The oldest red blood cells ever identified have been found in the body of Ötzi the Iceman, a 5,300-year-old mummy found in the Alps in 1991.

 

 

The bloody find is a first for Ötzi's mummy, which has been under scientific scrutiny since a pair of hikers stumbled over the body frozen in ice on the Austrian-Italian border. And the new research, published today (May 1) in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface, helps confirm the story of Ötzi's death.

The Iceman was so well preserved that scientists could estimate his age (about 45), his health, his last meals (they included red deer meat with herb bread) and even his probable cause of death, an arrow wound to the shoulder that sliced an artery. But no one had ever found blood cells in the ancient man's corpse.

Albert Zink, a biological anthropologist at the European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano, was the leader of the study that uncovered the elusive cells. "It was very surprising, because we didn't really expect to find compete red blood cells," Zink said. "We hoped to find maybe some remnants or shrunken red blood cells, but these are looking like a modern-day sample; the dimensions are the same." [Photos: See the face of Ötzi]

Feeling for blood

Zink and his colleagues took tissue samples from Ötzi's arrow wound and from an earlier wound on the mummy's hand. Using a light microscope, they identified round objects that looked a bit like red blood cells, Zink said. But to be sure, the researchers needed more advanced technology.

They turned to a device called an atomic force microscope, which works by "feeling" rather than "seeing" an object. The minuscule probe, itself invisible to the naked eye, runs over the object like a needle on a record player. As the probe bumps up and down along the object's contours, a laser measures the movement. The result is a three-dimensional "tracing" of the object.

In the case of the mysterious Ötzi contents, an exciting picture emerged: The roundish shapes were indeed red blood cells.

"They have the typical form, this kind of doughnut-like shape of red blood cells," Zink told LiveScience. "The dimensions are the same in modern-day samples, so we were really quite sure these were red blood cells that had been preserved for 5,000 years." [Mummy Madness: Quiz Yourself]

A quick death

To confirm the finding, the researchers used a technique called Ramen spectroscopy, which uses light-scattering patterns to determine which molecules are present in a sample. The suspected blood cells had all the markers of true red blood cells, including hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood.

While other researchers have attempted to identify blood on older stone tools, this is the oldest definite confirmation of blood, Zink said. The find may help advance forensic science, because current crime-scene technology has trouble differentiating between old and new blood, he said.

But the finding also adds corroborating evidence to the long-cold murder case of Ötzi the Iceman. Traces of a protein called fibrin were found in the blood from the arrow wound, Zink said. Fibrin is a part of the clotting process that appears immediately after a wound but vanishes very quickly.

"The fact that we found some of the fibrin confirms that he didn't survive the arrow for a long period," Zink said. "It's good to have, because there were still some people [thinking] that maybe he could have survived the arrow shot for a few hours, a few days."

Norwegian world champion swimmer Alexander Dale Oen has died of a suspected heart attack in Arizona at the age of 26, the Norwegian Olympic Committee said on Tuesday.

Dale Oen became a national hero last year when he won the 100 metres breaststroke at the world championships in Shanghai just days after Norway had been rocked by the massacre of 77 people by far right fanatic Anders Behring Breivik.

One of his country’s best hopes for a medal at this year’s London Olympics, Dale Oen was attending an altitude training camp when he died.

After a day of light training and a game of golf, his team mates became worried when they noticed he had spent a long time in the shower on Monday evening and after breaking into the bathroom, they found him lying half-in and half-out of the bath tub.

Ola Ronsen, doctor to Norway’s elite Olympians, was quickly on the scene and an ambulance arrived shortly afterwards, but despite their best efforts to revive him Dale Oen was pronounced dead at 2100 local time.

“This is incredibly sad and tragic,” Ronsen said. “As a doctor, it is painful experience not to succeed with resuscitation.

“Everything was done according to procedure, and everything was tried, so it’s infinitely sad that we were unable to revive him.”

Born in Oygarden in south-western Norway, Dale Oen’s career was ground-breaking for Norwegian swimming, and his bronze medal at the 2006 short course championships was the first for a Norwegian man in a world event.

He also won his country’s first Olympic swimming medal when he took silver in the 100m breaststroke in Beijing in 2008 but it was at the 2011 world championships that he became a real national hero to the Norwegian people.

