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Green tea may help improve bone health

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sept 17 (ANI): Green tea may help improve bone health, researchers in Hong Kong have reported.

The boffins found that the tea contains a group of chemicals that can stimulate bone formation and help slow its breakdown.

The study has been published in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a bi-weekly publication.

In the study, Ping Chung Leung and colleagues noted that many scientific studies have linked tea to beneficial effects in preventing cancer, heart disease, and other conditions.

To reach the conclusion, scientists exposed a group of cultured bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) to three major green tea components – epigallocatechin (EGC), gallocatechin (GC), and gallocatechin gallate (GCG) – for several days. They found that one in particular, EGC, boosted the activity of a key enzyme that promotes bone growth by up to 79 percent. EGC also significantly boosted levels of bone mineralization in the cells, which strengthens bones.

The scientists also showed that high concentrations of ECG blocked the activity of a type of cell (osteoclast) that breaks down or weakens bones. The green tea components did not cause any toxic effects to the bone cells, they noted. (ANI)

How people lose muscles as they get older

September 12, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Sep 12 (ANI): Even the most well-built people tend to loose their muscles and develop thinner arms and legs as they get older, and researchers in Nottingham have now explained why this happens.

As age catches up, it becomes harder to keep our muscles healthy-they get smaller, which decreases strength and increases the likelihood of falls and fractures.

The researchers have already shown that when older people eat, they cannot make muscle as fast as the young, and now they have found that the suppression of muscle breakdown, which also happens during feeding, is blunted with age.

Led by Michael Rennie, the scientists and doctors at The University of Nottingham Schools of Graduate Entry Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, believe that a ‘double whammy’ affects people aged over 65.

But the team think that weight training may “rejuvenate” muscle blood flow, and help retain muscle for older people.

The study’s results may explain the ongoing loss of muscle in older people- when they eat they do not build enough muscle with the protein in food and also, the insulin (a hormone released during a meal) fails to shut down the muscle breakdown that rises between meals and overnight.

Normally, in young people, insulin acts to slow muscle breakdown.

These problems could be a result of a failure to deliver nutrients and hormones to muscle because of a poorer blood supply.

In the study, the researchers compared one group of people in their late 60s to a group of 25-year-olds, with equal numbers of men and women.

Professor Rennie said: “The results were clear. The younger people’s muscles were able to use insulin we gave to stop the muscle breakdown, which had increased during the night. The muscles in the older people could not.”

“In the course of our tests, we also noticed that the blood flow in the leg was greater in the younger people than the older ones. This set us thinking: maybe the rate of supply of nutrients and hormones is lower in the older people? This could explain the wasting we see,” he added.

Later, Beth Phillips, a PhD student working with Rennie, confirmed the blunting effect of age on leg blood flow after feeding, with and without exercise.

The team predicted that weight training would reduce this blunting.

“Indeed, she found that three sessions a week over 20 weeks ‘rejuvenated’ the leg blood flow responses of the older people. They became identical to those in the young,” said Rennie.

The study has been published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. (ANI)

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Marriage breakdown helped Hilary Swank find new love

September 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, September 9 (ANI): Actress Hilary Swank has accorded finding love again to the breakdown of her marriage.

The ‘Million Dollar Baby’ star, who announced her split with Chad Lowe in 2006, had turned to her agent John Campisi for comfort.

The Oscar-winner revealed their working relationship came to an end when they started dating.

“There was no spark. What’s interesting is, there was never anything. It wasn’t until we were well into the dissipation of our respective relationships,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling Britain’s Hello magazine.

“Going through something so difficult at the same time, we became very good friends. We became closer and closer.

“It was so unexpected. We both recognised that if we were going to take the relationship to the next step, we could no longer work together,” she added. (ANI)

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Britney went on tour to avoid $100m loss: Book

August 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug 30 (ANI): Britney Spears was forced to hit the road just months after a public breakdown because she faced financial ruin, says the author of a new book.

