Payments Startup Ribbon Now Lets You Buy In-Stream On Twitter.com, Launches YouTube Support & Price-Matches PayPal

Ribbon, the AngelPad-backed payments startup that introduces a simpler checkout experience when buying from merchants online or via social media, is today rolling out two big new features: support for YouTube payments and a new Twitter "in-stream" payment option that lets you buy without ever clicking away from Twitter.com. The company has also reduced its fees in order to be more competitive with payments competitors like PayPal and Stripe.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/lpO3XRbSOO8/

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Metabolic fingerprinting: Using proteomics to identify proteins in gymnosperm pollination drops

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Proteins are vital parts of living organisms, performing a variety of essential functions such as DNA replication, catabolizing reactions, and responding to stimuli. The complete set of proteins expressed in an organism at a given time, under defined conditions, is known as the proteome. While the genome of an organism remains relatively stable, the proteome is remarkably dynamic, varying from cell to cell and even within a single cell and changing rapidly in response to developmental and environmental cues.

Proteomics is a powerful technique for examining the structure and function of the proteome. For some organisms, proteomics can uncover the relationship between DNA, RNA, and the production of proteins -- enabling the comparison of the genome to the proteome. For those organisms that have not yet been sequenced, proteomics facilitates the discovery and identification of proteins. In a new study published in the April issue of Applications in Plant Sciences, graduate student Natalie Prior and her colleagues demonstrate the suitability of proteomics in determining the composition of gymnosperm pollination drops.

"The biggest limitation in what we are doing is that there is no published gymnosperm genome," says Prior. "Most of the work on gymnosperms has been anatomical, histological, or morphological. The biochemical perspective is really lacking."

Mediating signaling between the pollen and the ovule, one role of the pollination drop is to provide a germination medium, which can be species specific. Additionally, in some species, anti-microbial proteins have been identified, suggesting that pollination drops provide protection in addition to acting as a landing spot for pollen grains.

"The proteins we are finding are really starting points for other research," says Prior. "We can identify these proteins, but there is a lot more research that can be done once we know what proteins are there."

Identification of the proteins found in pollination drops provides a metabolic fingerprint and thereby informs understanding of seed plant evolution. Comparing the proteomes of different species allows for identification of proteins, elucidating pollen-ovule interactions in gymnosperms.

"We are using proteomics to examine the biological relevance of the proteins that the pollen grain is exposed to in the drop," comments Prior. "It's fascinating to know if any of those proteins are consistent among groups of gymnosperms and what we can learn from that."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Journal of Botany, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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. Natalie Prior, Stefan A. Little, Cary Pirone, Julia E. Gill, Derek Smith, Jun Han, Darryl Hardie, Stephen J. B. O'Leary, Rebecca E. Wagner, Tyra Cross, Andrea Coulter, Christoph Borchers, Robert W. Olafson, Patrick von Aderkas. Application of Proteomics to the Study of Pollination Drops. Applications in Plant Sciences, 2013; 1 (4): 1300008 DOI: 10.3732/apps.1300008

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/-sCZFEGftUE/130410141545.htm

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Researchers engineer 'protein switch' to dissect role of cancer's key players

Apr. 10, 2013 ? Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have "rationally rewired" some of the cell's smallest components to create proteins that can be switched on or off by command. These "protein switches" can be used to interrogate the inner workings of each cell, helping scientists uncover the molecular mechanisms of human health and disease.

In the first application of this approach, the UNC researchers showed how a protein called Src kinase influences the way cells extend and move, a previously unknown role that is consistent with the protein's ties to tumor progression and metastasis.

"This rationally designed control of protein conformations represents a breakthrough in computational protein design," said senior study author Nikolay Dokholyan, PhD, a professor of biochemistry and biophysics. "We now have a new tool for delineating the activities of various proteins in living cells in a way that was never before possible."

The research was published online ahead of print in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. In the study, Dokholyan created a "switch" that would make a protein wobbly and unable to do its job unless it was flipped "on" by a drug called rapamycin, which would stabilize the protein and let it perform its function.

The approach is a simpler and more reliable version of a protein engineering system pioneered three years ago by Dokholyan and Klaus Hahn, professor of pharmacology at UNC, called rapamycin regulated or RapR. In the old approach, the switching mechanism depended on two proteins and the drug. The first protein -- the one the researchers wanted to study -- was given the RapR modification and put in cells in tissue culture. The second protein was placed in the cells as well, but simply floated around until the addition of drug caused it to latch on to the modification in the first protein and turn it on. The problem with the approach was that some cells would have a lot of the first protein and less of the second, or vice versa.

