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US

Kansas residents hold their noses as crews mop up massive U.S. oil spill

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WASHINGTON, Kan., Dec 10 (Reuters) – Residents near the site of the worst U.S. oil pipeline leak in a decade took the commotion and smell in stride as cleanup crews labored in near-freezing temperatures, and investigators searched for clues to what caused the spill.

A heavy odor of oil hung in the air as tractor trailers ferried generators, lighting and ground mats to a muddy site on the outskirts of this farming community, where a breach in the Keystone pipeline discovered on Wednesday spewed 14,000 barrels of oil.

Pipeline operator TC Energy (TRP.TO) said on Friday it was evaluating plans to restart the line, which carries 622,000 barrels per day of Canadian oil to U.S. refineries and export hubs.

“We could smell it first thing in the morning; it was bad,” said Washington resident Dana Cecrle, 56. He shrugged off the disruption: “Stuff breaks. Pipelines break, oil trains derail.”

TC Energy did not provide details of the breach or say when a restart on the broken segment could begin. Officials are scheduled on Monday to receive a briefing on the pipeline breach and cleanup, said Washington County’s emergency preparedness coordinator, Randy Hubbard, on Saturday.

OIL FLOWS TO CREEK

Environmental specialists from as far away as Mississippi were helping with the cleanup and federal investigators combed the site to determine what caused the 36-inch (91-cm) pipeline to break.

Washington County, a rural area of about 5,500 people, is about 200 miles (322 km) northwest of Kansas City.

The spill has not threatened the water supply or forced residents to evacuate. Emergency workers installed booms to contain oil that flowed into a creek and that sprayed onto a hillside near a livestock pasture, said Hubbard.

TC Energy aims to restart on Saturday a pipeline segment that sends oil to Illinois, and another portion that brings oil to the major trading hub of Cushing, Oklahoma, on Dec. 20, Bloomberg News reported, citing sources. Reuters has not verified those details.

It was the third spill of several thousand barrels of crude on the 2,687-mile (4,324-km) pipeline since it opened in 2010. A previous Keystone spill had caused the pipeline to remain shut for about two weeks.

“Hell, that’s life,” said 70-year-old Carol Hollingsworth of nearby Hollenberg, Kansas, about the latest spill. “We got to have the oil.”

TC Energy had around 100 workers leading the cleanup and containment efforts, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was providing oversight and monitoring, said Kellen Ashford, an EPA spokesperson.

U.S. regulator Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA) said the company shut the pipeline seven minutes after receiving a leak detection alarm.

CRUDE BOTTLENECK

A lengthy shutdown of the pipeline could lead to Canadian crude getting bottlenecked in Alberta, and drive prices at the Hardisty storage hub lower, although price reaction on Friday was muted.

Western Canada Select (WCS), the benchmark Canadian heavy grade, for December delivery last traded at a discount of $27.70 per barrel to the U.S. crude futures benchmark , according to a Calgary-based broker. On Thursday, December WCS traded as low as $33.50 under U.S. crude, before settling at around a $28.45 discount.

“The real impact could come if Keystone faces any (flow) pressure restrictions from PHMSA, even after the pipeline is allowed to resume operations,” said Ryan Saxton, head of oil data at consultants Wood Mackenzie.

Reporting by Erwin Seba in Washington, Kansas, and Nia Williams in Calgary, Alberta;
Additional reporting by Arathy Somasekhar in Houston, Rod Nickel in Winnipeg and Stephanie Kelly in New York
Editing by Gary McWilliams, Stephen Coates and Matthew Lewis

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Health

Reprogramming the Brain’s Cleaning Crew to Mop Up Alzheimer’s Disease

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Summary: Using CRISPR gene editing, researchers were able to control microglia and reverse their toxic state associated with Alzheimer’s disease, and put them back on track.

Source: UCSF

The discovery of how to shift damaged brain cells from a diseased state into a healthy one presents a potential new path to treating Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, according to a new study from researchers at UC San Francisco.

The research focuses on microglia, cells that stabilize the brain by clearing out damaged neurons and the protein plaques often associated with dementia and other brain diseases. 

These cells are understudied, despite the fact that changes in them are known to play a significant role Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases, said Martin Kampmann, PhD, senior author on the study, which appears Aug. 11 in Nature Neuroscience. 

