Wild elephants often move in herds. However, they frequently leave the companionship of their pack and break off into smaller groups to compete with other elephants for good and grazing land. Elephants were shown samples of pack members’ urine and, in general, reacted with surprise when presented with the scent of a family member that they believed not to be in the area. Dr. Lucy Bates, one of the researchers involved in this study, elaborated on the phenomenon when speaking to the media:

“We reckoned that only if each elephant was continually updating its memory of where everyone was, and was able to identify specific individuals from their urine, would they show any different reaction to such cases.”

The elephants’ need to keep track of their fellow pack members has interesting parallels with human behaviour. Anybody with young children, for example, will know how difficult it can be to keep track of youngsters in a crowded area. As Dr. Richard Byrne of St. Andrews University comments:

“You think of a comparable human situation – perhaps a mum in the supermarket with three kids and a husband who’d rather be looking in the DIY section – keeping track of four or five people is really quite a strain. But our elephants are doing it in parties of 20 to 30 family members. It may be that where elephants really excel in memory is not remembering things for very long periods but in everyday working memory – where it is important to update and delete things rather than remember things forever.”

If only human parents could adopt a similar technique!

Here’s why sleep is so important.

A good night’s sleep helps you to live longer. Sleep duration has declined from an average of eight hours during the early 1990s to about seven hours today. At the same time scientists have found that blood pressure has become a growing problem in the western world. Sure, people are now consuming fatty foods as never before, but the relationship between poor sleep patterns and the increasing incidence of high blood pressure holds true even after accounting for other causal factors.

Sleep helps you look better. Well, we all know that, so why the need to elaborate? In any case, there are hundreds of creams and lotions which will help get rid of those nasty dark circles and bags under your eyes. However, researchers have found that dark circles are probably the least of your worries. People who receive insufficient sleep undergo the same changes in metabolism that humans experience as they age. So effectively, you’re making yourself look older by not getting that much-needed shut-eye.

Sleep helps build a better brain. It goes without saying that we all feel a lot more alert after a good night’s sleep. However, sleep also improves your memory and problem-solving skills. Furthermore, lack of sleep can have similar effects on the brain as an evening of light boozing. If you’ve been up for seventeen hours straight, you’re likely to be as alert as someone who has a blood alcohol level of 0.05 percent.

Sleep can help you lose a few pounds. For one thing, you won’t be tempted to scoff down ice cream at 1 am. However, inadequate sleep also lowers leptin levels. This is the hormone which instructs your body to ‘feel full.’

I doubt I’ll be compromising as much on sleep next term!

Female foeticide has long been a problem in a number of Asian countries, especially India. However, researchers and social workers now believe that many UK Asians may be choosing to abort female foetuses rather than experience the ‘shame’ of having a female child.

The study, carried out by Oxford University examined birth statistics within the Asian community between 1990 and 2005. It found that 1,500 girls are missing from national birth data in England and Wales. In addition, the proportion of sons born to Asian women has been steadily increasing since the 1970s. In 1970, statistics suggest that 103 British Asian boys were born for every 100 girls. Between 2000 and 2005, however, the ratio had increased to 114 boys for every 100 girls. The difference may appear small, indeed insignificant, but it is a trend which can only really be explained by female foeticide. Dr, Sylvie Dubec, who was responsible for undertaking this study has underlined the problem posed by sex-selective abortion:

“According to my calculation around 1,500 girls are missing… it’s significant compared to the total number of births.”

However, this is a trend that is likely to continue. In India, the perceived superiority of the male child is a widely held notion. Many British Asian women state that they abort female foetuses in order to avoid pressure back home. Speaking anonymously to the BBC, one lady described her thoughts on learning the sex of her baby:

“Unfortunately, it was another girl. My husband and I thought the burden would probably be too much and the pressure when I got back home. So we decided to terminate.”

As a reflection of the extent of this problem, many British Asian women are willing to go back to their countries of origin simply to abort female foetuses. This is despite the fact that, officially at least, female foeticide has been illegal in India since 1980. However, during the last 25 years some seven million girls have been reported as ‘missing’ from Indian population statistics. Without government action, there is every chance that this sorry tale will be repeated in the UK as well.

