Monthly Archives: May 2018

KCET 2018 results to be announced tomorrow, June 1

Posted on by
Reply

KCET 2018 results for admission to engineering seats in Karnataka will be announced on Friday, June 1 as COMEDK, the other entrance test for private engineering colleges was announced on Monday, May 28.

Usually, the Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA) usually conducts its counselling first for the government seats in engineering and other allied seats spread over state’s aided and unaided private colleges.

On may 16, KEA has opened the link to upload the board exam marks by candidates who have appeared for the Karnataka Common Entrance Test (KCET) 2018 and the results are due now since all boards have announced their PUC or class 12 exam results, including CBSE and ICSE.

KCET considers 50 percent of Class 12 or state Pre-university Course (PUC) marks and another 50 percent from the marks scored by candidates in respective subjects in KCET 2018. Since marks are already known to many candidates, the final ranking will help them seek admission based on it in respective colleges at government-fixed fee which is one-third less than the COMEDK fees for these seats.

The KCET 2018 results will be announced on the official website of KEA at kea.kar.nic.in, while the same will be made available on other websites as well in view of the volume of traffic online to check the results.

Held from April 18 to 20 this year, more than 1.98 lakh candidates in Karnataka had appeared for the exam seeking admission to B. Tech or BE programmes in various state universities, government colleges and private institutes.
How to check results?

Visit the official website of Karnataka Examination Authority (KEA) and clikc on results link which will be blinking. When a new window pops up, candidates will have to enter the registration Number that is available on KCET 2018 Admit Card and then click Submit button. Results with ranking will appear and students are advised to take a print out of the score card in duplicate for future use.

Around 1,25,000 candidates will be called for the counselling process in phases.

Since KEA is likely to make a new app available for the counselling process, students are advised to download it and make entries accordingly. It enables candidates to upload their documents for verification online, making the process simpler and quicker. Here is a glance at last year’s cutoff rankings for top colleges.

.

 

Chennai Super Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad: Who will win Rs.20 Cr crown?

Posted on by
Reply

When: Sunday, 27 May 2018, 7:00 PM (IST)

Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

The Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad will clash for the IPL Final 2018, fourth time this season, before one of them clinch the coveted IPL 2018 championship.

Sunrisers and the Super Kings, the top two teams will fight it out for the trophy but making it worth the watch today is that the entire Telugu film field including Mahesh Babu is rallying behind Sunrisers Hyderabad, especially the Afghan warrior Rashid Khan.

The Super Kings, recovering from near disaster in Qualifier 1 when they were in trouble with 92-7 but for the supperb saviour Faf du Plessis who delivered a match-winning score and winning by 2 wickets with 5 balls to spare.

Thanks to Rashid Khan, Sunrisers are in the final after the perfect match against KKR in Qualifier 2, winning strong support for the home team from every celebrity in Hyderabad.

Both CSK and SRH have proven batsmen and bowlers to stack at each other. CSK has been the best chasing team in the season with a 7-2 win-loss record, while SRH is the only team to have taken more than 100 wickets.

SRH also has an impressive bowling and economy rate, defending the pitch for a win. They have a 5-3 win-loss record this season.

So, the imminent question for millions of viewers glued to their TV sets today will be to toss who would win the match and the trophy. Needless to say, any prediction may go wrong at this stage as it is going to be a real battle ground.

Team Head to Head Stats:

Overall: Matches – 9, Chennai Super Kings won – 7, Sunrisers Hyderabad won – 2

In 2018: Matches – 3, Chennai Super Kings won – 3, Sunrisers Hyderabad won – 0.

Miscellaneous Facts:

Chennai Super Kings are making their seventh appearance in an IPL final, while Sunrisers will be playing in their second final.

CSK skipper MS Dhoni will be playing his 8th IPL final and he led CSK in 6 previous finals and was part of the Rising Pune Supergiant team briefly when it finished runner-up in 2017.

MS Dhoni requires to make 7 more runs today to make this IPL 2018 his most successful IPL season ever. He has scored 455 runs in 15 innings this season so far.

CSK have a 6-6 win-loss record in IPL matches at the Wankhede, while SRH is 1-4. interestingly, the team batting first has won 7 of the previous 10 IPL Finals.

The winning team gets the IPL 2018 championship, receives a purse of Rs. 20 Crore and the runner-up will get Rs. 12.5 Crore.

Squads:

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH): Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kane Williamson (captain), Manish Pandey, Rashid Khan Arman, Shikhar Dhawan, Wriddhiman Saha, Siddarth Kaul, Deepak Hooda, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Sandeep Sharma, Carlos Brathwaite, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami, Mohammad Nabi, Chris Jordan, Basil Thampi, T Natarajan, Sachin Baby, Bipul Sharma, Syed Mehdi Hasan, Ricky Bhui, Tanmay Agarwal.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK): MS Dhoni (Captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo. Karn Sharma, Shane Watson, Shardul Thakur, Ambati Rayudu, Murali Vijay, Harbhajan Singh, Faf Du Plessis, Mark Wood, Sam Billings, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar, David Willey, Lungisani Ngidi, Asif K M, N Jagadeesan, Kanishk Seth, Monu Singh, Dhruv Shorey, Kshitiz Sharma, Chaitanya Bishnoi.