“Now, using a new CRISPR method we developed, we can uncover how to actually control these microglia, to get them to stop doing toxic things and go back to carrying out their vitally important cleaning jobs,” he said. “This capability presents the opportunity for an entirely new type of therapeutic approach.”

Leveraging the Brain’s Immune System

Most of the genes known to increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease act through microglial cells. Thus, these cells have a significant impact on how such neurodegenerative diseases play out, said Kampmann.

Microglia act as the brain’s immune system. Ordinary immune cells can’t cross the blood-brain barrier, so it’s the task of healthy microglia to clear out waste and toxins, keeping neurons functioning at their best. When microglia start losing their way, the result can be brain inflammation and damage to neurons and the networks they form.

Under some conditions, for example, microglia will start removing synapses between neurons. While this is a normal part of brain development in a person’s childhood and adolescent years, it can have disastrous effects in the adult brain. 

Over the past five years or so, many studies have observed and profiled these varying microglial states but haven’t been able to characterize the genetics behind them. 

Kampmann and his team wanted to identify exactly which genes are involved in specific states of microglial activity, and how each of those states are regulated. With that knowledge, they could then flip genes on and off, setting wayward cells back on the right track. 

From Advanced Genomics to a Holy Grail

Accomplishing that task required surmount fundamental obstacles that have prevented researchers from controlling gene expression in these cells. For example, microglia are very resistant to the most common CRISPR technique, which involves getting the desired genetic material into the cell by using a virus to deliver it.

To overcome this, Kampmann’s team coaxed stem cells donated by human volunteers to become microglia and confirmed that these cells function like their ordinary human counterparts. The team then developed a new platform that combines a form of CRISPR, which enables researchers to turn individual genes on and off—and which Kampmann had a significant hand in developing—with readouts of data that indicate functions and states of individual microglia cells.  

The research focuses on microglia, cells that stabilize the brain by clearing out damaged neurons and the protein plaques often associated with dementia and other brain diseases. Image is in the public domain

Through this analysis, Kampmann and his team pinpointed genes that effect the cell’s ability to survive and proliferate, how actively a cell produces inflammatory substances, and how aggressively a cell prunes synapses. 

And because the scientists had determined which genes control those activities, they were able to reset the genes and flip the diseased cell to a healthy state.

Armed with this new technique, Kampmann plans to investigate how to control the relevant states of microglia, by targeting the cells with existing pharmaceutical molecules and testing them in preclinical models. He hopes to find specific molecules that act on the genes necessary to nudge diseased cells back to a healthy state. 

Kampmann said that once the right genes are flipped, it’s likely that the “repaired,” microglia will resume their responsibilities, removing plaques associated with neurodegenerative disease and protecting synapses rather than taking them apart.

“Our study provides a blueprint for a new approach to treatment,” he said. “It’s a bit of a holy grail.” 

Funding: This work was funded in part by NIH grants DP2 GM119139, U01 MH115747, U54 NS100717, R01 AG051390, F30 AG066418, F30 AG062043, and ZO1 AG000534-02. For other funding, please see the study

See also

Authors: Other authors include: Nina Dräger, Sydney Sattler, Olivia M. Teter, Kun Leng, Jason Hong, Giovanni Aviles, Claire D. Clelland, Lay Kodama, and Li Gan of UCSF. For other authors, please see the study.

About this Alzheimer’s disease and gene editing research news

Author: Robin Marks
Source: UCSF
Contact: Robin Marks – UCSF
Image: The image is in the public domain

Original Research: Open access.
“A CRISPRi/a platform in human iPSC-derived microglia uncovers regulators of disease states” by Martin Kampmann et al. Nature Neuroscience

Abstract

A CRISPRi/a platform in human iPSC-derived microglia uncovers regulators of disease states

Microglia are emerging as key drivers of neurological diseases. However, we lack a systematic understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

Here, we present a screening platform to systematically elucidate functional consequences of genetic perturbations in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia.

