Unrelenting violence and insecurity in Iraq could cause as many as 1 million Iraqis to flee their homes this year, the world's migration body said Friday.
"The numbers of people that are being displaced are increasing every day," said Jemini Pandaya, spokeswoman for the International Organization for Migration. "The security situation is not improving. It's not changing."
Pandaya said the organization's estimate was made "on the assumption that security conditions will continue much as they are."
The possibility of neighboring countries, such as Syria, closing their borders would mean even more of the displaced would only be able to get as far as other parts of Iraq.
On Thursday, the U.N. refugee agency appealed to the European Union to do more to protect refugees fleeing Iraq, saying the war was the cause of the biggest displacement of people in the Middle East in recent history.
"The humanitarian situation is grave and deteriorating. States should respond to the protection needs of Iraqi asylum seekers on their territory," said Madeline Garlick, a spokeswoman for the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees in Brussels.
That appeal came a day after Washington announced it will allow about 7,000 Iraqis into the United States this year — up from 202 in 2006 — and will pay more to help Iraq's neighbors cope with the surge of refugees.
As the bloodshed in Iraq has increased, European governments have come under increasing pressure to open their doors to asylum-seekers. Many are worried that an escalation in violence in 2007 could generate a fresh wave of refugees.
The U.N. appeal came as the EU announced it would contribute $13 million more for Iraqi refugees. About 60 percent will go to help those who have fled to Syria, Jordan and Lebanon.
LINK
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Low IQ inmates a 'hidden problem'
Nearly 6,000 British prisoners have low IQs, according to new research by the University of Liverpool on behalf of the Prison Reform Trust (PRT).
Inmates at Liverpool men's prison, Styal women's prison in Cheshire, and a young offenders' prison in Hindley, near Wigan, took part in the survey.
Projected figures showed that a quarter of British prisoners have an IQ of less than 80 - the national average is 100.
The charity said the research indicated a "vast hidden problem".
PRT director Juliet Lyon said: "This research reveals for the first time that high numbers of people with learning disabilities and difficulties are held behind bars.
"It raises important questions about how they got caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place and whether those responsible for special education, social care and family support could have done more to prevent this".
She added that those with learning difficulties and disabilities in the criminal justice system were "left to wander between police station, court and prison."
The research has been released ahead of the launch in March of "No One Knows", a new UK-wide programme of work to investigate and improve the treatment of people with learning disabilities and difficulties in the criminal justice system.
Author Dr Pat Mottram said: "Overall our findings show that the average IQ of the prison population is 13 below the national average of 100.
"Many will struggle to make sense of their experience of imprisonment", she added.
Skills Minister Phil Hope welcomed the research, saying the government had set in motion major reforms of education for prisoners.
LINK
Inmates at Liverpool men's prison, Styal women's prison in Cheshire, and a young offenders' prison in Hindley, near Wigan, took part in the survey.
Projected figures showed that a quarter of British prisoners have an IQ of less than 80 - the national average is 100.
The charity said the research indicated a "vast hidden problem".
PRT director Juliet Lyon said: "This research reveals for the first time that high numbers of people with learning disabilities and difficulties are held behind bars.
"It raises important questions about how they got caught up in the criminal justice system in the first place and whether those responsible for special education, social care and family support could have done more to prevent this".
She added that those with learning difficulties and disabilities in the criminal justice system were "left to wander between police station, court and prison."
The research has been released ahead of the launch in March of "No One Knows", a new UK-wide programme of work to investigate and improve the treatment of people with learning disabilities and difficulties in the criminal justice system.
Author Dr Pat Mottram said: "Overall our findings show that the average IQ of the prison population is 13 below the national average of 100.
"Many will struggle to make sense of their experience of imprisonment", she added.
Skills Minister Phil Hope welcomed the research, saying the government had set in motion major reforms of education for prisoners.
LINK
Chimps Hunt Using Spears
Chimpanzees 'hunt using spears'
Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology.
Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks.
The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution.
Chimps had not been previously observed hunting other animals with tools.
Pruetz and Bertolani made the discovery at their research site in Fongoli, Senegal, between March 2005 and July 2006.
