Lil Wayne, 30, had been the face of the PepsiCo drink Mountain Dew's "Deweezy" campaign, a play on the rapper's "Weezy" nickname.

"We do not plan any additional work with Lil Wayne moving forward," a Mountain Dew representative said in a statement. "His offensive reference to a revered civil rights icon does not reflect the values of our brand."

The Deweezy campaign website was taken down.

In a remix of the song "Karate Chop" by rapper Future, Lil Wayne likens the beating of Till to sex.

The song was leaked onto the Internet in February and prompted an apology from Future's record company, Epic Records, after Till's family had complained.

But the controversy did not stop there. In a letter to Till's family this week, Lil Wayne called the reference "inappropriate" but stopped short of an apology.

Till, an African-American from Chicago, was beaten and murdered in 1955 at the age of 14 for allegedly whistling at a white woman in the village of Money, Mississippi, where he was visiting family.

An all-white jury acquitted two white men of Till's murder, sparking national outrage. The trial is credited with mobilizing the civil rights movement and drawing attention to racial injustice and violence in the American South.

On Wednesday, PepsiCo pulled a series of online ads for Mountain Dew by rapper Tyler, The Creator which was criticized for embracing racial stereotypes and trivializing violence toward women.

Epic Records is owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a division of Sony Corp.

(Reporting by Martinne Geller and Eric Kelsey; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. -- Former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford defeated Democratic businesswoman Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a special House election for South Carolina's first congressional district, despite an expansive effort among Democrats to turn the district blue for the first time in more than 30 years.

The seat, which was left open when Gov. Nikki Haley, a Republican, named former Republican Rep. Tim Scott to replace outgoing Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, will remain in GOP hands. Throughout the campaign, the seat appeared closer to going Democratic than at any time in the past three decades.

Sanford, a candidate plagued by scandal after he admitted using public funds to leave the country to visit an Argentine mistress while governor in 2009, defeated 15 Republicans earlier this year to secure the party nomination. Aided by running in a solidly Republican district, Sanford overcame his past by arguing that the race was a referendum on President Barack Obama's policies, and that a vote for Colbert Busch would be synonymous with support for liberal Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.

Mark Sanford's fiancee, Maria Belen Chapur, attended his victory party. (Yahoo News)

Surrounded by campaign staff, supporters and family at a restaurant here Tuesday night, Sanford acknowledged that his past flaws and emphasized the role that grace played in relaunching his political career.

"I've talked a lot about grace over the course of this campaign. And until you've experienced human grace as a reflection of God's grace, I don't think you really get it and I didn't get it before. I get it in a way that I never have before and I want to publicly acknowledge God's role in this. Not that he said, You're it, but what he said was, not that you will win but that you will learn," Sanford said. "I just want to acknowledge a God not just of second chances, but of third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth chances, because that is a reality of our shared humanity. I also want to say this: I am one imperfect man saved by God's grace, but one who has a conviction on the importance of doing something about the spending in Washington, D.C."

Because of Sanford's blemished past, Democrats saw a rare opportunity to take control of the seat and poured significant resources into the effort. Had they been successful, the victory would have been an important symbolic victory that would have provided momentum for Democrats working to rebuild their majority in the House. The party nominated Colbert Busch, a centrist Democrat and the sister of celebrity comedian Stephen Colbert.

While Democratic outside groups united around Colbert Busch, the National Republican Congressional Committee said last month that they would not help Sanford with paid television ads, a move that placed increased pressure on the state Republican Party.

The official reason the NRCC gave for not spending on the race was that Sanford didn't need their help, but the timing of the announcement--it came shortly after the Associated Press reported that Sanford's ex-wife had charged him with trespassing on her property in January--suggested that congressional Republicans had largely abandoned his effort. Sanford is scheduled to appear in court on Thursday to testify about the trespassing charges, one of perhaps many forthcoming embarrassing episodes for House Republicans as he continues to deal with his past transgressions.

Some Republicans also figured that even if Sanford lost this week, they could raise the money and support around a new candidate and defeat Colbert Busch in November 2013 anyway. The decision by national Republicans to stay out of the race could have one important consequence: Sanford will owe them very little when he arrives in Washington, which provides the lawmaker--already known as a rabble-rouser--even more freedom to call his own shots.

