Many second-hand toys could pose a risk to children's health as the plastic may not meet the most up to date international safety guidelines, a study has found. Scientists from the University of Plymouth in the UK analysed 200 used plastic toys which they found in homes, nurseries and charity shops. These included cars, trains, construction products, figures and puzzles, with all of them being of a size that could be chewed by young children. They discovered high concentrations of hazardous elements including antimony, barium, bromine, cadmium, chromium, lead and selenium - which are chronically toxic to children at low levels over an extended period of time - in many building blocks, figures and items of jewellery that were typically either yellow, red or black. Further tests showed that under simulated stomach conditions (involving extraction in dilute hydrochloric acid) several toys released quantities of bromine, cadmium or lead that exceeded limits set by the European Council's Toy Safety Directive, with the release of cadmium exceeding its limit value by an order of magnitude in some cases. For the study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, the researchers used x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry to analyse the presence of elements within individual toys. "Second hand toys are an attractive option to families because they can be inherited directly from friends or relatives or obtained cheaply and readily from charity stores, flea markets and the internet," said Andrew Turner, from the University of Plymouth.
Thinking that you may receive mosquito bites if you are sweeter may not be that far-fetched as a new study suggests that mosquitoes may abandon hosts who swat at them, according to a new study. The study, published in the journal Current Biology, shows that mosquitoes can rapidly learn and remember the smells of hosts and that dopamine is a key mediator of this process. Mosquitoes use this information and incorporate it with other stimuli to develop preferences for a particular vertebrate host species, and, within that population, certain individuals. However, the study also proved that even if an individual is deemed delicious-smelling, a mosquito’s preference can shift if that person’s smell is associated with an unpleasant sensation. According to the researchers, hosts who swat at mosquitoes or perform other defensive behaviour may be abandoned, no matter how sweet they are. “We now know that mosquitoes are able to learn odours emitted by their host and avoid those that were more defensive,” said co-author of the study, Chloe Lahondere, Research Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech in the US. For the study, researchers demonstrated that mosquitoes exhibit a trait known as aversive learning by training female aedes aegypti mosquitoes to associate odours (including human body odours) with unpleasant shocks and vibrations. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are vectors for zika fever, dengue fever, chikungunya and yellow fever viruses. Twenty four hours later, the same mosquitoes were assessed in a Y-maze olfactometer in which they had to fly upwind and choose between the once-preferred human body odour and a control odour. The mosquitoes avoided the human body odour, suggesting that they had been successfully trained, the researcher said. By taking a multidisciplinary approach and using cutting-edge techniques, including CRISPR gene editing and RNAi, the researchers were also able to identify that dopamine is a key mediator of aversive learning in mosquitoes.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat has taken the country by storm. Amid widespread protests around cinema halls by various fringe outfits in Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, Padmaavat had released in the theaters on January 25 and it has collected Rs 19 crore on its opening day. Mired in controversy for its alleged “misrepresentations” and “distortion of facts,” the opulent period drama was supposed to hit the theaters on December 1 last year. It was cleared with a U/A certificate by the CBFC but was later banned by some state governments including Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. The Supreme Court later paved the way for its release by staying the state ban. But the vandalism around the theaters and multiplexs has only intensified in the past few days. From a children’s school bus being pelted by Karni Sena hooligans to state bandhs, the furor around Padmaavat has refused to die down. So, will the period be able to attract audiences to the theaters? Trade analyst Taran Adarsh reports that the opening collection for Padmaavat stands at Rs 19 crore despite the widespread disturbance. Talking about the paid preview shows on Wednesday, Taran had earlier tweeted the first box office figures, “Despite challenges and extremely limited preview shows [which commenced in evening], #Padmaavat collects ₹ 5 cr in previews screenings on Wed.” Reportedly, 50-60 percent occupancy had been observed yesterday in cinema halls for Padmaavat shows. Film buffs had even expressed fear over coming to watch the period drama. On one hand, the screening of the film had altogether been refused in some pockets, on the other, some shows of the film were even going housefull in the metro cities. Speaking about the same, trade analyst Girish Johar had said earlier, “At the end of the day, viewers are only looking to be entertained and they would avoid getting into a ruckus, as much as possible. Therefore, the advance bookings of Padmaavat have also been affected in that regard. While in some cities, the bookings are as strong as ever, there are also some pockets where people have showed little or no interest in the advance booking of the tickets. Mostly, people have found it wise to take a back seat currently and give the troublesome situation a day or two and then take a decision about watching the film in cinema halls.”
