Author Archives: Sridhar P

Novel device: ‘Surface mapping’ a reliable diagnostic tool for gut health

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Non-invasive sensors laid on the skin’s surface to measure bioelectrical activity could offer a better alternative for patients suffering with poor gut health.

Stefan Calder, a recent PhD graduate at the Auckland Bioengineering Institute (ABI), at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is the lead and joint-first author for two papers published in prestigious scientific journals this month on gut health. Stefan says gastric disorders are increasingly prevalent in humans, but reliable non-invasive tools to objectively assess gastric function are lacking.

“Many people suffering with chronic gut issues are on a constant diagnostic treadmill of antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors until they are sent for an endoscopy. A reliable surface-based recording could bridge the gap between symptom-based diagnostics and the more invasive minor surgery tests.”

Like the rhythmic beatings of the heart, gut movements depend on bioelectrical activity – but the electrical activity in the gut has been much more difficult to reliably detect. Researchers at ABI and the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences’ Department of Surgery have employed a novel device using a sticky patch of sensors and a recording device and associated techniques to create a new and reliable non-invasive tool to map electrical waves from the stomach.

healthcare

Coined “Body Surface Gastric Mapping” (BSGM), the method has proven a reliable detector of gastric slow wave activity and has now led to an exciting and unexpected discovery identifying two distinct disease subgroups in chronic nausea and vomiting syndromes.

BSGM has shown to reliably record bio-electrical activity on the gut’s surface and accurately detect changes in both the frequency or rhythm, and direction of electromagnetic waves with intricate detail.

The degree of difference in bio-electrical activity between healthy people and patients with chronic nausea and vomiting syndromes defined by the novel gastric mapping device was set to explore. While previous surgical and non-invasive studies have shown that gastric dysfunctions are associated with abnormal bio-electrical slow waves, the researchers found surprising results.

“Approximately two-thirds of the symptomatic patient group had completely normal bio-electrical activity, while the rest had abnormal activity. We realised there were two sub types of what was previously considered a single disease.

“This may go on to explain or further classify that single disease into two diseases based on different mechanisms. For example, abnormal bioelectrical activity is likely to point to something intrinsically wrong with the stomach itself, but for those patients who show a completely normal slow wave propagation, their issue is likely arising from somewhere else.

“This idea of recording electrical activity on the body’s surface has been around for a long time. ECG machines, recording electrical activity have gained diagnostic acceptance for the last 100 years, but in the gut that is not the case. Through these studies we have validated a device and process that can reliably and accurately evidence bioelectrical activity in the stomach. We also show that bioactivity in the stomach can be a useful biological marker for disease.

“With this bio-electrical information on hand to inform clinical guidance or treatment, people experiencing chronic vomiting or nausea may be directed to different pathways and may receive diagnosis and more appropriate treatment options sooner.”

 

Telecom fraud: DoT unearths fraudulent illegal Telecom set-ups to route ISD calls

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Fraudsters use illegal telecom set-ups to route ISD calls received through internet (VoIP) illegally to domestic mobile and wireline customers in India. Illegal telecom setups primarily use internet connectivity on one side and connect to domestic mobile and landline network for distribution of call which is not allowed as per regulations. Such illegal setups pose security threat and revenue loss to the Government.

DoT field units in coordination with TSPs and law enforcement agencies were able to unearth operations of 30 such illegal telecom set-ups in last four months.

Telephone

Members of the public are requested to report such illegal establishments to DoT’s call centre. The call centre having number 1800110420/1963 has been set up for reporting the cases by public on receiving any international call displaying Indian mobile / landline number.

Archaeological Survey of India unravels remarkable remains in Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve – Photos [Must see]

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In a major find, ASI has unraveled remarkable archaeological remains in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Forest Reserve.

During the exploration conducted by ASI, 26 ancient temples/relics of Kalachuri period (9th century CE to 11th Century CE), 26 caves (2nd Century CE to 5th century CE mostly Buddhist in nature), 2 monasteries, 2 stupas, 24 Brahmi inscriptions (2nd century CE to 5th century CE), 46 sculptures, 20 scattered remains and 19 water structures (c.2nd-15thCE) are recorded. Among the 46 sculptures, also is a Varah sculpture which is one of the largest.

The time period of the findings covered the reigns of the kings Shri Bhimsena, Maharaja Pothasiri, Maharaja Bhattadeva. Placed deciphered in the inscriptions are Kaushami, Mathura, Pavata (Parvata), Vejabharada and Sapatanaairikaa.

 

An ASI team covered nearly 170 sq km falling in the area of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve over months-long exploration of the region which was undertook for the first time since 1938.

The exploration was conducted under by the Jabalpur Circle of ASI.

Centre extends ‘PM-GKAY’ Yojana for another 3 months (October 2022-December 2022)

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Key Points:

  • Free good grains at 5 kg per person per month for all the beneficiaries of NFSA will be continued till December, 2022.
  • PMGKAY has so far had an estimated subsidy of Rs 3.45 lakh crore in six phases.
  • Phase VII of PMGKAY from Oct to Dec entails an estimated subsidy of Rs. 44,762 Crore.
  • The total outgo of foodgrains in Phase VII is expected to 122 LMT.
  • Decision will ensure that poor and vulnerable sections of society are supported for the forthcoming major festivals.