We developed an efficient 8-day protocol for the generation of microglia-like cells based on the inducible expression of six transcription factors. We established inducible CRISPR interference and activation in this system and conducted three screens targeting the ‘druggable genome’. These screens uncovered genes controlling microglia survival, activation and phagocytosis, including neurodegeneration-associated genes.

A screen with single-cell RNA sequencing as the readout revealed that these microglia adopt a spectrum of states mirroring those observed in human brains and identified regulators of these states. A disease-associated state characterized by osteopontin (SPP1) expression was selectively depleted by colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF1R) inhibition.

Thus, our platform can systematically uncover regulators of microglial states, enabling their functional characterization and therapeutic targeting.

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Health

High cholesterol? Vegetables and fruits that mop up LDL and help statins lower bad lipids level

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

  • Enough has already been written about the ill effects of cholesterol.
  • A major (though not the only one) contributor to the build-up of plaque in our arteries is the elevated levels of cholesterol.
  • And the level of cholesterol in our blood is largely governed by the food we eat.
Heart disease is a serious affliction that adds to disabilities and deaths worldwide. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally. An estimated 17.9 million people died from CVDs in 2019, representing 32 per cent of all global deaths.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), at the turn of the century, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) became the leading cause of mortality in India. in 2016, the estimated prevalence of CVDs in India was estimated to be 54.5 million. One in 4 deaths in India is now because of CVDs with ischemic heart disease and stroke.

The biggest contributor to heart disease is cholesterol-caused blockages in the blood vessels that hamper the heart’s smooth working. Cholesterol is that waxy (sticky) and light substance that is produced by our lives. Our body needs some cholesterol but not too much.

Famed US nutritionist Joy Bauer told Today.com about foods that can help your heart, spotlighting foods that can help lower your cholesterol, including apples, lentils and avocados. .

Joy Bauer says, “When we eat junk food diets that are high in saturated fats, trans fats and sugar, our livers get prompted to produce way too much cholesterol. This cholesterol then travels throughout the body, collecting all sorts of inflammatory substances and dumps it all on the inner walls of our arteries in the form of plaque.”

Joy says that the good news is that you can eat foods that can help lower cholesterol.

How to tweak your diet to lower cholesterol?

Indian diet is well balanced and extremely appetising. The spices and additives such as turmeric, ginger, garlic, chilli peppers etc only add to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory base. But during the preparation process, people usually tend to put a lot of oil, ghee, sugar or spices which robs it of its goodness.

According to Harvard Health, foods that make up a low cholesterol diet can help reduce high levels.

Changing what foods you eat can lower your cholesterol and improve the armada of fats floating through your bloodstream. If you eat a low-cholesterol diet, you need not worry about artery-clogging atherosclerosis.

Add these foods to lower LDL cholesterol:

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fibre, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol, say Harvard experts.