In contrast, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman poured $425,000 on ads during the special election to defeat Sanford. In a statement, DCCC Chairman Steve Israel said that despite the loss, the organization would continue to target Republicans in conservative districts.

"In this deep red Republican district that Mitt Romney won by 18 points, the fact that the Democrat made this competitive is a testament to the strength of Elizabeth Colbert Busch as a candidate and the Republican habit of nominating flawed candidates," Israel said. "Democrats will be aggressive and drive deep into Republican-held territory this cycle to find districts with flawed Republican candidates where we can compete. "Democrats will be aggressive and drive deep into Republican-held territory this cycle to find districts with flawed Republican candidates where we can compete."

Mark Sanford at victory party in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (Yahoo News)

By winning the seat, Sanford will be returning to familiar territory: Before his first term as governor, he represented the district in the House from 1995 to 2001.

The extent of his influence in the House in the future, however, remains uncertain. The chamber has become more conservative since he left in 2001, and while he could find a comfortable place among the tea party members of his party, he could also prove trouble for House Republican leaders who seek to unite the caucus.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's economy may be finally gaining some ground, with stronger-than-expected growth in the dominant services sector capping a week of relatively upbeat economic news.

The services sector - which accounts for around three-quarters of Britain's economy - grew at its fastest pace in April since last summer's Olympics, boosted by the strongest increase in new orders in almost a year.

Along with recent forecast-beating gross domestic product data and manufacturing and construction surveys, Friday's services reading will ease pressure on the government to water down its austerity programme, even after a poor showing in local elections this week.

It also reinforces expectations the Bank will refrain from further stimulus next week, and possibly longer.

A Reuters poll this week showed almost half of economists now believe there will be no further government bond-buying this year.

Sterling rose against the dollar on Friday as the rise in the service sector survey further diminished expectations that the Bank might pump more money into the economy any time soon.

"Today's release marks a hat-trick of upside surprises for April," said Simon Hayes, UK economist at Barclays. "Recent activity indicators have had a more encouraging tone and add to the case for the Monetary Policy Committee holding policy when it meets next week."

The Conservative-led government coalition austerity programme has been under fire for stifling growth and the latest data may relieve political pressures reflected in poor poll showings.

The anti-European Union UK Independence Party made big gains in local elections on Thursday against the conservatives.

The Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers' Index rose to 52.9 in April, its highest reading since August and the fourth consecutive monthly rise. Economists in a Reuters poll had expected the index to stay at March's level of 52.4.

The improvement was broad-based, supported by the strongest rise in new orders since last May.

Markit's combined index of services, manufacturing and construction in Britain rose more than a full point to 52.1 in April, also the highest since last August.

The figures will be welcomed by the government which, until last week's GDP data, feared the country might be slipping into its third recession in five years. In the event, the data showed Britain's economy grew 0.3 percent in the first three months of this year.

Markit economist Chris Williamson said April's purchasing managers' surveys suggested the return to growth seen in the first quarter may have gained momentum at the start of the second.

That prospect should help the government avoid criticism from the International Monetary Fund draws up its annual health check of Britain's economy later this month.

(Writing by Christina Fincher; editing by William Schomberg, Hugh Lawson, Ron Askew)

I am heartbroken that she is being "marketed" this way and that her prospects for a life of achievement and happiness are zero. I have little to no contact with her because I have been put off by her mother's "street" attitude. If her lips are moving, the woman is lying. My granddaughter is disrespectful and ignorant.

What breaks my heart is that I had hoped to pass on to her items that have been in our family for generations, including a sizable inheritance. What can I do to salvage a relationship with a girl who wants nothing to do with me? Failing that, where can I turn to replace her with a more suitable heir? My son can't father any more children. -- SAD GRANNY IN FLORIDA

DEAR SAD GRANNY: Your granddaughter may be disrespectful because her mother dislikes you, and you haven't been around enough so the girl could really get to know you. Also, she is only 11. Her mother is presenting her on Facebook in an inappropriate manner (to put it mildly), and the result could be tragic.

Is it possible for your son to talk with a lawyer and seek custody? If it's not, he should contact child protective services. Rather than "replace" your grandchild, it would be better for all concerned to help her.

DEAR ABBY: Three years ago, I found out that my wife of 14 years was sneaking around behind my back with her high school sweetheart. I confronted both of them and it ended. I forgave her, but I still can't sleep at night because of something that's bothering me. His wife has no idea about the affair, and I feel guilty that I haven't told her about everything that happened.

