Alzheimer's disease linked to more genes

April 3, 2011 was last updated on 20: 30 ET by James Gallagher health reporter , BBC News the Alzheimer's society predicts that the number of people with dementia will reach a million by 2021 five more genes that the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease increase have been identified, scientists say.

It takes the number of identified genes associated with Alzheimer's disease to 10-the new genes affect three ways the body works and goals for treatment.

If the effects of all 10 could be eliminated the risk of developing the disease would be reduced by 60%, research published in nature Genetics says.

The international team warns, however, new treatments would be 15 years away.

' Clueless '

The disease is seen as up to 80% genetic. The first gene associated with the disease, APOE, more than 17 years ago was discovered but no new genes were discovered until 2009.

As Professor Kevin Morgan, of the University of Nottingham, said: "we were basically clueless."

The newly discovered genes affect three processes in the body: the way it deals with fat and cholesterol; the mechanism by which brain cells handle large molecules (Endocytosis); and the immune system.

???Continue reading the main story immune system genes: CLU CR1, ABCA7, CD33 support and EPHA1 Fat processing genes: APOE, CLU and PICALM genes: ABCA7Cell membrane, BIN1, CD33 support and CD2APCardiff University of Professor Julie Williams, who led the international study, said: "what I find exciting is that we have found specific gene processenwe now have precise objectives to identify treatments."

They said that if the effects of these genes can be removed than the number of cases could be reduced by 60%.

"There are 500,000 people with Alzheimer's disease [in the United Kingdom] so if you could prevent 60% that would be 300,000 people," she said.

Ageing of the population

Prof Morgan said: "this disease is devastating, people are desperate for any hope or further. I have no doubt that it will come, but the time frame is 10 to 15 years. "

The disease is a growing problem in the context of an ageing population. Alzheimer's disease society predicts that the number of people with dementia will reach a million by 2021.

Health economists believe all that the costs for the United Kingdom is ￡ 23bn of dementia every year.

Rebecca Wood, chief executive of Alzheimer's research United Kingdom, which part-funded the study, said: "these findings are a step in the direction of beat dementia.

"We are still looking for ways to stop this devastating condition, but this work is likely to spark off new ideas, collaborations and more research.

Dr. Susanne Sorensen, head of the research of Alzheimer's society, said: "these two robust studies mark an exciting development for scientists hope to identify a cause and find a cure for Alzheimer's disease.

"Although these studies will give us no nearer to predict who might be at greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, they will give scientists clues as how Alzheimer's disease might develop, especially their identification may also lead to the development of new drug treatments in the long term."

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Arrest over killing of a woman, 80

April 2, 2011 was last updated on 14 : 40 ET the woman's body was found in a house in Barrowby a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after an 80-year-old woman dead in her home Lincolnshire was found.

Body of the woman was discovered in the House in Barrowby, near Grantham, in the early hours of Saturday.

Lincolnshire police said later that a 53-year-old man was arrested in "the south Wales area".

Questions remain in an attempt to confirm the cause of death. Police said that they would not reveal the victim's name before family members had raised.

South Wales Police said the arrest was made "in the area of Swansea".

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Benefit crackdown begins

April 3, 2011 was last updated on 23 : 55 ET the Government wants to reduce the number of long-term incapacity benefit claimants of the one-and-a-half million people who claim incapacity benefit will begin to receive letters this week asking them to be tested on their ability to work.

The new evaluations are part of the Government plans to increase the number of long-term claimants in an ongoing programme through to 2014.

Nearly 30% of those who took the test during pilot projects in Burnley and Aberdeen were declared fit to work.

Disability Charities say however that many of the evaluations are unfair.

Potential

But Minister for work and pensions, Chris Grayling said: "my message to people who are worried about this process is that this is all about helping those who can return to work.

"It's not about forcing people to return to work, but we do the evaluations, unless we identify who has that potential, we never be able to offer help."

During the pilot scheme, a further 39% were rated as able to work but need the right support to do this.

Under the initiative, once plaintiffs have an assessment work capacity it will be placed in one of the three groups.

Directly suitable for work will be placed on the job seeker fee.

Which may be deemed unable to work because of illness or disability will be entitled to the highest rate of employment support allowance, and will not be expected to look for work.

A middle section-those who are long-term unemployed but judged capable of doing any kind of work will be placed in a "work-related activities group".

"Fair and effective"

They will be expected to prepare for a return to employment measures.

Early indications showed 70% of the incapacity benefit claimants had the potential to work.

The fitness test work was last year after widespread criticism changed.

Charities concern that wrongly focused on someone's physical ability to work and did not take into consideration other factors such as mental health.

They also warned that not enough people can prepare for the test were given.

This was supported by an independent evaluation of the system in November calling for a "more fair and effective" process.

