total evolution

New dinosaur gives bird wing clue

The Limusaurus fossil sits among small crocodile fossils

A new dinosaur unearthed in western China has shed light on the evolution from dinosaur hands to the wing bones in today's birds.

The fossil, from about 160 million years ago, has been named Limusaurus inextricabilis.

The find contributes to a debate over how an ancestral hand with five digits evolved to one with three in birds.

The work, published in Nature, suggests that the middle three digits, rather than the "thumb" and first two, remain.

Theropods - the group of dinosaurs ancestral to modern birds and which include the fearsome Tyrannosaurus rex - are known for having hands and feet with just three digits.

It's a really weird animal - it's got no teeth, had a beak and a very long neck, and very wimpy forelimbs James Clark, GWU

It has been a matter of debate how the three-fingered hand developed from its five-fingered ancestor. Each digit among the five was composed of a specific number of bones, or phalanges.

Palaeontologists have long argued that it is the first (corresponding to the thumb), second, and third fingers from that ancestral hand that survived through to modern birds, on grounds that the three fingers in later animals exhibit the correct number of phalanges.

However, developmental biologists have shown that bird embryos show growth of all five digits, but it is the first and fifth that later stop growing and are reabsorbed.

The remaining three bones fuse and form a vestigial "hand" hidden in the middle of a bird's wing.

'Weird animal'

James Clark of George Washington University in Washington DC and Xing Xu from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology in Beijing hit an palaeontologist's gold mine in the Junggar Basin of northwestern China.

Previous digs have unearthed the oldest known fossil belonging to the tyrannosaur group and the oldest horned dinosaur among several others.

The dinosaurs had beaks and may have had feathers

This time, the ancient mire has yielded a primitive ceratosaur, a theropod that often had horns or crests, many of whom had knobbly fingers without claws.

"It's a really weird animal - it's got no teeth, had a beak and a very long neck, and very wimpy forelimbs," Professor Clark told BBC News.

"Then when we looked closely at the hand, we noticed it was relevant to a very big question in palaeontology."

The fossil has a first finger which is barely present, made up of just one small bone near the wrist. The fifth finger is gone altogether.

It is a fossil that appears to offer a snapshot of evolution, proving that the more modern three-fingered hand is made up of the middle digits of the ancestral hand, with the outer two being shed.

The third finger is made up of the four phalange bones that the second should have, and it is presumed that the second would lose one bone to become like the first finger that was missing in the fossil.

This process of shifting patterns of gene expression from one limb or digit to another is known as an "identity shift", and was again caught in the act - making the conflicting theories of bird hand origin suddenly align.

"This is amazing - it's the first time we've seen this thing actually starting to disappear," Jack Conrad, a palaeontologist at the American Museum of Natural History, told BBC News.

"There's been this fundamental rift - there was no way to make peace between the good data we were seeing from the developmental biologists and the palaeontological evidence that showed with every fossil we found we were seeing [fingers] one, two and three."

evolution

New dinosaurs found in Australia

The carnivorous theropod Banjo is likened to the velociraptor

Australian palaeontologists say they have discovered three new dinosaur species after examining fossils dug up in Queensland.

Writing in the journal PLOS One, they describe one of the creatures as a fearsome predator with three large slashing claws on each hand.

The other two were herbivores: one a tall giraffe-like creature, the other of stocky build like a hippopotamus.

The fossils date back nearly 100m years to the middle of the Cretaceous period.

They were found in rocks known as the Winton Formation.

Beyond velociraptor

Queensland Museum palaeontologist, Scott Hucknell, said the carnivore, Australovenator wintonensis, was even bigger and more terrifying than velociraptor made famous in the Jurassic Park movies.

"The cheetah of his time, Banjo was light and agile. He could run down most prey with ease over open ground," he told reporters.

FROM BBC WORLD SERVICE More from BBC World Service

The dinosaurs have been named after characters in Australia's famous song, Waltzing Matilda.

The carnivore has been named named after Banjo Patterson, who composed Waltzing Matilda in Winton in 1885, the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper explained.

Clancy, Witonotitan wattsi, was a tall slender animal, while Matilda, Diamantinasaurus matildae, was more stocky and hippo-like.

These two plant-eating, four-legged sauropod species are new types of titanosaurs - the largest animals ever to walk the earth.

Banjo and Matilda - possibly predator and his prey - were found buried together in a 98m year old billabong, or stagnant pond.

Breakthrough

The find was published in the public access journal Public Library of Science One, and was announced by Queensland Premier Anna Bligh at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History in Winton.