"There were hints that this behaviour might occur, but it was one time at a different site," said Jill Pruetz, assistant professor of anthropology at Iowa State University, US.
"While in Senegal for the spring semester, I saw about 13 different hunting bouts. So it really is habitual."
Jabbing weapon
Chimpanzees were observed jabbing the spears into hollow trunks or branches, over and over again. After the chimp removed the tool, it would frequently smell or lick it.
In the vast majority of cases, the chimps used the tools in the manner of a spear, not as probes. The researchers say they were using enough force to injure an animal that may have been hiding inside.
However, they did not photograph the behaviour, or capture it on film.
Senegal chimp Image: Iowa State University
Adolescent females exhibited the behaviour most frequently (Image: M Gaspersic)
In one case, Pruetz and Bertolani, from the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies in Cambridge, UK, witnessed a chimpanzee extract a bushbaby with a spear.
In most cases, the Fongoli chimpanzees carried out four or more steps to manufacture spears for hunting.
In all but one of the cases, chimps broke off a living branch to make their tool. They would then trim the side branches and leaves.
In a number of cases, chimps also trimmed the ends of the branch and stripped it of bark. Some chimps also sharpened the tip of the tool with their teeth.
Female lead
Adult males have long been regarded as the hunters in chimp groups.
But the authors of the paper in Current Biology said females, particularly adolescent females, and young chimps in general were seen exhibiting this behaviour more frequently than adult males.
"It's classic in primates that when there is a new innovation, particularly in terms of tool use, the younger generations pick it up very quickly. The last ones to pick up are adults, mainly the males," said Dr Pruetz, who led the National Geographic Society-funded project.
This is because young chimps pick the skill up from their mothers, with whom they spend a lot of their time.
"It's a niche that males seem to ignore," Dr Pruetz told BBC News.
Many areas where chimpanzees live are also home to the red colobus monkey, which the chimps hunt. However, the Senegal site is lacking in this species, so chimps may have needed to adopt a new hunting strategy to catch a different prey - bushbaby.
The authors conclude that their findings support a theory that females may have played a similarly important role in the evolution of tool technology among early humans.
LINK
Chimpanzees in Senegal have been observed making and using wooden spears to hunt other primates, according to a study in the journal Current Biology.
Researchers documented 22 cases of chimps fashioning tools to jab at smaller primates sheltering in cavities of hollow branches or tree trunks.
The report's authors, Jill Pruetz and Paco Bertolani, said the finding could have implications for human evolution.
Chimps had not been previously observed hunting other animals with tools.
Pruetz and Bertolani made the discovery at their research site in Fongoli, Senegal, between March 2005 and July 2006.
"There were hints that this behaviour might occur, but it was one time at a different site," said Jill Pruetz, assistant professor of anthropology at Iowa State University, US.
"While in Senegal for the spring semester, I saw about 13 different hunting bouts. So it really is habitual."
Jabbing weapon
Chimpanzees were observed jabbing the spears into hollow trunks or branches, over and over again. After the chimp removed the tool, it would frequently smell or lick it.
In the vast majority of cases, the chimps used the tools in the manner of a spear, not as probes. The researchers say they were using enough force to injure an animal that may have been hiding inside.
However, they did not photograph the behaviour, or capture it on film.
Senegal chimp Image: Iowa State University
Adolescent females exhibited the behaviour most frequently (Image: M Gaspersic)
In one case, Pruetz and Bertolani, from the Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies in Cambridge, UK, witnessed a chimpanzee extract a bushbaby with a spear.
In most cases, the Fongoli chimpanzees carried out four or more steps to manufacture spears for hunting.
In all but one of the cases, chimps broke off a living branch to make their tool. They would then trim the side branches and leaves.
In a number of cases, chimps also trimmed the ends of the branch and stripped it of bark. Some chimps also sharpened the tip of the tool with their teeth.
Female lead
Adult males have long been regarded as the hunters in chimp groups.
But the authors of the paper in Current Biology said females, particularly adolescent females, and young chimps in general were seen exhibiting this behaviour more frequently than adult males.
