For years palaeontologists regarded the Gastornis as one of the world’s top predators, but new research suggests otherwise.
A sketch of the skeleton of the GastornisA giant “terror bird” deemed to have been one of Earth’s top predators after the demise of the dinosaurs was probably a plant-loving herbivore, scientists have said.
The flightless Gastornis stood over six feet tall, had a massive curved beak and short stubby wings, resembling a giant dodo.
Its size, frightening appearance, and beak have led experts to believe it was a ruthless top predator in the prehistoric forests of western and central Europe.
But new biochemical evidence suggests that the Gastornis may have been vegetarian.
Analysis of its fossilised bones shows a calcium composition similar to that of plant-eating mammals and dinosaurs.
Carnivores have a different calcium profile, because of the way the element becomes “lighter” as it passes through the food chain.
Lead scientist Dr Thomas Tutken, from the University of Bonn in Germany, said: “The terror bird was thought to have used its huge beak to grab and break the neck of its prey, which is supported by biomechanical modelling of its bite force.
“It lived after the dinosaurs became extinct and at a time when mammals were at an early stage of evolution and relatively small; thus, the terror bird was thought to have been a top predator at that time on land.”
Dr Tutken led a team of researchers who studied fossilised remains of terror birds from a former open-cast coal mine in Geiseltal, Germany.
Their work was showcased at an international meeting of geochemists called the Goldschmidt Conference in Florence, Italy.
Suspicions about the Gastornis were first raised when footprints believed to belong to the bird’s American cousin did not show the expected imprints of sharp claws.
Some experts have also pointed out that the creature’s sheer size and inability to move fast may have hampered its ability to prey on small, quick mammals.
The scientists hope to confirm their results with further studies on other fossils.
Science World, the Science Museum of Vancouver, created a series of fun advertisements to inspire people to take an interest in the science and prove that a science museum can be fun.
JUST TO SAY, MOST OF THE PEOPLE I FOLLOW OR WHO FOLLOW ME ARE DISABLED. I AM SEVERALLY DISABLED. MANY OF MY BLOGS LIKE THIS ONE HERE ARE THROUGH TALKING TO PEOPLE ALL OVER THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY THE USA WHERE I SPEAK TO MORE ON SKYPE AUDIO. I HEAR SOME SHIT STORIES. SO PLEASE, THESE BLOGS ARE MORE FOR THE PEOPLE BEING LET DOWN BY HEALTHCARE IN THE USA AND AS YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE HERE, MY COUNTRY ALSO! JUST NEEDED TO REMIND A FEW OF THAT. Thanks. Shaun
In this blog here I compared the UK NHS with the American Healthcare, http://prayingforoneday.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/uk-nhs-vs-usa-healthcare-face-off/ and I did say the NHS was not perfect here in the UK/Scotland. It is free, practices by Dr’s locally for me have always been superb, I have never had an issue while being in Hospital, the times I have been in with Family, even my own son, I couldn’t thank them enough. This is Scotland remember. Part of the UK, but we run our own affairs, without independence from the UK. This article from Sky news is DAMNING towards English NHS Hospitals, In a report mentioned in Prime Ministers questions, the care in England is SHOCKING, people are dying
Report Slams High Death Rate NHS Hospital as 13,000 die for no reason!
Staff at a hospital being investigated by the NHS medical director for having a high death rate put targets ahead of patient care, according to a report.
Tameside General Hospital in Greater Manchester is one of 14 of the worst trusts in England at the centre of a probe spearheaded by Professor Sir Bruce Keogh into hospitals with high mortality rates after the scandal at Stafford Hospital.
Sky’s Health Correspondent Thomas Moore obtained a report detailing the findings into Tameside which revealed a series of critical findings into chronic mismanagement and failings in patient care.
The investigation found “insufficient levels of nursing staff”, “poor supervision of junior doctors by consultants” and a “lack of compassion” from staff dealing with patient complaints.
There were insufficient critical care beds which meant patients were being treated in the wrong place.
The report also detailed specific examples of poor care including a patient with the superbug Clostridium difficile being admitted to a six-bed bay which immediately put the other five patients at risk of a potentially fatal bacterial infection.