She said the discoveries were a major breakthrough in the scientific understanding of prehistoric life in Australia.

Museum Victoria palaeontologist, John Long, said the finds were "amazing".

The newspaper quoted him saying that the finds put Australia back on the international map of big dinosaur discoveries for the first time since 1981, when the discovery of Muttaburrasaurus, a large four-legged herbivore that could rear up on two legs, was announced.

The new species will be part of the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History under construction in Winton. This aims to house the world's largest collection of Australian dinosaur fossils when it is completed in 2015

feminist labour

Harman pay gap data 'misleading'

Ms Harman has launched a new Equalities Bill

Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman has been criticised by an official watchdog for exaggerating the pay gap between men and women.

UK Statistics Authority chief Sir Michael Scholar said Ms Harman's use of figures was potentially misleading.

She had said women were on average paid 23% less per hour than men but the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the figure was actually 12.8%.

The government said Ms Harman's figures related to full and part-time workers.

The Government Equalities Office, which issued a press release in April with the 23% figure in it, said this provided the "fullest picture" of the gender pay gap.

'Impartial and objective'

But in a letter to Ms Harman, who is also the women's minister, Sir Michael said the use of different figures was "likely to confuse the general public".

He said: "The Statistics Authority is concerned that this may undermine public trust in official statistics."

"It is the Statistics Authority's view that the use of the 23% on its own, without qualification, risks giving a misleading quantification of the gender pay gap."

We understand the concerns raised about different measures of the gender pay gap Government Equalities Office

A source said Ms Harman's department was warned about using the figure beforehand but went ahead anyway.

Both figures were taken from the same annual survey of hours and pay, and are based on average hourly earnings excluding overtime.

The ONS measure is based on full-time earnings alone while the GEO figure includes full-time and part-time workers.

Both men and women who work part-time are paid less, but the vast majority of part-time workers are women. That means including all part-time workers in the figure could exaggerate the pay divide.

Sir Michael said neither measure was "entirely satisfactory" on its own and suggested different ways to discuss the gender pay gap that were "impartial and objective".

Knife crime row

But a spokesman for the Government Equalities Office rejected the criticism.

He said: "We understand the concerns raised about different measures of the gender pay gap - that's why we discussed this with the Office for National Statistics some time ago.

"The 23% gender pay gap figure used by the Government Equalities Office includes both full- and part-time employees.

"With women representing over three-quarters of the UK's part-time workforce, we believe this figure gives the fullest picture of the country's gender pay gap."

Equalities Bill

Last year the Home Office was rebuked by Sir Michael for a press release on knife crime statistics that he said was "premature, irregular and selective".

The row came as Ms Harman launched her Equalities Bill, which aims to establish an "equality duty" on public bodies.

Organisations such as schools and hospitals with more than 150 employees would have to report annually on their gender pay gap and they would have to promote equality in age, religion or belief, race, disability, pregnancy and sexuality under the proposed legislation.

Launching the Bill in the Commons on Thursday, Ms Harman said it would also outlaw the British National Party's "apartheid" membership rules, which dictates that members must be from the "indigenous British ethnic groups deriving from the class of 'Indigenous Caucasian"'.

Ms Harman said she was "shocked and horrified" by the election of BNP leader Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons to the European Parliament last week.

She said there was "no place" in Britain for having a political party that only accepted white people as members and the Equality Bill would prevent this.

labour wrong again

Go easy on equality says minister

Mr Denham called on Labour to confront a "difficult truth"

The political left must stop "holding up egalitarianism as the ideal", Communities Secretary John Denham has told the Fabian Society think tank.

Basing fairness purely on "society's response to those in greatest need" risked being unpopular, he said.

He called for a "different, more nuanced view of fairness and equality".

His comments come as an Equality Bill is going through Parliament which would make public bodies consider social class gaps when forming policies.

Mr Denham said that the numbers within society who signed up to the traditional egalitarian view were "simply too small to construct a strong, viable and inclusive electoral coalition".

He told the Fabian Society: "We must confront the difficult truth: that this form of egalitarianism, the one that defines fairness solely in terms of society's response to those in greatest need, is badly out of step with popular sentiment.

"A rejection of inequality - both absolute, relative and of opportunity - is absolutely core to who we are. But we will be more successful - not just electorally but in challenging unacceptable inequality - if we adopt and own a different, more nuanced view of fairness and equality."

Mr Denham said Labour had to relate to the aspirations of people on middle incomes, adding that this group felt excluded by policies and language aimed at 'the poor'.