Mahesh Babu rallies behind Rashid Khan, IPL Final to be stormy today

Posted on by
Reply

After Friday’s match of IPL, the 19-year-old Rashid Khan made a won a surprising star behind him and it is Mahesh Babu, the Telugu actor whose rare tweets are reckoned by millions of his fans.

Afghan cricketer Rashid Khan’s stunning performance for SunRisers Hyderabad to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 14 runs to clinch the opportunity to play in the IPL 2018 final today has made the play worth watching for many but Mahesh Babu’s quick praise for the player has sent his fans into ecstasy.

Mahesh Babu tweeted, “Take a bow @rashidkhan_19… Whatta match by @SunRisers Can’t wait for Sunday!!! Congratulations to the whole team. Go #OrangeArmy #SRH.”

Surprised Rashid Khan replied immediately saying, “Thank you bro …watching your movies keenly.” The fact that despite being an Afghan, he too watches Mahesh Babu’s mostly Telugu films or sometimes dubbed into Hindi, has made many Mahesh Babu fans sit up and watch who the cricket star is.

Ever since the Indian Premier League(IPL) was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs. 9 crore, Rashid has come under scanner for his performance and he proved the team managers right with his superb performance in every IPL match.

For the first time, Mahesh Babu has lent his support to home team. Otherwise, Venkatesh Daggubati and Sai Dharam Tej too have been strong supporters of the home team Sunrisers Hyderabad, which has won accolades for its performance from minister KTR or Taraka Ram, who is son of Telangana CM K Chandrashekhara Rao or KCR.

Dharam Tej tweeted:“#SRH Through to the finals of this years edition of IPL 2018 #IPL2018Qualifier Rashid Khan you beauty….. @SunRisers congratulations”. Soon he was followed by another actor Nithin who tweeted, “Rashid khan!! U beautyy!! Wat a suuperb inningss!! The game is on #SRH”

KTR, who missed the real drama never relented. He said:“Missed the game but glad that @SunRisers made it. Congratulations and good luck for the trophy Guys”.

Soon the social media was abuzz with the wish to confer Indian citizenship on Rashid though External Affairs Minister replied saying it is the Home Ministry’s prerogative. Back in Kabul, Afghan President Ashrad Ghanis tweeted: “Rashid reminds us what’s best about Afghanistan. He remains an asset to the cricketing world. No, we are not giving him away.”

There it is but today, he is going to be watched across the world by millions of cricket fans and Mahesh Babu admirers for the IPL Final being played in Mumbai, when Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Chennai Super Kings.

Depression and early old age go hand-in-hand, finds study

Posted on by
Reply

Amid increasing instances of depression among the celebrities, common people and even teenagers, psychologists at the University of Sussex have come up with a new dimension to the alarming mental health issue saying the brain ages faster when people undergo frequent depression.

Depression is the leading cause of mental ill health across the world with more than 300 million people suffering from it with an estimated increase of more than 18% between 2005 and 2015, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

Earlier studies found that people with depression or anxiety have an increased risk of dementia in later life, leading to decline in overall cognitive function. The new study extrapolates it to showcase a direct link with early old age as well. Dementia is expected to grow substantially over the next 30 years.

After a review of 34 longitudinal studies, with data available from 71,000 participants, the study measured the rate of decline of overall cognitive state resulting in memory loss, poor decision making and slow information processing in older adults. It has excluded dementia as past studies have already established its link with old age.

The study found that people with depression faced imminent and greater decline in cognitive functions inold age than those without depression.

Lead researchers Darya Gaysina and Amber John from the EDGE Lab at the University of Sussex have stressed on dealing with depression effectively since the implications at a later stage may prove irreversible.

“This study is of great importance – our populations are ageing at a rapid rate and the number of people living with decreasing cognitive abilities,” said Gaysina.

Amber John, who carried out this research for her PhD at the University of Sussex adds: “People living with depression shouldn’t despair – it’s not inevitable that you will see a greater decline in cognitive abilities and taking preventative measures.”

Some of the preventive measures she suggested include regular exercising, practicing mindfulness and undertaking recommended therapeutic treatments, such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

The study was published in the journal Psychological Medicine.

What WHO says on Depression?

Depression is different from usual mood fluctuations and short-lived emotional responses to daily life-style challenges. It reflects in symptoms ranging from depressed mood, loss of interest and enjoyment, and reduced energy levels for at least two weeks.

Some of them may even experience anxiety, disturbed sleep and loss of appetite, feelings of guilt or low self-esteem, poor concentration and even medically unexplained symptoms.

At its worst, depression can lead to suicide. Close to 800,000 people die due to suicide every year. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youngsters between 15 and 29 years of age. Seeking early medical intervention is a must in such cases.

 

 

Tuticorin protests beginning of anti-corporate outrage in India?

Posted on by
Reply

Vedanta-owned Sterlite copper smelting plant in Tamil Nadu has evoked an outrage unparalleled in Indian history, especially against corporate plants. Tamil Nadu has been the hub of several plants ranging from nuclear energy to underground Neutrino tunnel but rarely was the opposition evident as in the case of anti-Sterlite protests.

The culmination to protests after three months of protests resulted in unexpected state-sponsored firing on peaceful protesters killing nine people in Tuticorin or Tuthkudi, making it evident that the state governments are playing hand-in-glove to emerging corporate dominance on social lives.

