Saturday, 2 February 2013
France vows to help rebuild Mali
French President Francois Hollande promises to help rebuild Mali, after launching an offensive against Islamists who seized the north of the country.
After 30 years, is a GM food breakthrough finally here?
Golden rice, a new strain that boosts vitamin A levels and reduces blindness in developing countries, is about to be sown in the Philippines – and is the new battleground crop
Scientists say they have seen the future of genetically modified foods and have concluded that it is orange or, more precisely, golden. In a few months, golden rice – normal rice that has been genetically modified to provide vitamin A to counter blindness and other diseases in children in the developing world – will be given to farmers in the Philippines for planting in paddy fields.
Thirty years after scientists first revealed they had created the world's first GM crop, hopes that their potential to ease global malnutrition problems may be realised at last. Bangladesh and Indonesia have indicated they are ready to accept golden rice in the wake of the Philippines' decision, and other nations, including India, have also said that they are considering planting it.
"Vitamin A deficiency is deadly," said Adrian Dubock, a member of the Golden Rice project. "It affects children's immune systems and kills around two million every year in developing countries. It is also a major cause of blindness in the third world. Boosting levels of vitamin A in rice provides a simple, straightforward way to put that right."
Recent tests have revealed that a substantial amount of vitamin A can be obtained by eating only 60g of cooked golden rice. "This has enormous potential," said Dubock.
But scientists' satisfaction over the Golden Rice project has been tempered by the fact that it has taken an extraordinarily long time for the GM crop to be approved. Golden rice was created late last century, but its development and cultivation has been opposed vehemently by campaigners who have flatly refused to accept that it could deliver enough vitamin A, and who have also argued that the crop's introduction in the developing world would make farmers increasingly dependent on western industry. The crop has become the cause célèbre of the anti-GM movement, which sees golden rice as a tool of global capitalism.
This view is rejected by the scientists involved. "We have developed this is conjunction with organisations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as a way of alleviating a real health problem in the developing world," says Dubock. "No one is going to make money out of it. The companies involved in developing some of the technologies have waived their licences just to get this off the ground."
This view is shared by Mark Lynas, the environmental campaigner and one of the founders of the anti-GM crop movement. He has publicly apologised for opposing the planting of GM crops in Britain. "The first generation of GM crops were suspect, I believed then, but the case for continued opposition to new generations – which provide life-saving vitamins for starving people – is no longer justifiable. You cannot call yourself a humanitarian and be opposed to GM crops today."
Golden rice was created by Peter Beyer, professor for cell biology at Freiburg University in Germany, and Ingo Potrykus of the Institute of Plant Sciences in Switzerland, in the late 1990s. They inserted genes for a chemical known as beta-carotene into the DNA of normal rice. In this way they modified the rice's genes so that the plants started to make beta-carotene, a rich orange-coloured pigment that is also a key precursor chemical that is used by the body to make vitamin A.
By 2000 the plant was ready for trials. However, it took another five years before test fields were grown, such was the resistance to the idea of introducing GM plants in many countries. These trials showed golden rice could stimulate vitamin A uptake but at a low level. New research was launched to create varieties that would provide enhanced amounts of the vitamins.
"All the time, opponents to golden rice insisted, year after year, that it would not be able to produce vitamin A in those who ate it," said Beyer, golden rice's co-creator. "For example, it was alleged by Greenpeace that people would have to eat several kilograms of the stuff to get any benefit."
Two studies, both published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, demolished this claim. The first, in 2009, was based on a group of healthy adult volunteers in the US and showed that golden rice's beta-carotene was easily taken up into the bloodstream. The second trial was carried out by American and Chinese researchers and published last year. It was carried out on Chinese children, aged between six and eight, and showed that a bowl of of cooked golden rice, between 100g and 150g, could provide 60% of the recommended intake of vitamin A for young people. The study also revealed that golden rice is better than spinach at providing vitamin A.
"Given that normal rice has no vitamin A to speak of, that shows the importance of what has been achieved," said Dubock.
The latter study has since been immersed in controversy after it was claimed in a Greenpeace press release that the parents of the Chinese children had not been informed they were being given GM food and had been used as guinea pigs. An investigation by the Chinese authorities led to the sacking of the three Chinese scientists named by Greenpeace, which described the incident as "another example of big business hustling in on one the world's most sacred things: our food supply". For his part, Lynas has described Greenpeace's actions as "immoral and inhumane" because it deprives "the needy of something that would help them and their children because of the aesthetic preferences of rich people far away".
The reactions of bureaucracies to golden rice were also described by Beyer as "hard to believe". "We have had to undergo endless trials and tests and endure endless amounts of bureaucracy. Yet new breeds of standard crops have no such problems, even though they are often created by exposing them to doses of radiation. This is done to create new mutant breeds which you can then grow to see if any have features you like. None of the regulations that we had to meet in creating golden rice were imposed on these plant breeders. Yet this is the standard means by which new crops, including organic crops, are created. It is manifestly unbalanced."
This point was backed by Dubock. "All the time we have been required to show that there are no risks associated with growing golden rice, but at no point did we get a chance to point out its benefits. Everything is about risk assessment and nothing is about benefits assessment." Of course, some doubts about the technology still remain, as my colleague John Vidal makes clear here.
Nevertheless, a warning about consequences of imposing regulations on GM crops and not others was provided by Professor Cathie Martin of the John Innes Centre in Norwich. "At institutes like ours, we can prioritise research to bring new consumer health benefits and environmental benefits to market [via GM], as long as the regulatory process is not prohibitively expensive for publicly funded organisations."
The fate of golden rice is therefore important, as Professor Jonathan Jones of the John Innes Centre points out. "When I started making GM plants 30 years ago I did wonder if there might be "unknown unknowns". But the evidence now is clear. GM food and crops are as safe as non-GM food and crops".
The prospect of further delays preventing future life-saving GM plants going to the field because of carefully orchestrated campaigns of opposition is therefore viewed with concern.
The Golden Rice project has had one beneficial knock-on effect, however. It has triggered a series of similar crop modification programmes that aim to tackle vitamin A deficiency through use of other GM foodstuffs. One example is provided by the golden banana, which has been created by scientists led by Professor James Dale of Queensland University in Australia.
"In Uganda, where the banana is a key source of nutrition, there is considerable vitamin A deficiency and also iron deficiency in diets," he said. "The former not only causes blindness but leaves children less able to fight disease which, in Africa, is particularly serious. The latter, iron deficiency, causes blood disorders."
To put this right, Dale and his team have found ways to boost beta-carotene levels in bananas. Now they are working on boosting iron levels as well. The team expects to have a golden banana that will raise both iron and vitamin A levels, though that will take until the end of the decade. "People in Uganda eat up to a kilogram of mashed banana a day, so we don't need to get a great deal of beta-carotene in our bananas," said Dale.
The result of the team's work will be similar to golden rice: peeled, the pale fruit will be carrot-coloured. And if that sounds strange, it is worth noting that carrots were not originally orange. In the 17th century they were mostly yellow or purple, but were bred to be orange by Dutch farmers in tribute to the ruling House of Orange.
German Cardinal says yes to 'morning-after pill'
Two Catholic hospitals in Cologne declined to give emergency contraceptives to a rape victim. The archbishopric in Cologne has now changed its mind - and has also shown an impressive capacity for contraceptive nuance.
European Heart Journal Retracts Main Paper Of The Kyoto Heart Study
The editors of the European Heart Journal have retracted the 2009 paper reporting the main results of the Kyoto Heart Study, a randomized, open-labeled study testing the add-on effect of valsartan to conventional therapy in high-risk hypertension. The retraction notice gave no details about the problems that led to the retraction. Here is the full text of the retraction notice:
"This article has been retracted by the journal. Critical problems existed with some of the data reported in the above paper. The editors of the European Heart Journal hereby retract this paper and discourage citations of it."
Riqueza não garante qualidade de vida
Nos países ocidentais, o crescimento econômico é a principal medida do bem-estar de uma população. Mas existem países que consideram outros fatores, como a preservação da natureza e da cultura e a própria felicidade.
Brazil defense says wants to buy Russian antiaircraft systems
SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil's Defense Ministry said it will recommend the government buy anti-aircraft defense systems from Russia pending advanced talks with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev this month.
Rússia comemora a volta de Stalingrado
VOLGOGRADO - A cidade de Volgogrado readotou seu antigo nome de Stalingrado por algumas horas neste sábado, enquanto a Rússia comemorava o 70º aniversário da batalha que mudou os rumos da Segunda Guerra Mundial.
A vitória na Batalha de Stalingrado, que durou seis meses e causou a morte de cerca de 2 milhões de pessoas, é um símbolo de orgulho nacional, que produziu surtos de sentimento patriótico e, em alguns momentos, nostalgia em relação à era soviética e ao ditador Josef Stalin.
O presidente Vladimir Putin voou para Volgogrado, conhecida como Stalingrado de 1925 a 1961, para levar uma coroa de flores e se encontrar com veteranos após uma parada militar liderada por soldados em uniformes da Segunda Guerra Mundial e com a presença de um tanque T-34, da época do conflito.
- Eu vi cidades da Europa que foram praticamente intocadas pela guerra, países que se renderam aos inimigos mais poderosos antes mesmo de a guerra ser declarada - afirmou o vice-primeiro-ministro, Dmitry Rogozin, durante um discurso na parada. - Mas não somos assim. Nossos avós, nossos pais, nossa geração mais velha, nossos grandes líderes, lutaram aqui por cada prédio, por cada rua.
Centenas de veteranos de guerra foram à parada na Praça dos Combatentes Caídos, no centro de Volgogrado, com seus casacos decorados por medalhas. O mais novo tem 89 anos. Muitos dos veteranos afirmaram que a cerimônia tinha sentimentos distintos, pois eles também perderam muitos colegas e familiares na batalha.
Legisladores locais decidiram usar o nome Stalingrado em eventos comemorativos da batalha no sábado e em quatro outros dias do ano. A decisão, no entanto, sem a aprovação do governo russo, teria desagradado Putin.
“O nome pode ser usado oficialmente em eventos públicos, como desfiles e em discursos sobre os dias do combate”, disse um comunicado publicado no site da prefeitura da cidade. Segundo a nota, a decisão foi tomada “a pedido de muitos veteranos” de guerra.
Rajoy nega suposto esquema de corrupção na Espanha
MADRI - O presidente do governo espanhol, Mariano Rajoy, negou neste sábado que ele e seu partido, o PP, tenham recebido propina de empresários. Em seu primeiro comparecimento público para explicar o suposto esquema de corrupção, Rajoy disse que na próxima semana as declarações de sua renda e patrimônio estarão disponíveis para a consulta de todos os cidadãos na página do governo. Documentos revelados pelo jornal “El País” mostram registros de um caixa dois no partido governista.
- Não recebemos ou distribuímos dinheiro ilegal, é falso. Eu ganhava mais dinheiro na minha antiga profissão do que como político. Eu não vim para a política para ganhar dinheiro. Venho perdendo dinheiro, mas pra mim dinheiro não é o mais importante na vida. Também não vim pedir aplausos ou satisfazer vaidades. Não tenho nada a ocultar. Não temo a verdade - discursou Rajoy, para quem as denúncias não passam de um ataque para desestabilizar o governo.
A denúncia afeta membros importantes do Partido Popular.
- Não sei quais são as intenções e tampouco quem manipula os dados e não vou fazer nenhuma especulação sobre o tema - afirmou o presidente do governo, acrescentando que se compromete a fazer de tudo para não ficar “nenhuma sombra de dúvida”: - Na semana que vem minhas declarações de renda estarão à disposição na página do Palácio da Moncloa.
Rajoy convocou os principais membros da legenda para a reunião deste sábado. Em resposta à pressão dos espanhóis, ele indicou que não vai renunciar. Mais de 500 mil pessoas já assinaram uma petição pedindo sua demissão.
- Estou na política para mudar as coisas, não para o meu partido, e sim para os espanhóis - disse.
Mais cedo, a presidente do PP na Catalunha, Alícia Sánchez-Camacho, afirmou esperar que seu partido “tome medidas importantes”.
- Foi reconhecido que a atual situação é muito difícil e delicada. Somos obrigados a dar respostas aos espanhóis que votaram e não votaram no partido - ressaltou.
O bloco de oposição exigiu nesta sexta-feira uma explicação pública ao presidente do governo. Promotores disseram ter provas suficientes para investigar o esquema e não descartaram interrogar Rajoy.
Segundo o “El País”, 70% dos pagamentos revelados são ilegais. O dinheiro seria proveniente de doações de empresas privadas, principalmente do setor da construção. Dos € 7,5 milhões recebidos, de acordo com os documentos, mais de € 5 milhões não cumprem a norma de financiação de partidos. A caixa do ex-tesoureiro Luis Bárcenas chegou a ter um saldo de € 900 mil euros.
Membros do partido negam a veracidade da contabilidade. O suposto caixa dois é o último de uma lista de escândalos em torno da figura de Bárcenas, que escondia US$ 30 milhões dólares em uma conta na Suíça. Oscar López, um dos líderes do Partido Socialista Operário Espanhol (PSOE), disse que a renúncia de Rajoy, caso fique comprovado que recebeu dinheiro de forma ilegal, é “uma obviedade”.