Some of my friends say I should call her and tell her, but now it seems like it happened too long ago to bring it to her attention. Also, in an attempt to get her husband to come clean -- which he did -- I promised him I wouldn't tell his wife.

My wife and I have patched things up and we're having the best years of our life together. So the question is, should I break my word and possibly upset my new relationship with my wife so I can not feel this guilt? -- CAN'T SLEEP IN ILLINOIS

DEAR CAN'T SLEEP: Surely there's a better cure for your insomnia than causing needless pain to the wife. The affair ended years ago, and she is blameless in all this. Because you are still having trouble sleeping, talk to your doctor about it. Some sessions with a psychologist or a licensed family therapist may help you to assuage your guilt and find closure.

DEAR ABBY: I have had the same barber for several years and he is a good friend. While he was on vacation, I used another barber in the shop for a cut. I really like how he cut my hair. How can I change barbers without causing hurt feelings? -- LOOKIN' GOOD IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR LOOKIN' GOOD: Barbers are human like everyone else. If you announce that you want to make a change, there probably will be hurt feelings. The question you must ask yourself is, is your relationship with your barber/friend such a close one that you're willing to tolerate continuing to patronize him even though you think someone else can do a better job. (Now that's friendship!)

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order "How to Be Popular." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

A growing number of them have stopped paying for cable and satellite TV service, and don't even use an antenna to get free signals over the air. These people are watching shows and movies on the Internet, sometimes via cellphone connections. Last month, the Nielsen Co. started labeling people in this group "Zero TV" households, because they fall outside the traditional definition of a TV home. There are 5 million of these residences in the U.S., up from 2 million in 2007.

Winning back the Zero TV crowd will be one of the many issues broadcasters discuss at their national meeting, called the NAB Show, taking place this week in Las Vegas.

While show creators and networks make money from this group's viewing habits through deals with online video providers and from advertising on their own websites and apps, broadcasters only get paid when they relay such programming in traditional ways. Unless broadcasters can adapt to modern platforms, their revenue from Zero TV viewers will be zero.

"Getting broadcast programing on all the gizmos and gadgets like tablets, the backseats of cars, and laptops is hugely important," says Dennis Wharton, a spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Although Wharton says more than 130 TV stations in the U.S. are broadcasting live TV signals to mobile devices, few people have the tools to receive them. Most cellphones require an add-on device known as a dongle, but these gadgets are just starting to be sold.

Among this elusive group of consumers is Jeremy Carsen Young, a graphic designer, who is done with traditional TV. Young has a working antenna sitting unplugged on his back porch in Roanoke, Va., and he refuses to put it on the roof.

"I don't think we'd use it enough to justify having a big eyesore on the house," the 30-year-old says.

Online video subscriptions from Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. which cost less than $15 a month combined have given him and his partner plenty to watch. They take in back episodes of AMC's "The Walking Dead" and The CW's "Supernatural," and they don't need more, he says.

He doesn't mind waiting as long as a year for the current season's episodes to appear on streaming services, even if his friends accidently blurt out spoilers in the meantime. With regular television, he might have missed the latest developments, anyway.

"By the time it gets to me to watch, I've kind of forgotten about that," he says.

For the first time, TV ratings giant Nielsen took a close look at this category of viewer in its quarterly video report released in March. It plans to measure their viewing of new TV shows starting this fall, with an eye toward incorporating the results in the formula used to calculate ad rates.

"Our commitment is to being able to measure the content wherever it is," says Dounia Turrill, Nielsen's senior vice president of insights.

The Zero TV segment is increasingly important, because the number of people signing up for traditional TV service has slowed to a standstill in the U.S.

Last year, the cable, satellite and telecoms providers added just 46,000 video customers collectively, according to research firm SNL Kagan. That is tiny when compared to the 974,000 new households created last year. While it's still 100.4 million homes, or 84.7 percent of all households, it's down from the peak of 87.3 percent in early 2010.

Nielsen's study suggests that this new group may have left traditional TV for good. While three-quarters actually have a physical TV set, only 18 percent are interested in hooking it up through a traditional pay TV subscription.

Zero TVers tend to be younger, single and without children. Nielsen's senior vice president of insights, Dounia Turrill, says part of the new monitoring regime is meant to help determine whether they'll change their behavior over time. "As these homes change life stage, what will happen to them?"