 

In pursuance of the pro-people announcement made by Hon’ble Prime Minister in 2021and successful implementation of additional food security under PMGKAY, the Union Cabinet has approved the extension for the  Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY-Phase VII) for a further  period of 3 months i.e. October to December 2022.

At a time when the world is battling with the effects of Covid on its decline and insecurity due to various reasons, India has been successfully maintaining food security for its vulnerable sections while taking necessary steps to keep availability and affordability for common man.

Recognising that people have gone through a difficult period of pandemic, Govt has decided to extend PMGKAY for a period of three months  so that  poor and vulnerable sections of society  are supported for the forthcoming major festivals like Navratri, Dussehra, Milad-un-nabi, Deepawali, Chhath pooja, Gurunanak dev Jayanti, Christmas, etc. which they can celebrate  with great gaiety and community for festivities.  With a view to ensuring this, Govt. has approved this extension of PMGKAY for three months, so that they continue to enjoy the benefits of easy availability of foodgrains without any financial distress.

Under this welfare scheme, 5 kg of food grain per person per month is provided free of cost for all the beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) [Antodaya Anna Yojana & Priority Households] including those covered under Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

Financial implication for the Government of India has been about  Rs. 3.45 Lakh Crore  upto Phase-VI of PMGKAY. With the additional expenditure of about Rs. 44,762 Crore for Phase-VII of this scheme, the overall expenditure of PMGKAY will be about Rs. 3.91 lakh crore for all the phases.

Rice/Ians

The total outgo in terms of food grains for PMGKAY Phase VII is likely to be about 122 LMT. The aggregate allocation of food grain for phases I- VII is about 1121 LMT.

So far, PMGKAY has been in operation for 25 months as under

  • Phase I and II ( 8 months) : April’20 to Nov.’20
  • Phase-III to V (11 months) : May’21 to March’22
  • Phase-VI    ( 6 months)  : April’22 to Sept.’22

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY), started during difficult time of COVID-19 crisis, has provided food security to the poor, needy and the vulnerable households/beneficiaries so that they do not suffer on account of non-availability of adequate foodgrains. Effectively it has doubled the quantity of monthly foodgrains entitlements being normally delivered to beneficiaries.

Going by the experience of earlier phases, the performance of PMGKAY-VII is expected to be on the same high level as achieved before.

Coffee drinking is associated with increased longevity, lower risk of cardiovascular disease

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Drinking two to three cups of coffee a day is linked with a longer lifespan and lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with avoiding coffee, according to research published today in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the ESC.1 The findings applied to ground, instant and decaffeinated varieties.

“In this large, observational study, ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee were associated with equivalent reductions in the incidence of cardiovascular disease and death from cardiovascular disease or any cause,” said study author Professor Peter Kistler of the Baker Heart and Diabetes Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. “The results suggest that mild to moderate intake of ground, instant and decaffeinated coffee should be considered part of a healthy lifestyle.”

There is little information on the impact of different coffee preparations on heart health and survival. This study examined the associations between types of coffee and incident arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease and death using data from the UK Biobank, which recruited adults between 40 and 69 years of age. Cardiovascular disease was comprised of coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure and ischaemic stroke.

coffee

The study included 449,563 participants free of arrhythmias or other cardiovascular disease at baseline. The median age was 58 years and 55.3% were women. Participants completed a questionnaire asking how many cups of coffee they drank each day and whether they usually drank instant, ground (such as cappuccino or filtered coffee), or decaffeinated coffee. They were then grouped into six daily intake categories, consisting of none, less than one, one, two to three, four to five, and more than five cups per day. The usual coffee type was instant in 198,062 (44.1%) participants, ground in 82,575 (18.4%), and decaffeinated in 68,416 (15.2%). There were 100,510 (22.4%) non-coffee drinkers who served as the comparator group.

Coffee drinkers were compared to non-drinkers for the incidence of arrhythmias, cardiovascular disease and death, after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, obstructive sleep apnoea, smoking status, and tea and alcohol consumption. Outcome information was obtained from medical records and death records. The median follow up was 12.5 years.

A total of 27,809 (6.2%) participants died during follow up. All types of coffee were linked with a reduction in death from any cause. The greatest risk reduction seen with two to three cups per day, which compared to no coffee drinking was associated with a 14%, 27% and 11% lower likelihood of death for decaffeinated, ground, and instant preparations, respectively.

Cardiovascular disease was diagnosed in 43,173 (9.6%) participants during follow up. All coffee subtypes were associated with a reduction in incident cardiovascular disease. Again, the lowest risk was observed with two to three cups a day, which compared to abstinence from coffee was associated with a 6%, 20%, and 9% reduced likelihood of cardiovascular disease for decaffeinated, ground, instant coffee, respectively.

An arrhythmia was diagnosed in 30,100 (6.7%) participants during follow up. Ground and instant coffee, but not decaffeinated, was associated with a reduction in arrhythmias including atrial fibrillation. Compared with non-drinkers, the lowest risks were observed with four to five cups a day for ground coffee and two to three cups a day for instant coffee, with 17% and 12% reduced risks, respectively.

Professor Kistler said: “Caffeine is the most well-known constituent in coffee, but the beverage contains more than 100 biologically active components. It is likely that the non-caffeinated compounds were responsible for the positive relationships observed between coffee drinking, cardiovascular disease and survival. Our findings indicate that drinking modest amounts of coffee of all types should not be discouraged but can be enjoyed as a heart healthy behaviour.”

