Fever mounts as stunning statues found at ancient Greek tomb

Fever mounts as stunning statues found at ancient Greek tomb - Two stunning caryatid statues have been unearthed holding up the entrance to the biggest ancient tomb ever found in Greece, archaeologists said.

The two female figures in long-sleeved tunics were found standing guard at the opening to the mysterious Alexander The Great-era tomb near Amphipolis in the Macedonia region of northern Greece.

"The left arm of one and the right arm of the other are raised in a symbolic gesture to refuse entry to the tomb," a statement from the culture ministry said Saturday.

This picture released by the Greek Ministry of Culture on September 7, 2014 shows one of the two statues of a Caryatid inside the Kasta Tumulus in ancient Amphipolis, northern Greece (AFP Photo/)                         

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Speculation is mounting that the tomb, which dates from Alexander's lifetime (356-323BC), may be untouched, with its treasures intact.

Previous evacuations of Macedonian tombs have uncovered amazing troves of gold jewellery and sculptures.

A five-metre tall marble lion, currently standing on a nearby roadside, originally topped the 500 metre-long funeral mound, which is ringed by a marble wall.

This picture released by the Greek Ministry of Culture on September 7, 2014 shows one of the two statues of a Caryatid inside the Kasta Tumulus in ancient Amphipolis, northern Greece (AFP Photo/)                         

Two headless stone Sphinx statues flanked the outer entrance, officials said, who said that "removing earth from the second entrance wall revealed the excellent marble caryatids".

Photographs released by the ministry show the sculptures -- which hold up a lintel -- uncovered to mid-bust, their curly hair falling onto their shoulders.

Archaeologists have been digging at the site, which Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras called a "very important find", since mid-August.

The ministry said the lay-out of "the second entrance with the caryatids gives us an important clue that it is a monument of particular importance".

Expectation had already begun to build given the quality of the sculpted column capitals and delicately coloured floor mosaic already discovered at the site.

Theories abound about who could be buried in the tumulus tomb, ranging from Alexander's Bactrian wife Roxane, to his mother Olympias or one of his generals.

Experts say the chances of Alexander himself being buried there are small, however. 

After his death at 32 in Babylon, the most celebrated conquerer of the ancient world is believed to have been buried in Alexandria, the Egyptian city he founded -- although no grave has ever been found there. ( AFP )

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Circumcision's Benefits Outweigh Risks

Circumcision's Benefits Outweigh Risks, Doctors Say - The health benefits of circumcision outweigh the procedure's risks, and the operation should be covered by insurance, according to new recommendations from an influential group of doctors.

The recommendations, released today (Aug. 27) by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), say the procedure's benefits include reducing the risks of HIV infection, urinary tract infection and penile cancer.

But the AAP also says the benefits of circumcision are not weighty enough to broadly recommend circumcision for all male infants.

Instead, "parents ultimately should decide whether circumcision is in the best interests of their male child," the AAP says. "They will need to weigh medical information in the context of their own religious, ethical, and cultural beliefs and practices."

The new advice is a shift from the Academy's previous policy on circumcision, released in 1999. Those recommendations acknowledged the potential health benefits of circumcision, but did not did make clear whether the benefits outweighed the risks, and made no mention of insurance.

The previous policy may have influenced the percentage of infants circumcised in the United States — in recent years, it has declined — as well as insurance reimbursement for the procedure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although nearly 80 percent of U.S. boys born in the 1970s and 1980s were circumcised, that number decreased to 62.5 percent in 1999, and 54.7 percent in 2010, according to a recent study. And in recent years, Medicaid policies in 18 states have stopped covering routine infant circumcision.

The new statement "demonstrates a consensus that there are clear medical benefits to circumcision," said Dr. Marty Ellington, Jr., chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in writing the policy.

"Hopefully the trend towards state Medicaid programs not covering circumcision will be reversed," Ellington said.

Health benefits

For the new policy statement, the AAP reviewed studies on circumcision conducted between 1995 and 2010.