A Lei Orgânica sobre Financiamento dos Partidos Políticos, que esteve vigente na Espanha até julho de 2007, afirmava que “os partidos não poderiam receber, direta o indiretamente, aportações procedentes de uma mesma pessoa física ou jurídica superiores a € 60 mil ao ano”. Também estavam proibidas doações procedentes de “empresas que, mediante contrato vigente, prestem serviços ou realizem obras para alguma Administração Pública”.
- Não recebemos ou distribuímos dinheiro ilegal, é falso. Eu ganhava mais dinheiro na minha antiga profissão do que como político. Eu não vim para a política para ganhar dinheiro. Venho perdendo dinheiro, mas pra mim dinheiro não é o mais importante na vida. Também não vim pedir aplausos ou satisfazer vaidades. Não tenho nada a ocultar. Não temo a verdade - discursou Rajoy, para quem as denúncias não passam de um ataque para desestabilizar o governo.
A denúncia afeta membros importantes do Partido Popular.
- Não sei quais são as intenções e tampouco quem manipula os dados e não vou fazer nenhuma especulação sobre o tema - afirmou o presidente do governo, acrescentando que se compromete a fazer de tudo para não ficar “nenhuma sombra de dúvida”: - Na semana que vem minhas declarações de renda estarão à disposição na página do Palácio da Moncloa.
Rajoy convocou os principais membros da legenda para a reunião deste sábado. Em resposta à pressão dos espanhóis, ele indicou que não vai renunciar. Mais de 500 mil pessoas já assinaram uma petição pedindo sua demissão.
- Estou na política para mudar as coisas, não para o meu partido, e sim para os espanhóis - disse.
Mais cedo, a presidente do PP na Catalunha, Alícia Sánchez-Camacho, afirmou esperar que seu partido “tome medidas importantes”.
- Foi reconhecido que a atual situação é muito difícil e delicada. Somos obrigados a dar respostas aos espanhóis que votaram e não votaram no partido - ressaltou.
O bloco de oposição exigiu nesta sexta-feira uma explicação pública ao presidente do governo. Promotores disseram ter provas suficientes para investigar o esquema e não descartaram interrogar Rajoy.
Segundo o “El País”, 70% dos pagamentos revelados são ilegais. O dinheiro seria proveniente de doações de empresas privadas, principalmente do setor da construção. Dos € 7,5 milhões recebidos, de acordo com os documentos, mais de € 5 milhões não cumprem a norma de financiação de partidos. A caixa do ex-tesoureiro Luis Bárcenas chegou a ter um saldo de € 900 mil euros.
Membros do partido negam a veracidade da contabilidade. O suposto caixa dois é o último de uma lista de escândalos em torno da figura de Bárcenas, que escondia US$ 30 milhões dólares em uma conta na Suíça. Oscar López, um dos líderes do Partido Socialista Operário Espanhol (PSOE), disse que a renúncia de Rajoy, caso fique comprovado que recebeu dinheiro de forma ilegal, é “uma obviedade”.
A Lei Orgânica sobre Financiamento dos Partidos Políticos, que esteve vigente na Espanha até julho de 2007, afirmava que “os partidos não poderiam receber, direta o indiretamente, aportações procedentes de uma mesma pessoa física ou jurídica superiores a € 60 mil ao ano”. Também estavam proibidas doações procedentes de “empresas que, mediante contrato vigente, prestem serviços ou realizem obras para alguma Administração Pública”.
Alcohol labels to include calorie content
Health authorities 'working' with drinks industry to add new information to labels
Drinkers will have even less excuse for getting a beer belly or putting on weight under government plans that would display the calorie content of beer, wine and spirits on bottles and cans.
The health minister, Anna Soubry, confirmed that discussions about including calorie content on labels have been held with the alcohol industry.
She said the government was committed to improving labelling so drinkers, particularly pregnant women, were better informed about the health risks associated with alcohol and guidance on consumption.
A large glass of wine contains about 200 calories while a pint of 5% strength beer contains 215 calories.
Soubry, responding to a parliamentary question, said: "The government is committed to improving the labelling of alcoholic drinks, which would help make people more aware of how much alcohol they are drinking, what the guidelines are and what the risks are, including for those who are pregnant.
"The department has discussed the possible inclusion of calorie content on labels with representatives of the alcohol industry on a number of occasions.
Russia commemorates pivotal Battle of Stalingrad
VOLGOGRAD, Russia (Reuters) - The city of Volgograd readopted its old name of Stalingrad for a few hours on Saturday, as Russia commemorated the 70th anniversary of the battle that turned the tide of World War Two.
'Biotic Pump' Theory Suggests Forests Drive Wind and Rain
It took over two-and-a-half-years for the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics to finally accept a paper outlining a new meteorological hypothesis in which condensation, not temperature, drives winds. If proven correct, the hypothesis could have massive ramifications on global policy—not to mention meteorology—as essentially the hypothesis means that the world's forest play a major role in driving precipitation from the coast into a continent's interior. The theory, known as the biotic pump, was first developed in 2006 by two Russian scientists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva of the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics, but the two have faced major pushback and delays in their attempt to put the theory before the greater scientific community.
Vétérans de l’armée américaine: un suicide toutes les heures
En moyenne, 22 anciens soldats américains se suicident chaque jour, selon uneétude publiée par le départementdes Anciens combattants, vendredi.
Opposition attacks German minister's energy plans
BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of Germany's opposition Social Democrats (SPD) criticized government plans to cap power price rises for consumers but signaled on Saturday he was open to talks.
Former NFL player wants brain studied
Thomas Jones always knew his job as an NFL running back was up for grabs. So, like any other football player, he did whatever it took to prove himself -- sometimes risking his health. Today, the former Kansas City Chiefs running back plans to donate his brain so researchers can learn more about the long-term effects of concussions.
Woman's trial raises concerns over rape victims in Somalia
MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A woman who said she was raped by Somali soldiers and a journalist who interviewed her went on trial on Saturday in a case that has sparked international concerns over sexual violence and press freedom in the country.
Suspeitos de violação coletiva declaram-se inocentes
Cinco homens suspeitos da violação coletiva de uma jovem indiana que acabou por morrer dos ferimentos declararam-se hoje inocentes num caso que chocou a Índia e motivou enormes manifestações.
Spanish prime minister denies corruption allegations
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Saturday staunchly denied allegations that he and other conservative leaders received secret cash payments for years from the ruling Popular Party.
Inquiry Into 787 Batteries Expands to Other Components
Regulators in Washington and Tokyo said they had no answers to explain why two batteries on Boeing’s troubled Dreamliner emitted fire or smoke.
Proposed Rules for Japan’s Nuclear Industry Called Too Strict
Many in a nation still recovering from a nuclear disaster said that the guidelines — in line with standards in the United States — were too strict.
Twitter breach leaks emails, passwords of 250,000 users
Links to media site attacks suspected
If you find that your Twitter password doesn't work the next time you try to login, you won't be alone. The service was busy resetting passwords and revoking cookies on Friday, following an online attack that may have leaked the account data of approximately 250,000 users.…
If you find that your Twitter password doesn't work the next time you try to login, you won't be alone. The service was busy resetting passwords and revoking cookies on Friday, following an online attack that may have leaked the account data of approximately 250,000 users.…
Fedora, OpenSuse ditch MySQL, in a major database shake-up
Two major open-source projects, Fedora and OpenSuse, are planning to ditch the venerable Oracle MySQL database framework and adopt MariaDB instead. The Fedora project's wiki says that the decision to make the switch was prompted, at least in part, by uncertainty over Oracle's stewardship of MySQL.
Allergies and Risk of Head and Neck Cancer: An Original Study plus Meta-Analysis
by Jenn-Ren Hsiao, Chun-Yen Ou, Hung-I Lo, Cheng-Chih Huang, Wei-Ting Lee, Jehn-Shyun Huang, Ken-Chung Chen, Tung-Yiu Wong, Sen-Tien Tsai, Chia-Jui Yen, Yuan-Hua Wu, Wei-Ting Hsueh, Ming-Wei Yang, Shang-Yin Wu, Jang-Yang Chang, Kwang-Yu Chang, Chen-Lin Lin, Fang-Ting Wang, Yi-Hui Wang, Ya-Ling Weng, Han-Chien Yang, Jeffrey S. Chang
Background
Although the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette.
Methods
The current paper reports results from: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls).
Results
In the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63–0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40–0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54–0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81–1.18).
Conclusions
These findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC.
Background
Although the relationship between allergy and cancer has been investigated extensively, the role of allergy in head and neck cancer (HNC) appears less consistent. It is not clear whether allergies can independently influence the risk of HNC in the presence of known strong environmental risk factors, including consumption of alcohol, betel quid, and cigarette.
Methods
The current paper reports results from: 1) an original hospital-based case-control study, which included 252 incident cases of HNC and 236 controls frequency-matched to cases on sex and age; and 2) a meta-analysis combining the results of the current case-control study and 13 previously published studies (9 cohort studies with 727,569 subjects and 550 HNC outcomes and 5 case-control studies with 4,017 HNC cases and 10,928 controls).
Results
In the original case-control study, we observed a strong inverse association between allergies and HNC [odds ratio = 0.41, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.27–0.62]. The meta-analysis also indicated a statistically significant inverse association between HNC and allergies [meta-relative risk (RR) = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63–0.91], particularly strong for allergic rhinitis (meta-RR = 0.55, 95% CI: 0.40–0.76). In addition, the inverse association between allergies and HNC was observed only among men (meta-RR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54–0.84) but not among women (meta-RR = 0.98, 95% CI: 0.81–1.18).
Conclusions
These findings suggest that immunity plays an influential role in the risk of HNC. Future studies investigating immune biomarkers, including cytokine profiles and genetic polymorphisms, are warranted to further delineate the relationship between allergies and HNC. Understanding the relationship between allergies and HNC may help devise effective strategies to reduce and treat HNC.
Associations between Dietary Intake of Choline and Betaine and Lung Cancer Risk
by Jun Ying, Mohammad H. Rahbar, D. Michael Hallman, Ladia M. Hernandez, Margret R. Spitz, Michele R. Forman, Olga Y. Gorlova
Evidence from human and animal research indicates that choline metabolic pathways may be activated during a variety of diseases, including cancer. We report results of a case-control study of 2821 lung cancer cases and 2923 controls that assessed associations of choline and betaine dietary intakes with lung cancer. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we report a significant association between higher betaine intake and lower lung cancer risk that varied by smoking status. Specifically, no significant association was observed between betaine intake and lung cancer among never-smokers. However, higher betaine intake was significantly associated with reduced lung cancer risk among smokers, and the protective effect was more evident among current than former smokers: for former and current smokers, the ORs (95% CI) of lung cancer for individuals with highest as compared to lowest quartiles of intake were 0.70(0.55–0.88) and 0.51(0.39–0.66) respectively. Significant linear trend of higher betaine intake and lower lung cancer risk was observed among both former (ptrend = 0.002) and current (ptrend<0.0001) smokers. A similar protective effect was also observed with choline intake both in overall analysis as well as among current smokers, with p-values for chi-square tests being 0.001 and 0.004 respectively, but the effect was less evident, as no linear trend was observed. Our results suggest that choline and betaine intake, especially higher betaine intake, may be protective against lung cancer through mitigating the adverse effect of smoking.
Evidence from human and animal research indicates that choline metabolic pathways may be activated during a variety of diseases, including cancer. We report results of a case-control study of 2821 lung cancer cases and 2923 controls that assessed associations of choline and betaine dietary intakes with lung cancer. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we report a significant association between higher betaine intake and lower lung cancer risk that varied by smoking status. Specifically, no significant association was observed between betaine intake and lung cancer among never-smokers. However, higher betaine intake was significantly associated with reduced lung cancer risk among smokers, and the protective effect was more evident among current than former smokers: for former and current smokers, the ORs (95% CI) of lung cancer for individuals with highest as compared to lowest quartiles of intake were 0.70(0.55–0.88) and 0.51(0.39–0.66) respectively. Significant linear trend of higher betaine intake and lower lung cancer risk was observed among both former (ptrend = 0.002) and current (ptrend<0.0001) smokers. A similar protective effect was also observed with choline intake both in overall analysis as well as among current smokers, with p-values for chi-square tests being 0.001 and 0.004 respectively, but the effect was less evident, as no linear trend was observed. Our results suggest that choline and betaine intake, especially higher betaine intake, may be protective against lung cancer through mitigating the adverse effect of smoking.
Protein Complex Formation: Computational Clarification of the Sequential versus Probabilistic Recruitment Puzzle
by Manuel Schölling, Stefan Thurner, Rudolf Hanel
Our current view on how protein complexes assemble and disassemble at promoter sites is based on experimental data. For instance this data is provided by biochemical methods (e.g. ChIP-on-chip assays) or GFP-based assays. These two approaches suggest very different characteristics for protein recruitment processes that regulate and initiate gene transcription. Biochemical methods suggest a strictly ordered and consecutive protein recruitment while GFP-based assays draw a picture much closer to chaotic or stochastic recruitment. To understand the reason for these conflicting results, we design a generalized recruitment model (GRM) that allows to simulate all possible scenarios between strictly sequential recruitment and completely probabilistic recruitment. With this model we show that probabilistic, transient binding events that are visible in GFP experiments can not be detected by ChIP experiments. We demonstrate that sequential recruitment processes and probabilistic recruitment processes that contain “shortcuts” exhibit periodic dynamics and are hard to distinguish with standard ChIP measurements. Therefore we propose a simple experimental method that can be used to discriminate sequential from probabilistic recruitment processes. We discuss the limitations of this method.
