World's Smallest Semiconductor Laser
Monday, August 31, 2009

Now researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have reached a new milestone in laser physics by creating the world's smallest semiconductor laser, capable of generating visible light in a space smaller than a single protein molecule. This breakthrough, described in an advanced online publication of the journal Nature on Aug. 30, breaks new ground in the field of optics. The UC Berkeley team not only successfully squeezed light into such a tight space, but found a novel way to keep that light energy from dissipating as it moved along, thereby achieving laser action. "This work shatters traditional notions of laser limits, and makes a major advance toward applications in the biomedical, communications and computing fields," said Xiang Zhang, professor of mechanical engineering and director of UC Berkeley's Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, and head of the research team behind this work. The achievement helps enable the development of such innovations as nanolasers that can probe, manipulate and characterize DNA molecules; optics-based telecommunications many times faster than current technology; and optical computing in which light replaces electronic circuitry with a corresponding leap in speed and processing power. While it is traditionally accepted that an electromagnetic wave - including laser light - cannot be focused beyond the size of half its wavelength, research teams around the world have found a way to compress light down to dozens of nanometers by binding it to the electrons that oscillate collectively at the surface of metals. This interaction between light and oscillating electrons is known as surface plasmons. Scientists have been racing to construct surface plasmon lasers that can sustain and utilize these tiny optical excitations. However, the resistance inherent in metals causes these surface plasmons to dissipate almost immediately after being generated, posing a critical challenge to achieving the buildup of the electromagnetic field necessary for lasing. Zhang and his research team took a novel approach to stem the loss of light energy by pairing a cadmium sulfide nanowire - 1,000 times thinner than a human hair - with a silver surface separated by an insulating gap of only 5 nanometers, the size of a single protein molecule. In this structure, the gap region stores light within an area 20 times smaller than its wavelength. Because light energy is largely stored in this tiny non-metallic gap, loss is significantly diminished. With the loss finally under control through this unique "hybrid" design, the researchers could then work on amplifying the light. "When you are working at such small scales, you do not have much space to play around with," said Rupert Oulton, the research associate in Zhang's lab who first theorized this approach last year and the study's co-lead author. "In our design, the nanowire acts as both a confinement mechanism and an amplifier. It's pulling double duty." Trapping and sustaining light in radically tight quarters creates such extreme conditions that the very interaction of light and matter is strongly altered, the study authors explained. An increase in the spontaneous emission rate of light is a telltale sign of this altered interaction; in this study, the researchers measured a six-fold increase in the spontaneous emission rate of light in a gap size of 5 nanometers. Recently, researchers from Norfolk State University reported lasing action of gold spheres in a dye-filled, glasslike shell immersed in a solution. The dye coupled to the gold spheres could generate surface plasmons when exposed to light. The UC Berkeley researchers used semiconductor materials and fabrication technologies that are commonly employed in modern electronics manufacturing. By engineering hybrid surface plasmons in the tiny gap between semiconductors and metals, they were able to sustain the strongly confined light long enough that its oscillations stabilized into the coherent state that is a key characteristic of a laser. "What is particularly exciting about the plasmonic lasers we demonstrated here is that they are solid state and fully compatible with semiconductor manufacturing, so they can be electrically pumped and fully integrated at chip-scale," said Volker Sorger, a Ph.D. student in Zhang's lab and study co-lead author. "Plasmon lasers represent an exciting class of coherent light sources capable of extremely small confinement," said Zhang. "This work can bridge the worlds of electronics and optics at truly molecular length scales." Scientists hope to eventually shrink light down to the size of an electron's wavelength, which is about a nanometer, or one-billionth of a meter, so that the two can work together on equal footing. "The advantages of optics over electronics are multifold," added Thomas Zentgraf, a post-doctoral fellow in Zhang's lab and another co-lead author of the Nature paper. "For example, devices will be more power efficient at the same time they offer increased speed or bandwidth." In addition to the three co-lead authors, other co-authors of the paper are Renmin Ma and Lun Dai from Peking University, and Christopher Gladden and Guy Bartal from Zhang's research group.

Posted bySaini at 9:20 PM 0 comments  

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Megan Fox Not Playing Catwoman
Friday, August 28, 2009

Hollywood sexy star Megan Fox has revealed that she will not donning the iconic leather cat suit of Catwoman in the next Batman flick. The `Transformers` star, who has been voted the `Sexiest Woman in the World` was earlier reported to have been chosen for essaying the character of the catty vamp in the next ‘Batman’ flick which is scheduled to be produced by Warner Brothers, People reported. "It`s rumour. It`s not true, there is no script. There is no project to be cast in," a studio representative told the magazine. A British tabloid had earlier reported that Megan Fox, who will next been seen in the horror movie `Jennifer`s Body`, will be stepping into the shoes of Hollywood actresses Michelle Pfeiffer and Halle Berry for essaying the role of the catty vamp, Catwoman, in the next superhero flick, which will be directed by director Christopher Nolan.

