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APTwo weeks ago, representatives from the NFL and the NFLPA met with Representatives Darrell Issa (R-Cal.) and Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), key members of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, regarding the agreement to commence HGH testing, and regarding the fact that HGH testing hasn?t occurred.? After the meeting, Issa and Cummings said that an agreement had been reached that the collection of blood samples would commence, with further discussion to occur on the specific of the testing process and the interpretation of the results.
?We are not guaranteeing any outcome other then there was an agreement to begin testing immediately,? Issa said at the time, per FOXSports.com.? ?The other aspects on what to do with the tests will be resolved over the next many weeks.?
In the days thereafter, the NFL expressed an intention to begin collecting blood samples for HGH testing, and the NFLPA said that no agreement to commence the collection of samples had been reached.? Earlier this week, members of a separate House committee pressed for public hearings on the lingering impasse.
Now, Issa and Cummings have sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith regarding the status of situation.? In the letter, a copy of which PFT obtained earlier this afternoon, Issa and Cummings express concern that the NFLPA ?may be using stall tactics to avoid complying? with the agreement to conduct HGH testing.? Issa and Cummings say that they ?have not received an adequate justification for refusing to allow the collection of blood samples while negotiations continue about the testing regimen,? and they make it clear that, absent progress from the parties toward that end, ?we will be in touch with you shortly.?
To bolster the conclusion that the NFLPA may be simply trying to buy time, Issa and Cummings point out that the NFLPA declined an invitation to tour the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency?s testing facility, where ?the players and union representatives would be walked through every stage of the test.?
PFT recently was told that the NFLPA plans to submit to HGH testing only when forced to do so by Congress, presumably to de-emphasize the fact that current union leadership already has agreed to HGH testing.? This meshes with the theory that current union leadership fears it could become former union leadership as of March 2012, if HGH testing commences before Smith?s current three-year contract expires then.
UPDATE 4:26 p.m. ET:? The NFL has issued a statement in reaction to the letter from Representatives Issa and Cummings.? ?We share the Chairman and Ranking Member?s disappointment with the NFLPA?s lack of urgency on this important health and safety matter for NFL players and athletes at all levels and its failure to live up to an agreement signed months ago,? the NFL said.? ?We are ready to begin immediately collecting samples and educating players on the testing program.?
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When people dream that they are performing a particular action, a portion of the brain involved in the planning and execution of movement lights up with activity. The finding, made by scanning the brains of lucid dreamers while they slept, offers a glimpse into the non-waking consciousness and is a first step toward true "dream reading," according to a report published online in the Cell Press journal Current Biology on October 27.
"Dreaming is not just looking at a dream movie," said Martin Dresler of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry. "Brain regions representing specific body motions are activated."
Lucid dreamers are aware that they are dreaming and can deliberately control their actions in dreams. The researchers realized that this learned skill presents an opportunity for studying the neural underpinnings of our dreams.
"The main obstacle in studying specific dream content is that spontaneous dream activity cannot be experimentally controlled, as subjects typically cannot perform predecided mental actions during sleep," study coauthor Michael Czisch explained. "Employing the skill of lucid dreaming can help to overcome these obstacles."
The researchers instructed participants to make a series of left and right hand movements separated by a series of eye movements upon entering a lucid dream state while their brains were scanned. Those eye movements served as a signal to the researchers of what was happening in the dream.
Those studies show for the first time that neural activity observed in the brain's sensorimotor cortex can be related to dreamed hand movements.
The discovery suggests that lucid dreaming in combination with neuroimaging and polysomnography (a more common form of sleep monitoring) may allow the transfer of more sophisticated "brain reading" tasks to the dreaming state, the researchers say. In other words, it might eventually be possible to predict dreamed content by analyzing patterns of brain activity.
Dresler says it will also be interesting to investigate brain activity at the moment a dreamer becomes lucid.
"The lucid dreamer gains insight into a very complex state: sleeping, dreaming, but being consciously aware of the dream state," he said. "This may inform us about concepts of consciousness."
###
Cell Press: http://www.cellpress.com
Thanks to Cell Press 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.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114681/Brain_imaging_study__A_step_toward_true__dream_reading_
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Stock indexes finished higher Wednesday following reports that China will come to the aid of Europe by investing in a financial rescue fund.
Agence France-Presse reported that China has agreed to invest in Europe's financial rescue fund, which will be used to support struggling countries and banks in the European Union. The Dow Jones industrial average jumped more than 100 points after the report came out in the early afternoon.
The Dow Jones industrial average gained 162.42, or 1.4 percent, to 11,869.04.
The S&P 500 rose 12.95, or 1.1 percent, to 1,242.
The Nasdaq composite rose 12.25, or 0.5 percent, to 2,650.67.
For the week:
The Dow is up 60.25, or 0.5 percent.
The S&P is up 3.75, or 0.3 percent.
The Nasdaq is up 13.21, or 0.5 percent.
For the year to date:
The Dow is up 291.53, or 2.5 percent.
The S&P 500 is down 15.64, or 1.2 percent.
The Nasdaq is down 2.20, or 0.1 percent.
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A story that recently appeared on the front pages of many newspapers involves the increased risk of breast cancer in women exposed to diethylstilbestrol -- DES -- while in utero. This drug was widely used to prevent miscarriage in women who experienced vaginal bleeding in pregnancy. In the 1970s, 20 years after the widespread adoption of DES for the management of threatened spontaneous abortion, an unusual form of vaginal cancer began to be found in girls and young women. Although it took some time to uncover the cause and effect relationship, it was shown that if a woman took DES between the fifth and 18th weeks of pregnancy, her female offspring were at significant risk of developing the cancer. Years later it became clear that there were also effects in males exposed to DES in utero -- such as diminished sperm counts that compromised reproductive function. More recently, it was found that children of those exposed to DES in utero -- the grandchildren of women who were given the drug during pregnancy -- have abnormalities of the reproductive tract possibly as result of that exposure. This suggests a potential epigenetic effect; a heritable change in the way genes behave without changing the genetic DNA itself. In fact, 10 years after the adverse effects of DES were identified and several studies confirmed it was ineffective in preventing miscarriage it was still being prescribed for that indication.
This complicated story might be considered of historical interest only were it not for the fact that more than 40 years after the significant risks of DES were identified, we still have not established an effective early warning system to minimize such untoward events. Dr. Steven Nissen, a prestigious cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic, recently complained about the inability of the Food and Drug Administration to fullfill its mandate to sound the alarm about drugs with significant adverse reactions. He said, "The agency is extraordinarily slow to act on safety issues and has compromised patients."
