&cat=7&pid=12149&cache=true">
&cat=19&pid=12149&cache=true " alt="Blueprint of the songbird genome" class="alignleft" />
Scientists have created a “blueprint” of the genome of a songbird. The advance, described in the journal Nature, could reveal some of the evolutionary secrets of vocal learning in animals, including humans. The researchers say it will aid the study the genetics of speech disorders, such as those related to autism, stuttering and Parkinson’s Disease. The international research team was led by Dr Wesley Warren from the Washington University in St Louis, US. “The zebra finch is a beautiful model for vocal learning,” Dr Warren said. He explained to BBC News that earlier research had shown that certain genes in the brains of zebra finches were activated when the male birds heard a familiar song. “We looked for the position of these genes in the bird’s genome, and then looked for the [equivalent] genes in the chicken genome,” he explained. The chicken is the only other bird to have had its genome fully sequenced. And by comparing the chicken genome to that of a songbird, the scientists were able to identify genes that were most important in vocalisation and song-learning. Under pressure Dr Warren said that he and his colleagues looked at which genes changed as vocal communication evolved. To reveal this, the team worked out what the genome of a common ancestor of both birds would look like . “Then we looked for genes that had changed faster in the zebra finch than we would have expected,” said Dr Warren. “This shows that there was a [natural] selection pressure on those genes.” This revealed the steps – the tiny molecular changes within each gene – that were most likely to have been associated with the evolution of vocal communication. Dr Richard Wilson, director of Washington University’s Genome Center and another senior researcher involved in the study said: “Now we can look deep into the genome, not just at the genes involved in vocal learning, but at the complex ways in which they are regulated.” “There are layers and layers of complexity that we’re just beginning to see. This information provides clues to how vocal learning occurs at the most basic molecular level in birds and in people.” Dr Warren said that the findings would take the research “into the human realm”. “We can start to look at the structure of those genes in humans with stuttering, autism, Parkinson’s Disease and a lot of other neurological disorders [where speech is affected] to see if they’re altered in any way.” Dr Carlos Botero, a specialist in animal communication from Duke University in the US said that this work brought us “a little bit closer to understanding the links between genes and behaviour.” Dr Botero, who was not involved in this study, added: “These results should be appealing not only to those interested in the evolution of song or communication but also to anyone who has ever wondered how the tiny little molecules in our genes can ultimately influence what we are and what we are able to do.” This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12247&cache=true " alt="Fresh start" class="alignleft" />
It is the start of an important day for 100 Colombian refugees and their families here in Ibarra, an Ecuadorean city half-way between the capital city, Quito, and the Colombian border. As they enter the Luis Leoro Franco sports hall, they know that by the end of the day they will find out if they can stay in the country with a refugee visa. It is extraordinarily quiet, despite the presence of many children, and the tension is high. As they wait to be interviewed, most do not want to share their stories. Eventually one woman smiles and agrees to go to a corner to talk. Paulina, 33, fled Colombia last July, soon after her husband was killed outside her home in the Valle del Cauca region, some 600km (460 miles) north of Ibarra. “He never told me what his job was. As long as they bring money home, one never asks where it comes from,” she says. Paulina says her husband often had weapons on him, and a few days before his death he started hiding at home and refusing to pick up calls. “He was killed around the corner from our house, I heard the bullets. I left him there, I couldn’t go out,” says Paulina. She picked up her eight-year-old daughter and all the clothes she could grab and went to her mother’s home in Cali. “From there my landlady told me that they were looking for me, I imagine they were looking for something that my husband had hidden at home,” she says. Paulina is happy to talk because she has already received her refugee visa. She is here to accompany a friend – a younger woman with a broken knee and visible bruises on her body. The friend does not want to talk about herself, but Paulina says that she deserves to be recognised as a refugee too. Displaced people Ecuador has the highest number of refugees in Latin America – a consequence of the ongoing conflict in Colombia between guerrillas, paramilitary squads and the state. