Soon, people can have their personal DNA code sequenced for £100

ANI | Dec 10, 2012, 05.21 PM IST
READ MORE Personalized medicine|individualized treatments|DNA code sequence
LONDON: Personalized medicine and individualized treatments could be a possibility in the "very near future" as everybody will soon be able to have their entire DNA make-up mapped for as little as 100 pounds, a leading professor has revealed.

Sir John Bell, professor of medical sciences at Oxford University, adviser on genetics to the government and chair of its human genomics strategy group, made his comments as David Cameron launched a national DNA database of up to 100,000 patients with cancer or rare diseases.

"The price of genome sequencing has been falling off a clliff. It has fallen by 100,000-fold in 10 years. We are headed for 100-pound a genome. That will happen in the very near future," the Telegraph quoted Sir John as saying.

He told Radio 4's Today programme that that means everybody's genetic make up would therefore be available if they wish it to be.

"Genetics is a key component of all common diseases. There is a possibility that this will help in a whole variety of ways including the use of new drugs," he said.

The UK will be the first country to introduce hi-tech DNA mapping within a mainstream health system in a move designed to help it lead the world in tackling cancer and rare diseases, Downing Street said.

"By unlocking the power of DNA data, the NHS will lead the global race for better tests, better drugs and above all better care," Cameron said.

"We are turning an important scientific breakthrough into a potentially life-saving reality for NHS patients across the country.

"If we get this right, we could transform how we diagnose and treat our most complex diseases not only here but across the world, while enabling our best scientists to discover the next wonder drug or breakthrough technology," he added.

But campaigners warned the project, in which patients will have to opt out of having their personal DNA code sequenced if they do not wish to be involved, comes with "very real privacy concerns".

If extended to the whole population, individuals and their relatives could be identified and tracked by matching their DNA to their genome stored in health care records in a move which could "wipe out privacy", GeneWatch UK said.

Campaigners Big Brother Watch added the opt-out system for research was "wholly wrong", warning that marketing firms could try to use the data to sell medication to people at risk of becoming ill.
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Scientists discover new type of chemical bonding

PTI | Dec 9, 2012, 06.45 PM IST
READ MORE stars|scientists|chemical compound formation|chemical bonding
WASHINGTON: Researchers claim to have discovered a new type of chemical bonding in distant Universe which may help explain how stars form, evolve, and eventually die.

The new molecular-level interaction may redefine how science views chemical compound formation.

"We discovered a new type of chemical bonding. It's a brand new type of chemical bonding, not previously known to science," said Mark Hoffmann, from University of North Dakota.

It also answers questions about what goes on in places like white dwarfs, the super dense cores of stars nearing the end of their life cycles, researchers believe.

"Our discovery addresses one of the mysteries in astrophysics about the spectrum of white dwarf stars," Hoffmann said.

"White dwarfs have an unusual spectrum that has been thought to result from polymerised hydrogen and helium which, of course, do not occur on Earth," Hoffmann said.

"It's possible out there because the magnetic fields on white dwarfs are several orders of magnitude larger than anything that can be generated on Earth," Hoffmann added.

The closest white dwarf, Sirius B, is a faint twin to the brightest star in the night sky, Sirius A. It's about the same size as our Sun, but much denser; its average density is 1.7 metric tons per cubic centimetre, or about 3,000 pounds compressed into a box the size of a sugar cube.

Hoffmann and his team described a magnetically induced bonding process between materials.

"There was speculation that this phenomenon should exist, but no one had the proof, and no one - until the team I'm on described the process - had the theoretical structure and the computational tools to address this," he said.

On Earth, even the boldest military experiments generate a peak of maybe 1,000 Tesla - a measure of magnetic force (refrigerator magnets generate a thousandth of one Tesla).

But on Sirius B, for example, magnetic fields are on the order of 200,000 to 400,000 Tesla, enough to challenge the electronic interactions that dominate the chemistry and material science we know on Earth.

Such vast magnetic fields directly alter the way atoms come together, and can alter the chemical reality we know on Earth.

"What we had before we discovered this was basically a paper-and-pencil model of what goes on in the universe. Compared to what's out there in places such as white dwarf stars, the magnetic fields we can generate here - even with the strongest magnets - are pathetic," Hoffmann said.

