Sandrine Ceurstemont, editor, New Scientist TV It's a move that's sure to impress even the most skilled circus contortionists. During flight, geese can twist their necks to flip their bodies upside down, while keeping their heads upright.
Now amateur videographers Hans de Koning and Lodewijk van Eekhout have captured the first slow-mo video of the manoeuvre, winning a prize in a competition organised by the Flight Artists group at Wageningen University. Known as whiffling, the move is often performed before landing as a means of braking. Upside down wings generate more drag causing a goose to slow down quickly, just like what happens when a plane is inverted during flight.?
According to Paul Stancliffe from the British Trust for Ornithology, who has observed this manoeuvre several times in nature, what makes the move impressive is the way it allows a goose to quickly lose height. "I like the fact that this clip shows the birds turning completely upside down," he says. "It's difficult to see this happening in real time."
A picture of a flipped goose was captured by wildlife photographer Brian Macfarlane a few years ago, attracting a lot of attention since the pose has rarely been photographed. Although the twist is most common in geese and ducks, it's also used by other species of birds. "In the UK, I've observed cormorants and grey herons whiffling as well as pelicans and cranes in the Middle East," says Stancliffe.
If you enjoyed this post, watch smoke flow over an aerofoil to illustrate how wings create lift or check out a somersaulting fly captured in slow-mo, one of the other competition winners.
WHOI's John Waterbury receives NAS Gilbert Morgan Smith MedalPublic release date: 24-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Media Office media@whoi.edu 508-289-3340 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has awarded John Waterbury, scientist emeritus in the Biology Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the 2012 Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal.
Waterbury is among 17 individuals honored by NAS this year in recognition of their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, and social sciences. The recipients will be formally recognized in a ceremony on April 30, 2012, during the NAS annual meeting.
Waterbury is being honored for his "path-breaking discovery and characterization of ecologically important marine microorganisms, setting in motion major advances in our understanding of marine food webs and the cycling of essential elements in ocean ecosystems." The prestigious award, established through the Helen P. Smith Fund, is given every three years in recognition of excellence in published research on marine or freshwater algae and includes a $20,000 prize.
"A career as a general microbiologist at WHOI, with its unique access to the seas, has afforded me the opportunity to study diverse groups of ecologically important microorganisms," Waterbury said. "Almost anytime we dipped a bucket into the ocean, we came up with fascinating new microbes. Possessing a microbial 'green thumb' helped in being able to isolate and characterize what turned out to be important groups involved in nutrient cycling at the base of the marine food chain."
"The Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal is the icing on what has been a very rewarding forty-year tenure at WHOI," he added.
After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in zoology in 1965, Waterbury began working with Stanley Watson at WHOI on nitrifying bacteria. The two men, along with colleague Frederica Valois, are credited with discovering the abundance of unicellular cyanobacteria in the ocean in the 1970s. Waterbury obtained his master's and doctorate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1975, he returned to WHOI and continued research that highlighted cyanobacteria's critical ecological roles for the ocean and the planet.
"John has been a true pioneer in the discovery, isolation, and cultivation of marine cyanobacteria. These microbes have turned out to be of fundamental importance in understanding the ecology and biogeochemistry of the open oceans," said Mak Saito, a colleague and associate scientist in the Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department at WHOI. "It's wonderful to see John honored for these efforts by the National Academy of Sciences."
Waterbury was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1994, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2003. He has authored or co-authored over 60 papers.
###
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, andwith the National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Councilprovides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, independent organization in Falmouth, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
WHOI's John Waterbury receives NAS Gilbert Morgan Smith MedalPublic release date: 24-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Media Office media@whoi.edu 508-289-3340 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) has awarded John Waterbury, scientist emeritus in the Biology Department at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), the 2012 Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal.
Waterbury is among 17 individuals honored by NAS this year in recognition of their extraordinary scientific achievements in a wide range of fields spanning the physical, biological, and social sciences. The recipients will be formally recognized in a ceremony on April 30, 2012, during the NAS annual meeting.
Waterbury is being honored for his "path-breaking discovery and characterization of ecologically important marine microorganisms, setting in motion major advances in our understanding of marine food webs and the cycling of essential elements in ocean ecosystems." The prestigious award, established through the Helen P. Smith Fund, is given every three years in recognition of excellence in published research on marine or freshwater algae and includes a $20,000 prize.