Most recently the drug pioglitazone, brand named Actos, used in the treatment of diabetes has been associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. The Food and Drug Administration has advised it should not be used in patients with a history of or active bladder cancer. Furthermore, the advisory includes cautioning patients to report signs or symptoms of bladder cancer including blood in the urine, urinary urgency, pain on urination, back or abdominal pain. All this is based on a 10-year study with an increased risk seen in patients with the longest exposure to the drug. In France, similar findings were reported and sale of the drug was suspended. In Germany, the official response was to advise that the drug be limited to patients currently using it.
There is no medicine that does not have adverse side effects, many are serious and some life-threatening. For example, as many as 1 million patients in the United States may be taking two medications each of which taken alone have no effect on blood sugar but taken together can lead to increased blood glucose. This would present a major problem for anyone with diabetes. This finding was uncovered by data mining the FDA's adverse reporting system, AERS. Clearly, patients should explore this resource to learn what is known about their medications and the potential interactions among them.
One widespread factor that may affect the safety of any medication is environmental exposure to chemicals that have the potential for interactions, including increasing or decreasing the potency of a given drug dose or changing the rate at which the drug is metabolized. Bisphenol A -- BPA -- a compound used to make plastic hard and clear is found in many products from eyeglass frames to plastic bottles and jars and the lining of beverage cans. It has been shown to interfere with the function of the endocrine glands of animals. There are reasonable questions about it's biochemical activity in humans. As of today the answer is we just don't know.
The history of medicine is crowded with flawed notions held long after clear evidence not only questioned their validity but proved they were erroneous. One might think this would have resulted in physicians being less certain about their practices and more humble in the positions they promote with such authority. A reduction in physician hubris could result in patients being less intimidated. Absent that fundamental change in physician behavior, patients must be alert to the risks associated with actions based on conclusions that may have been arrived at as a result of incomplete or inaccurate information; and the failure on the part of physicians to admit what we know, what we're unsure of and what we really don't know.
?
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bruce-a-barron/medical-errors_b_999413.html
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"Real Steel," real love!
Justin Bieber made yet another grand, cinematic gesture for love Selena Gomez in his native Canada's Winnipeg, Manitoba on Thursday evening ? renting out an entire movie theater at SilverCity Polo Park Cinemas, a source confirms to Us Weekly.
PHOTOS: Justin and Selena's PDA-packed vacation
Bieber, 17, and Gomez, 19, enjoyed a private screening of Hugh Jackman's hit "Real Steel," and had pizzas delivered for snacking during the flick. "They made sure to keep peverything really under wraps and private," the source says. "He was really polite and they both thanked everyone before they left."
As trilogy hits Blu-ray, we remember five great moments from the 1993 dinosaur classic. Alas, poor Nedry and random lawyer guy on the toilet, it wasn't that nice knowing you.
PHOTOS: Selena's grown-up style evolution
Two nights later, the teen lovebirds were spotted again in Winnipeg ? making out in a private suite during a hockey match at the MTS Centre Saturday night.
PHOTOS: How Justin stays fit
Just a month ago, Bieber pulled out the stops for Gomez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles ? renting out the entire stadium for a private screening of "Titanic" and a private, candle-lit dinner on the arena floor.
"Romance isn't dead," Bieber Tweeted that night. "Treat your lady right fellas."
Are Bieber's dating gestures romantic, or overdone? Tell us on Facebook.
Copyright 2011 Us Weekly
Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45019012/ns/today-entertainment/
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BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? EU finance ministers outlined a deal on Saturday for recapitalizing European banks, and the leaders of Germany and France said they hoped for a breakthrough in tackling the euro zone debt crisis at a summit on Wednesday.
After nearly 10 hours of talks, finance ministers overcame strong opposition from Spain, Italy and Portugal and agreed on the need to inject around 100 billion euros into European banks to protect them from the threat of a Greek debt default, and the broader risks of financial contagion in the euro zone.
The ministers will submit their thoughts to EU leaders, who meet on Sunday to discuss a "comprehensive" solution to the debt crisis, which needs to contain a second bailout programme for Greece, a scaling up of the euro zone's bailout fund, and the strengthening of European bank balance sheets.
No headline deal is expected from Sunday's meeting, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was hopeful that another euro zone summit scheduled for Wednesday would produce definitive results and France's Nicolas Sarkozy agreed.
"We have to take far-reaching decisions," Merkel told reporters ahead of a pre-summit meeting near Brussels. "I believe that the finance ministers made progress, so that we can achieve our ambitious targets by Wednesday."
Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Sarkozy said: "Progress has been made. Between now and Wednesday a solution must be found, a structural solution, an ambitious solution, a definitive solution." Asked if he was confident that could happen, he replied: "Yes, otherwise I wouldn't be here."
During their meeting on Saturday, EU finance ministers heard from the head of the European Banking Authority, who told them that if EU banks were to raise their core capital ratios to 9 percent, and if the bad government bonds on their books were accounted for at current prices, then between 100 and 110 billion euros ($138.9 and $152.8 billion) was needed to shore up the banking system.
Italy, Spain and Portugal, which face paying a hefty price to strengthen their banks, were reluctant to agree a deal that they see as putting them more in the firing line than France and Germany, who also have large exposure to Greek debt.
But under intense pressure from the other 24 EU states, the outlines of a deal were agreed, officials said. Sources said, however, that the proposal EU leaders receive from finance ministers on Sunday may not mention a recapitalisation figure, leaving that up to the leaders to haggle over.
"We have laid down the foundations for an agreement," said Swedish Finance Minister Anders Borg as he left the meeting, a position seconded by Britain's George Osborne.
If EU leaders are able to reach a deal on bank recapitalisation in the coming days, it would be a significant step forward in efforts to contain a crisis that has raged for nearly two years and threatens the EU and global economy.
But several major areas of disagreement remain and it will require vast amounts of hard negotiation between Sunday and Wednesday to strike a deal that convinces financial markets and Europe's major trading partners that the crisis is in hand.
The biggest sticking point is agreeing on how best to scale up the European Financial Stability Facility, the 440 billion euro emergency fund set up last year and so far used to bail out Ireland and Portugal.
