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Plasma proteomic data can contain personally identifiable, sensitive information and incidental findings [Research]

The goal of clinical proteomics is to identify, quantify, and characterize proteins in body fluids or tissue to assist diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of patients. In this way, it is similar to more mature omics technologies, such as genomics, that are increasingly applied in biomedicine. We argue that, similar to those fields, proteomics also faces ethical issues related to the kinds of information that is inherently obtained through sample measurement, although their acquisition was not the primary purpose. Specifically, we demonstrate the potential to identify individuals both by their characteristic, individual-specific protein levels and by variant peptides reporting on coding single nucleotide polymorphisms. Furthermore, it is in the nature of blood plasma proteomics profiling that it broadly reports on the health status of an individual – beyond the disease under investigation. Finally, we show that private and potentially sensitive information, such as ethnicity and pregnancy status, can increasingly be derived from proteomics data. Although this is potentially valuable not only to the individual, but also for biomedical research, it raises ethical questions similar to the incidental findings obtained through other omics technologies. We here introduce the necessity of - and argue for the desirability for - ethical and human rights-related issues to be discussed within the proteomics community. Those thoughts are more fully developed in our accompanying manuscript. Appreciation and discussion of ethical aspects of proteomic research will allow for deeper, better-informed, more diverse, and, most importantly, wiser guidelines for clinical proteomics.




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Nonspecific DNA binding by P1 ParA determines the distribution of plasmid partition and repressor activities [Microbiology]

The faithful segregation, or “partition,” of many low-copy number bacterial plasmids is driven by plasmid-encoded ATPases that are represented by the P1 plasmid ParA protein. ParA binds to the bacterial nucleoid via an ATP-dependent nonspecific DNA (nsDNA)-binding activity, which is essential for partition. ParA also has a site-specific DNA-binding activity to the par operator (parOP), which requires either ATP or ADP, and which is essential for it to act as a transcriptional repressor but is dispensable for partition. Here we examine how DNA binding by ParA contributes to the relative distribution of its plasmid partition and repressor activities, using a ParA with an alanine substitution at Arg351, a residue previously predicted to participate in site-specific DNA binding. In vivo, the parAR351A allele is compromised for partition, but its repressor activity is dramatically improved so that it behaves as a “super-repressor.” In vitro, ParAR351A binds and hydrolyzes ATP, and undergoes a specific conformational change required for nsDNA binding, but its nsDNA-binding activity is significantly damaged. This defect in turn significantly reduces the assembly and stability of partition complexes formed by the interaction of ParA with ParB, the centromere-binding protein, and DNA. In contrast, the R351A change shows only a mild defect in site-specific DNA binding. We conclude that the partition defect is due to altered nsDNA binding kinetics and affinity for the bacterial chromosome. Furthermore, the super-repressor phenotype is explained by an increased pool of non-nucleoid bound ParA that is competent to bind parOP and repress transcription.




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Healthcare comes to standstill in east Aleppo as last hospitals are destroyed




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GLP-1 agonist shortage will last until end of 2024, government warns




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Culture notes: Will the EU find its voice at last?

Culture notes: Will the EU find its voice at last? The World Today mhiggins.drupal 30 January 2023

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has galvanized the bloc, but doubt remains about how it can capitalize on this moment, writes Catherine Fieschi.

Despite its reticence to believe that Russia would attack Ukraine, once Vladimir Putin’s tanks rolled across the Donbas, the European Union finally grasped the momentous nature of the events unfolding on its eastern flank. The immediate reaction of Europe’s member states was one of unity, resolve and uncharacteristically rapid decision-making, at least on sanctions and energy policy.

That they would need to act in concert across a concatenation of crises that would be either triggered (energy), worsened (inflation) or heightened (geopolitical instability) by Putin’s move was obvious. And so, Europe’s collective narrative of this past year slid into place, and it goes something like this: We gave Russia the benefit of every doubt, including after their invasion of Crimea when we still tried to bring them back to the negotiating table, but Putin has made the fundamental choice of turning away from democracy and the rule of law.

Europe had long been in need of an arc to follow

Now, the narrative goes on, we have to treat them as enemies and give ourselves the means to become resilient in the face of aggression as Ukraine is all that stands – both symbolically and geographically – between us and the chaos of a Europe-wide war.

Like any good narrative, it is anchored in previous trials and exploits. Having learnt from its failure to coordinate action during the eurozone crisis and then the migration crisis, Europe was keen to make the most of its resilience in the face of the Covid pandemic in the form of the joint vaccine purchases and a massive recovery plan.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is an added – albeit dramatic and costly – opportunity to pursue further collective action and discover the next chapter of its shared purpose, as a political and perhaps even a defence alliance.

Europe had long been in need of an arc to follow. In the aftermath of the Second World War, peace and prosperity seemed enough. But the new multipolar world that emerged from the ashes of the Cold War and then 9/11 were more difficult to navigate for a largely commercial and regulatory alliance.

Could the EU, then, ever find its political voice?

David vs Goliath

While Brexit and Covid created rallying points, the shock and tragedy of the invasion delivered everything the EU needed in narrative terms: a David and Goliath story, with the opportunity to feature on Team David in European terms while allying with the United States, and a ‘band of brothers’ element to shore up a union bruised by the defection of a key but troubled member. Above all, the appearance of an arch-villain in the form of Vladimir Putin put Europe back into the familiar and mythical territory of the 1940s and then the Cold War.

When on May 28, 2016, Putin seated himself on the throne of the Byzantine emperors in Mount Athos’ Protaton Church in Greece in a scene truly worthy of Game of Thrones, the writing should have been on the wall. That day he explicitly laid out his aim to appoint himself as the new Eastern emperor who would fight the decadence of the West.