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Transmissible Prion Disease is caused by Gene Mutation
Thursday, August 27, 2009

For the first time, Whitehead Institute researchers have shown definitively that mutations associated with prion diseases are sufficient to cause a transmissible neurodegenerative disease. Until now, two theories about the role mutations play in prion diseases have been at odds. According to one theory, mutations make carriers more susceptible to prions in the environment. Alternatively, mutations themselves might cause the disease and the spontaneous generation of transmissible prions. Prions cause several diseases, including Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in humans, bovine spongiform encephalitis (BSE, or "mad cow disease") in cows, and scrapie in sheep. Some prion diseases, like BSE, can be transmitted from feed animals to humans. Deciphering the origins of prion diseases could help farmers and policy-makers determine how best to control a prion disease outbreak in livestock and to prevent prion transmission to humans. Prions are misfolded versions of a protein called PrP. In its normal form, PrP is expressed in the brain and other neural tissues. But specific events, such as exposure to prions from the environment, can cause PrP to change from its normal shape to that of a prion. Once in the prion shape, the protein can convert other normal PrP proteins to the abnormal shape. As PrP proteins convert to prions, they form long chains that damage brain and nerve cells, causing the neurodegenerative and behavioral symptoms characteristic of prion diseases. To determine if a mutation in the PrP gene can cause a transmissible prion disease, Walker Jackson, first author of the Neuron article and a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Whitehead Member Susan Lindquist, engineered a knock-in mouse expressing a PrP gene carrying the mutation associated with the human prion disease fatal familial insomnia. In knock-in experiments, the researcher removes a gene of interest, makes specific changes to it in a test tube, and then places it back in its original place in the genome. In this case, Jackson replaced the mouse PrP gene with an altered version carrying the FFI mutation. This version also carried a sequence from human PrP that prevented the mice from acquiring normal mouse prions that could potentially be in the environment.
"It's more difficult to create a knock-in mouse, instead of randomly integrating the mutated gene into the mouse's genome," says Jackson. "But creating a knock-in like this makes sure the gene is expressed when and where it normally would be. That's the number one reason we think this disease model worked so well, compared to others' experiments." As adults, the mice exhibited many of the same traits as human FFI patients: reduced activity levels and sleep abnormalities. When Jackson examined the mice's brains, they resembled those of human FFI patients, with prominent damage to the thalamic region of the brain. After establishing that the mice have the behavioral and pathological characteristics of FFI, Jackson injected diseased brain tissue from the FFI mice into healthy mice. The healthy mice also carried the same human derived barrier as the FFI mice, preventing their infection by normal mouse prions and ensuring that the only prion they could acquire was the one engineered by Jackson. After injection with the affected tissue, the healthy mice exhibited similar symptoms and neuropathology as the mice with the FFI mutation. The mutated gene engineered by Jackson had created a transmissible prion disease that could not be attributed to any prions in the environment. "One of the major tenets of the prion hypothesis is that a single amino acid change in PrP, associated with human disease, is sufficient to cause the spontaneous production of infectious material," says Lindquist, who is also a professor of biology at MIT and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "Many people have tried and come close. But this is the first time it has been nailed."

Posted bySaini at 6:49 AM 0 comments  

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Jos now releasing on September 3
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

The much-awaited Josh, starring newcomers Naga Chaitanya and Karthika in the lead roles, is to be released on September 3 worldwide. Produced by Dil Raju, who gave the hits Dil, Bhadra, Bommorilu and Happy Days, Josh is directed by debutant Vasu Varma. The movie has aroused interest in trade circles as the lead pair are the offspring of two illustrious names in the industry. Naga Chaitanya is the son of mega star Nagarjuna and Karthika is the daughter of yesteryear actress Radha. Nagarjuna said he was contemplating to provide the launchpad for his son when Dil Raju came up with an interesting storyline. Things fell in place once the heroine was finalized and now the film is ready. "Naga is lucky to have his first film produced by a leading name with a string of hits," said the proud father.

Posted bySaini at 6:12 AM 0 comments  

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Use Of Genes in Evolutionarily Preserved Mechanism
Sunday, August 23, 2009