Cynthia Phelps, a 43-year-old maker of mental health apps in San Antonio, Texas, says there's nothing that will bring her back to traditional TV. She's watched TV in the past, of course, but for most of the last 10 years she's done without it.

She finds a lot of programs online to watch on her laptop for free like the TED talks educational series and every few months she gets together with friends to watch older TV shows on DVD, usually "something totally geeky," like NBC's "Chuck."

The 24-hour news channels make her anxious or depressed, and buzz about the latest hot TV shows like "Mad Men" doesn't make her feel like she's missing out. She didn't know who the Kardashian family was until she looked them up a few years ago.

"I feel absolutely no social pressure to keep up with the Joneses in that respect," she says.

For Phelps, it's less about saving money than choice. She says she'd rather spend her time productively and not get "sucked into" shows she'll regret later.

"I don't want someone else dictating the media I get every day," she says. "I want to be in charge of it. When I have a TV, I'm less in control of that."

The TV industry has a host of buzz words to describe these non-traditionalist viewers. There are "cord-cutters," who stop paying for TV completely, and make do with online video and sometimes an antenna. There are "cord-shavers," who reduce the number of channels they subscribe to, or the number of rooms pay TV is in, to save money.

Then there are the "cord-nevers," young people who move out on their own and never set up a landline phone connection or a TV subscription. They usually make do with a broadband Internet connection, a computer, a cellphone and possibly a TV set that is not hooked up the traditional way.

That's the label given to the group by Richard Schneider, the president and founder of the online retailer Antennas Direct. The site is doing great business selling antennas capable of accepting free digital signals since the nation's transition to digital over-the-air broadcasts in 2009, and is on pace to sell nearly 600,000 units this year, up from a few dozen when it started in 2003.

While the "cord-nevers" are a target market for him, the category is also troubling. More people are raised with the power of the Internet in their pocket, and don't know or care that you can pull TV signals from the air for free.

"They're more aware of Netflix than they're aware over-the-air is even available," Schneider says.

That brings us to truck driver James Weitze. The 31-year-old satisfies his video fix with an iPhone. He often sleeps in his truck, and has no apartment. To be sure, he's an extreme case who doesn't fit into Nielsen's definition of a household in the first place. But he's watching Netflix enough to keep up with shows like "Weeds," ''30 Rock," ''Arrested Development," ''Breaking Bad," ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and "Sons of Anarchy."

He's not opposed to TV per se, and misses some ESPN sports programs like the "X Games."

But he's so divorced from the traditional TV ecosystem it could be hard to go back. It's become easier for him to navigate his smartphone than to figure out how to use a TV set-top box and the button-laden remote control.

"I'm pretty tech savvy, but the TV industry with the cable and the television and the boxes, you don't know how to use their equipment," he says. "I try to go over to my grandma's place and teach her how to do it. I can't even figure it out myself."

In the span of a few minutes early in Friday night's second round, the San Diego Chargers caused draftniks at Radio City Music Hall to let out a roar with the selection of Notre Dame's Manti Te'o. Just when things were settling down, the New York Jets announced their pick quarterback Geno Smith. Fans, many clad in Jets jerseys, cheered and booed.

Te'o, of course, was the victim of a tabloid-ready hoax involving a fake girlfriend. That, and his poor play in the national title game against Alabama, followed by less-than-impressive workouts for pro scouts, had everyone wondering when he would be selected.

Smith, of course, now heads to a team with all kinds of quarterback issues, from starter Mark Sanchez still with the team despite an awful season, Tim Tebow still with the team despite not really getting a chance to play, and three other QBs on the roster for now in David Garrard, Greg McElroy and Matt Simms.

Welcome to San Diego, Manti.

Welcome to the J-E-T-S, Jets, Geno.

___

Here are 10 things to know about the draft after the first two days. The final four rounds are Saturday.

1. WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IN SAN DIEGO, NEW YORK

"I did expect to go in the first round," Te'o said. "But things happened and all it did was give me more motivation to get better. I don't know if I have something to prove, but it definitely puts a huge fire under my butt to just be better."

Asked if he dropped into the second round because of the off-field issues and his flop in the title game, he said: "I really don't know. That's a question that you've got to ask the teams."

Chargers GM Tim Telesco, who traded up seven spots to No. 38 to land Te'o, certainly has no issues with his new guy.