He said this group were in fact more concerned about those in higher social classes.

nhs again labour lies union dictat

Patients' fears 'being ignored'

Josephine Ocloo fears patients and their families are not being listened to

A World Heath Organisation representative has said she fears issues remaining at Stafford Hospital are not being taken seriously.

Patient safety champion Josephine Ocloo made her remarks at a public meeting between patients and relatives and the authors of a report into the hospital.

The hospital trust has been accused of "appalling" emergency care standards.

Patients and relatives have been calling for a public inquiry into the matter.

They are due to go the House of Commons on Wednesday to speak to Health Secretary Andy Burnham over the matter.

'Work to do'

The Department of Health has acknowledged there is still some work to do at the hospital.

In a statement it said: "The Healthcare Commission's report into Mid-Staffordshire revealed a catalogue of failures at every level.

"The then Secretary of State apologised unreservedly on behalf of the NHS and the Government.

"Both the Healthcare Commission's report and Professor Sir George Alberti's report acknowledge that improvements have been made, including increases in the number of nurses, but there is more to do.

"In response, the trust has published a detailed action plan and their progress on this is being closely overseen by Monitor - the Foundation Trust regulator - the Care Quality Commission and the local Primary Care Trust."

At the meeting, Professor Sir George Alberti said there were better training programmes already in place for the nurses, but said the hospital still did have a way to go.

The government has previously said a public inquiry was not appropriate as the Healthcare Commission had already carried out a full investigation.

The hospital trust was accused of "appalling" standards after 400 more deaths than expected were recorded between 2005 and 2008

diamond mine

Zimbabwe army 'runs diamond mine'

Until the military moved in illegal diggers were seeking their fortune

Lobby group Human Rights Watch has accused Zimbabwe's army of using forced labour, including children, to mine diamonds in the east of the country.

Local villagers who do not co-operate with the military are beaten and tortured, the US-based group says.
Their report also details an alleged massacre of diamond diggers last year, after the disputed elections.
It urges the unity government to take control of the mines and use the revenue to help rebuild the country.
"Zimbabwe's new government should get the army out of the fields, put a stop to the abuse," Human Rights Watch's Africa director Georgette Gagnon said.
"The police and army have turned this peaceful area into a nightmare of lawlessness and horrific violence," she said.
'Buying off the military'
The report is based on interviews done in February in Marange district.
Its researchers say that as far as they are aware, the situation has not changed since the former opposition joined the government four months ago.

Millions of dollars in potential government revenue are being siphoned off through illegal diamond mining, Human Rights Watch statement Eerie silence at Zimbabwe mine Blood diamond scheme 'is failing'

Human Rights Watch claims control of the mines is part of a systematic attempt by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party to buy support from the military.
The diamond fields in Marange were seized just one month after the power-sharing deal was first agreed in September 2008.
On the face of it, the military takeover was an attempt to seize control from unlicensed miners, the lobby group says.
But in reality it was a systematic attempt to enable key army units, whose support President Mugabe needed following June's elections, to have access to riches, Human Rights Watch says.
"Documents that we reviewed that we got from the military and the police clearly indicate that this was a clearly designed system to benefit the army," researcher Dewa Mavhinga said.
Witnesses say it involved a brutal military operation that saw some 200 people killed in three weeks.
It says army brigades are still in control forcing hundreds of children and adults endure forced labour for mining syndicates.
While the new Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai is touring the West lobbying for aid, "millions of dollars in potential government revenue are being siphoned off through illegal diamond mining, smuggling of gemstones… and corruption", the rights organisation says.
If the diamond industry was legally regulated, Human Rights Watch estimates it could amount to $200m a month for the country.
It is calling for diamond exports from Zimbabwe to be banned and for the country to be suspended from the Kimberly Process - the certification scheme for diamonds - until the demilitarisation of the mines is achieved.
On Wednesday, Global Witness reported that the Kimberly process was failing - partly because of the situation in Zimbabwe.

pancreas

Animal fats pancreas cancer link

Red meat is a source of animal fats

Eating a diet high in red meat and dairy products is linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, a US study has suggested.

Researchers followed 500,000 people who had completed a food diary for an average of six years.
The Journal of the National Cancer Institute paper found those who had the most animal fats in their diet had a higher risk of developing the cancer.
UK experts said cutting down on the fats was a way of reducing risk.
There has previously been confusion over whether there was a link between animal fats and pancreatic cancer, with different studies reaching opposite conclusions.
About 7,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year, with smoking being the biggest risk factor.
The prognosis is poor - the time between diagnosis and death is usually about six months.
'Welcome addition'
This latest research was carried out by the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which felt earlier studies had been too small to give reliable results.
The participants were being followed to see if they developed a range of diseases.