President of India Inaugurates Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited; Also Lays The Foundation Stone for The Zonal Institute of Virology

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The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, inaugurated the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru today (September 27, 2022). She also laid the foundation stone for the Zonal Institute of Virology (South Zone) virtually on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the President said that inauguration of the Integrated Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Facility is indeed a historic moment not only for HAL and ISRO, but also for the whole country to have a state-of-the-art facility to manufacture Cryogenic and Semi-cryogenic Engines. She said that HAL has contributed immensely to India’s self reliance in defence. It can be said that HAL has been the force behind the forces. HAL has time and again demonstrated its capabilities in research, development and manufacturing of various Aircraft Platforms.

The President said that ISRO has been the pride of the nation. When this institution started operations in the 1960s, India was still a young Republic, facing challenges of severe poverty and illiteracy. But there was immense potential. The rapid pace, with which ISRO has grown, caught the attention of even the most advanced and technologically developed countries. Sincere efforts and dedication of ISRO have made India emerge as the sixth country in the world to have Cryogenic Engine Manufacturing Capabilities.

The President said that HAL and ISRO together contribute to strategic defence and development. Both the organizations have played a major role in the development of various equipment and programmes which have reinforced the security and development of our country. HAL with its high end facility of manufacturing defence related equipment has proved to be an invaluable asset for our country.

The President said that the glorious past of HAL and ISRO gives us an assurance that these organisations will continue to play a significant and positive role in the future as India enters the Amrit Kaal. By 2047, when we will celebrate the 100 years of Independence, the world around us will have changed drastically. Just as we were in no position 25 years ago to imagine the contemporary world, we cannot visualise today how Artificial Intelligence and automation are going to transform life. We have completed 75 years as an independent country. We are looking ahead at the next 25 years as the period to re-imagine India and make it a developed country. It is our joint responsibility to ensure that the India of 2047 will be a much more prosperous and strong nation.

Speaking about the Covid pandemic, the President said that the resilience and extraordinary effort of our doctors and scientists helped us deal with the crisis. She noted that the Indian Council of Medical Research has provided exemplary support for effective COVID management and is expanding its research infrastructure. National Institute of Virology, Pune under Indian Council of Medical Research, is also taking all possible steps to increase R&D in the field of virology. She was happy to note that the National Institute of Virology has been designated as one of the collaborating laboratories of the World Health Organization. She said that the expansion of National Institute of Virology through Zonal Campuses across the country catering to the demands in the different geographical regions is praiseworthy.

Japanese protesters oppose expensive state funeral to Shinzo Abe

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For a pacifist nation like Japan, the assassination of Shinzo Abe would have been painful but the public outrage during the funeral is astounding in view of the state funeral at a cost of 1.7 billion yen ($12 million) at a time when the government is heavily indebted.

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated during the campaign trail in July and the government’s plans to a state funeral have been opposed by many since then owing to the country’s fragile economy.

Japan’s prime minister Fumio Kishida has been unable to assuage public concerns as the controversy undermines his proposed record defense spending, which began with Shinzo Abe, whose legacy is left behind with the revision of the country’s post-war Pacifist Constitution and sending Japanese armed forces abroad.

PM Modi paying homage at the State Funeral Ceremony of the Former Prime Minister of Japan, Late Mr. Shinzo Abe, in Tokyo, Japan on September 27, 2022 / PIB

PM Kishida’s approval ratings have reached the lowest level since he became the country’s Prime Minister in October. Last week, a man has allegedly set himself on fire near the office of Japanese Prime Minister protesting against the expensive state funeral.

The funeral on Tuesday kept the capital under maximum security due to protests which began just before the funeral. About 4,300 attendees gathered in Tokyo to pay their respects at the funeral.

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo were among 700 foreign dignitaries from 218 countries, regions and international organizations who attended the funeral.

 

Immune targets for chemotherapy-resistant breast cancers identified

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Scientists have identified immune cell types that could be targeted to develop specific immunotherapies in chemotherapy-resistant breast cancers.

Researchers from King’s College London and The Institute of Cancer Research, London, with support from Breast Cancer Now, have performed a deep dive into the different immune markers within tumour tissues and blood samples of early breast cancer patients whose cancer failed to respond to chemotherapy given to them prior to surgery.

The research, published today in Clinical Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, gives insight into the function of immune cells in patients with chemotherapy-resistant breast cancers. While chemotherapy may not kill cancer cells in these high-risk patients, immunotherapy, a type of treatment that helps the immune system to attack cancer cells, may provide a benefit.

To investigate the immune environment that surrounds these chemotherapy resistant tumours, researchers employed multiple and novel complementary technologies looking at proteins and genes on both pre-treatment and post-treatment breast cancer tissue. They also measured how 1,330 cancer and immune-related genes within cancer tissues were affected by chemotherapy.

Flax seeds help women combat menstrual complications and fight post-menopausal risk of breast cancer, say studies

They found that chemotherapy resistant cancer cells had very few immune cells around them, but chemotherapy did induce changes in several immune cell types. Specifically, they found increases in the number of “innate” (first responder) cells such as neutrophils and natural killer (NK) cells. NK cells help the body to fight infection and cancer. But analysis found the increased NK cells in patients with chemotherapy resistant disease lacked cytotoxic activity – the ‘killing instinct’.

