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Internet of DNA

Breakthrough Technical standards that let DNA databases communicate.

Why It Matters Your medical treatment could benefit from the experiences of millions of others.

Key Players Global Alliance for Genomics and Health

Google

Personal Genome Project

A match could make a difference. Noah is developmentally delayed, uses a walker, speaks only a few words. And he’s getting sicker. MRIs show that his cerebellum is shrinking. His DNA was analyzed by medical geneticists at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Somewhere in the millions of As, Gs, Cs, and Ts is a misspelling, and maybe the clue to a treatment. But unless they find a second child with the same symptoms, and a similar DNA error, his doctors can’t zero in on which mistake in Noah’s genes is the crucial one.

Drone meets blimp for crowd-friendly UAV

A new breed of unmanned aerial vehicle that is safe to fly at close proximity to crowds has been developed by a spin-off team from Swiss university ETH Zurich. The helium-filled flying machine, known as Skye, combines the manoeuvrability of a traditional quadcopter with the energy efficiency of a blimp.

The makers say their safe and ‘friendly’ drone offers a new and innovative way for brands to interact with their audiences in public settings. Where current advertising is often limited to displays and billboards, Skye can float safely around and interact with people.

“It’s a unique flying machine which is safe enough to interact with. So you can touch it in flight; it’s basically filled with helium which provides most of the uplift,” said Daniel Meier, co-founder of company Aerotain which developed the Skye drone.

Despite being around three metres (approx. 10 ft) in diameter, Skye is extremely agile and able to perform almost any movement instantaneously thanks to its four small electric motors. Its engineers designed algorithms that keep it on course, even when performing a range of aerial tricks.

“This is where the magic happens; four motors are allowing it to perform any movement, so you can really move it in the air like a flying eye,” Meier told Reuters while demonstrating Skye’s operation. “There is a computer on board which knows exactly how it’s orientated in the world, and then it gives commands to the motors to actually align it to where you want it to be. And there are four motors on it which can rotate around their axis and with them you can precisely control it in any environment, basically.”

Skye is lightweight, which combined with its small energy requirements, give it a flight time of about two hours on a single charge.

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By eliminating exposed rotor blades typical of most drones, Skye makes it possible to operate around crowds without fear of injury.

Meier added that regular drones could also be dangerous if they malfunction. “There is even one bigger issue; that is if the electronics fail it will just fall down to the ground. This can’t happen with Skye because helium is providing the buoyancy, so if ever something goes wrong it becomes a huge balloon and people could play with it,” he said.

Aerotain says its technology could disrupt the advertising industry by allowing companies to engage directly with the public in a way never seen before. At public events, such as a sports game or concert, Skye can autonomously float above the crowds or with a pilot at the controls. Skye’s surface can be designed individually, for instance to depict a product or to show the name of a brand, with its uniqueness naturally attracting people’s attention. It’s also strong enough to carry on-board cameras for live streaming and aerial cinematography.

Skye is currently on display in the Swiss Pavilion at the CeBIT 2016 technology fair in Hanover, Germany.

Source"https://www.technologyreview.com/s/535016/internet-of-dna/" and "http://newsdaily.com/2016/03/drone-meets-blimp-for-crowd-friendly/"

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DNA is vital for all living beings – even plants. It is important for inheritance, coding for proteins and the genetic instruction guide for life and its processes. DNA holds the instructions for an organism's or each cell’s development and reproduction and ultimately death.

Proteins

A protein is a complex molecule found in the body that is abundant and is vital for most living functions.

There are many different types of proteins that include structural proteins, messenger proteins, enzymes and hormones. These perform various functions from forming the organs, skin and bones and the body to performing actions and functions via messengers, enzymes and hormones.

How is DNA linked to proteins?

DNA carries the codes for proteins. However, the actual protein differs a lot from the codes present on the DNA. The basic steps include:

Transcription

The first step that occurs is a process known as transcription. Here the information on the DNA is written down onto a different molecule called the RNA. This molecule acts as a messenger to carry the information to other parts of the cell.

Translation

The next step is called translation. In this step the cell organelles called ribosomes come into play. These ribosomes act as translators by translating the messenger's code into the proper protein format or a chain of amino acids that form the building blocks of the protein. Each amino acid is formed by combining three bases on the RNA.

