Friday, 18 June 2010
Stem cell therapy 'damage' seen in kidney disease case
There are hopes that stem cell therapy can be used to tackle many diseases A new complication has been seen in a patient with kidney disease who received stem cell therapy, scientists have warned.
Stem cells were injected into the kidney, but the patient suffered tissue damage and died from an infection.
The Canadian and Thai researchers said the findings published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology showed caution was needed.
Experts said there was a gap between research and treatment.
Many scientists hope stem cell therapy can be used to treat a wide range of diseases.
It has been shown that it is possible to reprogram adult stem cells, taken from bone marrow, to become a range of specific cell types - including kidney cells.
Continue reading the main story We believe that this is either formed directly by the stem cells that were injected or that the stem cells caused these masses to form
Dr Duangpen Thirabanjasak,
Chulalongkorn University
And animal studies have indicated that injecting stem cells directly into organs, including the kidney, is safe.
The patient in this case had been treated by a private clinic.
Researchers from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, and Paul Scott Thorner, from the University of Toronto, were involved in removing and analysing the kidney.
They found that the patient had not benefited at all from the treatment, but had actually developed tissue damage called angiomyeloproliferative lesions at the injection sites. These were found to be clusters of blood vessels and bone marrow cells.
Enthusiasm 'premature'
Dr Duangpen Thirabanjasak, from Chulalongkorn University, who led the research, said: "This type of lesion has never been described before in patients, and we believe that this is either formed directly by the stem cells that were injected or that the stem cells caused these masses to form."
And she warned that, because they had not been seen before, no-one knew how the lesions might have developed over time.
The authors conclude that their findings should serve as a warning to clinical investigators that the development of blood vessel and bone marrow masses may be a possible complication of stem cell therapy.
And they said more work was needed to identify why the masses formed, and how this could be avoided.
Writing in the journal, Andras Nagy, of Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital, and Susan Quaggin, of the University of Toronto, said caution was needed over stem cell therapies - especially if they were being offered by unregulated private clinics.
They added: "Premature enthusiasm and protocols that are not fully vetted are dangerous and result in negative publicity for the field of stem cell research, and more importantly, may result in disastrous outcomes with no benefit to the patient.
"Although there is promise, a large gap still exists between scientific knowledge and clinical translation for safe and effective stem cell-based therapies.
Wednesday, 16 June 2010
Diabetes drugs given 'too soon'
Diabetes drugs given 'too soon'
Eating a healthy diet is a key part of diabetes control
One in three people with type 2 diabetes are given medication too soon, instead of being urged to eat better and do more exercise, a study suggests.
A study of 650 people in south west England found 36% were put on tablets within a month of being diagnosed, a Diabetes UK conference heard.
But guidelines recommend first trying lifestyle changes to control diabetes.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said medication helps people to "manage their condition".
The Royal College of GPs agreed diet and exercise should come first.
More than 400 people a day are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the UK.
When people are diagnosed, they're ready to make a lot of changes but if you give them a tablet, you're saying it is not their lifestyle that is the problem
Dr Rob Andrew
It is often associated with obesity, and attempts in recent years to screen people for the disease has increased the number of people being diagnosed.
In the latest study, researchers found that in many patients lifestyle management was not given a chance, despite being widely recognised as being the initial first "treatment".
Metformin is the first drug of choice, but more drugs can be added if that is not doing enough to control blood sugar levels.
The researchers found that 13% of participants were actually on two types of tablets within the first few weeks of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Study author Dr Rob Andrew, a senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, said they had not expected the figures to be quite so high.
"There is quite clear guidance that says when you're first diagnosed, you should have the opportunity to concentrate on lifestyle then if that doesn't work the next stage is metformin.
Balanced diet
"When people are diagnosed, they're ready to make a lot of changes but if you give them a tablet, you're saying it is not their lifestyle that is the problem."
He added that incentive payments to encourage GPs to reduce blood glucose levels in patients with diabetes, a lack of NHS resources for lifestyle support and a cultural attitude that people will not make the necessary changes are probably all to blame.
Simon O'Neill, from Diabetes UK, said they were concerned that in some cases medication seemed to be the first port of call.
"A healthy, balanced diet and doing physical activity should always be the foundation of good diabetes management.
"Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition - the longer a person has diabetes, the more likely they are to need tablets, and eventually insulin.
Good diabetes care is not just about medication
Department of Health
"Even if people are on tablets, medication should not simply replace diet and physical activity."
Professor Steve Field, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, said there was probably a case of jumping in too quickly with pills.
"It is a reminder for GPs and nurses managing newly diagnosed diabetes that lifestyle advice is the most important component."
He added that in some areas of the country there was a lack of resources for supporting behavioural changes.
The Department of Health has defended its treatment of people with the condition.
A spokeswoman said: "Prescribed medication is vital to enable many people with diabetes to manage their condition on a day-to-day basis and to reduce their risk of developing complications such as heart attack and stroke."
However, she stressed that "good diabetes care is not just about medication".
"As the NICE guidelines recommend, people with type 2 diabetes should be encouraged to make lifestyle changes, such as healthy eating and increased physical activity, before starting medication," she said.
Replacing white rice with brown rice and wholemeal bread could cut the risk of diabetes by a third
White rice has a higher glycaemic index than brown rice Replacing white rice with brown rice and wholemeal bread could cut the risk of diabetes by a third, US experts say.
White rice poses a diabetes threat because it causes steep rises in blood sugar, say Harvard researchers in Archives of Internal Medicine.
Brown rice and other wholegrain foods are a healthier option as they release glucose more gradually, they say.
The study is based on questionnaires; some say the data is not robust enough to base firm conclusions on.
It may be that people who eat less white rice tend to live healthier lifestyles, for example.
'Brown is better'
In the study of nearly 200,000 US people, white rice consumption was linked to type 2 diabetes.
After adjusting for age and other diabetes risk factors, those who ate five or more 150g servings of white rice per week had a 17% increased risk of diabetes compared with people who consumed less than one serving - about a cup of rice - per month.
Although few people - only 2% - in the study ate this much white rice, the finding was significant.
The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is by keeping active and eating a healthy balanced diet that is low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables
Dr Victoria King
Diabetes UK
Yet eating brown rice appeared to have the opposite effect, cutting the risk of type 2 diabetes.
People who ate two or more servings of brown rice per week had an 11% reduced risk of developing the condition compared with those who ate less than one serving a month.
Based on the results, the researchers estimate that replacing 50g or one-third of a typical serving of white rice with the same amount of brown rice would lead to a 16% lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
And replacing the white rice with wholegrains, including brown rice and pasta, wholemeal bread and rolled oats, could cut the risk by more than a third.
Food composition
Dr Qi Sun and other researchers say the explanation lies in the composition of the food.
Like other wholegrain foods, brown rice is high in fibre and releases its energy slowly.
In contrast, white rice has had all the bran and some of the germ removed during milling.
This gives white rice a higher glycaemic index (GI) - a measure of how much a food raises blood sugar levels compared with the same amount of glucose or white bread.
"From a public health point of view, replacing refined grains such as white rice by whole grains, including brown rice, should be recommended to facilitate the prevention of type 2 diabetes," according to the researchers.
Experts generally recommend that at least half of carbohydrate intake should come from whole grains like brown rice.
More than 70% of the rice consumed in developed countries such as the US and UK is white.
Dr Victoria King of Diabetes UK said that, since the results were from self-reported food diaries and questionnaires, it was not possible to make conclusive recommendations on how much of certain foods, such as brown rice, might protect against type 2 diabetes at this stage.
"The best way to prevent type 2 diabetes is by keeping active and eating a healthy balanced diet that is low in fat, salt and sugar with plenty of fruit and vegetables," she said.
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Autism link with migrant parents, study finds
mengele-westof
Autism link with migrant parents, study finds
It is thought migration might "trigger" the onset of autism
Researchers have discovered that where you used to live could affect your child's chances of being autistic by up to five times.
The study looked at children whose mother had moved to the UK from outside Europe.
It showed an increased risk of autism in children whose parents had migrated from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, the UK researchers said.
The greatest risk was for the Caribbean group, the BBC World Service reported.