This large study adds to the evidence that pancreatic cancer is more common in people who eat too much fat, particularly saturated fat Josephine Querido, Cancer Research UK

Of the half a million studied, 1,337 developed pancreatic cancer.
Men who consumed the highest amount of total fats had a 53% higher relative rate of pancreatic cancer compared with men who ate the least.
In women, there was a 23% higher rate of the disease in those eating the most fat compared with those who ate the least.
Overall, people who consumed high amounts of saturated fats had 36% higher relative rates of pancreatic cancer compared with those who consumed low amounts.
Writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the researchers led by Dr Rachel Stolzenberg-Solomon, said: "We observed positive associations between pancreatic cancer and intakes of total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat overall, particularly from red meat and dairy food sources.
"We did not observe any consistent association with polyunsaturated or fat from plant food sources.
"Altogether, these results suggest a role for animal fat in pancreatic carcinogenesis."
In an editorial in the journal, Dr Brian Wolpin, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and Dr Meir Stampfer, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said the study was a "welcome addition to the understanding of a disease that is in great need of new insights".
Josephine Querido, senior science information officer for Cancer Research UK, said: "This large study adds to the evidence that pancreatic cancer is more common in people who eat too much fat, particularly saturated fat.
"Understanding ways of reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer is very important because it can be very difficult to treat.
"Apart from stopping smoking, the best way to reduce your risk of cancer is to eat plenty of fruit vegetables and fibre, and to cut down on fatty foods, red and processed meat and limit your intake of alcohol."

bse still

Untested bullock enters the food supply

The Agency has been notified that meat from a bullock aged over 48 months has entered the food supply without being tested for BSE.
As specified risk material (SRM) was removed and it is unlikely that the bullock was infected with BSE, any risk to human health is extremely low. SRM is the parts of the carcass at risk of carrying BSE infectivity.
However, BSE testing is mandatory for cattle slaughtered for human consumption at over 48 months of age.
The bullock was 56 days past the 48 month age limit and slaughtered on 13 May at P J Hayman & Sons abattoir in Ottery St Mary, Devon.
The error was discovered on 2 June in the course of routine official checks of documentary records. By then, the carcass had left the premises and subsequent checks indicate that the affected meat is no longer in the food supply chain.

MRSA test call for farm animals

MRSA test call for farm animals

Thirty nine per cent of pigs were found to have the bug

All farm animals should be tested for a form of the superbug MRSA, an organic group has urged the government.
The Soil Association says the bug is widespread in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, from where some of the meat eaten in the UK is imported.
In the Netherlands, 39% of pigs tested positive for the bug which can be passed to humans.
And 13% of calves also tested positive for the bug, which is different to the strain found in hospitals.
Poultry meat
The studies found that 50% of farmers were also positive, some of whom have been resistant to antibiotics.
The Soil Association blamed the use of antibiotics in farming for the problem.
No MRSA has been found in British farm animals but poultry meat and pork is imported from infected countries.
The Food Standards Agency says people will not catch the bug from meat if it is prepared hygienically and cooked properly.

mrsa the trail

MRSA risk from dog and cat bites

Pets can carry MRSA

Doctors treating dog and cat bites should be aware of the risks of MRSA infection, US researchers have warned.

In Lancet Infectious Diseases they reviewed existing evidence on infection risks from domestic animal bites.

They said that, as community-acquired MRSA becomes more prevalent, there is an increased chance of it being passed between humans and animals.

UK expert Professor Mark Enright said it was likely to be owners, and not their pets, who carried MRSA.

MRSA might be on a person's skin and, as they get bitten, it goes inside Professor Mark Enright, Imperial College London

Each year, dog and cat bites comprise around 1% of accident and emergency visits in the US and Europe.

Around 60% of bites are from dogs, and 10-20% from cats.

Boys aged five to nine are most at risk of dog bites. Because of their height, children are usually bitten on the face, neck or head.

Cat bites are more common in women and the elderly. They usually cause deeper puncture wounds than dogs, and carry a higher risk of infection and soft-tissue abscesses.

Severe infections occur in about 20% of bite cases, and are caused by bacteria in the animal's mouth, plus other infectious agents from the person's skin. Sepsis can be a complication.