From Narora nuclear plant to Narmada dam, several environmental protests in northern India were met with prolonged negotiations but the Tuticorin firing sends out the message that the weak state governments are made to bend it like Beckham to the Centre’s diktats. Retorting to the police firing, actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said, “Citizens are not criminals.” But the state government has treated protesters exactly like street criminals.

The brewing anti-Sterlite sentiments in Tuticorin is not without reason. Ever since March 2013 episode when hundreds of local people encountered health issues from breathing difficulty, nausea and throat infection following an alleged gas leak, the plant was shut down only to be allowed by the National Green Tribunal, indicating the heavy corporate lobbying against inconsequential local people’s lives.

Instead of addressing the core issue of closure of the demonic copper smelting plant, the ruling AIADMK government’s Chief Minister E Palaniswami dared to defend the unprovoked Jalianwala Bagh-like police firing on unarmed citizens. “The police had to take action under unavoidable circumstances to protect public life and property,” and the words echoed similar statements made by the British Raj against protesting people at the infamous Jalianwala Bagh a century ago.

The fact that more than 20,000 people have participated in the protests made no difference to the state government, which has behaved like their predecessors who behoved their British masters before the Independence. Unlike the British rule, it is the Corporate Raj that is dictating terms against all those who oppose their sinister designs of ecological damage.

The fact that it employs 3,000 people should not come in the way of protecting the health of tens of thousands of people who live in the ancient coastal city.

What is Cyclone Sagar?

Posted on by
Reply

Indian Met Department has issued an alert to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharasthra and the Lakshadweep over the cyclone ‘Sagar’, which is building up over the Arabian Sea with potential to hit the coastal region of northern Indian Ocean on Saturday.

Formerly known as 01A, Tropical Cyclone Sagar, quickly formed in the Indian Ocean and strengthened into a tropical storm on May 16 at 3:35 a.m. IST as shown in the resolution imaging captured by the spectroradiometer aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite.

It showed thunderstorms at minus 80 degrees Celsius, which means very strong storms with a potential for heavy rainfall in the Arabian Sea with maximum sustained winds near 46 miles per hour (40 knots). Located near 13.0 degrees north latitude and 48.6 degrees east longitude, or approximately 229 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen.

When captured NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite appeared more organized and has been strengthening since May 17. On Friday, May 18 the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Sagar showing the center above the Gulf of Aden, affecting Yemen and Somalia.

At 1:30 p.m IST, the Tropical Cyclone Sagar was centered near 11.6 degrees north latitude and 45.9 degrees east longitude, approximately 89 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, registering maximum sustained winds up at 69 mph (50 knots/111 kph). Currently, Sagar is moving to the west-southwest at 6.9 mph (6 knots/11.1 kph).

Sagar is likely to threaten Yemen, Somalia and Djibouti with waves as high as 17 feet, before hitting the Indian west coast on Saturday. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an advisory that said: “Strong winds reaching upto 75-85 kmph and 95 kmph covering the Gulf of Aden and adjoining south-western Arabian Sea area are very likely duting the next 12 hours. It may then gradually decrease ato 65-75 kmph during the next 12 hours.”

Fishermen are advised not to venture into the high seas of the Gulf of Aden or west-central and south-west Arabian Sea in the next 48 hours.

Cyclone Sagar to Hit Today: Kochi, Mangalore, Goa, Mumbai to witness heavy rains

Posted on by
Reply

Indian Met Department has issued an alert to Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa, Maharasthra and the Lakshadweep over the cyclone ‘Sagar’, which is building up over the Arabian Sea.

Tropical Cyclone Sagar, formerly known as 01A, captured NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite appeared more organized and has been strengthening since May 17. On Friday, May 18 the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA’s Suomi NPP satellite captured a true-color image of Tropical Cyclone Sagar that showed the center of circulation in the Gulf of Aden, and the northern and southern quadrants of the storm affecting Yemen and Somalia, respectively.

Cyclone Sagar or 01A quickly formed in the northern Indian Ocean and strengthened into a tropical storm on May 16 at 6:05 p.m. EDT as shown in the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite.

The infrared image indicated a small portion of thunderstorms around the center at minus 80 degrees Celsius, indicating very strong storms with a potential for heavy rainfall. It had maximum sustained winds near 46 miles per hour (40 knots), located near 13.0 degrees north latitude and 48.6 degrees east longitude. That’s approximately 229 nautical miles east of Aden, Yemen.

On Friday, at 4 a.m. EDT (1:30 pm IST) Tropical Cyclone Sagar was centered near 11.6 degrees north latitude and 45.9 degrees east longitude, approximately 89 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen. Maximum sustained winds had increased to 69 mph (50 knots/111 kph). Sagar was moving to the west-southwest at 6.9 mph (6 knots/11.1 kph).

Sagar is likely to threaten Yemen, Somalia and Djibouti with waves as high as 17 feet, before hitting the Indian west coast. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that Sagar will move southwest through the Gulf of Aden and make a heavy landfall in northwestern Somalia.

 

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an advisory that said: “It is likely to move west-southwestwards and weaken gradually after 12 hours and cross Somalia coast around noon of 19th May 2018, said IMD in a statement.