Tameside is one of 14 trusts with high death rates in the spotlight
In another case, a patient was given penicillin despite telling staff that they were allergic to the antibiotic, while members of one family were left to clean up a loved one with faecal incontinence.
On one unannounced visit to the hospital, the most senior surgical doctor in the hospital was a trainee with just two years’ experience.
“The culture appeared to be one of managing targets rather than ensuing overall quality and patient experience,” the report said.
“The panel was not convinced that the Board has the capability currently to fully address the cultural change required in the Trust.”
Moore said: “We had heard that perhaps Stafford was a one-off scandal. This (the report) shows that it wasn’t.”
The father of a 12-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who died at the hospital on February 7, 2011, told Sky News what an independent specialist told the inquest into his daughter Emma’s death.
Michael Stones’ daughter Emma, 12, died at Tameside in 2011
“She said in her experience, if medical intervention would have happened at an earlier stage, she said Emma would have probably survived,” said Michael Stones.
“And this was verified by the coroner in his verdict. So we are put in a situation where we’ll never know because of the absolute, disgraceful behaviour of that hospital towards my daughter. An animal gets treated better.”
Among the 14 trusts under close scrutiny because of their mortality rates over the last two years are Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, Buckinghamshire Healthcare, Burton Hospitals, Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation, and The Dudley Group.
Others include East Lancashire Hospitals, George Eliot Hospital, Medway NHS Foundation, North Cumbria University Hospitals, Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals, Sherwood Forest Hospitals and United Lincolnshire Hospitals.
Moore said the findings into each of them – due to be published on Tuesday – would “paint a terrible picture of an NHS that in some areas still isn’t able to provide the care and the compassion that patients would expect”.
The long-awaited report commissioned by the Government is expected to reveal that up to 13,000 people may have died needlessly in NHS hospitals since 2005.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt will deliver a statement to MPs in the House of Commons on the probe.
A U.S. soldier stands guard near a U.S. Patriot missile system at a Turkish military base in Gaziantep February 5, 2013
WASHINGTON (CNN) — Thousands of confidential files on the U.S. military’s most technologically advanced fighter aircraft have been compromised by unknown computer hackers over the past two years, according to senior defense officials. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/04/21/pentagon.hacked/
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s self-diagnostic system was compromised by hackers, officials say.
The Internet intruders were able to gain access to data related to the design and electronics systems of the Joint Strike Fighter through computers of Pentagon contractors in charge of designing and building the aircraft, according to the officials, who did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the issue.
In addition to files relating to the aircraft, hackers gained entry into the Air Force’s air traffic control systems, according to the officials. Once they got in, the Internet hackers were able to see such information as the locations of U.S. military aircraft in flight.
The Joint Striker Fighter plane is the military’s new F-35 Lightning II. It designed to become the aircraft used by all of the branches of service.
Most of the files broken into focused on the design and performance statistics of the fighter, as well as its electronic systems, officials said. The information could be used to make the plane easier to fight or defend against.
Additionally, the system used by the aircraft to conduct self-diagnostics during flight was compromised by the computer intrusions, according to the officials.
However, the officials insisted that none of the information accessed was highly sensitive data.
The plane uses stealth and other highly sensitive electronic equipment, but it does not appear that information on those systems was compromised, because it is stored on computers that are not connected to the Internet, according to the defense officials.
Lockheed Martin’s chief financial officer denied that there was any breach of classified information, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal on Tuesday.
“The U.S. government doesn’t talk a whole lot about this, and neither do we. But in response to the [Wall Street Journal] report, we think it’s incorrect,” said Bruce Tanner of Lockheed Martin. “There’s never been any effective attack. We have measures in place, and there’s never been a successful attack.”
In a statement released later, the company reiterated its position that no classified information had been accessed.
“To our knowledge, there has never been any classified information breach. Like the government, we have attacks on our systems continually and have stringent measures in place to detect and stop attacks,” the statement said.