Researchers at Uppsala University have found that the protein coding parts of a gene are packed in special nucleosomes. The same type of packaging is found in the roundworm C elegans, which is a primeval relative of humans. The mechanism can thereby be traced back a billion years in time, according to the study presented in the journal Genome Research. Human genes are packed in nucleosomes, which contain epigenetic signals directing how the genes are to be used. The cell nucleus contains DNA, which is wound around proteins to form units called nucleosomes, not unlike pearls on a string. Genes on average contain ten protein coding units called exons. Previously there was no known correlation between nucleosomes and exons . New results show that nucleosomes are placed over exons. This means that the area containing the protein code is packed in discrete units. These results are presented by a research team at Uppsala University, led by Professor Claes Wadelius at the Department of Genetics and Pathology and Professor Jan Komorowski at the Linnaeus Centre for Bioinformatics as well as University of Warsaw. Epigenetics is a cellular memory which identifies a cell's identity and way to respond to the environment. Epigenetic signals control genes in a flexible manner. Each genetic package, or pearl on the string, has an epigenetic signal indicating how active it is. In the present study it was shown that there is a previously undiscovered epigenetic mark on protein coding parts of the gene. "A gene can be read in several ways and create different proteins. We have now demonstrated that there is an epigenetic control that determines which parts of the gene that are read," says Claes Wadelius. The study is based on extremely large amounts of data published by other scientists, but not previously analyzed in such detail. "Our findings show the value of sophisticated bioinformatic analyses and the need to delve deeper into the gigantic amounts of data from modern biological research," says Jan Komorowski. The scientists also show that the same type of genetic packaging exists in the tiny roundworm C elegans. Humans are related to this worm through a common ancestor that lived a billion years ago. This means that the mechanism has been evolutionarily preserved during nearly one fourth of the time the earth has existed eller one fourth of earth's existence. In humans, the genetic code has been divided into smaller parts that fit into the individual packages or pearls.

Posted bySaini at 5:16 PM 0 comments  

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Rs 1,000 cr for budget homes TDI
Saturday, August 22, 2009

he New Delhi-based realty firm TDI is planning to invest Rs 1,000 crore to build low-priced homes in the national capital region in the next three years, a senior company executive said. “The demand for homes is coming back slowly,” said TDI managing director Kamal Taneja, outlining the company’s priority to attract buyers. TDI, which has its real estate projects spread over New Delhi, Kundli and Panipat in Haryana and Mohali in Punjab, recently launched 350 residential units in Kundli and claims to have sold all these in just a month. Taking its presence further, the company is now planning to launch another 350 homes over the weekend in Kundli, around 35 kms from central Delhi. The 900-sq ft independent floor homes will be priced between Rs 16.50-19.50 lakh. A total of 700 homes entailing an investment of around Rs 1,000 crore would come up in Kundli over the next three years, Mr Taneja said. TDI has tied up with architectural firms Drew Dickson Associates of Australia and HO Partners of Hong Kong for development of its 1,600-acre Kundli township. Of late, there has been a surge in fund-raising activity via QIP by many listed real estate companies, including Unitech, HDIL and Sobha, following a revival in the capital market. Some other unlisted firms such as Lodha Developers and Emaar MGF are also lining up their initial share sale. But Mr Taneja thinks that the market is still volatile and an IPO for TDI is not on the cards. He said his company is relatively less leveraged and doesn’t intend to go in for any private equity deals immediately and would focus on selling homes to raise cash. “There is very little private equity money available and there are too many developers chasing it. Also, private equity investments made these days are actually debt structured as equity,” he pointed out, explaining why he is not excited about getting PE fund infusion in his company.

Posted bySaini at 6:24 AM 0 comments  

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Anti-aging Gene and High Blood Pressure
Thursday, August 20, 2009

Now researchers at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center have shown the first link between a newly discovered anti-aging gene and high blood pressure. The results, which appear this month in the journal Hypertension, offer new clues on how we age and how we might live longer. Persistent hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a risk factor for stroke, heart attack, heart failure, arterial aneurysm and is the leading cause of chronic kidney failure. Even a modest elevation of arterial blood pressure leads to shortened life expectancy. Researchers, led by principal investigator Zhongjie Sun, tested the effect of an anti-aging gene called klotho on reducing hypertension. They found that by increasing the expression of the gene in laboratory models, they not only stopped blood pressure from continuing to rise, but succeeded in lowering it. Perhaps most impressive was the complete reversal of kidney damage, which is associated with prolonged high blood pressure and often leads to kidney failure. “One single injection of the klotho gene can reduce hypertension for at least 12 weeks and possibly longer. Klotho is also available as a protein and, conceivably, we could ingest it as a powder much like we do with protein drinks,” said Sun, M.D., Ph.D., a cardiovascular expert at the OU College of Medicine.Scientists have been working with the klotho gene and its link to aging since 1997 when it was discovered by Japanese scientists. This is the first study showing that a decline in klotho protein level may be involved in the progression of hypertension and kidney damage, Sun said. With age, the klotho level decreases while the prevalence of hypertension increases. Researchers used one injection of the klotho gene in hypertensive research models and were able to markedly reduce blood pressure by the second week. It continued to decline steadily for the length of the project – 12 weeks. The klotho gene was delivered with a safe viral vector that is currently used for gene therapy. The virus is already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in humans. Researchers are studying the gene’s effect for longer periods to test its ability to return blood pressure levels to normal. They also are looking at whether klotho can prevent hypertension.

Posted bySaini at 9:54 PM 0 comments  

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Asin's mailbox hacked
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The beauty from South, Asin looks very worried these days. The actress just found out that her personal mailbox is hacked! The accused person not only sneaked into her account but also, changed her password. Asin learned this when recently she couldn’t access her account due to an invalid password. On consulting a technician, it was discovered that someone conveniently has hacked her account and is maybe using it for illicit purposes.
Traumatized Asin says, "It was my official mail ID. The fan mails that used to come to my website also used to be directed there. I put up a warning on my website asking people not to mail on that ID." She adds, "I have stopped mailing people, and I have decided to post my messages on the website itself."The Ghajini babe now refrains herself from using internet for e-mail purposes.