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Colombia has one of the world’s largest internally displaced populations, estimated at more than three million. Another 500,000 to 750,000 have fled to other countries, according to the Refugee Council USA, a US-based coalition of NGOs. Ecuador is a preferred destination both for its geographical proximity to the troubled southern Colombian regions of Putumayo and Narino and for the relatively easy migration process. An estimated 135,000 people have crossed into Ecuador, the UNHCR says. A year ago, just 22,000 people were registered. That now stands at 50,000 thanks to a registration drive launched by the Ecuadorean government with the help of the UNHCR. Mobile units of civil servants have gone to remote areas of the country to speed up the process, shortening the waiting period for refugee claims from several months to just a few hours. Colombians who have fled the country for fear of persecution are granted access to public health and education from the moment they set foot in Ecuador. Brothels But registration remains crucial because they are not allowed to work until granted a refugee visa, and they can become easy prey for illegal employers. Paulina says that she was offered work in brothels – something that happens quite often to Colombian women upon their arrival. She was lucky enough to find a Colombian family in the town of Atuntaqui, just south of Ibarra, who took her in as a maid although she didn’t have the right papers. Many others are not as lucky, especially in the border areas with Colombia, where living conditions are challenging even for the Ecuadorean population. The Ecuadorean government says that refugees have become an economic burden in areas that are already economically disadvantaged. The refugee question is a stumbling block in the rapprochement between Colombia and Ecuador. The two countries have had strained relations since March 2008, when the Colombian army carried out an unauthorised cross-border raid on a rebel camp. Ecuadorean authorities say that Colombia should be spending more money to help people who have fled the country, while at the same time strengthening its presence in the southern regions, where the fighting between guerrillas and paramilitary squads leads many to abandon their homes. Colombia has given the UNHCR funding of $600,000 (
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12151&cache=true " alt="Confession over US mission attack" class="alignleft" />
A man held over a fatal attack on US consular staff in Mexico earlier this month has confessed to participating in the murders, Mexican officials say. They say Ricardo Valles, an alleged member of the notorious Los Aztecas gang, told them he was a lookout for the drug trafficking gang. He said the target of the attack in Ciudad Juarez was a US jail guard. The guard and his wife, an employee of the US consulate were gunned down. A Mexican national was also killed. Arthur Redelfs and his wife Lesley Enriquez, both US nationals, and Jorge Alberto Salcido, the Mexican husband of another consular employee, were shot dead in two separate incidents as they were leaving a birthday party in the border city on 13 March. Simultaneous attacks Mr Valles told investigators that a gang leader had ordered him to locate “the white sport utility vehicle” used by Mr Redelfs. He said that had followed the car carrying the couple until gang members told him back off, after which the Americans were gunned down. In a simultaneous killing, Mr Salcido, the Mexican husband of another US consular worker, was also shot. He was driving a similar white vehicle. The motive of the killings remain unclear. However, investigators believe that the shootings may be an act of revenge against Mr Redelfs, who worked in a prison across the border where many Log Aztecas gang members are held. More than 2,500 people died last year in Ciudad Juarez, one of the focal points of Mexico’s illegal drugs trade. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was in Mexico as part of a high-level US delegation last week, pledged increased support for Mexico in the fight against drug gangs. She said more would be done to cut US demand for drugs and the flow of profits and guns into Mexico. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12153&cache=true " alt="Top hospitals face tough censure" class="alignleft" />
A dozen NHS trusts in England – meant to be among the elite – have been told to improve or face tough sanctions. All 378 trusts need a licence from the Care Quality Commission to work in the NHS under a new regime from 1 April. The regulator attached conditions to 22 – 12 of which were foundation trusts – meaning they could face fines or suspension if they do not act. Patients’ groups said the number of foundation trusts in the group raised questions about the elite status. Foundation trusts are supposed to be the top-performing organisations in the health service. They have to show they are financially viable and provide good services and in return they are given more freedom to innovate and run their own affairs. Nearly 130 trusts have been given foundation trust status since the scheme was launched in 2004. But confidence in the process has already been