Speaking on Health Check, Dr Daphne Keen, from St. George's Hospital London, said while the findings show a clear link between immigration and autism - they could not determine exactly why this was the case.
Stress factors and social isolation and so forth may operate as triggers.
Dr Daphne Keen
The research covered 428 children diagnosed with autism during a six-year period.
"We didn't find there was an increased risk in the parents who had migrated from other European countries," Dr Keen added.
"The size of the increased risk was greatest for the Caribbean group. This was at least five times.
"The risk was also very significant, but slightly less, for the African population and much lower, but still a little present, for the Asian population."
Two factors
The study took into consideration that it may just be a case of ethnicity - rather than migration - that caused the rise in cases.
However, researchers compared their results with children born of UK-born parents with Caribbean, African and Asian roots.
"We found when we analysed the two factors together, that the risk fell considerably.
HEALTH CHECK
Health Check is the weekly health programme broadcast from the BBC World Service
It is broadcast on Monday at 1032GMT and repeated at 1532GMT, 2032GMT and on Tuesday at 0132GMT
It is also available as a podcast
"It seemed to suggest that immigration was the major factor, and ethnicity was just possibly a factor."
One theory is that the stress of migrating could act as a "trigger" for the disability, a factor discovered in similar studies looking at the causes of schizophrenia.
"There have been some interesting studies that seem to suggest that those sort of stress factors and social isolation and so forth may operate as triggers."
Autism link with migrant parents, study finds
It is thought migration might "trigger" the onset of autism
Researchers have discovered that where you used to live could affect your child's chances of being autistic by up to five times.
The study looked at children whose mother had moved to the UK from outside Europe.
It showed an increased risk of autism in children whose parents had migrated from Africa, the Caribbean and Asia, the UK researchers said.
The greatest risk was for the Caribbean group, the BBC World Service reported.
Speaking on Health Check, Dr Daphne Keen, from St. George's Hospital London, said while the findings show a clear link between immigration and autism - they could not determine exactly why this was the case.
Stress factors and social isolation and so forth may operate as triggers.
Dr Daphne Keen
The research covered 428 children diagnosed with autism during a six-year period.
"We didn't find there was an increased risk in the parents who had migrated from other European countries," Dr Keen added.
"The size of the increased risk was greatest for the Caribbean group. This was at least five times.
"The risk was also very significant, but slightly less, for the African population and much lower, but still a little present, for the Asian population."
Two factors
The study took into consideration that it may just be a case of ethnicity - rather than migration - that caused the rise in cases.
However, researchers compared their results with children born of UK-born parents with Caribbean, African and Asian roots.
"We found when we analysed the two factors together, that the risk fell considerably.
HEALTH CHECK
Health Check is the weekly health programme broadcast from the BBC World Service
It is broadcast on Monday at 1032GMT and repeated at 1532GMT, 2032GMT and on Tuesday at 0132GMT
It is also available as a podcast
"It seemed to suggest that immigration was the major factor, and ethnicity was just possibly a factor."
One theory is that the stress of migrating could act as a "trigger" for the disability, a factor discovered in similar studies looking at the causes of schizophrenia.
"There have been some interesting studies that seem to suggest that those sort of stress factors and social isolation and so forth may operate as triggers."
Monday, 7 June 2010
A genetically modified (GM) variety of maize banned in the EU has been sown accidentally across Germany.
Banned GM maize sown in Germany
Page last updated at 15:34 GMT, Monday, 7 June 2010 16:34 UK
GM crops are much less widespread in Europe than in the US A genetically modified (GM) variety of maize banned in the EU has been sown accidentally across Germany.
The NK603 variety has been planted in seven states. The seed supplier, US firm Pioneer Hi-Bred, called the level of contamination "minute".
It is not clear how the mistake occurred, but it could cost farmers millions of euros, as crops will now have to be destroyed.
The EU is currently reviewing its tight rules on the cultivation of GM crops.
Pioneer Hi-Bred, based in Buxtehude near Hamburg, says NK603 has been planted on "just under 2,000 hectares (4,940 acres)" of land. The environmental group Greenpeace put the area as high as 3,000 hectares.
Bavaria, Baden-Wuerttemberg and Lower Saxony are among the states where it has been sown.
Information delayed
Supporters of GM crops argue that they deliver higher yields and resistance to pests, requiring less fertiliser and pesticides.
Opponents say more scientific data is needed, arguing that their long-term genetic impact on humans and wildlife could be harmful.
They also say GM crops can enter the food chain inadvertently if they are naturally cross-pollinated with non-GM varieties.
Greenpeace says that officials knew about the contamination in early March, but that because of bureaucratic delays farmers are only now being warned.
"This is the biggest GM crop scandal in Germany to date," said a Greenpeace agriculture expert, Alexander Hissting.
Ploughing up fields
In the affected fields, up to 0.1% of the crop is contaminated with NK603 - equivalent to 100 contaminated plants per hectare, Greenpeace says.
Pioneer Hi-Bred disputes that figure. Company spokesman Mike Hall told the BBC that the level of NK603 detected in the "conventional seed" was 0.03%.
"It's highly unlikely that it's a GM trace. Anything below 0.1% could be a false positive, impossible to quantify scientifically," he said.
"In the past when they found trace amounts we removed the seed from the market. In this case they told us after it had been planted."
Stefanie Becker, spokeswoman for Lower Saxony's Environment Ministry, said that "fields will have to be ploughed up before the maize blooms - it is still possible to halt the uncontrolled spread [of the GM variety]".
She said her ministry did not get details about the distribution of the GM maize until last Friday. "We have the distributors' names, and through them the farmers will be informed," she told the BBC.
Ms Becker said the contamination affected about 2,000 hectares and originated from two sacks of seeds. It is not yet clear how the seeds got mixed up, she said.
EU divided
So far the EU has allowed only two GM crops to be cultivated - Monsanto's MON 810 maize and a type of potato harvested for starch. But Germany, like some other EU countries, banned MON 810 last year.
EU member states are divided over GM crops. Commercial GM planting takes place in Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic. But France, Germany, Austria and Greece are among several states that have banned MON 810.
The GM maize that has spread in Germany "is not harmful to human or animal health", Ms Becker said.
The European Commission is overhauling the rules on GM crops and will present new proposals next month allowing member states more freedom to allow or ban GM varieties.
Countries would be allowed to set their own technical standards for GM farming, including buffer zones to prevent cross-pollination.
The new rules will still require approval by EU governments and the European Parliament.
WHO swine flu experts 'linked' with drug companies
WHO swine flu experts 'linked' with drug companies
Page last updated at 11:14 GMT, Friday, 4 June 2010 12:14 UK
Governments around the world stockpiled antiviral drugs Key scientists behind World Health Organization advice on stockpiling of pandemic flu drugs had financial ties with companies which stood to profit, an investigation has found.
The British Medical Journal says the scientists had openly declared these interests in other publications yet WHO made no mention of the links.
It comes as a report from the Council of Europe criticised the lack of transparency around the handling of the swine flu pandemic.
A spokesman for WHO said the drug industry did not influence its decisions on swine flu.
Guidelines recommending governments stockpile antiviral drugs were issued by WHO in 2004.
The advice prompted many countries around the world into buying up large stocks of Tamiflu, made by Roche, and Relenza manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline.
A year after the swine flu pandemic was declared, stocks are left unused in warehouses and governments are attempting to unpick contracts.
Conflict of interest
The BMJ, in a joint investigation with The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, found that three scientists involved in putting together the 2004 guidance had previously been paid by Roche or GSK for lecturing and consultancy work as well as being involved in research for the companies.
Analysis
Continue reading the main story
Fergus Walsh
Medical correspondent, BBC News
Be open. Be transparent. That seems to be the key learning point for the WHO from this joint investigation.
It is common practice for academic experts to work closely with the pharmaceutical industry, such as getting funding for drug trials, or to be paid for attending meetings.
On all clinical papers authors must publicly declare any competing interests.
So it is surely advisable that the WHO follows the same policy with its advisors.
And there is surely no logic in refusing to name the members of the emergency committee which advised the WHO about the pandemic.