Best-selling author and journalist Steven Dennis claims in a new book, ‘Britney: Inside The Dream’, that she stood to lose as much as 100 million dollars if she failed to honor the tour commitments that she made prior to her meltdown.

Dennis spent six months writing and researching the book, reports the Daily Express.

Robert Baker, the studio director at the Millenium Dance Complex where Britney regularly trains, told him: “If Britney didn’t go on tour she could have been hit for 100 million dollars because she was contractually obliged for another album and another tour and there was a deadline.

“The whole contract was set up and a timetable was in place before Britney had her meltdown.

“Had she quit and walked away then the recouped advances, penalties and accrued interest would have been near the 100-million-dollar mark – for someone estimated to be worth just 60 million dollars to 65 million dollars.”

Since announcing her world tour, critics have voiced their concerns that Britney was taking part in a gruelling nine-month world tour at a time when she remained mentally vulnerable.

Legally, she has been under the control of her father since February because of her mental problems.

Dennis adds, however: “I think the chief reason behind her tour was to protect Britney – firstly, to return her to an identity and routine in which she felt safe and secondly to safeguard her financially.” (ANI)

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London council in dock for terming Pakistan origin pupil ‘Pakis’

August 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug. 26 (ANI): A London council has come under fire for describing Pakistani origin pupils who attend the borough’s school as ‘Pakis’.

Conservative-controlled Redbridge Council in east London, however, has defended the usage of term in an official document that provides a breakdown of the ethnic background of pupils as a “computer error”.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission said that the document had been passed to its legal enforcement team, The Guardian reports.
“The council must know that a generation of Asians in east London grew up in the 1970s with the threat of violence from ‘Paki-bashing’ and with its association with skinhead gang culture. It is almost impossible to believe that anyone would fail to understand how racially charged the word Paki is,” said Kevin Blowe, of anti-racist organisation Newham Monitoring Project.

Following the criticism, the council officials had to issue a revised statement condemning the use of the word.
“Redbridge council fully accepts the use of this abbreviated term is wholly unacceptable and inappropriate and would never condone the use of such language.

“Having looked at the spreadsheet, in addition to the unacceptable term ‘Paki’ the document also contains a variety of abbreviations and spelling mistakes and was circulated in error.

“When this was realised at an away day, those present were asked to hand in the document so they could be destroyed. The author of the spreadsheet apologised,” a council statement said.
Keith Vaz, who chairs the Commons home affairs select committee, said: “It is important that councils are careful to avoid the use of offensive terms in both internal and external communications. I welcome the action the council has taken.” (ANI)

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Natalie Imbruglia had ‘semi-nervous breakdown’ while working with Chris Martin

August 25, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Melbourne, Aug 25 (ANI): Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia has revealed that she had a ‘semi-nervous breakdown’ while working with ‘Coldplay’ frontman Chris Martin on her new album.

Imbruglia, 34, said that collaborating with Martin, 31, was difficult because of his directness.

“When I worked with Chris Martin he was very honest and brutal with me,” News.com.au quoted her as telling NME.

“He helped me with my tracklisting and we got rid of riff-raff. Sometimes we agreed, sometimes we disagreed.

“The hard bit is him saying which songs he doesn’t like, but it’s refreshing to have someone of that calibre with you.

“So yes – I had a semi-nervous breakdown,” she added.

Imbruglia’s new album ‘Come To Life’ is to be released on October 5. (ANI)

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‘Indestructible’ plastics decompose quickly to toxify world’s oceans

August 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, August 20 (ANI): A new study has determined that plastics, which are reputed to be virtually indestructible, decompose with surprising speed and release potentially toxic substances into the water.

This is the first study to look at what happens over the years to the billions of pounds of plastic waste floating in the world’s oceans.

Scientists always believed that plastics in the oceans were unsightly, but a hazard mainly to marine animals that eat or become ensnared in plastic objects.

“Plastics in daily use are generally assumed to be quite stable,” said study lead researcher Katsuhiko Saido.