Modification and folding

The third step is modification and folding and structuring of the final protein and sending it to the required areas in the body.

Coding for proteins

DNA is read by the messengers that break it open into single stranded polynucleotide chains and is copied into RNA.

RNA forms opposite bases from that present on the DNA. For example, G on the DNA forms C on the RNA strand.

Each of the bases gets together in threes and these form particular amino acids. There are 20 such amino acids. These are also known as the building blocks of proteins.

The amino acids first form a long chain called the polypeptide chain. This polypeptide chain undergoes conformational and structural changes and folds and refolds over itself to form the final complex structure of the protein.

DNA replication

Apart from coding for proteins, DNA also replicates. This helps in a variety of functions including reproduction to maintenance and growth of cells, tissues and body systems.

In this process the DNA strands, that are tightly wound with each other, unwind and literally unzip to leave several bases without their partners on the other strand and remain along the backbone of the molecule.

The bases are very specific about which base they will attach to and the adenine only pairs with thymine and guanine will only pair with cytosine. Unpaired bases come and attach to these free bases and a new strand is formed that is complementary to the original sequence.

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The end result is a strand that is a perfect match to the original one prior to it unzipping. This result in two new pairs of strands and two coiled DNA. Each of the new DNA contains one strand from the mother pair and a new one.

DNA inheritance

DNA is important in terms of heredity. It packs in all the genetic information and passes it on to the next generation. The basis for this lies in the fact that DNA makes genes and genes make chromosomes.

Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes – a total of 46 chromosomes. Twenty-two of these pairs, called autosomes, look the same in both males and females. The 23rd pair is called the sex chromosomes and differs between males and females. Females have two copies of the X chromosome or XX, while males have one X and one Y chromosome.

Both parents have reproductive cells – sperms in fathers and ovum or eggs in mothers. These sperms and eggs contain half the number of chromosomes – 23 each. When the egg and the sperm fertilizes, this gives rise to a cell that has the complete set. Thus a person inherits half of his or her genes from each of the parents.
Source"http://www.news-medical.net/life-sciences/DNA-Biological-Functions.aspx"

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The Rochester team's DNA logic gates are the first step toward creating a computer that has a structure similar to that of an electronic PC. Instead of using electrical signals to perform logical operations, these DNA logic gates rely on DNA code. They detect fragments of genetic material as input, splice together these fragments and form a single output. For instance, a genetic gate called the "And gate" links two DNA inputs by chemically binding them so they're locked in an end-to-end structure, similar to the way two Legos might be fastened by a third Lego between them. The researchers believe that these logic gates might be combined with DNA microchips to create a breakthrough in DNA computing.

DNA computer components -- logic gates and biochips -- will take years to develop into a practical, workable DNA computer. If such a computer is ever built, scientists say that it will be more compact, accurate and efficient than conventional computers. In the next section, we'll look at how DNA computers could surpass their silicon-based predecessors, and what tasks these computers would perform.

Surpassing Silicon?

Although DNA computers haven't overtaken silicon-based microprocessors, researchers have made some progress in using genetic code for computation. In 2003, Israeli scientists demonstrated a limited, but functioning, DNA computer. You can read more about it at National Geographic.

Silicon microprocessors have been the heart of the computing world for more than 40 years. In that time, manufacturers have crammed more and more electronic devices onto their microprocessors. In accordance with Moore's Law, the number of electronic devices put on a microprocessor has doubled every 18 months. Moore's Law is named after Intel founder Gordon Moore, who predicted in 1965 that microprocessors would double in complexity every two years. Many have predicted that Moore's Law will soon reach its end, because of the physical speed and miniaturization limitations of silicon microprocessors.

DNA computers have the potential to take computing to new levels, picking up where Moore's Law leaves off. There are several advantages to using DNA instead of silicon:

As long as there are cellular organisms, there will always be a supply of DNA.

The large supply of DNA makes it a cheap resource.

Unlike the toxic materials used to make traditional microprocessors, DNA biochips can be made cleanly.

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DNA computers are many times smaller than today's computers.