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Black poet ' axed from folders "

April 3, 2011, last updated on 09 : 32 ET Benjamin Zephaniah urges the people to "everyone's telling" by backing AV defenders of AV voting system are accused of "airbrushing" black poet Benjamin Zephaniah from leaflets sent to parts of the country.

The campaign "Yes to AV" his photo on literature used in London used but another supporter-the actor Tony Robinson-featured in other parts of the United Kingdom, the Sunday Telegraph reports.

The "no" campaign said his rival embarrassed "" the poet's support.

But the "Yes" campaign called the allegation "a new low".

It said it varied the celebrity lenders are contained on folders if there were "a number".

Yes calls AV of literature people in support of a transition from first-past-the-post Westminster elections to an alternative vote in the national referendum will be held on 5 May.

Celebrities Joanna Lumley, Eddie Izzard, Colin Firth, Honor Blackman and Stephen Fry on both sets of folders displayed by the Sunday Telegraph.

???Continue reading the main story

Currently, members of Parliament elected by the first-past-the-post system, where the candidate with the most votes in a constituency is elected.

On May 5, all registered UK voters can vote yes or no on whether to change the way MPs are elected to the alternative vote system.

Under the alternative vote system ranked voters in their constituency candidates in order of preference.

Everyone gets more than 50% of first-preference votes is selected.

If no one is 50% of the votes, the candidate with the least number of votes is eliminated and their backers second choices to the remaining assigned.

This process continues until one candidate is at least 50% of all votes in that round.

In London is a photo of Mr Zephaniah reportedly included, with the poet quoted demanding an electoral system that "everyone's count of votes makes".

But in near-identical folders, allegedly sent to locations, including Sussex and Cornwall, he is apparently replaced by Mr Robinson, star of the BBC comedy BlackAdder and the Channel 4 Archaeology Show Team.

Terry Paul, a spokesman for the NO to AV-campaign, said: "why are AV ashamed to Yes on the support of Benjamin Zephaniah in places such as Cornwall and Hampshire?

"The ' yes ' campaign leaflet offers a chilling preview of politics under the alternative vote.

"We have warned that AV parties admit to extremist views in a Chase for second and third preference votes would boost, but we never thought that the first example of such outdated ideas would come from the ' yes ' campaign itself."

A ' yes ' campaign spokesman said: "these accusations mark a new low point for the ' no ' campaign and their increasingly desperate smears.

"Let's put it this way: operation Black vote, the Islamic Council of Great Britain and a host of similar groups backed the ' yes ' campaign. The BNP back-the ' no ' campaign. People can draw their own conclusions. "

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Britain's pupils are ' bad losers '

April 3, 2011 was last updated on 21: 59 ET by Hannah Richardson BBC News education parents reporter on the playing fields can be just as bad sports if their children the UK's school children find it difficult to lose graciously in sport, and their parents can be just as bad, a survey has suggested.

Two-thirds of parents of eight to 16-year-olds said that their children responded badly when they lost, the poll found.

A further two-thirds of the respondents said parents misbehaving when watching children matches.

Some 1,007 1008 parents and children in the age of eight to 16 were questioned for the survey by opinion matters.

Parents who were questioned described other parents if the opposition mocking and even using foul language with the referee or umpire.

Sulking, getting upset and crying were some of the most common antics of sore losers — whether they were parents or children.

A child in the survey described how after they beat someone at squash, their opponent kicked the wall and broke two of their toes.

Other recalled a teammate who swore loudly when he lost, then ran and locked themselves in the toilets.

However, it was not all bad news: 96% of parents said their children were refined in the victory.

And three quarters of the children said they shook hands with the opposition after losing the game.

In response, the Marylebone Cricket Club and the Cricket Foundation, which commissioned the study, sportsmanship lessons to schools from the beginning of the summer term.

The spirit of Cricket initiative teaches how to win and lose polite 4,000 young people in State schools.

"Valuable lessons '

On MCC head of cricket John Stephenson says: "want to win and try your hardest is important for anyone playing sport, young or old."

He added that the scheme merits of "healthy competition" highlighted as a win-at-all-costs mentality to discourage.

Wasim Khan, former county cricketer and chief executive of the Foundation, said the Cricket initiative learned "young people one of the most valuable lessons in life: how to claim victory and defeat accept promises".

"We want a child to ' keep a straight bat ', don't act like a sporty brat," he said.

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Budget will ' cut ' income by £ 200

last updated April 3, 2011 at 12: 07 ET the 2011 budget introduced 44 changes in tax and benefit systems-most of which will dent income a financial education charity says tax and benefit systems changes entered into force in the coming week will cease households ￡ 200 worse.

They include a one percentage point increase of the costs for national insurance and a lower threshold value at which the higher rate of tax applies.

Credit action says of the 44 changes in both systems only 13 will have a positive effect.

It says 26 of the changes will have a negative effect on people of bags.