Studies from Africa showed that circumcision reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by 40 to 60 percent in men, the AAP says. There is also good evidence to suggest circumcision lowers the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and infection with some strains of genital herpes.

Circumcision may prevent transmission of some sexually transmitted diseases because the region beneath the foreskin is "thought to 'trap' pathogens and bodily secretions, and favor their survival," the AAP says. In addition, the foreskin itself contains a higher proportion of a type of skin cell that is thought to ease the entry of HIV into the body.

Circumcision has also been linked with a threefold to 10-fold reduction in the risk of urinary tract infection in boys age 2 or younger. However, the risk of urinary tract infection in young boys is less than 1 percent; studies show about 100 boys would need to be circumcised to prevent one case of urinary tract infection.

Considerations

Acute complications of circumcision, including infection and bleeding, are rare, and occur in about 1 in every 500 circumcisions, the AAP says.

Circumcision does not appear to affect male sexual function or sexual sensitivity, the AAP says.

"It is important that clinicians routinely inform parents of the health benefits and risks of male newborn circumcision in an unbiased and accurate manner," the policy statement says.

Circumcision should only be performed on healthy infants by trained practitioners, and using effective pain management, the AAP says.

A study published earlier this week suggested a significant decline in male circumcision rates could lead to millions of extra dollars yearly in health care costs, mainly due to increased infections.

Pass it on: The benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks, but are not great enough to recommend the procedure for all infants, doctors say. ( MyHealthNewsDaily )

READ MORE - Circumcision's Benefits Outweigh Risks

Circumcision's Benefits Outweigh Risks

Circumcision's Benefits Outweigh Risks, Doctors Say - The health benefits of circumcision outweigh the procedure's risks, and the operation should be covered by insurance, according to new recommendations from an influential group of doctors.

The recommendations, released today (Aug. 27) by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), say the procedure's benefits include reducing the risks of HIV infection, urinary tract infection and penile cancer.

But the AAP also says the benefits of circumcision are not weighty enough to broadly recommend circumcision for all male infants.

Instead, "parents ultimately should decide whether circumcision is in the best interests of their male child," the AAP says. "They will need to weigh medical information in the context of their own religious, ethical, and cultural beliefs and practices."

The new advice is a shift from the Academy's previous policy on circumcision, released in 1999. Those recommendations acknowledged the potential health benefits of circumcision, but did not did make clear whether the benefits outweighed the risks, and made no mention of insurance.

The previous policy may have influenced the percentage of infants circumcised in the United States — in recent years, it has declined — as well as insurance reimbursement for the procedure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although nearly 80 percent of U.S. boys born in the 1970s and 1980s were circumcised, that number decreased to 62.5 percent in 1999, and 54.7 percent in 2010, according to a recent study. And in recent years, Medicaid policies in 18 states have stopped covering routine infant circumcision.

The new statement "demonstrates a consensus that there are clear medical benefits to circumcision," said Dr. Marty Ellington, Jr., chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, who was not involved in writing the policy.

"Hopefully the trend towards state Medicaid programs not covering circumcision will be reversed," Ellington said.

Health benefits

For the new policy statement, the AAP reviewed studies on circumcision conducted between 1995 and 2010.

Studies from Africa showed that circumcision reduces the risk of acquiring HIV by 40 to 60 percent in men, the AAP says. There is also good evidence to suggest circumcision lowers the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, and infection with some strains of genital herpes.

Circumcision may prevent transmission of some sexually transmitted diseases because the region beneath the foreskin is "thought to 'trap' pathogens and bodily secretions, and favor their survival," the AAP says. In addition, the foreskin itself contains a higher proportion of a type of skin cell that is thought to ease the entry of HIV into the body.

Circumcision has also been linked with a threefold to 10-fold reduction in the risk of urinary tract infection in boys age 2 or younger. However, the risk of urinary tract infection in young boys is less than 1 percent; studies show about 100 boys would need to be circumcised to prevent one case of urinary tract infection.

