Up and Coming

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Frisky bacteria

Ever since medicine declared war on bacteria with the discovery of penicillin, the two have been locked in an arms race.

Antibiotics are met by resistance from germs; so researchers develop new drugs and germs become resistant again.

Now some scientists believe genetics will be the new weapon in the fight, with doctors consulting bacterial genomes when treating disease.

This week a team at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute published a paper in the journal Science, which they say shows the first genetic picture of the evolutionary war between medicine and bacteria.

“Potentially every time someone is ill we could isolate the genome of a bacterial infection”

Bacterial genetics can be tricky. With humans, one person's DNA is passed on to their children, then to their children, and so on down the family tree.

Bacteria are altogether more frisky.

They pass DNA onto their descendants when they divide in two, but they also swap DNA with other bacteria, changing their genetic code.

It is like popping to the shop and changing eye colour with someone at the checkout.

This study has managed to tease out the differences between the two ways of passing on DNA in Streptococcus pneumoniae and draw its family tree.

The researchers were able to show how the species responded to different antibiotics, how it became resistant, where it became resistant and how the resistance spread around the world.

It is the first time the whole of a genome has been studied to measure the genetic response to medicine.

Other studies have come to some of the same conclusions, but as a review in the same journal said: "Suggesting that we knew all this before however misses the importance of their study, in which a single experiment provided more information than has been achieved over 15 years of research."

Studying the whole of a genome is getting cheaper and Dr Stephen Bentley, from the Sanger Institute, believes it could change the way we treat illnesses.

He told the BBC: "Potentially every time someone is ill we could isolate the genome of a bacterial infection, determine if it is resistant, how it will behave in humans and match it up to a database to monitor the spread of an outbreak."

Writing in Science, Professors Mark Enright and Brian Spratt, reviewed the study: "The ease with which investigators can now obtain whole genomes of bacterial pathogens is opening up a number of questions that previously were impossible or difficult to address.

"One of these is how virulent or high drug resistant strains of bacterial pathogens spread within hospitals and nursing homes within a region."

Dr Bentley thinks genetics could become part of normal hospital practice in five to 10 years' time.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/health-12290004

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Cause for concern

By Rajini Vaidyanathan

A Egyptian-American businessman in the state of Virginia explains how events in his home country are affecting him

Egyptians around the world are watching events in their home country with interest and concern. In the United States there are 200,000 Egyptians, many of whom live in Northern Virginia and the Washington DC area.

The Khan El Khalili superstore in Falls Church, on the outskirts of Washington DC looks, sounds and even smells like a slice of Egypt in America.

Just like its namesake - the famous Khan El Khalili market in Cairo - it stocks an eclectic and vast array of gifts and artefacts.

The choice is immense - here you can buy everything from spices to stuffed camels, hookah pipes to hand mixed perfumes, incense sticks to instruments of all kinds.

Its owner Mohammed Khattab moved to America from Egypt twenty years ago.

"As an Egyptian, I'm disappointed, and as an American, I'm disappointed and ashamed," he says.

Mr Khattab speaks with a heavy heart as he reflects on the current happenings in Egypt, and the response from the American administration.

He says the sentiments in Mr Obama's landmark speech in Cairo in 2009 - which called for greater democracy in the Middle East - haven't been matched by his actions.

"I was hoping, like everybody else, that he'd become strong about this.

"People believed him and were inspired by him because he is African-American," he says.

The Khan El Khalili superstore is a taste of Egypt in America

Mr Khattab is also concerned for his friends and family back in Cairo, and wishes he could be with them at this time.

His colleague Ehab Ahmed, who works as the store manager, has also been in regular contact with his loved ones back in the city.

"Everybody is afraid because of the lack of security in dowtown Cairo, there's no police presence. It's chaos, everybody is protecting themselves," he says.

Like Mr Khattab, Ehab believes it is time for President Mubarak to step down. In his place, he says he would like to see a coalition of young people, drawn from all the opposition parties to decide Egypt's future.

In the instrument section of the shop, the sound of Mahmood Hasanin playing the flute draws us over.

In between musical bursts, Mr Hasanin shares his story. He came to America in 1981 - the same year Hosni Mubarak assumed power in Egypt.

He believes the US holds the key to resolving the situation there.

"America needs to make the decision well for these people," he tells me, but when pressed on what that might be, he's unsure.

"He's had a nice history for the world, he's a military man, he's had 30 years. But now he should ask the people what they want," he adds.

The Egyptian community in Virginia also includes many Coptic Christians who are worried for their relatives back home.

Adel and Ghada Bassali believe President Mubarek should go, but not until September's elections

Akram Joseph runs the Old Cairo Grill in the town of Burke which aims to recreate the real taste of Egypt. He is intensely proud to live in America, a country he believes has the freedoms and democracy his family back in Alexandria in Egypt aren't afforded.

Over freshly made hummus, falafel, baklava and hot Egyptian tea, he shares his fears for his country.

"I'm concerned for the safety of my friends and relatives. Even though we see a lot through the news, we don't get the full picture, and communicaton can be disrupted at any minute," he explains.

Mr Joseph says he is particulary worried because his friends and family back in Egypt only recently had to deal with the tragedy of a suicide bomber blowing up a Coptic Orthodox Church in Alexandria on New Years Eve.

He believes both Christians and Muslims from Egypt share the same vision for a new government - "we are one community and we live together," he says.

