It’s still raining ashes on Earth. A team of scientists has found that majority of cosmic rays raining on earth today were sent by a nearby supernova about 2.3 million years ago.

Traces of 60Fe detected in space indicate that a nearby supernova occurred within the last few million years. The iron isotope 60Fe, which is very rare, is created when a massive star collapses in the form of supernova.

Walter Binns et al. detected 60Fe in cosmic rays flying through space, revealing that the contents of a nearby supernova are being sprinkled on Earth to this day. Some previous reports have found samples of the isotope that have accumulated on Earth and the Moon in the distant past, but this is the first measurement of the present-day rate.

The 60Fe was detected using the Cosmic Ray Isotope Spectrometer (CRIS) aboard NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE), which is currently orbiting between Earth and the Sun.

Data collected over nearly 17 years resulted in detection of just 15 of these rare nuclei. Because 60Fe is radioactive with a half-life of 2.6 million years, these nuclei must have formed in a relatively nearby supernova within the last few million years.

The authors note that there is a delay between when these nuclei were formed and when their acceleration occurred, which suggests that at least one more supernova occurred nearby and contributed to the acceleration.

The authors propose that the 60Fe detected by CRIS is most likely coming from supernovae that marked the death of massive stars in the nearby Scorpius-Centaurus association.

The study appears in journal Science.

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Microscopic “timers” have revealed the likely source of galactic radiation that we detect at Earth. Most of the cosmic rays originated relatively recently in the nearby clusters of massive stars, according to new results from NASA’s Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft.

ACE allowed the research team to determine the source of these cosmic rays by making the first observations of a very rare type of cosmic ray that acts like a tiny timer, limiting the distance the source can be from Earth.

“Before the ACE observations, we didn’t know if this radiation was created a long time ago and far, far away, or relatively recently and nearby,” said co-author Eric Christian.

The galactic cosmic rays detected by ACE that allowed the team to estimate the age of the cosmic rays, and the distance to their source, contain a radioactive form of iron called Iron-60 (60Fe). It is created inside massive stars when they explode and then blasted into space by the shock waves from the supernova.

Some 60Fe in the debris from the destroyed star is accelerated to cosmic-ray speed when another nearby massive star in the cluster explodes and its shock wave collides with the remnants of the earlier stellar explosion.

“Our detection of radioactive cosmic-ray iron nuclei is a smoking gun indicating that there has likely been more than one supernova in the last few million years in our neighborhood of the Galaxy,” said lead author Robert Binns of Washington University.

This research is published in Science.

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A team of researchers has ruled some axion-like particles out as the dark matter’s content. Physicists are still struggling with the conundrum of identifying more than 80 percent of the matter in the Universe. One possibility is that it is made up by extremely light particles which weigh less than a billionth of the mass of the electron.

These particles are often called axion-like particles (ALPs). Since ALPs are hard to find, the researchers have not yet been able to test different types of ALPs that could be a part of the dark matter.

For the first time the Stockholm University researchers used data from NASA’s gamma-ray telescope on the Fermi satellite to study light from the central galaxy of the Perseus galaxy cluster in the hunt for ALPs.

The researchers found no traces of ALPs and, for the first time, the observations were sensitive enough to exclude certain types of ALPs (ALPs can only constitute dark matter if they have certain characteristics).

“The ALPs we have been able to exclude could explain a certain amount of dark matter. What is particularly interesting is that with our analysis we are reaching a sensitivity that we thought could only be obtained with dedicated future experiments on Earth”, says researcher Manuel Meyer.

Searches for ALPs with the Fermi telescope will continue. More than 80 percent of the matter in the Universe remains to identify. The mysterious dark matter shows itself only through its gravity, it does neither absorb nor radiate any form of light.

The article is now published in the Physical Review Letters.

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If you have ever had a hard time sleeping on the first night in a new place, you may want to blame your brain’s guarding system.

According to a new study, when people sleep in an unfamiliar place for the first time, one hemisphere of the brain stays more awake to keep watch.

Researcher Yuka Sasaki of Brown University said that it is known that marine animals and some birds show unihemispheric sleep, one awake and the other asleep. While the human brain doesn’t show the same degree of asymmetry that the brains of marine animals do, the new findings suggest that our brains may have a miniature system of what whales and dolphins have.

Sasaki and her colleagues, including Masako Tamaki, Ji Won Bang, and Takeo Watanabe, wanted to know the reason behind the phenomenon known as the first-night effect and so they used advanced neuroimaging techniques to analyze the sleeping brain.

Sasaki says people might be able to reduce this effect by bringing their own pillow or staying in hotels with similar accommodations. It’s also possible that people who have to sleep in new places often learn to turn this night surveillance off.

“Human’s brains are very flexible,” she says. “Thus, people who often are in new places may not necessarily have poor sleep on a regular basis.”

She says their lab is now trying to temporarily knock out the “awake” part of the brain by transcranial magnetic stimulation to see whether sleep improves.

The study appears in the Cell Press journal Current Biology.

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A team of researchers has discovered how the Zika virus stunts head and brain development, thanks to sophisticated “mini-brains.” Studying a new type of pinhead-size, lab-grown brain made with technology first suggested by three high school students, Johns Hopkins researchers have confirmed a key way in which Zika virus causes microcephaly and other damage in fetal brains: by infecting specialized stem cells that build its outer layer, the cortex.

Researcher Hongjun Song said, “This more realistic, 3-D model confirms what we suspected based on what we saw in a two-dimensional cell culture: that Zika causes microcephaly, abnormally small brains and heads, mainly by attacking the neural progenitor cells that build the brain and turning them into virus factories.”

Song’s wife and research partner, Guo-li Ming, said, “One thing the mini-brains allowed us to do was to model the effects of Zika virus exposure during different stages of pregnancy.”

Ming added, “If infection occurred very early in development, the virus mostly infected the mini-brains’ neural progenitor cells, and the effects were very severe. After a while, the mini-brains would stop growing and disintegrate. At a later stage, mimicking the second trimester, Zika still preferentially infected neural progenitor cells, but it also affected some neurons. Growth was slower, and the cortex was thinner than in noninfected brains.”

These different effects correspond to what clinicians have seen in infants born to women who contracted Zika during pregnancy, as well as miscarriages, she notes, namely that the earlier in pregnancy Zika infection occurs, the more severe its effects.

The research group’s next step will be to test drugs already FDA-approved for other conditions on the mini-brains to see whether one might provide some protection against Zika.

The research appears online in the journal Cell.

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Music legend Prince passed away on April 21 and now it is being revealed that his business empire lacked control even before his death.

Sources close to the 57-year-old singer revealed that he often switched up his team of advisers, especially if he didn’t like what they had to say, reports TMZ.com.

It has also been revealed that the ‘Do Me, Baby’ hit-maker lacked high powered attorneys with the kind of experience needed to sort out business affairs and handle a music catalog like his.

After his death, Prince’s sister Tyka has been calling most of the shots.

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Mexico’s state oil company says that searchers have recovered four more bodies from a petrochemical plant wrecked by a huge explosion on the country’s Gulf coast, raising the death toll to 32.

Petroleos Mexicanos said in a statement Sunday that rescuers with dogs had reached some of the area’s most affected by Wednesday’s blast and had located more bodies. It said all the workers in the plant that day have been located.

The company said more than 130 people in all suffered injuries when the explosion rocked the plant in Coatzacoalcos, 600 kilometers (370 miles) southeast of Mexico City.

Pemex has said the explosion happened after a leak but has not determined the source.

The Clorados 3 plant of Petroquimica Mexicana de Vinilo produces the hazardous industrial chemical vinyl chloride.

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Beyonce doesn’t simply release albums anymore, she unleashes events. And so it was this weekend, amid deep mourning for a lost icon, music’s queen dropped ”Lemonade,” an arresting display of what technically qualifies as videos and singles, but is better described as a work of art that appeared deeply personal, yet is a bold social and political statement as well.