DNA's key advantage is that it will make computers smaller than any computer that has come before them, while at the same time holding more data. One pound of DNA has the capacity to store more information than all the electronic computers ever built;­ and the computing power of a teardrop-sized DNA computer, using the DNA logic gates, will be more powerful than the world's most powerful supercomputer. More than 10 trillion DNA molecules can fit into an area no larger than 1 cubic centimeter (0.06 cubic inches). With this small amount of DNA, a computer would be able to hold 10 terabytes of data, and perform 10 trillion calculations at a time. By adding more DNA, more calculations could be performed.

Unlike conventional computers, DNA computers perform calculations parallel to other calculations. Conventional computers operate linearly, taking on tasks one at a time. It is parallel computing that allows DNA to solve complex mathematical problems in hours, whereas it might take electrical computers hundreds of years to complete them.

The first DNA computers are unlikely to feature word processing, e-mailing and solitaire programs. Instead, their powerful computing power will be used by national governments for cracking secret codes, or by airlines wanting to map more efficient routes. Studying DNA computers may also lead us to a better understanding of a more complex computer -- the human brain.

Source" http://computer.howstuffworks.com/dna-computer2.htm "

This year’s top 10 strategic technology trends are grouped into these three complementary trends that are mutually reinforcing with amplified disruptive characteristics.

Trend No. 1: The Device Mesh

The device mesh moves beyond the traditional desktop computer and mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) to encompass the full range of endpoints with which humans might interact. As the device mesh evolves, Gartner expects connection models to expand and greater cooperative interaction between devices to emerge. We will see significant development in wearables and augmented reality, especially in virtual reality.

Trend No. 2: Ambient User Experience

All of our digital interactions can become synchronized into a continuous and ambient digital experience that preserves our experience across traditional boundaries of devices, time and space. The experience blends physical, virtual and electronic environments, and uses real-time contextual information as the ambient environment changes or as the user moves from one place to another.

Organizations will need to consider their customers’ behavior journeys to shift the focus on design from discrete apps to the entire mesh of products and services involved in the user experience.

Trend No. 3: 3D-Printing Materials

We’ll see continued advances in 3D printing with a wide range of materials, including advanced nickel alloys, carbon fiber, glass, conductive ink, electronics, pharmaceuticals and biological materials for practical applications expanding into aerospace, medical, automotive, energy and the military.

Recent advances make it possible to mix multiple materials together with traditional 3D printing in one build. This could be useful for field operations or repairs when a specific tool is required and printed on demand. Biological 3D printing — such as the printing of skin and organs — is progressing from theory to reality; however, politicians and the public don’t have a full understanding of the implications.

Smart Machines

Trend No. 4: Information of Everything

Everything surrounding us in the digital mesh is producing, using and communicating with virtually unmeasurable amounts of information. Organizations must learn how to identify what information provides strategic value, how to access data from different sources, and explore how algorithms leverage Information of Everything to fuel new business designs.

Trend No. 5: Advanced Machine Learning

Advanced machine learning is what makes smart machines appear “intelligent” by enabling them to both understand concepts in the environment, and also to learn. Through machine learning a smart machine can change its future behavior. This area is evolving quickly, and organizations must assess how they can apply these technologies to gain competitive advantage.

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Trend No. 6: Autonomous Agents and Things

Advanced machine learning gives rise to a spectrum of smart machine implementations — including robots, autonomous vehicles, virtual personal assistants (VPAs) and smart advisors — that act in an autonomous (or at least semiautonomous) manner. This feeds into the ambient user experience in which an autonomous agent becomes the main user interface. Instead of interacting with menus, forms and buttons on a smartphone, the user speaks to an app, which is really an intelligent agent.

The New IT Reality

Trend No. 7: Adaptive Security Architecture

The complexities of digital business and the algorithmic economy, combined with an emerging “hacker industry,” significantly increase the threat surface for an organization. IT leaders must focus on detecting and responding to threats, as well as more traditional blocking and other measures to prevent attacks.

Trend No. 8: Advanced System Architecture

The digital mesh and smart machines require intense computing architecture demands to make them viable for organizations. They’ll get this added boost from ultra-efficient-neuromorphic architectures. Systems built on graphics processing units (GPUs) and field-programmable gate-arrays (FPGAs) will function more like human brains that are particularly suited to be applied to deep learning and other pattern-matching algorithms that smart machines use. FPGA-based architecture will allow distribution with less power into the tiniest Internet of Things (IoT) endpoints, such as homes, cars, wristwatches and even human beings.