The traffic lights utilise a 3.6 square metre solar panel. It is hoped that these panels, which have been specifically designed to capture as much of the sun’s rays as possible, will also be cost-effective. The traffic lights have also been fitted with specialised LEDs designed to use considerably less power than conventional traffic lights. However, the South African authorities are leaving little to chance. Evaluations of the cost-effectiveness of the project are to be carried out after 3 months. Furthermore, in order to discourage vandalism, designers have installed the device atop 16-metre-high poles. Batteries are encased in concrete boxes to prevent them from being stolen and used for other purposes.

Cape Town’s director of transport and roads explained the rationale behind the aforementioned plan in a recent interview with news agencies:

“The city is very much environmentally conscious. We are hoping to get uninterrupted power supply for traffic lights in Cape Town so when there are power outages like we have had over the past 2 years, we will not have traffic jams. Power interruptions mean traffic officers have to be sent to the affected junctions, and given the limited resources it is near impossible to get to all the junctions around the city. So far it seems like it is working reasonably well… but we have not had any power outages recently, so we will have to cut the power at some stage to look at the implications.”

According to Dr. Todd Frasier of hospital in the Queensland hospital:

The patient was drip-fed about three standard drinks an hour for three days in the intensive care unit. Fortunately for him he was in a medically induced coma for a good portion of that. By the time he woke up I think his hangover would have well and truly gone.

The patient was hospitalized for 20 days following the incident and is currently receiving counseling. Whilst the actions of the doctors have been praised, however, some critics have pointed out that the hospital shouldn’t have run out of medical alcohol in the first place. Nevertheless, it goes without saying that the doctors involved deserve to be praised for their willingness to innovate and adapt to difficult situations.

The Zimbabwean government has blamed poor harvests on the failed farming techniques of those farmers who have taken over the land of white settlers in recent years. According to Zimbabwe’s Agriculture Minister:

“I am disappointed that our new farmers have proved to be failures since the start of the land reform programme in 2000. In spite of all the support government has been pouring into the agricultural sector, productivity and under-utilisation of land remain issues of concern. I am painfully aware of the widespread theft of stock, farm produce, irrigation equipment and the general vandalism of infrastructure by our new farmers.”

However, it is likely that production figures have also been affected by a number of other factors. Unreliable power supplies have left many farmers unable to irrigate their own land.

Poor harvests are likely to have a dire effect on Zimbabwe’s already-impoverished farmers. Without a decent harvest, farmers are unable to earn sufficient income to pay off their debts. This is particularly worrying as a large number of Zimbabwean farmers were known to have taken up loans during the winter months. The situation has been worsened by a foreign currency crisis which has resulted in sky-rocketing inflation. However, the Zimbabwean President, Robert Mugabe, continues to blame the West for the situation. In recent months, he has argued that the economic crisis in Zimbabwe was the result of a plot on the part of foreign businessmen to oust him.

However, industry insiders are anything but convinced. Douglas McGeorge, head of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, has highlighted the lack of regulation in the sector in a recent interview. Speaking to the media, he stated:

“Basically if you wanted to have Botox administered on a park bench, you could do it, these days. To foster a ‘wild west’ approach is not only an affront to reputable professionals who follow the rules, but ultimately creates an unsafe environment for the public. Botox has to be prescribed, so you get your voucher and can take it to a practitioner to get the treatment done. However, the treatment is paid for long before any counselling takes place – before a decision can be made as to whether it is appropriate for that person.”

This lack of regulation has led to the emergence of a number of other risky practices. These include the sale of products and services via the Internet. One such product, Isolagen, became ‘available’ online to UK customers 3 months ago. This was despite the fact that the product had been banned in the United States as early as in 1999. Describing the situation, Mr. McGeorge stated:

“The public needs to be realistic about the outcomes they can expect from new cosmetic treatments, at least until solid clinical evidence of their efficacy exists.”

However, representatives from the UK government believe that self-regulation will be sufficient to prevent the sale of such products in the future. One spokesperson at the Department of Health stated that the regulation of the sector was a ‘top priority for the government:

“We have every confidence that self-regulation will result in improvements for people choosing these non-surgical cosmetic treatments. Our plans for change are driven by the need to ensure that we only regulate in cases where the reduction in risks to safety arising from public regulation clearly outweigh the costs and burdens that regulation brings. In this case we feel that we can best protect people who wish to have these treatments by using other tools at our disposal.”