'Easily spread'

MRSA - Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - is not a common strain of the bacteria in domestic animals, but it is being seen more and more.

Writing in the journal, the team led by Dr Richard Oehler, of the University of South Florida, said "As community-acquired strains of MRSA increase in prevalence, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonisation in domestic animals, often implying direct infection from their human owners.

This man received major injuries from a dog bite

"MRSA colonisation has been documented in companion animals such as horses, dogs, and cats and these animals have been viewed as potential reservoirs of infection.

"MRSA-related skin infections of pets seem to occur in various manifestations and can be easily spread to owners."

Any MRSA infection acquired from pets is treated with medication, in the same way as other MRSA infections.

Dr Oehler and his team added: "Pet owners are often unaware of the potential for transmission of life-threatening pathogens from their canine and feline companions.

"Clinicians must continue to promote loving pet ownership, take an adequate pet history, and be aware that associated diseases are preventable via recognition, education and simple precautions."

Professor Enright, who is based at Imperial College London, said: "MRSA might be on a person's skin and, as they get bitten, it goes inside.

"This is probably a marginal problem. It may be of more significance in the US where community-acquired MRSA is more of an issue."

gay africa

Tradition of same gender marriage in Igboland
By Leo Igwe
Friday, June 19, 2009
One of the contentious issues in the debate over homosexuality and same sex marriage is whether a marriage between persons of the same gender is totally alien to African culture and tradition. Those opposing same sex marriage have continued to argue that same gender union is foreign to Africa. On the contrary, I have tried to draw their attention to the fact that there is a strain of the same gender marriage in African tradition particularly in Igboland.
And that we should not rush to deny this, or pretend it does not exist or just sweep it under the carpet in the quest to establish that same gender marriage is alien to the African continent, and must be banned.
I hail from Mbaise in Imo State in Southern Nigeria. Traditionally, in my community, marriage is taken to be a union between a man and a woman as the case may be. But there are circumstances where a marriage between a woman and a woman is permissible.
In a situation where a woman has no son or no child, if the husband dies, it is culturally allowed for her to marry a wife. And in this case, she becomes the husband. Like in every case of marriage, this woman goes out, inquires and gets a wife of her choice. She pays her dowry and fulfills other traditional rites as it is done when a man is marrying a woman.
After that, the woman brings her “wife” home and they start living together as “husband” and “wife”. Nobody frowns at it. To have children -both the “woman- husband” and “woman- wife”- will agree to allow a man from the same village or neighbouring town to sleep with the wife.
And the children born by the wife bears the family name of the woman- husband, not that of the man responsible for the pregnancy. I want to add here that the man who sleeps with such wife in most cases are married men. And normally it is regarded as immoral, in fact it is a taboo for a married man to sleep with or “father” children from another woman. But in this case an act normally taken to be immoral is allowed.
This is a situation where people are permitted to break taboos and deviate from traditions. This marriage practice pre- dates Christianity and the so- called western culture which most people today blame for all the moral and cultural wrongs in Africa. The same gender marriage is still practised till date. In other words, there are some families today in Igboland where women are both husbands and wives, fathers and mothers.
There are some homes where woman- husbands are living happily with their woman- wives. Though there are not many of such families or marriages. Such unconventional marriages and families are in the minority. The fact is that they exist. The fact is that they are part of the local tradition and culture. They are not imports from the West. And this has in no way undermined social cohesion, public order and morality or family values.
Some people have tried to argue that this is not really a case of gender marriage because a man comes in to impregnate the wife. But, traditionally, it is the case and it is known as such. It is a case where a woman marries a woman.
The man who impregnates the wife does not come into the picture at all. He has no family responsibility. His duty is only to supply sperm. The family is responsible for the woman- husband and wife.Some say that same gender unions destroy family values and undermine the upbringing of children.
It should be emphasised that children in this case are brought up in an environment where both “parents” are females. And they grow up to be normal children. Some say because child bearing is involved, then it is not same gender marriage. But my response is this: whether for procreation or for pleasure, it is same gender marriage. And it is the couples, not the state that decides whether to marry for procreation and or for pleasure or for any other purpose they deem fit.
Unfortunately, most Nigerians think that same gender marriage is antithetical to procreation. It is not. In fact same gender unions as in this case enrich family values. There have been instances where a partner in a same gender relationship wants children, and goes ahead to have them.
Because of the secrecy, privacy and hypocrisy that go with sexual expression, no one can really say, if these female partners have or do not have sex with each other. But like all couples they live together and run their families. But today, things are changing.
Individuals are becoming more open, more assertive and expressive with their sexual and marriage choices, desires, orientations and identities. The sexual and marriage dynamics are changing rapidly. And Africans must make the necessary social, cultural and legal adjustments in response to- and to accommodate- these changes.
Igwe is the executive secretary of the Nigerian Humanist Movement.