"It became the Achilles heel of the technique, because there was variability in the results due to the different ratios between the proteins," said Hahn. "What Dokholyan was able to do, which was extremely challenging from a protein engineering standpoint, was to combine the two parts into one."

Dokholyan and his colleagues took the two proteins and broke them apart into their individual components, structures called alpha helices and beta sheets. They then rewired them together to make a whole new protein where the parts could interact with each other. When researchers compared this system, called uniRapR, with the previous approach, they found the new one gave cleaner, more reliable and more consistent results.

They then applied the technique to study Src kinase, a protein involved in the metastasis or spread of tumor cells. Scientists had postulated that Src kinase plays a role in cell motility, but previous methods have not allowed them to isolate its activity from other similar proteins.

Working both in cultured human cells and in the model organism zebrafish, the researchers showed that turning on Src causes the cell to extend its edges as part of cell movement. Now that they have dissected the role of one protein, the researchers plan to look at a variety of other kinases to understand their roles in the development, progression, and spread of cancer.

The research was funded in by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the National Cancer Institute. Study co-authors from UNC were Onur Dagliyan; David Shirvanyants, PhD; Andrei V. Karginov, PhD; Feng Deng, PhD; Lanette Fee; and Srinivas N. Chandrasekaran. Co-authors from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, were Christina M. Freisinger, Gromoslaw A. Smolen, and Anna Huttenlocher.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

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Journal Reference:

1. O. Dagliyan, D. Shirvanyants, A. V. Karginov, F. Ding, L. Fee, S. N. Chandrasekaran, C. M. Freisinger, G. A. Smolen, A. Huttenlocher, K. M. Hahn, N. V. Dokholyan. Rational design of a ligand-controlled protein conformational switch. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1218319110

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/~3/SzapJq_n8R4/130410154906.htm

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US expected to increase aid to Syrian rebels

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The Obama administration's next step in aid to Syrian rebels is expected to be a broader package of nonlethal assistance, but expanding from food and medical supplies to body armor and night-vision goggles, as the U.S. grapples for ways to stem the bloodshed from Syria's civil war.

However, President Barack Obama has not given final approval on any new package and an announcement is not imminent, a senior administration official said. The U.S. continues to oppose directly arming the Syrian rebels, in part out of fear that the weapons could fall into the hands of rebels like those who have allied themselves with al-Qaida in Iraq.

Secretary of State John Kerry hinted at the new nonlethal aid package this week, saying the administration had been holding intense talks on how to boost assistance to the rebels fighting forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"Those efforts have been very much front and center in our discussions in the last week in Washington," Kerry said Tuesday, a day before meeting with Syrian opposition leaders in London. "I'm not sure what the schedule is, but I do believe that it's important for us to try to continue to put the pressure on President Assad and to try to change his calculation."

During Wednesday's meeting, the Syrian opposition leaders asked Kerry and other top Western diplomats specifically for military equipment, according to a senior State Department official who was present.

Kerry told them that the U.S. was looking at different options to help the rebels, but made no promises about any specific types of future aid, said the official, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly on the meeting and demanded anonymity.

Kerry also urged the opposition to organize itself better and said he'd attend a meeting April 20 in Istanbul bringing together the Syrian opposition's big donor nations from Europe and the Arab world.

The United Nations estimates more than 70,000 people have been killed during more than two years of fighting between rebels and government forces.

Britain and France have already been shipping armor, night-vision goggles and other military-style equipment to the rebels.

Earlier this year, the U.S. announced a $60 million nonlethal assistance package for Syria that includes meals and medical supplies for the armed opposition. The aid package marked the first direct American assistance to the opposition forces trying to overthrow Assad. It was greeted unenthusiastically by some rebel leaders, who said it did far too little.

While the Obama administration continues to resist arming the rebels, the U.S. has said it would not stand in the way of other nations that decide to take that step.

Senior officials from the White House, State Department and Pentagon held a high-level meeting Friday that focused on Syria.

Among those who attended Kerry's meeting in London Wednesday were the Syrian opposition's interim prime minister, Hassan Hitto; Vice Presidents Suheir Atassi and George Sabra; Secretary-General Najib Ghadbian and the opposition's envoys to the United States and Britain.

Kerry then met one-on-one with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for talks on the Syrian civil war. The U.S. and Russia have frequently been at odds over the conflict in Syria, with Moscow opposing action at the U.N. Security Council that would increase pressure on Assad.