To fail to do so presents an own goal to critics and conspiracy theorists.
Although the scientists involved had freely declared the links in other places and said WHO asked for conflicts of interest forms prior to expert meetings, the ties were not publically declared by WHO.
It is not clear whether these conflicts were notified privately by WHO to governments around the world, the BMJ said, and a request to see conflict of interest declarations was turned down.
In addition, membership of the "emergency committee" which advised WHO's director general Margaret Chan on declaring an influenza pandemic has been kept secret.
It means the names of the 16 committee members are known only to people within WHO, and as such their possible conflicts of interest with drug companies are unknown.
On its website, WHO says: "Potential conflicts of interest are inherent in any relationship between a normative and health development agency, like WHO, and a profit-driven industry.
"Similar considerations apply when experts advising the Organization have professional links with pharmaceutical companies.
"Numerous safeguards are in place to manage possible conflicts of interest or their perception."
Saturday, 5 June 2010
'Male menopause' idea questioned
'Male menopause' idea questioned
Doctors are divided on the idea of a male 'menopause' The "male menopause" is a myth, according to a review.
Some doctors have linked a fall in testosterone levels as men get older to symptoms such as depression and low sex drive.
But an editorial in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin says many men reporting symptoms have normal hormone levels.
They warn against giving synthetic testosterone as it can increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Doctors are divided on the idea that men go through a well-defined "menopause".
Continue reading the main story What the paper says is that the doctor must assess the risks versus the benefits of giving testosterone
Dr Ian Banks
Men's Health Forum
Some doctors advocate the use of synthetic testosterone to relieve some of the symptoms associated with so-called male menopause such as weakness, depression and sexual problems.
But the journal says that unlike the menopause in women, where levels of the female hormone fall dramatically, testosterone levels fall by only 1 to 2% a year from the age of 40 onwards in men.
Around 80% of 60-year-olds and half of those in their 80s still have levels within the normal range.
The editorial concludes: "There is no place for testosterone therapy in older men without symptoms, or without clearly low testosterone concentrations on more than one occasion."
Risks vs benefits
Commenting on the report, Dr Ian Banks, a GP and president of the Men's Health Forum, said: "What the paper says is that the doctor must assess the risks versus the benefits of giving testosterone."
He said men seeking a "quick fix" for symptoms such as tiredness and lack of sex drive should consider lifestyle changes first.
"We've got to get the message over to resist the temptation of the quick fix and look at things such as lifestyle that you can do something about," he added.
Doctors are divided on the idea of a male 'menopause' The "male menopause" is a myth, according to a review.
Some doctors have linked a fall in testosterone levels as men get older to symptoms such as depression and low sex drive.
But an editorial in Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin says many men reporting symptoms have normal hormone levels.
They warn against giving synthetic testosterone as it can increase the risk of prostate cancer.
Doctors are divided on the idea that men go through a well-defined "menopause".
Continue reading the main story What the paper says is that the doctor must assess the risks versus the benefits of giving testosterone
Dr Ian Banks
Men's Health Forum
Some doctors advocate the use of synthetic testosterone to relieve some of the symptoms associated with so-called male menopause such as weakness, depression and sexual problems.
But the journal says that unlike the menopause in women, where levels of the female hormone fall dramatically, testosterone levels fall by only 1 to 2% a year from the age of 40 onwards in men.
Around 80% of 60-year-olds and half of those in their 80s still have levels within the normal range.
The editorial concludes: "There is no place for testosterone therapy in older men without symptoms, or without clearly low testosterone concentrations on more than one occasion."
Risks vs benefits
Commenting on the report, Dr Ian Banks, a GP and president of the Men's Health Forum, said: "What the paper says is that the doctor must assess the risks versus the benefits of giving testosterone."
He said men seeking a "quick fix" for symptoms such as tiredness and lack of sex drive should consider lifestyle changes first.
"We've got to get the message over to resist the temptation of the quick fix and look at things such as lifestyle that you can do something about," he added.
Tuesday, 1 June 2010
Friday, 28 May 2010
Wednesday, 19 May 2010
New UN climate head demands ambition and transparency
New UN climate head demands ambition and transparency
Page last updated at 14:28 GMT, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 15:28 UK
E-mail this to a friend Printable version By Steven Duke
Editor, One Planet, BBC World Service
Ms Figueres asked for "ambition, transparency and inclusiveness" The new head of the UN's climate convention has called for ambition and transparency in UN climate talks.
Christiana Figueres also told the BBC that the process used to hammer out a deal at December's Copenhagen summit was "not the most satisfactory".
The Costa Rican diplomat, who has been involved in UN climate negotiations since 1995, said she was "very honoured" to take up the post.
"It's time to make more effort, it's time to be more ambitious," she said.
Speaking to the BBC's One Planet programme, Ms Figueres added: "It is time to be more transparent and it's time to be more inclusive."
Little accord
The immediate challenge facing the new executive secretary will be to rebuild political and public support for UN negotiations, following the perceived failure to deliver a binding agreement at the Copenhagen summit.
A weaker deal - the Copenhagen Accord - was thrashed out by a select group of countries as the summit came to a stuttering end.
Admitting those accord talks were "not transparent and not inclusive enough," Ms Figueres denied that Copenhagen had been a failure, stressing climate change was now "at the top of every political agenda in every country".
The next big summit being organised by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Mexico at the end of the year.
Kim Carstensen, leader of the Global Climate Initiative with WWF, offered Ms Figueres the environment group's congratulations.
"She promises to be an inspiring leader who can keep a high level political dialogue going in order to secure the first critical elements of a climate treaty in Mexico," he said.
"Her background should allow her to foster trust between countries and to push for an ambitious climate deal."
Asked if it was time for the UN to look at ways to control the climate other than by enforcing tough cuts in carbon emissions, Ms Figueres re-iterated that emissions will remain the focus of her efforts.
But she did suggest it was wrong to devote all political attention to curbing harmful gases, saying efforts to help countries adapt to a changing climate had become "relegated to the side, and need to come to the centre and front".
She will take over from outgoing executive secretary Yvo de Boer in July, after the annual two weeks of negotiations between officials in Bonn.
You can hear the full interview with Ms Figueres in this week's edition of the One Planet show on the BBC World Service
Page last updated at 14:28 GMT, Tuesday, 18 May 2010 15:28 UK
E-mail this to a friend Printable version By Steven Duke
Editor, One Planet, BBC World Service
Ms Figueres asked for "ambition, transparency and inclusiveness" The new head of the UN's climate convention has called for ambition and transparency in UN climate talks.
Christiana Figueres also told the BBC that the process used to hammer out a deal at December's Copenhagen summit was "not the most satisfactory".
The Costa Rican diplomat, who has been involved in UN climate negotiations since 1995, said she was "very honoured" to take up the post.
"It's time to make more effort, it's time to be more ambitious," she said.
Speaking to the BBC's One Planet programme, Ms Figueres added: "It is time to be more transparent and it's time to be more inclusive."
Little accord
The immediate challenge facing the new executive secretary will be to rebuild political and public support for UN negotiations, following the perceived failure to deliver a binding agreement at the Copenhagen summit.
A weaker deal - the Copenhagen Accord - was thrashed out by a select group of countries as the summit came to a stuttering end.
Admitting those accord talks were "not transparent and not inclusive enough," Ms Figueres denied that Copenhagen had been a failure, stressing climate change was now "at the top of every political agenda in every country".
The next big summit being organised by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Mexico at the end of the year.
Kim Carstensen, leader of the Global Climate Initiative with WWF, offered Ms Figueres the environment group's congratulations.
"She promises to be an inspiring leader who can keep a high level political dialogue going in order to secure the first critical elements of a climate treaty in Mexico," he said.
"Her background should allow her to foster trust between countries and to push for an ambitious climate deal."
Asked if it was time for the UN to look at ways to control the climate other than by enforcing tough cuts in carbon emissions, Ms Figueres re-iterated that emissions will remain the focus of her efforts.
But she did suggest it was wrong to devote all political attention to curbing harmful gases, saying efforts to help countries adapt to a changing climate had become "relegated to the side, and need to come to the centre and front".