Militants in Nigeria

Militants 'blow up Nigeria pipe'

Militants say they are fighting for the rights of local people

Militants in Nigeria's oil-producing region say they have blown up a major pipeline belonging to Italian energy firm Agip.

Agip has not yet commented on the claims. A military spokesman denied that a pipeline had been hit but said there had been a "skirmish".
He also denied the militants' claims to have disarmed seven soldiers.
Violence in the Niger Delta region has severely cut production in Nigeria - one of the world's main oil exporters.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (Mend) has rejected the government's offer of an amnesty, although another militant leader, Ateke Tom, has agreed to lay down his weapons.
Mend has warned all foreign oil workers to leave the area.
It says its latest attack took place in Nembe creek in Bayelsa State on a pipeline supplying crude oil to Agip's Brass exports terminal.
"Our fighters encountered a military gunboat and all the soldiers numbering seven were dispossessed of their weapons. The gunboat was also stripped of its weapons before it was disabled by explosives," Mend said in an e-mail sent to news organisations.
If confirmed, this would be the second attack in Bayelsa State this week, after a pipeline belonging to Shell was blown up on Wednesday.
Correspondents say the militants seem to be expanding their field of operations, as most recent attacks have been in neighbouring Delta State.
The military is currently pursuing a major offensive against the militants which has caused thousands to flee their homes.
Mend say they are fighting for the rights of local people to benefit more from their region's oil wealth.
But correspondents say many criminal gangs have taken advantage of the unrest to steal oil and extort money from oil companies.

Khristós)

Christ is the English term for the Greek Χριστός (Khristós) meaning "the anointed",^[1] which as a translation of the Hebrew מָשִׁיחַ (Mašíaḥ,), carries much of its original Jewish meaning of "Messiah"—"one [who is] anointed" or appointed by God with a unique and special purpose (mission) on Earth.^[2]
In the 3rd- to 1st-centuries BC, the Tanakh (what Christians in later centuries would call the Old Testament) was translated into a Greek version called the Septuagint, in which Khristós was used as a translation of מָשִׁיחַ "Mašíaḥ." Jewish traditional customs associated an appointment to a special purpose with the customary "anointment" of a person with holy anointing oil.^{[citation needed]}
In the first century C.E., a growing sect of religious converts believed that Jesus is "the Christ" (Messiah), and these became known as "Christians." This usage remains current, such that while "Messiah" may specifically refer to the Jewish concept of "the Messiah" yet to come, or to the concept of such a being in general, the term "Christ" in English is almost exclusively connected with Christianity. 

Columbus

Christopher Columbus (c.1451 – May 20, 1506) was a Genoese navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean—funded by Queen Isabella of Spain—led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere. Although not the first to reach the Americas from Europe—he was preceded by the Norse, led by Leif Ericson, who built a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux Meadows^[1]— Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans. With his several attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, he personally initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European colonization of the "New World." (The term "pre-Columbian" is usually used to refer to the peoples and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus and his European successors.)

cancer

Green tea 'can block cancer'

Green tea may block cancer

Green tea's ability to fight cancer is even more potent and varied than scientists suspected, research suggests.

Scientists already know that green tea contains anti-oxidants which may have a protective effect against cancer.

But now they have discovered that chemicals in the tea also shut down a key molecule which can play a significant role in the development of cancer.

It's likely that the compounds in green tea act through many different pathways Professor Thomas Gasiewicz

The molecule, known as the aryl hydrocarbon (AH) receptor, has the ability to activate genes - but not always in a positive way.

Tobacco smoke and dioxins, in particular, disrupt the functioning of the molecule and cause it to trigger potentially harmful gene activity.

The researchers, from Rochester University, found that two chemicals in green tea inhibit AH activity.

Similar compounds

Both chemicals are similar to compounds called flavonoids, which are found in broccoli, cabbage, grapes and red wine, and which are also known to help prevent cancer.

Researcher Professor Thomas Gasiewicz said: "Green tea may work differently than we thought to exert its anti-cancer activity.

"It's likely that the compounds in green tea act through many different pathways."

The Rochester team showed that the chemicals shut down the AH receptor in cancerous mouse cells.

Early results indicate the same is true in human cells.