“Fishermen are advised not to venture into Gulf of Aden and adjoining areas of west-central and south-west Arabian sea. Hoist signal DW-II at all the ports of south and north Gujarat” said the advisory issued by the Met Department. However, Gujarat is not likely to be hit as Sagar weakens by the time it reaches the Kutch coast.

Strong winds reaching upto 75-85 kmph and 95 kmph covering the Gulf of Aden and adjoining south-western Arabian Sea area are very likely duting the next 12 hours. It may then gradually decrease ato 65-75 kmph during the next 12 hours.”

Eat healthy diet to keep hearing aid away

Posted on by
Reply

Hearing loss, which affects nearly 48 million Americans, can be mitigated with healthy diet, said a new study by researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who examined the relation between three different diets and risk of developing hearing loss.

The researchers studied the Alternate Mediterranean diet (AMED), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) in 70,966 women in the Nurses’ Health Study II. These participants have been followed for 22 years to come up with the contention that eating a healthy diet is associated with a lower risk of acquired hearing loss in women.

“Interestingly, we observed that those following an overall healthy diet had a lower risk of moderate or worse hearing loss,” said Sharon Curhan, epidemiologist in the Channing Division of Network Medicine at BWH, and lead author of the study. “Eating well contributes to overall good health, and it may also be helpful in reducing the risk of hearing loss.”

In this longitudinal study, researchers collected detailed information on dietary intake every four years and found that women whose diet resembled the AMED or DASH dietary patterns had an approximately 30 percent lower risk of hearing loss.

The findings in a sub-cohort of over 33,000 women reveal that the magnitude of the reduced risk may be greater than 30 percent, and it may also pertain to the AHEI-2010.

The AMED diet includes extra virgin olive oil, grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, fish and moderate intake of alcohol. The DASH diet includes fruits and vegetables and low-fat dairy, and low in sodium. The AHEI-2010 diet has common components with AMED and DASH.

The study has been published in the Journal of Nutrition on May 11. Researchers said further study is required as the present study was based on self-report. It requires to be studied in additional populations, it said.

What’s healthy diet for Ear?

Essentially, minerals are key to hearing health, followed by potassium, folic acid and magnesium. Minerals are available in plants that absorb them from the earth and animals which graze on plants and eating the meat, we consume these minerals. However, there are few minerals which are crucial for hearing health.

Potassium comes next as it regulates fluid in the inner ear, which translates the noises we hear into electrical impulses the brain interprets as sound. It erodes with age causing old age hearing loss.

Eating vegetables such as potatoes, spinach, lima beans, tomatoes, raisins, apricots, bananas, melons, oranges, yogurt and milk contibute to potassium supply to the body.

Folic Acid helps to metabolize homocysteine, an inflammatory compound that reduces circulation and controlling it helps the hair cells of the inner ear healthy and working properly. It is available in folate-rich foods such as organ meat, spinach, broccoli and asparagus.

Magnesium protects the delicate hair cells in the inner ear from loud noise and lack of adequate magnesium deprives blood vessels from oxygen, as found in a study by the University of Michigan Kresge Hearing Research Institute. It is found in yogurt.

In addition, zinc is considered essential to keep the ear free from cold-related infections, which in turn protects it from tinnitus or pesky ear.

Diplomatic Dinner? Israeli dinner Dessert in a Shoe Shocks Japan PM Abe

Posted on by
Reply

Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may have made a faux paux of sort when his renowned and creative chef served visiting Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with desert dishes in a shoe on last week May 2. Shocked Japanese revealed it a week later.

Japanese, like any Asian culture, do not bring shoes inside the home, let alone on the dining table. even inside the Japanese home, shoes are forbidden and only leather covering cloth shoes are preferred.

Unthinkable for Japan PM Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie, the creative chef Segev Moshe, riding high on his latest triumph when he served US President Donald Trump and his host a desert in the shape of a double-headed Trump and Netanyahu, presumed that it was funny but leaving the diplomatic circles in a shock.

The media, which was criticised by Netanyahu for not covering the Japanese PM’s visit last week, has retorted giving the faux pax more due to cover the event.

A Japanese diplomat, not named by the paper Yediot Aharonot, was quoted to have said,“There’s no culture in the world in which you put shoes on the table. What was the distinguished chef thinking? If it was humor, we don’t think it is funny; we were offended on behalf of our prime minister.”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the menu was not its decision but said, “We have the utmost respect for the Japanese prime minister.”

Undaunted, Segev has posted the shoe-filled dessert on his Instagram account, with a message: “Chocolate selection from the world by #SegevArt / A metal shoe by @tomdixonstudio”. essentially the chef tried to defend the serving saying the shoe was a sculpture by international artist Tom Dixon, whose works are displayed in major museums around the world.

He said for the first time, it was displayed in Israel at a meal and the vessel is a piece of art made of cast metal in the shape of a shoe; it is not a real shoe.

"You don’t need to know any culture to know that serving shoes at a dinner is WRONG!” said another tweet in a reply.

However, the shocking episode has given enough coverage to the visit by Japan PM and Netanyahu must be feeling happy about it.

Sauna bath daily reduces risk of heart disease by 61%, says study

Posted on by
Reply

Frequent sauna bathing is good as it reduces the risk of stroke, said a new international study.

The study followed people taking a sauna for 15 years and found the frequent goers benefit more from it. Those taking saunda 4-7 times a week were 61% less likely to suffer a stroke than those taking a sauna once a week, said the study published in the journal Neurology.