The State Department official said Russia offered no indication that it was softening its position on Syria. Kerry reiterated the U.S. preference for a political solution that includes Assad leaving power, the official said, and agreed to continuing discussing the situation in Syria with Lavrov and other top diplomats during an evening meeting of the Group of Eight industrialized nations.

__

Klapper reported from London.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-expected-increase-aid-syrian-rebels-124543804--politics.html

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Chrysler recalls more than 247,000 cars, SUVs

DETROIT (AP) -- Chrysler Group LLC is recalling more than 247,000 SUVs and cars for several problems, including faulty gas tank hoses, broken drive shafts and air bag warning lights that illuminate when there's no problem.

The largest of the recalls, posted Tuesday on the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, covers about 139,000 Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger sedans from the 2011 and 2012 model years. The automaker says that faulty wiring can cause the air bag warning lights to illuminate.

Cars made from April 11, 2011 to Dec. 14, 2011 are included. Chrysler says it will fix the vehicles for free and will start notifying owners about the problem this month.

The recall includes 119,000 cars in the U.S., with the rest in Canada, Mexico and other countries.

Chrysler also is recalling 78,500 two-wheel-drive Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro midsize SUVs because the drive shafts can break.

The SUVs are from the 2007 and 2008 model years. Chrysler says in documents filed with NHTSA that a heat shield can drop and rub against the drive shaft, causing it to wear and break. If the shaft breaks, the SUVs will lose power and the side air bags may inflate. Chrysler says it doesn't know of any crashes or injuries from the problem.

Dealers will install a bracket to hold the shield in place at no cost to customers.

The recall affects 61,400 vehicles in the U.S., 13,700 in Mexico, 1,000 in Canada and 2,300 elsewhere. Also included is a sister vehicle to the Liberty that is sold outside North America, the company said.

Chrysler says it has received less than 40 complaints about broken drive shafts in the vehicles.

Also, the automaker is recalling about 30,000 small SUVs because a faulty hose inside the gas tank can cause them to run out of fuel.

The recall affects Jeep Patriot and Jeep Compass four-wheel-drive vehicles from the 2012 model year. If they run out of gas, the engines can stall.

Chrysler says it's aware of one crash but no injuries or fires due to the problem.

The company says the SUVs have saddle-style gas tanks that go around the rear drive shaft. Fuel is pumped from one side of the tank to the other through a hose. But Chrysler says some of the hoses weren't formed right in manufacturing, and they can stop the flow of gas.

The problem stems from a worldwide shortage last year of a nylon resin called PA-12. The shortage sent automakers scrambling for substitutes, one of which was used in the Compass and Patriot fuel tank hoses.

Chrysler says the hoses were made with a new material, which required a higher manufacturing temperature than PA-12. Some malformed tubes were shipped to the tank maker before the problem was found by Chrysler engineers. The manufacturing process was changed and the tubes now work properly, Chrysler said.

Dealers will replace the hoses free of charge. Owners will be notified starting next month.

The recall affects about 20,500 SUVs in the U.S. and 2,300 in Canada. The rest are in Mexico and outside North America. They were made from Oct. 18, 2011 to May 7, 2012.

Spokesman Eric Mayne said it's rare that this many recalls are made public in one day. Chrysler constantly tests its vehicles to find problems and fix them before customers have any trouble, he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chrysler-recalls-more-247-000-203513219.html

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Bed Bugs Bollixed by Bean

The tiny protuberences on the leaves of the kidney bean plant ensnare the feet of bed bugs, trapping them in place. Christopher Intagliata reports

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Bed bugs are notoriously tough to exterminate?many populations have already evolved resistance to common insecticides. But they do have a non-chemical enemy: kidney bean leaves.

The leaves' microscopic hairs pierce the bugs' feet, trapping them after just a few six-legged steps. It's a traditional anti-bed bug measure in the Balkans [See Michael F. Potter, The History of Bed Bug Management, in American Entomologist]. And tests have shown the leaves to be remarkably effective, but only when freshly picked?meaning it's not the most practical tactic for city dwellers.

So researchers tried a synthetic alternative. They created molds of the leaves, and cast 158 replicas using various plant-like polymers. The synthetic leaf surfaces looked identical to the real leaves, each sporting tens of thousands of sharp, hooked hairs. But they didn't impale or trap bed bugs in the lab?they just snagged them momentarily, delaying their march toward blood. Those results appear in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface. [Megan W. Szyndler et al., Entrapment of bed bugs by leaf trichomes inspires microfabrication of biomimetic surfaces for pest control]

The researchers are still hunting for the bean leaves' secret. If they discover it, they say it could be a nifty way to treat infestations without pesticides. As long as the thought of all those bloodsuckers trapped and squirming under your bed won't bug you all night.