It contains revenge anthems for scorned wives, a requiem for side chicks, a display of (hash)BlackGirlMagic and support of (hash)BlackLivesMatter, and an ode to forgiveness, all wrapped into an hourlong HBO special Saturday night that would of course land on Tidal, the music streaming service owned by hubby Jay Z, moments after the special ended.

”Are you cheating on me?” Beyonce’s husky voice intones early on. For the first half of ”Lemonade,” it seems that Jay Z’s 100th problem is here, and unfixable. While Beyonce has used rumors of infidelity to fuel her music for years, from ”Ring the Alarm” to ”Jealous,” it seemed as if she was spilling all the tea on her much-scrutinized marriage with ”Lemonade.”

On ”Hold Up,” an intoxicating song with an island beat, a smiling Beyonce takes ”Crazy in Love” to a new level: She smashes a bat on everything around her while reminding her man that other women ”don’t love you like I love you.” Later, on ”Sorry,” with a twerking Serena Williams by her side, she shows her man the stupidity of his cheating ways and all he’s lost. ”Middle fingers up, put `em hands high, put it in his face, tell him `Boy bye.”’

At another point, she references her man’s desire for ”Becky with the good hair” and talks about wearing his mistress’ scalp – talk about snatching edges.

What could come across as desperate instead becomes empowering, though, in part due to the poetic narrative Beyonce uses to tie each segment together, as well as the imagery, which is a defiant celebration of the beauty of black women: Dark to light, wooly hair to wavy hair, all looking glorious, with cameos from the likes of Oscar-nominated Quvenzhanu00e9 Wallis, Zendaya and Amandla Stenberg.

And just as we think it’s time to start to get seriously concerned for Jay Z’s safety, he appears, nestled with his queen, in ”Sandcastles,” which speaks to a troubled union but a love that transcends it.

While much of ”Lemonade” would appear to tie into Beyonce’s own life, or so she would have us believe, she also draws from the angst of the black community: The mothers of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown are seen, among others, looking somber as they hold photos of their slain sons. At another point, she tells the audience via the voice of Malcolm X that ”the most disrespected woman in America is the black woman.”

Like much of her music over the last few years, the music on ”Lemonade” is not made for pop radio. Besides the explicit language, it doesn’t fit into neat categories and boxes, ranging from R&B to a bit of reggae to rock and even a country twang. Paired with its visuals, it’s also elevated, becoming a work of art that has many layers to be dissected; there may well be dissertations planned on it at this moment.

It all speaks to Beyonce’s undisputed role the queen of pop – not of music, but of culture. It’s hard to imagine any other artist who could drop a project in the middle of our national mourning for Prince and still not only get attention for it, but captivate us so.

Toward the end of ”Formation,” not included on the HBO special but part of the album, Beyonce intones: ”You know you that b—- when you cause all this conversation.”

With ”Lemonade,” she shows us she is King B, once again.

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Rendez-vous Canada 2016

The 40th edition of Rendez-vous Canada kickstarted at the iconic Montreal Convention Centre on April 24, 2016. The four-day annual convention of Destination Canada is the biggest in its history with over 1,680 delegates, and as many as 536 buyers from 28 countries. It also includes a significant number of buyers from India. RVC2016 will see more than 26,000 face-to-face meetings between Canadian suppliers and the buyers from across the world, including those from non-Destination Canada markets.

The highlight of the first day at RVC2016 was the Destination Canada Inside Track. Addressing the delegates, David Goldstein, president and CEO, Destination Canada spoke about the need to change the old perceptions of Canada. “Canada is not cold, it is cool,” he asserted. Talking about the destination of the 40th convention which is being co-hosted by the tourism departments of Quebec and Montreal, Goldstein stated, “Montreal is the most magnificent city and is a destination that keeps reinventing itself.”

Charlotte Bell, president and CEO, Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) highlighted on the power of public policy to help grow the tourism industry in the country. She stressed on the significance of public-private partnerships (PPP).

An interesting talk on why those in travel business need to create their distinctive brand identity was given by motivational speaker and author Justin Kingsley.

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A UK bridal designer has launched legal proceedings against a famous fashion house for alleged breach of copyright of sketches she submitted for Kate Middleton’s wedding dress nearly five years ago.

Christine Kendall is suing Alexander McQueen, the luxury label behind the dress Kate wore on her big day on April 29, 2011, after spotting similarities between the gown and her own sketches.

Alexander McQueen denies the claim as “ridiculous”.

“Proceedings have been issued because our client is certain that her company’s design was unfairly taken and copied. The claim is not against the duchess and there is no allegation of wrongdoing against the palace,” Kendall’s solicitor Humna Nadim of the Manchester firm Kuits told ‘The Sunday Times’.

The bridal gown, featuring an ivory satin bodice with floral motifs appliqued onto fine silk netting, was a secret until the Duchess of Cambridge stepped from her car to enter Westminster Abbey on her wedding day.

It was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen.

However, Kendall believes she could see some of her own work in the dress.

She had sent ideas with a 1950s theme to Kate five months before the wedding and received a letter of gratitude from the office of Prince William and Prince Harry in January 2011.

A spokesperson for the Duchess of Cambridge told the newspaper this weekend that she had never seen Kendall’s sketches.

“We are utterly baffled by this legal claim. Christine Kendall first approached us almost four years ago, when we were clear with her that any suggestion Sarah Burton’s design of the royal wedding dress was copied from her designs was nonsense,” said a spokesperson for Alexander McQueen.

“Sarah Burton never saw any of Ms Kendall’s designs or sketches and did not know of Ms Kendall before Ms Kendall got in touch with us — some 13 months after the wedding. We do not know why Ms Kendall has raised this again, but there are no ifs, buts or maybes here: this claim is ridiculous,” the spokesperson said.

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She may be one of the most beautiful women in the world but actress Jennifer Aniston says she did not have much sense of style in her high school and looked like a goth nightmare.

“High school was tragic. Just not well-informed. You know, you’re experimenting. It was the ’80s and I looked like a goth nightmare. I wasn’t going for most beautiful. It was, How can I be the most rebelliously unattractive?,” Aniston, who has been named by People magazine as ‘World’s Most Beautiful Woman’ of 2016, said.

The 47-year-old actress said understanding fashion was a slow process as even in her 20s.

“Oh, that was more the ’90s mom jean look. Big blousy blouses with a big chunky belt. And remember the Western cowboy shoe? I thought I was coo-ool,” she said

The actress also credits her glam squad for teaching her “everything that I know! Whatever was happening before was just unfortunate. I know how to contour, I know how to blow out my hair. When I was in my 20s, my face was almost a complete circle. So I really needed contouring. And now I’m slowly chiseling away, wishing I had that round face back.”

Over the years, the superfit star has transformed her style but she still keeps her makeup regimen simple.

“Usually some moisturizer, a little concealer under the eyes if needed. Shadow, mascara, cheeks and lips,” she said.

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NASA’s renewed emphasis on X-planes is called “New Aviation Horizons”. (AP)

NASA scientists are preparing to put in the sky an array of new X-planes or experimental aircraft – including a quiet supersonic jet – to demonstrate advanced technologies that will push back the frontiers of aviation.

Goals include showcasing how airliners can burn half the fuel and generate 75 per cent less pollution during each flight as compared to now, while also being much quieter than today’s jets – perhaps even when flying supersonic.

NASA’s renewed emphasis on X-planes is called “New Aviation Horizons”.

The plan is to design, build and fly the series of X-planes during the next 10 years as a means to accelerate the adoption of advanced green aviation technologies by industry.

“If we can build some of these X-planes and demonstrate some of these technologies, we expect that will make it much easier and faster for US industry to pick them up and roll them out into the marketplace,” said Ed Waggoner, NASA’s Integrated Aviation Systems Programme director.