In February, a 12-year-old boy, Deamonte Driver, died after an untreated tooth abscess which spread to his brain. His family lacked medical insurance and was unable to afford private dental treatment. His death had an enormous impact on the local community. According to Gina James, the principal at Deamonte’s school,

“The thing about Deamonte was his smile, he was always smiling. Everyone here was shocked. They couldn’t understand how he could have toothache and then die. We sometimes give the little kids candy as a reward; well, for a while they stopped taking it because they would say ‘if I get a cavity, will I die?”

However, as tragic as Deamonte’s story is, it’s a case that has been repeated time and time again across the United States. Whilst the poorest are offered medical benefits in the form of Medicaid, not all dentists and doctors accept Medicaid patients. It’s a scandal which has appeared to unite American politicians across party lines. A bill to extend medical benefits to cover another 4 million children was passed in the Senate with a majority of 38 votes. However, the bill failed to pass through the House of Representatives with a two-thirds majority, meaning the President can still veto it. And it is likely that George W. Bush will veto the bill when presented with it. Mr. Bush is a firm believer in the private health care system and opposes the proposed legislation on the grounds that it:

“directs scarce funding to higher incomes at the expense of poor families.”

This statement appears somewhat confusing; after all, we’d expect the legislation to help poor families. As one analyst put it:

“In effect, both supporters and opponents of the bill say the other side risks health coverage for children.”

However, Labour insiders have argued that their party’s recent employee acquisitions should not be taken as a sign that a general election is on the cards. Furthermore, Gordon Brown continues to claim that he has no intention to make an immediate announcement. However, as one analyst has pointed out, Labour’s recent hiring campaign was an indication that the Party “had moved beyond contingency planning to active preparation for an election campaign, which a growing number believe Mr. Brown is about to launch.” Pressure for a snap election has come from younger members of the Labour government, including David Miliband, and the current education secretary, Ed Balls. Speaking to the media, Mr. Balls stated:

“They [the public] need to know the nature of the very real and clear choice facing the country in the coming years – a Labour party and government led by Gordon Brown and a Conservative government led by David Cameron.”

The Conservative Party has suggested that they are fully prepared for a general election whenever it may be called. The Party has accumulated some £10 million in funds for election-related expenditures. Conservative party strategists have also highlighted so-called ‘target seats’. Further plans for an upcoming election are likely to be made when Conservative party members meet next week for their annual conference in Blackpool. Both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have called on the Prime Minister to announce a general election so that the public can pass judgement on the present administration. The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Menzies Campbell, voiced his opinion on the matter in a recent interview:

“The continuous speculation is bad for the economy, bad for the political process and bad for public confidence in the government. The Liberal Democrats are ready and waiting for a general election as soon as possible.”

The researchers at the University of Southern Denmark surveyed 90,000 women on their exercise regimes and the progress of their pregnancies. Not only were women who played ‘high impact’ sports such as ball games more likely to suffer a miscarriage, but those who exercised for more than seven and a half hours a week were subject to a similar risk as well. However, the relationship between exercise and miscarriage risks reduced significantly after the first eighteen weeks of pregnancy. Commenting in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the scientists undertaking the survey stated:

“The results of this study suggest that leisure time exercise during pregnancy, and particularly high-impact exercise, is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage in the early stage of pregnancy.”

However, critics of the survey have been quick to suggest that the methods employed during the survey were fundamentally flawed. The study required women to recall the amount of exercise they undertook during the survey. However, the scientists had no way of corroborating the information provided to them by their subjects. In addition, women’s advocates have argued that such findings could inadvertently have an adverse impact on the health of pregnant women. In particular, critics argue that a lack of exercise could lead to high obesity rates among pregnant women. This in turn would have an adverse effect on the health of unborn children. According to Alison Merry from the organisation, Blooming Fit, which plans exercise and fitness programs for pregnant women,

“The benefits of exercising during pregnancy are clear – it improves the cardiovascular system, and maintains muscle tone. While I would say that getting a hockey ball in the stomach is not a good idea, I can’t think of any reason why jogging would be harmful.”

She encouraged women to engage in activities such as swimming – this form of exercise has been shown to have particular benefits for pregnant women.