“We found that plastic in the ocean actually decomposes as it is exposed to the rain and sun and other environmental conditions, giving rise to yet another source of global contamination that will continue into the future,” he said.

He said that polystyrene begins to decompose within one year, releasing components that are detectable in the parts-per-million range.

Those chemicals also decompose in the open water and inside marine life.

However, the volume of plastics in the ocean is increasing, so that decomposition products remain a potential problem.

According to Saido, a chemist with the College of Pharmacy, Nihon University, Chiba, Japan, his team found that when plastic decomposes, it releases potentially toxic bisphenol A (BPA) and PS oligomer into the water, causing additional pollution.

Plastics usually do not break down in an animal’s body after being eaten. However, the substances released from decomposing plastic are absorbed and could have adverse effects.

BPA and PS oligomer are sources of concern because they can disrupt the functioning of hormones in animals and can seriously affect reproductive systems.

Some studies suggest that low-level exposure to BPA released from certain plastic containers and the linings of cans may have adverse health effects.

Saido described a new method to simulate the breakdown of plastic products at low temperatures, such as those found in the oceans.

The process involves modeling plastic decomposition at room temperature, removing heat from the plastic and then using a liquid to extract the BPA and PS oligomer.

Typically, styrofoam is crushed into pieces in the ocean and finding these is no problem, he said.

But, when the study team was able to degrade the plastic, it discovered that three new compounds not found in nature formed, which are highly toxic. (ANI)

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London police stopped five under-10s a day in 2008, says Scotland Yard report

August 19, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, Aug.19 (ANI): Nearly 2,000 children aged under 10 were stopped by members of Britain’s largest police force last year, according to figures from Scotland Yard.

According to a report by The Independent, that means that at least five children aged ten or less were stopped for questioning.

Of the 1,954 stopped, 1,715 were boys and 239 girls.

Children under 10 are under the age of criminal responsibility in Britain.

The new statistics came to light after a mother, Sandra Shepherd, 40, complained that her nine-year-old son Jadan was stopped and searched by officers in Camberwell, south London, while out with his older brother and friends. A senior officer confirmed police are investigating a formal complaint about the incident.

Officers searched Jadan under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act (1994).

This allows police to search anyone they believe is carrying a weapon or anyone in the area of a violent attack.

A detailed breakdown of figures for 2008 revealed 115 under-10s were stopped and searched by officers using section 60 powers. Officers also used section 44 of the Terrorism act 2000 to stop 58 under-10s.

Jenny Jones, a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority, said police must tackle crime without alienating the public but questioned whether searching children as young as nine was an appropriate or effective use of police resources.

Lambeth Police Superintendent David Musker said: “I confirm this matter has been reported to the Directorate of Professional Standards and will be investigated.” (ANI)

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Smoking may lead to brain damage in multiple sclerosis patients

August 18, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Aug 18 (ANI): Cigarette smoking can cause brain damage in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a new study.

Scientists at the University at Buffalo have shown that MS patients who smoked for a little as six months during their lifetime had more destruction of brain tissue and more brain atrophy than the patients who never smoked.

“Cigarette smoking is one of the most compelling environmental risk factors linked to the development and worsening of MS,” said Dr Robert Zivadinov, UB professor of neurology, director of the Buffalo Neuroimaging Analysis Centre (BNAC) where the research was conducted and first author on the study.

“The biological basis of the potential link between smoking and MS has not yet been fully elucidated.

“In addition to nicotine, cigarette smoke contains hundreds of potentially toxic components, including tar, carbon monoxide and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

“In MS patients, smoking was associated with higher increased lesion burden and greater brain atrophy. Our results indicate that a wide range of quantitative brain MRI markers are affected by smoking in MS patients,” he added.

The study involved 368 patients from the Baird Multiple Sclerosis Center of the Jacobs Neurological Institute (JNI), where 128 had a history of smoking: 96 were active smokers who had smoked more than 10 cigarettes-per-day in the three months prior to the study start and 32 were former smokers who had smoked cumulatively for at least six months sometime in the past.