"A career as a general microbiologist at WHOI, with its unique access to the seas, has afforded me the opportunity to study diverse groups of ecologically important microorganisms," Waterbury said. "Almost anytime we dipped a bucket into the ocean, we came up with fascinating new microbes. Possessing a microbial 'green thumb' helped in being able to isolate and characterize what turned out to be important groups involved in nutrient cycling at the base of the marine food chain."
"The Gilbert Morgan Smith Medal is the icing on what has been a very rewarding forty-year tenure at WHOI," he added.
After graduating from the University of Vermont with a degree in zoology in 1965, Waterbury began working with Stanley Watson at WHOI on nitrifying bacteria. The two men, along with colleague Frederica Valois, are credited with discovering the abundance of unicellular cyanobacteria in the ocean in the 1970s. Waterbury obtained his master's and doctorate degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. In 1975, he returned to WHOI and continued research that highlighted cyanobacteria's critical ecological roles for the ocean and the planet.
"John has been a true pioneer in the discovery, isolation, and cultivation of marine cyanobacteria. These microbes have turned out to be of fundamental importance in understanding the ecology and biogeochemistry of the open oceans," said Mak Saito, a colleague and associate scientist in the Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Department at WHOI. "It's wonderful to see John honored for these efforts by the National Academy of Sciences."
Waterbury was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 1994, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 2003. He has authored or co-authored over 60 papers.
###
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit institution that was established under a congressional charter signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. It recognizes achievement in science by election to membership, andwith the National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Councilprovides science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations.
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, independent organization in Falmouth, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) ? For decades they cheered him, now it's time for Penn State students and alumni to mourn Joe Paterno.
Three days of public events were set to begin Tuesday as Penn Staters from State College and far beyond say goodbye to the man who led the Nittany Lions to 409 wins over 46 years.
Paterno died of lung cancer on Sunday, learning of his diagnosis in November just days after he was fired in the aftermath of the shocking child sex-abuse charges against former assistant Jerry Sandusky.
Paterno's son, Scott, says that despite the turmoil, Paterno remained peaceful and upbeat in his final days and still loved the school.
Big crowds are expected to show their love for Paterno over the next few days, with a 10-hour public viewing beginning at 1 p.m. Tuesday.
The viewing will be on campus at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center. After another public viewing on Wednesday, Paterno's family will hold a private funeral service, followed by a procession that will run through State College.
Then, on Thursday, the school's basketball arena will be the sight of a public service called "A Memorial for Joe." Penn State was expecting a huge demand for seats and set a two-per-person limit for those ordering tickets.
The winningest coach in major college football history, Paterno was fired Nov. 9 after he was criticized over his handling of child sex-abuse allegations leveled against Sandusky in 2002. Pennsylvania's state police commissioner said that in not going to the police, Paterno may have met his legal duty but not his moral one.
Bitterness over Paterno's removal has turned up in many forms, from online postings to a note placed next to Paterno's statue at the football stadium blaming the trustees for his death. A newspaper headline that read "FIRED" was crossed out and made to read, "Killed by Trustees." Lanny Davis, lawyer for the school's board, said threats have been made against the trustees.
Scott Paterno, however, stressed that his father did not die with a broken heart and did not harbor resentment toward Penn State.
___
Associated Press writer Mark Scolforo contributed to this report.
Inflammatory mediator promotes colorectal cancer by stifling protective genes Public release date: 22-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-516-4855 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
UT MD Anderson researchers expose molecular connection between inflammation, methylation
HOUSTON - Chronic inflammation combines with DNA methylation, a process that shuts down cancer-fighting genes, to promote development of colorectal cancer, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report today in the advance online publication of the journal Nature Medicine.
The team's connection of these two separate influences eventually may lead to better combination therapies for treating and preventing colorectal cancer.
In animal experiments, researchers found that prostaglandin E2, a chemical that promotes inflammation, accelerates the development of colorectal cancer by shutting down genes that suppress tumors and repair damaged DNA. They also found that while either an anti-inflammatory drug or a demethylating agent reduced the size and number of tumors in mice with colorectal cancer, the most powerful response occurred when both drugs were used together.
"We've known that chronic inflammation increases the risk of developing cancer and progression of disease," said senior author Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., provost and executive vice president at MD Anderson. "We've also known that tumor-suppressing genes are silenced in human colorectal cancer. However, nobody had made a molecular connection between these inflammatory mediators and changes in gene expression or silencing of genes through affects on DNA methylation."