Our current view on how protein complexes assemble and disassemble at promoter sites is based on experimental data. For instance this data is provided by biochemical methods (e.g. ChIP-on-chip assays) or GFP-based assays. These two approaches suggest very different characteristics for protein recruitment processes that regulate and initiate gene transcription. Biochemical methods suggest a strictly ordered and consecutive protein recruitment while GFP-based assays draw a picture much closer to chaotic or stochastic recruitment. To understand the reason for these conflicting results, we design a generalized recruitment model (GRM) that allows to simulate all possible scenarios between strictly sequential recruitment and completely probabilistic recruitment. With this model we show that probabilistic, transient binding events that are visible in GFP experiments can not be detected by ChIP experiments. We demonstrate that sequential recruitment processes and probabilistic recruitment processes that contain “shortcuts” exhibit periodic dynamics and are hard to distinguish with standard ChIP measurements. Therefore we propose a simple experimental method that can be used to discriminate sequential from probabilistic recruitment processes. We discuss the limitations of this method.
The Association between Cognition and Academic Performance in Ugandan Children Surviving Malaria with Neurological Involvement
by Paul Bangirana, Jeremiah Menk, Chandy C. John, Michael J. Boivin, James S. Hodges
Background
The contribution of different cognitive abilities to academic performance in children surviving cerebral insult can guide the choice of interventions to improve cognitive and academic outcomes. This study's objective was to identify which cognitive abilities are associated with academic performance in children after malaria with neurological involvement.
Methods
62 Ugandan children with a history of malaria with neurological involvement were assessed for cognitive ability (working memory, reasoning, learning, visual spatial skills, attention) and academic performance (reading, spelling, arithmetic) three months after the illness. Linear regressions were fit for each academic score with the five cognitive outcomes entered as predictors. Adjusters in the analysis were age, sex, education, nutrition, and home environment. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and structural equation models (SEM) were used to determine the nature of the association between cognition and academic performance. Predictive residual sum of squares was used to determine which combination of cognitive scores was needed to predict academic performance.
Results
In regressions of a single academic score on all five cognitive outcomes and adjusters, only Working Memory was associated with Reading (coefficient estimate = 0.36, 95% confidence interval = 0.10 to 0.63, p<0.01) and Spelling (0.46, 0.13 to 0.78, p<0.01), Visual Spatial Skills was associated with Arithmetic (0.15, 0.03 to 0.26, p<0.05), and Learning was associated with Reading (0.06, 0.00 to 0.11, p<0.05). One latent cognitive factor was identified using EFA. The SEM found a strong association between this latent cognitive ability and each academic performance measure (P<0.0001). Working memory, visual spatial ability and learning were the best predictors of academic performance.
Conclusion
Academic performance is strongly associated with the latent variable labelled “cognitive ability” which captures most of the variation in the individual specific cognitive outcome measures. Working memory, visual spatial skills, and learning together stood out as the best combination to predict academic performance.
Chevron Moving Forward on Permits for Shale Gas Projects in Romania
The county council in Vaslui County, Romania awarded last December Chevron the right to drill an exploratory well for shale gas in a locality within the Barlad concession that covers some 600,000 hectares in North East Romania.
Chevron will drill its first exploratory well in the Paltinis village, within the Bacesti locality in rural Vaslui.
People in this region took to the streets three times last year to protest the exploitation of shale gas through franking.
Dumitru Buzatu, president of the Vaslui county council, said that Chevron's permitting is legal.
Chevron will drill its first exploratory well in the Paltinis village, within the Bacesti locality in rural Vaslui.
People in this region took to the streets three times last year to protest the exploitation of shale gas through franking.
Dumitru Buzatu, president of the Vaslui county council, said that Chevron's permitting is legal.
Study: Risk of Heart Disease Down 32 Percent for Vegetarians
Meat consumption around the world has been on the rise as incomes have grown. In the United States, more meat is consumed than anywhere else. For many, a meal simply is not a meal if it does not have at least a half-pound of flesh on it. Vegetarianism has been in practice by large groups for quite a long time for both health and moral reasons. According to a new scientific study from the University of Oxford, vegetarians have new ammunition in their anti-meat crusade. The study claims that the risk of hospitalization or death from heart disease is 32 percent lower for vegetarians than for people who eat meat and fish.
Study reveals climate patterns have impact on flu epidemics
The flu season has been hitting hard this winter all across the country with nearly 30 states reporting flulike activity and over 2,200 people being hospitalized according to government health experts. Whether or not you have gotten your flu shot, chances are you or someone you know someone has come down with flu-like systems. So what can we attribute the current spike in flu cases? According to one report, climate change is starting to play an interesting role.
Mississippi River barge backup shrinks, oil cleanup continues
(Reuters) - Mississippi River barge traffic remained congested on Friday near Vicksburg, Mississippi, where a barge accident and oil spill shuttered the major shipping artery on Sunday, but the backlog of boats was slowly declining.
U.S. seeks to list wolverines as threatened, cites global warming
SALMON, Idaho (Reuters) - The U.S. government proposed adding wolverines, feisty but rare members of the weasel family, to the federal threatened and endangered species list on Friday because global warming is reducing the mountain snows the animals need for survival.
Teachers Accused of Cheating on Qualifying Exams
Federal prosecutors said a Memphis educator paid teachers to take qualifying exams for others in three states who were afraid they would not pass
Syria opposition chief appeals in Munich for action
The leader of the Syrian National Coalition has called on the international community to intervene. Moaz al-Khatib has also reiterated his offer to negotiate with the regime of President Bashar Assad.
Army suicides hit record level
The U.S. Army reported Thursday that there were 325 confirmed or potential suicides last year among active and nonactive military personnel.
Google Makes Offer in 3-Year European Antitrust Case
The company had until Thursday night to submit the proposals to end a three-year investigation focused on the dominance of its search service.
Harvard University forces dozens of students to leave in wake of cheating scandal - @nytimes
Harvard has forced dozens of students to leave in its largest cheating scandal in memory, the university made clear in summing up the affair on Friday, but it would not address assertions that the blame rested partly with a professor and his teaching assistants.
Japanese coast guard detains a Chinese fishing boat for alleged unauthorized coral fishing near Okinawa - @XHNews via @Reuters
(Reuters) - Japan's coast guard detained a Chinese fishing boat near the southern Japanese island of Okinawa on Saturday and arrested the captain for collecting coral illegally, a coast guard official said.
Twitter hit by anonymous hackers in cyberattack
The microblogging website Twitter has fallen victim to a cyberattack, according to a company security official. Earlier in the week, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal reported similar attacks by hackers.
Proposed Rules for Japan’s Nuclear Industry Called Too Strict
Many in a nation still recovering from a nuclear disaster said that the guidelines — in line with standards in the United States — were too strict.
Twitter hacked; 250,000 affected
The social network said in a blog post Friday afternoon that approximately 250,000 user accounts were compromised, with attackers gaining access to information including user names and e-mail addresses.
Church Documents Released After Years of Resistance
Cardinal Roger Mahony, the former archbishop of Los Angeles, insisted that his approach to sexual abuse had evolved as he learned more over the years.
Teacher ran sex and drugs brothel for City clients
A teacher ran an upmarket brothel that chauffeured City workers to cocaine and sex parties.
A-Rod denies new drug reports
Alex Rodriguez is denying any connection to a Miami man who a South Florida newspaper and ESPN reported provided the New York Yankees star with performance-enhancing drugs.
Friday, 1 February 2013
Joe the orphaned baby elephant 'dying of grief' after mother was poisoned
A baby pygmy elephant that was pictured nuzzling the body of its dead mother in a heartbreaking attempt to wake her up is said to be losing weight fast amid fears he may not survive.
Scotland Yard Official, April Casburn, Sentenced to Jail in Murdoch Hacking Scandal
April Casburn, a senior police officer, was sentenced to a 15-month prison term for seeking cash payments from Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid.
First the NYT, now the Wall Street Journal: But are hacking attacks from China new?
If this is a surprise, where have you been for a decade? Mars?
Analysis The Wall Street Journal is the latest media titan after the New York Times to admit it was raided by Chinese hackers.…
Analysis The Wall Street Journal is the latest media titan after the New York Times to admit it was raided by Chinese hackers.…
World Briefing | The Americas: In Mexico, Vigilante Villagers Plan to Try 53 Prisoners
Villagers set up armed patrols and roadblocks in the township of Ayutla de los Libres almost one month ago to defend themselves against crime, saying the authorities had failed to ensure peace and safety.
'We're doomed,' cod fisherman says
An old wooden carving known as "the Sacred Cod" hangs in the Massachusetts State House.
Withania somnifera Water Extract as a Potential Candidate for Differentiation Based Therapy of Human Neuroblastomas
by Hardeep Kataria, Renu Wadhwa, Sunil C. Kaul, Gurcharan Kaur
Neuroblastoma is an aggressive childhood disease of the sympathetic nervous system. Treatments are often ineffective and have serious side effects. Conventional therapy of neuroblastoma includes the differentiation agents. Unlike chemo-radiotherapy, differentiation therapy shows minimal side effects on normal cells, because normal non-malignant cells are already differentiated. Keeping in view the limited toxicity of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), the current study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of Ashwagandha water extract (ASH-WEX) for anti-proliferative potential in neuroblastoma and its underlying signalling mechanisms. ASH-WEX significantly reduced cell proliferation and induced cell differentiation as indicated by morphological changes and NF200 expression in human IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells. The induction of differentiation was accompanied by HSP70 and mortalin induction as well as pancytoplasmic translocation of the mortalin in ASH-WEX treated cells. Furthermore, the ASH-WEX treatment lead to induction of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression and reduction in its polysialylation, thus elucidating its anti-migratory potential, which was also supported by downregulation of MMP 2 and 9 activity. ASH-WEX treatment led to cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and increase in early apoptotic population. Modulation of cell cycle marker Cyclin D1, anti-apoptotic marker bcl-xl and Akt-P provide evidence that ASH-WEX may prove to be a promising phytotherapeutic intervention in neuroblatoma related malignancies.
Neuroblastoma is an aggressive childhood disease of the sympathetic nervous system. Treatments are often ineffective and have serious side effects. Conventional therapy of neuroblastoma includes the differentiation agents. Unlike chemo-radiotherapy, differentiation therapy shows minimal side effects on normal cells, because normal non-malignant cells are already differentiated. Keeping in view the limited toxicity of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), the current study was aimed to investigate the efficacy of Ashwagandha water extract (ASH-WEX) for anti-proliferative potential in neuroblastoma and its underlying signalling mechanisms. ASH-WEX significantly reduced cell proliferation and induced cell differentiation as indicated by morphological changes and NF200 expression in human IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells. The induction of differentiation was accompanied by HSP70 and mortalin induction as well as pancytoplasmic translocation of the mortalin in ASH-WEX treated cells. Furthermore, the ASH-WEX treatment lead to induction of neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression and reduction in its polysialylation, thus elucidating its anti-migratory potential, which was also supported by downregulation of MMP 2 and 9 activity. ASH-WEX treatment led to cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and increase in early apoptotic population. Modulation of cell cycle marker Cyclin D1, anti-apoptotic marker bcl-xl and Akt-P provide evidence that ASH-WEX may prove to be a promising phytotherapeutic intervention in neuroblatoma related malignancies.
U.S. spring crop season jeopardized as drought persists
(Reuters) - The unrelenting drought gripping key farming states in the U.S. Plains shows no signs of abating, and it will take a deluge of snow or rain to restore critical moisture to farmland before spring planting of new crops, a climate expert said on Thursday.
Underwater CO2 shows potential as barrier to Asian carp
Urbana IL (SPX) Feb 01, 2013
As the Asian carp population grows and the threat of the invasive species entering Lake Michigan through one of the Chicago canals is monitored, a University of Illinois researcher believes using two barrier methods is better than one.
Cory Suski experimented with adding carbon dioxide (CO2) into the water as a supplemental tool to work in tandem with the electric fence, which has been use
As the Asian carp population grows and the threat of the invasive species entering Lake Michigan through one of the Chicago canals is monitored, a University of Illinois researcher believes using two barrier methods is better than one.
Cory Suski experimented with adding carbon dioxide (CO2) into the water as a supplemental tool to work in tandem with the electric fence, which has been use
Groundwater fate and climate change
Burnaby, Canada (SPX) Feb 01, 2013
Simon Fraser University earth scientist Diana Allen, a co-author on a new paper about climate changes' impacts on the world's ground water, says climate change may be exacerbating many countries' experience of water stress.
"Increasing food requirements to feed our current world's growing population and prolonged droughts in many regions of the world are already increasing dependence on.....
Simon Fraser University earth scientist Diana Allen, a co-author on a new paper about climate changes' impacts on the world's ground water, says climate change may be exacerbating many countries' experience of water stress.
"Increasing food requirements to feed our current world's growing population and prolonged droughts in many regions of the world are already increasing dependence on.....