The remaining 240 participants were lifelong nonsmokers.

They found that that smokers with MS had a greater breakdown of the blood-brain barrier.

They had nearly 17 percent more brain lesions – patches of inflammation in the sheath surrounding the nerve fibres that impair their function – than nonsmokers with MS, and also had less brain volume.

Smoking also was associated with increased physical disability.

“The findings underscore the detrimental effect of smoking, providing a link between smoking and a more severe brain injury in MS patients,” said Dr Bianca Weinstock-Guttman, director of the Baird MS Center, UB associate professor of neurology and a principal co-author on the study.

The study appears in Neurology(r), the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. (ANI)

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Nanomaterials can serve as effective tools for cleanup of contaminated sites

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 9 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have determined that nanomaterials can serve as effective and economically viable tools for the cleanup of contaminated sites.

The research is detailed in new review article appearing in Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) co-authored by Dr. Todd Kuiken, a research associate for the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN).

It provides an overview of current practices; research findings; societal issues; potential environment, health, and safety implications; and possible future directions for nanoremediation.

According to Dr. Todd Kuiken, “Despite the potentially high performance and low cost of nanoremediation, more research is needed to understand and prevent any potential adverse environmental impacts, particularly studies on full-scale ecosystem-wide impacts. To date, little research has been done.”

Supplemental material published with the EHP review identifies 45 sites where nanomaterials have been used for soil and groundwater remediation, covering seven countries and 12 US states.

Most of the materials discussed are a form of nano-scale zero-valent iron that are injected into the ground in a slurry which provide a reducing environment that enables the breakdown of contaminants.

To coincide with the release of the EHP article, PEN has for the first time made publicly available an interactive, online map of global nanoremediation sites.

The map shows which nanomaterials have been used where and includes detailed information on the contaminants treated and the nature of the treatment.

It provides a unique source of information on the intentional release of nanomaterials into the environment to treat contaminated ground and water. (ANI)

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Antibodies in blood may help prevent Alzheimer’s

July 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 7 (ANI): Stanford University Medical Centre scientists have identified certain antibodies in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid of healthy people that may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

They say that the levels of the antibodies found in healthy people decline with age and, in Alzheimer’s patients, with increasing progression of the disease.

Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by the build-up of amyloid plaques in the brain.

These are large aggregations of a protein breakdown product, or peptide, called A-beta. Many experiments have shown that immunization with A-beta can reduce the formation of amyloid plaques.

It is believed that more than the plaques themselves (which are also found in the brains of people with no Alzheimer’s symptoms), it is smaller aggregations of a few A-beta molecules, called oligomers, which are most toxic to neurons.

During the study, the researchers found that the antibodies target many forms and aggregation-states of A-beta in both healthy and diseased subjects’ blood, with antibodies to oligomers showing the most immunoreactivity.

A follow-on experiment showed that the same antibodies, whether isolated from plasma of either Alzheimer’s patients or healthy controls, were able to protect freshly cultured mouse neurons in a dish from destruction by A-beta, which is typically highly toxic to these neurons.

Previous studies conducted on vervet monkeys showed that immunizing with A-beta substantially cleared their plaques.

In this new study, the Stanford team obtained blood samples extracted from those monkeys before and after immunization, and compared levels and diversity of relevant antibodies in pre- and post-inoculation samples

They observed several such antibodies in the pre-immunized samples, as well as significant post-immunization increases in levels of several different antibodies.

“Other studies have found antibodies against A-beta, but nobody has ever done a large-scale analysis using hundreds of different samples and almost a hundred different peptides to look for what’s already in people’s bodies,” said the paper’s first author, Markus Britschgi, PhD, an instructor working as a researcher in the laboratory of Tony Wyss-Coray, PhD.

The study appears in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. (ANI)

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Keanu Reeves likes to listen to his critics

July 3, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 03(ANI): Keanu Reeves has said that he always looks forward to critics’ verdict on his performance after his films release.

“I want to see what they (the critics) write, for sure. You know it’s going to be whatever it’s going to be and you have to take a review as it is,” Contactmusic quoted him as saying.