She will take over from outgoing executive secretary Yvo de Boer in July, after the annual two weeks of negotiations between officials in Bonn.
You can hear the full interview with Ms Figueres in this week's edition of the One Planet show on the BBC World Service
Wednesday, 12 May 2010
gnaw through the nuts'
By Mark Kinver
Science and environment reporter, BBC News
Agoutis are said to the only rodent able to gnaw through the nuts' outer casing A study examining the natural dispersal of Brazil nuts has suggested that intensive harvesting could threaten future regeneration of the trees.
Researchers found that large rodents quickly ate the nuts, rather than caching them, when supplies were scarce.
When supplies were plentiful, almost twice as many nuts were buried, increasing the chance of successful germination, the team added.
The findings appear in the Journal of Tropical Ecology.
The scientists from Norway, Brazil and the UK said that very little was know about the fate of Brazil nuts under natural condition, despite it being one of the most economically important non-timber crops to come out of Amazonia.
Seasonal effect
In order to get a better understanding of how the seeds were dispersed, they tracked 900 marked seeds to see how seasonal food availability affected agoutis' and acouchis' - large scatter-hoarding rodents - caching rates, dispersal distances and how long the seeds were buried before being eaten.
BRAZIL NUT TREE FACTSContinue reading the main story Can grow to 50m (164ft) high
The trees live for about 500 years
The trees' fruit have a hard case, which contains 10-25 seeds (nuts)
The seeds remain trapped, unless the case is gnawed open by agoutis
Trees located in dense tropical forests can take up to 150 years to reach maturity
"We basically found that the seasons had a very strong effect on the dispersal distances and what happened to the seeds themselves," explained Torbjorn Haugaasen, an ecologist at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
"During the wet season (April) - when there are a lot of other fruits in the forest - more seeds were cached for later retrieval," he added.
"In the dry season (September), on the other hand, more seeds were eaten immediately because there was not that much food around and the rodents needed to draw on the food resource.
"Seeds were also taken further away during the dry season, which suggests that the rodents saw them as a more valuable resource than during the wet season," Dr Haugaasen told BBC News.
The field study, carried out during 2006, showed that 74.4% of seeds were buried during the wet season, compared with just 38.2% during the dry season.
The team suggested that collecting too many Brazil nuts from an area could replicate "dry season" conditions for the rodents.
"Reduced seed availability due to intensive harvesting could potentially create a dry-season scenario where most seeds succumb to pre-dispersal predation, thereby adversely affecting the natural regeneration of Brazil nut trees," they wrote.
Seeds of hope
The researchers said that populations of two large rodent species were responsible for the dispersal of the Brazil nut tree seeds: agoutis and acuchis.
Up to 25 seeds, what we call Brazil nuts, are contained in the trees' fruit However, they added, only the agoutis were capable of gnawing through the hard, thick outer casing of the fruit and releasing the seeds (Brazil nuts).
Agoutis, which can weigh up to 6kg, are found throughout the same range as the Brazil nut trees in South America.
"The (trees) therefore rely almost entirely on these large terrestrial rodents for the release of their well-protected seeds," the team explained.
"Those seeds not consumed within the germination period (12-18 months) may germinate, and seeds may remain viable for at least six years."
Scatter-hoarding also benefits plants in a number of ways, such as transporting seeds away from the parent plants and increasing the probability of reaching a site more suitable for germination.
Dr Haugaasen explained that the team decided to carry out the study in order to build on the findings of a 2003 paper published in Science, which first identified the link between intensive harvesting and the lack of young Brazil nut trees.
Writing in the 2003 paper, researchers said: "Persistently harvested stands were characterised by larger (and presumably older) trees and few or no juveniles.
But, they observed: "Juveniles were most common in unharvested and lightly harvested stands."
However, Dr Haugaasen said, the people harvesting the nuts could unknowingly be contributing to the regeneration of the trees, as some nuts were accidentally dropped as they were carried out of the forest.
"We actually found seedlings along the path used by the collectors. However, this does not mean that they are all going to reach maturity because they are in (vulnerable) places."
But he warned that restricting nut collecting could prove to be counterproductive because the harvests were a key source of income for local communities.
"Alternative possibilities, such as managed planting of seedlings in natural gaps in the forest might be a better solution," he suggested.
Dr Haugaasen said that the next step for the researchers was to look at the "management implications" of their findings.
"We also need to know how the hunting of these rodents can effect the natural regeneration of these trees," he added.
"You can have a negative impact by reducing the number of these rodents.
"However, if you have a large number of seeds already buried by a rodent before it is shot, no-one else knows where those seeds are.
"So, you could arguably have a positive impact on regeneration."
Further studies on the ecology of Brazil nut trees are expected to be published in the coming 12 months
Science and environment reporter, BBC News
Agoutis are said to the only rodent able to gnaw through the nuts' outer casing A study examining the natural dispersal of Brazil nuts has suggested that intensive harvesting could threaten future regeneration of the trees.
Researchers found that large rodents quickly ate the nuts, rather than caching them, when supplies were scarce.
When supplies were plentiful, almost twice as many nuts were buried, increasing the chance of successful germination, the team added.
The findings appear in the Journal of Tropical Ecology.
The scientists from Norway, Brazil and the UK said that very little was know about the fate of Brazil nuts under natural condition, despite it being one of the most economically important non-timber crops to come out of Amazonia.
Seasonal effect
In order to get a better understanding of how the seeds were dispersed, they tracked 900 marked seeds to see how seasonal food availability affected agoutis' and acouchis' - large scatter-hoarding rodents - caching rates, dispersal distances and how long the seeds were buried before being eaten.
BRAZIL NUT TREE FACTSContinue reading the main story Can grow to 50m (164ft) high
The trees live for about 500 years
The trees' fruit have a hard case, which contains 10-25 seeds (nuts)
The seeds remain trapped, unless the case is gnawed open by agoutis
Trees located in dense tropical forests can take up to 150 years to reach maturity
"We basically found that the seasons had a very strong effect on the dispersal distances and what happened to the seeds themselves," explained Torbjorn Haugaasen, an ecologist at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
"During the wet season (April) - when there are a lot of other fruits in the forest - more seeds were cached for later retrieval," he added.
"In the dry season (September), on the other hand, more seeds were eaten immediately because there was not that much food around and the rodents needed to draw on the food resource.
"Seeds were also taken further away during the dry season, which suggests that the rodents saw them as a more valuable resource than during the wet season," Dr Haugaasen told BBC News.
The field study, carried out during 2006, showed that 74.4% of seeds were buried during the wet season, compared with just 38.2% during the dry season.
The team suggested that collecting too many Brazil nuts from an area could replicate "dry season" conditions for the rodents.
"Reduced seed availability due to intensive harvesting could potentially create a dry-season scenario where most seeds succumb to pre-dispersal predation, thereby adversely affecting the natural regeneration of Brazil nut trees," they wrote.
Seeds of hope
The researchers said that populations of two large rodent species were responsible for the dispersal of the Brazil nut tree seeds: agoutis and acuchis.
Up to 25 seeds, what we call Brazil nuts, are contained in the trees' fruit However, they added, only the agoutis were capable of gnawing through the hard, thick outer casing of the fruit and releasing the seeds (Brazil nuts).
Agoutis, which can weigh up to 6kg, are found throughout the same range as the Brazil nut trees in South America.
"The (trees) therefore rely almost entirely on these large terrestrial rodents for the release of their well-protected seeds," the team explained.
"Those seeds not consumed within the germination period (12-18 months) may germinate, and seeds may remain viable for at least six years."
Scatter-hoarding also benefits plants in a number of ways, such as transporting seeds away from the parent plants and increasing the probability of reaching a site more suitable for germination.
Dr Haugaasen explained that the team decided to carry out the study in order to build on the findings of a 2003 paper published in Science, which first identified the link between intensive harvesting and the lack of young Brazil nut trees.
Writing in the 2003 paper, researchers said: "Persistently harvested stands were characterised by larger (and presumably older) trees and few or no juveniles.
But, they observed: "Juveniles were most common in unharvested and lightly harvested stands."