"He's a great kid," Telesco said. "We did a lot of work on Te'o and I've seen him for a number of years. He loves football. He's passionate about it. He loves to practice. He loves to play."

Smith, who was projected as first-rounder, believes he can compete with Sanchez and whoever else is around.

"I love to compete. Mark is a guy who I watched at USC, I watched him in the NFL, and I think highly of him as well as Tim and all of those guys over there," he said, "As I said, I'm coming in as a rookie and I'm going to compete and I'm also going to accept my role whatever it is."

Asked if he thinks he's a franchise QB, he said: "Yes sir. I do believe so and for a number of reasons, but the main thing is that I'm not only coming into practice, I'm going to come into work and I'm going to compete daily and I'm going to also do my best to better my teammates in order for us to win a Super Bowl."

What does it all mean?

New Jets GM John Idzik says: "What this means for Mark Sanchez is competition, and Mark is open to that. We've had discussions about that, and I think he buys into the fact that that helps him and it helps any player on our team, and as a result, it helps our team."

1. RUNNING BACKS SCORE

A night after no running backs were taken in the first round for the first time since 1963, the second round produced five, and Alabama star Eddie Lacy (expected to be a first-rounder) wasn't the first to go. Cincinnati gave that distinction to Gio Bernard of North Carolina with the No. 37th overall pick. Then, Michigan State's Le'Veon Bell went to Pittsburgh at No. 48, Wisconsin All-American Montee Ball went to Denver at No. 58, Lacy went to Green Bay at No. 61 and Texas A&M's Christine Michael went to Seattle at No. 62.

The third round produced one running back Arkansas' Knile Davis to Kansas City at No. 96.

Lacy, who ran for 1,322 yards and 17 touchdowns last season, may have dropped because of concerns about his health, including a hamstring problem that prevented him from participating in the NFL combine and working out for scouts a few weeks ago.

"You can't do anything about it," Lacy said. "I'm just looking forward to being part of a new team and contributing as much as I can."

1. STILL ON THE BOARD

Among notable players till on the board entering Saturday's final four rounds are quarterbacks Matt Barkley of Southern California, Ryan Nassib of Syracuse and Landry Jones of Oklahoma; running back Marcus Lattimore of South Carolina (recovering from a serious knee injury); and two starters from national champion Alabama, offensive lineman Barrett Jones and defensive tackle Jesse Williams.

1. VIKINGS STRONG

Minnesota did not have a second or third-round pick Friday night because they had a huge first round Thursday night with three picks DT Sharrif Floyd (Florida) at No. 23, DB Xavier Rhodes (Florida State) at No. 25 and a last-second deal with New England moved the Vikings up to snag WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Tennessee) at No. 29.

"I don't think it could've worked out any better for the caliber of players we got coming into our program," Vikings GM Rick Spielman said. "I'm very excited."

The Vikings, coming off a surprising run to the playoffs spearheaded by running back Adrian Peterson, immediately filled three of their biggest needs. A linebacker by the end of the draft and Minnesota will have hit on all cylinders.

Not bad for a team that started last season in what was expected to be a rebuilding one.

1. FINALLY, A PICK

Four teams did not have first-round picks, but stepped up in the second round to start filling their needs. Tampa Bay was the first of the four to pick, going for defensive back Johnthan Banks of Mississippi State at No. 43 overall. Washington, which lost its first-rounder in last year's deal to draft Robert Griffin III, went for defensive back David Amerson of North Carolina State at No. 51 overall. New England, known for trading early picks for a bunch of later picks, chose linebacker Jamie Collins of Southern Mississippi at No. 52, and Seattle after trading down six spots with Baltimore closed out the second round by taking running back Christine Michael of Texas A&M.

1. FOREIGN FLAVOR

Defensive end Ziggy Ansah of BYU led a parade of international players into the NFL.

Ansah, from Ghana, didn't even know how to put on shoulder pads a few years ago. On Thursday, he was the No. 5 overall pick by the Detroit Lions.

Also going in the first round was Florida State defensive end Bjoern Werner from Germany (Indianapolis, No. 24). Two more went in the second round, SMU defensive end Margus Hunt from Estonia (No. 53, Cincinnati) and Florida State offensive tackle Menelik Watson from Britain (Oakland, No. 42). The third round saw Connecticut linebacker Cisio Moore from Liberia go to Oakland at No. 66. Still on the board is Alabama defensive tackle Jess Williams from Australia.