Maternal Obesity during the Preconception and Early Life Periods Alters Pancreatic Development in Early and Adult Life in Male Mouse Offspring
by Isabele Bringhenti, Jessica Andrade Moraes-Teixeira, Michelle Rabello Cunha, Fernanda Ornellas, Carlos Alberto Mandarim-de-Lacerda, Marcia Barbosa Aguila
Maternal obesity induced by a high fat (HF) diet may program susceptibility in offspring, altering pancreatic development and causing later development of chronic degenerative diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Female mice were fed standard chow (SC) or an HF diet for 8 weeks prior to mating and during the gestational and lactational periods. The male offspring were assessed at birth, at 10 days, and at 3 months of age. The body mass (BM) gain was 50% greater before pregnancy and 80% greater during pregnancy in HF dams than SC dams. Dams fed an HF diet showed higher oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), blood pressure, serum corticosterone, and insulin levels than dams fed SC. At 10 days of age and at 3 mo old the HF offspring showed greater BM and higher blood glucose levels than the SC offspring. The mean diameter of the islets had increased by 37% in the SC offspring and by 155% in the HF offspring at 10 days of age. The islet mass ratio (IM/PM) was 88% greater in the HF offspring at 10 days of age, and 107% greater at 3 mo of age, compared to the values obtained at birth. The HF offspring had a beta cell mass (BCM)/PM ratio 54% lower than SC offspring at birth. However, HF offspring displayed a 146% increase in the BCM/PM ratio at 10 days of age, and 112% increase at 3 months of age than values at birth. A 3 mo of age, the HF offspring showed a greater OGTT and higher levels of than SC offspring. In conclusion, a maternal HF diet consumed during the preconceptional period and throughout the gestational and lactational periods in mice results in dramatic alterations in the pancreata of the offspring.
Maternal obesity induced by a high fat (HF) diet may program susceptibility in offspring, altering pancreatic development and causing later development of chronic degenerative diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Female mice were fed standard chow (SC) or an HF diet for 8 weeks prior to mating and during the gestational and lactational periods. The male offspring were assessed at birth, at 10 days, and at 3 months of age. The body mass (BM) gain was 50% greater before pregnancy and 80% greater during pregnancy in HF dams than SC dams. Dams fed an HF diet showed higher oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), blood pressure, serum corticosterone, and insulin levels than dams fed SC. At 10 days of age and at 3 mo old the HF offspring showed greater BM and higher blood glucose levels than the SC offspring. The mean diameter of the islets had increased by 37% in the SC offspring and by 155% in the HF offspring at 10 days of age. The islet mass ratio (IM/PM) was 88% greater in the HF offspring at 10 days of age, and 107% greater at 3 mo of age, compared to the values obtained at birth. The HF offspring had a beta cell mass (BCM)/PM ratio 54% lower than SC offspring at birth. However, HF offspring displayed a 146% increase in the BCM/PM ratio at 10 days of age, and 112% increase at 3 months of age than values at birth. A 3 mo of age, the HF offspring showed a greater OGTT and higher levels of than SC offspring. In conclusion, a maternal HF diet consumed during the preconceptional period and throughout the gestational and lactational periods in mice results in dramatic alterations in the pancreata of the offspring.
Cigarette Smoke-Induced Collagen Destruction; Key to Chronic Neutrophilic Airway Inflammation?
by Saskia A. Overbeek, Saskia Braber, Pim J. Koelink, Paul A. J. Henricks, Esmaeil Mortaz, Adele T. LoTam Loi, Patricia L. Jackson, Johan Garssen, Gerry T. M. Wagenaar, Wim Timens, Leo Koenderman, J. Edwin Blalock, Aletta D. Kraneveld, Gert Folkerts
Background
Cigarette smoking induces inflammatory responses in all smokers and is the major risk factor for lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this progressive disease, chronic inflammation in the lung contributes to lung tissue destruction leading to the formation of chemotactic collagen fragments such as N-acetylated Proline-Glycine-Proline (N-ac-PGP). The generation of this tripeptide is mediated by a multistep pathway involving matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) 8 and 9 and prolyl endopeptidase (PE). Here we investigated whether cigarette smoke extract (CSE) stimulates human PMNs to breakdown whole matrix collagen leading to the generation of the chemotactic collagen fragment N-ac-PGP.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Incubating PMNs with CSE led to the release of chemo-attractant CXCL8 and proteases MMP8 and MMP9. PMNs constitutively expressed PE activity as well as PE protein. Incubating CSE-primed PMNs with collagen resulted in collagen breakdown and in N-ac-PGP generation. Incubation of PMNs with the tripeptide N-ac-PGP resulted in the release of CXCL8, MMP8 and MMP9. Moreover, we tested whether PMNs from COPD patients are different from PMNs from healthy donors. Here we show that the intracellular basal PE activity of PMNs from COPD patients increased 25-fold compared to PMNs from healthy donors. Immunohistological staining of human lung tissue for PE showed that besides neutrophils, macrophages and epithelial cells express PE.
Conclusions
This study indicates that neutrophils activated by cigarette smoke extract can breakdown collagen into N-ac-PGP and that this collagen fragment itself can activate neutrophils, which may lead in vivo to a self-propagating cycle of neutrophil infiltration, chronic inflammation and lung emphysema. MMP-, PE- or PGP-inhibitors can serve as an attractive therapeutic target and may open new avenues towards effective treatment of COPD.
Background
Cigarette smoking induces inflammatory responses in all smokers and is the major risk factor for lung disease such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this progressive disease, chronic inflammation in the lung contributes to lung tissue destruction leading to the formation of chemotactic collagen fragments such as N-acetylated Proline-Glycine-Proline (N-ac-PGP). The generation of this tripeptide is mediated by a multistep pathway involving matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) 8 and 9 and prolyl endopeptidase (PE). Here we investigated whether cigarette smoke extract (CSE) stimulates human PMNs to breakdown whole matrix collagen leading to the generation of the chemotactic collagen fragment N-ac-PGP.
Methodology/Principal Findings
Incubating PMNs with CSE led to the release of chemo-attractant CXCL8 and proteases MMP8 and MMP9. PMNs constitutively expressed PE activity as well as PE protein. Incubating CSE-primed PMNs with collagen resulted in collagen breakdown and in N-ac-PGP generation. Incubation of PMNs with the tripeptide N-ac-PGP resulted in the release of CXCL8, MMP8 and MMP9. Moreover, we tested whether PMNs from COPD patients are different from PMNs from healthy donors. Here we show that the intracellular basal PE activity of PMNs from COPD patients increased 25-fold compared to PMNs from healthy donors. Immunohistological staining of human lung tissue for PE showed that besides neutrophils, macrophages and epithelial cells express PE.
Conclusions
This study indicates that neutrophils activated by cigarette smoke extract can breakdown collagen into N-ac-PGP and that this collagen fragment itself can activate neutrophils, which may lead in vivo to a self-propagating cycle of neutrophil infiltration, chronic inflammation and lung emphysema. MMP-, PE- or PGP-inhibitors can serve as an attractive therapeutic target and may open new avenues towards effective treatment of COPD.
Explosion at Mexican oil giant Pemex headquarters kills 25
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A powerful explosion rocked the Mexico City headquarters of state-owned oil giant Pemex on Thursday, killing at least 25 people, injuring more than 100 and trapping others inside.
Additional Brain Functional Network in Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Phase Synchrony Analysis
by Dongchuan Yu
We develop a method to construct a new type of functional networks by the usage of phase synchrony degree that is different from the widely used Pearson's correlation approach. By a series of very strict statistical tests, we found that there is an additional network in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subjects, superimposing the original (normal) brain functional network corresponding to healthy controls. The additional network leads to the increase in clustering coefficient, cost, local efficiency, and global efficiency. Our findings are inconsistent with many previous researches (using the Pearson's correlation approach) revealing both increased and decreased functional connections between brain regions and many reports revealing that the brain functional networks of ADHD patients have slow information flow and low global efficiency. We also confirm that the additional network in ADHD subjects contains 6 communities, and three of them are associated with emotional control, sensory information integration, and motor control, respectively. Furthermore, we find that there is a pathway connecting the left insula and left anterior cingular gyrus via the frontal gyrus and putamen in the additional network in ADHD subjects. This implies that due to the pathway connecting brain regions in the salience network, the ADHD patients are more sensitive to external stimuli or internal thoughts and are easier to switch to the executive network and hence harder to inhibit. For clinical diagnostic purposes, we apply the -means clustering method to distinguish ADHD patients with healthy controls at the individual subject level, and obtain a meaningful diagnostic result. More interestingly, we find that the suggested technique using phase synchrony degree to construct functional networks may obtain higher classification accuracy than the method using the Pearson's correlation coefficient.
We develop a method to construct a new type of functional networks by the usage of phase synchrony degree that is different from the widely used Pearson's correlation approach. By a series of very strict statistical tests, we found that there is an additional network in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subjects, superimposing the original (normal) brain functional network corresponding to healthy controls. The additional network leads to the increase in clustering coefficient, cost, local efficiency, and global efficiency. Our findings are inconsistent with many previous researches (using the Pearson's correlation approach) revealing both increased and decreased functional connections between brain regions and many reports revealing that the brain functional networks of ADHD patients have slow information flow and low global efficiency. We also confirm that the additional network in ADHD subjects contains 6 communities, and three of them are associated with emotional control, sensory information integration, and motor control, respectively. Furthermore, we find that there is a pathway connecting the left insula and left anterior cingular gyrus via the frontal gyrus and putamen in the additional network in ADHD subjects. This implies that due to the pathway connecting brain regions in the salience network, the ADHD patients are more sensitive to external stimuli or internal thoughts and are easier to switch to the executive network and hence harder to inhibit. For clinical diagnostic purposes, we apply the -means clustering method to distinguish ADHD patients with healthy controls at the individual subject level, and obtain a meaningful diagnostic result. More interestingly, we find that the suggested technique using phase synchrony degree to construct functional networks may obtain higher classification accuracy than the method using the Pearson's correlation coefficient.
Fashion, Cooperation, and Social Interactions
by Zhigang Cao, Haoyu Gao, Xinglong Qu, Mingmin Yang, Xiaoguang Yang
Fashion plays such a crucial rule in the evolution of culture and society that it is regarded as a second nature to the human being. Also, its impact on economy is quite nontrivial. On what is fashionable, interestingly, there are two viewpoints that are both extremely widespread but almost opposite: conformists think that what is popular is fashionable, while rebels believe that being different is the essence. Fashion color is fashionable in the first sense, and Lady Gaga in the second. We investigate a model where the population consists of the afore-mentioned two groups of people that are located on social networks (a spatial cellular automata network and small-world networks). This model captures two fundamental kinds of social interactions (coordination and anti-coordination) simultaneously, and also has its own interest to game theory: it is a hybrid model of pure competition and pure cooperation. This is true because when a conformist meets a rebel, they play the zero sum matching pennies game, which is pure competition. When two conformists (rebels) meet, they play the (anti-) coordination game, which is pure cooperation. Simulation shows that simple social interactions greatly promote cooperation: in most cases people can reach an extraordinarily high level of cooperation, through a selfish, myopic, naive, and local interacting dynamic (the best response dynamic). We find that degree of synchronization also plays a critical role, but mostly on the negative side. Four indices, namely cooperation degree, average satisfaction degree, equilibrium ratio and complete ratio, are defined and applied to measure people’s cooperation levels from various angles. Phase transition, as well as emergence of many interesting geographic patterns in the cellular automata network, is also observed.
Fashion plays such a crucial rule in the evolution of culture and society that it is regarded as a second nature to the human being. Also, its impact on economy is quite nontrivial. On what is fashionable, interestingly, there are two viewpoints that are both extremely widespread but almost opposite: conformists think that what is popular is fashionable, while rebels believe that being different is the essence. Fashion color is fashionable in the first sense, and Lady Gaga in the second. We investigate a model where the population consists of the afore-mentioned two groups of people that are located on social networks (a spatial cellular automata network and small-world networks). This model captures two fundamental kinds of social interactions (coordination and anti-coordination) simultaneously, and also has its own interest to game theory: it is a hybrid model of pure competition and pure cooperation. This is true because when a conformist meets a rebel, they play the zero sum matching pennies game, which is pure competition. When two conformists (rebels) meet, they play the (anti-) coordination game, which is pure cooperation. Simulation shows that simple social interactions greatly promote cooperation: in most cases people can reach an extraordinarily high level of cooperation, through a selfish, myopic, naive, and local interacting dynamic (the best response dynamic). We find that degree of synchronization also plays a critical role, but mostly on the negative side. Four indices, namely cooperation degree, average satisfaction degree, equilibrium ratio and complete ratio, are defined and applied to measure people’s cooperation levels from various angles. Phase transition, as well as emergence of many interesting geographic patterns in the cellular automata network, is also observed.
Switching Hemispheres: A New Migration Strategy for the Disjunct Argentinean Breeding Population of Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)
by Belen Garcia-Perez, Keith A. Hobson, Rebecca L. Powell, Christopher J. Still, Gernot H. Huber
Background
Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) breed almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. However, since the early 1980's, a small disjunct breeding population has become established in eastern Argentina, presumably by birds previously derived from those breeding in North America. Currently, it is unknown where these individuals go following breeding and how they have adjusted to a reversal in phenology. Their austral wintering period corresponds to the breeding period of the northern ancestral population and so they can potentially return to these more traditional breeding sites or they may occupy other South American wintering regions left vacant by conspecifics returning to the Northern Hemisphere.