I Blogged a while back saying WWIII as far I am concerned is already underway, with 2 huge superpowers, it is always going to be a cyber war to begin with. Anyone with half a brain will know this. China is the worlds new economic superpower, building cities all over Africa and buying spare land all over the world and putting it’s Army on standby as well as playing War games with itself for the last 18 months
My blogs on this matter so far: I researched this HEAVILY !!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is an ACT OF WAR!! Nothing more, Nothing Less. Sadly the USA can’t fight back, they have neither the money, man power or will. China has the upper hand. Again, anyone that keeps an eye on the news (No, not CNN, Fox or Sky News) I am talking reliable news sites like http://www.aljazeera.com/ Aljazeera News England through Sky TV Here
People need to ready themselves for more of this. Syria and Iran and Russia and friends with China through Oil and Arm deals, so all 4 have a vested interest in each other. If ever the shift of power in our World is at a stage where it could change hands, it is now, America is wide open, and the Federal Reserve caused this with their sneaky planned stock market crash, now being investigated by the USA, do you guys know what is going on in the world? Never mind your own Country, check http://news.sky.com/story/1096745/global-cyber-money-scam-worth-6bn-busted AMERICA IS UNDER ATTACK FROM THE WEST!! Go google, go research, please, there is a whole world out there. Please, look!! AND HERE >> http://news.sky.com/story/1096985/swiss-bank-secrecy-veil-falls-over-us-fine-fear << Swiss Bank Secrecy Veil Falls Over US Fine Fear
The operators of digital currency exchange Liberty Reserve have been accused of helping international criminals launder more than $6bn (£3.9bn) in illicit funds.
US prosecutors allege the funds are linked to everything from child pornography to software for hacking into banks.
An indictment unsealed on Tuesday said Liberty Reserve had more than a million users worldwide, and virtually all of its business was related to criminal activity.
Attorney Preet Bharara said it was “perhaps the largest international money-laundering case ever brought by the United States”.
“Liberty Reserve has emerged as one of the principal means by which cyber-criminals around the world distribute, store and launder the proceeds of their illegal activity,” according to the indictment filed in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Officials in Spain, Costa Rica and New York arrested five people, including the company’s founder, Arthur Budovsky.
International authorities have also seized bank accounts and internet domains associated with Liberty Reserve.
The indictment details a system of payments that allowed users to open accounts under false names with blatant monikers like “Russia Hackers” and “Hacker Account”.
The indictment alleges that almost all business was related to crime
The use of digital currency has expanded in the past decade, attracting users ranging from video gamers looking for ways to buy and sell virtual goods to those who lack faith in the traditional banking system.
Touted by some investors as the future of money, these virtual currencies have gained the attention of US regulators looking to bring them under anti-money laundering rules.
The US Treasury says it named Liberty Reserve under the USA Patriot Act as it had been “specifically designed and frequently used to facilitate money-laundering in cyber space”.
That designation, a first against a virtual currency exchange, prohibits banks or other payment processors from doing business with Liberty Reserve, even under a new name.
The Treasury also says Liberty Reserve’s virtual currency was used to anonymously buy and sell software designed to steal personal information and attack financial institutions.
Liberty Reserve, with around 12 million transactions per year, laundered over $6bn in criminal proceeds since it began operating in 2006, the indictment said.
I went through two attempts with the Chronic Pain team in my home city of Edinburgh. Waste of time. They told me at the start “This may not work for you” it did not. they said “If you feel it is not working, you can leave the team and the pain they cause you” I left. I still help them, I give them my thoughts and feelings , but in reality, they don’t know. They told me and many others “It may be in your head” and informed us Australia was the worlds worst sufferer of Chronic Pain. This surprised me, as I associated cold weather with pain.
This is the video the “Experts” with a book show us, people never in pain, just out of college or Uni, tell me, its in my mind, I can’t accept this, I am strong willed
I ask anyone who suffers Chronic Pain to watch this 5 minute video and give me feedback. I can’t in my mind say “Yeah it may me in my mind” Maybe the odd time when I am down perhaps, but 24/7 I can’t and wont accept this, sadly the reality is, they have no idea, so this video, from Australia, they give to people in the UK is the best they have at present.
I would like to hear your thoughts. I blogged this video before, but I have 300 extra/new friends and followers since I posted it, so I would like to ask again
prayingforoneday 