Cancer prevention potential
The two drugs used in the animal experiments - the anti-inflammatory agent celecoxib (known commercially as Celebrex) and the demethylating agent azacitidine (Vidaza) - are both approved for human use.
"One potential application of our research would be a clinical trial for patients who are at extremely high risk for developing colorectal cancer, such as those with a genetic predisposition, to see if treatment with these agents would decrease their risk," DuBois said.
Prostaglandin E2 and methylation
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a lipid mediator found at high levels at sites of inflammation where immune cells are aggregating. DuBois and colleagues looked for correlations between levels of PGE2 and a class of enzymes called DNA methyltransferases, which attach methyl groups (one carbon atom joined to three hydrogen atoms) to the promoter region of genes, blocking gene expression.
"We found that levels of PGE2 correlate with levels of two methyltransferases, DNMT1 and DNMT3, in human colorectal cancer specimens," DuBois said.
Subsequent experiments showed PGE2:
Directly increased levels of both methylating enzymes in three human colorectal cancer cell lines;
Increased the silencing by methylation of the tumor-suppressor gene CNR1 and the DNA repair gene MGMT;
Also expanded methylation of a variety of other DNA repair genes, most importantly silencing CDKN2B and MLH1, which repairs DNA mismatches.
PGE2 silences protective genes in mice
Treating mice that are genetically altered to develop colon tumors with PGE2 increased:
Levels of the methyltransferase gene expression in tumor cells;
Methylation of the four tumor-suppressing genes, which reduced the expression of their corresponding messenger RNA and protein levels in tumor cells; and
Size and number of precancerous polyps.
Giving those mice the demethylating agent azacitidine reversed the effect of PGE2 on tumor growth and on the silencing of tumor-suppressing and DNA repair genes.
Mice treated with azacitidine alone experienced a 60 percent reduction in tumors, and those treated with celecoxib alone, a 77 percent tumor reduction. Treatment with both drugs in tandem cut the number of tumors by 93 percent. All three regimens also reduced the average size of tumors; however, the combination therapy led to the greatest decrease, cutting the size of tumors by half.
Same correlations evident in human colorectal cancers
The researchers found that various processes observed in mice - such as inflammation promotion through PGE2 and another inflammatory agent called PTGS2, methlytransferases DNMT1 and DNMT3B, and the methylation of CNR1, MGMT and MLH1 - are all positively associated in human colorectal cancer, as well.
"These mouse studies make us optimistic that we can extrapolate our data to help treat humans," DuBois said. "Improved understanding of PGE2's roles in cancer progression and the regulation of DNA methylation may provide the basis for developing combination therapy to treat targeted groups of patients, and to prevent cancer from occurring or recurring in high-risk groups."
###
Co-authors with DuBois are first author Dianren Xia, Ph.D., Dingzhi Wang, Ph.D., Sun-Hee Kim, Ph.D., and Hiroshi Katoh, Ph.D., of MD Anderson's Department of Cancer Biology. DuBois has appointments in both Cancer Biology and the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology.
Funding for this research was provided by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For eight of the past 10 years, including 2011, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Inflammatory mediator promotes colorectal cancer by stifling protective genes Public release date: 22-Jan-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Scott Merville smerville@mdanderson.org 713-516-4855 University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
UT MD Anderson researchers expose molecular connection between inflammation, methylation
HOUSTON - Chronic inflammation combines with DNA methylation, a process that shuts down cancer-fighting genes, to promote development of colorectal cancer, scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center report today in the advance online publication of the journal Nature Medicine.
The team's connection of these two separate influences eventually may lead to better combination therapies for treating and preventing colorectal cancer.
In animal experiments, researchers found that prostaglandin E2, a chemical that promotes inflammation, accelerates the development of colorectal cancer by shutting down genes that suppress tumors and repair damaged DNA. They also found that while either an anti-inflammatory drug or a demethylating agent reduced the size and number of tumors in mice with colorectal cancer, the most powerful response occurred when both drugs were used together.
"We've known that chronic inflammation increases the risk of developing cancer and progression of disease," said senior author Raymond DuBois, M.D., Ph.D., provost and executive vice president at MD Anderson. "We've also known that tumor-suppressing genes are silenced in human colorectal cancer. However, nobody had made a molecular connection between these inflammatory mediators and changes in gene expression or silencing of genes through affects on DNA methylation."