A team of scientists from the Universities of Eastern Finland, Bristol, Leicester, Atlanta, Cambridge and Innsbruck, based on the population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) study on 1,628 men and women aged 53 to 74 years living in the eastern part of Finland, found the most accurate results.

Based on their frequency of taking traditional Finnish sauna baths with relative humidity of 10-20%, the study participants were divided into three groups: those taking a sauna once a week, those taking a sauna 2-3 times a week, and those taking a sauna 4-7 times a week.

The more frequently saunas were taken, the lower was the risk of stroke. Compared to people taking one sauna session per week, the risk was decreased by 14% among those with 2-3 sessions and 61% among those with 4-7 sessions.

The association persisted even when taking into account conventional stroke risk factors, such as age, sex, diabetes, body mass index, blood lipids, alcohol consumption, physical activity and socio-economic status. The strength of association was similar in men and women.

A previous study conducted in Finland, surveyed 1,621 middle-aged men, who had normal blood pressure. During the observation for 25 years, 251 of them developed hypertension. Men who go for a single sauna session per week are 46 percent more likely to develop hypertension than the ones who visit the sauna at least four times a week, said Jari Laukkanen, a professor of medicine at the University of Eastern Finland and the lead author of the study.

The sauna’s warmth improves blood flow by increasing the flexibility of the blood vessels. A typical Finnish sauna can help in relaxation, thereby moderating blood pressure. Additionally, the act of excessive sweating acts as a natural diuretic: a long-trusted drug to cure hypertension.

Another study on the benefits of sauna, conducted by Minna L. Hannuksela and Samer Ellahham, states that regular visits to the sauna cause cardiovascular and hormonal changes that may provide relief to patients with asthma and chronic bronchitis, besides soothening skin conditions like dermatitis and psoriasis.

Adnan Sami not alone, many Indians do face humiliation abroad

Posted on by
Reply

When Bollywood singer Adnan Sami landed in Kuwaiti airport on Sunday, he was in for a shock to see how the officials of Kuwaiti immigration treat Indians.

Enraged, Adnan Sami tweeted about the episode:"Kuwaiti airport immigration mistreated my staff for no reason and called them ‘Indian Dogs’! When you were contacted you did nothing!! How dare d Kuwaitis behave like this with arrogance?!"

Soon Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took cognizance of the tweet and asked him to call her immediately, which he did. The issue is likely to be taken up on Monday with the Kuwaiti officials through diplomatic channels.

But this is not the first time Indians face humiliation abroad. From Shah Rukh Khan to Abdul Kalam faced similar ill-treatment when they visited the United States, for example. It was a humiliation waiting for many whenever they go abroad. For decades, it remained unreported as individual cases.

Though apologies and diplomatic regrets follow the episode, it leaves a deep scar in the minds of Indians and many of them display lack of self-confidence in global forums. Indian students and Indian theatre groups or cinema personalities are the major targets of such ill-treatment.

Sushma Swaraj has set an example of quick response to any plea from any Indian who faces difficulty abroad. No foreign minister in the past, including Atal Behari Vajpayee, can boast of this confidence-boosting gesture from a minister. India should go beyond this. It is not feasible for the minister to respond every time on Twitter as lakhs of Indians will be travelling around the globe soon.

For decades, Europeans, Americans, Japanese or Arabs have subjugated Indians to ill-treatment or bullying at the entry point of their countries and it is time the modalities should be worked out and all the visiting foreign dignitaries are informed about the problems being faced by Indians in their countries. Unless the minister finds a long term solution, the issue remains a short-term issue forever.

Rare Tapanuli Orangutan to be extinct soon, thanks to China’s mega dam

Posted on by
Reply

A Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Credit: Maxime Aliaga

The rare Tapanuli Orangutan, discovered last year in Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of the rarest animals on the planet could become an extinct species soon unless urgent action is invoked to reign in on a mega dam in China, said a team of global scientists.

Besides the usual deforestation, the researchers have pointed out that the Batang Toru project being constructed by Chinese state-owned corporation Sinohydro as the major threat to the survival of the rare orangutan.

“This is just the seventh species of Great Ape ever discovered, and it could go extinct right before our eyes,” said Prof. Jatna Supriatna from the University of Indonesia. Echoing similar view, William Laurance from James Cook University in Australia, co-author of the study said, “In 40 years of research, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything this dramatic.”

A baby Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Credit: Maxime Aliaga

Currently, fewer than 800 of the apes are surviving facing assault from mega-projects, deforestation, road building, and poaching, explained Sean Sloan, lead author of the article in Current Biology. “Their entire remaining habitat is unbelievably small, less than a tenth the size of Sydney, Australia,” said Sloan.

The authors are vehemently zeroing in on the culprit — the planned $1.6 billion Batang Toru mega dam that would go into construction phase soon, relegating the available forest cover for the Tapanuli orangutan, driving them to extinction.

“If it proceeds, the dam will flood crucial parts of the ape’s habitat, while chopping up its remaining habitat with new roads and powerlines,” said Supriatna.

Since the rare ape survives only in areas with virtually no roads, the project will stifle their livelihood, said researchers. “This is a critical test for China and Indonesia. They say they want sustainable development–but words are cheap,” said Laurance. “This could be ecological Armageddon for one of our closest living relatives,” he quickly added.

A Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) in northern Sumatra, Indonesia. Credit: Maxime Aliaga

What IUCN says?

The newly described Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) exists in an isolated area in around 1100 km2 of forests in the Central, North and South districts of Tapanuli, in the province of North Sumatra.

Until recently, it was thought that only two species of orangutan existed; the Bornean (Pongo pygmaeus) and Sumatran (Pongo abelii). Orangutans are found only in Indonesia and Malaysia and are listed as Critically Endangered on The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

“It is rather amazing that this population of orangutans differs so much from the orangutans in the north of Sumatra and that even today, after many decades of intensive research on Great Apes, a new species of this primate family can still be discovered” stated Dr. Ian Singleton, Director of the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme (SOCP), who has worked on improving protection of the Tapanuli orangutans and their habitat since 2005.

The Tapanuli orangutan was initially found by scientists in 1997, but was not confirmed as a separate species until 2017. To reach that conclusion, researchers needed to closely examine the genetic, morphological and behavioural traits which differed from the other two known orangutan species.

“Despite only just now being described, with less than 800 left, the Tapanuli orangutan is already the most endangered great ape species in the world” stated Matthew Nowak, co-author of the recently published ‘Population Habitat Viability Analysis for Orangutans’ and Director of Research at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme. ”

The Red List status of this new orangutan is currently being assessed, but conservation concerns for the species are high. This is due to a small population, slow reproduction levels, concerns over local habitat destruction, and killing.

Researchers involved in the definition of this new species included experts from the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC) Primate Specialist Group (including Ian Singleton, Matthew Nowak and Serge Wich).

Sunday May 6: Solar Storm to cause Mobile, TV, Tech Blackout on Earth?

Posted on by
11

US space agency NASA has informed that a solar storm brewing on Sun is flaring up splitting huge sun storms which may reach earth on Sunday, May 6. It said a coronal hole or sun spot has opened up releasing huge swarm of cosmic rays which may take 8 minutes to reach earth.

The space weather watching unit of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said the solar tsunami can create an aurora or polar lights when it hits earth. Astronomers have estimated that three such solar storms are likely to reach earth on May 6, to be precise, the Indian Ocean and India is very much within the target area.

The storm classified as G-1 or ‘minor’ is the biggest since 2004 and it could trigger sparks and melt soil on Moon, while its impact on Earth is still not comprehended by astronomers but similar storms had apparently given birth to origin of life on earth.

A section of scientists warned that the solar storms on Sunday could be severe enough to disrupt communications, satellite-based GPS, flaring up magnetic field around electricity power stations or transmitters. A partial tech blackout is likely to disrupt the Internet-based communications, they added.

Effects on Earth?

Since the severity has been classified as low by NOAA, it may cause voltage fluctuations in electricity supply or even cause power failures for now. However, the US Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) has issued a storm alert on Sunday and Monday stating that the solar storm could cause a “high stream of activity” that is characteristic to any G1-class storm. The gigantic coronal hole in the sun’s surface was captured today by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), said SWPC.

“G1 (Minor) geomagnetic storm watches have been issued for 06 and 07 May 2018 due to the anticipated effects of a negative polarity coronal hole high speed stream… Aurora may be visible at high latitudes, that is, northern tier of the US such as northern Michigan and Maine,” said SWPC in a statement.

Meanwhile, conspiracy theorists woke up to the situation to claim that these disruptions are due to the effect of an approaching Nibiru planet which is lurking in the vicinity of our solar system. David Meade, its proponent, has repeated that the next seven years will witness tribulation with many more calamities. NASA has denied these claims as Internet Hoax, though.

50-Year-Cycle?

 

Researchers have long announced that a storm is likely to come and the most intense solar flare may reach earth in maximum fifty years. It is not sure whether the Sunday storm was the one or not.

Mausumi Dikpati of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), who’s been working on these storms for decades, predicted that the next solar storm will be a stronger one. “The next sunspot cycle will be 30% to 50% stronger than the previous one,” she said a few years ago. It can produce a burst of solar activity second only to the historic Solar Max of 1958.

Earlier, such intense solar storms had been observed in 1805 and 1958 but with no mobiles and magnetic power lines, the disruption was not detectable as clearly as it would today when auroras and cell technology will showcase the real impact.

According to solar physicist David Hathaway of the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC), a typical sunspot exists for just a few weeks. When it decays, it leaves behind a ‘corpse’ of weak magnetic fields.

Whether the big Doomsday is Sunday or not will be known sooner. For now, a storm is coming and how big will it be remains a major question.

NASA Mars Mission Successful, Marco Cubesats separate, InSight Rover landing soon

Posted on by
Reply

NASA launched its next Mars mission with a stationary lander InSight and for the first time carrying a payload of two CubeSats.

InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport), the first mission to explore Mars’ deep interior, was launched at 7:05 a.m. EDT on May 5, 2018, from Vandenberg Air Force Base on a ULA Atlas V rocket.

The main purpose of the mission is to probe shape of the rocky planets of the inner solar system more than four billion years ago.

If the mission is successful, the technology will provide NASA the ability to quickly transmit status information about the main spacecraft after it lands on Mars, where its two landers — Opportunity and Curiosity rovers have been examining the Red Planet’s surface.