He added: “I mean, whatever they write is whatever they write, and I’m not going to be able to change it. The review is part of why you want to entertain. You want to know what your audience thinks about the film and the performance.

“I’m interested in what people think, even if it’s just one person.”

The actor will soon be seen in new film ‘The Private Lives of Pippa Lee’- about a middle-aged woman suffering a nervous breakdown – in which he plays the title character’s younger lover. (ANI)

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UK is Europe’s most violent crime capital: European Commission

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, July 2 (ANI): A European Commission research has revealed that the United Kingdom has one of the highest rates of violence in the world, making it the violent crime capital of Europe.

The commission’s research was based on combined crime statistics from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, which took into account about 5.4 million crimes recorded in 2007.

A breakdown of the statistics, revealed that violent crime in the UK had increased from 652,974 offences in 1998 to more than 1.15 million crimes in 2007, which meant there were over 2,000 crimes recorded per 100,000 population in the UK, the Telegraph reports.

The research also reveals that total number of violent offences recorded compared to population is much more than any other country in Europe, Australia, Canada, America and South Africa.

Concerned about the revelation, Chris Grayling, Shadow Home Secretary, said: “This is a real damning indictment of this government’s comprehensive failure over more than a decade to tackle the deep rooted social problems in our society, and the knock-on effect on crime and anti-social behaviour.

The UK recorded 927 murders in 2007, the rate was higher than most of the western European neighbours, including France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Meanwhile, the Home Office refused to accept the analysis and claimed that there has been a downtrend in overall violence over the past decade.

“These figures are misleading. Levels of police recorded crime statistics from different countries are simply not comparable since they are affected by many factors, for example the recording of violent crime in other countries may not include behaviour that we would categorise as violent crime,” said a Home Office spokesperson.

“Violent crime in England and Wales has fallen by almost a half since a peak in 1995 but we are not complacent and know there is still work to do,” he added. (ANI)

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Plants saved planet Earth from freezing over during last ice age

July 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, July 2 (ANI): In a new research, scientists have suggested that plants may have played a crucial role in putting a limit on the last ice age.

When glaciers advanced over much of the Earth’s surface during the last ice age, the planet did not freeze over entirely.

This has been a puzzle to climate scientists because leading models have indicated that over the past 24 million years geological conditions should have caused carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to plummet, possibly leading to runaway “icehouse” conditions.

Now, scientists report on the missing piece of the puzzle – plants.

“Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have been remarkably stable over the last 20 or 25 million years despite other changes in the environment,” said research co-author Ken Caldeira of the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology.

“We can look to land plants as the primary buffering agent that’s held CO2 in such a narrow range during this time,” he added.

The research team, led by Mark Pagani of Yale University, found that the critical role of plants in the chemical breakdown and weathering of rocks and soil gave them a strong influence on carbon dioxide levels.

It was a link that earlier studies had missed.

The rise of the Andes, Himalayas, Tibetan Plateau, and mountain ranges in western North America over the past 25 million years would have been expected to have cause faster weathering and erosion, and therefore a faster burial of carbon drawn from the atmosphere.

But the stability of carbon dioxide levels indicate that this didn’t happen.

This is where the plants come in.

“The rates of weathering reactions are largely controlled by plants. Their roots secrete acids that dissolve minerals, they hold soils, and they increase the amount of carbon dissolved in groundwater,” said Caldeira.

“But when levels of carbon dioxide get too low, the plants basically suffocate and the weathering slows down. That means less sediment is eroded from the uplands and less carbon can be buried. It’s a negative feedback on the system that has kept carbon dioxide levels from dropping too low,” he added.

Extremely low carbon dioxide levels would have reduced the atmosphere’s ability to retain heat, putting the planet into a deep freeze.