Cancer prevention potential
The two drugs used in the animal experiments - the anti-inflammatory agent celecoxib (known commercially as Celebrex) and the demethylating agent azacitidine (Vidaza) - are both approved for human use.
"One potential application of our research would be a clinical trial for patients who are at extremely high risk for developing colorectal cancer, such as those with a genetic predisposition, to see if treatment with these agents would decrease their risk," DuBois said.
Prostaglandin E2 and methylation
Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) is a lipid mediator found at high levels at sites of inflammation where immune cells are aggregating. DuBois and colleagues looked for correlations between levels of PGE2 and a class of enzymes called DNA methyltransferases, which attach methyl groups (one carbon atom joined to three hydrogen atoms) to the promoter region of genes, blocking gene expression.
"We found that levels of PGE2 correlate with levels of two methyltransferases, DNMT1 and DNMT3, in human colorectal cancer specimens," DuBois said.
Subsequent experiments showed PGE2:
Directly increased levels of both methylating enzymes in three human colorectal cancer cell lines;
Increased the silencing by methylation of the tumor-suppressor gene CNR1 and the DNA repair gene MGMT;
Also expanded methylation of a variety of other DNA repair genes, most importantly silencing CDKN2B and MLH1, which repairs DNA mismatches.
PGE2 silences protective genes in mice
Treating mice that are genetically altered to develop colon tumors with PGE2 increased:
Levels of the methyltransferase gene expression in tumor cells;
Methylation of the four tumor-suppressing genes, which reduced the expression of their corresponding messenger RNA and protein levels in tumor cells; and
Size and number of precancerous polyps.
Giving those mice the demethylating agent azacitidine reversed the effect of PGE2 on tumor growth and on the silencing of tumor-suppressing and DNA repair genes.
Mice treated with azacitidine alone experienced a 60 percent reduction in tumors, and those treated with celecoxib alone, a 77 percent tumor reduction. Treatment with both drugs in tandem cut the number of tumors by 93 percent. All three regimens also reduced the average size of tumors; however, the combination therapy led to the greatest decrease, cutting the size of tumors by half.
Same correlations evident in human colorectal cancers
The researchers found that various processes observed in mice - such as inflammation promotion through PGE2 and another inflammatory agent called PTGS2, methlytransferases DNMT1 and DNMT3B, and the methylation of CNR1, MGMT and MLH1 - are all positively associated in human colorectal cancer, as well.
"These mouse studies make us optimistic that we can extrapolate our data to help treat humans," DuBois said. "Improved understanding of PGE2's roles in cancer progression and the regulation of DNA methylation may provide the basis for developing combination therapy to treat targeted groups of patients, and to prevent cancer from occurring or recurring in high-risk groups."
###
Co-authors with DuBois are first author Dianren Xia, Ph.D., Dingzhi Wang, Ph.D., Sun-Hee Kim, Ph.D., and Hiroshi Katoh, Ph.D., of MD Anderson's Department of Cancer Biology. DuBois has appointments in both Cancer Biology and the Department of Gastrointestinal Medical Oncology.
Funding for this research was provided by grants from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the National Cancer Institute and the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.
About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. MD Anderson is one of only 40 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute. For eight of the past 10 years, including 2011, MD Anderson has ranked No. 1 in cancer care in "Best Hospitals," a survey published annually in U.S. News & World Report.
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
(Reuters) ? When Patty Tegeler looks out the window of her home overlooking the Appalachian Mountains in southwestern Virginia, she sees trouble on the horizon.
"In an instant, anything can happen," she told Reuters. "And I firmly believe that you have to be prepared."
Tegeler is among a growing subculture of Americans who refer to themselves informally as "preppers." Some are driven by a fear of imminent societal collapse, others are worried about terrorism, and many have a vague concern that an escalating series of natural disasters is leading to some type of environmental cataclysm.
They are following in the footsteps of hippies in the 1960s who set up communes to separate themselves from what they saw as a materialistic society, and the survivalists in the 1990s who were hoping to escape the dictates of what they perceived as an increasingly secular and oppressive government.
Preppers, though are, worried about no government.
Tegeler, 57, has turned her home in rural Virginia into a "survival center," complete with a large generator, portable heaters, water tanks, and a two-year supply of freeze-dried food that her sister recently gave her as a birthday present. She says that in case of emergency, she could survive indefinitely in her home. And she thinks that emergency could come soon.