"It's classic in primates that when there is a new innovation, particularly in terms of tool use, the younger generations pick it up very quickly. The last ones to pick up are adults, mainly the males," said Dr Pruetz, who led the National Geographic Society-funded project.
This is because young chimps pick the skill up from their mothers, with whom they spend a lot of their time.
"It's a niche that males seem to ignore," Dr Pruetz told BBC News.
Many areas where chimpanzees live are also home to the red colobus monkey, which the chimps hunt. However, the Senegal site is lacking in this species, so chimps may have needed to adopt a new hunting strategy to catch a different prey - bushbaby.
The authors conclude that their findings support a theory that females may have played a similarly important role in the evolution of tool technology among early humans.
LINK
Pill That Can Boost Young Brains By Three Years
A DAILY dose of healthy fats can boost the brain development of children by three years in only three months, according to startling research.
Children given capsules of omega-3 and omega-6 fats grew additional 'grey matter' which helps intelligence.
Brain scans which showed the evidence of changes were reinforced by results in tests of reading, concentration and short-term memory.
Youngsters who took part in the study increased their reading age by an average of a year and a quarter during the three month trial.
Scientists behind the study say they were astonished by the changes in the four participating children, who were aged between eight and 13.
Scans showed their brains developed three years in as many months as nerve fibres grew additional branches.
It suggests pupils across the country are deficient in 'smart fats' because the children in the study had typical youngsters' diets laden with refined sugar and junk food.
Professor Basant Puri, who led the research, believes mass supplementation of schoolchildren is now needed.
Because they are unlikely to consume optimum quantities of omega- 3 and omega-6 which are derived from oily fish and a pure form of evening primrose oil through eating normal diets alone, they need to be given the fats in the form of supplements.
His study adds to growing evidence that healthy fats can help improve children's learning power, concentration and behaviour even among those with no obvious problems.
The professor even believes many adults would benefit from additional healthy fats because they help keep brain degeneration at bay.
The scientist, who is professor of imaging and psychiatry at Imperial College London and consultant in neurological disorders at Hammersmith Hospital, has taken the supplements himself for three years.
The study, funded by TV production company Endemol, will feature in a Channel Five documentary on Thursday.
The children were given the supplement VegEPA, containing a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The youngsters took two capsules a day for three months and were encouraged to cut down on fatty snacks, fizzy drinks and become more active.
After three months, remarkable improvements were seen, according to Professor Puri.
The average increase in the children's reading age was a year and a quarter while their handwriting became more accurate and neater.
In one measurement of concentration, three children scored perfect results even though they are not top of the class at school. They also dramatically improved their short-term memory.
One boy who previously scorned books and was hooked on TV developed a love of reading and declared he was 'bored' with television.
However, the most striking finding emerged from the brain scans, which all suggested they had denser nerve fibres.
Professor Puri said: 'The results were astonishing. It was as if these were the brains of children three years older.' The Food Standards Agency reviewed the evidence but found the benefits were still a grey area. However, nutritionists are challenging the finding.
LINK
Children given capsules of omega-3 and omega-6 fats grew additional 'grey matter' which helps intelligence.
Brain scans which showed the evidence of changes were reinforced by results in tests of reading, concentration and short-term memory.
Youngsters who took part in the study increased their reading age by an average of a year and a quarter during the three month trial.
Scientists behind the study say they were astonished by the changes in the four participating children, who were aged between eight and 13.
Scans showed their brains developed three years in as many months as nerve fibres grew additional branches.
It suggests pupils across the country are deficient in 'smart fats' because the children in the study had typical youngsters' diets laden with refined sugar and junk food.
Professor Basant Puri, who led the research, believes mass supplementation of schoolchildren is now needed.
Because they are unlikely to consume optimum quantities of omega- 3 and omega-6 which are derived from oily fish and a pure form of evening primrose oil through eating normal diets alone, they need to be given the fats in the form of supplements.
His study adds to growing evidence that healthy fats can help improve children's learning power, concentration and behaviour even among those with no obvious problems.
The professor even believes many adults would benefit from additional healthy fats because they help keep brain degeneration at bay.