Posted bySaini at 3:13 PM 0 comments  

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A Way To Treat Ischemic Pathologies
Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Now a team of researchers from CIC bioGUNE from the Cellular Biology and Stem Cell Unit, alongside a team from Paris’ Cardiovascular Research Centre have developed a new area of research which looks extremely promising regarding the development of new therapeutic responses to ischemic pathologies and cardiovascular diseases in general. he results of this research project, which was initiated in 2005 and is supported by Bizkaia:Xede and the Basque Government’s Etortek programme, were published in the journal Circulation. By activating a protein called HIF, the strategy is to stimulate revascularisation and the repair of the damaged organ following ischemia caused by the obstruction of a blood vessel preventing normal blood flow. These obstructions occur, for example, in the event of thrombosis in a limb, myocardial infarction or a stroke. In this sense, it is important to highlight the fact that cardiovascular diseases are the principal cause of death throughout the world.In general, cells tend to respond to the lack of oxygen caused by poor blood flow by activating HIF. However, in the case of an ischemic pathology, HIF is not sufficiently activated. Dr Berra, Cellular Biology and Stem Cell Unit’s leader, stated that they decided to over-produce HIF following ischemia as an attractive therapeutic alternative. For their research purposes, they used an ischemic model provoked in a mouse leg through ligation of the femoral artery. In other words, they closed off the femoral artery and stopped the blood flow to the limb. When this happens, the leg develops necrosis and after a time, the mouse dies. The aim was to artificially help stimulate the production of HIF after the femoral artery had been closed off. And they saw that when they did this, the mouse’s leg revascularised and no longer entered into a degenerative process. How is this high level of HIF production achieved? HIF is a protein which, when not required, degrades constitutively and this degradation is regulated by enzymes called PHDs.

Posted bySaini at 5:18 PM 0 comments  

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Metastatic Cancer And Macrophages
Monday, August 17, 2009

The deadliest part of the cancer process, metastasis, appears to rely on help from macrophages, potent immune system cells that usually defend vigorously against disease, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University report. n a new study published online in PLoS ONE, Einstein cancer research specialist Jeffrey W. Pollard, Ph.D., and seven colleagues analyzed the movement of breast cancer cells in mice to show that a distinct population of macrophages helps malignant cells set up shop at distant sites. This process, known as metastasis, is the main reason cancer patients die. Dr. Pollard and his colleagues propose that their discovery offers a potentially useful new target for anti-cancer therapy. What they've found is a vulnerable step in the cancer process that might be blocked by drug treatments. In three different ways, the scientists showed that metastatic tumor growth is inhibited if these unusual macrophages are killed. They also showed that even after breast cancer cells have lodged in the animals' lungs and started aggressive growth, erasing the special macrophages dramatically slowed growth of the metastasized tumors. "This suggests that anti-macrophage therapy will have an impact in patients even with metastatic disease," Dr. Pollard said. Based on this new work, he added, "macrophages themselves, or their unique signaling pathways, represent new therapeutic targets that may be efficacious in reducing cancer mortality." Ordinarily, macrophages are vital for maintaining health as an integral arm of the immune system, one of the body's main lines of defense. Their assigned tasks include cleaning up debris in the wake of disease or injury, alerting other immune system cells when an infection begins, and helping identify viruses and bacteria that need to be killed. The findings of this study build on earlier cancer research by Dr. Pollard and his team that shows macrophages can act at the primary tumor site to enhance tumor progression and malignancy. Thus, they've now shown that macrophages can become traitors, enhancing the worst aspect of the disease – metastatic tumor growth. "This new study is important because it definitively shows the effects of macrophages at distant sites, as well as the identity of the macrophage population," Dr. Pollard explained. "This is the first proof that they have impact at this location, at the site of metastatic tumor growth." Dr. Pollard noted that "metastatic disease is the major cause of cancer mortality," in part because the distant tumors tend to resist chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Unfortunately, "the biological mechanisms that underlie metastatic disease are poorly understood," so continuing research is needed. And if metastasis can somehow be blocked -- particularly through influencing cells of the metastatic microenvironment -- the impact on cancer mortality would be enormous. The paper, "A Distinct Macrophage Population Mediates Metastatic Breast Cancer Cell Extravasation, Establishment and Growth," was published August 10 in PLoS ONE, a journal of the Public Library of Science. The lead author is post-doctoral fellow Binzhi Qian, Ph.D., Einstein. Other co-authors are Yan Deng and Yiyu Zou, Einstein; Jae Hong Im and Ruth J. Muschel, University of Oxford Churchill Hospital in England; and Richard A. Lang, Children's Hospital Research Foundation, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Dr. Pollard is the director of the Center for the Study of Reproductive Biology and Women's Health, deputy director of the Albert Einstein Cancer Center, professor of developmental and molecular biology, and of obstetrics & gynecology and women's health.