Design work already has begun on QueSST, short for Quiet Supersonic Technology.

A preliminary design contract was awarded in February to a team led by US-based aerospace company Lockheed Martin. If schedule and funding holds, this new supersonic X-plane could fly in the 2020 timeframe, NASA said.

QueSST aims to fix something the X-1 first introduced to the flying world nearly 70 years ago – the loud sonic boom.

Recent research has shown it is possible for a supersonic airplane to be shaped in such a way that the shock waves it forms when flying faster than the speed of sound generate a sonic boom so quiet it hardly will be noticed by the public.

The resulting sonic “boom” has variously been described as like distant thunder, the sound of your neighbour forcefully shutting his car door outside while you are inside, or as the thump of a “supersonic” heartbeat.

“We know the concept is going to work, but now the best way to continue our research is to demonstrate the capability to the public with an X-plane,” said Peter Coen, NASA’s supersonic project manager.

“Providing that data will be a key step in bringing accessible and affordable supersonic flight to the travelling public,” Coen said.

Meanwhile, other experimental aircraft also are under consideration, including those with novel shapes that break the mold of the traditional tube and wing airplane, and others that are propelled by hybrid electric power.

Exactly what these X-planes will look like, how they will be operated and where they will be flown all have yet to be precisely defined.

Despite these future test aircraft being referred to as X-planes, it is possible only some of them will actually get an official X-plane number designation – or perhaps none of them will.

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Marriage has long been thought to be beneficial, but a new study suggests that widows suffer less stress and frailty than women whose husbands are still alive.

The findings are in contrast to previous research which showed marriage has a protective effect on health, lowering the risk of a heart attack, depression and increasing the chance of surviving from cancer.

The new study by the University of Padova in Italy found that while men suffer negative consequences when their wife dies – because they rely more heavily on their spouse – women appear to get healthier.

Lead researcher Caterina Trevisan said the presence of a wife may bring benefits for men in terms of household management and health-care, whereas women are “more likely to feel stressed and find their role restrictive and frustrating.”

“Since women generally have a longer lifespan than men, married women may also suffer from the effects of caregiver burden, since they often devote themselves to caring for their husband in later life,” Trevisan said.

The study also found single women experienced less anxiety than bachelors, greater job satisfaction and higher activity levels at work, and a lower risk of social isolation as they maintained stronger relationships with family or friends, ‘The Telegraph’ reported.

“Widows cope better than widowers with the stress deriving from the loss of a partner and widowhood, with a significant increase in the risk of depression only in the latter,” said Trevisan.

Widows were about 23 per cent less likely to be frail than married women, according to the researchers.

The study followed 733 Italian men and 1,154 women for four-and-a-half years and found the prediction held true.

Bachelors were almost four times and widowers one-and-a half times more likely to be frail than their married peers.

“Our results partially contrast with previous reports of a weaker, but still protective effect of marriage on mortality, health status, and depression in women, as in men,” said Trevisan.

The study was published in the Journal of Women’s Health.

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More evidence is needed to support low-dose aspirin as an effective additional treatment of cancer, researchers said. (Reuters)

Taking a low-dose of aspirin may increase the chances of survival of cancer treatment patients by up to 20 per cent and help stop the disease from spreading, a new study suggests.

“There is a growing body of evidence that taking aspirin is of significant benefit in reducing some cancers,” said Peter Elwood from Cardiff University in the UK.

“Whilst we know a low-dose of aspirin has been shown to reduce the incidence of cancer, its role in the treatment of cancer remains uncertain. As a result, we set out to conduct a systematic search of all the scientific literature,” Elwood said.

“Our review, based on the available evidence, suggests that low-dose aspirin taken by patients with bowel, breast or prostate cancer, in addition to other treatments, is associated with a reduction in deaths of about 15-20 per cent, together with a reduction in the spread of the cancer,” he added.

For the study, researchers looked at all of the available data including five randomised trials and forty two observational studies of colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.

They found a significant reduction in mortality and cancer spread by patients who took a low-level dose of aspirin in addition to their cancer treatment.

“A mutation – known as PIK3CA – was present in about 20 per cent of patients, and appeared to explain much of the reduction in colon cancer mortality by aspirin,” said Elwood.

However, more evidence is needed to support low-dose aspirin as an effective additional treatment of cancer, researchers said.

The study identified five healthy behaviours as being integral to having the best chance of leading a disease-free lifestyle – regular exercise, non-smoking, a healthy bodyweight, a healthy diet and a low alcohol intake.

The findings were published in the journal PLOS ONE.

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Rocket scientists at VSSC use titanium alloys for making rocket engines and satellite components as a consequence they have total mastery on the metallurgy and manufacturing of the material. (Reuters). (Image for Representation only)

Rocket science may not be able to fix broken hearts, but very soon technology mastered at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) may be able to help patients who are in need for a heart transplant.

Materials and mechanisms used on Indian rockets have been tweaked by ISRO to make a device which some describe as a step towards the making of an ‘artificial heart’.

The heart assist device has been tested on animals and found to be successful.

Better known for orbiting satellites and flying giant rockets, the multi-talented team at ISRO made this heart pump as a spinoff technology development in the spare time. Cardiologists are very excited with this development as it offers a lease of life to terminally-ill patients since heart transplant still remains out of reach for most.

Using materials and knowhow perfected to make lightweight rockets and satellites, scientists at ISRO have perfected a device that assists the human heart to pump blood especially in cases where the left ventricle, the most powerful part of a human heart, starts to fail.

Called the ‘left ventricular assist device’ this small electrical device can pump 3-5 litres of blood every minute. Kiran Kumar, the chairman of ISRO said this rocket technology offered an alternate system to pump blood in very ill patients and can definitely save human lives.

The special pump made by the Indian space agency can also be powered using an indigenously made highly energy dense battery, the Lithium Ion cell, that has also for the first time been made in India again by another team of rocket scientists.

The pump, which weighs about 100 grams can be fitted inside the body or placed externally and it needs a hook up to a battery to power it.

Made from a special alloy of titanium the device is ‘bio-compatible’ says K Sivan, Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), in Thiruvananthapuram where the special heart pump has been mastered.

Rocket scientists at VSSC use titanium alloys for making rocket engines and satellite components as a consequence they have total mastery on the metallurgy and manufacturing of the material. The same material that is flown on rocket engines has been remodeled to make the compact but high tech pump.

Sivan says “we have seen that the device is meeting all the bio-mechanical requirements, and the pumping requirement. This particular device was tested on six animals. It was tested for 6 hours, and after that, the other organs of the animal were checked. They were intact. This is a very great achievement. It’s a successful device. Definitely it is a major step towards the ultimate development of an artificial heart by ISRO.”

The device pumps blood using a common technology called a centrifugal pump. The electronics and the magnets used in the tiny pump have been fabricated by the same engineers who make lightweight systems used on Indian satellites. The pump had to designed in such a fashion that even with continuous operation it should not heat up and should obviously be fail proof.

The device which is akin to an artificial heart has been tested on half a dozen pigs. Cardiologists at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTMST) in Thiruvananthapuram surgically operated healthy pigs and replaced the functioning of the left ventricle of the pig with this special pump developed by ISRO.

The pig survived a full 6 hours, which was the full design of the experiment. No damage was reported to the blood as it was pumped by the device after it had bypassed the biological heart, even the other organs of the pig suffered no damage for the full duration of the experiment.

Scientists at SCTMST say “this remains a work in progress” and further experimentation will be done on animals before the device can be tried on humans. Wealthy Indian patients needing a heart transplant but unable to get the matching donors already import these devices and some of these left ventricular assist devices have already been installed on patients at some private hospitals and even at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.

Importing a heart pump device and then implanting it costs over a crore of rupees says cardiologists familiar with the technology, in contrast, scientists at VSSC say the device developed by them cost just Rs 1.25 lakh.