?Christopher Intagliata

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=2e1a40127248de408f8ae27972ba6d15

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Christian leader in Egypt blasts Islamist president

CAIRO (AP) ? The leader of Egypt's Coptic Orthodox Church on Tuesday blasted the country's Islamist president over his handling of the recent deadly sectarian violence, including an attack on the main cathedral in Cairo.

The remarks by Pope Tawadros II underscore rising Muslim-Christian tensions in Egypt. They were Tawadros' first direct criticism of President Mohammed Morsi since he was enthroned in November as the spiritual leader of Egypt's Orthodox Christians. They are also likely to fuel the political turmoil roiling the country for the two years since the ouster of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

Tawadros also warned that the state of Egypt was "collapsing" and described Sunday's attack on the St. Mark Cathedral in central Cairo, which serves as the Coptic papal seat, as "breaching all the red lines."

Tawadros said Morsi had promised him in a telephone conversation to do everything to protect the cathedral, "but in reality he did not."

Asked to explain Morsi's attitude, Tawadros, who spoke in a telephone interview to a political talk show aired on the private ONTV network, said it "comes under the category of negligence and poor assessment of events."

On Sunday, an angry mob of Muslims threw firebombs and rocks at the Coptic cathedral in Cairo, leaving two people dead. One of the two was identified as a Christian.

The attack followed a funeral service for four Christians killed in sectarian clashes in a town north of Cairo early the day before. A fifth person, a Muslim, was also killed. It was the deadliest sectarian violence since Morsi came to office nine months ago as the country's first freely elected president.

Tawadros also criticized the president over his decision on Monday to revive a state body mandated to promote equality between Egyptians regardless of their religious and ethnic background. Morsi's decision was in response to the sectarian violence.

"Enough already of formations, committees and groups and whatever else," Tawadros said.

"We want action not words and, let me say this, there are many names and committees but there is no action on the ground," he added.

Morsi has strongly condemned the recent violence and said that he considered any attack on the cathedral to be an attack on him personally. He also ordered an investigation into the violence.

"Should we wait for instructions to start an investigation when something happens?" Tawadros said in response to Morsi's order. "Egypt's laws must be adequate to deal with the situation. This is a society that is collapsing. Society is collapsing every day."

The office of Morsi's assistant for foreign relations issued a statement shortly after the pope's remarks, saying that the "Egyptian presidency would like to affirm its full rejection of violence in all its forms, and under any pretext, and affirms that all Egyptians are citizens who should enjoy all rights and are equal before the law."

"The presidency further stresses that it will not allow any attempts to divide the nation, incite sedition, or drive a wedge among Egyptians under any pretense and that it is doing all it can to realize the sovereignty of law and hold the assailants accountable," the statement added.

Christians make up about 10 percent of Egypt's estimated 90 million people. Copts have complained for decades of discrimination and issues such as the building of houses of worship or inter-religious love stories often ignite Muslim-Christian violence.

But attacks against Christians have increased since Mubarak's 2011 ouster, including more attacks on churches and at times forced evictions of entire Christian communities from small towns and villages.

With Islamists politically empowered since the overthrow of Mubarak's regime, Christians have become increasingly worried about their freedom of worship and belief.

During Sunday's funeral service at the St. Mark Cathedral, mourners chanted against Morsi, calling on him to step down. Witnesses say a street brawl broke out when Coptic activists tried to stop traffic to stage an anti-government march.

A mob, described by witnesses as residents of the area, pelted the Christians with rocks and firebombs and fired birdshot at them, forcing them back into the cathedral complex. The mob outside and the Christians barricaded inside then exchanged rocks and firebombs for hours into the night Sunday.

Many of the Christians denounced what they called a lack of protection for the service. When police did arrive in greater numbers, they fired tear gas and gas canisters landed inside church grounds, causing panic among women and children, while people outside the church cheered.

Some firebombs thrown from near the church landed at a nearby gas station, while witnesses said some in the church lobbed firebombs at the crowd outside.

Police said they have arrested four implicated in the violence, but didn't provide details. Tawadros was not in the cathedral at the time of the siege.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-christian-pope-blasts-islamist-president-093908770.html

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