Considerations

Acute complications of circumcision, including infection and bleeding, are rare, and occur in about 1 in every 500 circumcisions, the AAP says.

Circumcision does not appear to affect male sexual function or sexual sensitivity, the AAP says.

"It is important that clinicians routinely inform parents of the health benefits and risks of male newborn circumcision in an unbiased and accurate manner," the policy statement says.

Circumcision should only be performed on healthy infants by trained practitioners, and using effective pain management, the AAP says.

A study published earlier this week suggested a significant decline in male circumcision rates could lead to millions of extra dollars yearly in health care costs, mainly due to increased infections.

Pass it on: The benefits of circumcision outweigh the risks, but are not great enough to recommend the procedure for all infants, doctors say. ( myhealthnewsdaily.com )

READ MORE - Circumcision's Benefits Outweigh Risks

Evocative images released on Anzac Day show Allied troops contemplating the ridges they would die in droves failing to capture

Ghosts of Gallipoli: Evocative images released on Anzac Day show Allied troops contemplating the ridges they would die in droves failing to capture - Turkey mission was first major military action by Australia and New Zealand during the First World War in 1915 - Gallipoli was a disastrous mission to help the Russians which saw Allies lose 214,000 men - and Australia 8,000 - Anzac Cove became focal point for Australian pride after Anzacs were based there for eight months during war

Landing at Turkey's Anzac Cove in 1915, little did many of these men know that their sacrifices would still be commemorated almost a century later.

These extraordinary pictures were today released to mark the 98th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings on Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand.

The national remembrance day marks the anniversary of the first major military action by Australia and New Zealand during the First World War in 1915.

Landing: Allied troops at Anzac Cove in the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915. From this point many Anzac forces were sent into battle along the ridges of the area. Soldiers can be seen looking up at the hillside they would never capture (bottom right)

Cannon in place: Troops landing at Anzac Cove in the Dardanelles during the Gallipoli campaign in 1915, which saw the Allies have 214,000 men killed

Building: The landing pier constructed by the Allies at Gallipoli in 1915. The background to the Gallipoli landings was one of deadlock on the Western Front

It also now more broadly commemorates all those who served and died in military operations in which the two countries have been involved.

The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) fought alongside their British, French and other allies at Gallipoli in Turkey during World War One.

The background to the Gallipoli landings was one of deadlock on the Western Front in 1915, when the British hoped to capture Constantinople.

The Russians were under threat from the Turks in the Caucasus and needed help, so the British decided to bombard and try to capture Gallipoli.

Fire: A 60-pounder heavy field gun in action on a cliff top at Helles Bay, Gallipoli, Turkey. Today marks the 98th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings

General Sir Ian Standish Monteith Hamilton (left) who led the Gallipoli campaign, and British commander Sir Charles Carmichael Monro (right), who was also involved

On their way: Australians soldiers embarking at Melbourne to fight in World War One in December 1914. Some 8,000 Australian soldiers died at Gallipoli

In tribute: New Zealander soldier W J Batt (left) with a regimental mascot at Walker's Ridge during the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey in April 1915, and members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, commonly known as Anzacs, marching through London on Anzac Day four years later in April 1919

Crowds: The Strand, central London, on Anzac day in April 1916, which marks the first major military action by Australian and New Zealand forces during WWI in 1915

Remembrance: An Australian soldier pays his respects as he lays a wreath at the Cenotaph, central London, on Anzac Day in April 1920, five years after Gallipoli

Located on the western coast of the Dardanelles, the British hoped by eventually getting to Constantinople that they would link up with the Russians.

The intention of this was to then knock Turkey out of the war. A naval attack began on February 19 but it was called off after three battleships were sunk.

Then by the time of another landing on April 25, the Turks had been given time to prepare better fortifications and increased their armies sixfold.

Australian and New Zealand troops won a bridgehead at Anzac Cove as the British aimed to land at five points in Cape Helles - but only managed three.

The British still required reinforcements in these areas and the Turkish were able to bring extra troops onto the peninsula to better defend themselves.