Researchers also found immune-related genes associated with NK cells were those associated with cell inhibition or exhaustion, which meant NK cells were unable to fight cancer cells. This new insight into the behaviour of NK cells could be used to develop specific immunotherapies for these high-risk patients. This would need to be investigated in future clinical trials.

These findings also show that blood monitoring during chemotherapy may help predict chemotherapy response early, potentially allow for tailoring of treatment prior to surgery.

Lead author Dr Sheeba Irshad, Cancer Research UK Clinician Scientist at King’s College London said: “Chemotherapy resistance in aggressive early breast cancers is a major reason why cancer regrows after treatment, contributing significantly to people not surviving their disease. In order to find the right targets for drug developments, it’s important to have a deep understanding of the complex mechanisms that allow some cancer cells to resist treatment, then hide from our immune system to only re-emerge later when they’re harder to eradicate.

“Our work has identified several cell types that would be worth investigating further to understand how they are interacting with the resistant cancer cell and how we can tweak that for our benefit. I am excited to continue to investigate these findings further.”

chemotherapy

Professor Andrew Tutt, Director of the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and of the Breast Cancer Now Research Unit at King’s College London, said: “Great strides have been made in harnessing immunotherapies to treat several types of cancer, but we need to do better to realise their potential for patients with breast cancer.

“This exciting work advances our understanding of the interaction between cancer cells and the immune system during treatment, and why existing treatments work well for some patients, but not others. I hope this research will help us to enhance the anti-cancer immune response in breast cancer, particularly for patients whose cancer has not responded well to chemotherapy.”

Dr Kotryna Temcinaite, Senior Research Communications Manager at Breast Cancer Now, said: “With an estimated 35,000 people living with incurable secondary (metastatic) breast cancer in the UK, it’s vital we develop smarter, more effective treatments to ensure fewer people hear the devastating news the disease has returned and spread to other parts of the body. This exciting early-stage research, which has been part-funded by Breast Cancer Now, helps to lay the groundwork for discovering a way to target breast cancer cells that resist chemotherapy treatment. We hope by building on these findings, scientists will ultimately be able to develop immunotherapy treatments that may help more people survive breast cancer.”

Ancient Maya cities were dangerously contaminated with mercury; what are Maya cities

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The cities of the ancient Maya in Mesoamerica never fail to impress. But beneath the soil surface, an unexpected danger lurks there: mercury pollution. In a review article in Frontiers in Environmental Science, researchers conclude that this pollution isn’t modern: it’s due to the frequent use of mercury and mercury-containing products by the Maya of the Classic Period, between 250 and 1100 CE. This pollution is in places so heavy that even today, it pose a potential health hazard for unwary archeologists.

Lead author Dr Duncan Cook, an associate professor of Geography at the Australian Catholic University, said: “Mercury pollution in the environment is usually found in contemporary urban areas and industrial landscapes. Discovering mercury buried deep in soils and sediments in ancient Maya cities is difficult to explain, until we begin to consider the archeology of the region which tells us that the Maya were using mercury for centuries.”

Ancient anthropogenic pollution

For the first time, Cook and colleagues here reviewed all data on mercury concentrations in soil and sediments at archeological sites across the ancient Maya world. They show that at sites from the Classical Period for which measurements are available –  Chunchumil in today’s Mexico, Marco Gonzales, Chan b’i, and Actuncan in Belize, La Corona, Tikal, Petén Itzá, Piedras Negras, and Cancuén in Guatemala, Palmarejo in Honduras, and Cerén, a Mesoamerican ‘Pompeii’, in El Salvador –mercury pollution is detectable everywhere except at Chan b’i.

Concentrations range from 0.016 ppm at Actuncan to an extraordinary 17.16 ppm at Tikal. For comparison, the Toxic Effect Threshold (TET) for mercury in sediments is defined as 1 ppm.

Heavy users of mercury

What caused this prehistoric mercury pollution? The authors highlight that sealed vessels filled with ‘elemental’ (ie, liquid) mercury have been found at several Maya sites, for example Quiriqua in Guatemala, El Paraíso in Honduras, and the former multi-ethnic megacity Teotihucan in Central Mexico. Elsewhere in the Maya region, archeologists have found objects painted with mercury-containing paints, mainly made from the mineral cinnabar.

The authors conclude that the ancient Maya frequently used cinnabar and mercury-containing paints and powders for decoration. This mercury could then have leached from patios, floor areas, walls, and ceramics, and subsequently spread into the soil and water.

“For the Maya, objects could contain ch’ulel, or soul-force, which resided in blood. Hence, the brilliant red pigment of cinnabar was an invaluable and sacred substance, but unbeknownst to them it was also deadly and its legacy persists in soils and sediments around ancient Maya sites,” said co-author Dr Nicholas Dunning, a professor at the University of Cincinnati.

cinnabar/wikipedia

As mercury is rare in the limestone that underlies much of the Maya region, they speculate that elemental mercury and cinnabar found at Maya sites could have been originally mined from known deposits on the northern and southern confines of the ancient Maya world, and imported to the cities by traders.