The twin communications-relay CubeSats, built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, are demos of Mars Cube One (MarCO) technology, developed by university students, but launched only into Earth orbit, not deep space in the past.

The basic CubeSat unit is a box roughly 4 inches (10 centimeters) square. Larger CubeSats are multiples of that unit. MarCO’s design is a six-unit CubeSat – about the size of a briefcase — with a stowed size of about 14.4 inches (36.6 centimeters) by 9.5 inches (24.3 centimeters) by 4.6 inches (11.8 centimeters).

“MarCO-A and B are our first and second interplanetary CubeSats designed to monitor InSight for a short period around landing, if the MarCO pair makes it to Mars,” said Jim Green, director of NASA’s planetary science division. “However, these CubeSat missions are not needed for InSight’s mission success. They are a demonstration of potential future capability. The MarCO pair will carry their own communications and navigation experiments as they fly independently to the Red Planet.”

During InSight’s entry, descent and landing (EDL) operations, the lander will transmit information in the UHF radio band to NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) flying overhead. MRO will forward EDL information to Earth using a radio frequency in the X band, but cannot simultaneously receive information over one band while transmitting on another. Confirmation of a successful landing could take one hour to reach Earth.

MarCO’s softball-size radio provides both UHF (receive only) and X-band (receive and transmit) functions capable of immediately relaying information received over UHF.

The two CubeSats will separate from the Atlas V booster after launch and travel along their own trajectories to the Red Planet. MarCO’s first challenges are to deploy two radio antennas and two solar panels.

The high-gain, X-band antenna is a flat panel engineered to direct radio waves the way a parabolic dish antenna does. MarCO will be navigated to Mars independently of the InSight spacecraft, with its own course adjustments on the way.

If the MarCO mission succeeds, it entails many such “bring-your-own” communications relay option for use by future Mars missions. This technology demonstration could lead to many other applications to explore and study our solar system.

 

Temperature swings to hit southern hemisphere, including India hardest

Posted on by
Reply

Temperature fluctuations that are amplified by climate change will hit India and other countries hardest, said a new research.

It found that every additional degree of global warming triggers increase in temperature by up to 15% in southern Africa and Amazonia, and up to 10% in the Sahel, India and South East Asia.

Meanwhile, countries outside the tropics – many of which are richer countries that have contributed most to climate change – should see a decrease in temperature variability.

The researchers, from the universities of Exeter, Wageningen and Montpellier, discovered this “unfair pattern” as they addressed the difficult problem of predicting how weather extremes such as heat waves and cold snaps might change in a future climate.

“The countries that have contributed least to climate change, and have the least economic potential to cope with the impacts are facing the largest increases in temperature variability,” said lead author Dr Sebastian Bathiany, of Wageningen University.

Co-author Professor Tim Lenton, from the University of Exeter, added: “The countries affected by this dual challenge of poverty and increasing temperature variability already share half of the world’s population, and population growth rates are particularly large in these countries.”

“These increases are bad news for tropical societies and ecosystems that are not adapted to fluctuations outside of the typical range.”

Relative change in standard deviation of monthly temperature anomalies until the end of the 21st century versus per capita GDP in different countries. The red line marks zero change in temperature variability. The blue line marks half of the current world population. Credit: Sebastian Bathiany, Wageningen University

The study also reveals that most of the increased temperature fluctuations in the tropics are associated with droughts – an extra threat to food and water supplies.

For their investigation, the team analysed 37 different climate models that have been used for the last report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Although climate variability has been studied extensively by climate scientists, the fact that climate variability is going to change has received little attention in fields investigating the impacts of climate change.

Substance in Chinese medicine can cause cardiac deaths: Study

Posted on by
Reply
IMAGE: Medicinal plants used in traditional Chinese medicine have rarely been scientifically examined. They may contain highly active substances with side effects, such as Evodia. [Credit: University of Basel]

A medicinal plant frequently used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) by name Evodia rutaecarpa contains substances that can cause cardiac arrhythmia, say researchers from the Universities of Basel, Vienna and Utrecht.

Extracts of the plant Evodia rutaecarpa are used for a variety of symptoms, such as headaches, nausea and vomiting as well as menstrual complaints and ulcers in the mouth.

Not scientifically explored, researchers led by Professor Matthias Hamburger from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Basel ventured into scientifically examining the effect of Evodia extracts in collaboration with pharmacologists and toxicologists from the University of Vienna.

To their surprise, they found that the natural substances dehydroevodiamine (DHE) and hortiamine isolated from the plant in Basel turned out to be very potent inhibitors of potassium channels in the heart muscle.

If these channels are blocked, the excitation processes in the heart muscle change, which can trigger severe heart rhythm disturbances – so-called Torsade de pointes (TdP) – and ventricular fibrillation and lead to sudden cardiac death.

Effect confirmed in animal models

The development of severe TdP arrhythmias following the administration of DHE was confirmed by researchers at the University of Utrecht in ECG studies on dogs, a model that is also used to test drug safety in the industry.

Further investigations showed that the two natural substances cause oscillations in the heart muscle cells even in very low concentrations, which can cause cardiac arrhythmia. For instance, these substances can get into a tea made from Evodia fruits.

For drugs that may potentially trigger cardiac arrhythmias, it is typically required that a cardiac examination using ECG is carried out before medication. This is especially true for heart disease patients for their risk to be assessed. To date, no clinical studies have been conducted to investigate the incidence of cardiac arrhythmias after taking Evodia preparations.