The rocket scientists say the cost differential is so large simply because the expertise and the materials already existed at VSSC and all they had to do was to assemble the right team of specialists that included metallurgists, electronics engineers, specialists on flow mechanics and designers who worked alongside cardiologists to come up with a suitable design.

It took a team of about two dozen specialists about six years and after many permutation and combination, they came up with the right design.

“It is a complicated device to make and this is an exciting development,” says Balram Bhargava, Professor of Cardiology, and Executive Director, Stanford India Biodesign Centre, School of International Biodesign, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi who confirms that no one in India has till date to the best of his knowledge designed indigenously a left ventricular assist device, adding that it is an important bridge for patients awaiting a heart transplant.

Bhargava cautions that the device is to be used only in very specific medical circumstances.

Interestingly VSSC has also very recently developed high value Lithium Ion battery which could now be used to power the heart pump.

India has all along been importing these Lithium ion cells but recently Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari mandated ISRO to master this technology so that it can be used to power zero pollution electric vehicles.

Sivan says VSSC will try to miniaturise these Lithium Ion cells which can hopefully power the left ventricular assist device.

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Researchers found that blocking the signalling molecule Interleukin 1 (IL-1) can reduce symptoms such as mucus production, swelling (edema), and constriction of the airways in the lungs. (Thinkstock)

Scientists, including one of Indian-origin, have found that blocking a certain signalling molecule may alleviate the symptoms of asthma, a discovery that could lead to improved treatment for sufferers.

Researchers found that blocking the signalling molecule Interleukin 1 (IL-1) can reduce symptoms such as mucus production, swelling (edema), and constriction of the airways in the lungs.

The allergic immune response, which triggers the symptoms of asthma, is a complex process, which starts with the over-activation of a certain white blood cell, the allergen-specific helper T cells type 2.

“We found that by adding a signalling molecule, Interleukin 1 (IL-1) using an experimental model of allergic asthma, the symptoms would worsen dramatically,” said Stephan Caucheteux, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine in the UK.

“Therefore by blocking production of IL-1, we could alleviate the symptoms, such as mucus, swelling and constriction,” said Caucheteux, who led the research team, that also included Nisan Bhattacharyya and colleagues from the National Institutes of Health in the US.

“The finding that IL-1 is involved in regulating the balance between inflammatory and anti-inflammatory Th2 cells has not only significantly enhanced our basic knowledge on T cell biology, but also provided a potentially effective and novel strategy to treat asthma,” said Dr Jeff Zhu, from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

The study was published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

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THERE COMES a time when we, as a people, must acknowledge that no matter how smart we think we are, we are only as smart as the government we elect. Judging by the way things stand not just in India, but around the world, it is safe to assume that we, as a species, didn’t really evolve. Think about it, Donald Trump could be the next US President, China abducts anybody they think is guilty of speaking against the state and India has already managed to creep into our kitchens and bedrooms, trying to monitor what we eat or who we sleep with.

Privacy is a novel idea, one that intelligent minds collectively and covertly lust for, and yet, one that gets brutally gangraped by the Cabinet no matter who is in charge. Most recently, alcohol bans have been a topic of much discussion. Actually, there hasn’t been much discussion, just a lot of knee-jerk rampant action that threatens to jeopardise sanity and sensibility. If it wasn’t bad enough that Kerala has decided to roll out a step-wise ban on alcohol in the state, Bihar followed in its footsteps by first banning local hooch (an excellent move, really) and then imposing a blanket ban on alcohol. Now, there are many facets to this unbelievably senseless behaviour. The first is that banning alcohol to cure alcoholism and related woes is like banning driving because someone once had an accident.

If the huge amount in revenue that the states earn through excise is not a concern—only God knows how they plan to make up for the deficit—the bigger issue still remains that even if banned alcohol won’t stop being sold. On a recent TV talk show, panelists kept mentioning illicit liquor each time someone mentioned bootlegging. Did the educated fools not once think of liquor from nearby states making it over the border? Unless the ban is countrywide and simultaneous, alcohol will always be available. Don’t believe me? Just ask anybody who lives in Gujarat and he/she will tell you just how ‘wet’ the dry state really is. And bootlegging is dangerous. Imagine all that tax money—instead of going to the government—going to the mafia. Sure, petty crimes fall, but organised crime grows. Citing fewer cases of domestic violence might sound like a positive upside to banning alcohol (don’t get me wrong, it is), but its goodness is diminished by the larger evil that gets bred in its murky shadows. American gangster Al Capone rose in popularity (and prosperity) because he was able to produce and supply a very precious and in-demand commodity when the government refused.

Alcohol manufacturing—besides prostitution—is an industry that has survived for more than 500 years of human history. For one petty bunch of politicians to think that they can ban it and thereby change things for the better is extremely myopic. The argument that 90% of domestic violence is related to alcohol and hence it must be banned is wrong. Many more people drink and don’t go home to beat up their families. In fact, lack of formal education is a common factor among all these cases of domestic violence—and it isn’t just 90%, but a full-on whopping 100%. So they can argue vehemently and repeatedly, citing statistics and percentages about domestic violence, but nothing much will change till they realise that this ‘ostrich’ approach doesn’t work. You can’t stick your head in the sands of ignorance, while the real problems—accessibility of cheap booze, lack of education, proper rehab facilities—continue to exist.

I suggest using the excise money and putting it to good use. At least that way when we pay exorbitantly for a very average bottle of wine in some hotel, we will feel like we are doing our part to eradicate alcohol-related abuse in all its ugly forms. In the meantime, let us be. Stop trying to police things at the macro level and focus on bigger issues like your ignorance. Beef is gone and now alcohol is gone too. If this continues, very soon we will find––to borrow the words of the late actor Herbie Hancock—that ‘the thrill is gone’.

The writer is a sommelier

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will flight test RLV-TD, a new generation reusable launch vehicle that can re-enter the atmosphere, next month end, the agency Chairman A S Kiran Kumar said today. (Representative image – ISRO)

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will flight test RLV-TD, a new generation reusable launch vehicle that can re-enter the atmosphere, next month end, the agency Chairman A S Kiran Kumar said today.

“We will flight test in next month end Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstration Program (RLV-TD), which can re-enter the atmosphere,” Kumar said.

The vehicle is on its way to Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota after completing various tests, including the final acoustics test at the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), he said.

It has been configured to act as a flying test bed to evaluate various technologies, including hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air-breathing propulsion.

“The vehicle will be taken to a height of over 70 km and released for its re-entry into the atmosphere,” he said, delivering the annual Air Chief Marshal L M Khatre lecture, organised by HAL, Air Force Association and the Aeronautical Society of India, here.

The programme was approved in January 2012 and the launch was tentatively scheduled between July and August last year.

Talking about the second launch of LVM 3, Kumar said the space agency is working towards realisation of the vehicle.

“Realisation of this vehicle will help ISRO place heavier satellites into orbit,” he said.

LVM 3 is conceived and designed to make ISRO fully self reliant in launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT-4 class, which weigh 4,500 to 5,000 kg.

The vehicle will also enhance India’s capability to be a competitive player in the multi-million dollar commercial launch market. ISRO test lifted its heaviest rocket GSLV-Mark III (LVM 3 X) on December 18, 2014 and carried a crew module to test its re-entry characteristics.

The launch was intended to test the atmospheric characteristics and stability of the updated rocket on its way up and study the crew module on its re-entry into the atmosphere.

Kumar said that 34 satellites are in operation and many more were in the pipeline.

The space programme had witnessed as many as 132 missions so far and it had launched 57 satellites of 21 countries, he added.

Kumar said the Director General of Civil Aviation had mandated Indian and international carriers to fit space based navigation system GAGAN onboard their aircraft by 2020-21.