1. WHERE ARE THE QUARTERBACKS?

As predicted, quarterbacks were not popular in the first round, and not too popular in the second- and third-rounds, either. After Buffalo surprised nearly everyone by picking Florida State's EJ Manuel as the only QB in the first round (at No. 16), the next to go was West Virginia's Geno Smith by the New York Jets in the second round, at No. 39, and North Carolina State's Mike Glennon by Tampa Bay in the third round, at No. 73. Of course, stars such as Tom Brady, Drew Brees and even Russell Wilson weren't first-rounders, either.

1. MY TEAM'S BETTER THAN YOURS

In a game of one-upmanship, former players from Dallas (Tony Casillas), Pittsburgh (Merril Hoge) and the New York Giants (Rich Seubert) got the fans going before announcing the second-round picks for their teams.

Casillas stepped up to the podium and called out ... "still America's team," the Dallas Cowboys select ...

Next up was Hoge, who chimed in with "the only team to win six Super Bowls," and went on to make Pittsburgh's choice.

And next in the sequence came Seubert, who simply said, "Go Giants!" before announcing New York's pick.

The crowd at Radio City, of course, booed Casillas and Hoge, and cheered Seubert.

1. LEAN BEEF

The second day of the draft was not for heavyweights. After 18 offensive and defensive linemen totaling nearly 2 tons were selected in the first round, the second round dropped to five. The third round, though, saw 12 linemen taken. Of course, teams turned their attentions to skill positions, with eight wide receivers and 17 defensive backs taken Friday night.

1. CONFERENCE LEADERS

To the surprise of no one, the Southeastern Conference has provided the NFL with the most draft picks of any conference 32 of 97 so far. That's one-third of the newest class of the NFL players. The SEC breakdown is 12 in the first round, eight in the second and 12 in the third. Stay tuned for the next four rounds.

No. 2 is the Atlantic Coast Conference with 12, including six first-rounders.

___

Follow Richard Rosenblatt on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/rosenblattap

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The efforts under way in mountainous Sichuan province after a quake Saturday that killed at least 192 people showed that the government has continued to hone its disaster reaction long considered a crucial leadership test in China since a much more devastating earthquake in 2008, also in Sichuan, and another one in 2010 in the western region of Yushu.

"Lushan was so heavily hit and my family's house toppled. It has been such a disaster for us," said Yue Hejun, 28, as he waited to recharge his family's three mobile phones at a charging stall, volunteered by a communications company and coordinated by the government in a new addition to the arsenal of services after natural disasters. "If we can charge our phones, we are at least able to keep in touch with our family members outside and that helps to set our minds at ease."

At a mini-clinic with two green cots in the open air and a small tent for doctors to sleep, a doctor said Monday the government has learned the importance of fast coordination since the Yushu quake, which killed more than 2,600 people.Much of the initial relief in that disaster came from Buddhist monks and other non-government volunteers, partly because of the remoteness of much of the affected areas.

"After 24 hours or 48 hours in Yushu, things were not so orderly or settled in," said the doctor, who like many government officials would give only her surname, Luo. "The government's quick, organized response is very important. It's no use to blindly come here and try to save people."

Helicopters have been an obvious presence in the latest rescue efforts, used to reach outlying communities, unlike in 2008 when bad weather hampered their use in the critical first 36 hours.This time, better use of helicopters for reconnaissance with remote sensing technology and for the distribution of aid has allowed help to get out more quickly to where it is needed, said Teng Wuxiao, director of the Institute of Urban Public Security at Fudan University in Shanghai.

Still, complaints were common among the survivors of the latest quake, especially in the more hard-to-reach areas. While aid was being delivered, it was not getting out to all who need it. Yue said family members in his remote mountain village had received no help with shelter and were living under tarpaulins.

Huang Mingxian, 47, who was camped out with seven family members in a government-issued blue tent in a small public square, said the government's efforts were appreciated but that supplies were not always distributed fairly.

"This morning is the first time in three days that we have gotten instant noodles," Huang said, waving a pair of long chopsticks she was using to stir the noodles in a wok over a gas canister-powered mobile stove. "Other areas have electricity and water, what about us?"

Earlier Monday, about two dozen residents briefly gathered on a street corner near a camp area, shouting that they had not been given food in two days. A half-hour later, a large truck rolled up and dozens of evacuees ran up to it, jostling as the supplies were being handed out.