However, the scientists say that the results in the laboratory do not necessarily translate to everyday life as the crucial factor is how green tea is broken down inside the body.

In addition, there are a lot of differences between various types of green tea.

Dr Julie Sharp, a science information office at Cancer Research UK, said: "This research describes additional properties of green tea that may be beneficial but which have yet to be tested properly.

"The causes of cancer are complex and both diet and our genetic make-up act together to influence our risk of developing the disease.

"Cancer Research UK is currently involved in a large-scale study of diet and health that is researching the eating habits of over half a million people in 10 European countries to try and help unravel this complexity."

Research has also suggested that green tea may help to reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and to lower cholesterol levels.

The research is published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology.

green tea

Green tea 'may keep HIV at bay'

Drinking green tea could help in the fight against HIV, research suggests.

Scientists found a component called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV from binding to immune system cells by getting there first.

Once EGCG has bound to immune system cells there is no room for HIV to take hold in its usual fashion.

However, experts said the joint UK and US work, which appears in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, was at a very preliminary stage.

We suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected Professor Mike Williamson University of Sheffield

Researcher Professor Mike Williamson, of the University of Sheffield, said: "Our research shows that drinking green tea could reduce the risk of becoming infected by HIV, and could also slow down the spread of HIV.

"It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection, however, we suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.

"Future research is also currently under way in order to determine how much effect can be expected from different amounts of tea."

More work needed

Keith Alcorn, senior editor of the Aidsmap web service, said tests on animals would be needed before any conclusions could be safely drawn on the potential protective effect of drinking green tea.

"This study only looks at the ability of a chemical in green tea to block HIV binding to human CD4 immune cells in the test tube.

"Many substances shown to prevent HIV infection in the test tube turn out to have little or no effect in real life, so I think there's a long way to go before anyone should rely on green tea to protect against HIV infection."

Lisa Power, head of policy at the HIV charity, Terrence Higgins Trust said: "Condoms keep HIV at bay. Anything that boosts your immune system is beneficial for people with HIV, but green tea can't be a substitute for proper medication and prevention techniques."

Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's.

green tea

Green tea 'slows prostate cancer'

Green tea has already been linked to health benefits

A chemical found in green tea appears to slow the progression of prostate cancer, a study has suggested.

Green tea has been linked to a positive effect on a wide range of conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

The research, in the US journal Cancer Prevention Research, found a significant fall in certain markers which indicate cancer development.

A UK charity said the tea might help men manage low-risk tumours.

This could mean completely avoiding, in some cases, any of the more usual medical interventions and their associated side effects John Neate, The Prostate Cancer Charity

Although previous studies have shown benefits from drinking green tea - including some positive findings in relation to prostate cancer, there have been mixed results.

In this study, Philadelphia-based researchers tested a compound called Polyphenon E.

They were looking for a number of biomarkers - molecules - including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) which are indicators of developing cancer.

They also looked for prostate specific antigen (PSA) - a protein only found in the prostate. Levels can rise if cancer is present.

'12 cups'

The study included 26 men, aged 41 to 72 years, who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and who were scheduled for radical prostate surgery.

Patients took four capsules containing Polyphenon E for an average of 34 days, up until the day before surgery - the equivalent of around 12 cups of normally brewed concentrated green tea.

The study found a significant reduction in levels of HGF, VEGF and PSA, with some patients demonstrating reductions of more than 30%.

Dr James Cardelli, from the Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, who led the study, said the compound, which was provided by the company Polyphenon Pharma, "may have the potential to lower the incidence and slow the progression of prostate cancer."

There were only a few reported side effects associated with this study, and liver function remained normal.

Dr Cardelli said: "We think that the use of tea polyphenols alone or in combination with other compounds currently used for cancer therapy should be explored as an approach to prevent cancer progression and recurrence."

"There is reasonably good evidence that many cancers are preventable, and our studies using plant-derived substances support the idea that plant compounds found in a healthy diet can play a role in preventing cancer development and progression."

'Keep progression at bay'

John Neate, chief executive of the Prostate Cancer Charity, said: "There have been several studies into green tea and its potential benefits, but there is, as yet, no conclusive evidence.

"The results of this study do suggest that there is merit in further research into the effects of extracts of green tea, both in relation to its impact on the prevention of prostate cancer and in controlling progression in men already diagnosed with the disease, as was investigated in this instance."

"These initial positive findings could indicate that green tea could have a place in 'active surveillance', where a slow-growing, low risk tumour is monitored for changes and men want to take something which could help keep progression at bay.