Gagan is a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) implemented jointly with Airport Authority of India (AAI).

The main objectives of Gagan are to provide satellite based Navigation services with accuracy and integrity required for civil aviation applications and to provide better Air Traffic Management over Indian Airspace.

The system will be inter-operable with other international SBAS systems and provide seamless navigation across regional boundaries.

The GAGAN Signal-In-Space (SIS) is available through GSAT-8 and GSAT-10.

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Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who is presently shooting for his much anticipated flick ‘Dangal,’ recently, met the real life hero of his film. While shooting for the film in Gurgaon, Haryana, the 51-year-old actor met wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat.

A picture of Khan and Phogat was posted on micro-blogging site Twitter by the actor’s fan club. Along with the picture, it was written, “@aamir_khan is currently in Gurgaon, Hariyana where he met Mahavir Phogat :)#Dangal.”

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, ‘ Dangal’ is based on the life of Indian wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trained his daughters to become professional wrestlers.

The film was previously shot in Ludhiana in the villages of Gujjarwal, Kila Raipur, Narangwal, Dango and Leel.

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A group of researchers has recently overcome one of the key challenges to quantum computing by simplifying a complex quantum logic operation. Researchers from Griffith University and the University of Queensland demonstrated this by experimentally realising a challenging circuit the quantum Fredkin gate for the first time.

Dr. Raj Patel said that the allure of quantum computers is the unparalleled processing power that they provide compared to current technology. Much like the everyday computer, the brains of a quantum computer consist of chains of logic gates, although quantum logic gates harness quantum phenomena.

The main stumbling block to actually creating a quantum computer has been in minimising the number of resources needed to efficiently implement processing circuits.

Dr. Patel added that similar to building a huge wall out lots of small bricks, large quantum circuits require very many logic gates to function. However, if larger bricks are used the same wall could be built with far fewer bricks.

Researchers in their experiment demonstrate how one can build larger quantum circuits in a more direct way without using small logic gates.

Usually the Fredkin gate requires implementing a circuit of five logic operations. The research team used the quantum entanglement of photons particles of light to implement the controlled-SWAP operation directly.

Professor Geoff Pryde said what is exciting about their scheme is that it is not limited to just controlling whether qubits are swapped, but can be applied to a variety of different operations opening up ways to control larger circuits efficiently.

The research is published in the journal Science Advances.

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Former One Direction singer Zayn Malik will not be joining Grammy Award-winning singer Justin Bieber on his Purpose world tour, but there are reports that he is on the cusp of announcing his own Britain tour.

Malik, who released his debut solo album “Mind of Mine” on Friday, will reportedly announce several dates around Britain where fans can watch him live, reports mirror.co.uk.

“Zayn is excited and he will be as hands-on with this as he was with his album,” a source told The Sun newspaper.

On Friday, Zayn came to the rescue of one of his fans by picking her up after she was pushed to the ground.

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One Direction singer Niall Horan sent his fans on the virtual world into a frenzy when he shared a selfie of himself riding the tube here.

The Irish singer shared a selfie on himself on his Snapchat account which saw him sat on a Northern line tube with other commuters seemingly unaware of his presence, reports dailymail.co.uk.

The 22-year-old wore a green jacket and a tweed flat cap in the picture, which read: “Tube”.

His fans couldn’t hide their reactions to the image as one tweeted: “Imagine seeing Niall Horan on the tube. Just. Take a second and really truly imagine it.”

Another quipped: “Lol at everyone on the tube that has no clue Niall Horan is a couple feet away from them.”

Horan has been keeping a relatively low profile since One Direction parted ways to enjoy an extended hiatus.

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Amitabh Bachchan will replicate the stylish and suave spy James Bond for a magazine cover, which will see the megastar surrounded by a “bevy of beauties”.

Bachchan, 73, said people of his age hardly get such opportunities.

“There is a photo shoot early morning for a magazine where they intend to replicate a certain Mr Bond… Surrounded by a bevy of beauties which I may add seems far too incongruous than any situation…

“But what the heck… Let’s face it… It is not too often that a 74-year-old shall get such opportunity… so INDULGE !!!,” he posted on his blog.

The “Piku” star, who is active on social media, was awake till 4am to write the blog for his fans, whom he addresses as “extended family (ef)”.

“Much to the disappointment of many Ef who, if I may say, have reached some conclusion that I have gone to sleep without putting out the Blog or the Twitter or the FB .. here I am .. alive and kicking at approximately 4 in the morning!.”

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A video, in which Ben Affleck could not hide his sadness when asked about the criticisms against “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”, has gone viral.     In the clip, which was originally sourced from an interview, co-star Henry Cavill, 32, sits next to 43-year-old Affleck, as they are asked about the critical “mixed response” to the film.

The video then cuts to a collection of extremely negative headlines pertaining to the movie.

“Batman v Superman will make you hate Batman, Superman and The Justice League,” proclaimed one of the first reviews.

After the barrage of headlines, it cuts to a picture of a movie rating site, which has certified the movie as ‘Rotten’ with a 30 per cent rating.

Cavill then starts to answer the question, but the camera actually begins zooming in on a dejected-looking Affleck.

The tear-jerking song “The Sound of Silence”, by Simon and Garfunkel, then starts playing in the background.

By the end of the zoom, Affleck still looks quite sad, and his only contribution to the discussion is a muted “I agree.”

Viewers of the clip, originally posted by Youtube user Sabconth, quickly took to Twitter to announce their love for the clip.

A meme simply known as Sad Affleck quickly also surfaced online which features a still from the video with a cartoon teardrop streaming down the “Argo” star’s right cheek.

While “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” has fared poorly with critics, it still managed to gross USD 27.7 million from Thursday night showings, according to Variety, and is on course for perhaps a $180 million weekend.

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HISTORICAL REFERENCES say Parsis arrived in India through Gujarat from Iran in the seventh century. Sadly, over the years, their population in the country has fallen to just 60,000, as per the latest Census data and reports. But these dwindling numbers have not hindered the community from celebrating its rich culture and heritage, as was evident at a gala celebration of Parsi culture in the capital.

It was a windy March evening, as greetings of ‘navroz mubarak’ (navroz is the Zoroastrian New Year) filled up the air at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi. Dressed in their traditional attire and sipping on Parsi falooda, a refereshing cold beverage served with ice cream, members of the Parsi community were celebrating the start of their new year, as part of Threads of Continuity: Zoroastrianism Life and Culture, an ongoing exhibition at the art institution.

Threads of Continuity is part of the Everlasting Flame International Programme, a broader event, showcasing the contribution of Zoroastrians and Parsis to culture, philosophy and art. The ongoing programme is being organised in New Delhi under the Hamari Dharohar scheme of the ministry of minority affairs in collaboration with the ministry of culture and Parzor Foundation, an initiative of Unesco created to preserve and promote the Parsi-Zoroastrian culture.

A walk through the Threads of Continuity exhibition reveals the geographical and cultural journeys of the Zoroastrian faith from its origins in central Asia to its current roots. A lot of focus has also been laid on depicting Parsi life in different parts of the country, especially in Gujarat and the Deccan region. “The collections are from various museums. We have got a very big loan from the National Museum in Tehran, Iran. For the first time, we have actually dug out objects from Parsi homes and people’s own private collections, which we have never been able to showcase earlier,” says Ashdeen Lilaowala, one of the curators of the exhibition along with Shernaz Cama, Dadi Pudumjee and Kritika Mudgal.

From rare artefacts to manuscripts, the exhibition also highlights some renowned Parsis in India down the years, such as Bhikaji Cama, who was a prominent figure in India’s independence movement, and nuclear physicist Homi Bhabha, among others.

Maja Daruwala, director, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, an international non-governmental organisation that supports human rights, believes society needs to know more about the Parsi community. “Such exhibitions will tell society more about a bunch of people who have not only taken, but given back to both ancient and modern India… Minorities shouldn’t be tolerated, but celebrated,” says Daruwala, who was present at the event.