However, Dr Haugaasen said, the people harvesting the nuts could unknowingly be contributing to the regeneration of the trees, as some nuts were accidentally dropped as they were carried out of the forest.
"We actually found seedlings along the path used by the collectors. However, this does not mean that they are all going to reach maturity because they are in (vulnerable) places."
But he warned that restricting nut collecting could prove to be counterproductive because the harvests were a key source of income for local communities.
"Alternative possibilities, such as managed planting of seedlings in natural gaps in the forest might be a better solution," he suggested.
Dr Haugaasen said that the next step for the researchers was to look at the "management implications" of their findings.
"We also need to know how the hunting of these rodents can effect the natural regeneration of these trees," he added.
"You can have a negative impact by reducing the number of these rodents.
"However, if you have a large number of seeds already buried by a rodent before it is shot, no-one else knows where those seeds are.
"So, you could arguably have a positive impact on regeneration."
Further studies on the ecology of Brazil nut trees are expected to be published in the coming 12 months
Thursday, 6 May 2010
was the Euro the eternal answer
was the Euro the eternal answer
the finances of Greece illustrate the one size fits all has issues
German stereotype ?
Who kept the U.K out of the euro
Petrol bombs were thrown at police, who responded with pepper spray and tear gas
Greece is "on the brink of the abyss", President Karolos Papoulias has warned, after three people died during protests over planned austerity measures.
"We are all responsible so that it does not take the step into the void," the president said in a statement.
It followed a day of violence during which protesters set fire to a bank, killing three employees.
Greece's government has vowed to pursue the spending cuts - a condition of its 110bn euro ($142bn; £95bn) bail-out.
"We are prepared to pay the heavy political cost," Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou told parliament during Wednesday's debate on the bill.
"We will not take a single step backwards."
The euro hit a fresh 13-month low against the dollar and European stock markets were also hit, amid concerns over Greek bail-out plans.
ANALYSIS
By Malcolm Brabant, BBC News, Athens
The situation in Athens is very tense at the moment - people are pausing and reflecting on what has happened.
Some people think that the deaths of the bank workers will have the impact of dampening down the protests because people will think that losing human lives is not worth it. But there are others who believe that this is the start of a social explosion.
This is a very volatile country.
If the outside markets look at Greece and think it is about to collapse, it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In video: Reporter overcome
There are also fears Greece's debt crisis could spread to other countries.
The austerity measures - which the Greek parliament is due to vote by the end of the week - include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises. They aim to achieve fresh budget cuts of 30bn euros over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13.6%.
The general strike is the third to hit Greece in as many months. The protest became violent, with petrol bombs thrown at police who responded with pepper spray and tear gas.
The bodies of two women - one pregnant - and a man were found inside the Marfin bank branch on Stadiou Avenue in central Athens. They were among 20 people working there when the petrol bomb was thrown.
Most of the employees managed to escape the fumes as the flames took hold, but the three found their way blocked as they tried to escape to the roof and they suffocated.
Prime Minister George Papandreou told MPs in parliament the killings were a "murderous act".
GREEK AUSTERITY MEASURES
Public sector pay frozen till 2014
Public sector allowances cut by 20%
State pensions frozen or cut
Average retirement age up from 61 to 63
VAT increased from 19% to 23%
Taxes on fuel, alcohol and tobacco up 10%
One-off tax on profits, plus new gambling, property and green taxes
In pictures: Greece protests
Angry Greeks 'left carrying the can'
Greek economy 'to shrink by 3%'
Hewitt: Europe's days of anxiety
"Nobody has the right to violence and particularly violence that leads to murder. Violence breeds violence."
But one of the protesters told the BBC it had been the fault of the police, whose "brutality" had led to the escalation.
"It's something tragic but I think that the responsibility in the last instance lies with the government because the government unleashed a tremendous amount of police violence against a huge demonstration," Panayotis Sotiris said.
Europe future 'at stake'
Meanwhile, the German parliament has begun considering the bail-out plan for Greece. Chancellor Angela Merkel urged MPs to back the emergency loan package agreed by European finance ministers at the weekend.
What went wrong in Greece?
Greece's economic reforms that led to it abandoning the drachma in favour of the euro in 2002 made it easier for the country to borrow money.
Greece went on a debt-funded spending spree, including high-profile projects such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, which went well over budget.
It was hit by the downturn, which meant it had to spend more on benefits and received less in taxes. There were also doubts about the accuracy of its economic statistics.
Greece's economic problems meant lenders started charging higher interest rates to lend it money and widespread tax evasion also hit the government's coffers.
There have been demonstrations against the government's austerity measures to deal with its 300bn euro (£267bn) debt, such as cuts to public sector pay.
Now the government has announced that it needs to access the 30bn euros (£26bn) in emergency loans it has been offered by other EU countries.
BACK 1 of 6 NEXT It requires Germany to pay the largest proportion of the loans.
"Quite simply, Europe's future is at stake," she said.
The EU has agreed to provide 80bn euros (£69bn) in funding - of which around 22bn euros would come from Germany.
Another 30bn euros will come from the International Monetary Fund and the remainder from other eurozone members.
European Council President Herman van Rompuy said the European Union was watching events in Greece.
"We are all concerned by the Greek economic and budgetary situation, but at this moment our thoughts are with the human victims in Athens," Mr van Rompuy said
"A major programme has just been finalised. This programme is ambitious and credible in efforts that it represents towards the budgetary plan and competitiveness."
The bail-out deal is designed to prevent Greece from defaulting on its massive debt.
However, it must first be approved by some parliaments in the 15 other eurozone countries.
the finances of Greece illustrate the one size fits all has issues
German stereotype ?
Who kept the U.K out of the euro
Petrol bombs were thrown at police, who responded with pepper spray and tear gas
Greece is "on the brink of the abyss", President Karolos Papoulias has warned, after three people died during protests over planned austerity measures.
"We are all responsible so that it does not take the step into the void," the president said in a statement.
It followed a day of violence during which protesters set fire to a bank, killing three employees.
Greece's government has vowed to pursue the spending cuts - a condition of its 110bn euro ($142bn; £95bn) bail-out.
"We are prepared to pay the heavy political cost," Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou told parliament during Wednesday's debate on the bill.
"We will not take a single step backwards."
The euro hit a fresh 13-month low against the dollar and European stock markets were also hit, amid concerns over Greek bail-out plans.
ANALYSIS
By Malcolm Brabant, BBC News, Athens
The situation in Athens is very tense at the moment - people are pausing and reflecting on what has happened.
Some people think that the deaths of the bank workers will have the impact of dampening down the protests because people will think that losing human lives is not worth it. But there are others who believe that this is the start of a social explosion.
This is a very volatile country.
If the outside markets look at Greece and think it is about to collapse, it may become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
In video: Reporter overcome
There are also fears Greece's debt crisis could spread to other countries.
The austerity measures - which the Greek parliament is due to vote by the end of the week - include wage freezes, pension cuts and tax rises. They aim to achieve fresh budget cuts of 30bn euros over three years, with the goal of cutting Greece's public deficit to less than 3% of GDP by 2014. It currently stands at 13.6%.
The general strike is the third to hit Greece in as many months. The protest became violent, with petrol bombs thrown at police who responded with pepper spray and tear gas.
The bodies of two women - one pregnant - and a man were found inside the Marfin bank branch on Stadiou Avenue in central Athens. They were among 20 people working there when the petrol bomb was thrown.
Most of the employees managed to escape the fumes as the flames took hold, but the three found their way blocked as they tried to escape to the roof and they suffocated.
Prime Minister George Papandreou told MPs in parliament the killings were a "murderous act".
GREEK AUSTERITY MEASURES
Public sector pay frozen till 2014
Public sector allowances cut by 20%
State pensions frozen or cut
Average retirement age up from 61 to 63
VAT increased from 19% to 23%
Taxes on fuel, alcohol and tobacco up 10%
One-off tax on profits, plus new gambling, property and green taxes
In pictures: Greece protests
Angry Greeks 'left carrying the can'
Greek economy 'to shrink by 3%'
Hewitt: Europe's days of anxiety
"Nobody has the right to violence and particularly violence that leads to murder. Violence breeds violence."