"I think this economy is about to fall apart," she said.
A wide range of vendors market products to preppers, mainly online. They sell everything from water tanks to guns to survival skills.
Conservative talk radio host Glenn Beck seems to preach preppers' message when he tells listeners: "It's never too late to prepare for the end of the world as we know it."
"Unfortunately, given the increasing complexity and fragility of our modern technological society, the chances of a societal collapse are increasing year after year," said author James Wesley Rawles, whose Survival Blog is considered the guiding light of the prepper movement.
A former Army intelligence officer, Rawles has written fiction and non-fiction books on end-of-civilization topics, including "How to Survive the End of the World as We Know It," which is also known as the preppers' Bible.
"We could see a cascade of higher interest rates, margin calls, stock market collapses, bank runs, currency revaluations, mass street protests, and riots," he told Reuters. "The worst-case end result would be a Third World War, mass inflation, currency collapses, and long term power grid failures."
A sense of "suffering and being afraid" is usually at the root of this kind of thinking, according to Cathy Gutierrez, an expert on end-times beliefs at Sweet Briar College in Virginia. Such feelings are not unnatural in a time of economic recession and concerns about a growing national debt, she said.
"With our current dependence on things from the electric grid to the Internet, things that people have absolutely no control over, there is a feeling that a collapse scenario can easily emerge, with a belief that the end is coming, and it is all out of the individual's control," she told Reuters.
She compared the major technological developments of the past decade to the Industrial Revolution of the 1830s and 1840s, which led to the growth of the Millerites, the 19th-Century equivalent of the preppers. Followers of charismatic preacher Joseph Miller, many sold everything and gathered in 1844 for what they believed would be the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Many of today's preppers receive inspiration from the Internet, devouring information posted on websites like that run by attorney Michael T. Snider, who writes The Economic Collapse blog out of his home in northern Idaho.
"Modern preppers are much different from the survivalists of the old days," he said. "You could be living next door to a prepper and never even know it. Many suburbanites are turning spare rooms into food pantries and are going for survival training on the weekends."
Like other preppers, Snider is worried about the end of a functioning U.S. economy. He points out that tens of millions of Americans are on food stamps and that many U.S. children are living in poverty.
"Most people have a gut feeling that something has gone terribly wrong, but that doesn't mean that they understand what is happening," he said. "A lot of Americans sense that a massive economic storm is coming and they want to be prepared for it."
So, assuming there is no collapse of society -- which the preppers call "uncivilization" -- what is the future of the preppers?
Gutierrez said that unlike the Millerites -- or followers of radio preacher Harold Camping, who predicted the world would end last year -- preppers are not setting a date for the coming destruction. The Mayan Calendar predicts doom this December.
"The minute you set a date, you are courting disconfirmation," she said.
Tegeler, who recalls being hit by tornadoes and floods in her southwestern Virginia home, said that none of her "survival center" products will go to waste.
"I think it's silly not to be prepared," she said. "After all, anything can happen."
(Reporting by Jim Forsyth in San Antonio; Editing by Corrie MacLaggan and Greg McCune)
KABUL, Afghanistan ? France suspended its training operations in Afghanistan and threatened to withdraw its entire force from the country early after an Afghan soldier shot and killed four French troops Friday and wounded 15 others.
The shooting ? the second such attack in a month ? came during a particularly deadly 24 hours for the international military coalition. Six U.S. Marines also died in a helicopter crash late Thursday.
It was the latest in a series of attacks by members of the Afghan security forces or infiltrators in disguise against coalition partners that have raised fears of increased Taliban infiltration of the Afghan police and army as foreign combat forces prepare to withdraw from the country by 2014. The impact of the French suspending training operations is unclear, but it would result in a major setback for the U.S.-led coalition if other troop-contributing nations stopped training Afghan national security forces or decided to pull out earlier than planned.
French officials said the Afghan soldier opened fire with an unspecified automatic weapon shortly after unarmed French soldiers had finished physical training exercises. French military spokesman Col. Thierry Burkhard said the soldier appeared to have had authorization to enter Forward Operating Base in Gwan in Tagab district of Kapisa province. Three quarters of the 600 soldiers on the base are Afghan and the rest are French, Burkhard said.
President Nicolas Sarkozy announced the French deaths in Paris and the suspension of training programs. He did not specify how many French forces or which programs would be affected.