Financial markets are not convinced the EFSF is big enough to handle the threat of deeper bond market turmoil in Spain and Italy, so leaders are examining ways they can raise the EFSF's firepower without increasing their commitments to the fund.
One proposal is to the use it to provide guarantees to buyers of Spanish, Italian and other at-risk euro zone debt in an effort to convince institutions the bonds are safe to buy.
By guaranteeing only a portion of the bonds -- say 20 percent -- the EFSF could reach up to five times further.
However, France and several other member states believe a better approach would be to turn the EFSF into a bank so that it could access European Central Bank funds, potentially providing it with unlimited liquidity.
Germany, the Netherlands, Finland and the ECB are opposed to the idea, which the European Commission also says would probably violate EU treaty rules.
Another significant problem is what to do about Greece, the country whose spiralling debts and efforts to cover up its economic shortcomings first provoked to the crisis.
Greece has already received a 110 billion euro rescue plan from the EU and IMF, but now needs another bailout.
On July 21, a deal was struck in which Greece's private sector bondholders would voluntarily accept a 21 percent reduction in the value of their bonds in an effort to lighten Athens' debt burden. At the same time, the EFSF and IMF agreed to provide a further 109 billion euros of aid.
But that deal has unravelled as Greece's economic situation has deteriorated, with budget deficit targets missed and growth contracting more deeply. Now the private sector may need to take a 50 percent writedown on its bond holdings, and the public sector may need to provide substantially more.
BACK TO GREECE
While Greece is one of the euro zone's smaller economies, finding an acceptable way of rescuing it is proving ever more intractable. The private sector, represented by the Institute of International Finance, is deeply opposed to a renegotiation of the July 21 deal, concerned that a deeper writedown will force some banks into very severe losses.
On Saturday its managing director, Charles Dallara, who has been attending talks in Brussels, said that progress was being made, although it was limited.
"We remain open to explore options on a voluntary approach built on a realistic outlook for the Greek economy and restoration of Greece's market access," he said.
Since French banks are among the largest holders of Greek debt, Paris is reluctant to push the private sector too far, and wants to ensure any deal remains voluntary. At heart, there is concern about France losing its triple-A credit rating if some of its banks end up need recapitalizing by the state.
At the same time, euro zone leaders are applying increasing pressure on Italy and Spain to do much more to get their budget deficits in check and stimulate leaden growth.
With yields on Spanish and Italian bonds being pushed to near record level highs on financial markets, the cost of funding their deficits has risen dramatically, creating liquidity problems that the euro zone can ill afford.
EU leaders want to press Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in particular to stick to his commitments on spending cuts and investment measures to spur growth, in the hope of better insulating Italy against market pressure.
In a speech to members of her Christian Democrat party on Saturday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged countries like Italy and Spain to reduce their sovereign debt levels.
"Spain has already done a lot but it will probably have to do more to win back the markets' confidence," Merkel said.
"If they don't do anything with their budgets, if they continue to have (debt) equal to 120 percent (of GDP) like Italy, then it won't matter how high the protective wall is because it won't help to win back the markets' confidence."
(Additional reporting by Matthew Falloon, Andreas Rinke, Ilona Wissenbach, Daniel Flynn, Annika Breidthardt and Robin Emmott; Writing by Sebastian Moffett and Luke Baker; Editing by Jon Boyle)
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Public release date: 24-Oct-2011
Share ] Contact: Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk
joerg.schwenk@rub.de
49-234-322-6692
Ruhr-University Bochum
Researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum have found a massive security gap at Amazon Cloud Services. Using different methods of attack (signature wrapping and cross site scripting) they tested the system which was deemed "safe". "Based on our research results, Amazon confirmed the security gaps and closed them immediately", said Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk, chair for network and data security at the RUB. Amazon Webservices (AWS) offers its customers cloud computing services and hosts, among others, services like Twitter, Second Life and 4Square.
Cloud computing could be the major computing paradigm of tomorrow. The idea of processing and storing software and data in a cheap external infrastructure is becoming increasingly popular. The fact that these services are by no means as secure as promised is now demonstrated by the research results of Prof. Schwenk and his staff.
Concentrated computing power
The "Cloud" is a collection of many virtual servers with concentrated computing power. Outsourcing to cloud computing has many advantages for professional users: they can rent storage and server capacity short term on demand. The service is invoiced, for example, according to the usage period, and the customer saves the cost of purchasing his own software and hardware. Up to now, the discussion about cloud computing has above all been dominated by the inability to comply with legal requirements. "Real" attacks were, however, less in the public eye.
Search for weak points
"A major challenge for cloud providers is ensuring the absolute security of the data entrusted to them, which should only be accessible by the clients themselves," said Prof. Schwenk, who set out with his staff to seek weak points. They have found what they were looking for: Juraj Somorovsky, Mario Heiderich and Meiko Jensen tested the security concept of the cloud provider Amazon Web Services, in short AWS.
XML signature wrapping attacks
"Using different kinds of XML signature wrapping attacks, we succeeded in completely taking over the administrative rights of cloud customers", said Juraj Somorovsky. "This allowed us to create new instances in the victim's cloud, add or delete images." The researchers suspect that many cloud offers are susceptible to signature wrapping attacks, since the relevant web service standards make performance and security incompatible. "We are working on a high-performance solution, however, that no longer has any of the known security gaps", said Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk.
Cross site scripting attacks
In addition, the researchers found gaps in the AWS interface and in the Amazon shop which were ideally suited for smuggling in executable script code - what are termed cross-site scripting attacks. With alarming consequences: "We had free access to all customer data, including authentication data, tokens, and even plain text passwords" said Mario Heiderich. The researcher see the common login as a complex potential danger: "It's a chain reaction. A security gap in the complex Amazon shop always also directly causes a gap in the Amazon cloud."
Private Clouds also vulnerable
In contrast to public belief, Private Clouds are also vulnerable to the aforementioned attacks: Eucalyptus, an open source project widely used to implement Cloud solutions within companies, did expose the same weaknesses. "A rough classification of cloud technologies cannot replace a thorough security investigation", states Prof. Schwenk.
Security gaps closed
"Critical services and infrastructures are making increasing use of cloud computing", explained Juraj Somorovsky. According to industry estimates, the turnover of European cloud services is set to more than double in the next four years from around 68 billion Euros in 2010 to about 148 billion in 2014. "Therefore it is essential that we recognise the security gaps in cloud computing and avoid them on a permanent basis." Industry took immediate action: "On our advice, Amazon and Eucalyptus confirmed the security gaps and closed them immediately".