Another notable Zoroastrian in attendance was Cyrus Poonawala. One of the most successful businessmen from the Parsi community, Poonawala advised young Parsis on making the right career choices. “The event is bound to spread the Zoroastrian philosophy, which is not known to many people. In fact, I was shocked to learn that even I didn’t know that our prophet Zoroaster was not born in Iran, but Afghanistan. So this will definitely educate the Parsi community and the youth, and also motivate them,” says Poonawala, chairman of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India, which manufactures immunobiological drugs and vaccines.

Apart from the Parsi community in India, people travelled from shores afar—Canada, Iran, Pakistan, etc—as well to be a part of this cultural spectacle. One such person was 24-year-old Anushae Parakh. Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, Parakh is now based in Bangkok. She is part of a wider Zoroastrian ‘Return to Roots’ programme of the Parzor Foundation in which youngsters go around India, especially Gujarat, and visit old, ancestral villages to reconnect with their community. “This exhibition is a first-of-its-kind event. It spreads awareness about Zoroastrians. A lot of people I speak to don’t know about Zoroastrianism or Parsis… Within the community, for the younger generation, it is really nice to see our rich heritage, culture and history,” says Parakh.

As is the case with most Parsi festivities, the proceedings at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts were accompanied by delectable Parsi food. There was lagan-nu-bhonu (the wedding feast) served in traditional fashion on banana leaves. Delicacies such as jardaloo sali chicken (chicken stewed with apricots and served with potato straws), patra ni macchi (steamed Indian salmon wrapped in banana leaves with green chutney), dhansak dal (lentils with vegetables) and patra nu paneer were part of the delicious menu. To top it off, there was lagan-nu custard and malai kulfi for those with a sweet tooth.

In Parsi cuisine, some ingredients like dhansak masala and Parsi sambhar masala are exclusive, but Kainaz Contractor, owner, Rustom’s Parsi Bhonu, a New Delhi-based Parsi restaurant, gave us a lowdown on some other flavours of Parsi cuisine and how food is the one common thread that runs through the entire community. “Parsi food is also an amalgamation of elements from Gujarat and Goa—the food always has a sweet and sour balance. There are Gujarati flavours since we first arrived there. From Goans, we adopted the use of vinegar and sugar,” she says.

But food wasn’t the only attraction at the do. Captivating the audience with a spell-binding performance was renowned contemporary dancer and choreographer Astad Deboo. Born in Navsari, Gujarat, Deboo has, in the past, performed at the Great Wall of China and Madhya Pradesh’s Khajuraho Dance Festival, but performing in front of his own community was altogether a different experience, he says. “It’s not very often that one gets an opportunity to perform at a community event—and that, too, my own community. So it was special,” says Deboo, who changed into the traditional Parsi attire of a dagli (white jacket) and pants after his performance. “We wear the dagli to weddings and other important events… This is our identity,” he says.

The Everlasting Flame International Programme, which is on till May 29 in the capital, is presenting two other exhibitions: The Everlasting Flame: Zoroastrianism in History and Imagination at the National Museum; and Painted Encounters: Parsi Traders and the Community at the National Gallery of Modern Art.

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CAROLINA PRADA’S traditional Mayurbhanj Chhau performance reminds one of the grace and beauty of temple sculptures, while its lyrical qualities are akin to a poem. Prada, who was born in Medellin, Colombia, is the only female soloist of this generation to research, choreograph and perform the traditional Mayurbhanj Chhau at the professional level. This Colombian is taking the ancient Indian dance form to the next level and to various places globally.

Armed with a deep knowledge of the ancient tradition and a keen desire to create and refine the art, Prada explores the classical potential of traditional Mayurbhanj Chhau by combining the hoary Tandava and Lasya, with martial vocabulary and abhinaya with the intention of broadening the method of expression and interpretation in this particular style.

She has performed in Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Spain as a soloist and group artiste. In India, Prada, who is earning an important place for herself in both Odissi and Mayurbhanj Chhau, has been applauded for her uniqueness at the renowned Khajuraho, Konark and Kala Ghoda festivals, among others.

At a recent show at the Cambridge School in New Friends Colony, New Delhi, Prada stressed on the need to promote the Indian classical arts and pass on the love for them to the next generation. “One can only dance if one has God in his or her heart,” Prada said. “As global citizens, our children will need the ability to interpret and enjoy diverse cultures.  Having these skills leads to empathy and flexibility, which are critical soft skills,” said Anu Behl Roy, principal, Cambridge School.

“I don’t want to be a foreigner who looks like she is doing Chhau. My dream is to have my body move as the young boys in Mayurbhanj. If at one point, boys dress up as girls to play female roles, why can’t girls also portray male roles? Female or male, the most important thing is to bring dignity and purity to the dance by showcasing its beauty and richness. I feel the responsibility to work along with my gurus towards the evolution of the priceless dance forms, which should not be left at the level of only folk dances,” Prada added.

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RECENTLY, THE online world was buzzing about a ‘women-only’ beer club. The ‘Smarty Pints Society’, as it is cheekily christened, has been launched in the capital by renowned beverage expert Karina Aggarwal and aims to provide a platform to women to get together and enjoy a pint of beer, while being educated about it. There were many poignant facets to that last statement, so allow me to dissect and illustrate.

The fact that the capital needs spaces where women feel safe can’t be over-stressed enough and that would explain the overwhelming response the launch announcement received. It was an occasion that allowed women to come together, an event, which wasn’t in any way related to a high-brow book club or an often-scoffed kitty party. It also passed around a good pint, and this was all too good to be true.

Then there was the part about beer. In my career, I have met more women who enjoy their brew than people with the ‘beer-is-for-men’ mindset—and, mind you, there is a lot of that scum festering out there. In a country where nationalism today is measured by what we eat, drink (or not) and chant, admitting to enjoying a drink is akin to sleeping with the enemy in public! And if we all had a brick for every time an ignorant bartender proudly proclaimed some flaky syrupy pink concoction as “one for the ladies”, we could all build our personal amphitheatres.

Beer (or whisky) is as much joy to women as to men. In fact, given how women are genetically more gifted when it comes to matters of taste—their palates are more sensitive and equipped—they perhaps relish it even more. What allows one to assume that they are only cut out for vodka and other tasteless flavourless onslaughts is beyond any intellectual rumination.

And finally, there was the point about a club, nay, a society, being formed to appreciate this beverage. Beer has always had it tough. Everyone loves it and craves it on a hot day and yet, when it comes to appreciation, we think beer deserves the ‘second-cousin’ treatment. It’s strange that something we feel so friendly and familiar with doesn’t manage to incite our interest to explore it more. On the other hand, wine, single malts, Cognacs, etc—stuff that intimidates more than half the people in all the bars in the world at any given point—we seem to put on a pedestal and revere. I guess mystery does translate to awe and acclaim.

So it is a rare privilege to be writing about a women-only beer club being launched in the capital. Aggarwal’s efforts are timely and well thought-out. I know her style and can vouch for her success at seamlessly blending knowledge with fun. If initial responses are anything to go by, this looks like a successful venture, not the kind one measures in profits and numbers, but the social success that our society desperately needs.

The only lament then is that I and a few million of my brethren might never make it to the club. But wait, Aggarwal says she plans to have ‘bring a boy’ evenings when members can tag one along. Now, the Smarty Pints Society sounds perfect.

The writer is a sommelier

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NASA is sending scientists around the world this year – from the edge of the Greenland ice sheet to the coral reefs of the South Pacific – to study how our planet is changing and what impact humans are having on it.

While Earth science field experiments are nothing new for NASA, the next six months will be a particularly active period with eight major new campaigns taking researchers around the world on a wide range of science investigations.