"The French army is in Afghanistan at the service of the Afghans against terrorism and against the Taliban. The French army is not in Afghanistan so that Afghan soldiers can shoot at them," Sarkozy said.
He added that if security for troops is not restored, "then the question of an early withdrawal of the French army would arise."
Defense Minister Gerard Longuet said the French soldiers were unarmed when the attacker opened fire during a very difficult training exercise at high altitude. French military officials said 15 other French soldiers were injured
"We don't know at the moment whether it's a Taliban member who infiltrated, or someone who decided (to attack) for reasons that we don't know," Longuet said on France-2 television.
He said the Afghan was in custody of the Afghan army's 3rd brigade, held by a general "whom we trust."
A Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, praised the Afghan attacker but did not claim he was an infiltrator or provide other details.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai expressed deep regret over the attack.
Afghan Ministry of Defense spokesman Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi said the ministry had sent a delegation to the area to investigate the shooting, he said. He said the attacker was arrested and was being questioned.
Friday was among the most deadly days for French forces in the 10 years they have been serving in the international force in Afghanistan. The latest deaths bring to 82 the number of French troops killed in the Afghan campaign.
"From now on, all the operations of training and combat help by the French army are suspended," Sarkozy said.
The defense minister and the chief of staff of the French army are heading Friday to Kabul. Once they report back, Sarkozy said, the French government will decide how to proceed.
A big part of the French role in Afghanistan recently has been training Afghan troops and police ahead of an expected pullout of the around 3,600 French troops currently there in 2014.
Unpopular at home, Sarkozy is facing a potentially tough re-election campaign for elections in April and May and appeared determined Friday to act swiftly and sternly to the latest troop deaths.
The candidate who tops opinion polls ahead of France's elections, Socialist Francois Hollande, said in a statement Friday that he would aim to pull out French forces by the end of this year if he becomes president.
Friday's attack was all the more painful for the French because it came just weeks after an Afghan army soldier shot and killed two members of the French Foreign Legion serving in the NATO force on Dec. 29. French forces fired back and killed the assailant.
It remained unclear how likely or swift a French pullout could be. France has the fourth-largest force in the international coalition.
"Today there is clearly a new truth. It is not the first time that an Afghan soldier ... assassinates French soldiers," Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said. He called it a question of "responsibility to adapt our timetable for withdrawal by taking into account these new circumstances."
Longuet was more cautious, saying French officials should maintain calm when making any decisions.
Sarkozy said he'd discuss France's role in Afghanistan with Karzai when he visits Paris next week.
Afghan security forces or insurgents dressed in their uniforms have attacked and killed international troops or civilian trainers more than a dozen times in the past two years, according to an Associated Press count.
Earlier this month, a U.S. service member was killed when a man in an Afghan army uniform opened fire at a base in the south of the country.
In one of the worst incidents, a veteran Afghan military pilot opened fire at Kabul airport on April 27, 2011, killing eight U.S. troops and an American civilian contractor.
In Riga, Latvia, NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said this was "a very sad day for our troops in Afghanistan and for the French people," but insisted that such incidents are "isolated."
The helicopter crash, which occurred in the southern Helmand province, was the deadliest in Afghanistan since August, when 30 American troops died after a Chinook helicopter was apparently shot down in Wardak province in the center of the country.
The cause of Thursday's crash is still being investigated, but a coalition statement said there was no enemy activity in the area when it happened.
A senior U.S. defense official said all six reported killed were U.S. Marines and there was no indication that the helicopter had been hit by enemy fire. The defense official spoke on condition of anonymity because the U.S. command in Afghanistan had not yet publicly released details, including the nationalities of the dead.
Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef claimed insurgents shot down the helicopter, a Chinook, in Musa Qala district of Helmand province, killing all on board. The Taliban frequently exaggerate the number of people they claim to have killed.
___
Corbet reported from Paris. Associated Press writers Angela Charlton, Jamey Keaten and Samantha Bordes in Paris, and Robert Burns in Washington contributed to this report.