Health hazards and the ‘Mayacene’

All this mercury would have posed a health hazard for the ancient Maya: for example, the effects of chronic mercury poisoning include damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver, and cause tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, and mental health problems. It’s perhaps significant that one of the last Maya rulers of Tikal, Dark Sun, who ruled around 810 CE, is depicted in frescoes as pathologically obese. Obesity is a known effect of metabolic syndrome, which can be caused by chronic mercury poisoning.

More research is needed to determine whether mercury exposure played a role in larger sociocultural change and trends in the Maya world, such as those towards the end of the Classic Period.

Co-author Dr Tim Beach, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said: “We conclude that even the ancient Maya, who barely used metals, caused mercury concentrations to be greatly elevated in their environment. This result is yet more evidence that just like we live today in the ‘Anthropocene’, there also was a ‘Maya anthropocene’ or ‘Mayacene’. Metal contamination seems to have been effect of human activity through history.”

Amazon Great Indian Festival 2022 enters second day of sale; Lowest prices

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Amazon Great Indian Festival 2022 sale has picked up but the numbers are not available still still compared Flipkart’s Big Billion Deal as both entered the second day on Saturday.

The massive festive season sales are offering big discounts on popular smartphones, large appliances, and other electronic items. If you’re looking to get all your Diwali shopping done online, here is a look at some on offer on Amazon Great Indian Festival 2022 sale:

Apple iPhone 12 now at: Rs. 46,499 (MRP Rs. 65,900)

Samsung Galaxy S22 5G now at: Rs. 52,999 (MRP Rs.85,999)

OnePlus Nord CE 2 Lite now at: Rs. 18,499 (MRP Rs. 19,999)

Samsung Galaxy M13 now at: Rs. 9,499 (MRP Rs. 14,999)

iQoo Neo 6 5G now at: Rs. 27,999 (MRP Rs. 34,999)

Apple Watch SE now at: Rs. 23,900 (MRP Rs. 33,900)

Sony WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones now at: Rs. 19,990 (MRP Rs. 29,990)

2020 Apple Mac mini with M1 now at: Rs. 58,990 (MRP Rs. 64,900)

2021 iPad 10.2-inch now at: Rs. 25,999 (MRP Rs. 30,900)

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro now at: Rs. 5,990 (MRP Rs. 17,990)

Sony Bravia 55-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED Google TV now at: Rs. 61,000 (MRP Rs. 99,900)

Echo Dot (4th gen) combo with Wipro smart bulb now at: Rs. 2,299 (MRP Rs. 6,598)

Fire TV Stick now at Rs. 1,999 (MRP Rs. 4,999) while the 4K model is down to Rs. 2,999 (MRP Rs. 5,999).

Kindle 10th gen now at Rs. 6,499 (MRP Rs. 7,999).

Prince Harry not singing national anthem ‘God save the King’? Here’s the truth

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The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at the Westminster Abbey on Monday raised questions on Prince Harry for not singing in chorus the national anthem “God save the King”.

Besides the British royal family, 2,000 state heads gathered at Westminster Abbey for the funeral and they reportedly paid tribute to the monarch by singing ‘God Save the King’.

But some netizens were quick to point out on social media that Prince Harry didn’t join the royals in singing the anthem and the claim had a video of the Prince seemingly not singing.

The video shows the Duke of Sussex looking around and not syncing words frequently as the new anthem gets changed from the Queen to the King. Many Twitter users accused the Prince of being “disrespectful”.

One user wrote, “Prince Harry not singing the national anthem.” Others expressed their disappointment with Prince Harry’s actions.

Before the debate heated up, others were quick to point out that Prince Harry was, indeed, seen with lips moving. “Give him a chance. It’s changed since the last time he sang it – he hasn’t learnt the new words yet,” wrote a user. Many others said they could see him singing clearly.

“I can see Harry’s lips moving. He’s obviously not singing like he’s at karaoke, but he clearly forms the “Qu” sound and he shuts his mouth at the end. You’re a hateful non,” wrote another. Whoever sees the video (above) can make out that he is not singing loudly but at the end made lips sync with the tune.

A third user joined the debate saying, “Edward wasn’t singing either. I think it’s sometimes hard to sing when you’re emotional.”

Harry was seen sitting behind his father, King Charles III, and the Queen Consort Camilla. His wife Meghan Markle was seen by his side throughout the service.

Queen’s funeral guest list: Putin among some glaring names missing

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Nearly 500 dignitaries from around the world are invited to attend Queen Elizabeth’s final rites in London at Westminster Abbey on Monday and some of the glaring names missing in the guest list will be Russian President Vladimir Putin and Afghan leadership.

The 500 and odd guests will join members of the Royal family in final funeral event for the Queen. “This is the biggest international event we have hosted in decades,” a Whitehall source said.

Despite the biggest logistical task ahead with “hundreds of state visits”, the machinery is preparing for the event. Invitations are sent to the head of state plus one guest.

All the Royals are expected to attend the funeral ceremony.

All Foreign Royals

All the foreign royals are also expected to attend, including the Japanese Emperor Naruhito, who was close with the Queen during his days as student in London. Spain’s King Felipe and Queen Letizia have confirmed. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, King Harald V and Queen Sonja of Norway and Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene of Monaco have all confirmed their attendances.

Foreign Presidents

World leaders include India President Droupadi Murmu, US President Joe Biden, French president Emmanuel Macron, German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Italian president Sergio Mattarella and Finland’s Sauli Niinisto. Olena Zelensky, wife of the Ukrainian President, will be among those attending.