The scientist, who is professor of imaging and psychiatry at Imperial College London and consultant in neurological disorders at Hammersmith Hospital, has taken the supplements himself for three years.
The study, funded by TV production company Endemol, will feature in a Channel Five documentary on Thursday.
The children were given the supplement VegEPA, containing a combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The youngsters took two capsules a day for three months and were encouraged to cut down on fatty snacks, fizzy drinks and become more active.
After three months, remarkable improvements were seen, according to Professor Puri.
The average increase in the children's reading age was a year and a quarter while their handwriting became more accurate and neater.
In one measurement of concentration, three children scored perfect results even though they are not top of the class at school. They also dramatically improved their short-term memory.
One boy who previously scorned books and was hooked on TV developed a love of reading and declared he was 'bored' with television.
However, the most striking finding emerged from the brain scans, which all suggested they had denser nerve fibres.
Professor Puri said: 'The results were astonishing. It was as if these were the brains of children three years older.' The Food Standards Agency reviewed the evidence but found the benefits were still a grey area. However, nutritionists are challenging the finding.
LINK
'Stealth' gonorrhoea on the rise
"Stealth" strains of gonorrhoea that fail to show up in tests are on the rise across the world, researchers have discovered, because the tests used by doctors to identify the bacteria look for an enzyme no longer present in those strains.
The rising prevalence of these strains was found in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland and Denmark. The findings should prompt clinics to change practice and use at least two tests that work in different ways to detect the infection, the scientists say.
The prolyliminopeptidase (PIP) enzyme was previously thought to be present in all strains of gonorrhoea and was therefore used in many diagnostic tests. However, mutations or deletions in the PIP gene that prevent the production of this enzyme had been identified in some strains. Gonorrhoea is known for its ability to mutate throughout its entire growth phase.
Magnus Unemo, a microbiologist at Orebro University Hospital, Sweden and colleagues examined a total of 41 samples lacking the PIP enzyme from patients in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. The samples were obtained between 2001 and 2004.
To see how widespread this stealth strain is across the globe, they then compared these with samples from other studies in England and Denmark.
Widespread dissemination
All the samples from New Zealand and Scotland, and 83% of Australian samples, were indistinguishable or very similar to the English and Danish samples and had evolved from a single original strain. The data show "widespread dissemination" of the strain, the researchers say.
The strain was previously known to be circulating among homosexual men, but the new work suggests it has become a growing concern within the heterosexual population as well.
The strain did not appear resistant to the antibiotics typically used to treat gonorrhoea and all patients were given treatment.
Untreated gonorrhoea infections can cause severe and permanent health problems and can even be fatal. It can also cause infertility by harming the testicles or fallopian tubes. These risks mean it is "crucial that a rapid, highly sensitive and specific confirmation of N. gonorrhoeae is provided," the authors say.
LINK
The rising prevalence of these strains was found in Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland and Denmark. The findings should prompt clinics to change practice and use at least two tests that work in different ways to detect the infection, the scientists say.
The prolyliminopeptidase (PIP) enzyme was previously thought to be present in all strains of gonorrhoea and was therefore used in many diagnostic tests. However, mutations or deletions in the PIP gene that prevent the production of this enzyme had been identified in some strains. Gonorrhoea is known for its ability to mutate throughout its entire growth phase.
Magnus Unemo, a microbiologist at Orebro University Hospital, Sweden and colleagues examined a total of 41 samples lacking the PIP enzyme from patients in Australia, New Zealand and Scotland. The samples were obtained between 2001 and 2004.
To see how widespread this stealth strain is across the globe, they then compared these with samples from other studies in England and Denmark.
Widespread dissemination
All the samples from New Zealand and Scotland, and 83% of Australian samples, were indistinguishable or very similar to the English and Danish samples and had evolved from a single original strain. The data show "widespread dissemination" of the strain, the researchers say.
The strain was previously known to be circulating among homosexual men, but the new work suggests it has become a growing concern within the heterosexual population as well.
The strain did not appear resistant to the antibiotics typically used to treat gonorrhoea and all patients were given treatment.