But one of the protesters told the BBC it had been the fault of the police, whose "brutality" had led to the escalation.
"It's something tragic but I think that the responsibility in the last instance lies with the government because the government unleashed a tremendous amount of police violence against a huge demonstration," Panayotis Sotiris said.
Europe future 'at stake'
Meanwhile, the German parliament has begun considering the bail-out plan for Greece. Chancellor Angela Merkel urged MPs to back the emergency loan package agreed by European finance ministers at the weekend.
What went wrong in Greece?
Greece's economic reforms that led to it abandoning the drachma in favour of the euro in 2002 made it easier for the country to borrow money.
Greece went on a debt-funded spending spree, including high-profile projects such as the 2004 Athens Olympics, which went well over budget.
It was hit by the downturn, which meant it had to spend more on benefits and received less in taxes. There were also doubts about the accuracy of its economic statistics.
Greece's economic problems meant lenders started charging higher interest rates to lend it money and widespread tax evasion also hit the government's coffers.
There have been demonstrations against the government's austerity measures to deal with its 300bn euro (£267bn) debt, such as cuts to public sector pay.
Now the government has announced that it needs to access the 30bn euros (£26bn) in emergency loans it has been offered by other EU countries.
BACK 1 of 6 NEXT It requires Germany to pay the largest proportion of the loans.
"Quite simply, Europe's future is at stake," she said.
The EU has agreed to provide 80bn euros (£69bn) in funding - of which around 22bn euros would come from Germany.
Another 30bn euros will come from the International Monetary Fund and the remainder from other eurozone members.
European Council President Herman van Rompuy said the European Union was watching events in Greece.
"We are all concerned by the Greek economic and budgetary situation, but at this moment our thoughts are with the human victims in Athens," Mr van Rompuy said
"A major programme has just been finalised. This programme is ambitious and credible in efforts that it represents towards the budgetary plan and competitiveness."
The bail-out deal is designed to prevent Greece from defaulting on its massive debt.
However, it must first be approved by some parliaments in the 15 other eurozone countries.
Wednesday, 5 May 2010
Uganda's highest ice cap splits on Mt Margherita
Uganda's highest ice cap splits on Mt Margherita
Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in 1987 on the left and in 2005 on the right
The ice cap on Uganda's highest peak has split because of global warming, Uganda's Wildlife Authority (UWA) says.
The glacier is located at an altitude of 5,109m (16,763ft) in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The authorities say a crevasse has blocked access to the Margherita summit - the third-highest peak in Africa, and a popular destination with climbers.
Scientists say glaciers in the Rwenzori range could disappear within 20 years.
UWA officials said a team had been sent to the mountain to assess the extent of damage on the route to Margherita.
According to researchers, the ice cap covered 6 sq km (2 sq miles) 50 years ago. It is now less than 1 sq km.
The mountain range, which is one of the few places near the equator to have glaciers, was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1994.
Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains in 1987 on the left and in 2005 on the right
The ice cap on Uganda's highest peak has split because of global warming, Uganda's Wildlife Authority (UWA) says.
The glacier is located at an altitude of 5,109m (16,763ft) in the Rwenzori mountain range, near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The authorities say a crevasse has blocked access to the Margherita summit - the third-highest peak in Africa, and a popular destination with climbers.
Scientists say glaciers in the Rwenzori range could disappear within 20 years.
UWA officials said a team had been sent to the mountain to assess the extent of damage on the route to Margherita.
According to researchers, the ice cap covered 6 sq km (2 sq miles) 50 years ago. It is now less than 1 sq km.
The mountain range, which is one of the few places near the equator to have glaciers, was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 1994.
Monday, 3 May 2010
Election: Vote battle intensifies for final three days
Election: Vote battle intensifies for final three days
Cameron denies he is 'over-confident'
Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are into the final three days of election campaigning.
The Tories are ahead in the polls but not by enough to get a majority - Mr Cameron says they will campaign through the night in a final push from Tuesday.
Mr Brown said he would fight "every inch" and said "judgement and wisdom" were needed after the financial crisis.
Mr Clegg told supporters in south-east London "the sky's the limit" and they had "three days to change Britain".
The three leaders are spending the bank holiday visiting numerous seats they hope to win on 6 May.
'No complacency'
Three days before the closest election since 1992, an ICM/Guardian poll puts the Conservatives on 33%, Labour and the Lib Dems on 28% while a YouGov poll for the Sun puts the Tories on 34%, Lib Dems on 29% and Labour on 28% - which continue to point to a hung parliament.
BBC News Channel chief political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said despite the final TV debate and Mr Brown having to apologise after being overheard calling a pensioner "bigoted", the polls had not really shifted over the past week.
In Blackpool on Monday, Mr Cameron said there was not "one ounce of complacency" in his campaign and pledged a through-the-night campaign from Tuesday night to Wednesday night, in which he is expected to meet fishermen, bakers and florists who work in the early hours of the morning.
In this country you don't inherit power, you have to earn it
Nick Clegg
Clegg warns of Tory 'arrogance'
He said he was taking "no vote for granted" and recognised that millions of people were still making up their minds.
In a message to his parliamentary candidates he said: "This is the vital time. You need to go door to door, street to street, house to house. We have a huge amount of work to do, a lot of people left to convince."
"If we get out there we can... win it and win it for our country," he said.
On Sunday he said his party had the "momentum" - and was criticised by Labour's Lord Mandelson who said Mr Cameron was "desperate to give the impression that he is home and dry" but in fact voters were "firmly resisting his soft soap campaign".
'Sky's the limit'
Addressing supporters in Blackheath, south-east London, Mr Clegg accused Mr Cameron of "breathtaking arrogance" and of "measuring up the curtains" at 10 Downing Street before the election had taken place.
Urging activists to "campaign every minute of the day", he said: "Anything can happen. The sky's the limit."
I'm going to fight every inch of the way and every second of the day
Gordon Brown
Mr Clegg said: "We have got three days in this most exciting election campaign, three days to change Britain for good. Three days to deliver the fairness... for the families and communities of Great Britain."
He acknowledged a change in Lib Dem strategy - campaigning in seats like Streatham and Lewisham that the party would not have expected to win. Mr Clegg told the BBC: "We are reaching deeper into parts of Britain that have been let down by Labour in particular for so long."
The Lib Dems have also released a list of celebrity supporters - which includes actors Colin Firth and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, satirist Armando Ianucci and campaigner Bianca Jagger.
Meanwhile Mr Brown has been joined by his own celebrity supporter, Dragons' Den entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, in visits to Basildon and Ipswich on Monday morning.
Equality plans
He acknowledged he was "fighting for my life" in what he described as "a post global-financial-crisis election".
He said the government needed to make the "right calls" and "judgement and wisdom" were needed while the Tories had been on the wrong side of the arguments during the economic crisis.
"It is a Labour majority government we need," he said.
"I'm going to fight every inch of the way and every second of the day to tell people in Britain that fight for the future must mean people look at our plan and what we're proposing."
The Conservatives have unveiled plans for a "contract for young people" - to guarantee them help with training and getting jobs and are setting out plans for new rules aimed at forcing listed companies to hire more female directors, proposals to close the gender pay gap and set up mentoring schemes for female and ethnic minority entrepreneurs.
Labour is concentrating on its "seasides manifesto" to boost resort towns and help them benefit from opportunities in low carbon businesses and economic regeneration.
The Lib Dems will turn their fire on the Conservatives arguing they would not reform the banks and rebuild the economy because they are "in hock to the City of London".
The three leaders will also address a CitizensUK election "assembly" of about 2,500 people in London. Each will speak for 10 minutes before taking questions from a panel about "civil society".
Cameron denies he is 'over-confident'
Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Nick Clegg are into the final three days of election campaigning.
The Tories are ahead in the polls but not by enough to get a majority - Mr Cameron says they will campaign through the night in a final push from Tuesday.
Mr Brown said he would fight "every inch" and said "judgement and wisdom" were needed after the financial crisis.
Mr Clegg told supporters in south-east London "the sky's the limit" and they had "three days to change Britain".
The three leaders are spending the bank holiday visiting numerous seats they hope to win on 6 May.