  1. Apples: A study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that eating two whole apples daily can lower blood cholesterol, helping to prevent a heart attack or a stroke. The study found that when participants ate two fresh apples a day they had lower blood cholesterol than when they drank apple juice. Clearly, the fibre in whole apples that one retains when the fruit is not juiced is the key factor here, playing a promising role in promoting heart health. Apple skin contains a carbohydrate called pectin – buried in its skin. Pectin latches on to the LDL cholesterol and drags it out of the body when the unabsorbed solids are thrown out of the body. Pectin in apples — along with the other types of fibre, is a good food source for the healthy bacteria in the human gut known as the microbiome, which has been linked to everything from weight loss to mental health. Apples, oranges, carrots, peaches, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits – all contain this pectin – the type of soluble fibre that lowers LDL.
  2. Beans: Whether farm-fresh green or sun-dried, beans are especially rich in soluble fibre. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for those of us who are trying to lose weight. You are really spoilt for choices when it comes to the various types of beans available: navy beans, kidney beans, lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas are just some of the types of beans and you can cook them in a manner best suited to your taste buds. Just be mindful of not overdoing the fats and calorie bit while you chase taste.
  3. Okra: Also known as ladyfinger, bhindi etc, the okra seedpod may substantially lower levels of LDL lipids, claim a few studies. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fibre. Science Direct reports on a study carried out by the researchers at Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran. In their quest to confirm the cholesterol-lowering properties of Okra, researchers administered okra seed oil to hypercholesterolemic rats. The researchers of this study published earlier this year in the journal Food Science and Technology said, “Okra seed oil plays a crucial role in the maintenance of lipid profile in the body”. The okra pods contain a gel-like substance known as mucilage which could help the body excrete dangerous LDL cholesterol when passing stool.
  4. Eggplant: Eggplant, aubergine or brinjal is a plant species in the nightshade family Solanaceae. A story carried out at the Faculdades de Ciências Médicas, UNICAMP, Campinas, in Portugal aimed at studying the effect of eggplant on endothelium-dependent relaxation, and plasma lipids in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. 13 male rabbits were randomly assigned to control (C), hypercholesterolemic (H) and eggplant (E) treated groups (n = 10 each). The H and E rabbits were fed a diet supplemented with cholesterol (0.5 per cent) and coconut oil (10 per cent) for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, the E group rabbits had a significantly lower weight, plasma cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride and aortic cholesterol content than group H(p < 0.05).
  5. Vegetable oils: There are two main types of fat (saturated and unsaturated) and we need some of each. Eating a healthy balance of fats can help to lower your cholesterol levels. Excessive consumption of saturated fat will raise your cholesterol. How does one tell which is good and which is the bad type of fats? Heart.org says saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Avoid consuming more than the recommended amount of fats derived from animals and from coconut products. Stay away from dairy foods such as cream, cheese and full-fat milk and yoghurt, butter and other solid fats such as ghee, lard and hard margarine. Also bad for your heart are fatty and processed meats such as sausages and bacon coconut and palm oil. Using liquid vegetable oils such as canola, sunflower, safflower, and others in place of butter, lard, or shortening when cooking or at the table helps lower LDL. Unsaturated fats (different types of unsaturated fat known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are found in plant foods and oily fish, and they are usually liquid at room temperature. That is why nuts, avocados, oil from seeds of sunflower, safflower, rapeseed, olive, peanut, walnut and corn oil, oily fish such as herring, pilchards, mackerel, salmon and trout that contain omega 3 fats are good for you.

(Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.)

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US

Evacuation Orders Downgraded to Warnings as Crews Mop Up Estrada Fire Near Watsonville – CBS San Francisco

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WATSONVILLE (CBS SF) — A wildland fire burning near Watsonville that forced evacuations after being sparked by a prescribed burn Friday afternoon was 10% contained by Saturday morning, according to Cal Fire.

Firefighters made “significant progress” overnight against the Estrada Fire in south Santa Cruz County, a Cal Fire spokeswoman said Saturday. Officials later updated the size of the fire to 83 acres.

“The fire did not grow last night,” said Angela Bernheisel. “We expect a lot more containment today and we hope to be able to lift the evacuation orders tonight. Conditions calmed down significantly overnight.”

A Cal Fire prescribed burn in the area Friday afternoon jumped its containment lines near Corralitos Friday. In response, firefighting crews from Cal Fire and Santa Cruz County local fire departments attacked the blaze and surrounded the it with retardant Friday night.

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office issued evacuation orders and warnings and an evacuation center opened at Corralitos Community Church. That evacuation center closed at 10 p.m. because of light usage, according to Santa Cruz County officials.

The evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings around noon on Saturday.

A 20-acre prescribed burn at Estrada Ranch was scheduled for 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. Friday. It was intended to reduce dry fuel and prevent a wildland fire. Cal Fire warned residents on social media to expect to see smoke from the controlled burn.

It’s not yet known what happened to cause the flames to jump the line around 2:40 p.m.

Noe Torres, a Watsonville resident, said that, when he saw wildlife trying to escape the fire, he knew he had to prepare for the worst.

“I saw a bunch of wild turkeys coming down, that was scary,” Torres said.

Torres said he then turned on his sprinklers to protect his property.

Kim Miles said she’s preparing just in case the wind shifts.

“Absolutely,” she said. “Grab some personal things that can’t be replaced, pictures and whatnot, have my car ready if we need to go.”

When asked if she would be able to sleep tonight, she responded, “Very lightly.”

 

At least 30 engines responded to the blaze Friday afternoon as it flashed across hilly terrain covered in oak and grass.

At least seven Cal Fire air tankers attacked the fire but were grounded after nightfall.



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