dented by scandals at the Mid Staffordshire and Basildon and Thurrock trusts, both of which have foundation status. These two organisations have faced heavy criticism in the past year with Mid Staffordshire even undergoing an independent inquiry. Both are among the trusts told to improve under the new registration system. Katherine Murphy, director of the Patients Association, said: “Foundation trusts are meant to be the premier league of the NHS. But these results call into question the assessment process and actual status. “We believe there is too much emphasis placed on financial performance rather than quality of care. The foundation trust regime needs looking into.” The CQC also said it had concerns about performance at 40% of trusts – although they were not a serious enough risk to patient care to warrant conditions being attached to their licences. Standards The regulator made the announcement after assessing trusts responsible for running hospitals, ambulances and mental health units against 16 core standards. It relied on inspections, performance data and staff and patient surveys. Some of those with conditions have to act immediately, while others have several months to address the issues. Care and welfare of patients and staffing levels and knowledge were the most common reasons for an organisation having conditions attached. CQC chief executive Cynthia Bower said: “This makes clear that some trusts must do more to make sure people experience effective, safe and appropriate care.” A spokesman for Monitor, which is in charge of the foundation trust process, said the results were “disappointing”. He added: “We’ll be working with the CQC to see if there are any patterns or lessons to learn from the conditions they have applied.” This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12147&cache=true " alt="Fabregas fears his season is over" class="alignleft" />
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas fears his season may be over after picking up an injury late in Wednesday’s 2-2 Champions League draw with Barcelona. The midfielder fears he may even have suffered a broken leg during the quarter-final first leg. “I fear the worst, which is that I have broken something,” said Fabregas, who left the Emirates on crutches. The Gunners may also have lost William Gallas for the season due to a calf injury suffered in Wednesday’s game. Gallas limped off just before half-time in a match in which the north Londoners also lost Andrey Arshavin to a calf injury. We have to wait for tomorrow, but I hope I can wear the Arsenal shirt again this season Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger lamented the loss of both players, admitting that he had taken a risk on Gallas, who has missed the last six weeks through injury. “Gallas has a calf strain and will be out for a while now,” said Wenger. “I took a gamble that didn’t pay off. Yes I regret that now. Arshavin has also done his calf.” Most worrying of all for the Gunners boss will be the potential severity of the injury to his influential captain. Fabregas had been a doubt for the clash with Barcelona after suffering severe bruising to his knee and leg during the Premier League game at Birmingham. However, the Spaniard returned to lead the side, and played a pivotal role in their comeback after falling 2-0 down to a brace from Zlatan Ibrahimovic which looked to have all but ended the tie in the Spanish side’s favour. After Theo Walcott had reduced the deficit, Fabregas was bundled over by Barca defender Carlos Puyol and picked himself up to score the resultant penalty. The Arsenal captain was visibly pained following the spot-kick and admitted after the game: “When I took the penalty, I was quite strong, but after when I went to get the ball, I could not walk any more. “It is the fibula. I think I put my leg between Puyol’s when I was fouled, and kicked it. “We have to wait for tomorrow, but I hope I can wear the Arsenal shirt again this season. “I do not think it is going to be good news, but still I hope there will be.” Wenger is waiting on the results of an X-ray to discover the extent of the injury but Fabregas is unlikely to figure in Saturday’s home match with Wolves regardless of the results. And he is certain to miss the Champions League return leg in Spain after picking up a second booking of the competition in the first leg, thus incurring a suspension. In better news for Arsenal, striker Robin van Persie is expected to return to full training in two weeks after being sidelined since November with an ankle ligament injury. Wenger revealed he hopes to “give him some big games to aim for at the end of the season.” Van Persie, who suffered his injury playing for the Netherlands has scored seven goals in the Premier League and one in the Champions League. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12161&cache=true " alt="Prostate cancer prevention clue" class="alignleft" />
