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| Saturday, 04 September 2004 |
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Beloved Dutch queen mother dies Ravisara Kariyawasam reports from Germany The former Dutch queen, Juliana, has died at the age of 94 after a prolonged period of illness. Juliana, the mother of the reigning Queen Beatrix, ruled for 32 years until her abdication in 1980. She oversaw a period of dramatic social change, taking in the end of empire and the evolution of her country into a leading voice for global liberalism. She had been unwell for some time and had not participated in public life for a number of years. She died in her sleep in the Soestdijk palace where she had lived most of her life. Known as the "bicycling monarch", she shopped at the local supermarket and sent her children to state school. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende made a televised address after the death was announced and said the nation had lost a mother. Princess Juliana gave up the title of queen when she abdicated in favour of her daughter Beatrix in 1980. But the Dutch continue to celebrate their national holiday on Juliana's birthday, April 30 which remains known as Queen's Day. Ancient Indians made 'rock music' Archaeologists have rediscovered a huge rock art site in southern India where ancient people used boulders to make musical sounds in rituals. The Kupgal Hill site includes rocks with unusual depressions that were designed to be struck with the purpose of making loud, musical ringing tones. A dyke on Kupgal Hill contains hundreds and perhaps thousands of rock art engravings. Researchers think shamans or young males came to the site to carry out rituals and to "tap into" the power of the site. However, some of it is now at threat from quarrying activities. The boulders which have small, groove-like impressions are called "musical stones" by locals. When struck with small granite rocks, these impressions emit deep, "gong-like notes". These boulders may have been an important part of formalised rituals by the people who came there. In some cultures, percussion plays a role in rituals that are interned for shamen to communicate with the supernatural world. The first report of the site was in 1892, in the Asiatic Quarterly Review. But subsequent explorers who tried to find it were unable to do so. The typically masculine nature of the engravings leads experts to suggest that the people who made the images were men and possibly those involved in herding cattle or stealing them. Smoking 'causes brain decline' Smoking speeds up brain decline in the elderly, a study suggests. The rate of decline is five times higher than in people who have never smoked, according to a group of European researchers. Their study also found that smokers who quit greatly slowed their cognitive decline. The findings contradict some earlier research which had suggested that nicotine could actually aid the brain. The latest study ran a series of questions and tests designed to establish the cognitive function of men and women aged 65 and over. Among those who never smoked, their cognitive function declined .03 points a year, while for current smokers it was .16 points per year. Analysts say chronic tobacco use causes atherosclerosis and hypertension and that this, and other effects of smoking, increases the risk of stroke and small areas of tissue damage in the brain. However, this is more significant for current smokers than those who had quit. Men at higher risk of Parkinson's Men have a higher risk of developing Parkinson's disease, a study suggests. A team at the University of Virginia School of Medicine found men are 1.5 times more likely to develop the disease, but are not sure why. They suggest increased exposure to toxic chemicals and a higher rate of head injuries among men could explain the statistics. Parkinson's occurs when the balance between two chemical messengers in the brain is upset, affecting a person's ability to co-ordinate movements. But it is currently unknown what causes Parkinson's disease. Statistics from the UK charity the Parkinson's Disease Society do not suggest that men are more prone to the disease. However, the researchers say their new study differs from previous ones, in which statistics on gender were gathered on death rates alone. In the new study, Dr. Fred Wooten and colleagues looked at the actual incidence of Parkinson's disease among men and women. They collated data from seven separate population-based studies, conducted between 1989 and 1999 covering the US, China, Italy, Spain, Poland and Finland. They used these studies to show the rate of Parkinson's per 100,000 people, and then broke them down to reveal the difference in incidence of the disease between men and women. The researchers say nobody can be sure why men may be more vulnerable to the disease. However, they speculate that the 'male lifestyle' and 'male roles', such as farm work and labour could put men at a higher risk by making them more prone to head injuries and exposure to toxic chemicals, which have previously been suggested as risk factors for the disease. Another possibility, they say, is that the female hormone oestrogen helps to protect women's brains from neurological damage. |
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