Queen Elizabeth II

Other world leaders who are also expected to be present are New Zealand’s prime minister Jacinda Ardern, as well as her Australian and Canadian counterparts Anthony Albanese and Justin Trudeau. Australia’s Governor-General David Hurley will also be joining, as will Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro. South Korean president Yoon Suk-Yeol, Amir Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, Emir of Qatar, Israel’s president.

Not attending:

Iran’s Supreme Leader will not be attending, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said he will attend “if the schedule allows”. President Xi Jinping may not attend.

Invitations to the Queen’s funeral have not been sent to Russian President Vladimir Putin and to presidents of Belarus and Myanmar.

Venezuela and Syria are not invited as Britain does not have full diplomatic relations with them and also no representatives from Afghanistan will be invited.

The seating will be arranged once the deadline for RSVP ends on Thursday, said the Royal Palace.

Tennis: Roger Federer announces retirement, says Laver Cup will be his last ATP event

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Sep 15 (IANS) Roger Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam singles champion, on Thursday announced his retirement from top-level tennis, saying that Laver cup will be his final ATP tour event.

The 41-year-old has not played since Wimbledon 2021, after which he had a third knee operation.

“Laver cup next month will be my final ATP tour event. I will not play any more Grand Slams or on the tour,” the tennis great said in a statement on Twitter.

“I have worked hard to return to full competitive form. But I also know my body’s capacity and limit. I am 41 years old and have played more than 1500 matches over 24 years. Tennis has treated me generously more than I ever would have dreamt and I must recognise when I have to end my competitive career. I will play more tennis, of course, but not in Grand Slams and in tour. It’s a bitter-sweet decision,” he added.

Only Spain‘s Rafael Nadal, with 22 majors, and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, with 21, have more men’s Grand Slam singles titles than Federer.

What’s Moonlighting? Infosys bans, IBM warns, Wipro cracks whip

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As the issue of moonlighting or working elsewhere to make extra money in India is plaguing many tech giants after the Work From Home concession that entailed tech employees work remotely, several Indian tech giants are facing the challenge to keep their workforce committed and focused.

The ethical issue has been raised by tech services giant Infosys first, followed by cloud Major IBM on Wednesday. Infosys has already made it clear that the practice is not ethical and the company may fire those who are moonlighting.

However, no company has so far issued any framework to monitor its employees who are moonlighting as legally it is still daunting to gather evidence and withstand legal suits in courts. Secondly, the problem is not new in smaller and minor companies which have been struggling to pay higher wages to employees to retain them. Often, they blink to let the workforce work elsewhere in non-working hours.

Moreover, the issue is legally overwhelming for the companies as strict guidelines or framework of supervising or monitoring employees is often termed as violation of privacy rules in many courts and they may stand loose the legal battle even after firing such employees.

But the issue has already bogged down even major companies. Besides infosys, IBM Managing Director  Sandip Patel said that the company’s position is exactly that of the overall industry in the country. “All of our workers when they are employed, they sign an agreement which says that they are going to be working full-time for IBM. So moonlighting is not ethically right for them to get into,” he said.

However, some startups are encouraging employees to opt for moonlighting or work outside their primary working hours. Swiggy has encouraged the practice but the traditional companies are calling it cheating and unethical and issued warning to employees from practising Moonlighting even in extra hours.

In one case, a techie who was interviewed by a Hyderabad-based company found that he hired another techie to work on his behalf, while he is engaged in working on other projects. He has been summarily fired now but the issue has brought to light the glaring anomaly in misuse of a pact with the company.

Infosys has already warned employees on Monday against moonlighting, saying that involvement in such practice can result in “disciplinary action including termination of employment”. “No two-timing, no moonlighting”, the company said in an internal memo, adding that it “strictly discourages dual employment”.

Wipro Chairman Rishad Premji recently said that the concept of a second job amounts clearly to “plain and simple” cheating. “There is a lot of chatter about people moonlighting in the tech industry. This is cheating — plain and simple,” he emphasised.

Family, friends, celebrities,fans bid tearful adieu to Tollywood actor Krishnam Raju

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Veteran Tollywood actor and former Union Minister U. V. Krishnam Raju was cremated with state honours near here on Monday.

Family members, friends, Tollywood celebrities and fans bid tearful adieu to Raju, who was popular as the ‘rebel’ star.

The last rites were performed in his farm house at Moinabad near Hyderabad.

Raju’s nephew ‘Bahubali’ star Prabhas, Jagapati Babu, and leaders of various political parties paid their last respects to Raju, who passed away on Sunday. Prabhas was seen assisting in the last rites.

Hyderabad:Veteran Tollywood actor Krishnam Raju dies at 83.

Earlier, Raju’s body was brought to Moinabad in a procession from his house at Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad.

As per the direction given by Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, authorities made arrangements for the cremation with state honours.

Police personnel presented a gun salute and opened fire in the air as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Cyberabad police had made elaborate security arrangements for the funeral. Only those having permission from Raju’s family were allowed into the farm house.

Raju breathed his last at AIG Hospitals in Hyderabad on Sunday after prolonged illness. He was 83 and survived by wife and three daughters.

