Online gamers crack AIDS enzyme puzzle

Online gamers have achieved a feat beyond the realm of Second Life or Dungeons and Dragons: they have deciphered the structure of an enzyme of an AIDS-like virus that had thwarted scientists for a decade.

The exploit is published on Sunday in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, where -- exceptionally in scientific publishing -- both gamers and researchers are honoured as co-authors.

Their target was a monomeric protease enzyme, a cutting agent in the complex molecular tailoring of retroviruses, a family that includes HIV.

Figuring out the structure of proteins is vital for understanding the causes of many diseases and developing drugs to block them.

But a microscope gives only a flat image of what to the outsider looks like a plate of one-dimensional scrunched-up spaghetti. Pharmacologists, though, need a 3-D picture that "unfolds" the molecule and rotates it in order to reveal potential targets for drugs.

This is where Foldit comes in.

Developed in 2008 by the University of Washington, it is a fun-for-purpose video game in which gamers, divided into competing groups, compete to unfold chains of amino acids -- the building blocks of proteins -- using a set of online tools.

To the astonishment of the scientists, the gamers produced an accurate model of the enzyme in just three weeks.

Cracking the enzyme "provides new insights for the design of antiretroviral drugs," says the study, referring to the lifeline medication against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

It is believed to be the first time that gamers have resolved a long-standing scientific problem.

"We wanted to see if human intuition could succeed where automated methods had failed," Firas Khatib of the university's biochemistry lab said in a press release. "The ingenuity of game players is a formidable force that, if properly directed, can be used to solve a wide range of scientific problems."

One of Foldit's creators, Seth Cooper, explained why gamers had succeeded where computers had failed.

"People have spatial reasoning skills, something computers are not yet good at," he said.

"Games provide a framework for bringing together the strengths of computers and humans. The results in this week's paper show that gaming, science and computation can be combined to make advances that were not possible before."

  

                    

                 

                                     

                                     

Florida Company Offering Free AK-47s for People Opening New Accounts With Them

Do you happen to need an AK-47, as well as a company to process your credit card transactions?

If so, that would make today your lucky day, strangely enough.

MerchantService.com -- a Sarasota-based company that provides the equipment and processing for credit-card transactions in businesses -- announced its "Free AK-47 Giveaway" yesterday, offering an AK-47 worth up to $750 for new accounts based on how much credit-card processing volume businesses put through the company.

The company doesn't exactly have a cache of AKs sitting in its stock room -- it gives you a voucher to redeem instead -- and while you don't have to get an AK-47, they'd prefer you did.

"Keep in mind we are not simply handing out AK-47 assault rifles to anyone who opens an account with us," the company says. "Instead, you will receive a voucher that can be used towards the purchase of a firearm at any reputable gun shop where you must go through the proper background checks and waiting period that the law requires. If you prefer, the voucher can also be redeemed for cash."

Under the banner on its website that says "God, Guns & Guts" as part of the company's "No Victims" campaign, the company is promoting its services to protect against robberies and such, and apparently assault rifles fit the bill:

One of the most important steps toward ensuring you and your businesses well being is deciding to not be a victim.

According to a survey conducted by Professors James D. Wright and Peter H. Rossi, 56% of the felons surveyed agreed that "A criminal is not going to mess around with a victim he knows is armed with a gun;"

With the all of violence and crime in the US there are many things merchants can do in order to protect themselves in the future.

The website also uses a song that claims "I got rights" -- not the Hank Williams Jr. "I've Got Rights" -- and includes the lyrics "the Good Book says, I got rights."

For the $750 AK, you're going to need to open an account for 15 or more stores and do more than $1 million in volume.

If you do less, the company still offers smaller payouts toward the purchase of your new assault rifle, down to $50 for one store and $100,000 in volume.

                                     

                                     

Attention shoppers: A woman has been killed but keep on shopping

A South Carolina man has been charged with murder in the death of his wife, who was fatally stabbed inside a Greenville County Walmart last weekend.

But as shoppers looked on in horror, store management roped off the area for homicide investigators and continued to operate as usual. Avery L Blandin, 46, is accused of killing Lilia Blandin, 38, who worked at the Woodforest Bank inside the discount retail store in Berea.

Greenville County Sheriff's Office Master Deputy Jenning said police were called to at 1:21pm on Saturday to the Walmart at 6134 White Horse Road, where they found Mrs Blandin with stab wounds.

She was transported to the hospital but died shortly after.

Witnesses told deputies they heard a verbal fight between the woman and a male suspect, which escalated to a physical fight.

Shopper Phillip Tallent told local station WYFF4 he was looking for Christmas lights with his family when the horrifying scene unfolded, and he intervened.

Tallent said, 'When I looked, I could see a couple of stabbing motions, and I really started to run towards the front (of the store).' He continued: 'I seen it when (the man) was making a stomping motion at (Lilia Blandin) across her chest and neck area. I picked up the chair and I hit him.' Mr Tallent said a man deputies identified as Avery Blandin ran towards the door with several witnesses failing in attempts to stop him.

He said the man fled the scene after pulling out a second knife.

'That's when I let him go because I already seen what he did with the first one, so I wasn't going to get involved with the next one,' Mr Tallent said.

Deputies confirmed a male suspect fled the scene. Mr Tallent told WYFF4 he was able to get the tag number of the car the man got into and gave it to investigators. Walmart company spokesman Dianna Gee told Greenville’s News Channel 4 the company is assisting with the investigation and had turned over surveillance video footage from the store.

'We did, as requested, close our grocery checkout area to allow the police to do their work and provide some level of privacy, given the circumstances,' Ms Gee said.

'This was a senseless act of violence, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family during this difficult time.'

Mr Blandin, of Simpsonville, was identified and located after the stabbing when he was involved in a traffic collision.

Deputies said Mr Blandin was taken to Greenville Memorial Hospital to receive treatment for injuries and will later be taken to Greenville County Detention Center to await a bond hearing on Monday.

It was not immediately known if he has an attorney.