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Trend No. 9: Mesh App and Service Architecture

The mesh app and service architecture are what enable delivery of apps and services to the flexible and dynamic environment of the digital mesh. This architecture will serve users’ requirements as they vary over time. It brings together the many information sources, devices, apps, services and microservices into a flexible architecture in which apps extend across multiple endpoint devices and can coordinate with one another to produce a continuous digital experience.

Trend No. 10: Internet of Things Architecture and Platforms

IoT platforms exist behind the mesh app and service architecture. The technologies and standards in the IoT platform form a base set of capabilities for communicating, controlling, managing and securing endpoints in the IoT. The platforms aggregate data from endpoints behind the scenes from an architectural and a technology standpoint to make the IoT a reality.

David W. Cearley is vice president and Gartner Fellow at Gartner. Mr. Cearley analyzes emerging and strategic business and technology trends and explores how these trends shape the way individuals and companies derive value from technology.  He will give a complimentary webinar on The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends on February 29.

Source” http://www.forbes.com/sites/gartnergroup/2016/01/15/top-10-technology-trends-for-2016/#65369d6f5ae9”

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Space drones

NASA has challenged designers to develop a conventional drone to work inside a space station, navigating with no ‘up’ or ‘down’. The winning design, ArachnoBeeA, would use cameras and tiny beacons to manoeuvre its way around. How popular drones would be in such a confined space is a different question.

760mph trains

Hate commuting? Imagine, instead, your train carriage hurtling down a tunnel at the same speed as a commercial jet airliner. That’s the dream of PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX founder Elon Musk. His Hyperloop system would see ‘train’ passengers travel at up to 760mph through a vacuum tube, propelled by compressed air and induction motors. A site has been chosen with the goal of starting test runs in two years. Once built, the loop will ferry passengers between San Francisco and LA in 35 minutes, compared to 7.5 hours by train.

Drown forest fires in sound

Forest fires could one day be dealt with by drones that would direct loud noises at the trees below. Since sound is made up of pressure waves, it can be used to disrupt the air surrounding a fire, essentially cutting off the supply of oxygen to the fuel. At the right frequency, the fire simply dies out, as researchers at George Mason University in Virginia recently demonstrated with their sonic extinguisher. Apparently, bass frequencies work best.

The AI scientist

Cut off a flatworm’s head, and it’ll grow a new one. Cut it in half, and you’ll have two new worms. Fire some radiation at it, and it’ll repair itself. Scientists have wanted to work out the mechanisms involved for some time, but the secret has eluded them. Enter an AI coded at Tufts University, Massachusetts. By analysing and simulating countless scenarios, the computer was able to solve the mystery of the flatworm’s regeneration in just 42 hours. In the end it produced a comprehensive model of how the flatworm’s genes allow it to regenerate.

Although humans still need to feed the AI with information, the machine in this experiment was able to create a new, abstract theory independently – a huge step towards the development of a conscious computer, and potentially a landmark step in the way we carry out research.

Space balloon

If you want to take a trip into space, your quickest bet might be to take a balloon. The company World View Enterprises wants to send tourists into the stratosphere, 32km above Earth, on hot air balloons. Technically ‘space’ is defined as 100km above sea level, but 32km is high enough to witness the curvature of the Earth, just as Felix Baumgartner did on his space jump. The balloon flew its first successful test flight in June, and the company will start selling tickets in 2016 – at the bargain price of just £75,000 per person!

Breathalyser cars

The US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has developed devices that can monitor alcohol levels by sniffing a driver’s breath or scanning the blood in their fingertips via the steering wheel, immobilising the car if levels are too high. Drivers using the system could be offered lower insurance premiums.

Internet for everyone

After Tesla and SpaceX, PayPal founder Elon Musk is turning his attention back to the internet: he’s awaiting permission to send almost 4,000 small satellites into low-Earth orbit that would beam back a high-speed wireless signal to everyone on the planet. And things are moving fast: Musk hopes to launch a series of test satellites in 2016, with a view to completing the project by 2020. He has competition to get there first though, as British billionaire Richard Branson also wants to cover the world with wi-fi.

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Asbestos cancers are caused by inhalation or ingestion of large amounts of toxic asbestos fibers. Besides mesothelioma and lung cancer, asbestos exposure can lead to other serious, potentially fatal diseases.