'No complacency'
Three days before the closest election since 1992, an ICM/Guardian poll puts the Conservatives on 33%, Labour and the Lib Dems on 28% while a YouGov poll for the Sun puts the Tories on 34%, Lib Dems on 29% and Labour on 28% - which continue to point to a hung parliament.
BBC News Channel chief political correspondent Laura Kuenssberg said despite the final TV debate and Mr Brown having to apologise after being overheard calling a pensioner "bigoted", the polls had not really shifted over the past week.
In Blackpool on Monday, Mr Cameron said there was not "one ounce of complacency" in his campaign and pledged a through-the-night campaign from Tuesday night to Wednesday night, in which he is expected to meet fishermen, bakers and florists who work in the early hours of the morning.
In this country you don't inherit power, you have to earn it
Nick Clegg
Clegg warns of Tory 'arrogance'
He said he was taking "no vote for granted" and recognised that millions of people were still making up their minds.
In a message to his parliamentary candidates he said: "This is the vital time. You need to go door to door, street to street, house to house. We have a huge amount of work to do, a lot of people left to convince."
"If we get out there we can... win it and win it for our country," he said.
On Sunday he said his party had the "momentum" - and was criticised by Labour's Lord Mandelson who said Mr Cameron was "desperate to give the impression that he is home and dry" but in fact voters were "firmly resisting his soft soap campaign".
'Sky's the limit'
Addressing supporters in Blackheath, south-east London, Mr Clegg accused Mr Cameron of "breathtaking arrogance" and of "measuring up the curtains" at 10 Downing Street before the election had taken place.
Urging activists to "campaign every minute of the day", he said: "Anything can happen. The sky's the limit."
I'm going to fight every inch of the way and every second of the day
Gordon Brown
Mr Clegg said: "We have got three days in this most exciting election campaign, three days to change Britain for good. Three days to deliver the fairness... for the families and communities of Great Britain."
He acknowledged a change in Lib Dem strategy - campaigning in seats like Streatham and Lewisham that the party would not have expected to win. Mr Clegg told the BBC: "We are reaching deeper into parts of Britain that have been let down by Labour in particular for so long."
The Lib Dems have also released a list of celebrity supporters - which includes actors Colin Firth and Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, satirist Armando Ianucci and campaigner Bianca Jagger.
Meanwhile Mr Brown has been joined by his own celebrity supporter, Dragons' Den entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne, in visits to Basildon and Ipswich on Monday morning.
Equality plans
He acknowledged he was "fighting for my life" in what he described as "a post global-financial-crisis election".
He said the government needed to make the "right calls" and "judgement and wisdom" were needed while the Tories had been on the wrong side of the arguments during the economic crisis.
"It is a Labour majority government we need," he said.
"I'm going to fight every inch of the way and every second of the day to tell people in Britain that fight for the future must mean people look at our plan and what we're proposing."
The Conservatives have unveiled plans for a "contract for young people" - to guarantee them help with training and getting jobs and are setting out plans for new rules aimed at forcing listed companies to hire more female directors, proposals to close the gender pay gap and set up mentoring schemes for female and ethnic minority entrepreneurs.
Labour is concentrating on its "seasides manifesto" to boost resort towns and help them benefit from opportunities in low carbon businesses and economic regeneration.
The Lib Dems will turn their fire on the Conservatives arguing they would not reform the banks and rebuild the economy because they are "in hock to the City of London".
The three leaders will also address a CitizensUK election "assembly" of about 2,500 people in London. Each will speak for 10 minutes before taking questions from a panel about "civil society".
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
Australia shelves key emissions trading scheme
Australia shelves key emissions trading scheme
 Mr Rudd has said climate change is "the moral challenge of our generation" |
The Australian government has put plans for a flagship emissions trading scheme on hold until 2013 at the earliest.
The move comes after the scheme was rejected twice by the Senate, where Prime Minster Kevin Rudd's government does not have a majority.
Mr Rudd, who came to power promising tough climate action, blamed opposition obstruction and slow global progress on emissions cuts for the plan's delay.
Australia is one of the highest per capita carbon emitters in the world.
Australia has some of the highest per capita carbon emissions of developed nations.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Australia is right to question CPRS. Global warming is a myth
KarenZ
Send us your comments
Mr Rudd had hoped the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) would cut Australia's carbon emissions by up to 25% from 2000 levels by 2020, by requiring industrial polluters to buy licences to emit carbon.
The scheme had been scheduled to begin in July 2011, but Mr Rudd said the government would now delay plans until the Kyoto Protocol expires in 2012.
He said doing so would "provide the Australian government at the time with a better position to assess the level of global action on climate change".
The BBC's Nick Bryant in Sydney says the postponement is a major climbdown by the Rudd government, which reflects the changing politics of climate change in Australia.
| Tonnes of C02 per capita, 2006 | |
|---|---|
| Luxembourg | 25.81 |
| USA | 20.12 |
| Australia | 19.06 |
| Canada | 17.10 |
| Finland | 12.94 |
| Czech Republic | 12.57 |
| Estonia | 12.34 |
| Ireland | 11.63 |
| Belgium | 11.47 |
| Russia | 11.14 |
| Denmark | 10.77 |
| Germany | 10.52 |
| Netherlands | 10.46 |
| Greece | 10.26 |
| Iceland | 10.15 |
| Japan | 9.96 |
| Austria | 9.47 |
| Norway | 9.40 |
| UK | 9.15 |
| Spain | 8.87 |
Ahead of the Copenhagen climate change conference, the prime minister looked set to fight - and win - this year's Australian election on the emissions trading issue, says our correspondent, but polls have pointed to an erosion of public support.
Mr Rudd had hoped to enact the CPRS into law before last year's Copenhagen climate summit.
But in December, shortly before the summit opened, the proposed scheme was rejected by the Senate for a second time.
The move came after the opposition Liberal party ousted its leader Malcolm Turnbull - who had pledged his backing for the measure - and replaced him with climate sceptic Tony Abbott.
Mr Rudd said the Liberal Party's decision to "backflip on its historical commitment to bring in a CPRS", coupled with a lack of global action on climate change, meant it was inevitable that the scheme would be delayed in Australia.
"It's very plain that the correct course of action is to extend the implementation date," he said.
'Moral challenge'
Despite the decision, the prime minister said his government remained committed to reducing greenhouse gases.
"Climate change remains a fundamental economic and environmental and moral challenge for all Australians, and for all peoples of the world. That just doesn't go away," he said.
 |  Mr Rudd's critics will say that this exposes a familiar characteristic of his leadership: his reluctance to fight for causes when the polls suggest he might be in danger   Read more from Nick Bryant |
But Mr Abbott accused Mr Rudd of a lack of credibility over the policy reversal.
"It seems the government has dropped its policy to deal with climate change because it is frightened the public think that this really is just a great big new tax on everything," ABC News quoted him as saying.
"He's running away from it because he seems scared."
Mr Abbott has previously said it would be premature for Australia to adopt such a scheme ahead of other countries.
Some lawmakers had questioned the scientific case for global warming and said that the emissions trading scheme would damage Australia's economy.
'Pick the right veg' for health
'Pick the right veg' for health
 Papaya is a fruit rich in beta-cryptoxanthin |
Obvious choices of fruit and vegetables are not necessarily the healthiest, say researchers.
According to US experts, making simple swaps like eating sweet potatoes instead of carrots and papaya rather than oranges could make a difference.
Foods, like raspberries, watercress and kale, are richer in phytonutrients which may help prevent disease, they told a US meeting.
UK nutritionists said a balanced diet is essential to good health.
The British Nutrition Foundation warned that relying on eating a few select food types to boost health was ill-advised and said there was no such thing as a "superfood".
| No one food can give you everything you need Dr Emma Williams of the British Nutrition Foundation |
Experts recommend five portions a day of fruit and veg in a healthy diet.
Plant foods are known to contain "phytonutrient" chemicals that can protect the heart and arteries and prevent cancers.
But the most popular varieties may not be the best, according to US researchers.
They analysed data from US health surveys of people's dietary habits to look at the most common sources of phytonutrients.