A drug already used in men with enlarged prostates seems to cut the risk of prostate cancer developing, a large international study has shown. A four-year trial in more than 6,500 men found those who took dutasteride had a 23% lower risk of prostate cancer than those who took a dummy pill. The men in the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, were all at high risk of the disease. UK experts welcomed the results but said longer-term research was needed. It is not the first time that this class of drugs has been found to have potential effects on the prevention of prostate cancer. In 2003, researchers showed a similar drug, finasteride, cut the risk of prostate cancer by a quarter in healthy men but also found that the tumours that were detected were more aggressive. Both drugs are prescribed in men who have an enlarged but benign prostate gland – an extremely common condition that happens with age and can cause symptoms such as frequent and painful urination. High-risk patients The latest trial, which was funded by GlaxoSmithKline which makes dutasteride, looked at men aged between 50 and 75 years who were high risk for prostate cancer because they had high PSA scores – a blood test which may indicate disease – but had been found not to have prostate cancer. They were treated with a daily dose of dutasteride or a dummy pill. Over the study, prostate cancer was found in 659 of the men taking the drug and 858 of the men taking a placebo. Among men with a family history of prostate cancer, the drug reduced the relative risk of a prostate cancer diagnosis by 31.4%. The researchers believe that most of the tumours detected during the trial – which tended to be moderately aggressive – would have been present from the beginning but were too small to be detected. They say this supports the idea that the drug shrinks early prostate tumours or prevents them from growing to a size at which they would be detected and need treatment. Study leader Dr Gerald Andriole, chief of urologic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, said the drug might potentially offer thousands of men a chance to reduce their risk of the disease. “This means more men could avoid unnecessary treatment for prostate cancer along with the costs and harmful side effects that can occur with treatment.” The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are already looking into whether dutasteride should be used for prostate cancer prevention and are due to report later this year. Martin Ledwick, Cancer Research UK’s head information nurse, said the results in the high risk population were interesting. But he added: “Further research to see if the effects are maintained in the longer term is an important next step.” Dr Helen Rippon, head of research management at The Prostate Cancer Charity, agreed: “Of course, we don’t yet know what will happen to these men in the coming years and whether they will still go on to develop the disease and it will be many years before we know if the drug can provide any long-term benefit to men.” This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12164&cache=true " alt="Cheap holidays ‘skin cancer link’" class="alignleft" />
The advent of cheap package holidays in the 1970s has led to a “generational shift” in the rates of deadly skin cancer, a charity has warned. People now in their 60s and 70s are more than five times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma than their parents were, figures show. Men of this age in particular are now seven times more likely to get the disease than they were in the 1970s. Cancer Research UK said rates were expected to rise even further. Sun seekers Launching their annual SunSmart campaign to encourage people to use sun protection, the charity said the stark figures show the impact of changes in tanning behaviour as more people started to travel to sunny holiday destinations and started to use sunbeds. This generation – who would have been in their 20s and 30s when cheap package holidays exploded in popularity – now have 36 cases of malignant melanoma per 100,000 compared with seven per 100,000 in the mid-1970s. It has been predicted that by 2024, skin cancer rates in people aged 60 to 79 will rise by another third. And it is not just the over 60s at risk – the numbers of men and women of all ages diagnosed with melanoma have quadrupled since the 1970s. Figures from travel firm organisation ABTA show that in 1970 2.7 million people from the UK went on package holidays abroad. In 2008 that figure was 18.5 million. Caroline Cerny, SunSmart manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “A change in the culture of tanning including the explosion of cheap package holidays and the introduction of sunbeds in the seventies means we’re now seeing alarming rates of melanoma for an entire age group. “Today the problem threatens to get worse as teenagers continue to crave a tan on the beach and top it up cheaply on sunbeds. “Already skin cancer is predicted to become the fourth most common cancer for men and for women in the UK by 2024.” She added that melanoma is largely preventable through avoiding getting burnt in the sun. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12156&cache=true " alt="Children ‘need more school trips’" class="alignleft" />