Posted bySaini at 8:20 PM 0 comments  

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New Way To Extract Diluted And Contaminated DNA
Saturday, August 15, 2009

University of British Columbia researchers have developed a new way to extract DNA and RNA from small or heavily contaminated samples that could help forensic investigators and molecular biologists get to "the truth." "By exploiting the physical traits of DNA – electric charge, length and flexibility – we've been able to extract DNA from samples that would otherwise not produce enough clean DNA for analysis," says UBC Biophysics Prof. Andre Marziali.
The technique is being commercialized through Boreal Genomics, a UBC spin-off company, and is expected to have broad applications from basic life-science research to forensic sample analysis, bio-defence and pathogen detection for food safety and clinical diagnostics. The research team, which includes scientists from UBC and BC Cancer Agency's Genome Science Centre, details the technique in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Extracting DNA by conventional methods – which rely on the molecules' chemical properties – has proven challenging when there are only trace amounts of DNA or when the source sample has contaminants with similar chemical traits. "We've found that DNA and RNA respond to electric fields in a way that is very different from other molecules," says Marziali. "By exploiting this unique property, we were able to extract high quality DNA from a highly contaminated sample from the Athabasca oil sands." The team also successfully tested the technique on samples provided by the RCMP.

Posted bySaini at 1:26 PM 0 comments  

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Exercise Is Healthy During Pregnancy
Thursday, August 13, 2009

Now Physicians recommend low to moderate levels of exercise to their pregnant patients, even if they have not exercised prior to pregnancy, states a report published in the August 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS). According to this review article, exercise can strengthen and improve overall musculoskeletal and physiologic health as well as pregnancy related symptoms. Exercise such as aerobics, impact and nonimpact activities, resistance training and swimming: -
1.eases back and other musculoskeletal pain;
2.lowers maternal blood pressure;
3.reduces swelling; and
4.improves post-partum mood, including sadness.
According to study author Capt. Marlene DeMaio, M.D., M.C ., U.S.N., Research Director, Naval Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia, data shows that the pregnant woman’s body can compensate for the changes with no harm to the fetus during low to moderate intensity exercise.
“It is important to remember that pregnancy is a temporary condition, not a disease, and that the musculoskeletal and physiologic changes that happen are normal in the majority of patients,” she said.
Capt. DeMaio’s findings contradict what some physicians recommended in the past. As recently as the 1990s, there was concern that exercise could be detrimental to a pregnant woman and her fetus. These past concerns included a focus on normal changes related to musculoskeletal health that occur during pregnancy, such as increased ligament laxity, weight gain and change in the center of gravity. Today, some physicians continue to advise their pregnant patients to ease back on exercise or refrain from it altogether if they have not already made it a part of their lifestyle.
DeMaio, who collaborated with Capt. Everett Magann, M.D., M.C. U.S.N., Chairman in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, also at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth, not only reports that exercise is important during pregnancy, but also believes that starting an exercise program when pregnant, is a perfect way to begin – and stick with – a fitness program.
“When a woman becomes pregnant, she often re-evaluates her lifestyle,” said Dr. DeMaio. “She is motivated in a new way to deliver a healthy baby, and be healthy herself.” Physicians may recommend exercise for pregnant patients in the following categories:-
1.Prenatal: Patients should begin or continue low to moderate exercise. The goal is to maintain fitness and adapt exercise as needed as pregnancy progresses. (For example, runners might switch to running in a swimming pool later in their pregnancy.)
2.Postnatal: Continue exercising at low to moderate levels. Lactation is not negatively affected by exercise. There are fewer reports of mothers having post-partum depression or mood changes when they are exercising.
3.Older: Exercise is even more important if the patient is older, according to Dr. DeMaio. The risk for high blood pressure and increased glucose goes up the older a patient is, but exercise can help reduce these levels.
4.Obese: Physicians should discuss pregnancy as an opportunity to improve overall health and suggest the patient start exercise for life-long health and as an example to the child when the child is older.
5.Infertile: Even if a woman is under treatment for infertility, she can exercise under the supervision of her obstetrician.
6.Athlete: For a pregnant woman wanting more strenuous exercise, or who wants to increase training from moderate to high intensity, a qualified doctor should direct her exercise programs.

Posted bySaini at 6:27 AM 0 comments  

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Michael Jackson laid to rest
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

King of Pop Michael Jackson has finally been laid to rest without any grand ceremony. The Thriller hitmaker, who died at the age of 50 on June 25, was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Hollywood Hills without a fan in sight, Mirror online reported. Jackson's family has gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the exact location secret as they are reportedly worried that his followers will throng the resting place of their idol.
They are even considering moving Jackson's body if security becomes an issue, the newspaper said."Michael has already been laid to rest, but other than the Jackson family and the management at Forest Lawn, no one knows the exact spot," a cemetery source said. "Staff at the cemetery have been fed several different locations, it's as if they are hoping to confuse everyone so it can't leak out. The fear is that thousands of Jackson fans will descend on the cemetery and create a security issue or maybe even damage or deface the grave," the source added. The pop icon was laid to rest without a service because his family were satisfied with the ceremony that took place before his Los Angeles memorial concert. Earlier last week, Jackson's brain, which was taken out for some clinical tests, was reunited with his body.