Untreated gonorrhoea infections can cause severe and permanent health problems and can even be fatal. It can also cause infertility by harming the testicles or fallopian tubes. These risks mean it is "crucial that a rapid, highly sensitive and specific confirmation of N. gonorrhoeae is provided," the authors say.
LINK
Sleepless nights may hinder moral judgment
Sleep deprivation may lead not only to bleary-eyed mornings, but clouded moral judgment as well, a study suggests.
Army researchers found that when they subjected a group of volunteers to two sleepless nights, the lack of shut-eye seemed to hinder participants' ability to make decisions in the face of emotionally charged, moral dilemmas.
The dilemmas in this case were hypothetical scenarios, and not actual events. But the study authors say the findings could have implications for people who are both routinely sleep-deprived and often need to make quick decisions in a crisis -- such as soldiers in combat and medical professionals.
Dr. William D. S. Killgore and colleagues at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research report the findings in the journal Sleep.
In recent years, brain imaging studies have found that an area called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex appears to play an important role in forming moral judgments. There's also evidence that sleep deprivation lowers metabolic activity in this brain region, Killgore and colleagues point out.
It's possible, they speculate, that sleeplessness slows the brain's ability to integrate cognitive and emotional information, which is needed to address serious moral dilemmas.
The researchers based their findings on tests of 26 healthy military personnel. The volunteers were presented with various scenarios, then asked whether a given course of action would be "appropriate" or "inappropriate." The situations ranged from minor, morally inconsequential ones to serious personal dilemmas in which the decision would harm someone in order to protect someone else.
Study participants were presented with the scenarios before and after 53 hours of sleep deprivation.
In general, Killgore's team found, the volunteers took a longer time to mull over the morally charged questions when they were sleep-deprived than when they were well rested. This was not the case with the more minor, non-moral scenarios.
What's more, some volunteers changed their views of what was morally acceptable after they'd been awake for two days. This was not universally true, however; volunteers who, at the beginning of the study, scored high on a measure known as "emotional intelligence" did not waver on what they found morally appropriate.
Emotional intelligence refers to a person's ability to understand his or her own emotions and those of others, and to effectively relate to other people. The findings suggest that people with "particularly well-developed emotional/social capacities" are less susceptible to the effects of sleep deprivation on moral judgment, the investigators say.
There's some evidence that facets of emotional intelligence can be developed and improved, the researchers point out. It might be worthwhile, they write, to study the effects of emotional-skills training for people who routinely face moral dilemmas under stressful conditions.
SOURCE: Sleep, March 1, 2007.
LINK
Army researchers found that when they subjected a group of volunteers to two sleepless nights, the lack of shut-eye seemed to hinder participants' ability to make decisions in the face of emotionally charged, moral dilemmas.
The dilemmas in this case were hypothetical scenarios, and not actual events. But the study authors say the findings could have implications for people who are both routinely sleep-deprived and often need to make quick decisions in a crisis -- such as soldiers in combat and medical professionals.
Dr. William D. S. Killgore and colleagues at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research report the findings in the journal Sleep.
In recent years, brain imaging studies have found that an area called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex appears to play an important role in forming moral judgments. There's also evidence that sleep deprivation lowers metabolic activity in this brain region, Killgore and colleagues point out.
It's possible, they speculate, that sleeplessness slows the brain's ability to integrate cognitive and emotional information, which is needed to address serious moral dilemmas.
The researchers based their findings on tests of 26 healthy military personnel. The volunteers were presented with various scenarios, then asked whether a given course of action would be "appropriate" or "inappropriate." The situations ranged from minor, morally inconsequential ones to serious personal dilemmas in which the decision would harm someone in order to protect someone else.
Study participants were presented with the scenarios before and after 53 hours of sleep deprivation.
In general, Killgore's team found, the volunteers took a longer time to mull over the morally charged questions when they were sleep-deprived than when they were well rested. This was not the case with the more minor, non-moral scenarios.
What's more, some volunteers changed their views of what was morally acceptable after they'd been awake for two days. This was not universally true, however; volunteers who, at the beginning of the study, scored high on a measure known as "emotional intelligence" did not waver on what they found morally appropriate.