The other changes, it says, have a mixed effect on the income of the household.

One of the greatest moves announced in the budget of March has the level of income that people begin to pay 40% higher rate tax up to ￡ 35,001.

The respected independent Institute for fiscal Studies estimated that an additional 750,000 people would bring in the top tax band for the first time.

Set against that is that raising the limit on what each income tax is levied by ￡ 1,000 to ￡ 7,475.

That means 500,000 people of income tax will be completely lifted.

Up and down

The main rate at which National Insurance is paid is increased from 11% to 12% from the beginning of the new fiscal year, but again, the level at which payments begin has been lifted from 110 € to ￡ 139.

Added together, the changes in income tax and National Insurance system to help low income, leaving someone on ￡ 7,475 ￡ 275 a year better off.

People at ￡ 35,000 sees each change in the amount of the tax and National Insurance they pay.

The biggest losers will be those earning more than ￡ 35,000, with someone on ￡ 50,000 see their take-home pay reduced by ￡ 500 per year, according to the Institute for fiscal Studies.

Extensive changes to the tax credits and benefits include a freeze in the rate at which child benefit is paid for three years, something that inflation means that its value at that time will erode.

Benefits and pensions in the future will increase in line with inflation, measured by the consumer price Index (CPI), instead of the Retail Prices Index (RPI), which is usually higher.

CPI was 3.1% in September, the month that increases are based on, while RPI to 4.8% was significantly higher.

Changes to the working tax credit, the local housing allowance, and one of the winter fuel allowance of income people will also negatively.

Plans for the reform of the statutory pension will be unveiled in the coming week-with a new flat-rate scheme to 2015 or 2016.

The flat-rate pension can be worth at least ￡ 155 for new retirees, which means that most people have a higher guaranteed non-means tested benefits thanks is current.

Also beginning this week, about half a million incapacity benefit claimants are declared fit for work after a re-evaluation of their health.

Tests of mandatory health checks for claimants in two parts of the country have found about a third of those tested were supposed to work.

The mental health charity, thoughts, have criticised the new work capability assessment (WCA), calling it not suitable for purpose.

It surveyed more than 300 people currently claiming the advantage and found 75% said concern about the WCA had exacerbated their mental health.

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Djokovic unbeaten after Miami win

By Piers Newbery
Djokovic BBC Sport has not lost since the ATP World Tour Finals in London last November, Novak Djokovic expanded its unbeaten start to the end of 2011 with a stunning victory over world number one Rafael Nadal in the Sony Ericsson Open final.

The Serbian, 23, came to claim his seventh Masters Series win, his fourth title of the year and taking his record 2011 to 24-0 to 4-6 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

It is the best start of a year in men's tennis since Ivan Lendl with 25 consecutive wins in 1986.

Nadal and Djokovic now head to Europe for the start of the clay-court season.

And the world number two will look further to close the gap on Nadal on top of the standings, the Spaniard has a large number of ranking points to defend, have won all the major clay tournaments last year.

Or Djokovic is ready to surpass Nadal on clay remains open to question but after defeating his nearest rival in back-to-back Masters Series finals over the past two weeks, there is no doubt he is the man to beat now.

Nadal had won the set opening of their Indian Wells final two weeks ago, before Djokovic came storming back, and Sunday the contest in Miami followed a similar pattern.

A blustery wind hampered both men in the opening stages, with Nadal coping marginally better and grabbing the first break in game three before off three break points in the next game to see.

When Djokovic hit a forehand in the tram lines to fall down a double break the set was as good as done, but of 5-1 down he began to find his range.

His more aggressive style had Nadal on the flight and although the Spaniard the set seal, Djokovic reeled off six of the seven games to move 3-0 clear in the second and serve to force a Decider.

The final set exhibited after two sets of uneven play, the best of the top two players in the world, with each man appear to grab the momentum just for his opponent to wrestle it back.

Nadal of backhand proved unusually are more potent wing, while a few sublime lobs and numerous confidence flights on the net demonstrated how Djokovic of game has beware.

Neither man could force a breakpoint in a pulsating set and the resulting tie-break equally dramatic way with five consecutive points against serve opened.

It was a double fault from Nadal that proved crucial as he fell 3-2 before Djokovic finally held a Service point and, after the Spaniard saved two match points on serve, the world number two sealed victory after three hours and 21 minutes with a big serve followed by a crunching forehand in the corner.

"It was a close match," Djokovic said. "To win against the number one player in the world in a tie-break in the third set, it's just incredible.

"This is one of the best matches I have played in a while. I was able to find my rhythm at the end of the first set, and then in the entire second and third set I played very well, especially on my service games. "

Djokovic last singles defeat against Roger Federer in the ATP World Tour semi-finals in London in november last year ago, and now 26 matches in a row, including 24 this year has won.

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