PM condoles demise of Veteran telugu actor, Krishnam Raju

In a career spanning 50 years, Krishnam Raju acted in more than 180 films.

Union Minister for Culture G. Kishan Reddy, Telangana minister K.T. Rama Rao, mega star Chiranjeevi, veteran actors Krishna, Murali Mohan, Mohan Babu, and Mahesh Babu were among those who paid their last respects to Raju on Sunday.

Award Of Meritorious service medal(military) to Admiral Sunil Lanba(Retd) by Singapore Govt

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Singapore President  Halimah Yacob conferred the prestigious Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) [Meritorious Service Medal (Military)] on Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd), the former Chief of Naval Staff, Indian Navy. Dr Ng Eng Hen, Defence Minister of Singapore presented the award to Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd), on behalf of the President, in a solemn Investiture Ceremony, held on 08 Sep 22 at the Ministry of Defence, Singapore.

The award is a recognition of strong bilateral defence ties between India and Singapore as well as stellar contribution of Adm Sunil Lanba to strengthen the engagements between the two Navies. During his tenure as the Chief of Naval Staff, the Indian Navy hosted the 25th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) at Visakhapatnam in Oct 2018. Adm Sunil Lanba (Retd) fondly recalled having hosted Dr Ng Eng Hen, Defence Minister of Singapore along with Rear Adm Lue Chuan Hong, the then Chief of Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy onboard INS Shakti for the concluding day of the Sea Phase of the Exercise. During the sea phase the Defence Minister of Singapore and other dignitaries witnessed, first hand, the level of interoperability achieved by the two Navies wherein high end operational manoeuvres including live missile firings were executed successfully by participating ships, aircraft and submarines of both navies.

Under the leadership of Adm Sunil Lanba, several milestone defence agreements were also signed between the two Navies, including the Bilateral Agreement on Navy Cooperation and Mutual Logistics Support Agreement. Adm Lanba also hosted the inaugural Goa Maritime Conclave in 2017, in which Singapore is one of the participants. During his term as the Chief of Naval Staff, Adm Lanba had attended the International Maritime Review (IMR) commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), the International Maritime and Defence Expo (IMDEX) and the International Maritime Security Conference, co-hosted by the RSN alongside IMDEX-Asia in May 2017.

During his visit to Singapore to receive the Award, Adm Sunil Lanba (Retd) also held interactions with Lt Gen Melvyn Ong, Chief of Defence Force, Singapore Armed Forces and Rear Adm Aaron Beng, Chief of Navy, Republic of Singapore Navy. During these interactions, Adm Lanba complimented the leadership of Singapore for sustaining the momentum of bilateral engagements and shared views on new avenues of cooperation.

Liz Truss to take oath today, Rishi Sunak to be dropped from new cabinet

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Rishi Sunak, who was defeated in the party leadership contest is not likely to be given any Cabinet berth, breaking from the tradition whereby most unsuccessful leadership contenders have been offered posts, reports said.

The newly elected Conservative leader Liz Truss will take the oath as the next UK Prime Minister on Tuesday. Liz Truss will be the third woman Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after Margaret Thatcher and Theresa May.

Rishi Sunak

 

Liz Truss defeated rival Rishi Sunak with 81,326 votes to 60,399 among party members. The announcements of the key ministerial portfolios are expected to be announced today by evening.
For the first time in Britain’s history, there will not be a white man in one of the four great offices of state, reports said

According to the British daily newspaper Guardian, James Cleverly may be appointed as foreign secretary, Suella Braverman as home secretary and Kwasi Kwarteng as chancellor.

The expected appointments were welcomed by Boris Johnson’s former race adviser, Samuel Kasumu, who resigned last year after a controversial report by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities, Guardian reported.

 

Onions can bring down sugar levels in Diabetes patients

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Diabetes is an ailment that cannot curbed entirely but controlled. The patients of diabetes often experience spiking blood sugar levels due to insufficient insulin generated in the body.

While type-1 diabetes is visible since childhood, diabetes type-2 affects the middle aged people and mostly those in their 50s or 60s. In India too, it’s the most common disease affecting millions of people.

While doctors recommend a low-carbohydrate diet besides regular exercise and weight management to improve insulin sensitivity, some experiments have proved that onions can help reduce the diabetes.

The findings presented at the 97th annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in 2015 show that the extract of an onion can lower blood sugar levels. It was found more effective when given with the common diabetes drug metformin.

“Onion is cheap and available and has been used as a nutritional supplement,” said lead investigator Anthony Ojieh of Delta State University in Nigeria. “It has the potential for use in treating patients with diabetes.”

Ojieh and his colleagues gave metformin and varying doses of onion extract—200, 400 and 600 milligrams per kilograms of body weight daily to see if it would enhance the drug’s effect. Onion extract reportedly lowered the total cholesterol level in diabetic rats, with the two larger doses again having the greatest effects.

Also they found that the onion extract led to an increase in average weight among nondiabetic rats but not diabetic rats. Further, onion extract lowered cholesterol levels.

“Onion is not high in calories. However, it seems to increase the metabolic rate and, with that, to increase the appetite, leading to an increase in feeding,” Ojieh said.

However, for diabetes management, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Diet is a key and doctors suggest:

  • Consume daily lots of fruits and vegetables
  • Avoid carbs and sugar
  • Eat lean proteins such as chicken and fish
  • Take nuts and cereals frequently
  • Legumes and whole grains should be part of your daily diet.