The death toll in Saturday's quake measured at magnitude 7.0 by Chinese authorities and at magnitude 6.6 by monitors in the U.S. may continue to tick upward, with about two dozen people still missing.

The state Xinhua News Agency, quoting provincial emergency officials, said Tuesday that 192 people were killed, 23 left missing and 11,470 wounded.

Central authorities' ability to respond to natural disasters has been seen as tests of legitimacy for centuries. Chinese emperors put state resources into controlling floods, and earthquakes and other disasters were believed to be signs that a dynasty was losing the "mandate of heaven."

The state-run tabloid Global Times boasted in an editorial of China's communal "disaster-relief" culture, and its "more mature" response to the latest quake, comparing it favorably to those overseas. "In its ability to mobilize people and in other indicators, China's disaster relief comes ahead of the United States, Japan and other developed countries," the newspaper said.

The Foreign Ministry said that Beijing is turning away foreign offers of assistance, saying China is capable of handling it on its own.

Emergency teams in orange jumpsuits and helmets have fanned out in the affected communities in rescue efforts. In Lushan county's town, where many of the buildings are unsafe for use, the grounds of schools, hospitals, a gymnasium and other government buildings have been converted into evacuee camps. Quake survivors formed long lines in front of trucks and stalls to receive instant noodles, bottled water and other supplies.

Beyond the bare necessities, there are also stalls for survivors to make insurance claims, a large vehicle that converts into a bank and ATM-on-wheels, and tents sponsored by Chinese telecoms companies providing numerous electrical extension cords for residents to recharge their electrical gadgets.

High school seniors in the disaster area will be moved this week to the provincial capital, Chengdu, along with 30 teachers so that they can continue classes and take the all-important university entrance exam, Xinhua reported.

As typically happens after disasters, Chinese with cars were packing them with supplies and heading to the disaster area. Anticipating traffic congestion that could hamper emergency teams, the government was asking volunteers, tourists and others not trained as rescuers to stay out of the disaster area.

However, authorities were letting motorcyclists through.

Peng Song, 28, an outdoor equipment retailer who biked to Lushan from the provincial capital of Chengdu, had his motorcycle packed with tents and bottled water and was riding with 14 other bikers-turned-volunteers out to remote communities.

"Those in the disaster area need help. We just want to offer a hand to them, that's all," Peng said.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The largest study to date looking for genetic causes of Alzheimer's in African Americans may offer new clues about why blacks in the United States are twice as likely as whites to develop the deadly, brain-wasting disease.

The findings, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Tuesday, show that mutations in two genes that play a role in whites also contribute to Alzheimer's risk in blacks. One of those, known as ABCA7, may double the risk in blacks who have the mutation versus those who don't.

Although many genes have been found to raise the risk of Alzheimer's, most studies have been conducted in largely white populations, and few studies have looked specifically at genes that drive Alzheimer's in blacks. Part of that is because very few African Americans take part in gene studies looking at Alzheimer's risk.

The latest findings will need to be confirmed by other research teams, and critics say the study is incomplete until that work is done.

To get enough participants for the newly published study, researchers combined genetic information from 18 different Alzheimer's Disease Centers funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. They gathered information on 6,000 African Americans, 2,000 of whom had late-onset Alzheimer's disease, the most common form that occurs in older people.

The team then looked for genes that were most strongly associated with Alzheimer's. The strongest link was with a variant of a gene called apolipoprotein E or APOE, a gene that contains instructions for making a protein that carries cholesterol and is well-known risk factor for Alzheimer's.

The team found that a variant of this gene called APOE-e4 doubled the risk of Alzheimer's in blacks, in much the same way it does in whites.

But the study also turned up another gene that has only been weakly associated with Alzheimer's in whites. This gene, called ABCA7, which also plays a role in the production of cholesterol and fats, appears to have a much stronger effect in blacks.

"In whites, it increases risk by 10 to 20 percent, but in African Americans, it increases risk by about 70 to 80 percent. It has a way larger effect size in African Americans," said Dr. Christiane Reitz of Columbia University Medical Center, who conducted the genetic analyses on the study.

ABCA7 is also involved in cholesterol metabolism, as are several of the genes which have been found in the past five years or so to be linked with Alzheimer's in whites.

"That seems to be a pathway that is involved in Alzheimer's disease," Reitz said.