Principal Findings
We used a three-isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ2H) approach to investigate potential wintering areas in Central and South America of individuals breeding in Argentina. Feather isotope values differed from those expected and measured at local breeding sites in Argentina indicating molt after the austral breeding period and away from the breeding grounds. Potential molting origins were identified applying likelihood-based assignment methods to a δ2H isoscape for South America and dichotomous prior information on the distribution of C3 and C4 vegetation types based on modeled vegetation-δ13C values. Barn Swallows now breeding in Argentina have changed their migratory behavior but presumably use the same cues as those used by the ancestral population, molting their feathers during the austral winter, likely in north-eastern South America.
Background
Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) breed almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. However, since the early 1980's, a small disjunct breeding population has become established in eastern Argentina, presumably by birds previously derived from those breeding in North America. Currently, it is unknown where these individuals go following breeding and how they have adjusted to a reversal in phenology. Their austral wintering period corresponds to the breeding period of the northern ancestral population and so they can potentially return to these more traditional breeding sites or they may occupy other South American wintering regions left vacant by conspecifics returning to the Northern Hemisphere.
Principal Findings
We used a three-isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ2H) approach to investigate potential wintering areas in Central and South America of individuals breeding in Argentina. Feather isotope values differed from those expected and measured at local breeding sites in Argentina indicating molt after the austral breeding period and away from the breeding grounds. Potential molting origins were identified applying likelihood-based assignment methods to a δ2H isoscape for South America and dichotomous prior information on the distribution of C3 and C4 vegetation types based on modeled vegetation-δ13C values. Barn Swallows now breeding in Argentina have changed their migratory behavior but presumably use the same cues as those used by the ancestral population, molting their feathers during the austral winter, likely in north-eastern South America.
Thursday, 31 January 2013
Study fuels fears on bank safety
A Basel report comes at a time when investors, regulators and some bankers have called into question the way banks calculate their risk-weighted assets
Spanish prime minister Rajoy accused of hiding secret income
Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy's government was rocked by a major corruption scandal on Thursday after the publication of documents that allegedly showed him receiving €250,000 that had been hidden from tax authorities.
Rajoy denied the allegations after El País published extracts from what it said were secret accounts for his People's party (PP). But opponents called for his resignation and ordinary Spaniards asked whether those now imposing spending cuts and tax rises in the middle of a painful recession had previously indulged in, or tolerated, systematic tax avoidance.
El País said the documents showed payments from a number of well-known Spanish business people that were then partly used to pay regular supplements to senior party officials over more than a decade. The most recent payments were in 2009.
"The People's party has only one set of accounts and it is clean, transparent and submitted to the official accounting authority," party secretary general Maria Dolores de Cospedal, who said she was also speaking for Rajoy, said. "We have absolutely nothing to hide."
However, former PP deputy Jorge Trías Sagnier has already said that senior party members had received regular payments.
Cospedal, who denied getting payments attributed to her in the documents, threatened to sue El País and any media outlets that repeated the allegations. But all major Spanish broadcasters and news websites were carrying the story on Thursday .
"The party vehemently denies the contents of these documents," she said. "I have spoken to the prime minister and he is calm."
But former senate president Pío García Escudero admitted receiving one of the payments detailed in the accounting books. He said the figure matched a loan he was given, and later repaid, to repair bomb damage to his home after a terrorist attack.
"If the figure relating to Pío García Escudero is true that does not validate everything else that has been published," Cospedal insisted.
"The documents could contain all sorts of things – the truth and things that are not true. They could be reworked, manipulated or cut."
El País said the documents came from a double-accounting system kept by two former PP treasurers, Luis Barcenás and Alvaro Lapuerta. Both men issued denials on Thursday .
Courts are already investigating how Barcenas managed to accumulate €20m in a secret Swiss bank account. The former party treasurer, who was forced to stand down in 2009 as court investigators examined several corruption cases linked to the PP, told investigators this week that he had declared €11m that was previously hidden from Spain's treasury during a tax amnesty declared by Rajoy's government last year.
Amongst those named as recipients of the money in the secret accounts, apart from Rajoy and Cospedal, was Rodrigo Rato, a former finance minister, IMF president and one-time chairman of the bailed-out Bankia bank. He denied receiving the money or hiding income from tax authorities. Some PP sources told El País they thought Barcenas had pocketed the money himself.
Alfredo Peréz Rubalcaba, leader of the opposition socialists, demanded that Rajoy himself explain why his name was in the documents. "This is not just any old case of corruption, but a case that affects regional governments, town halls, [the PP headquarters in] Genova Street and even the government of Spain," he said.
"If this is true, then he must resign," added Pere Navarro, the socialist leader in Catalonia.
A recent poll showed that 96% of Spaniards believe corruption is widespread in politics.
Ordinary Spaniards await another year of government-imposed austerity and cuts in basic services as unemployment hits 26%. The economy shrank by 0.7% in the last three months of 2012.
The government says the economy will start growing again towards the end of the year, but analysts see it shrinking a further 1.5% in 2013, sending unemployment even higher.
Cospedal claimed the scandal would not affect Rajoy's ability to tackle the recession.
'Biotic Pump' Theory Suggests Forests Drive Wind and Rain
It took over two-and-a-half-years for the journal Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics to finally accept a paper outlining a new meteorological hypothesis in which condensation, not temperature, drives winds. If proven correct, the hypothesis could have massive ramifications on global policy—not to mention meteorology—as essentially the hypothesis means that the world's forest play a major role in driving precipitation from the coast into a continent's interior. The theory, known as the biotic pump, was first developed in 2006 by two Russian scientists, Victor Gorshkov and Anastassia Makarieva of the St. Petersburg Nuclear Physics, but the two have faced major pushback and delays in their attempt to put the theory before the greater scientific community.
Longevity gene points to 'fountain of youth'
A "longevity gene" can help boost the production of blood cells by reversing the decline of stem cells in old age, a study suggests.
Pakistan to build $1.5bn Iran pipeline
Islamabad move to buy gas from neighbour to address chronic power shortages risks alienating the US at a time of tight western sanctions on Tehran
Syria protests over Israel attack, warns of "surprise"
BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Syria protested to the United Nations on Thursday over an Israeli air strike on its territory and warned of a possible "surprise" response.
Sperm donors who know parents can apply to see children, court rules
Sperm donors who know the parents to whom they have donated should be allowed to apply for contact with their biological children, a court has ruled.
Following Thursday's ruling straight and gay couples who are considering conceiving using a sperm donor they know are being urged to establish the childrearing equivalent of a pre-nuptial agreement – a co-parenting deal.
The case, the first of its kind, involves two lesbian couples who were friends with a gay male couple. All three couples are in civil partnerships. One of the gay men is the biological father of both the children of one of the lesbian couples, the other man is the biological father of one child who is being brought up by the second lesbian couple.
The male couple applied to the family court for contact and residency of their biological children. The women contested the application, saying that this would infringe on their family life, but lost. Under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act same-sex couples are legal parents of children conceived through donated sperm, eggs or embryos in the same way that heterosexual couples are.
The judgment allows sperm donors to pursue applications for contact orders. The court must take into consideration the nature of the application, the sperm donor's connection to the child and the potential for disruption to the child's life. The rights of the family bringing up the child must also be considered.
The two lesbian couples and the gay male couple entered into the reproduction agreement amicably. However, nothing was put in writing about how parenting duties would be divided and, following the births, of the children relations became tense as the two fathers wanted more contact than the women were prepared to grant. There is disagreement between them about the access arrangements agreed verbally.
Kevin Skinner, of Goodman Ray solicitors, representing one of the lesbian couples, said: "The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 for the first time ensured that same sex parents were recognised in the same way as heterosexual families.
"Although the judge's decision makes clear that the family unit should be protected, the possibility of sperm donors being able to apply for orders will be a scary prospect for many parents, both gay and straight.
"What is crucial is that anyone planning on having a child through the use of fertility treatment should make sure that proper plans are in place before the process begins."
Current legislation enables the civil partner of a woman who carries a child via IVF to be recognised as the child's legal parent whilst retaining a duty to take account of the welfare of the child in providing fertility treatment.
It replaces the reference to "the need for a father" with "the need for supportive parenting", valuing the role of all parents.
Spanish PM faces corruption scandal over 'secret party slush fund'
Spain's ruling conservative Popular Party has been forced to deny allegations that prime minister Mariano Rajoy benefited from a secret party slush fund.
US senator Robert Menendez denies sex with under-age prostitutes
A US senator has denied he had sex with under-aged prostitutes in the Dominican Republic, while repaying a wealthy donor tens of thousands of dollars for flights to the Caribbean nation on a private jet.
Three in five prisoners jailed for less than a year return to crime
Three out of five criminals who spend less than a year in jail go straight back to crime when they are released, figures showed.
Gazprom posturing masks Russia’s weakness
Energy group’s spat with Ukraine highlights how Russian energy dominance is under threat from regulatory and competitive challenges
Fear of Contagion: Merkel Steps Back from Coalition Partner FDP
Following her party's failure in a major state election, Chancellor Angela Merkel is distancing herself from her junior coalition partner, the business-friendly Free Democrats. It is a risky move, and could indicate that she is aiming at a partnership with the opposition Social Democrats. By SPIEGEL Staff
Four at Once: Volcano Quartet Erupts on Kamchatka
A unique show is taking place on Kamchatka these days: Four separate but nearby volcanoes are erupting simultaneously on the Russian peninsula. A Moscow film crew has produced an awe-inspiring 360-degree video of the natural fireworks.
Cesa Coahuila a 168 policías estatales
La Procuraduría de Coahuila informó la baja de 168 agentes que reprobaron pruebas de confianza y dijo que las corporaciones estatales están depuradas.
Woman dies after taking same drug that killed marathon runner Claire Squires
A young woman died after taking a stimulant containing the same drug that killed London marathon runner Claire Squires as a coroner yesterday (thurs) warned doctors are struggling to spot its symptoms.
P&G chief reassesses his priorities
Bob McDonald fights to save his job and renew growth at the US consumer goods group with a focus on process, productivity and innovation
AstraZeneca: don’t look now
The ailing Anglo-Swedish drugmaker’s results remind investors how tough a task the restoration will be
Jovem de 15 anos morta a tiro em Chicago
Hadiya Pendleton, de 15 anos, que atuou como cheerleader na cerimónia de tomada de posse de Barack Obama, foi morta a tiro num parque de Chicago. Família oferece 11 mil dólares de recompensa por informações...
Deutsche Bank rises on capital strength
German lender falls to €2.2bn quarterly net loss but its core tier one capital ratio under incoming Basel III metric, was 8%, ahead of analysts’ forecasts
Decelerating American Physics: Panel Advises Shutdown of Last U.S. Collider
In a narrowly decided vote, an advisory panel to federal nuclear science agencies has recommended closing a particle collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, N.Y., rather than eliminating other costly facilities. The reason: federal budget woes are hitting all types of government funding from classroom education to highway repair.
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Humans alone wiped out Tasmanian tiger
Humans alone were responsible for the Tasmanian tiger's extinction in the 20th century, according to a new study that shoots down claims that disease also doomed the meat-eating marsupial.
Mystery 'oil sheen' grows near site of BP Gulf disaster, says researcher
A persistent, mysterious "oil sheen" in the Gulf of Mexico near the site of BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster grew to more than seven-miles long and one-mile wide during a recent stretch of calm seas, based on aerial observations made by a former NASA physicist.
YouTube's hilarious cat videos could soon cost you $5 a month
Ad giant Google 'experiments' with paid-for subscriptions
YouTube is reportedly "experimenting" with the idea of charging people to watch some of the videos on its website.…
YouTube is reportedly "experimenting" with the idea of charging people to watch some of the videos on its website.…
Revealing new pics of galactic princess Andromeda
Really big lens lets astro-paps get nice new snaps
New, nifty pictures have been released by astro-boffins which reveal further glories of "the elegant spiral galaxy Andromeda, named after the mythical Greek princess known for her beauty".…
New, nifty pictures have been released by astro-boffins which reveal further glories of "the elegant spiral galaxy Andromeda, named after the mythical Greek princess known for her beauty".…
Mozilla to automatically block virtually all plug-ins in Firefox
Mozilla yesterday announced it would automatically disable all plug-ins in Firefox except the latest version of Adobe's Flash Player, citing security and stability reasons for the move. The feature, called "click-to-play," has been part of Firefox since version 17, which launched last November, but Mozilla will restrict plug-ins even further going forward.
Java open-source frameworks 'pose risk' to biz - report
Hibernate and don't mingle your Java and C/C++, warns software analyst
Open-source programming frameworks revolutionised Java development during the last decade, but not enough people know how to use them properly.…
Open-source programming frameworks revolutionised Java development during the last decade, but not enough people know how to use them properly.…
Google submits remedy proposals to EU antitrust chief - ICOMP
11th hour response from Mountain View, apparently
Updated Google has submitted a new round of proposals to the competition wing of the European Commission, which has fingered the search giant for possible "dominance abuse", according to ICOMP.…
Updated Google has submitted a new round of proposals to the competition wing of the European Commission, which has fingered the search giant for possible "dominance abuse", according to ICOMP.…
SAP to buy CRM tool Ticket-Web
SAP plans to extend its CRM offering with the acquisition of Ticket-Web, a German specialist in online ticketing for sports and entertainment venues.
Man charged over online 'sextortion'
A US man is charged for allegedly blackmailing more than 350 women by threatening to post nude images of them on Facebook.