[Disclaimer: Suggestions are for general information and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making any changes to your diet.]

Cyrus Mistry’s Demise: What happens to SP Group’s stake in Tata Sons

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Cyrus P. Mistry, 54, a scion of the Shapoorji Pallonji Group and former Chairman of Tata Group, was killed in a road accident in Palghar on Sunday afternoon, sending shock waves across the Mumbai circle of businesses and on the future of SP Group’s stake in Tata Sons.

He is survived by his wife, two children and a sister and an elder brother.

The last rites of Mistry, 54, who was killed in a road accident in Palghar on Sunday afternoon, shall be performed at the Worli Crematorium at 11 a.m. Tuesday, the mourning family said in a statement.

“Beloved husband of Rohiqa, father of Firoz and Zahan, son of the late Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry and Patsy Mistry, son-in-law of Iqbal and Roshan Chagla, brother of Laila Rustom Jehangir, Aloo Noel Tata and Shapoor Mistry,” said the family requesting “No condolence visits.”

Cyrus Mistry

The young business tycoon Mistry’s abrupt departure left the Indian corporate world shocked and has put the spotlight again on SP group’s substantial 18.37 per cent holding in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group.

The SP group had talked about separation in the past after a troubled relationship with Ratan Tata and media reports in March this year said the group was taking a Rs.15,000 crore loan against the holding in Tata Sons.

SP Group had talked about separation two years back in September 2020 before the Supreme Court, where the group pleaded that a separation from the Tata Group is necessary due to the potential impact this continuing litigation could have on livelihoods and the economy.

The SP-Tata relationship spanning over 70 years, was impacted by the ouster of Cyrus Mistry from the Chairman’s position at Tata Sons in 2016.

The boardroom coup was shrouded in mystery, forced cyrus Mistry take a long-running legal battle until the top court ruled in Tata’s favour.

NASA’s Webb Detects Carbon Dioxide in Exoplanet Atmosphere

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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the first clear evidence for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of a planet outside the solar system. This observation of a gas giant planet orbiting a Sun-like star 700 light-years away provides important insights into the composition and formation of the planet. The finding, accepted for publication in Nature, offers evidence that in the future Webb may be able to detect and measure carbon dioxide in the thinner atmospheres of smaller rocky planets.

WASP-39 b is a hot gas giant with a mass roughly one-quarter that of Jupiter (about the same as Saturn) and a diameter 1.3 times greater than Jupiter. Its extreme puffiness is related in part to its high temperature (about 1,600 degrees Fahrenheit or 900 degrees Celsius). Unlike the cooler, more compact gas giants in our solar system, WASP-39 b orbits very close to its star – only about one-eighth the distance between the Sun and Mercury – completing one circuit in just over four Earth-days. The planet’s discovery, reported in 2011, was made based on ground-based detections of the subtle, periodic dimming of light from its host star as the planet transits, or passes in front of the star.

Previous observations from other telescopes, including NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, revealed the presence of water vapor, sodium, and potassium in the planet’s atmosphere. Webb’s unmatched infrared sensitivity has now confirmed the presence of carbon dioxide on this planet as well.

NASA Prepares Webb Telescope /NASA

Filtered Starlight

Transiting planets like WASP-39 b, whose orbits we observe edge-on rather than from above, can provide researchers with ideal opportunities to probe planetary atmospheres.

During a transit, some of the starlight is eclipsed by the planet completely (causing the overall dimming) and some is transmitted through the planet’s atmosphere.

Because different gases absorb different combinations of colors, researchers can analyze small differences in brightness of the transmitted light across a spectrum of wavelengths to determine exactly what an atmosphere is made of. With its combination of inflated atmosphere and frequent transits, WASP-39 b is an ideal target for transmission spectroscopy.

First Clear Detection of Carbon Dioxide

The research team used Webb’s Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) for its observations of WASP-39b. In the resulting spectrum of the exoplanet’s atmosphere, a small hill between 4.1 and 4.6 microns presents the first clear, detailed evidence for carbon dioxide ever detected in a planet outside the solar system.

“As soon as the data appeared on my screen, the whopping carbon dioxide feature grabbed me,” said Zafar Rustamkulov, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University and member of the JWST Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science team, which undertook this investigation. “It was a special moment, crossing an important threshold in exoplanet sciences.”

No observatory has ever measured such subtle differences in brightness of so many individual colors across the 3 to 5.5-micron range in an exoplanet transmission spectrum before. Access to this part of the spectrum is crucial for measuring abundances of gases like water and methane, as well as carbon dioxide, which are thought to exist in many different types of exoplanets.

“Detecting such a clear signal of carbon dioxide on WASP-39 b bodes well for the detection of atmospheres on smaller, terrestrial-sized planets,” said Natalie Batalha of the University of California at Santa Cruz, who leads the team.

Understanding the composition of a planet’s atmosphere is important because it tells us something about the origin of the planet and how it evolved. “Carbon dioxide molecules are sensitive tracers of the story of planet formation,” said Mike Line of Arizona State University, another member of this research team. “By measuring this carbon dioxide feature, we can determine how much solid versus how much gaseous material was used to form this gas giant planet. In the coming decade, JWST will make this measurement for a variety of planets, providing insight into the details of how planets form and the uniqueness of our own solar system.”