Enjoying a chicken shawarma at one of the tables at the restaurant are Adel and Ghada Bassali who are also originally from Alexandria. They both believe Mr Mubarak's time is up, but don't think he should go immediately.

"I definitely don't feel like it is a good time for him to go now," says Mr Bassali, "Somebody else would have to fill the space right now and that would be chaotic," says Mr Bassali.

He believes the best solution would be to wait until September - when elections are already scheduled - to choose a new government.

He says he fears "fanatic Islamists who could change the constitution," could take over from Mr Mubarak, and singles out his concern about the Muslim Brotherhood - Egypt's largest opposition group - which supports sharia law.

His wife Ghada chips in to say that her family in Egypt think Omar Suleiman, the current Vice-President, would be a good choice.

It's impossible to guess the country's long term future - but the outcome will matter as much to those inside Egypt - as it will to the thousands who left the country for America.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-us-canada-12331129

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Afghan deaths hit 'record levels'

An Afghan woman mourns as she holds a poster with photos of her family members killed during a US-led raid in Herat province in Afghanistan in 2008

Most civilian deaths were are blamed on the insurgents, but 20% were caused by foreign troops

The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan hit record levels last year, according to a report from the Afghan Rights Group.

Some 2,421 civilians were killed, most at the hands of insurgents, according to the Kabul-based group.

Foreign troops were to blame for about a fifth of all deaths, the report says.

Preliminary figures released by the UN last year showed the conflict in Afghanistan had led to a total of 2,412 civilian fatalities and 3,803 injuries.

As many as seven civilians were killed every day in Afghanistan last year, a record in the nine-year-old war, according to the Afghan Rights Group.

Insurgents - the Taliban, Haqqani group, and others - are to blame for about 60% of the deaths, it said.

When attacks are launched on government or international forces, Afghans are often caught in the cross fire.

About a fifth of civilian deaths are blamed on international forces - the number has fallen slightly on the previous year.

There has been a dramatic increase in assassinations carried out by insurgents - 400 in 2010, compared to 230 the year before.

Government employees, politicians and tribal elders have all been targeted.

And the prospects for this year are not good.

Most officials are expecting at least same level of violence, if not more.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-south-asia-12332049

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Debt advice stops as funding axed

Five hundred specialist debt advisers across England and Wales have stopped taking on new cases, after the government said it would axe financial support provided through the Financial Inclusion Fund.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-12331504

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BP reports annual loss of $4.9bn

BP's chief executive Robert Dudley took over the role from Tony Hayward in the wake of the oil spill

BP has reported a loss of $4.9bn (£3.1bn) for 2010, its first annual loss since 1992.

The replacement cost loss comes after taking into account $40.9bn set aside for costs relating to the giant oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

The loss compares with a profit of $13.9bn that BP had recorded in 2009.

The company's chief executive, Robert Dudley, said BP would restore its dividend payment to shareholders, paying 7 cents a share.

The dividend payouts had been suspended in the wake of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

BP's profits during the fourth quarter of 2010 were $4.6bn, a third higher than in the same quarter a year previously.

Some of the increase in profits during the fourth quarter was thanks to the rising oil price, which had climbed to £$90 a barrel by the end of last year.

BP also said in its results statement that it would sell its Texas City oil refinery, where 15 workers were killed in an explosion at the plant in 2005.

The company is restructuring its business and has already sold interests in Argentina, North America, Venezuela, Vietnam, Colombia and Egypt.

Later on Tuesday BP will give further details on its future strategy.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/business-12331804

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Call to ban cheap surgery offers

There are calls for a ban on discount promotions for cosmetic surgery with one group claiming too many companies put pressure on people.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/newsbeat/12307651

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Queensland set for 'huge' cyclone

Satellite image shows Cyclone Yasi passing the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu on 31 Jan 2011

The Australian state of Queensland could be facing one of the worst cyclones in its history, as it works to recover from devastating floods.

State Premier Anna Bligh said that Cyclone Yasi had the potential to be one of the "most significant cyclones that we've ever had to deal with".

The storm is expected to hit the coast on Wednesday night.

All ports from Cairns to Mackay are to close from Tuesday afternoon and resort islands have begun evacuating guests.

The flood-hit state was struck on Sunday by a smaller storm, Cyclone Anthony, which tore roofs off houses and felled trees in northern coastal areas.

Southern and central parts of Queensland bore the brunt of flooding which began in December and peaked in mid-January with the inundation of Australia's third-largest city of Brisbane.

The government has estimated the cost of the damage at A$5.6bn ($5.6bn, £3.5bn) - Australia's costliest natural disaster.

Cyclone Yasi is expected to become a category four storm by Wednesday and to hit north of Brisbane, with the biggest impact along the stretch of coastline between Innisfail and Mackay.

"[Yasi] may well be one of the largest and most significant cyclones that we have ever had to deal with," Ms Bligh said.

"This is an event we have to take seriously. I know cyclones can at the last minute turn off the coast, and I certainly hope this one does.

"But the bureau advises me in the most serious terms, that all of the modelling right now says this is going to cross our coast."

She said that areas in the path of the cyclone could see winds of 100km/h by early on Wednesday as well as significant rainfall.

"We couldn't rule out further flooding in areas that have already experienced significant flooding in the last four weeks if this cyclone behaves in the way it's currently predicted to do," Ms Bligh said.

People in areas likely to be affected should begin preparations for the storm, she said.

This article is from the BBC News website. � British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-pacific-12322154

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