"Potentially, this could mean completely avoiding, in some cases, any of the more usual medical interventions and their associated side effects."

bubonic plague

Rats spark Bangladesh plague fear

By Mark Dummett BBC News, Dhaka

Bubonic plague is no longer fatal if treated promptly with antibiotics

Scientists have warned of the possibility of an outbreak of bubonic plague in south-east Bangladesh because of the growing population of rats.

The rat population has soared in the past year as they feed off the region's bamboo forests, which are blossoming for the first time in decades.
Neighbouring regions in India and Burma have suffered from the same problem.
Bubonic plague, carried by rats, killed millions of Europeans during the Black Death of the 14th Century.
'Rat-flood'
Swarms of rats have been terrorising the Chittagong Hill Tracts since they crossed over the border from India in 2007.
They have destroyed the crops of about 130,000 tribal people living in this remote and impoverished region in the far south-east of Bangladesh.
A panel of scientists, sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme, now warns that what is known in Bangladesh as the rat-flood could also result in an outbreak of bubonic plague, unless the rapidly growing rat population is brought under control.
Their report states that there is already an increasing incidence of disease and fever.
They also say many have complained of being bitten by rats, though the scientists say they cannot determine whether the two facts are related.
Bubonic plague is no longer a fatal disease if treated promptly with antibiotics.
The scientists say that the Bangladeshi government should step up support for health centres so they will be ready if an outbreak occurs.
The cause of the trouble is the flowering of the region's huge bamboo forests.
Rodents multiply at an alarming rate because they can breed eight times a year after eating the bamboo blossom - four times more often than normal.
According to local folklore, the flowering of the bamboo, the subsequent surge in rat numbers and the famine that follows occur every 50 years.

co-proxamol

Painkiller ban 'has cut suicides'

Co-proxamol is linked to fatal overdoses

The controversial withdrawal of a common painkiller has dramatically cut suicides, say researchers.

A gradual phase-out of co-proxamol led to 350 fewer suicides and accidental deaths in England and Wales, a study in the British Medical Journal reports.
Regulators removed the drug's licence in 2007 after fears about the risk of overdose but the move proved unpopular with some patients and doctors.
Arthritis Care says some patients now struggle to control their pain.
The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency announced the withdrawal in 2005.

There is no robust evidence that co-proxamol offers any advantage over paracetamol or ibuprofen at normal doses MHRA spokesman

GPs were encouraged to move patients to other painkillers before the drug's licence was revoked in 2007.
After that time doctors could prescribe the drug on a "named patient basis" for those who could not manage their pain with alternatives but as it is unlicensed they did so at their own risk.
Study leader Professor Keith Hawton, director of the Centre for Suicide Research at Oxford University, said before the restrictions co-proxamol was responsible for a fifth of all drug-related suicides.
By the 2007 deadline, prescribing of the drug had fallen by 59%, his analysis showed.
Over the two-year period, deaths from co-proxamol fell by 62%.
Specifically there were 295 fewer suicides and 349 fewer deaths from the drug including accidental overdoses.
The research also showed that had been no increase in deaths from other painkillers, despite large increases in their use.
Initiative 'effective'
Professor Hawton said authorities in the US were now considering withdrawing co-proxamol, which is a mixture of paracetamol and an opioid drug.
"This marked reduction in suicides and accidental poisonings involving co-proxamol during this period, with no evidence of an increase in deaths involving other analgesics, suggests the initiative has been effective," he added.
In 2008, there were 380,831 prescription items for co-proxamol, showing some GPs are still prescribing the drug.
A spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said prior to its withdrawal co-proxamol was involved in 300-400 self-poisoning deaths each year, of which around a fifth were accidental.
"Co-proxamol is extremely dangerous in overdose - only a small overdose can be fatal, and death can occur very rapidly - before medical attention can be sought."
He added: "There is no robust evidence that co-proxamol offers any advantage over paracetamol or ibuprofen at normal doses."
But Federico Moscogiuri, head of policy and campaigns at Arthritis Care, said many people who used to be prescribed co-proxamol were now struggling to control their pain.
A survey done last year by the charity found most people could no longer get prescriptions of the drug from their GPs and many said they had not found an effective alternative.
"For them, co-proxamol makes the difference between being able to perform simple everyday activities and living in chronic, debilitating pain.
"This is an intolerable situation for a society committed to high quality care for all.
"If the named patient system is to work, GPs should feel supported in prescribing co-proxamol for patients who really need it."