“So you could say that by limiting the drawdown of CO2 by chemical weathering and sedimentation, plants saved the planet from freezing over,” said Caldeira. (ANI)

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West Bengal Govt. to consider centre’s ban on CPI-ML: Yechuri

June 23, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, June 23 (ANI): The West Bengal Government will take a decision today on the question of banning the CPI (Maoist), following central government’s ban imposition on the group, CPI (M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury disclosed on Tuesday.

“The Government is privy to the information on the threat perceptions. So, on that basis they have taken action and this is applicable to the whole of India. And Bengal is part of India. This is something that is in the natural course of the law of the land. And that will have to be taken up. And I think the state cabinet is meeting today and they will take the necessary decision,” said Yechury.

Yechury told reporters that the Central government had enforced a ban on Maoists to clear an ambiguity over their status.

“The Government has imposed this ban because they wanted to clear an ambiguity – earlier in the list of banned organisations was the CPI-ML – People’s War Group and the MCC – now both of these have merged together to form the CPI (Maoist), said Yechury.

The senior CPM leader also said his party maintained the opinion that a solution to the Maoist problem had to be dual in its strategy.

“Firstly it has to be a political solution – because ultimately the most enduring solution will be a political one. But wherever there is a breakdown of law and order, and wherever the civic administration is paralysed by their (Maoist) activities, then it is the fundamental duty of any government to restore civic administration and normalcy,” said Yechury. (ANI)

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Here’s how Beyonce Knowles became the Richest Star under 30

June 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, Jun 20 (ANI): A breakdown on how American R and B singer Beyonce Knowles earned her millions, and was named the Richest Star under 30 in 2008, has been provided by Forbes magazine.

Knowles, 27, earned herself the name after she made 87 million dollars in just one year, and each and every penny earned has been justified, reports Hollyscoop.

The breakdown by Forbes is as follows:

Touring and Merchandise: 14 million dollars.

Album Sales: 21 million dollars.

Music Publishing: 8 million dollars.

Film: 5 million dollars.

Endorsements: 20 million dollars.

Tour Sponsors: 4 million dollars.

Fashion: 15 million dollars.

In 2008, the singer had dropped a double album, starred in two movies, performed at both the Oscars and the Presidential Inaugural Ball and embarked on a 110-date international tour.

She also worked on her clothing line, as well as her jewellery and eyeglass line, and even did many endorsements. (ANI)

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Eminem’s ‘Relapse’ breaks record in US

May 29, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 29 (ANI): Eminem’s new album Relapse has set a record in the US for the most first week sales in 2009.hady’s comeback album Relapse went straight to number one selling 608,000 copies, Nielsen SoundScan, the firm that tracks music sales, said.

The record pipped Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown, which topped the charts last week, to land the first spot.

21st Century Breakdown sold 215,000 copies in three days, reports The BBC.

Relapse is Eminem’s fifth straight number one album.

His last record in 2004, Encore, sold 711,000 in its first week – though that was only across four days. (ANI)

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18-year-old’s ex-flame blames Berlusconi for stealing his girlfriend

May 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

London, May 26 (ANI): The ex-boyfriend of Noemi Letizia, the 18-year-old aspiring model at the heart of Silvio Berlusconi’s divorce row, has blamed the Italian Prime Minister for the breakdown of his relationship.

Berlusconi’s ties with Letizia have already angered his wife Veronica Lario, 52.

The 72-year-old PM reportedly gave the teen a 5,300-pound gold and diamond necklace at her birthday party a month ago.

After reports of his appearance at the birthday party emerged, Lario announced that she was leaving him because he “spends too much time with minors” and because he is “not well”.

Now, Noemi’s former boyfriend, Gino Flaminio, has claimed that Berlusconi caused the pair to split, reports Sky News.

He alleged they had ended their relationship because she was spending too much time with the media tycoon-turned-politician.

In an interview with La Repubblica, Gino contradicted Berlusconi’s claims that he had always met Noemi through her parents.

He claimed Berlusconi called Noemi after TV friend Emilio Fede had unintentionally forgotten her photographic book of modelling shots at his house.

Gino claimed he had listened in to phones calls by the PM to Noemi.