###
Further information
Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Sciences at the RUB, Chair for Network and Data Security, Tel. 49-234-32-26692 joerg.schwenk@rub.de
Editor: Jens Wylkop
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 24-Oct-2011 Share ] Contact: Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk
joerg.schwenk@rub.de
49-234-322-6692
Ruhr-University Bochum
Researchers from Ruhr-University Bochum have found a massive security gap at Amazon Cloud Services. Using different methods of attack (signature wrapping and cross site scripting) they tested the system which was deemed "safe". "Based on our research results, Amazon confirmed the security gaps and closed them immediately", said Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk, chair for network and data security at the RUB. Amazon Webservices (AWS) offers its customers cloud computing services and hosts, among others, services like Twitter, Second Life and 4Square.
Cloud computing could be the major computing paradigm of tomorrow. The idea of processing and storing software and data in a cheap external infrastructure is becoming increasingly popular. The fact that these services are by no means as secure as promised is now demonstrated by the research results of Prof. Schwenk and his staff.
Concentrated computing power
The "Cloud" is a collection of many virtual servers with concentrated computing power. Outsourcing to cloud computing has many advantages for professional users: they can rent storage and server capacity short term on demand. The service is invoiced, for example, according to the usage period, and the customer saves the cost of purchasing his own software and hardware. Up to now, the discussion about cloud computing has above all been dominated by the inability to comply with legal requirements. "Real" attacks were, however, less in the public eye.
Search for weak points
"A major challenge for cloud providers is ensuring the absolute security of the data entrusted to them, which should only be accessible by the clients themselves," said Prof. Schwenk, who set out with his staff to seek weak points. They have found what they were looking for: Juraj Somorovsky, Mario Heiderich and Meiko Jensen tested the security concept of the cloud provider Amazon Web Services, in short AWS.
XML signature wrapping attacks
"Using different kinds of XML signature wrapping attacks, we succeeded in completely taking over the administrative rights of cloud customers", said Juraj Somorovsky. "This allowed us to create new instances in the victim's cloud, add or delete images." The researchers suspect that many cloud offers are susceptible to signature wrapping attacks, since the relevant web service standards make performance and security incompatible. "We are working on a high-performance solution, however, that no longer has any of the known security gaps", said Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk.
Cross site scripting attacks
In addition, the researchers found gaps in the AWS interface and in the Amazon shop which were ideally suited for smuggling in executable script code - what are termed cross-site scripting attacks. With alarming consequences: "We had free access to all customer data, including authentication data, tokens, and even plain text passwords" said Mario Heiderich. The researcher see the common login as a complex potential danger: "It's a chain reaction. A security gap in the complex Amazon shop always also directly causes a gap in the Amazon cloud."
Private Clouds also vulnerable
In contrast to public belief, Private Clouds are also vulnerable to the aforementioned attacks: Eucalyptus, an open source project widely used to implement Cloud solutions within companies, did expose the same weaknesses. "A rough classification of cloud technologies cannot replace a thorough security investigation", states Prof. Schwenk.
Security gaps closed
"Critical services and infrastructures are making increasing use of cloud computing", explained Juraj Somorovsky. According to industry estimates, the turnover of European cloud services is set to more than double in the next four years from around 68 billion Euros in 2010 to about 148 billion in 2014. "Therefore it is essential that we recognise the security gaps in cloud computing and avoid them on a permanent basis." Industry took immediate action: "On our advice, Amazon and Eucalyptus confirmed the security gaps and closed them immediately".
###
Further information
Prof. Dr. Jrg Schwenk, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Sciences at the RUB, Chair for Network and Data Security, Tel. 49-234-32-26692 joerg.schwenk@rub.de
Editor: Jens Wylkop
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-10/rb-ccg102411.php
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KOUROU, French Guiana |
KOUROU, French Guiana (Reuters) - A Russian Soyuz rocket successfully blasted off from French Guiana on Friday bearing the first two satellites in Europe's Galileo global positioning system, a much-heralded mission that will redraw commercial competition in space.
The launch from Europe's space base in South America was the first time that Soyuz, which first flew in 1966 and traces its roots back to the earliest Cold War intercontinental ballistic missiles, has taken off from outside its old Soviet Union bases.
The rocket lifted off at 7:30 am local time from the base near Kourou, French Guiana, on the northeast coast of South America, and the Galileo satellites separated four hours later. Heavy rain had no impact on the operation.
"A new chapter has started in Europe's history," said Jean-Yves Le Gall, Arianespace chief executive.
The culmination of more than a decade of planning, the launch had to be delayed by 24 hours from Thursday after a leaky valve was detected in the rocket's fuelling system.
The EU commissioner in charge of industry and space policy, Antonio Tajani, said a new tender would be announced on Friday for six or eight satellites of the Galileo group.
He added that the commission wanted to reduce Galileo's costs by 500 million euros ($695 million).
Once fully operational later this decade, the Galileo system aims to give Europeans autonomy from the U.S. government-controlled Global Positioning System. Russia says it recently completed its own similar system.
Rather than build a new rocket from scratch, Europe decided to build a 467 million euro launch pad for Soyuz in the French Guiana base where it already launches its Ariane rocket family.
France has covered more than 80 percent of the construction costs and all of the 70 million euro cost overruns.
In return, the Russian State Space Agency (Roscomos) will receive tens of millions of euros for each rocket that is built and shipped from its Samara Space Center. "Soyuz will give us a complete range of launchers," Le Gall told Reuters.
Arianespace plans to launch at least two Soyuz rockets a year from now on in addition to its Ariane-5 heavy-lift launcher, and the rocket series will be completed by a smaller vehicle, Vega, slated for launch next year.
Contracts for 16 Galileo satellites have already been signed: four with Franco-German maker Astrium and 12 with German company OHB. The Galileo line should have 30 satellites by 2020.
"I will announce a new tender for the construction of six or eight satellites," Tajani told reporters at the Kourou spaceport. "The signature of the new contract is planned in February."
Arianespace is principally owned by the French Space Agency (CNES) with 34 percent and Astrium, a wholly owned subsidiary of European aerospace giant EADS, holding 30 percent.
Friday's launch follows years of discussions, delays and budget disputes over Galileo since France and Russia agreed in 2003 to co-operate on Soyuz launches.