Reitz said a variant form of APOE called APOE-e4 has the biggest effect, increasing the risk of Alzheimer's by about 200 percent. ABCA7 raised the risk by about 80 percent, and most other genes discovered so far increase risk by 10 to 20 percent.

Like other risk genes for the age-related form of Alzheimer's, the gene explains only part of the risk and likely will not lead to any new treatments soon. Reitz said it is clear that hundreds of genes are at work in Alzheimer's disease.

"ABCA7 and APOE are not the only genes involved in Alzheimer's disease in African Americans," Reitz said, adding that it would take tens of thousands of participants to detect some of the other risk genes. "What the study did show us is at least one gene which seems to have a major effect, and that's important to know."

REPRESENTATIVE ENOUGH?

The next step is to study how the ABCA7 gene works in the brain, and the team still needs to validate the results of this study in another independent population of blacks, something that may be challenging.

According to Neil Buckholtz, director of the division of neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging, the study represented all of the well characterized genetic samples of blacks in the United States.

Dr. Allan Levey, director of Emory University's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, said the study was significant for being the first large-scale genetic study done in African Americans. But he said a major limitation is that the study was not replicated in another population of blacks to confirm the findings, which is considered necessary to ensure its validity.

"Had this same study been done in whites, it would never have been published here," said Levey, referring to JAMA, a highly-regarded medical journal.

Troy Duster, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley and author of "Backdoor to Eugenics" and contributor to "Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-Blind Society," says the findings are too preliminary and the effect sizes too small to draw any definitive conclusions about differences in the risk of Alzheimer's between blacks and whites.

Without a replicating study in other groups who identify as African-American and as white, "it is impossible to interpret whether this small difference has significant meaning, or points to different etiologies (or the need for different treatments) in different groups," he said.

Heather Snyder, director of medical and scientific operations at the Alzheimer's Association, which funded two of the study authors, said the findings should spur new research into the potential reasons for this link between ABCA7 and Alzheimer's in African Americans.

"Really, that all requires more funding for Alzheimer's disease research," Snyder said.

(Reporting by Julie Steenhuysen; Editing by Michele Gershberg)

The popular, 27-year-old fighter, who's the son of a famous boxer by the same name, tested positive for marijuana in September after his first professional loss. Chavez (46-1-1) was suspended for nine months from the date of the fight and fined $900,000, which amounts to 30 percent of his $3 million purse for the bout against Sergio Martinez.

Chavez, who spoke by phone from Mexico, said through a translator that he was sorry for his actions and had taken the drug to curb his stress eight or nine days before the much-anticipated fight.

"I know I committed a big error. It was a mistake," Chavez told the five commissioners. "I let a lot of people down."

The commission could have banned him for one year and penalized him for up to 100 percent of his purse.

However, his lawyer, Donald Campbell, asked for leniency, arguing that the marijuana wasn't a performance enhancing drug. He also said Chavez deserved credit for acknowledging that he used the drug.

"I'd like to fight as soon as I can," Chavez said. "But I'm willing to accept anything you guys have because, like I said, I made a mistake, and I'm willing to take the punishment."

Chavez's failed test was revealed shortly after his dramatic loss to Martinez Sept. 15 in front of a sellout crowd of 19,000. Chavez already was fined $20,000 and suspended indefinitely by the WBC, whose belt he lost to Martinez.

In 2009, Chavez tested positive for another banned substance after his fight with Troy Rowland in Las Vegas. He received a seven-month suspension from the Nevada commission.

Chavez was arrested on drunken driving charges last year in Los Angeles, and struggled to make weight for a championship bout last February against Marco Antonio Rubio in San Antonio, Texas.

Commissioners were split on the punishment, voting 3-2 in favor of it. Commissioner Skip Avansino suggested a fine of 10 to 15 percent of the purse, saying Chavez appeared contrite about the violation.

But others, including Commissioner Pat Lundvall, contended the punishment should be closer to the 30 to 40 percent figure other fighters have faced for second-time infractions. She argued the commission should take a strong stance on marijuana, even if criminal penalties for the substance are light.

"While there can be great debate as far as in the public as far as the benefits and adverse impacts of ... marijuana in general, that's not up for debate in this commission," Lundvall said.

After the hearing, Campbell called the punishment "excessive" and said he would talk with his client about possibly challenging it.