He said Berlusconi “had a fatherly attitude when he was speaking to her and I didn’t like it”.

“I told her I didn’t like it. She is a sweet and innocent girl who can’t bear being apart from her teddy bear,” Gino went on.

The 22-year-old said he and Noemi broke up after the model told him she was going to Berlusconi’s villa on the island of Sardinia for New Year.

He said: “When she came back, she told me there were around 30 girls there.

“There was a lot of strange things going on – I called her friend Roberta who was with her but she kept telling me Noemi was busy and couldn’t talk.” (ANI)

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The breakdown of US’ 110 million dollar emergency aid for displaced people in Swat

May 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 20 (ANI): The United States has decided to send emergency aid of 110 million dollars to Pakistan for thousands of people rendered homeless by the ongoing military operation against the Taliban in the Swat Valley.

The US State Department has ordered the release of an immediate fund of 100 million dollars. The remaining 10 million dollars will be sent by the Pentagon, The Nation reports.

Announcing the release of the emergency aid, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said both US and Pakistan face a common threat.

She said it was very important for the United States to prevent Pakistan falling into the hands of insurgents, as the terror outfits threatening Pakistan are also a threat to America.

“The future of Pakistan is extremely important to the security of the US,” Clinton added.

Here is how the State department says its 100 million dollars is allocated:

20 million dollars from the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance to provide family relief kits, tents, radio sets, and generators for electricity and water.

26 million dollars for the immediate purchase of wheat, other food, and related items from local sources.

17 million dollars from Food for Progress for 50,000 tons of wheat arriving in May and June.

10 million dollars to respond to forthcoming emergency appeals by the United Nations.

15 million dollars for shipments of food items such as lentils, dried peas, and other basic foodstuffs.

12 million dollars for an emergency response centre for direct humanitarian needs.

The 10 million dollars which the Pentagon has sent will be used for water trucks, food materials and large tents with environmental units, such as air-conditioning, for hot weather. (ANI)

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Scientists use microbial cultures to convert organic wastes to eco-friendly plastics

May 20, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Washington, May 20 (ANI): In new research work, scientists have used technology derived from wastewater treatment systems to develop a process using open microbial cultures to convert organic wastes to eco-friendly plastics.

“Organic waste from agriculture, industries and households forms a very large resource that is currently discarded or at best transformed into biogas. From a sustainability point of view it is desired to convert these organic resources in chemicals,” said Mark van Loosdrecht of Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.

van Loosdrecht has been working on using bacteria to transform this waste into bioplastics known as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs).

PHAs are linear polyesters produced by bacterial fermentation of sugar or lipids (fats). They are produced by the bacteria to store carbon and energy.

More than 150 different monomers can be combined within this family to give materials with extremely different properties.

These plastics are biodegradable and are used in the production of bioplastics.

However, the high cost of PHA production compared to conventional plastics has limited their use in a wide range of applications.

Using technology derived from wastewater treatment systems, van Loosdrecht and his lab have developed a process using open microbial cultures to convert organic wastes to PHAs.

This new process is able to produce just as much PHA as existing processes at specific rates that are up to three times faster.

Kevin O’Connor at the University College in Dublin, Ireland, has also developed a new process using bacteria to produce PHAs from waste, only the waste is not organic.

O’Connor has found a way to transform traditional plastics into biodegradable plastics.

Using a process called pyrolysis, the waste plastics are heated in the absence of air, causing a breakdown of the molecular bonds.

What’s left is an oil that is then fed to natural soil bacteria that use it to produce PHA.

In another research, Richard Gross from the Polytechnic University in Brooklyn, New York, is using bacteria that produce a building block from vegetable oils that can be used to make a plastic that is very much like polyethylene.

However, unlike polyethylene, when it becomes waste, it can be converted by mild enzymatic methods to biodiesel fuel.

“We are now looking for a really efficient enzyme that can convert the plastic back to its building blocks. We have found microbes and enzymes that do break it down completely, but we still need to improve their efficiencies,” said Gross. (ANI)

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