“Combining the long-term global view from space with detailed measurements from field experiments is a powerful way of deciphering what’s happening in our world,” said Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington.

“Scientists worldwide use NASA Earth science field data together with satellite data and computer models to tackle many of today’s environmental challenges and advance our knowledge of how the Earth works as a complex, integrated system,” Freilich said.

The first of the new projects, currently in the field, is an examination of the extent to which the oceans around Greenland are melting the edges of the ice sheet from below.

The Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) team is now conducting its first airborne survey of the ice edge around the entire coast of Greenland.

Air quality is the focus of the Korea US-Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign in South Korea, which begins in May.

This joint study between NASA and the Republic of Korea will advance our ability to monitor air pollution from space, with coordinated observations from aircraft, ground sites, ships and satellites.

Also in May, the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) takes to the sea and air for the second year to study how the world’s largest plankton bloom gives rise to small organic particles that influence clouds and climate.

Throughout much of this year, teams of scientists working on the Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) will be in the tundra and forests of Alaska and northwestern Canada studying the role of climate in wildfires, thawing permafrost, wildlife migration habits and insect outbreaks.

In June, the COral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) project team will begin testing airborne and in-water instruments in Hawaii to assess the condition of threatened coral-based ecosystems.

Three airborne research campaigns will take to the skies this summer, focusing on critical climate-related components of the atmosphere.

The Observations of Clouds above Aerosols and their Interactions (ORACLES) study will use airborne instruments to probe the impact on climate and rainfall of the interaction between clouds over the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and smoke from massive vegetation burning in southern Africa.

A better understanding of how the smoke particles alter stratocumulus clouds that play a key role in regional and global surface temperatures and precipitation will help improve current climate models.

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People infected with a common brain parasite transmitted through the feces of infected cats, undercooked meat or contaminated water may be at increased risk of getting involved in road rage, new research suggests.

In a study involving 358 adults, the researchers found that toxoplasmosis, a relatively harmless parasitic infection carried by an estimated 30 percent of all humans, is associated with intermittent explosive disorder and increased aggression.

“Our work suggests that latent infection with the toxoplasma gondii parasite may change brain chemistry in a fashion that increases the risk of aggressive behaviour,” said senior study author Emil Coccaro, professor at University of Chicago.

“However, we do not know if this relationship is causal, and not everyone that tests positive for toxoplasmosis will have aggression issues,” Coccaro added.

The findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.

Transmitted through the feces of infected cats, undercooked meat or contaminated water, toxoplasmosis is typically latent and harmless for healthy adults.

However, it is known to reside in brain tissue, and has been linked to several psychiatric diseases.

Examining 358 adults from the US, the researchers found that those with higher on scores on anger and aggression were more than twice as likely to test positive for toxoplasmosis exposure.

“Correlation is not causation, and this is definitely not a sign that people should get rid of their cats,” study co-author Royce Lee, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioural neuroscience at University of Chicago, pointed out.

“We don’t yet understand the mechanisms involved–it could be an increased inflammatory response, direct brain modulation by the parasite, or even reverse causation where aggressive individuals tend to have more cats or eat more undercooked meat,” Lee noted.

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We are often ignorant about loss of teeth but preserving oral health can benefit you in a longer run. According to researchers, loss of teeth is linked to increased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia in adults.

The findings showed that individuals with less than 20 teeth were at a 20 percent higher risk for developing cognitive decline and dementia than those with greater than or equal to 20 teeth.

The increase of cognitive impairment and its pathologic correlates, such as dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, is increasing in aging populations and creating a significant burden on health systems.

The study, published in the journal JDR Clinical & Translational Research, shows an association between tooth loss and reduced cognitive function in adults was conducted by the International and American Associations for Dental Research.

Better insight into the nature and extent of the association between oral health and cognitive function is of great importance since it could lead to preventive interventions for cognitive performance.

This information suggests that oral health strategies aimed to preserve teeth may be important in reducing risk of systemic disease.

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Actress Sunny Leone, who was at the set of superstar Shah Rukh Khan starrer “Raees”, says this was the first time at a film shoot where she “kept wanting to pinch herself” just to see if it was a dream or a mere reality.

Sunny, who was last seen on the silver screen in director Milap Zaveri’s adult comedy film “Mastizaade”, tweeted after filmmaker Ritesh Sidhwani, who is producing “Raees” shared that the former adult film star is a part of Rahul Dholakia’s upcoming film.

“So we have Laila Sunny Leone, Shah Rukh Khan and ‘baniya ka dimaag’ Rahul Dholakia in ‘Raees’… Are you wondering what’s next?” Ritesh tweeted, to which the “Jism 2” actress replied by saying she wanted to keep pinching if it was real or not.

“First time on a film set where I kept wanting to pinch myself to see if it was real or a dream. Amazing first day! Rahul Dholakia, Ritesh Sidhwani, Shah Rukh Khan,” she wrote.

“Raees” also stars actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Pakistani talent Mahira Khan.

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Singers Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys have replaced Pharrell Williams and Christina Aguilera as coaches for the next season of singing reality show “The Voice”.

TV broadcaster NBC confirmed the new panelists for the show’s 11th season in the fall on Friday evening, reports variety.com.

“The musical expertise and energy these two incredibly talented women will bring to the show is remarkable,” Paul Telegdy, NBC’s president of alternative and late-night programming, said.

“We’re thrilled that they’ll be joining Adam and Blake in what we know will be a magical 11th season,” Telegdy added.

Cyrus and Keys will join “The Voice” mainstays Adam Levine and Blake Shelton when the show revs up its winter cycle in September.

Williams and Aguilera may well be back for future editions of “The Voice” as the show has a history of bringing coaches back, with an alumni roster that includes Usher, Shakira, Gwen Stefani and CeeLo Green.

Cyrus is already set to appear on the current tenth season of “The Voice” as a mentor to all the contestant groups. Keys served as a mentor on the show’s seventh season in 2014.

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Aiming to slash the prevalence of violence-borne diarrhoea, the health ministry on Saturday launched the Rota Virus vaccine here, which will be available free of cost at public healthcare facilities, initially in four states.

Terming the occasion historic in the Indian health system, Health Minister J.P. Nadda said: “This is not a routine programme. This Rota virus launch sets the goal in the field of Indian health system. By launching this, we aim to immunise 27 million children across the country to prevent diseases caused by Rota virus.”

Rota is a highly contagious virus that infects majority of children before their first birthday. It is the most common cause of severe diarrhoea among children, leading to hospitalisation and death.

Nadda said that the government was aggressively working for the eradication of a slew of other diseases, including leprosy and TB.

“It is our duty to see that every child born in the country born is immunised against dreaded diseases,” he said.

The National Technical Advisory Group on vaccines had recommended the phased introduction of Rota virus vaccine in the country’s Universal Immunisation Programme.

In the first phase, Rota virus vaccine will be introduced in four States — Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. It will be provided at government health facilities to children from six weeks of age.

The vaccine was launched in Odisha as the state records high diarrhoea cases among children and deaths due to improper treatment.

“We are making appropriate investment, and this has been possible because we have an effective healthcare system with more and more facilities capable of providing the vaccine to the needy children,” said Health Ministry Additional Secretary C.K. Mishra.

Currently, 9.2 percent of Odisha’s total disease burdens consists of diarrhoea patients.

The infant mortality rate in Odisha is 51 per 1,000 live births, while the mortality rate of children under five years is 68 per 1,000 births, both far higher than in the other states where the Rota virus vaccine was launched in the first phase on Saturday.

The diarrhoea burden due to Rota virus in Andhra Pradesh stands at eight percent while the figure in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh is 8.5 percent and 5.5 percent respectively.

Globally there are 453,000 child deaths due to Rota virus every year. In India, Rota Virus diarrhoea causes about 78,000 deaths and about 8.7 lakh hospitalisations each year. Additionally, 32.7 lakh children under five years of age are treated as outpatients.