Re-evaluate security

Studies at the University of Basel have also shown that the DHE content of Evodia fruits is considerable. Hamburger currently investigates the extent to which these substances find their way into tea preparations. “If DHE and hortiamine are detected, the safety of Evodia products has to be re-evaluated,” says Hamburger. TCM medicinal plants often reach the Indian and Asian or European markets relatively uncontrolled, and they can also be purchased on the internet.

The authors of the study, therefore, call for increased vigilance regarding possible toxic effects of Evodia preparations. “The popularization of medicinal plants from other cultures entails risks. These plants can contain highly active substances with side effects, as in the case of Evodia. A closer examination of such risks is therefore indispensable to protect the population,” says Hamburger.

National Film Award 2018: Winners say ‘No’ to Smriti Irani, insist on receiving from President

Posted on by
Reply

The annual national film awards have met with boycott call and aversion among the film fraternity when the function itinerari revealed that about 60 winners out of all, will be honoured by the ministers, instead of the President of India Ram Nath Kovind. The new rule does not allow the President to spare more than one hour for any awards ceremony.

Over 60 winners of the National Film Awards have declared that they will boycott the ceremony on Thursday evening when they were told that President Ram Nath Kovind would be presenting only 11 awards. This is a clear departure from tradition when earlier presidents were there throughout the ceremony to present the awards to movie persons, despite their age or gender.

The new tradition was made evident when dress rehearsal for the 65th National Film Awards was held just a day before the ceremony on Wednesday with the focus on Sridevi family members Boney Kapoor, Jhanvi and Khushi being geared up for the show.

The event was planned for all the other or less priority winners to receive the awards from Minister of Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Smriti Irani, Minister of State, I&B Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, and the I&B ministry’s secretary Narendra Kumar Sinha. The President was supposed to arrive much later and hand over prestigious 11 awards, and then will have a photo-op with all the winners in groups of 45.

Earlier, the minister of I&B had told the winners that there will be less time for speeches and all the winners will be accommodated to receive the award from the President. When the news was out, several winners dashed out a protest letter to the Directorate of Film Festivals saying that they would be not be attending the ceremony, which has been changed at the last minute.

The signatories include noted singer KJ Yesudas, named this year’s best playback singer, Bengali filmmaker Kaushik Ganguly, best supporting actor winner Fahadh Faasil.

Till last year, when Pranab Mukherjee was President, all awards have been handed out personally. "In all the award ceremonies he has attended, he gives away major awards and takes photographs with all awardees. That has been the standard practice, which has been conveyed to the organisers well in advance," said the President’s press secretary Ashok Malik.

The winners of the 65th National Film Awards were selected last month by a jury headed by director Shekhar Kapur with screenwriter Imtiaz Hussain, lyricist Mehboob, South Indian actress Gautami Tadimalla, Kannada director P Sheshadri, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Ranjit Das, Rajesh Mapuskar, Tripurari Sharma and Rumi Jaffrey.

Mallya Dose? India approves MoU with UK on return of Illegal Migrants

Posted on by
Reply

Indian Cabinet has approved an MoU last month with the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland on the return of illegal migrants, in view of businessman and former MP Vijay Mallya’s escape from the tax dragon in the country.

The MoU will facilitate that the Visa Free Agreement for holders of Diplomatic passports as well as liberalization of UK Visa Regime for those who are travelling to the UK legally, after conclusion of the MoU.

It will ensure the return of persons who have no lawful basis to be in the territory of the other Party after verification of nationality to its satisfaction.

It will help in streamlining the procedure of return of nationals who are caught to be staying illegally, belonging to the other party in a specified time-frame.

The MoU may not facilitate the return of Mallya for now but certainly paves the way for it in the near future.

[category, DIPLOMACY]

Video of vendor in train toilet with tea, coffee cans goes viral; Contractor fined

Posted on by
Reply

A video was doing rounds in social media in the past one week showing a vendor coming out of train toilet with tea and coffee cans, which raised apprehension that he is mixing water in the cans inside the toilet. The Railway ministry said it has identified the vendor and action has been taken.

See video

“The incident has occurred in Train No. 12759 Chennai Central – Hyderabad Charminar Express at Secunderabad Railway Station in the month of December 2017. An Inquiry has been held to identify the wrong doers and initiate appropriate action," it said.

The Train Side Vending contractor for the section between Secunderabad and Kazipet has been identified as P. Siva Prasad, with whom the identified vendor in the video was employed, said the statement. A penalty of Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rupees One Lakh) has been levied on the licensee, through IRCTC, the contracting agency, it added.

A show cause note has also been issued to M/s P Siva Prasad, Licensee, Train Side Vending as to why his contract for train vending, Section-4, SC-KZJ, SC-NDKD-GNT section, should not be terminated, seeking an explanation within 15 days from the issue of Show Cause Notice that was sent on May 2, 2018.

Two other persons seen in the video are unauthorized hawkers, said the ministry in its clarification and added that the Commercial Department of South Central Railway has been carrying on extensive drives against unauthorized hawking at Secunderabad Railway Station. It said two such unauthorized hawkers involved in the video have been removed.

"A strict vigil is continuously being kept at various level to ensure that no such incidents recur,” said the ministry.