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Friday, July 25, 2008

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Scientists: Columbus spread syphilis in Europe

Scientists: Columbus spread syphilis in EuropeNew genetic evidence supports the theory that Christopher Columbus brought syphilis to Europe from the New World, U.S. researchers said on Monday, reviving a centuries-old debate about the origins of the disease.

They said a genetic analysis of the syphilis family tree reveals that its closest relative was a South American cousin that causes yaws, an infection caused by a sub-species of the same bacteria.

"Some people think it is a really ancient disease that our earliest human ancestors would have had. Other people think it came from the New World," said Kristin Harper, an evolutionary biologist at Emory University in Atlanta.

"What we found is that syphilis or a progenitor came from the New World to the Old World and this happened pretty recently in human history," said Harper, whose study appears in journal Public Library of Science Neglected Tropical Diseases.

She said the study lends credence to the "Columbian theory," which links the first recorded European syphilis epidemic in 1495 to the return of Columbus and his crew.

"When you put together our genetic data with that epidemic in Naples in 1495, that is pretty strong support for the Columbian hypothesis," she said.

Syphilis, a sexually transmitted disease caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum, starts out as a sore, but progresses to a rash, fever, and eventually can cause blindness, paralysis and dementia.

Most recent evidence of its origins comes from skeletal remains found in both the New World and the Old World. Chronic syphilis can leave telltale lesions on bone. "It has a worm-eaten appearance," Harper said in a telephone interview.

SYPHILIS FAMILY TREE

Harper used an approach that examines the evolutionary relationships between organisms known as phylogenetics. She looked at 26 strains of Treponema, the family of bacteria that give rise to syphilis and related diseases like bejel and yaws, typically a childhood disease that is transmitted by skin-to-skin contact.

The study included two strains of yaws from remote areas of Guyana in South America that had never been sequenced before.

"We sequenced 21 different regions trying to find DNA changes between the strains," Harper said.

They concluded that while yaws is an ancient infection, venereal syphilis came about fairly recently. Harper suspects a nonvenereal subspecies of the tropical disease quickly evolved into venereal syphilis that could survive in the cooler, European climate.

But it is not clear how this took place. "All we can say is the ancestor of syphilis came from the New World, but what exactly it was like, we don`t know," she said.

In a commentary published in the same journal, Connie Mulligan of the University of Florida and colleagues disagreed with Harper`s analysis, suggesting her conclusions relied too heavily on genetic changes from the Guyana samples.

Mulligan suggested that better clues would come from DNA extracted from ancient bones or preserved tissues.

Harper concedes that more work needs to be done to explain the journey of syphilis to the New World. "This is a grainy photograph," she said.

sections: Society, Nature & Health Sourse: REUTERS

You Scratch my Back, I'll Scratch Yours

In some cases, the little guy can beat the odds by borrowing a few plays from the big guy's playbook and adding his own wrinkles. Such was the case for meebo, an IM company that hosts accounts from giants like Yahoo, Microsoft and AOL. As a result, co-founders Elaine Wherry and Sandy Jen brought the accounts even more users and enhanced the IM experience for existing users.

"We sort of expand the pie of users the IM network can reach," Jen says. "Through meebo, they can chat with their friends. In the end, it's not about the [online service] you use. It's about finding the person you want to find."

At first, meebo was the product of Jen's need to consolidate her 13 IM identities and something she figured would be popular at internet cafes. She soon discovered that the client was a hit with people everywhere who were isolated from their online friends by firewalls at schools and businesses.

"When we launched, we were solving our own problems," Jen says. "But we were solving other people's problems, too. That's when the service took off. "

After developing the service that now draws about 2.5 million unique users a day and 30 million overall, meebo added interactive ads that maintained the user-friendly interface that had put them on the map.

"The world doesn't need another banner ad," Jen says. "What we've learned from social networking sites is that that doesn't work very well."

So far, with an 85 percent user return rate and a partnership with AOL, the formula seems to be working. And while constant innovation is less of a priority, Wherry says the company will do whatever it takes to keep fans coming to its arena.

"One of the ways we've been successful is by listening to the user," she says. "Our innovation comes from our users."
The Sincerest Form of Flattery

Imagine how shocking it would have been if tiny Mississippi Valley State had beaten UCLA in the first round of this year's NCAA tournament by using a revolutionary strategy. Now imagine if UCLA opened next season having adopted MVSU's playbook, and you have an idea of the impact Netflix has had on the movie rental industry.

"Wherever there are innovators, there are imitators," says Steve Swasey, vice president of corporate communications for Netflix. "The key for the innovator is to keep innovating? Competition sharpens your saw."

According to Swasey, Netflix started its runaway success when the company combined online movie rentals with a system of local distribution centers. This allowed movies to be delivered faster, giving Netflix its competitive edge. Although competitors have picked up on this idea, Netflix thrives by steadily improving the one thing that made the company so successful to begin with--its website.

"We knew we created the category," Swasey says. "We stayed focused. Panic is not allowed at Netflix."

As the playing field now moves to online television, Swasey says Netflix will continue to use its philosophy of focused innovation to both further the company's success and distinguish it from the competition. He says it's a credo even the smallest business owner should take to heart.

"Stay focused on your core value and build moats around your business," he says. "Make it more and more difficult for others to emulate your idea."


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