Posted bySaini at 5:53 AM 0 comments  

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One died of swine flu in Ahmedabad
Sunday, August 9, 2009

A 43-year-old man died of swine flu early morning on Sunday at the city civil hospital here, a senior official said. Confirming the first swine flu death in Gujarat, state health secretary Ravi Saxena said Praveen Patel, an NRI, died of swine flu at city civil hospital at around 1:30am.
"He was admitted to the hospital in critical condition yesterday morning. His left lung was badly damaged," Saxena said. Patel, who had returned from Atlanta on July 31, was admitted to a private hospital for pneumonia and common flu on Friday. "He was referred to the civil hospital after doctors treating him realised that it was not common flu," Saxena said, adding where he was confirmed having swine flu. Patel's wife has also been confirmed suffering from swine flu and is being treated at the civil hospital, he said. So far, 10 people have been tested positive for H1N1 virus in the state, he added. The country has now seen four deaths from swine flu with the number of infected cases rising to 782. On Saturday, 53-year-old Fahmida Panwala from Mumbai and 42-year-old teacher Sanjay Tukaram Kokre from Pune had died of swine flu. Earlier on August 3, 14-year-old schoolgirl Reeda Shaikh also from Pune, had died due to the H1N1 virus.

Posted bySaini at 11:58 AM 0 comments  

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First woman photojournalist cancels Nano booking
Friday, August 7, 2009

ndia's first woman photographer Homi Vyarawalla, who was offered the 'Nano' on priority basis has decided to cancel her booking for the small car, after the company failed to keep its promise. "I have written to the Tata Motors to cancel my booking," the 96-year-old photo journalist said. Vyarawalla was upset to learn that the company has already delivered 16 cars in the city yesterday, beginning with customers in Mumbai, followed by Ahmedabad and Vadodara and her name did not figure in this list. "I had booked this car after the company wrote to me on April 9, and had deposited an amount of Rs 95,000 for its registration in my name after they assured the delivery within two months," she said. The ace photographer had threatened to cancel the booking if the car is not delivered to her within a week. "I do not know how long I will live..I find it difficult to do anything without the car..It is not a luxury but a necessity for me.. Everybody keeps on enquiring about the delivery and it hurts me as there is no communication from the company in this regard," she had said. However, the local Tata Motors dealer said that he was unaware of the promise given to her. Vyarawalla, who lives in Nizampura locality, disposed of her 55-year-old Fiat car, imported from Italy to a relative in Mumbai this January after non-availability of spare parts. She has clicked photographs of late Prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, late Indira Gandhi, Feroz Gandhi, late Vijaylaxmi Pandit, Lady Mountbatten, Morarji Desai and other dignitaries from India and abroad.

Posted bySaini at 6:40 PM 0 comments  

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Morning Sex

Have you ever wondered why your guy loves a morning romp? The reason can be attributed to nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) that causes a man without erectile dysfunction to experience three to five erections during his sleep. Waking up with an erection makes most men frisky between the sheets in the morning. But women are usually not in the mood to initiate sex the minute she wakes up. Perhaps it's time to add some spunk to your morning sex routine.
Prepare the previous night :-
In order to avoid getting out of bed and feeling unprepared for sex, do your homework the night before. Invest in some breath mints near the bed so that you can quickly pop them in before things start to get steamy. Also, finish attending nature's call before you go to sleep to avoid an early morning leak immediately after you wake up. Also, keep a packet of condoms or a strip of contraceptive pills within arm’s reach.
Set your internal alarm :-
Incase you are gearing up for a morning of hot sex, try and wake up an early so that you don't get delayed for work. Set your internal alarm clock so that you have enough time to enjoy the morning make-out session before you kick start your day. It’s ideal if you can get up before your gal so you can wake her up with warm kisses and sensuous caressing. An important thing to keep in mind is that while you may be all ready to dive into bed, your lady may take a while to get warmed up, so be prepared for a long foreplay.
Be sensuous :-
Most women like a gentle approach in the morning, so control your hormones. Touch her softly and slowly. Kiss her all over her face and body. Play with her hair. Adopting a sensual approach will make sure that she's feeling loved and nurtured when she opens her eyes. This way she will be all the more ready to please you during sex.
Make her feel desirable :-
Most women aren't at their sexiest best when they first wakes up, so to get her into the right frame of mind by telling her how beautiful she is -- even if she’s a bit of a mess. Reassure her that you want her in your arms despite her disheveled hair, ugly pillow creases on her face and her unpleasant morning breath. Make her feel beautiful by showering praises about her natural beauty as this is likely to turn her on. Try the spooning position that is romantically sensual.