As he prepared for the 100m breaststroke competition in Shanghai, Norway was thrown into shock by the massacre of 77 people and Dale Oen struggled with his emotions in the aftermath, touching the Norwegian flag on his swimming cap every time he entered the pool deck.

DEDICATED TRIUMPH

Three days later, he swam to victory in the 100m breaststroke final and dedicated his triumph to the Norwegian people.

“We need to let everyday life come back because we cannot get things ruined,” he told reporters after the race.

“In a time like this for Norway, we need to be together, to be one. I think now that everyone back at home, of course, is paralysed. I can feel the emotion, but I’m here in Shanghai and I have to show my best and … just think of those at home.”

Together with prime minister Jens Stoltenberg, the swimmer became a symbol of hope that life in Norway could return to normal after the savagery of Breivik’s attacks.

These old wounds were recently ripped open once again when Breivik went on trial on April 16 in an Oslo courtroom.

The gruesome details of the 77 fatalities – the vast majority children and teenagers gunned down at a Labour youth camp on the island of Utoya – were once again played out across the media.

But instead of looking forward to the Olympics and another medal for Dale Oen, the small nordic nation is now preparing for another unexpected funeral.

Stoltenberg expressed his shock and grief at the loss of his compatriot, telling TV2 that “this is a great loss for his family and friends, but also for all of Norway”.

He revealed that he had spoken to Dale Oen at the annual sports gala event in Norway.

“He told me that there was a strange, mixed feeling to win the medal while he received the tragic news from Norway, (but) the way he carried on and managed a great sporting performance, and also to show dignity, caring and compassion, it shows that he was not only a great athlete, he was also a warm and good person,” Stoltenberg said.

Dale Oen was active on social media site Twitter and in his final message he told his followers he was looking forward to returning to his native country.

“2 days left of our camp up here in Flagstaff, then it’s back to the most beautiful city in Norway – Bergen,” he wrote.

Norwegian officials offered their condolences to Dale Oen’s family and friends, and to the wider Norwegian sporting community.

“My thoughts go first and foremost to his family in Oygarden,” Per Rune Eknes, president of the Norwegian Swimming Federation said in a statement. “This is the toughest day the sport of swimming in Norway has ever had.”

“Norwegian sport has lost a sporting hero, not just because of his performances in the pool, but also because of his manner,” said Borre Rognilen, president of Norway’s Olympic council.

If you are currently plagued by stress and depression, there is no harm in trying a cheap solution to this one. Walk regularly in the morning, while breathing fresh air!

Yes, some light exercise like walking may help reduce symptoms of depression. This is the conclusion of a recent study by scientists from the University of Stirling in Scotland.

As is known, regular exercise, especially that done in an active and energetic shown to assist patients in reducing symptoms of depression. However, the benefits of light activity for the recovery of depression remains unclear.

A recent study published in the journal Mental and Physical Activity suggests, walk proved to have great benefits for the recovery of depressive symptoms.

Researchers revealed that one in 10 people may have experienced depression at some point in their lives. This condition can be overcome by using drugs, but most doctors generally advise to exercise when experiencing symptoms of mild depression.

The researcher explained, walking is an effective intervention to treat depression and effect is the same when a person commits an energetic workout.

"Walking has the advantage of being easily performed by most people because it does not cost the sakali and relatively easy to apply in daily life activities," said Professor Adrian Taylor of the University of Exeter, who was not involved in the study.

However, Taylor reminded the need for more research on the benefits of walking. Because there are still many questions about how long it should run, how fast and whether it is running must be done indoors or outdoors.

"The beauty of walking is that anyone can do it. Walking has benefits for mental health conditions such as depression," said Taylor, who had been the focus of studying the effect of exercise on depression, addiction and stress of the University of Exeter.

How exercise can help to overcome depression remains unclear. However, Taylor said, may exercise can be a distraction from feelings of anxiety or worry, give a sense of control and release of hormones that give a sense of tranquility.

"It's important to find the type of exercise you enjoy doing. Try different things, such as walking, bicycling, gardening," continued Paul Farmer, of a social organization that cares about mental health.

"Exercising with others can have a greater impact, as it provides us an opportunity to strengthen social networks. So invite a friend to join you," he concluded.

Six classic James Bond films are to feature in this year's 007 Legends on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, which will end with story and action sequences from October 2012 Bond premiere Skyfall.

For now, Activision and developer Eurocom are staying mum on which of Bond's twenty-two previous silver-screen escapades have made it in.