‘Today,’ Putin told the world, ‘we restore the values of patriotism, historical memory and traditional culture.’ Later, he cited Ukraine as the biggest unfinished mission of his years in power. That Europe – and Germany in particular – had taken so long to decipher Putin’s dark designs only adds to the narrative’s epic quality, positioning Europe as a victim of its own good faith and open heart.

Cracks in the narrative

But the narrative is not free from cracks. The Baltic states would argue that they had long warned of Putin’s nefarious intentions; and Poland has always been convinced of the threat posed by its neighbour.




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Ukraine blasts Russia with massive overnight drone strike

Ukraine launched a massive drone attack on Moscow overnight, the largest on the Russian capital since the Russian invasion more than two years ago, forcing three airports to divert traffic and causing casualties.




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Dallas Cowboys trade for Carolina Panthers wide receiver Jonathan Mingo

The Dallas Cowboys agreed to trade a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for wide receiver Jonathan Mingo and a seventh-round pick, a league source told UPI on Tuesday.




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Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to have season-ending hamstring surgery

Veteran quarterback Dak Prescott will undergo season-ending surgery to repair his injured hamstring, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones announced Tuesday.




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Look: Coyote rescued from plastic jug stuck over its head in Illinois

A coyote that had a plastic jug stuck over its head for at least a week was rescued by members of the public in Illinois and is now recovering at a wildlife rescue.





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LightSolver Highlights Laser Computing Advancements for HPC at SC24

TEL AVIV, Israel, Nov. 12, 2024 — LightSolver today announced that it will be exhibiting and presenting at SC24, the international conference for high-performance computing (HPC), networking, storage, and analysis […]

The post LightSolver Highlights Laser Computing Advancements for HPC at SC24 appeared first on HPCwire.




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‘America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders’ to return for Season 2

Netflix's hit docuseries "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" will return for a second season in 2025.




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NASA's Crew-8 returns to Earth, successfully splashing down into Gulf

The four-member SpaceX Crew-8 aboard Crew Dragon Endeavour returned to Earth early Friday, completing their nearly eight-month mission in space.




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The ‘Flavodiet’ Could Slash Your Dementia Risk By 30% (M)

A study reveals how six simple food additions could dramatically lower your dementia risk.




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A Classic Childhood Sign Of Good Adult Mental Health

Children brought up like this tend to be happier as adults.




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Bid to halt in-person classes denied; prison cases protested




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Feds: No Penalties for Nevada After Smarter Balanced Testing Woes Last Year

The state requested a waiver from the federal requirement in January. Failure to meet the 95-percent requirement can lead to funding penalties for states.




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Anchorage schools delay plan to bring students back to class




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In-class teaching continues in Reno; Las Vegas vote Thursday




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Virus surge: Schools abandon classes, states retreat




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Michigan halts classes, indoor dining as coronavirus surges




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Iowa seeing full hospitals, closed classrooms as virus rages




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Chicago schools to resume to in-person classes in January




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Virginia schools delay in-person classes amid COVID-19 spike




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Empty desks: Coronavirus robs US classrooms of teachers




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Anchorage School District in Alaska projects a $15.2M loss




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Kentucky Attorney General, Private School Sue Over Order Closing In-Person Classes

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has joined a private school in a lawsuit against Gov. Andy Beshear, arguing that a school closure order not only violated state law but also the First Amendment.




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Virginia schools delay in-person classes amid COVID-19 spike




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Texas and Nevada Lawmakers Overhaul States' Controversial School Funding Formulas

Several states this year sought to replace their funding formulas, a monumental fiscal and political feat, but only a handful of legislatures have been able to get proposals to their governors' desks.




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In-class teaching continues in Reno; Las Vegas vote Thursday




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Washoe middle, high schools suspending in-class instruction




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A RedForEd Wave: Teachers in North and South Carolina Leave Classrooms in Protest

A sea of red swept the capitals of North and South Carolina on Wednesday, as thousands of teachers turned out to demand higher pay and more school funding.




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Home Schooling Is Way Up With COVID-19. Will It Last?

The shift could have lasting effects on both public schools and the home-schooling movement.




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Anchorage School District in Alaska projects a $15.2M loss




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Kentucky Attorney General, Private School Sue Over Order Closing In-Person Classes

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron has joined a private school in a lawsuit against Gov. Andy Beshear, arguing that a school closure order not only violated state law but also the First Amendment.




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Washoe middle, high schools suspending in-class instruction




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Classes canceled in Baltimore County after cyber attack




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5000 Alabama students haven't shown up for any sort of class




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Utah high school to replace Braves mascot amid backlash




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Teacher Tips: Keeping Kids Engaged During Online Math Class

Math teachers share advice for making remote instruction work.




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California boy, 11, fatally shoots self during online class




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46% of N.C. school's students fail classes in some grades




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Rutland City students to return to in-person classes




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5000 Alabama students haven't shown up for any sort of class




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Tennessee School District Prohibits Crowdfunding for Class Supplies

A school district in Tennessee says it no longer wants teachers to use crowdfunding websites to get extra school supplies.




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Utah high school to replace Braves mascot amid backlash




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A RedForEd Wave: Teachers in North and South Carolina Leave Classrooms in Protest

A sea of red swept the capitals of North and South Carolina on Wednesday, as thousands of teachers turned out to demand higher pay and more school funding.




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Virus surge: Schools abandon classes, states retreat




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Indiana Teachers Shot With Plastic Pellets in Active-Shooter Drill, Raising Concerns

The Indiana state teachers' union is pushing to protect student and staff safety during active-shooter trainings.




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Small Arkansas School District Installs Safe Rooms in All Classrooms

A school district in a small Arkansas city has installed steel safe rooms in every classroom.