Posted bySaini at 6:08 AM 0 comments  

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Geneticists Unearth The Roots Of Human Genetic Variation
Thursday, August 6, 2009

A new study at the University of Leicester is using advanced single molecule methods to explore processes that lie at the very core of DNA variation in humans. The study by researcher Shriparna Sarbajna focuses on the process of ‘recombination’, which re-shuffles our genetic content at the time of egg and sperm production. This ‘re-shuffling’ creates new combinations that are passed on to future generations. Ultimately, these new combinations accumulate over many years to generate the patterns of genetic variations seen in contemporary human populations.
Doctoral research by Sarbajna uses techniques pioneered by world-renowned geneticist Professor Sir Alec Jeffreys, to analyse human sperm DNA molecules. These techniques are ultimately used to directly understand the nature, location and frequency of changes occurring in our DNA. Sarbajna said: “These studies are enabling us to explore the very basis of human genetic variation and aiding our understanding of how errors in the process produce pathological changes like those associated with conditions such as alpha thalassaemia and Down syndrome.” “Our research has far reaching consequences, ranging from assisting in genetic counselling through identifying factors contributing to infertility and chromosomal abnormalities, to understanding pathogenic rearrangements frequently seen in cancers and some inherited disorders.”
“Interestingly, understanding how recombination influences patterns of diversity can also shed valuable light into the history and origins of various human populations. Studying recombination is thus, not only of basic scientific importance, but also allows valuable insights into issues ranging from medicine to history and ancestry.” “At the heart of the problem is the fact that although vast catalogues of human genetic variation now exist, little is known about the processes that give rise to these in the first place.” This research is funded by The Royal Society, the U.K. Medical Research Council and the Louis-Jeantet Foundation.

Posted bySaini at 10:42 PM 0 comments  

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How To Diagnose, Fight Flu
Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Researchers at Emory University are using a new and faster method of rapidly producing highly targeted monoclonal antibodies for use in diagnostic tests as well as a temporary therapy to stave off infectious diseases such as the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. Rafi Ahmed, PhD, director of the Emory Vaccine Center and a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar, and his collaborators generated high-affinity monoclonal antibodies against a strain of the influenza virus only a month after vaccinating human volunteers.
This new, timely technique allows researchers to quickly generate human antibodies against a pandemic flu strain as a stopgap therapy or to protect people from infection.
The antibodies, which can be isolated from a small amount of blood of humans infected with the virus, could be targeted against H1N1 and rapidly reproduced to detect or attack the virus. The monoclonal antibody technology was described last year in the journal Nature and is being developed in collaboration with scientists at the University of Chicago. Not only is the new method quicker and less cumbersome, the researchers' new technique could be applied to almost any infectious disease, says Ahmed.

Posted bySaini at 4:46 PM 0 comments  

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Rakhi Sawant finally selects life partner
Monday, August 3, 2009

India's first televised 'swayamvar' concluded here late Sunday with item girl Rakhi Sawant choosing Toronto-based Elesh Parujanwala as her life partner in a unique reality TV show. In NDTV Imagine's 'Rakhi ka Swayamvar', Rakhi made the final choice from the three finalists -- from the original list of 16 contestants in 26 episodes. The other two finalists were young aspirant Manas Katyal and businessman Chhitiz Jain, both from New Delhi.
'I have been watching Elesh from day one. On and off the camera, he has been the same and has really taken care of me. He is everything I was looking for and I am glad to have found him on the Swayamvar. The swayamvar means finding a jeevan saathi and I have found Elesh. 'Today is our engagement. I am ready to get married now, but we need to understand each other better off camera. We will soon get married in front of all of you in keeping with all our traditions,' Rakhi said after announcing her choice to a waiting audience across the country.
Decked up in red and gold lehenga-choli by Neeta Lulla and kundan jewellery, Rakhi looked a perfect bride. Elesh, Manas and Chhitiz too were dressed for the occasion -- in traditional sherwanis and turbans. In the dramatic finale, she garlanded Elesh -- as the audience clapped on.
The colourful event, held at the Hotel Leela Kampinsky here Sunday, saw a host of celebrities like choreographer Saroj Khan, actors Ravi Kishen and Ram Kapoor, who posed as brothers to the bride, apart from others like Smita Bansal and Sudha Shivpuri in the audience.

Posted bySaini at 6:37 AM 0 comments  

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Implantable Bone Material
Sunday, August 2, 2009