They found that for 10 of the 14 phytonutrients studied, a single food type accounted for two-thirds or more of an individual's consumption, regardless of how much fruit and veg they ate overall.
Carrots were the most common source of beta-carotene, oranges and orange juice the most common source of beta-cryptoxanthin, spinach the most common source of lutein/zeaxanthin, strawberries the most common source of ellagic acid and mustard the biggest provider of isothiocyanates.
However, for each of these phytonutrients there was a richer food source available.
Richer foods
Switching from carrots to sweet potatoes would nearly double beta-carotene intake, say the researchers.
Similarly papaya contains 15 times more beta-cryptoxanthin than oranges, while kale has three times more lutein/zeaxanthin than spinach.
Raspberries have three times more ellagic acid than strawberries and one cup of watercress contains as much isothiocyanate as four teaspoonfuls of mustard.
Study leader Keith Randolph, who is a technology strategist for the supplement company Nutrilite, said: "These data highlight the importance of not only the quantity but also the significant impact the quality and variety of the fruits and vegetables you eat can have on your health."
Dr Emma Williams of the British Nutrition Foundation said: "They are right that some foods are richer sources of phytonutrients.
"But at the end of the day, to be healthy you need to make sure you have a varied and balanced diet.
"No one food can give you everything you need."
The findings were presented at the 2010 Experimental Biology conference in Anaheim, California.
Tuesday, 27 April 2010
She's been rearing a small group of apes as if they are people, to see what happens.
Chimps 'are people, too'
| By Dick Taylor BBC Horizon |
 Danny Wallace investigates for Horizon |
She's been rearing a small group of apes as if they are people, to see what happens.
Her results appear to be spectacular, at least to writer Danny Wallace: "Kanzi asked me for a present. I gave him the free toothbrush kit from my flight over. He brushed his teeth. We bonded."
Danny is a seasoned television campaigner: he showed us How To Start Your Own Country on BBC Two last year.
| You could say that an adult chimp has more of the characteristics of a person than a new born baby Julian Baggini, philosopher |
Many primatologists are devising experiments that show chimps are ever more people-like than was thought just a few years ago; and yet, as scientists, they will not countenance that chimps could ever be people.
Yes and no
At the Yerkes Primate Centre in Atlanta, Danny finds out from researcher Victoria Horner that chimps have culture...
Victoria: "This experiment is the first definite evidence that chimpanzees can pass on ideas to each other. That is the basis of culture."
Danny: "So, are they people then?"
| |
In Budongo National Park, Uganda. Katie Slocombe from St Andrews University is studying vocalisations with wild chimps...
Katie: "Chimps produce an incredibly wide range of sounds. It appears that they may have a rudimentary language."
Danny: "So, are they people then?
Katie: "No"
Alicia Melis of the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig conducts experiments to see if chimps have a quintessential human character, one that was thought to be absent till now: co-operation...
Alicia: "Chimps can co-operate, they can even chose the best co-operator to help them when presented with a range of their mates."
Danny: "...they co-operate, they're people?
Alicia: "Sort of!"
Researchers continue to find more and more human-like behaviours
Now, Danny's bluff character and native wit carry him through these encounters, but there is a good reason why he persists in asking these seemingly crazy questions.
According to philosopher Julian Baggini, it is possible that non-human animals like chimps could be people.
"You could say that an adult chimp has more of the characteristics of a person than a new born baby," he says.
After all, though humans and chimps are different species, they share up to 99.4% of their most crucial DNA (the figure is difficult to calculate exactly and depends on the scientist you speak to). And to prove how similar we are to chimps, Danny takes part in a potentially humiliating experiment.
The scent of male sweat is controlled by their genes, in both chimps and men. In a blind test, three women were asked to sniff the sweat of Danny and Cody the chimp, to see which one they fancied most.
When they found out afterwards that one of the odours was from a chimp, there was laughter. When they realised that two out of three had preferred the chimp, there was nervous laughter.
'Learning key'
When Danny finally reaches Des Moines, the issue comes into focus.
 The chimp and human genomes are very, very close |
Having brushed his teeth Kanzi, a 26-year-old bonobo, built like a heavyweight boxer and who is five times stronger than an average man, looks into Danny's eyes and asks him to play "Chase".
So they hang out together for a while, because that's what Kanzi has learned to do. And for Sue Savage Rumbaugh, learning is the key.
"Take a human child. If you lock him into a cage, never take him to the mall, never give him ice-cream, never teach him to communicate - how could he become a person?" asks Sue.
Chimps are human? Never. Chimps are people? You decide.
Horizon: Chimps Are People Too is on BBC Two at 2100 BST on Tuesday 10 October. Watch video highlights at Horizon's website.
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has denied that the decision to lift UK flight restrictions was the result of pressure from the airline industry.
Ash cloud: Lord Adonis denies pressure to lift ban
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis: "We have done our best"
Transport Secretary Lord Adonis has denied that the decision to lift UK flight restrictions was the result of pressure from the airline industry.
The ban on flights due to the volcanic ash cloud from Iceland over the UK was removed at 2200 BST on Tuesday.
Lord Adonis said the move had been made after an assessment of how much ash in the atmosphere was safe for aircraft.
The Conservatives questioned why this had not been established earlier, and urged an inquiry into the "fiasco".
'Urgent issue'
Airlines and airports had been keen for the restrictions to be lifted, with several carriers - including British Airways - conducting test flights that they said demonstrated it was safe to fly.
On Monday, British Airways asked the European Union and the UK government for financial compensation for the disruption, saying the shutdown was costing it £15m-£20m a day.
UK airports operator BAA said the ban was costing it £5m-£6m a day.
Asked by presenter Jeremy Paxman on BBC Two's Newsnight programme about how much pressure the government had come under from the airlines, Lord Adonis said: "They have obviously wanted to be able to fly their planes - of course they have - but that has not been the issue at stake here.
"The issue at stake here has been the assessment of the safety authorities as to what is the safe way in which planes can fly when there is a presence of ash.
"The fact which has changed in the last week is we have had a volcanic eruption and having to assess safe levels of ash content in the atmosphere within which planes can fly has been an urgent issue which the safety authorities have had to deal with.
"That's been what's changed over the last five days - it's not been pressure from the industry."
'Let down'
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "This solution has been reached as a result of the close working between the government, the Civil Aviation Authority, airlines and the manufacturers, and will allow the thousands of UK citizens stranded abroad to return home to their families."
He added: "We will of course continue to monitor the situation closely. As we have said throughout safety is our primary concern."
But shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said Labour's "misjudgement and mismanagement" had "badly let down" the travelling public and urged the prime minister to immediately announce a full inquiry into the "fiasco".
She added: "Six days into the crisis, we're suddenly told that there are actually levels of ash which are compatible with safe flying.
"The question angry passengers and airlines are already asking is why the government hadn't worked this out before the crisis occurred."
But Lord Adonis said: "The government has taken every measure we can, and at every stage. We have done everything we reasonably can to protect the travelling public."
Tolerance levels
Dame Deirdre Hutton, of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), said there had been detailed consultation with experts to reassess the tolerance of planes to the ash cloud.
The CAA said it was a "situation without precedent" and that decisions had been made based on "thorough gathering of data and analysis".
"The major barrier to resuming flights has been understanding tolerance levels of aircraft to ash," the CAA said.
"Manufacturers have now agreed increased tolerance levels in low ash density areas."
After the lifting of the restrictions, the first British Airways flight to touch down from Heathrow was a service already in the air from Vancouver, which landed shortly before 2200 BST.
The airline's chief executive Willie Walsh said he was pleased with the decision, but said it would take weeks to get back to normal levels of operation.
He said: "We're now at British Airways going to start the difficult task of getting our stranded customers back home. I think this is an airlift that is unprecedented but we will make every effort to get our people back home."
Mr Walsh said "lessons can be learned" and added: "There will be plenty of time for a post-mortem of what has happened over the last few days." He said parts of UK airspace could have been opened several days ago.
"My personal belief is that we could have safely continued operating for a period of time. I think there were occasions when the decision to close airspace could have been justified," he said.
Flights have been grounded across the UK and much of Europe since Thursday following the eruption of Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull.
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