Emotional intelligence refers to a person's ability to understand his or her own emotions and those of others, and to effectively relate to other people. The findings suggest that people with "particularly well-developed emotional/social capacities" are less susceptible to the effects of sleep deprivation on moral judgment, the investigators say.
There's some evidence that facets of emotional intelligence can be developed and improved, the researchers point out. It might be worthwhile, they write, to study the effects of emotional-skills training for people who routinely face moral dilemmas under stressful conditions.
SOURCE: Sleep, March 1, 2007.
LINK
Obese couples have tougher time having babies
Obese couples have a more difficult time conceiving a baby than couples of normal weight, according to a study published on Tuesday identifying another consequence of putting on too much weight.
Researchers tracked nearly 48,000 Danish couples between 1996 and 2002, including about 7,600 couples with both the man and woman either overweight or obese according to standards set by the World Health Organization.
They measured how long it took couples to conceive a baby once they began unprotected sex in a bid to have a child.
If both the man and woman were obese, their chances of having to wait longer than a year before the woman became pregnant were nearly three times higher than for couples of normal weight, the study found.
If the man and woman were both overweight, their likelihood of waiting longer than a year before pregnancy was 1.4 times higher.
While doctors already knew that extra weight could affect fertility in women and men as individuals, this study looked at what happened to the fertility of couples when both the man and woman were overweight.
Previous research had established that semen quality and levels of reproductive hormones were diminished in overweight men, and that being overweight can harm ovulation, conception and early fetal development in women.
“If a couple is obese or overweight and if they want to have a child, we would advise them to try and lose some weight,” lead researcher Cecilia Ramlau-Hansen of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and University of California Los Angeles, said in a telephone interview.
“Especially if they have tried to become pregnant for a while and haven’t succeeded, then losing weight might help them,” Ramlau-Hansen added.
Less sex?
She said the study did not examine whether heavier couples had sex less frequently than normal weight pairs.
“If, for example, the obese couples hardly ever had sex then, of course, the chances of becoming pregnant would be reduced. But we don’t know that at all,” Ramlau-Hansen added.
The research did not look at whether sterility occurred more often in obese or overweight couples.
“No, we don’t think obesity can make people sterile. But we think that the heavier they get, the longer it will take them to become pregnant,” Ramlau-Hansen added.
The findings were published in the journal Human Reproduction.
LINK
Researchers tracked nearly 48,000 Danish couples between 1996 and 2002, including about 7,600 couples with both the man and woman either overweight or obese according to standards set by the World Health Organization.
They measured how long it took couples to conceive a baby once they began unprotected sex in a bid to have a child.
If both the man and woman were obese, their chances of having to wait longer than a year before the woman became pregnant were nearly three times higher than for couples of normal weight, the study found.
If the man and woman were both overweight, their likelihood of waiting longer than a year before pregnancy was 1.4 times higher.
While doctors already knew that extra weight could affect fertility in women and men as individuals, this study looked at what happened to the fertility of couples when both the man and woman were overweight.
Previous research had established that semen quality and levels of reproductive hormones were diminished in overweight men, and that being overweight can harm ovulation, conception and early fetal development in women.
“If a couple is obese or overweight and if they want to have a child, we would advise them to try and lose some weight,” lead researcher Cecilia Ramlau-Hansen of Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark and University of California Los Angeles, said in a telephone interview.
“Especially if they have tried to become pregnant for a while and haven’t succeeded, then losing weight might help them,” Ramlau-Hansen added.
Less sex?
She said the study did not examine whether heavier couples had sex less frequently than normal weight pairs.
“If, for example, the obese couples hardly ever had sex then, of course, the chances of becoming pregnant would be reduced. But we don’t know that at all,” Ramlau-Hansen added.
The research did not look at whether sterility occurred more often in obese or overweight couples.
“No, we don’t think obesity can make people sterile. But we think that the heavier they get, the longer it will take them to become pregnant,” Ramlau-Hansen added.
The findings were published in the journal Human Reproduction.
LINK
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