Tech companies claim more H-1B visas will fill IT labor gap
Microsoft, HP, Intel, Cisco, and Oracle are among the heavyweight IT companies throwing their support behind proposed legislation that would nearly double the number of H-1B visas the feds could dole out each year, from 65,000
RSA brings big data analytics to security threat management
RSA has unveiled a new tool designed to let enterprises detect security threats more quickly than current technologies permit by combining big data management and analytics approaches with traditional network monitoring and threat detection. The RSA Security Analytics Unified Platform is built around the company's existing NetWitness threat detection architecture. It lets companies capture and analyze massive amounts of structured and unstructured data to speed up threat detection.
Critical vulnerability affects latest VLC media player
Versions 2.0.5 and earlier of the popular VLC media player software contain a critical vulnerability that can be potentially exploited by attackers to execute malicious code on computers. The vulnerability is located in the VLC component responsible for playing ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) video files, VideoLAN, the non-profit organization that develops the media player, said in a security advisory published on its website.
Hackers unveil latest Apple iOS 6 jailbreak website
Apple software hackers unveiled a website late Wednesday where the latest untethered jailbreak is expected to be released soon. An elite team of hackers has been working for months to develop an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6, Apple's latest operating system, which would allow users to customize their phones and install applications not vetted by Apple.
Jailed for jailbreaking: The new law could land you in the slammer
I know why you're excited: You can't wait for your iDevice to update to iOS 6.1 which was just released. Now Siri will be able to misunderstand what movie you want to see and present you with a link to Fandango. Or she may, as usual, think you want to dial the number of the nearest Chinese restaurant. And thus does technology march onward.
Rescue for birds covered in 'wax'
Hundreds of seabirds are washed up along the coast of south west England, covered in a white waxy substance.
Shell 'happy' over Dutch verdict
A Dutch court rejects four out of five allegations against Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell over oil pollution in Nigeria's Niger Delta region.
Minor Oil Spills Are Often Bigger Than Reported
By analyzing satellite images, oceanographers have found that small oil spills in the heavily drilled northern Gulf of Mexico are often much larger than reported. The researchers presented their results last week at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana.
[More]
South Korea launches first civilian rocket
South Korea launched its first homegrown rocket into space Wednesday after a series of delays and two earlier failures, marking a spaceflight leap for the country's space program, according to press reports.
Coffee Fungus Outbreak Resumes
Where there is coffee, there is ‘coffee rust’. But the long stalemate between growers and the fungus behind the devastating disease has broken -- with the fungus taking the advantage. As one of the most severe outbreaks ever rages through Central America, researchers are reaching for the latest tools in an effort to combat the pest, from sequencing its genome to cross-breeding coffee plants with resistant strains.
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Stimulating the Brain with Microscopic Magnets
Imagine if your biggest health problem could be solved with the flip of a switch. Deep-brain stimulation (DBS) offers such a dramatic recovery for a range of neurological illnesses, including Parkinson's disease, epilepsy and major depression. Yet the metal electrodes implanted in the brain are too bulky to tap into intricate neural circuitry with precision and corrode in contact with tissue, so their performance degrades over time. Now neurophysiologists have developed a method of DBS that avoids these problems by using microscopic magnets to stimulate neurons.
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EU curbs pesticide to save bees
The European Commission has proposed that member states restrict the use of certain classes of pesticide that are believed to be harmful to bees.
Mississippi River barge backup tops 1,000 after oil spill
(Reuters) - More than 1,000 barges were backed up on the Mississippi River near Vicksburg, Mississippi, on Wednesday after a weekend barge accident and oil spill forced the closure of the major shipping artery, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
You Can’t Put Old Wine in New Bottles: The Effect of Newcomers on Coordination in Groups
by Matthew W. McCarter, Roman M. Sheremeta
A common finding in social sciences is that member change hinders group functioning and performance. However, questions remain as to why member change negatively affects group performance and what are some ways to alleviate the negative effects of member change on performance? To answer these questions we conduct an experiment in which we investigate the effect of newcomers on a group’s ability to coordinate efficiently. Participants play a coordination game in a four-person group for the first part of the experiment, and then two members of the group are replaced with new participants, and the newly formed group plays the game for the second part of the experiment. Our results show that the arrival of newcomers decreases trust among group members and this decrease in trust negatively affects group performance. Knowing the performance history of the arriving newcomers mitigates the negative effect of their arrival, but only when newcomers also know the oldtimers performance history. Surprisingly, in groups that performed poorly prior to the newcomers’ arrival, the distrust generated by newcomers is mainly between oldtimers about each other rather than about the newcomers.
A common finding in social sciences is that member change hinders group functioning and performance. However, questions remain as to why member change negatively affects group performance and what are some ways to alleviate the negative effects of member change on performance? To answer these questions we conduct an experiment in which we investigate the effect of newcomers on a group’s ability to coordinate efficiently. Participants play a coordination game in a four-person group for the first part of the experiment, and then two members of the group are replaced with new participants, and the newly formed group plays the game for the second part of the experiment. Our results show that the arrival of newcomers decreases trust among group members and this decrease in trust negatively affects group performance. Knowing the performance history of the arriving newcomers mitigates the negative effect of their arrival, but only when newcomers also know the oldtimers performance history. Surprisingly, in groups that performed poorly prior to the newcomers’ arrival, the distrust generated by newcomers is mainly between oldtimers about each other rather than about the newcomers.
Amphetamines, Atomoxetine and the Risk of Serious Cardiovascular Events in Adults
by Hedi Schelleman, Warren B. Bilker, Stephen E. Kimmel, Gregory W. Daniel, Craig Newcomb, James P. Guevara, Mark J. Cziraky, Brian L. Strom, Sean Hennessy
Main Objective
To compare the incidence rates of serious cardiovascular events in adult initiators of amphetamines or atomoxetine to rates in non-users.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study of new amphetamines (n = 38,586) or atomoxetine (n = 20,995) users. Each medication user was matched to up to four non-users on age, gender, data source, and state (n = 238,183). The following events were primary outcomes of interest 1) sudden death or ventricular arrhythmia, 2) stroke, 3) myocardial infarction, 4) a composite endpoint of stroke or myocardial infarction. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate propensity-adjusted hazard ratios for amphetamines versus matched non-users and atomoxetine versus matched non-users, with intracluster dependence within matched sets accounted for using a robust sandwich estimator.
Results
The propensity-score adjusted hazard ratio for amphetamines use versus non-use was 1.18 (95% CI: 0.55–2.54) for sudden death/ventricular arrhythmia, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.44–1.47) for stroke, 0.75 (95% CI: 0.42–1.35) for myocardial infarction, and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.51–1.19) for stroke/myocardial infarction. The propensity-score adjusted hazard ratio for atomoxetine use versus non-use was 0.41 (95% CI: 0.10–1.75) for sudden death/ventricular arrhythmia, 1.30 (95% CI: 0.52–3.29) for stroke, 0.56 (95% CI: 0.16–2.00) for myocardial infarction, and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.44–1.92) for stroke/myocardial infarction.
Conclusions
Initiation of amphetamines or atomoxetine was not associated with an elevated risk of serious cardiovascular events. However, some of the confidence intervals do not exclude modest elevated risks, e.g. for sudden death/ventricular arrhythmia.
Main Objective
To compare the incidence rates of serious cardiovascular events in adult initiators of amphetamines or atomoxetine to rates in non-users.
Methods
This was a retrospective cohort study of new amphetamines (n = 38,586) or atomoxetine (n = 20,995) users. Each medication user was matched to up to four non-users on age, gender, data source, and state (n = 238,183). The following events were primary outcomes of interest 1) sudden death or ventricular arrhythmia, 2) stroke, 3) myocardial infarction, 4) a composite endpoint of stroke or myocardial infarction. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to calculate propensity-adjusted hazard ratios for amphetamines versus matched non-users and atomoxetine versus matched non-users, with intracluster dependence within matched sets accounted for using a robust sandwich estimator.
Results
The propensity-score adjusted hazard ratio for amphetamines use versus non-use was 1.18 (95% CI: 0.55–2.54) for sudden death/ventricular arrhythmia, 0.80 (95% CI: 0.44–1.47) for stroke, 0.75 (95% CI: 0.42–1.35) for myocardial infarction, and 0.78 (95% CI: 0.51–1.19) for stroke/myocardial infarction. The propensity-score adjusted hazard ratio for atomoxetine use versus non-use was 0.41 (95% CI: 0.10–1.75) for sudden death/ventricular arrhythmia, 1.30 (95% CI: 0.52–3.29) for stroke, 0.56 (95% CI: 0.16–2.00) for myocardial infarction, and 0.92 (95% CI: 0.44–1.92) for stroke/myocardial infarction.
Conclusions
Initiation of amphetamines or atomoxetine was not associated with an elevated risk of serious cardiovascular events. However, some of the confidence intervals do not exclude modest elevated risks, e.g. for sudden death/ventricular arrhythmia.
Growing palm oil could speed up climate change, study says
LONDON (Reuters) - Growing palm oil trees to make biofuels could be accelerating the effects of climate change, new research showed on Wednesday, adding further weight to claims the crop is not environmentally sustainable.
Spring Leaves Expected to Sprout Sooner in North American Forests
This year the spring equinox falls on March 20th, marking the first day of spring. But regardless of the date, it feels like spring when the temperature warms and we start to see new green leaves and flowers bloom after a dormant winter. According to new research, trees in the continental U.S. could send out new spring leaves up to 17 days earlier than expected in the coming century as global temperatures start to rise. Researchers at Princeton University suggest that these climate-driven changes could lead to composition changes of northeastern forests and give a boost to their ability to take up carbon dioxide.
Genes and Flu
The flu is just a disease. A disease may strike one species and not another species. Well it seems certain genetic markers are all it takes. A genetic variant which explains why Chinese populations may be more vulnerable to H1N1 swine flu has been found by researchers at the University of Oxford and Beijing Capital Medical University. This finding could help identify those at high risk of severe infection and help prioritize those in highest need of treatment. The study led by Dr Tao Dong of the University of Oxford showed that people with a specific genetic variant are six times more likely to suffer from severe influenza infection than those without.....
Soya protein can be replaced by rapeseed protein
Jena, Germany (SPX) Jan 31, 2013
Today, more than 500 million people are suffering from a lack of adequate protein in their diet. Each year, the number of human beings increases by 80 million, a figure which is equivalent to the present population of Germany. Thus, providing enough food, particularly sufficient protein for the increasing populace is a challenging task for societies all over the world. On a prospective basis,.....
Today, more than 500 million people are suffering from a lack of adequate protein in their diet. Each year, the number of human beings increases by 80 million, a figure which is equivalent to the present population of Germany. Thus, providing enough food, particularly sufficient protein for the increasing populace is a challenging task for societies all over the world. On a prospective basis,.....
New insights into managing our water resources
Melbourne, Australia (SPX) Jan 31, 2013
Understanding how our water catchments react to natural disturbances, may offer hydrologists greater insight into how to manage our water supplies. Key to this, is an understanding of the steady state and why water responds differently in different circumstances.
Dr Tim Peterson, from the School of Engineering at the University of Melbourne has offered new theories that will lead to a deep
Understanding how our water catchments react to natural disturbances, may offer hydrologists greater insight into how to manage our water supplies. Key to this, is an understanding of the steady state and why water responds differently in different circumstances.
Dr Tim Peterson, from the School of Engineering at the University of Melbourne has offered new theories that will lead to a deep
Santiago de Chile will get drier and warmer
Santiago, Chile (SPX) Jan 31, 2013
Already nowadays ten per cent or more of the population in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile is affected by extreme heat or floods. These threats will tend to increase due to the continuous expansion of the Chilean capital, the consequent changes in land use and the influences of climate change.
Because of that, the international research project ClimateAdaptationSantiago (CAS)
Already nowadays ten per cent or more of the population in the Metropolitan Region of Santiago de Chile is affected by extreme heat or floods. These threats will tend to increase due to the continuous expansion of the Chilean capital, the consequent changes in land use and the influences of climate change.
Because of that, the international research project ClimateAdaptationSantiago (CAS)
Smaller Snacking is Smart Snacking
Cornell NY (SPX) Jan 31, 2013
How much chocolate would you need to eat to be satisfied? Less than half as much as you think, according to this recently published Cornell University snacking study.
Using chocolate chips, apple pie, and potato chips, researchers Ellen van Kleef, Mitsuru Shimizu, and Brian Wansink designed a study to determine if people who were given smaller portions of snack foods would feel hungrier or ....
How much chocolate would you need to eat to be satisfied? Less than half as much as you think, according to this recently published Cornell University snacking study.
Using chocolate chips, apple pie, and potato chips, researchers Ellen van Kleef, Mitsuru Shimizu, and Brian Wansink designed a study to determine if people who were given smaller portions of snack foods would feel hungrier or ....
Cities Affect Temperatures For Thousands Of Miles
Boulder CO (SPX) Jan 31, 2013
Even if you live more than 1,000 miles from the nearest large city, it could be affecting your weather.
In a new study that shows the extent to which human activities are influencing the atmosphere, scientists have concluded that the heat generated by everyday activities in metropolitan areas alters the character of the jet stream and other major atmospheric systems. This affects temperature.....
Even if you live more than 1,000 miles from the nearest large city, it could be affecting your weather.