Children in England are spending too much time in the classroom, according to a report by MPs. The Children, Schools and Families Committee criticised a lack of funding for trips and said children in poorer areas were less likely to go on them. Committee Chairman Barry Sheerman said the steep decline in the amount of time pupils spent outdoors was “shocking”. Schools Minister Diana Johnson admitted there was “more to do” but said most children did go on educational visits. She said: “We are disappointed the committee has not fully recognised the huge progress made… The vast majority of England’s eight million children do take part in educational visits throughout the year.” “Central funding is not the be-all and end-all of learning outside the classroom and we disagree that teachers need a new, prescriptive legal entitlement to provide it.” Low-income families The committee said that all children should be entitled to experience drama productions, sports activities and after-schools clubs. But it regretted the fact that pupils from poorer backgrounds were less likely to take part in outside visits than other children. Members recommended the introduction of subsidies and extra funding from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) so that parents on low incomes could afford to send their children on learning excursions. Mr Sheerman said: “Research has shown that the likelihood of a child visiting any green space has halved in a generation. “It is vital for the government to make a commitment to a serious funding increase to ensure that all children have opportunities to visit the wealth of museums and galleries, and the natural environment of the English countryside, which are at our disposal.” Safety fears Teacher training was also seen as a barrier to getting more pupils out of the classroom. The report said a lack of training meant new teachers did not have the confidence to lead trips. The committee also said health and safety fears discouraged teachers from organising visits outside school. It urged the government to publish revised health and safety guidance “at the earliest opportunity”. Research by the Countryside Alliance quoted by the MPs showed that from 1998 until 2008 there had been 364 legal claims across 138 local authorities as a result of children being injured on school trips. Fewer than half of those cases resulted in a payment of damages. Mick Brookes, the general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, believes the benefits of school trips outweigh the safety fears. “I think that people are over-anxious about this and the thing about taking children out is you change [your] relationships with them,” he said. “You’re no longer teaching maths and science – you’re getting to know them.” The committee said there should be a requirement in the national curriculum for at least one school visit a term and said this should be monitored in Ofsted inspections. Primary schools The group suggested the DCSF start a record of the activities schools undertake, including information on whether the pupils were from affluent or low-income families. A lack of outside activities was also partly blamed on changes to teachers’ working conditions, which meant they should not be asked to provide cover for absent colleagues on a routine basis. The report suggested that if a teacher was unable to make a planned school trip, it was likely to be cancelled, rather than being covered by other staff. The MPs said trips were more common in primary schools, but the excursions were frequently at the end of the year, which limited their learning benefits. This article is from the BBC News website . © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12159&cache=true " alt="Reunited Libertines pledge to stay together for summer festivals" class="alignleft" />
The Libertines have played together for the first time since they split in 2004 and pledged not to break up before their summer festival dates. Frontmen Peter Doherty and Carl Barat were joined at a media conference at a pub in north London by bassist John Hassall and drummer Gary Powell. Doherty said: “Looking back on it, we did produce things we are so proud of and we want to get back to that.” The band is due to play the Reading and Leeds festivals at the end of August. The press conference took place in a packed bar with the four band members sitting on bar stools. Doherty made light of many of the questions, particularly about his past drug problems. Asked how hard it had been for them to get back together, Doherty looked at Barat and quipped: “He never answers his phone.” On the reported fee in excess of
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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&cat=19&pid=12145&cache=true " alt="US offers to extend jet deadline" class="alignleft" />
The Pentagon has said it is prepared to extend the bidding deadline for a new fleet of US air refuelling tankers, if Europe’s EADS makes a formal request. EADS and US partner Northrop Grumman abandoned their planned bid for the $40bn (
March 31, 2010 | Posted in
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