together all the evidence that has been presented in the hope of persuading the trier of fact to rule in their favour.

It is at this stage that we communicate the themes of your case, using battle tested narrative techniques to not just present the facts, but to put forward a compelling ?story? which explains who you are, and what has happened to you since the accident.

Once each party has made their closing statement, the Judge will give his ?charge? to the Jury.? In the charge, the Trial Judge instructs the Jury on what legal principles to consider when arriving at their verdict.

In a Civil Trial, the Trial Judge will then put a series of questions to the Jury to decide.? Five of six Jurors must agree to the answer of a question for there to be a verdict.? If one or more questions are posed to the Jury, it is not required that the same five people agree on each question.

The Jury will then start their deliberations until they either arrive at a verdict.? If the Jury is deadlocked this means that they could not get five of six people to agree on the answer to each question put to them.? If the Jurors are deadlocked, the Judge will declare a mistrial.? If there is a mistrial, the parties will come back and try the case again with a different Jury.

After reading this brief overview of what to expect at trial, you have likely come to appreciate why you need Preszler Law Firm LLP to represent you at Trial.? What this overview does not explain is the diligent work involved to prepare your case so that it is ready to be presented to a Jury.

For more information on what you can expect when your personal injury claim goes to trial, please go to http://www.preszlerlaw.com/.

?

Source: http://www.preszlerlaw.com/blog/2013/01/04/what-to-expect-when-your-personal-injury-claim-goes-to-trial/

walker recall censor pipa and sopa sopa pipa wikipedia blackout kyla pratt justified season 3