In a new study that shows the extent to which human activities are influencing the atmosphere, scientists have concluded that the heat generated by everyday activities in metropolitan areas alters the character of the jet stream and other major atmospheric systems. This affects temperature.....
Water from an Antarctica Lake
In an amazing feat of science and engineering, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research team has successfully drilled through 2,600 feet of Antarctic ice to reach a subglacial lake and retrieve water and sediment samples that have been isolated from direct contact with the outside world for many thousands of years. Scientists and drillers with the interdisciplinary Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling project (WISSARD) announced January 28th that they had used a customized clean hot-water drill to directly obtain samples from the waters and sediments of subglacial Lake Whillans. Upon study this may reveal an unique perspective on life and how it evolves.
Timing of Meals May Influence Weight-loss
For anyone trying to lose weight, one common suggestion is never eat after 7:00 pm. But why? Apparently if you eat food close to your bedtime, it will not have enough time to burn off and is more likely to be stored as fat. This recommendation can now be backed by new research that suggests weight-loss plans should not only focus on what we eat, but when we eat. Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, along with the University of Murcia and Tufts University explain that the timing of our meals can influence our ability to shed pounds
Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Turcos fazem implantes para ter bigode maior
Os homens turcos não estão contentes com os seus bigodes, noticia a BBC, que relata que muitos homens chegam mesmo a recorrer a implantes para tornar o seu bigode maior
Vegetarians a third less likely to develop heart disease
Vegetarians are a third less likely to suffer from heart disease because their diet gives them lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, according to researchers.
Chinese millionaire fights pollution with thin air
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foulest fortnight for air pollution in memory has rekindled a tongue-in-cheek campaign by a multimillionaire with a streak of showmanship who is selling canned fresh air.
Genes and Flu
The flu is just a disease. A disease may strike one species and not another species. Well it seems certain genetic markers are all it takes. A genetic variant which explains why Chinese populations may be more vulnerable to H1N1 swine flu has been found by researchers at the University of Oxford and Beijing Capital Medical University. This finding could help identify those at high risk of severe infection and help prioritize those in highest need of treatment. The study led by Dr Tao Dong of the University of Oxford showed that people with a specific genetic variant are six times more likely to suffer from severe influenza infection than those without
Wind turbine blown down in strong winds in Devon
Residents express fears over safety after 24-metre turbine collapses
A wind turbine in north Devon has collapsed, leaving local residents concerned about safety. It is understood to be the first such reported incident in the UK, although blades have fallen from turbines in a small number of cases.
The turbine was sited on farmland in the Bradworthy area and fell down in the early hours of Sunday morning. Margaret Coles, chairwoman of Bradworthy parish council, which opposed the erection of the turbine, told the Daily Telegraph that strong winds had hit the area. "The bolts on the base could not withstand the wind as we are a very windy part of the country. Dulas [the energy company] have egg on their face," she said. "There are concerns about safety."
A spokeswoman for Dulas said: "We can reassure the local community that due to the isolated location of the turbine, no one was put at risk and we are currently working hard to establish the precise cause of the incident. Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK. They are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root-cause analysis investigation. Our initial assessment suggests the turbine did not catch fire, as has been reported."
The turbine was relatively small, with a hub height of 24 metres and with a generating capacity of 0.05MW. Paul Thompson, head of policy at the Renewable Energy Association, said: "It is important not to over-react to this incident, given that there are over 3,500 turbines in the UK with a total capacity of over 5,500MW. One benefit of having that capacity distributed across several thousand small generators is that when one goes offline, it doesn't have a major impact on the grid. However, that is not to take away from the safety concerns this incident raises, which industry will be looking at very carefully."
Sources contacted by the Guardian were unable to identify any previous example of a turbine collapsing, but in 2009 a 20-metre blade fell from a turbine in Lincolnshire.
Andrew Pendleton, at Friends of the Earth, said it was essential to determine how the turbine had come to collapse. "But in a way the incident shows the advantage of having a decentralised energy system: when any one part goes down, it has no effect on energy security, unlike when major power stations go down." In 2011, a jellyfish bloom caused both reactors at Torness nuclear power plant to close down, taking 1200MW of capacity off the national electricity grid.
The owners of East Ash Farm, where the Bradworthy turbine was sited, were recently given planning permission by Torridge district council to erect a second turbine.
A wind turbine in north Devon has collapsed, leaving local residents concerned about safety. It is understood to be the first such reported incident in the UK, although blades have fallen from turbines in a small number of cases.
The turbine was sited on farmland in the Bradworthy area and fell down in the early hours of Sunday morning. Margaret Coles, chairwoman of Bradworthy parish council, which opposed the erection of the turbine, told the Daily Telegraph that strong winds had hit the area. "The bolts on the base could not withstand the wind as we are a very windy part of the country. Dulas [the energy company] have egg on their face," she said. "There are concerns about safety."
A spokeswoman for Dulas said: "We can reassure the local community that due to the isolated location of the turbine, no one was put at risk and we are currently working hard to establish the precise cause of the incident. Our technical team is one of the most experienced in the UK. They are working alongside the turbine manufacturer to conduct a full root-cause analysis investigation. Our initial assessment suggests the turbine did not catch fire, as has been reported."
The turbine was relatively small, with a hub height of 24 metres and with a generating capacity of 0.05MW. Paul Thompson, head of policy at the Renewable Energy Association, said: "It is important not to over-react to this incident, given that there are over 3,500 turbines in the UK with a total capacity of over 5,500MW. One benefit of having that capacity distributed across several thousand small generators is that when one goes offline, it doesn't have a major impact on the grid. However, that is not to take away from the safety concerns this incident raises, which industry will be looking at very carefully."
Sources contacted by the Guardian were unable to identify any previous example of a turbine collapsing, but in 2009 a 20-metre blade fell from a turbine in Lincolnshire.
Andrew Pendleton, at Friends of the Earth, said it was essential to determine how the turbine had come to collapse. "But in a way the incident shows the advantage of having a decentralised energy system: when any one part goes down, it has no effect on energy security, unlike when major power stations go down." In 2011, a jellyfish bloom caused both reactors at Torness nuclear power plant to close down, taking 1200MW of capacity off the national electricity grid.
The owners of East Ash Farm, where the Bradworthy turbine was sited, were recently given planning permission by Torridge district council to erect a second turbine.
Google iPhone tracking: more than 70 users contact lawyers
Tech giant faces group privacy claim after it allegedly sidestepped Apple security settings
More than 70 Apple iPhone users in the UK have joined a landmark privacy action against Google over the way it tracked their online habits, and another 30 have expressed interest, lawyers said on Tuesday.
The internet giant is facing a group privacy claim over the way it sidestepped Apple's security settings on the iPhone, iPad and desktop versions of its Safari web browser to monitor their behaviour. The US Federal Trade Commission fined it a then-record $22.5m (£14m) last year over the privacy breach's effect on American users.
More than 100 internet users have contracted the law firm Olswang, which is co-ordinating the claim, since Sunday to register their interest in joining the privacy action. A Facebook group set up by those suing Google, called Safari Users Against Google's Secret Tracking, has been "liked" by more than 430 people.
Dan Tench, the lawyer coordinating the claims, told the Guardian: "We've had more than 70 people come forward to join this action. We are seeking further details in respect of these individuals' cases and, where appropriate, will be making further claims for them against Google."
The litigation is the first group privacy claim against Google in the UK and could run up a significant legal bill for the search company. An estimated 10 million Britons owned iPhones, which use Safari as the default browser and Google as the search engine, between summer 2011 and spring 2012, when the breach is believed to have occurred.
Google has admitted it intentionally sidestepped security settings on Apple's Safari web browser which blocked websites from tracking users through cookies – data stored on users' computers that show which sites they have visited. Security researchers revealed in February 2012 that Google's DoubleClick advertising network intentionally stored these cookies on users' computers without their consent.
The search giant is no stranger to damaging privacy issues after rows over its Google Buzz social network and the collection of data from Wi-Fi networks. It agreed to a 20-year oversight of its privacy methods after Google Buzz revealed users details to each other against their wishes.
Lawyers for claimants in the UK have ordered Google to reveal how it used the private information it secretly obtained, how much personal data was taken, and for how long. It is understood the claimants are suing Google for breaches of confidence and breach of privacy, computer misuse and trespass, and breach of the Data Protection Act 1998.
Google declined to comment. A statement it released at the time of the $22.5m fine last July claimed it had "collected no personal information" with the cookies
Dutch court says Shell responsible for Nigeria spills
THE HAGUE (Reuters) - A Dutch court ruled on Wednesday that Royal Dutch Shell's Nigerian subsidiary was responsible for a case of oil pollution in the Niger Delta and ordered it to pay damages in a decision that could open the door to further litigation.
New Zealand's milk safe, government says
New Zealand's milk safe, government says: Auckland, New Zealand (UPI) Jan 28, 2013
New Zealand's dairy products are safe, the government said, after traces of a chemical residue were detected in some of the country's milk products.
At issue is the chemical dicyandiamide, or DCD.
"The detection of these small DCD residues poses no food safety risk. DCD itself is not poisonous," Ministry for Primary Industries Director General Wayne McNee said in a statement .......
New Zealand's dairy products are safe, the government said, after traces of a chemical residue were detected in some of the country's milk products.
At issue is the chemical dicyandiamide, or DCD.
"The detection of these small DCD residues poses no food safety risk. DCD itself is not poisonous," Ministry for Primary Industries Director General Wayne McNee said in a statement .......
Dead marathon runner had now-banned stimulant in waterbottle
Claire Squires, 30, who died while running London marathon, had bottle containing DMAA, inquest into death hears
Claire Squires, the 30 year old who died while running the London marathon last year, had the now-banned stimulant, Jack3d, in her waterbottle.
"Claire was always in the gym and this stuff was being widely talked about there," said Simon Van Herrewege, her boyfriend of three years.
Speaking at Squires' inquest in Southwark on Wednesday, he added. "She took it a couple of times [while training for the marathon] but didn't really get on with it. She never particularly liked it but wanted to beat her previous marathon time [of just over four hours].
"She said she was going to take one scoop, as recommended. In her own words: 'If I hit a bit of a wall, I might take this drink and see if it pushes me through the end of the marathon,'" he added.
Van Herrewege said Squires had gone online to buy the energy drink, said to boost energy, concentration and metabolism. Jack3d was banned in August last year, four months after Squires' death, after concerns over a stimulant called DMAA (dimethylamylamine) in the powder.
DMAA has been linked to high blood pressure, headaches, vomiting, stroke and a death.
Last year, the UK's medicines watchdog MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) ruled DMAA was unlicensed and that all products containing the stimulant must be removed from the market to protect public safety.
Similar rulings have been made around the world, including in the US and Australia, where a man died after buying DMAA online.
It is not known if Squires drank the water containing the powder after 15 miles, as Van Herrewege said she had been planning, but he testified that Squires, a hairdresser, was carrying the bottle containing the powder as she set off on the race.
The inquest also heard that although Stephanie Curnoe, Squires's acupuncturist, has said she identified an irregular heartbeat in the runner in 2011, the hairdresser had not mentioned that either to her family, boyfriend or doctor.
"Claire knew what she was doing," said Van Herrewege. "She was a very healthy girl. If anything was wrong with her, she would go and see a doctor. She was always very open with me and her family if anything was wrong with her but didn't say anything about the acupuncturist's saying she had a irregular heartbeat."
In a statement read out to the inquest, Squires' GP, Dr H Delargy, said she "didn't consult with me as regarding an irregular heartbeat".
In a statement read out to the inquest, Squires' father, Paul, said his daughter had experienced two convulsions when she was three and five.
Claire Squires, the 30 year old who died while running the London marathon last year, had the now-banned stimulant, Jack3d, in her waterbottle.
"Claire was always in the gym and this stuff was being widely talked about there," said Simon Van Herrewege, her boyfriend of three years.
Speaking at Squires' inquest in Southwark on Wednesday, he added. "She took it a couple of times [while training for the marathon] but didn't really get on with it. She never particularly liked it but wanted to beat her previous marathon time [of just over four hours].
"She said she was going to take one scoop, as recommended. In her own words: 'If I hit a bit of a wall, I might take this drink and see if it pushes me through the end of the marathon,'" he added.
Van Herrewege said Squires had gone online to buy the energy drink, said to boost energy, concentration and metabolism. Jack3d was banned in August last year, four months after Squires' death, after concerns over a stimulant called DMAA (dimethylamylamine) in the powder.
DMAA has been linked to high blood pressure, headaches, vomiting, stroke and a death.
Last year, the UK's medicines watchdog MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) ruled DMAA was unlicensed and that all products containing the stimulant must be removed from the market to protect public safety.
Similar rulings have been made around the world, including in the US and Australia, where a man died after buying DMAA online.
It is not known if Squires drank the water containing the powder after 15 miles, as Van Herrewege said she had been planning, but he testified that Squires, a hairdresser, was carrying the bottle containing the powder as she set off on the race.
The inquest also heard that although Stephanie Curnoe, Squires's acupuncturist, has said she identified an irregular heartbeat in the runner in 2011, the hairdresser had not mentioned that either to her family, boyfriend or doctor.
"Claire knew what she was doing," said Van Herrewege. "She was a very healthy girl. If anything was wrong with her, she would go and see a doctor. She was always very open with me and her family if anything was wrong with her but didn't say anything about the acupuncturist's saying she had a irregular heartbeat."