Now scientists are very closer to understanding how to grow replacement bones with stem cell technology, thanks to research published in the journal Nature Materials. Many scientists are currently trying to create bone-like materials, derived from stem cells, to implant into patients who have damaged or fractured bones, or who have had parts of diseased bones removed. The idea is that, ultimately, these bone-like materials could be inserted into cavities so that real bone could meld with it and repair the bone. So far, scientists have found they can grow small 'nodules' of what appeared to be bone-like material in the laboratory from different types of bone cells and stem cells. All of these cell types are attracting considerable interest as promising candidates for future implants in people with clinical trials already underway. However, scientists still need to thoroughly explore and understand the in-depth chemical properties and structure of the bone-like materials they are growing.
Now, scientists from Imperial College London have compared the 'bone-like' material grown from three different commonly used clinically relevant cell types and have discovered significant differences between the quality of bone-like material that these can form. For example, the researchers have discovered that the 'bone-like' materials that were grown from bone cells from mouse skull and mouse bone marrow stem cells successfully mimicked many of the hallmarks of real bone, which include stiffness. However, they found that the 'bone-like' material grown from mouse embryonic stem cells was much less stiff and less complex in its mineral composition when compared to the other materials. The researchers suggest that further research is now needed to explore the implications of these results for different stem cell therapies.
Professor Molly Stevens, from the Department of Materials and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, says: "Many patients who have had bone removed because of tumours or accidents live in real pain. By repairing bone defect sites in the body with bone-like material that best mimics the properties of their real bone we could improve their lives immeasurably. Our study provides an important insight into how different cell sources can really influence the quality of bone that we can produce. It brings us one step closer to developing materials that will have the highest chance of success when implanted into patients." To carry out their analysis, researchers used laser-based raman spectroscopy to understand the detailed chemical make-up of live cells as they grew and multivariate statistical analysis techniques, which enabled them to compare and analyse data about the growth of different cell populations. They also used a nano-indenter and high resolution electron microscopy, which allowed the researchers to probe the samples so that they could understand how stiff the bone-like materials were and what their structure was at a microscopic level. So stay in touch to know further.

Posted bySaini at 7:50 AM 0 comments  

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Love Aaj Kal
Saturday, August 1, 2009

Love Aaj Kal; Star Cast:- Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone, debutantes Giselle Monteiro and Florence Brudenell Bruce, Rishi Kapoor and Rahul Khanna ; Director: Imtiaz Ali
Studying in London, Jai (Saif) and Meera (Deepika) are in a relationship for two years but when career beckons, they mutually break off their relationship. Meera prepares to go to India to pursue her career in old historical places restorations whereas Jai waits in London with a hope of getting his dream job in San Fransico’s Golden Gate Co. The couple though broken off decides to keep in touch via net and phone calls and continue to remain friends. Restaurant owner Veer Singh (Rishi Kapoor) is a silent observer to their break up process since it happens in his restaurant. Unable to bear the far too casual approach related to affairs of heart of the couple, he tries to convince a reluctant Jai that he is making a mistake. Sensing that Jai is not taking him seriously, Veer then starts narrating him his own love story with Harleen Kaur (Giselle Monteiro) which took place far back in 1965 in Delhi. From then on begins the unfolding of these two love stories running parallel together which incidentally end up with a similar culmination after many twists and turns which also are similar despite the different period zones.
After making the much loved Jab We Met, Imtiaz Ali succeeds in giving us an extremely different love story that we have never witnessed before on Indian screen. He scores high on his writing and his treatment of the film. In the initial 10 minutes he successfully establishes Saif and Deepika’s relationship and their character quirks. He surprises you then by putting a melancholic song (Ye Dooriyan) as opening credits role showing montages of various important twists of the plot that lie ahead. In fact his screenplay is indeed full of surprises ahead, especially in the second half. As you begin to anticipate a particular thing happening ahead in the plot, almost 9 times out of 10 he proves you wrong. Making the film extremely relatable to everyone who has ever been in love and broken off with his/her partner, Imtiaz takes it notches higher by his dialogues that sound simple but convey a lot. Plenty of scenes stay with you as you come out. Imtiaz has repeated his technical team trio of JWM – Aarti Bajaj (Editing), Teddy Maurya (Art Direction) and Cinematographer (N. Nataraj Subramaniam) and each of them have excelled in their respective departments. Music of the film by Pritam is already ruling the charts and thankfully none of the songs act as speed breakers. The picturisation of Main Kya Hoon in San Francisco showing various changes in Saif is simply fantastic.
Without any doubt, these are career best performances of both Saif and Deepika and it should not be a surprise if they both end up winning most of awards for this year. Saif has always been at ease playing the cool no strings attached dude but in here he also succeeds in playing the brooding romantic Sardar Veer Singh very well and is extremely impressive in the post interval emotional sequences. Deepika wins hearts not just by looking extremely attractive throughout but also with the effortless ease she portrays her complex character. Rishi Kapoor is extremely loveable as the mature Veer Singh and lends tremendous dignity to his character. Debutante Giselle Monteiro manages to speak volumes just through her expressions. Rahul Khanna in a special appearance is good and suits the character perfectly well. Raj Zutshi playing Harleen’s father reminds of Pawan Malhotra’s character of Kareena’s uncle in Jab We Met. Florence Brudenell Bruce playing Saif’s Swiss girlfriend doesn’t have much to do but manages to do a good job. Love Aaj Kal is a film definitely not to be missed. It offers us something fresh and and is a unique experiment in story telling and direction that works big time. It is one film that Saif, Deepika and Imtiaz shall always be proud of whenever they look back at their career.

Posted bySaini at 6:08 AM 0 comments  

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