"Soyuz is only the beginning of a cooperation that will go much further," said Russia's deputy prime minister Sergei Ivanov. ($1 = 0.720 Euros)
(Additional reporting by Alexander Miles; Editing by Roger Atwood)
Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/Jq12d36q3pw/us-space-europe-idUSTRE79K1WT20111021
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TOKYO (Reuters) ? European stock index futures rose on Friday after Asian shares edged up and the euro clung to overnight gains, but markets largely stayed within range, as investors awaited a weekend meeting of European leaders for signs of progress in resolving the region's debt crisis.
Pressures remained on investors to square out positions given the increasing uncertainty on when the crisis would be resolved, and with the possibility of wide swings in prices and declining liquidity on the way.
Gold and copper rebounded from Thursday's sharp falls.
The European stock index futures rose 1 percent, while futures for Germany's DAX were up 0.7 percent and France's CAC-40 rose over 1 percent. Financial spreadbetters called the FTSE 100 (.FTSE) to open as much as 0.5 percent higher. (.EU) (.L)
European leaders said they did not expect Sunday's meeting to give an all-cure solution to the euro zone's debt problems, with regional leaders still sharply divided over how to strengthen a euro zone rescue fund.
France and Germany said in a joint statement on Thursday that the leaders will discuss in detail a comprehensive solution to the euro zone crisis at the summit on Sunday but no decisions will be adopted before a second meeting to be held by Wednesday at the latest.
Paris and Berlin wanted negotiations to start immediately with the private sector for an agreement on the sustainability of Greece's debt, according to the communique.
"Assets across the board are coming under pressure as it becomes clear that European banks, when faced with a stress test, will likely reduce their assets to strengthen their capital," said Naohiro Niimura, a partner at research and consulting firm Market Risk Advisory Co.
"This has prompted investors to cut their open positions to be neutral -- closing longs when the market is up, and closing shorts when the markets are down. Given a lack of substantial real money in the market, such a move opens the way for sharp swings in prices," he said.
MSCI's broadest index of Asia Pacific shares outside Japan (.MIAPJ0000PUS) has risen as much as 0.5 percent but has failed to sustain momentum while Japan's Nikkei stock average (.N225) was little changed. (.T)
"Until the European plan takes shape and investors are reassured, it's difficult for markets to make major moves, and trading should stick to recent ranges," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of the equity division at SMBC Nikko Securities.
COPPER, GOLD UP
The most-active U.S. gold futures contract rose more than 1 percent to $1,630.9 an ounce on Friday, following gains in spot prices, as arbitrage buying from the Shanghai market helped prices rebound from a decline of more than 1 percent in the previous session.
Three-month copper on the London Metal Exchange rose on Friday after tumbling nearly 7 percent for its largest one-day collapse in four weeks in the previous session on fears of a double-dip recession and doubts over an European solution.
"Gold's recent move is apparently tied to investors cashing in to offset declines in riskier assets, while industrial metals such as copper are closely linked to headline risks from Europe, which is a major market for China," Niimura said.
Oil was mixed, with Brent crude futures down 0.1 percent to $109.67 a barrel while U.S. crude futures rose 0.4 percent to $86.44 a barrel.
Copper, gold and Brent crude are headed for weekly declines after an impasse over the euro zone's rescue plan raised concern the crisis is far from being resolved anytime soon.
The euro inched up 0.1 percent against the dollar but looked set to stay in a tight range with traders wary of taking big positions ahead of the European summit.
Reflecting a lack of investor confidence in the progress to contain the European debt problems, the spread of bonds issued by the European financial stability facility and German government bonds widened further by several basis points on Thursday. The spread has widened by more than 20 basis points this week.
ASIAN CREDIT SUBDUED
With the market overall taking a wait-and-see stance on what kind of a solution the Sunday meeting would bring, activity was subdued in Asian credit markets, although more signs emerged that investors may be increasingly drawn to regional markets.
The spreads on the iTraxx Asia ex-Japan investment grade index, a gauge for whether investor risk appetite is returning, widened by a couple of basis points on Friday, after inching up about 10 basis points over the past week when investor jitters grew as the key euro zone meeting approached.
But the index fell by a sharp 58 points from this month's peak of 268 points hit when investors were dismissing any chance of European leaders making serious efforts on their debt woes.
Reflecting a somewhat improved sentiment since earlier this month, investor appetite remained strong for the Korean National Oil Corp's (KNOC) $1 billion, 5-year dollar bond issued earlier this week. The bond traded at around 285 basis points over U.S. Treasuries, tightening further from Thursday.
"The sentiment is not great as the decision on the euro zone crisis has been pushed to the middle of next week, but EM funds have reversed four weeks of outflows, so cash is doing ok," said a Singapore-based trader at a European bank.
In the samurai bond market, America Movil has made its debut with a 12 billion yen offer. Samurai bonds are yen-denominated bonds issued in Japan by a foreign borrower.
Non-Japanese issuers have been showing interest in tapping the samurai market, as yields on safe-haven Japanese government bonds have been pinned to historically low levels, helping contain issuance costs relatively at low levels, and Japanese investors are keen to receive premiums, provided the issuers meet their criteria.
Data from EPFR Global showed a partial recovery in the week to October 19, when emerging market bond funds saw the first inflows in five weeks worth $105 million, compared to last week's outflows of $305 million and the $5.3 billion outflows over the prior three weeks.
U.S. stocks rose on Thursday even as world stocks as measured by MSCI (.MIWD00000PUS) fell 0.9 percent. European shares (.FTEU3) ended down 1.4 percent on Thursday.
Data relieved fears that the U.S. economy might be heading for a recession, after the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank said factory activity in the U.S. mid-Atlantic region unexpectedly expanded in October to its highest level in six months.