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Actress Ileana D’Cruz, who was last seen in the Saif Ali Khan starrer “Happy Ending”, says her career isn’t over yet, as she is “coming back” with her next film “Rustom”, which stars Akshay Kumar.

“Rustom” is helmed by Tinu Suresh Desai and also features Arjan Bajwa and Esha Gupta. The film is scheduled for a worldwide release on 12 August.

“‘Happy Ending’ is not the end of my career, so don’t worry. I am coming back. In August my film ‘Rustom’ is coming up with Akshay Kumar. So fingers crossed,” Ileana said at an event here.

“Rustom is an intense film. I am too excited,” the 27-year-old actress added.

At the event, the actress had donned casual attire. She expressed that she is not at all brand conscious and loves to wear comfortable clothes.

“I love being simple and minimalistic. More than an outfit, I like to accessorise myself with one big piece of jewellery. Quality of the outfit is my first preference. It doesn’t matter whether it is branded or not,” Ileana said.

Asked about the most stylish male actor in Bollywood in her opinion, Ileana took a long pause and said: “I like men with old fashion and I think Farhan Akhtar dresses very well.”

As far as as actresses are concerned, Ileana picked Sonam Kapoor.

“Sonam Kapoor is unbelievable when it comes to fashion. I can never do what she does. I can’t carry half of the thing she does,” she said.

Though the actress, who has been a regular showstopper for renowned designers, finds fashion runways “nerve-wracking.”

“I don’t feel excitement while walking on ramps. It’s a nerve-wracking experience for me. I keep praying not to fall down on runways,” Ileana said.

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Shahid Kapoor has amassed a following of four million followers on Instagram and the actor has thanked his fans and well wishers for showering all the love on him.

The actor, who ventured into Hindi cinema in 2003 with the film “Ishq Vishk”, took to Instagram to share a photograph thanking his fans for their support.

“4 million. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Shahid captioned the image.

Shahid is an avid user of social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. He keeps sharing details about his personal and professional life to stay connected with his fans.

The “Kaminey” star was last seen on the big screen in the 2015 film “Shaandaar” along with his actor father Pankaj Kapur, his half-sister Sanah Kapur and Alia Bhatt.

Shahid is currently prepping for his next film “Udta Punjab”, an upcoming neo-noir drama thriller film directed by Abhishek Chaubey, which also stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Alia Bhatt. The film tells the story of substance abuse in the Indian state of Punjab.

The “Haider” actor is also filming the period romance drama film “Rangoon”, which also stars actress Kangana Ranaut and is directed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

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NASA is sending scientists around the world this year – from the edge of the Greenland ice sheet to the coral reefs of the South Pacific – to delve into challenging questions about how our planet is changing and what impact humans are having on it.

While Earth science field experiments are nothing new for NASA, the next six months will be a particularly active period with eight major new campaigns taking researchers around the world on a wide range of science investigations, the US space agency said in a statement.

“Combining the long-term global view from space with detailed measurements from field experiments is a powerful way of deciphering what’s happening in our world,” said Michael Freilich, director of NASA’s Earth Science Division in Washington.

The first of the new projects, currently in the field, is an examination of the extent to which the oceans around Greenland are melting the edges of the ice sheet from below.

Air quality is the focus of the Korea US-Air Quality (KORUS-AQ) campaign in South Korea, which begins in May. This joint study between NASA and the Republic of Korea is aimed at advancing the ability to monitor air pollution from space, with coordinated observations from aircraft, ground sites, ships and satellites.

Also in May, the North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study (NAAMES) takes to the sea and air for the second year to study how the world’s largest plankton bloom gives rise to small organic particles that influence clouds and climate.

Throughout much of this year, teams of scientists working on the Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) will be in the tundra and forests of Alaska and northwestern Canada investigating the role of climate in wild fires, thawing permafrost, wildlife migration habits and insect outbreaks, NASA said.

In June, the Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) project team will begin testing airborne and in-water instruments in Hawaii to assess the condition of threatened coral-based ecosystems. CORAL’s next stop will be Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

Three airborne research campaigns will take to the skies this summer, focusing on critical climate-related components of the atmosphere. Flying tracks over the Pacific and Atlantic oceans thousands of miles long, the team of the Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) mission will gather measurements on more than 200 different chemical species from the ocean surface up to approximately seven miles in the atmosphere to understand how the movement and transformation of short-lived greenhouse gases, such as ozone and methane, contribute to climate change.

Focusing on the skies over the eastern half of the United States, the Atmospheric Carbon and Transport – America (ACT-America) research team will track the movement of atmospheric carbon to better understand the sources and sinks of greenhouse gases. Flights will originate from Louisiana, Nebraska and Virginia.

The Observations of Clouds above Aerosols and their Interactions (ORACLES) study will use airborne instruments to probe the impact on climate and rainfall of the interaction between clouds over the southeastern Atlantic Ocean and smoke from massive vegetation burning in southern Africa.

NASA believes that a better understanding of how the smoke particles alter stratocumulus clouds that play a key role in regional and global surface temperatures and precipitation will help improve current climate models.

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Actor-producer John Abraham, whose film “Rocky Handsome” released on Friday, says he would “love” to make a film again with actor Ayushmann Khurrana.

John worked with Ayushmann in the latter’s debut film “Vicky Donor”, which was produced by the “Force” star.

Ayushmann took to Twitter to laud the 43-year-old actor for his latest actioner, which has been directed by Nishikant Kamat.

“He fights like Rocky and looks so Handsome. John Abraham you’re so awesome in ‘Rocky Handsome’. Must watch,” the “Dum Laga Ke Haisha” actor tweeted.

John thanked the 31-year-old actor and shared that he would love to work with him once again.

“Thanks Ayushmann. Would love to make a film with you again soon,” he tweeted.

“Vicky Donor” which released in 2012, is a Indian comedy-drama film directed by Shoojit Sircar. It also stars Yami Gautam and Annu Kapoor in the lead roles. The story is loosely based on the Canadian French film “Starbuck”.

On the work front, Ayushmann is currently busy shooting for “Manmarziyaan”, with one-film-old actress Bhumi Pednekar. He also has another film in his kitty — “Meri Pyaari Bindu”, which also features Parineeti Chopra, who will be seen playing the character of an aspiring actress.

John is currently busy prepping for his next film “Force 2”, which also stars actress Sonakshi Sinha and actor Tahir Raj Bhasin and is directed by Vipul Amrutlal Shah.

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An international team of researchers has identified biological markers in the blood that can help doctors predict who is at high risk of developing active tuberculosis (TB). One-third of the world’s population is thought to be infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, but just a small fraction ever develops symptomatic illness.

If validated through additional clinical trials, a test based on these blood biomarkers that the researchers have now identified would allow doctors to target therapies to at-risk people, thus preventing them from getting sick.

The decade-long research effort was led by investigators from the South African Tuberculosis Vaccine Initiative at the University of Cape Town, and the Center for Infectious Disease Research, Seattle, US.

The findings were published in the journal The Lancet.

The biomarkers were identified in two stages. First, researchers collected blood samples for two years from more than 6,000 Mtb-infected but otherwise healthy adolescent volunteers in South Africa.

Analysis of the samples revealed patterns of gene expression that differed between volunteers who eventually developed TB and those who remained healthy.

This risk “signature,” confined to a set of 16 genes, could be detected in a blood sample as early as 18 months before the infected person developed active TB.

Next, the team confirmed the genetic risk signature’s predictive ability in a study of more than 4,500 volunteers in South Africa and The Gambia.

The second study group was more varied in age, health status, ethnicity and exposure to locally common strains of Mtb than volunteers in the first study.

Despite the differences, the same risk signature found in the first study was detected in the people who eventually developed active TB during the second trial.

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