"We computationally modeled the behaviour that we theorised, based on universally applicable physical principles," Hoffmann said in a statement.

The discovery was published in the journal Science. 
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How do I know if my computer has been hacked?

HackerQuestion

How do I know if my computer has been hacked?

Answer

Tip: Most computer problems are not caused by computer hackers, it is more common for a computer to be hijacked then hacked. It can be difficult to detect a hacker on a computer because nothing changes to help disguise the hack. Below are the most common things that change after a computer is hacked.
New programs installed
In some situations, you may see new programs or files to the computer. If you are the only user on the computer and new programs are installed, this could be an indication of a hacked computer. However, there are also several legitimate reasons why a new program may appear on the computer, as listed below.
  • Operating system or other program received updates that included new programs or files.
  • When installing a new program it may have installed other programs. For example, it is common for plugins and other free programs to have a check box asking if it is ok to install a new Toolbar or antivirus on your computer. If these boxes are checked, new programs are installed.
  • Any other person who logs on your computer could install new programs.
Below is a listing of programs that may indicate a hacker has been on the computer.
  • Backdoors and Trojans are by far the most common programs to be installed on the computer after it has been hacked. These programs allow the hacker to gain access to the computer.
  • IRC clients are another common way for a hacker to get into a computer or remotely control thousands of computers. If you have never participated in a IRC chat, your computer may have been hacked.
  • Spyware, rogue antivirus programs, and malware can be an indication of a hacker. However, are more commonly a sign that your computer has been hijacked while on the Internet.
Computer passwords have changed
Online passwords
Sometimes, after an online account is hacked the attacker changes the password to your account. Try using the forgot password feature to reset the password. If your e-mail address has changed or this feature does not work, contact the company who is providing the service, they are the only ones who can reset your account.
Local computer password
If your password to log into your computer has changed, it may have been hacked. There is no reason why a password would change on its own. Log into an administrator account to change your accounts password.
E-mail spam being sent
When an e-mail account is hacked or taken over, the attacker almost always uses that account to spread spam and viruses. If your friends, family, or coworkers are receiving e-mail from you advertising something like Viagra your e-mail is compromised. Log into your e-mail and change your e-mail account password.
Tip: E-mail addresses can also be spoofed without hacking the e-mail account. After changing the e-mail password, if your friends continue to get e-mails you have not sent, it is likely someone is spoofing your e-mail address.
Increased network activity
For any attacker to take control of a computer, they must remotely connect to that computer. When someone is remotely connected to your computer, your Internet connection will be slower. Also, many times after the computer is hacked it becomes a zombie to attack other computers.
Installing a bandwidth monitor program on the computer can help determine what programs are using what bandwidth on your computer. Windows users can also use the netstat command to determine remote established network connections and open ports.
There are dozens of other legitimate reasons why your Internet connection may also be slow.
Unknown programs wanting access
Computer security programs and firewalls help restrict access to programs on a network or Internet. If the computer prompts for access to programs you do not know, rogue programs may be installed, or it may have been hacked. If you do not know why a program needs access to the Internet, we recommend blocking access to that program. If you later discover these blocks cause problems, they can be removed.
Tip: A firewall prompting you for access may also just be someone trying to probe your network, looking for open or available ports in your network.
Security programs uninstalled
If the computers antivirus, anti-malware program, or firewall that has been uninstalled or disabled this can also be an indication of a hacked computer. A hacker may disable these programs to help hide any warnings that would appear while they are on the computer.
Computer doing things by itself
When someone is remotely connected to a computer they can remotely control any device. For example, a mouse cursor could be moved or something could be typed. If you see the computer doing something as if someone else was in control, this can be an indication of a hacked computer.
Modem users
If the computer is dialing the Internet on its own, it is an indication that a program needs to connect to the Internet. It is common for programs like e-mail clients to do this to check for new e-mail. However, if you cannot identify what program needs Internet access, this can also be an indication of a hacked computer.
Internet browser home page changed or new toolbar
Internet browser changes such as your home page changing to a different web page, a new toolbar getting added, your search provider changing, web pages getting redirected are all signs of a browser getting hijacked and not a computer hacker.

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