(Additional reporting by Lisa Twaronite in Tokyo, Umesh Desai and Neha Dsilva in Hong Kong; Editing by Ramya Venugopal)
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FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2010 file photo, Hawo Mohamed Hassan, left, and Amina Farah Ali, both of Rochester, Minn., leave the U.S. District Court after appearing at a hearing in St Paul, Minn. A jury convicted two Minnesota women Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, in Minneapolis who accused of funneling money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mohamed Hassan were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Ali also faced 12 counts of providing such support, while Hassan faced two counts of lying to the FBI. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig, File)
FILE - In this Aug. 5, 2010 file photo, Hawo Mohamed Hassan, left, and Amina Farah Ali, both of Rochester, Minn., leave the U.S. District Court after appearing at a hearing in St Paul, Minn. A jury convicted two Minnesota women Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, in Minneapolis who accused of funneling money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Amina Farah Ali and Hawo Mohamed Hassan were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Ali also faced 12 counts of providing such support, while Hassan faced two counts of lying to the FBI. (AP Photo/Craig Lassig, File)
A man addresses supporters in traditional Muslim clothes after a federal jury found 35-year-old Amina Farah Ali and 64-year-old Hawo Mohamed Hassan guilty on all counts Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, in Minneapolis of conspiring to funnel money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Prosecutors say the women, U.S. citizens of Somali descent, were part of a "deadly pipeline" that routed money and fighters from the U.S. to Somalia. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
A woman walks away from other supporters after a federal jury found 35-year-old Amina Farah Ali and 64-year-old Hawo Mohamed Hassan guilty on all counts Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, in Minneapolis of conspiring to funnel money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Prosecutors say the women, U.S. citizens of Somali descent, were part of a "deadly pipeline" that routed money and fighters from the U.S. to Somalia. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
A woman sits after a federal jury found 35-year-old Amina Farah Ali and 64-year-old Hawo Mohamed Hassan guilty on all counts Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, in Minneapolis of conspiring to funnel money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Prosecutors say the women, U.S. citizens of Somali descent, were part of a "deadly pipeline" that routed money and fighters from the U.S. to Somalia. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Supporters on two women on trial await the verdict before a federal jury found 35-year-old Amina Farah Ali and 64-year-old Hawo Mohamed Hassan guilty on all counts Thursday, Oct. 20, 2011, in Minneapolis of conspiring to funnel money to a terrorist group in Somalia. Prosecutors say the women, U.S. citizens of Somali descent, were part of a "deadly pipeline" that routed money and fighters from the U.S. to Somalia. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ? Two Minnesota women who claimed they were helping the poor in Somalia were convicted Thursday of conspiring to funnel money to a terrorist group as part of what prosecutors called a "deadly pipeline" sending funds and fighters to al-Shabab.
After the verdicts, one of the women, Amina Farah Ali, told the judge through an interpreter that she was happy because she was "going to heaven no matter what," and condemned those in authority, saying: "You will go to hell." She was ordered into custody pending her sentencing.
Ali, 35, and Hawo Mohamed Hassan, 64, were each charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Ali also faced 12 counts of providing such support, for allegedly sending more than $8,600 to al-Shabab from September 2008 through July 2009, while Hassan faced two counts of lying to the FBI.
Both were found guilty on all counts. The terrorism-related counts each carry up to 15 years in prison, while lying to the FBI carries up to eight years. No sentencing date was set, and prosecutors said it was too early to predict what sentence they'd recommend.
The women, both U.S. citizens of Somali descent, were among 20 people charged in Minnesota's long-running federal investigations into recruiting and financing for al-Shabab, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group with ties to al-Qaida. Investigators believe at least 21 men left Minnesota ? home to the country's largest Somali community ? to join al-Shabab.
Though others have pleaded guilty to related charges, the women were the first to go to trial.
The verdicts will likely lead to other guilty pleas, said Omar Jamal, first secretary of the Somali mission to the United Nations in New York. He also said it would be difficult for law enforcement agencies to rebuild the trust they had worked to establish with the Somali community.
Prosecutors had emphasized that the case was not about a community or a religion, but two women who deliberately broke the law.
"The verdict reaffirms the principle that everyone who lives within our borders has to obey our laws," Paulsen said. He added that prosecutors would keep trying to improve relationships with the Somali community.
Prosecutors said the two women went door-to-door in the name of charity and held religious teleconferences to solicit donations, which they then routed to the fighters. The defendants said they believed the men were protecting their homeland from the Ethiopian army, which many saw as invaders.
The government's key evidence included hundreds of hours of recorded phone calls, obtained during a 10-month wiretap on Ali's home and cell phone. Prosecutors say those calls, which included talk of fighting in Somalia and sending money to fighters under false pretenses, showed the women knew they were doing something illegal.
Defense attorneys painted the women as humanitarians giving money to orphans and poor people, as well as a group they felt was working to push foreign troops out of Somalia.
Ali, who had been found in contempt of court when she refused to stand for religious reasons at the start of the trial, told Chief U.S. District Judge Michael Davis after the verdicts that she knows justice in God.
Her lawyer, Dan Scott, did not immediately return a phone message seeking comment. Ali's husband declined to comment.
Hassan was taken into custody but will be placed into a halfway house when possible. She will be on lockdown and monitored by GPS. She expressed concern in court about whether she would have to remove her head covering. Davis said she would be allowed to wear it.
Hassan's attorney, Tom Kelly, said he would wait until the sentencing before deciding whether to appeal.
"She seems to be at peace," he said of his client. "She's a deeply religious woman and puts her trust in Allah. I think there's a lesson to be learned there."
As part of its case, the government had to prove the women knew al-Shabab had been declared a foreign terrorist organization, or that they knew it was engaged in terrorist activity or terrorism.
During his closing argument, Scott said Ali began supporting al-Shabab before the U.S. government declared it a terrorist group in February 2008. He said the government offered no evidence that showed Ali knew al-Shabab had received the designation.
Prosecutor Steven Ward contended that Ali and Hassan were in contact with key al-Shabab leaders and getting frequent updates on the fighting. He said their conversations showed they knew al-Shabab was a terror group, sometimes celebrating casualties.
In one of those calls, Ali told others to "forget about the other charities" and focus on "the jihad." In another, she said, "Let the civilians die."
The case was closely watched by local Somalis. Dozens of supporters ? mostly women ? attended court each day. Several women in the courtroom sobbed after the two were taken into custody.
"I'm real sad," Fartun Abdiloor of Minneapolis said after the verdict. "It's so emotional, so intense. This decision is the opposite of what we expected."
Others in the Somali community were pleased.
"Because of the delay in the justice system there was a sense in the community that these folks are untouchable," said Abdirizak Bihi, whose nephew left Minneapolis as a teenager to join al-Shabab and was later killed in Somalia. "I'm very happy that justice is starting to deliver."
Bihi did not attend the trial but said the verdicts send a message to others that supporting the "brutal" acts of al-Shabab is a serious crime and "the government means business."
___
AP writer Steve Karnowski contributed to this report.