A house burns just south of the Old 395 Gas Station Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Washoe Valley, Nev. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods. (AP Photo/The Reno Gazette-Journal, Liz Margerum) NEVADA APPEAL OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
A house burns just south of the Old 395 Gas Station Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Washoe Valley, Nev. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods. (AP Photo/The Reno Gazette-Journal, Liz Margerum) NEVADA APPEAL OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
Firefighters battle a fast-moving brush fire burns in Pleasant Valley, south of Reno, Nev., on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire through a valley south of Reno on Thursday, burning several homes, threatening dozens more and forcing hundreds of residents to evacuate their neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)
The ruins of a home in Pleasant Valley, south of Reno, Nev. smolders as firefighters battle a wind-driven brush fire on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)
The ruins of a home in Pleasant Valley, south of Reno, Nev. smolders as firefighters battle a wind-driven brush fire on Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods. (AP Photo/Cathleen Allison)
Firefighters wait for water before attacking an outbuilding adjacent to a home Thursday, Jan. 19, 2012 in Pleasant Valley, Nev. Winds gusting up to 82 mph pushed a fast-moving brush fire south of Reno out of control on Thursday as it burned several homes, threatened dozens more and forced more than 4,000 people to evacuate their neighborhoods. (AP Photo/The Reno Gazette-Journal, Tim Dunn) NEVADA APPEAL OUT; MAGS OUT; NO SALES
RENO, Nev. (AP) ? Reno hasn't seen a winter this dry in more than 120 years. So residents welcomed a forecast that a storm was due to blow across the Sierra Nevada this week.
Instead, as many as 10,000 found themselves fleeing their homes while howling winds gusting to 82 mph pushed a fire toward them, destroying 26 homes and torching thousands of acres.
As the fire eased Friday, residents faced another threat: the storm was expected to bring high winds and a burst of rain and snow that could cause flash flooding on the charred land.
"The weather poses a significant threat," fire commander Paul Washam said. "We've got a lot of work to do and a short time to do it. If it rains, we'll have flood concerns."
Emergency crews, meanwhile, escorted evacuees in two separate burn areas to see their houses. Officials said evacuation orders would continue ? even in areas unaffected by the fire.
Connie Cryer went to the fire response command post on Friday with her 12-year-old granddaughter, Maddie Miramon, to find out if her house had survived the flames.
"We had to know so we could get some sleep," Cryer said, adding her house was spared but a neighbor's wasn't. She had seen wildfires before, but nothing on this scale.
"There was fire in front of me, fire beside me, fire behind me. It was everywhere," she said. "I don't know how more didn't burn up. It was terrible, all the wind and the smoke."
The blaze started shortly after noon Thursday and, fueled by the wind gusts, mushroomed to more than 6 square miles before firefighters stopped its surge toward Reno.
"The fire moved very, very fast," Washoe County Sheriff Mike Haley said. "Firefighters did an enormously good job of holding the number of structures down to 26."
The fire's cause isn't known. It started in a valley along a highway, which was closed because the heat destroyed some of the guardrails. Those rails will need to be replaced, state officials said.
Three schools were closed Friday and about 200 customers were without electricity.
The fire held steady around 3,900 acres and was 50 percent contained. Of the roughly 10,000 people ordered to leave their homes, about 2,000 of them remained under evacuation orders.
The high, erratic winds caused major challenges for crews evacuating residents, Sierra Front spokesman Mark Regan said. "In a matter of seconds, the wind would shift," he said.
Fire officials said Thursday's fire was "almost a carbon copy" of a blaze that destroyed 30 homes in Reno during similar summer-like conditions in mid-November.
State Forester Pete Anderson said he has not seen such hazardous fire conditions in winter in his 57 years in Nevada. Reno had no precipitation in December ? the last time that happened was 1883.
An inch of snow Monday ended the longest recorded dry spell in Reno history, a 56-day stretch that prompted Anderson to issue an unusual warning about wildfire threats.
"We're usually pretty much done with the fire season by the first of November, but this year it's been nonstop," Anderson said.
Firefighters were taking advantage of a break in the weather Friday to make more progress against the fire. At least 700 people, including firefighters from California, were expected to fight the fire.
Reno Fire Chief Michael Hernandez said there was one fatality in the fire area but declined to provide more details, saying an autopsy would be needed to determine the cause of death.
Kit Bailey, U.S. Forest Service fire chief at nearby Lake Tahoe, said conditions are so dry that even a forecast calling for rain and snow might not take the Reno-Tahoe area out of fire danger.
"The scary thing is a few days of drying after this storm cycle and we could be back into fire season again," he said.
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Associated Press writers Michelle Rindels in Las Vegas and Sandra Chereb in Carson City, Nev., contributed to this report.
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Public release date: 24-Jan-2012
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