A standstill continued through the summer in hot and filthy conditions, and the campaign was eventually ended by the War Council in winter 1915.

The invasion had been intended to knock Turkey out of the war, but in the end it only gave the Russians some breathing space from the Turks.

Turkey lost around 300,000 men and the Allies had 214,000 killed - more than 8,000 of whom were Australian soldiers, in a disastrous campaign.

Anzac Cove became a focus for Australian pride after forces were stuck there in squalid conditions for eight months, defending the area from the Turks.

The Anzac soldiers who arrived on the narrow strip of beach were faced with a difficult environment of steep cliffs and ridges - and almost daily shelling.

Gathering: Crowds of people look on after the annual Anzac Day march at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne

Streets: Dozens of participants took to the street in the annual parade in the most populous city in Australia

In silence: People pay their respects at the Anzac Cenotaph during the Anzac Dawn Service at the Martin Place Cenotaph today in Sydney, Australia

Stories to tell: Prime Minister of Australia Julia Gillard talks with former P.O.W Sidney King at the Aznac Dawn Service today in Townsville, Australia

Memorial: A member of the catafalque party stands at rest during the Dawn Service today in Townsville, marked by veterans, dignitaries and members of the public

At the height of the fighting during the landings of April 25, 1915, the waters around the peninsula were stained red with blood at one point 50 metres out.

Fierce resistance from the under-rated Ottoman forces, inhospitable terrain and bungled planning spelt disaster for the campaign/

Among those who suffered the greatest losses were the Anzacs Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who made the first landings, swept by an unexpected current to a narrow cove rather than the wide beaches the planners intended.

War historian Charles Bean wrote: ‘That strongly marked and definite entity, the Anzac tradition, had, from the first morning, been partly created here’.

But despite the toll in human life, the campaign is seen as a landmark in the formation of national consciousness in the two countries.

The 25th of April was officially named Anzac Day in 1916.

And today tens of thousands of people across the world attended dawn services across the world as the centenary of Gallipoli nears.

They stood motionless in the dark to remember their fallen countrymen and women as they marked the anniversary of the landing. ( dailymail.co.uk )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Ghosts of Gallipoli: Evocative images released on Anzac Day show Allied troops contemplating the ridges they would die in droves failing to capture

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Psychological effects of bullying can last years

Psychological effects of bullying can last years - Kids who were bullied and acted as bullies themselves were at higher risk for depression, anxiety and panic disorder years down the line, in a new study.

Researchers have known that bullying can take a psychological toll on both bullies and victims, but it's been unclear just how long those effects would last.

One report published earlier this month found bullying targeting lesbian, gay and bisexual youth contributed to their feelings of depression and worthlessness as young adults (see Reuters Health story of Feb 4, 2013 here: http://reut.rs/XDx6mg).

Reuters/Reuters - A student sits in class at a South Dakota high school in a file photo. REUTERS/Jim Young

In the new study, depression and anxiety tied to bullying at school persisted at least through people's mid-twenties. Worst off were those who had been both bullies and targets of bullying, according to findings published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry.

"It's obviously very well established how problematic bullying is short-term," said William Copeland, a clinical psychologist who led the new study at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina.

"I was surprised that a decade down the road after they've been victimized, when they've kind of transitioned to adulthood, we would still see these emotional marks for the victims and also the bullies/victims."

His team's research included 1,420 youth from Western North Carolina who were asked about their experiences with bullying at various points between age nine and 16, then were followed and assessed for psychiatric disorders through age 26.

Just over one-quarter of kids and their parents reported they were bullied at least once, and close to one in ten said they had bullied other kids.

After adjusting for the participants' history of family hardships, the researchers found that, compared to young adults with no history of bullying, former victims were at higher risk for a range of psychiatric conditions.

For example, 6 percent of uninvolved youth went on to have an anxiety disorder, versus 24 percent of former bullying victims and 32 percent of youth who had been both bullies and targets of bullying.