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LOS ANGELES ? British lawmaker Tom Watson grilled News Corp. chief Rupert Murdoch about covert surveillance techniques by company employees as News Corp. held its first shareholders meeting following a phone-hacking scandal.
More than 100 people demonstrated Friday outside the annual meeting on the lot of News Corp.'s Fox Studios.
Watson asked Murdoch whether he was aware that a person who had left prison was hired by News Corp. and hacked the computer of a former army intelligence officer.
Murdoch said he wasn't aware, and board director Viet Dinh said the company would look into the allegation.
"I promise you absolutely that we will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of this and put it right," Murdoch told Watson.
Watson evoked private investigator Glenn Mulcaire, who was jailed in 2007 for eavesdropping on the phones of royal staff, in warning of troubles ahead for the company.
"News Corp. is potentially facing a Mulcaire II," Watson said. "You haven't told any of your investors about what is to come."
Watson got up twice and spoke for a few minutes during the 90-minute meeting.
Murdoch faced shareholders with small stakes in his company for the first time since the scandal broke in July. Watson, representing shares owned by the labor group AFL-CIO, used the event to reveal new details of what he claims are covert surveillance techniques by News Corp. employees. Watson, a Labour Party member of Parliament, has spearheaded a 2 1/2-year probe into phone hacking and alleged police bribery scandal at the company's British newspaper unit.
Outside Fox Studios, some demonstrators carried anti-Murdoch signs, including one that stated "Fire the Murdoch Mafia." Another read, "Rich media equals poor democracy." Some of the demonstrators were from an organization that has been staging rallies recently to demand good jobs.
The media conglomerate has been rocked by evidence that its now-shuttered British tabloid, News of the World, hired a private investigator who tapped into the cellphone voicemail of a 13-year-old who disappeared in 2002 and was later found murdered. On Friday, News Corp. said it has agreed to pay 2 million pounds ($3.2 million) to the family of that girl.
Murdoch and his son James, who is in line to succeed him, were grilled by Watson and other lawmakers in a parliamentary committee hearing in late July. The elder Murdoch said he was ashamed at what happened but declined to take personal blame. He said he was the best person "to clean this up."
Murdoch controls News Corp. through his family trust's 40 percent stake of voting shares. A key backer is Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, who controls 7 percent. The voting stock represents less than a third of the company's total $44.4 billion market value.
That dual-class share system has come under renewed fire. Critics say the company's board is dysfunctional and management has poor oversight of the company.
Several shareholders took issue with a chart Murdoch put up showing the stock's upbeat performance compared with most other media peers since the beginning of the year and since the beginning of July. They said its performance over 10 years or more lagged its peers. Murdoch said the chart was to address criticism that the company had been hurt by the hacking scandal.
Watson noted with irony that a graphic behind the board members showed Prince William and Kate Middleton, both of whom are alleged victims of hacking by News Corp. employees in Britain.
News Corp.'s stock is down about 6 percent from when the scandal broke in early July, although it has been buoyed recently by a $5 billion share buyback plan that is about a third complete. On Friday, News Corp.'s stock rose 9 cents to $16.94 in afternoon trading.
Proxy advisory firm Institutional Shareholder Services has recommended voting out all existing board members, including Murdoch and his sons James and Lachlan. Two other firms, Glass Lewis and Egan-Jones, recommend voting against the sons, among others.
Jay Eisenhofer, co-lead attorney in a shareholder lawsuit against News Corp. on charges of mishandling the affair, said on a conference call with Watson on Thursday that if even 20 percent of votes are cast against the re-election of Murdoch and his two sons, it would be a victory. That's because that would be nearly half the 53 percent of votes unaffiliated with the family, he said.
___
Associated Press video journalist John Mone contributed to this report.
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We take a look at Coldplay's least subtle — and perhaps finest — album ever, in Bigger Than the Sound.
By James Montgomery
Coldplay's <i>Mylo Xyloto</i>
Photo: Parlophone Records
You can accuse Coldplay of being many things — mawkish, maudlin, bland, boring, grandiose, geeky, preachy, polished, M.O.R., A.O.R., E.L.O. — and more often than not, their (countless) critics do just that. You cannot, however, accuse them of being subtle. Not ever.
That's OK, though. None of the hugest bands on the planet (the U2s, Linkin Parks, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, etc.) are practiced in the art of subtlety. It is simply not in their nature. Instead, they deal in universal themes, paint with the broadest of brushstrokes. That is, one could reasonably assume, at least partially why they are so popular: They make music that is massive and, of course, for the masses.
I mention all that not to slag Coldplay, a band I actually like very much, but to A) point out that they have never focused on the smaller aspects of life (their first hit, "Yellow," opened with the line, "Look at the stars/ Look how they shine for you," and even their most delicate singles — stuff like "The Scientist" and "Fix You" and "Clocks" — could casually be described as "arena-size") and B) to defuse any and all criticisms of their latest album, Mylo Xyloto, which is very fine indeed but is not in any conceivable way a subtle thing.
And, again, that's just fine with me. My favorite thing about Coldplay has always been their willingness to experiment, to push the boundaries of what a (very) major-label rock band can and should do. They work with Brian Eno (who is credited with "Enoxification and additional composition" on Xyloto) Jay-Z and Jon Hopkins; they put Baudot Code on their album covers; and they are constantly, occasionally frustratingly, trying very hard to be overly complex. Sometimes, like on 2008's Viva la Vida, they try to do too much, which dulls the impact of their tunes. On Xyloto, due Tuesday (October 18), that is not the case.
This is precision-honed Coldplay, which seems like an odd thing to say about a vaguely conceptual album that spans 14 tracks and features more electronic wallop than a dozen Creamfields, more skyward guitars than a million planetarium shows and more vocal chants than a season at Old Trafford. Oh, and Rihanna too. And yet, it all works. The biggest moments, like "Paradise," "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall," "Princess of China" (that's the RiRi track) and "Don't Let It Break Your Heart," pile each of those elements on with aplomb, and the results are gloriously giddy and appropriately anthemic. The several musical interludes on the disc show the Eno influence, each mercury-slick and slipstream shiny (they also serve as excellent onramps to those bigger tunes). And the few quiet moments on Xyloto, like the acoustic "U.F.O." and album-closing "Up With the Birds," draw maximum emotional impact out of minimal dynamic (and, as all quiet songs should be, are genuinely pretty too).