In a statement read out to the inquest, Squires' GP, Dr H Delargy, said she "didn't consult with me as regarding an irregular heartbeat".
In a statement read out to the inquest, Squires' father, Paul, said his daughter had experienced two convulsions when she was three and five.
Top Bolshoi ballerina flees to Canada after death threats
A top ballerina at the Bolshoi Theatre has fled Russia for Canada claiming she received death threats and feared for the safety of her family
Polish becomes England's second language
Data from 2011 census reveals 546,000 people in England and Wales speak Polish
Polish is now the main language spoken in England and Wales after English and Welsh, according to 2011 census data released by the Office of National Statistics.
The language-speaking figures recorded for the first time from a survey of 56.1 million residents of England and Wales show 546,000 speak Polish. It is now the second main language in England. There are still slightly more Welsh speakers in Wales at 562,000.
The next biggest main languages are the south Asian languages of Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Gujarati, followed by Arabic, French, Chinese and Portuguese. The statisticians said they recorded over 100 different languages and 49 main languages with more than 15,000 users.
English was the biggest of that group and Swedish the smallest.
Chinese people alone listed 67 different languages or dialects, although a minority of those were different spellings of the same language. All but three of the London boroughs, excluding the City, Richmond and Havering, have residents speaking more than 100 main languages, the ONS said. Hillingdon is the most linguistically diverse, with 107 languages listed, followed by Newham, with 103.
Some of the languages are in a tiny minority. For example, there was only one person in Barnet who said they spoke Caribbean creole and one person in Bexley.
58 people speak Scottish Gaelic, 33 speak Manx Gaelic and 629 speak Romany.
Ealing is the nation's hotspot for Polish speaking, Slough for Punjabi/Urdu, Leicester for Gujarati, Kensington for French and Manchester for Cantonese and Mandarin.
One million households have no residents with English as a main language, although most had some proficiency in English, the ONS said.
Only 138,000 people could not speak English at all.
"The West Midlands is the region with the lowest percentage of people that can speak English very well or well at 72%" said Roma Chappell, census director. It was the region that also had the highest number of people who can't speak English at all.
The latest figures from the 2011 census also revealed how people in England and Wales get to work. The university cities of Cambridge and Oxford were the cycling capitals with 18% and 10% of their populations commuting on two wheels but London had the most cyclists, with the number more than doubling from 77,000 in 2001 to 161,000 in 2011. Half of London residents travel using public transport but 2% now use bikes and 9% of the people of Hackney in east London cycle to work.
Polish is now the main language spoken in England and Wales after English and Welsh, according to 2011 census data released by the Office of National Statistics.
The language-speaking figures recorded for the first time from a survey of 56.1 million residents of England and Wales show 546,000 speak Polish. It is now the second main language in England. There are still slightly more Welsh speakers in Wales at 562,000.
The next biggest main languages are the south Asian languages of Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali and Gujarati, followed by Arabic, French, Chinese and Portuguese. The statisticians said they recorded over 100 different languages and 49 main languages with more than 15,000 users.
English was the biggest of that group and Swedish the smallest.
Chinese people alone listed 67 different languages or dialects, although a minority of those were different spellings of the same language. All but three of the London boroughs, excluding the City, Richmond and Havering, have residents speaking more than 100 main languages, the ONS said. Hillingdon is the most linguistically diverse, with 107 languages listed, followed by Newham, with 103.
Some of the languages are in a tiny minority. For example, there was only one person in Barnet who said they spoke Caribbean creole and one person in Bexley.
58 people speak Scottish Gaelic, 33 speak Manx Gaelic and 629 speak Romany.
Ealing is the nation's hotspot for Polish speaking, Slough for Punjabi/Urdu, Leicester for Gujarati, Kensington for French and Manchester for Cantonese and Mandarin.
One million households have no residents with English as a main language, although most had some proficiency in English, the ONS said.
Only 138,000 people could not speak English at all.
"The West Midlands is the region with the lowest percentage of people that can speak English very well or well at 72%" said Roma Chappell, census director. It was the region that also had the highest number of people who can't speak English at all.
The latest figures from the 2011 census also revealed how people in England and Wales get to work. The university cities of Cambridge and Oxford were the cycling capitals with 18% and 10% of their populations commuting on two wheels but London had the most cyclists, with the number more than doubling from 77,000 in 2001 to 161,000 in 2011. Half of London residents travel using public transport but 2% now use bikes and 9% of the people of Hackney in east London cycle to work.
The Value of Body Weight Measurement to Assess Dehydration in Children
by Isabelle Pruvost, François Dubos, Emmanuel Chazard, Valérie Hue, Alain Duhamel, Alain Martinot
Dehydration secondary to gastroenteritis is one of the most common reasons for office visits and hospital admissions. The indicator most commonly used to estimate dehydration status is acute weight loss. Post-illness weight gain is considered as the gold-standard to determine the true level of dehydration and is widely used to estimate weight loss in research. To determine the value of post-illness weight gain as a gold standard for acute dehydration, we conducted a prospective cohort study in which 293 children, aged 1 month to 2 years, with acute diarrhea were followed for 7 days during a 3-year period. The main outcome measures were an accurate pre-illness weight (if available within 8 days before the diarrhea), post-illness weight, and theoretical weight (predicted from the child’s individual growth chart). Post-illness weight was measured for 231 (79%) and both theoretical and post-illness weights were obtained for 111 (39%). Only 62 (21%) had an accurate pre-illness weight. The correlation between post-illness and theoretical weight was excellent (0.978), but bootstrapped linear regression analysis showed that post-illness weight underestimated theoretical weight by 0.48 kg (95% CI: 0.06–0.79, p<0.02). The mean difference in the fluid deficit calculated was 4.0% of body weight (95% CI: 3.2–4.7, p<0.0001). Theoretical weight overestimated accurate pre-illness weight by 0.21 kg (95% CI: 0.08–0.34, p = 0.002). Post-illness weight underestimated pre-illness weight by 0.19 kg (95% CI: 0.03–0.36, p = 0.02). The prevalence of 5% dehydration according to post-illness weight (21%) was significantly lower than the prevalence estimated by either theoretical weight (60%) or clinical assessment (66%, p<0.0001).These data suggest that post-illness weight is of little value as a gold standard to determine the true level of dehydration. The performance of dehydration signs or scales determined by using post-illness weight as a gold standard has to be reconsidered.
Dehydration secondary to gastroenteritis is one of the most common reasons for office visits and hospital admissions. The indicator most commonly used to estimate dehydration status is acute weight loss. Post-illness weight gain is considered as the gold-standard to determine the true level of dehydration and is widely used to estimate weight loss in research. To determine the value of post-illness weight gain as a gold standard for acute dehydration, we conducted a prospective cohort study in which 293 children, aged 1 month to 2 years, with acute diarrhea were followed for 7 days during a 3-year period. The main outcome measures were an accurate pre-illness weight (if available within 8 days before the diarrhea), post-illness weight, and theoretical weight (predicted from the child’s individual growth chart). Post-illness weight was measured for 231 (79%) and both theoretical and post-illness weights were obtained for 111 (39%). Only 62 (21%) had an accurate pre-illness weight. The correlation between post-illness and theoretical weight was excellent (0.978), but bootstrapped linear regression analysis showed that post-illness weight underestimated theoretical weight by 0.48 kg (95% CI: 0.06–0.79, p<0.02). The mean difference in the fluid deficit calculated was 4.0% of body weight (95% CI: 3.2–4.7, p<0.0001). Theoretical weight overestimated accurate pre-illness weight by 0.21 kg (95% CI: 0.08–0.34, p = 0.002). Post-illness weight underestimated pre-illness weight by 0.19 kg (95% CI: 0.03–0.36, p = 0.02). The prevalence of 5% dehydration according to post-illness weight (21%) was significantly lower than the prevalence estimated by either theoretical weight (60%) or clinical assessment (66%, p<0.0001).These data suggest that post-illness weight is of little value as a gold standard to determine the true level of dehydration. The performance of dehydration signs or scales determined by using post-illness weight as a gold standard has to be reconsidered.
Wide area of U.S. faces unusual tornado threat in January
CHICAGO (Reuters) - A wide area of the central and southeast United States faces the unusual threat of tornadoes in January over the next 12 to 18 hours as an approaching cold front clashes with unusually warm air, a meteorologist said on Tuesday.
Breakthrough Treaty on Limiting Mercury Emissions
A legally binding global treaty to curb mercury in the environment, agreed after a week of gruelling negotiations in Geneva, will also include a funding facility to assist developing countries in phasing out the toxic heavy metal in industrial processes and in artisanal gold mining in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, named after the Japanese port where people suffered serious health effects from mercury pollution in the 1950s, was agreed by more than 140 countries after week-long talks in Geneva leading up to all-night negotiations on Saturday (19 January)
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, named after the Japanese port where people suffered serious health effects from mercury pollution in the 1950s, was agreed by more than 140 countries after week-long talks in Geneva leading up to all-night negotiations on Saturday (19 January)
Rock clearing on drought-hit Mississippi River nears completion
(Reuters) - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin removing riverbed rock obstructions from the Mississippi River near Grand Tower, Illinois, on Tuesday night in the final phase of a project aimed at keeping the drought-hit shipping artery open to barge traffic.
Livestock falling ill in fracking regions, raising concerns about food
While scientists have yet to isolate cause and effect, many suspect chemicals used in drilling and hydrofracking (or "fracking") operations are poisoning animals through the air, water, or soil. Last year, Michelle Bamberger, an Ithaca, New York, veterinarian, and Robert Oswald, a professor of molecular medicine at Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine, published the first and only peer-reviewed report to suggest a link between fracking and illness in food animals.
Deep ice shows Greenland was warmer; offers clued to future warming impacts
Boulder CO (SPX) Jan 29, 2013
A new study by an international team of scientists analyzing ice cores from the Greenland ice sheet going back in time more than 100,000 years indicates the last interglacial period may be a good analog for where the planet is headed in terms of increasing greenhouse gases and rising temperatures.
The new results from the NEEM deep ice core drilling project led by the University of Copenhagen ....
A new study by an international team of scientists analyzing ice cores from the Greenland ice sheet going back in time more than 100,000 years indicates the last interglacial period may be a good analog for where the planet is headed in terms of increasing greenhouse gases and rising temperatures.
The new results from the NEEM deep ice core drilling project led by the University of Copenhagen ....
Scientists underestimated potential for Tohoku quake. Now what?
Corvallis, OR (SPX) Jan 29, 2013
The massive Tohoku, Japan, earthquake in 2011 and Sumatra-Andaman superquake in 2004 stunned scientists because neither region was thought to be capable of producing a megathrust earthquake with a magnitude exceeding ? 8.4.
Now earthquake scientists are going back to the proverbial drawing board and admitting that existing predictive models looking at maximum earthquake size are no longer....
The massive Tohoku, Japan, earthquake in 2011 and Sumatra-Andaman superquake in 2004 stunned scientists because neither region was thought to be capable of producing a megathrust earthquake with a magnitude exceeding ? 8.4.
Now earthquake scientists are going back to the proverbial drawing board and admitting that existing predictive models looking at maximum earthquake size are no longer....
Floods hit two Australian states, thousands evacuated
CANBERRA (Reuters) - Massive summer floods have killed four people and forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes across two Australian states on Tuesday, disrupting air and rail travel and coal production.
Why Chicken Pox Can Be So Dangerous
As most people know by now, Barbara Walters was recently hospitalized after developing chicken pox. Since she reportedly never contracted chicken pox as a child, she was at higher risk for developing severe symptoms and complications including pneumonia.
Mickey Mouse Isn't Planning To Invade Kids' Privacy, Says Disney's Offended CEO
It's not just a small world; it's an easily tracked one. Later this year, Disney is planning to introduce RFID-enabled "MagicBands" at its amusement parks, onto which visitors can upload their personal information, including credit card details, in order to navigate the parks as easily as Peter Pan does the Land of Lost Boys. After a New York Times article that spelled out how the bands will allow Disney to make the theme park experience easier and more personalized for its millions of visitors while also allowing Disney to "track guest behavior in minute detail," Congressman Ed Markey wondered whether Mickey Mouse was getting a little too creepy.
Twitter cleans up Vine's hashtags, censors #porn, #sex, and other naughty terms
According to the folks at Twitter, an innocent "human error" was to blame when a pornographic video was featured as an "Editor's Pick" on Vine, but this incident — combined with a lack of privacy and abuse prevention controls — makes it seem as if there's a bit of a porn problem on the new video-sharing service.
Netflix - The Turnaround Story of 2012!
Last week's earning's announcements gave us some big news. Looking around the tech industry, a number of companies reported about as expected, and their stocks didn't move a lot. Apple had robust sales and earnings, but missed analyst targets and fell out of bed!
Apple announces 128GB iPad
Apple on Tuesday announced a new iPad that's a lot like the existing fourth-generation iPad, only with more storage than ever before. The iPad with Retina display will now be offered in a 128GB variety. The Wi-Fi model will retail for $799; the Wi-Fi + Cellular option will cost $929.
Consumers now trust Microsoft more than Apple with their privacy
Big-name tech companies including Hewlett-Packard, Amazon, IBM, eBay, Intuit, Microsoft, and Mozilla are among the 20 most-trusted organizations among American consumers, according to Ponemon Institute's
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