Kids who originally reported both bullying and being bullied were the most likely to be diagnosed with panic disorder or depression as young adults or to consider suicide.

"It's not surprising that that would be the case, because in part they're reacting to the trauma of being bullied and they also carry with them the experience of having bullied," said Dr. Mark Schuster, chief of general pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School, who wasn't involved in the new research.

"These folks are the ones who get bullied and instead of experiencing empathy… they're more reactive and they see bullying as more of a way of getting attention," Copeland told Reuters Health.

Youth who were just bullies and never picked-on themselves were at four times higher risk for antisocial personality disorder, which is characterized by a lack of empathy and mistreatment of others.

Psychiatric disorders in childhood and kids' family problems were tied to bullying but didn't fully explain future problems, Copeland and his colleagues found. Some of the adult disorders seemed to stem from the bullying itself, they said.

The study "calls attention to just how serious bullying can be, and it reinforces what we've been learning, which is that bullying is not just a rite of passage, it's not just part of growing up and all kids experience it and they're stronger for it," Schuster told Reuters Health.

"From everything we understand at this point, it can have serious long-term consequences."

Researchers said schools, parents and doctors need to work together to try to prevent bullying in the first place.

But for kids who have experienced bullying, Schuster said a supportive adult can go a long way toward preventing future psychological consequences.

"In part they need an adult who can help them navigate this, who can help put an end to the bullying and can create a safe haven for them," he said.

"Having to keep the secret that you're bullied and not having anyone to turn to for advice and support makes it that much harder."  ( Reuters Health ) 

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Psychological effects of bullying can last years

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Can Hormone Therapy Stave Off Alzheimer's?

Can Hormone Therapy Stave Off Alzheimer's? - Women who carry a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease showed signs of more rapid aging in their body's cells than women who didn't have it, according to a new study.

The study, by researchers at Harvard and Stanford universities, may be a "critical link in our understanding of the role that APOE-e4 plays in the development of the disease," said Elizabeth Edgerly, chief program officer for the Northern California and Northern Nevada Chapter of The Alzheimer's Association. Edgerly was not involved in the study.

About 25 to 30 percent of the population carries at least one copy of APOE-e4 (each person inherits two copies, one from each parent). Forty percent of people with Alzheimer's disease are carriers.

Over the course of two years, researchers studied 63 post-menopausal women — their average age was 58 — who had been voluntarily taking hormone replacement therapy, either estrogen alone or estrogen plus progesterone, for at least one year. All the women were deemed at risk for Alzheimer's disease due to a family history of the condition. However, only 24 of the women were APOE-e4 carriers. All but one study participant was white.

At the study's start, baseline length measurements of each woman's telomeres were taken. A telomere is a "cap" on the end of each chromosome that protects the genes on the chromosome from deterioration. Every time a cell replicates, its telomeres shorten a little bit. That shortening has been associated with a number of aging-related diseases, including Alzheimer's.

Half of the women were then randomly assigned to stop taking hormone therapy while half stayed on it. After two years, the researchers measured the length of each woman's telomeres again.

The researchers found that women who were APOE-e4 carriers were six times more likely than non-carriers to exhibit obvious telomere shortening once they stopped taking hormones. In fact, APOE-e4 carriers experienced more rapid telomere shortening than non-carriers, suggesting that their cells had aged the equivalent of seven to 14 years over the course of the two-year study. But APOE-e4 carriers who remained on hormone replacement therapy showed no evidence of telomere shortening during that time.

"Our results suggest that for women with this genetic variant, hormone replacement therapy may reduce the risk for cellular aging, which may also reduce their risk of dementia," said Heather Kenna, a doctoral student in clinical psychology at Stanford University and one of the study authors. "However, we cannot make recommendations on hormone therapy from this one study alone or suggest that it will decrease risk of dementia."

It's unclear whether the protective effect the researchers saw was due to hormone replacement therapy or some other factor. For instance, there may be something different about women who chose to initiate hormone replacement therapy: they may live a healthier lifestyle or have a higher socioeconomic status, among other factors. Thus, they may not be representative of all women, Edgerly said.