Of course, Mylo Xyloto is also Coldplay's most electronic album, a fact that may bother some of their more centrist fans. But it's also their most adventurous, their most gigantic and, at least in terms of both of those things, their most impactful. And that, in and of itself, sets it far apart from most of the other major-label rock albums released this year, or any year. You can continue to criticize them all you want, but that just means you've never listened to their albums. With Xyloto, Coldplay have pulled off the rather impossible feat of expanding their repertoire while, at the same time, honing their focus. And that's a lot more difficult to pull off than subtlety, whether you're the smallest band in the world or the biggest.
What do you think of Coldplay's new music? Let us know in the comments!
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LOS ANGELES ? Nine women were honored at Elle magazine's Women in Hollywood event, yet all were dazzled by one lady in particular.
Barbra Streisand wowed her fellow honorees and an audience of Hollywood insiders Monday night at the 18th annual celebration of the industry's leading ladies. Actresses such as Michelle Pfeiffer, Viola Davis, Evan Rachel Wood, Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts said before the ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel that Streisand has inspired them, and the love fest continued throughout the private dinner.
Jennifer Aniston told the 69-year-old entertainer that she loved her, and Pinto said on stage that "sharing the same oxygen" as Streisand was an incredible birthday gift. The actress turns 27 Tuesday.
"You're a legend not only in Hollywood but literally all over the world," the "Slumdog Millionaire" star told Streisand. "I can say that because I come from India."
She said Streisand's song "Putting it Together" is "like a reality check that every girl that wants to get into this big entertainment industry needs to listen to."
"That was a truly inspirational song, so thank you so much for that," Pinto said.
Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow introduced Streisand as "a world icon" and "somebody who has mastered virtually every art form imaginable: directing, acting, composing, singing, producing, writing."
Streisand returned the love in kind, congratulating her fellow honorees, which included Pfeiffer, Davis, Wood, Pinto, Watts, Aniston, actress Elizabeth Olsen and DreamWorks Studios chief Stacey Snider.
"They're all so charming, so well spoken, and so thin," Streisand said, adding, "I ate the chocolate cake."
(Also on the menu: Alaskan halibut and a roasted peach salad.)
Streisand said that only seven percent of the top 250 films were directed by women and she urged her colleagues to be fearless about moving forward in the entertainment industry.
"Let's be bold and don't wait for the phone to ring," she said. "Create your own material. Tell me a story."
The love didn't stop with Streisand. Olsen said Pfeiffer inspired her to become an actress, and Reese Witherspoon said Aniston had "sex appeal and complete lovability."
"You just want to get your nails done with her and you want to make out with her at the same time. At least I do," Witherspoon said. "And that's what we do sometimes on Saturdays."
"The Help" co-star Octavia Spencer traded "I love yous" with Davis, whom she said recently became a new mom. (Davis said her baby's name is Genesis, but offered no other details.)
The Oscar nominee said it isn't love that drives her to keep working in Hollywood.
"What keeps me in the business is hope, and that's the hope that women of color are also part of the narrative," Davis said. "(I'm) sending a telepathic message to you: Every time some young actress of color comes in a room with a character they're auditioning for that's not ethnically specific, that you have a space in your brain that can open up and embrace them and allow them in, because I'm telling you, their lives are just as fascinating and multifaceted."
The audience gave her a standing ovation, and welcomed Streisand the same way.
The Women in Hollywood honorees are featured in Elle's November issue.
___
Online:
www.elle.com
___
Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter at www.twitter.com/APSandy.
__
AP Entertainment Writer Natalie Rotman contributed to this report.
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Research underway at the Trudeau Institute could lead to new treatments for people sickened by Listeria and other sepsis-causing bacteria. Dr. Stephen Smiley's laboratory has published a study in the scientific journal Infection and Immunitythat supports a new approach to treating these infections.
Listeria can cause serious illness, especially among the elderly, the very young and those with compromised immune systems. The bacteria can also cause significant complications in pregnant women, including miscarriage.
The CDC is reporting that one miscarriage and 23 deaths can be attributed to a recent outbreak of Listeria infections in the United States caused by tainted cantaloupes; 116 persons from 25 states have been infected with the outbreak-associated strains.
Ingestion of Listeria usually causes a limited gastrointestinal illness; however, the bacteria sometimes spread to other parts of the body, resulting in a deadly sepsis. Despite decades of medical research, severe infections caused by Listeria and other bacteria that cause sepsis, like MRSA, still threaten human health.
The Trudeau Institute study demonstrates that mice that have been genetically modified so they cannot produce factor XI (FXI), a specific blood-clotting factor, have an improved capacity to withstand injection with high doses of Listeria. The study also shows that normal mice treated with both an antibody targeting FXI along with antibiotics show improved survival during septic Listeria infection, as compared with mice treated with antibiotics alone.
These findings suggest FXI-targeted therapeutics may be useful for treating severe infections caused by Listeria and other sepsis-causing bacteria.
This recent work builds on a long history of Listeria research at the Trudeau Institute. In the 1960s the Institute's first director, Dr. George B. Mackaness, advanced the use of mouse models to study how cells of the immune system combat Listeria. He discovered that activated macrophages play a critical role in killing Listeria. He also discovered that lymphocytes, another type of immune cell, orchestrate this killing response. These seminal observations remain the foundation for modern studies of cell-mediated defense against pathogens.
The Trudeau Institute's second director, Dr. Robert J. North, extended this work by identifying the key subset of anti-Listeria lymphocytes: T cells. Dr. North and his Trudeau colleagues also described crucial roles for NK cells and neutrophils.
Several years ago, Dr. Smiley discovered that blood-clotting proteins also play critical protective roles during immune defense against Listeria. "I was really intrigued by our finding that clotting protects against Listeria because so many other studies had shown that clotting clogs blood vessels and contributes to organ failure and death during septic infections," said Dr. Smiley.
"Our finding suggested that some degree of blood clotting is essential for effective immune defense, but too much is harmful. We set out in search of ways to prevent the bad clotting while maintaining the good."
Specifically, Dr. Smiley's lab looked for clotting factors that appeared to be hyperactive in the septic state.
"The paper we've just published is our first demonstration of this exciting new approach to treating sepsis ? we found that FXI is overproduced during septic Listeria infections and that therapeutics targeting FXI can reduce septic disease while maintaining immune defense."
###
Trudeau Institute: http://www.trudeauinstitute.org
Thanks to Trudeau Institute for this article.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/114385/New_approach_to_treating_Listeria_infections
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