While the term “asbestos cancer” most often refers to mesothelioma, a number of other cancers are associated with asbestos exposure. Lung cancer can be directly caused by asbestos exposure, and some studies have suggested a link between exposure and other types of cancer. Elevated risks for a number of other cancers continue to be investigated. According to the World Health Organization, approximately half of all deaths from occupational cancer are caused by asbestos.

In a large study of 1,047 asbestos industry employees, a malignant tumor was listed as the official cause of death for 208 workers. Respiratory cancers (primarily in the bronchus, trachea or lung) made up the majority of the cancer deaths, followed by cancers of the digestive organs and peritoneum, the lining of the abdomen.

Causes, Risk Factors and Incidence

As its name suggests, asbestos cancers are caused by the inhalation or ingestion of asbestos. When these toxic fibers enter the body, they can cause genetic changes in healthy mesothelial cells. Over time, healthy mesothelial cells develop DNA damage that leads to cancer. Asbestos exposure is practically the primary cause and risk factor for mesothelioma, while lung cancer can be caused by smoking cigarettes or exposure to radon.

Although smoking exacerbates any potential symptoms that asbestos-related diseases may display, it does not increase your risk of developing mesothelioma if you've been exposed to asbestos. Smoking combined with asbestos exposure does greatly increase the risk of developing lung cancer. Other factors that may affect a person's overall health and risk of developing cancer following exposure may include a lifestyle low in exercise, high in stress and poor dietary choices.

advertisement Download Be Watchful of Symptoms

People with a history of asbestos exposure need to watch out for signs and symptoms of cancer in their bodies. Around 20 percent of persons exposed to asbestos will go on to develop a related disease, and in most cases the disease will affect the lungs. As a result, they should be especially mindful of their lung health and function. Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, coughing and chest pain are symptoms of asbestosis, lung cancer, laryngeal cancer and pleural mesothelioma.

Symptoms that affect the pelvis, abdomen and digestive system could be signs of peritoneal mesothelioma, gastrointestinal cancer, colorectal cancer, kidney cancer and ovarian cancer. Be watchful of abdominal swelling and pain, digestion issues, changes in bowl habits and nausea. Women should be mindful of menstrual changes, pain during sex, back pain and fatigue, because these are symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Diagnosing cancer can be a lengthy process. It often starts with a visit to a primary care physician to assess arising symptoms. Referral to a specialist will depend upon which part of the body is producing symptoms. Various tests and procedures are conducted to evaluate a person’s overall health and learn more about what may be causing symptoms.

Imaging tests like X-rays, CT and PET scans help doctors look inside the body for tumors. Blood tests look for other signs of cancer, such as abnormal blood cell counts. And biopsies, which are samples of tissue collected in and around a tumor, help determine which kind of cancer is present.

These tests are standard when mesothelioma or lung cancer is suspected. Other cancers may involve unique testing. For example, pap smears screen for ovarian cancer and mammograms screen for breast cancer. A colonoscopy can detect signs of colon cancer and urine tests help to diagnose kidney cancer.

Mesothelioma and nearly all forms of cancer are treated with surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Experimental therapies, such as immunotherapy, are only being used in clinical trials on some cancers. Photodynamic therapy is approved for the treatment of lung cancer but not mesothelioma. Hormone therapy is used in the treatment of breast cancer but not mesothelioma or lung cancer. Chemotherapy may be used to treat all asbestos-related cancers, but the exact drugs used will vary depending upon the cancer being treated.

Mesothelioma

The majority of references to asbestos cancer speak to mesothelioma because it is the only cancer that is almost exclusively caused by the mineral. Mesothelioma can develop after someone inhales or ingests large amounts of asbestos over time.

The inflammation and DNA damage that can result from exposure may eventually lead to the formation of tumors in the lining of the lungs (pleura) or abdominal cavity (peritoneum). In rare cases, the lining of the heart or testicles can be affected.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer in the U.S., and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration calls it “the greatest health risk for American asbestos workers.” One study shows asbestos kills at least twice as many people through lung cancer than mesothelioma.

Unlike mesothelioma, the risk of lung cancer is greater among smokers exposed to asbestos. The effect of smoking and asbestos drastically weakens the lungs and makes smokers with past exposure more likely to develop lung cancer.

"http://www.asbestos.com/cancer/"