"This is a promising first step, but future studies should focus on tracking larger numbers of women over a longer period of time," she said.

The current study was not designed to examine the differences between the two hormone therapy options — estrogen or estrogen plus progesterone, according to the study authors. The Women's Health Initiative, which started in 1991 and ended in 2010, found that estrogen plus progestin therapy offered no protection against mild cognitive impairment in women over age 65. In fact, women who took the hormones had an increased risk of dementia. Results from a study examining the effects of estrogen-only therapy on cognition are not yet available. The WHI involved more than 160,000 generally healthy postmenopausal women.

While genetic testing for the APOE-e4 gene type is commercially available, neither Kenna nor Edgerly recommend it for most people. Individuals with or without a family history of Alzheimer's who want to be tested for the gene must first undergo counseling so they are informed about the risks and benefits of finding out if they carry the gene.

"Knowing you have the e4 gene is a powerful piece of information — one that may have repercussions for employment and long-term-care insurance, not to mention the psychological burden of knowing you are at a much higher risk for a disease with no known cure," Edgerly said.

Pass it on: Hormones may keep cells from aging quickly, lowering Alzheimer's risk. ( LiveScience.com )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Can Hormone Therapy Stave Off Alzheimer's?

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Why Insomnia Increases Suicide Risk

Why Insomnia Increases Suicide Risk - Nightmares and unhealthy beliefs about sleep may increase the risk of suicide in people who are depressed, a new study suggests.

The findings reaffirm earlier research linking sleep problems to an increased risk of suicide, and suggest which symptoms doctors might want to target with treatment to reduce that risk, the researchers said.

Unhealthy beliefs about sleep can take several forms: for example, the thought that a poor night's sleep will disturb sleep for the whole week, or that sleep loss will have dire and irreversible consequences. Such ideas carry an atmosphere of hopelessness, an emotion researchers know is connected to suicide risk.

"Insomnia can lead to a very specific type of hopelessness, and hopelessness by itself is a powerful predictor of suicide," said study researcher Dr. W. Vaughn McCall, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta.

While the factors that contribute to suicide risk are not the same for everyone, "For some patients, I think sleep problems are part of the [symptom] profile," McCall said.

During the study, McCall and colleagues surveyed 50 depressed people ages 20 to 84, some of whom were in the hospital. Nearly every patient was taking some type of psychiatric medication, and 56 percent had attempted suicide at least once.

The study participants were surveyed to assess their degree of insomnia and suicidal thinking, as well as whether they experienced nightmares or unhealthy beliefs about sleep.

The study found a link between insomnia and suicidal thinking: The more severe a person's insomnia was, the more likely he or she was to express suicidal thoughts and desires. However, when the researches took into account whether or not individuals experienced frequent nightmares or unhealthy beliefs about sleep, the link disappeared. This indicates the two factors —nightmares and unhealthy beliefs about sleep —play a role in the link.

Earlier studies have found that people with insomnia are up to twice as likely to commit suicide as people who don't have such difficulties sleeping. A 2011 study in teens found that those who had sleep problems at ages 12 to 14 were 2.5 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts in their late teen years.

Depending on the person, insomnia could be a cause or an effect of depression, McCall said. Insomnia may exacerbate depression because people feel they cannot find relief or escape from their condition, even at night, he said.

"People become pretty discouraged and demoralized living with insomnia night and after night," McCall said.

The new study, along with previous work, suggests that people with insomnia should be evaluated for mental illness, including depression and suicide risk, McCall said.

Treating nightmares or unhealthy beliefs about sleep with psychotherapy or, perhaps, medication may reduce the risk of suicide, but future studies will be needed to investigate this. McCall plans to conduct more research to see if treating insomnia with sleep medication can reduce the risk of suicide.

Pass it on: Insomnia may increase the risk of suicidal thoughts. ( LiveScience.com )

Blog : Contents Of Human Life | Why Insomnia Increases Suicide Risk

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