We Have Done Everything, It’s Now Time For People To Decide - Shahid Kapoor said on Padmaavat Release
Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s designated seat for the Republic Day Parade in the sixth row has prompted an angry reaction from his party that accused the government of setting aside tradition and indulging in “cheap politics”. Rahul was seated near Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad. Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said the Modi government’s “cheap politics” was in display when it broke tradition and denied Rahul a front-row seat. Congress sources said the party presidents had always been seated in the front row at the Republic Day Parade. “The Modi government’s cheap politics is for all to see. The Congress president was deliberately made to sit in the sixth row, after initially assigning him a fourth-row seat, at the Republic Day celebrations by the arrogant rulers, who set aside all past traditions. For us the celebration of the Constitution is foremost,” Surjewala tweeted in Hindi. BJP national spokesman Anil Baluni countered the Congress in a statement. “The controversy raised by Congress about the seating arrangements for Rahul Gandhi during 2018 Republic Day function is baseless and condemnable,” he said. “BJP did not make an issue of the seating arrangements made for BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Rajnath Singh during UPA regime in 2013 and 2014. Both did not even get a place in the VIP enclosure and were made to sit with bureaucrats,” Baluni said. Congress leaders had on Thursday alleged that assigning a seat in the fourth row to the Congress chief was an attempt to “humiliate” him at a public event.
With early intervention in the pre-diabetes stage, or even after onset of the disease, emerging as a critical factor in checking the growing scourge, it is important for people to recognise the factors and signs that indicate the condition. Can a layman identify a person who is at risk by just looking at him? Being obese obviously puts one at risk but doctors say your neck could tell you a lot. According to Dr Anoop Misra, an expert on metabolic disorders, a double chin and heavy neck, a double layer of fat at the back of the neck and multiple skin tags over the neck are visual clues indicating a high risk for developing diabetes. "Such people should get their blood sugar, lipids and blood pressure checked," said Dr Misra, who has authored a book, DiabetesWith Delight. He added the neck circumference is independent from other known indicators such as obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and family history. According to Dr Misra, timely detection can help in halting the progression of pre-diabetes to diabetes. "Correct diet, physical activity, and sometimes drugs could help in reverting to a normal glucose status. Intensive diet and lifestyle modifications could reverse the blood sugar levels to normal," he said. Simply put, diabetes is a condition in which the body has trouble turning food into energy. All bodies break down digested food into a sugar called glucose, their main source of fuel. In a healthy person, the hormone, insulin, helps glucose enter the cells. But in a diabetic, the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the body does not use it properly. Cells starve while glucose builds up in the blood.
There are two predominant types of diabetes. In Type 1, the immune system destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. In Type 2, which accounts for an estimated 90% to 95% of all cases, either the body's cells are not sufficiently receptive to insulin or the pancreas makes too little of it, or both.
"Indians have a genetic predisposition to diabetes and nearly 75% of patients with Type 2 diabetes have a first-degree family history of diabetes," Dr Misra explained.
A study by UK scientists, published recently in The Lancet, has showed diabetes can be reversed with radical weight loss. Similar trials are taking place in India also to fight the disease that affects more than 65 million people in the country. Nearly 8% of the population above 18 years has the condition. This figure, the doctors say, is expected to rise to 100 million by year 2030, second only to China.
In September last year, the Union ministry of health and family had suggested tobacco be sold without fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). It said that children might get exposed to tobacco products when they go to buy chips or chocolates. After this order, Maharashtra became the first state to implement the directive after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of tobacco and FMCG under one roof in the state. “We assume people of Maharashtra are law-abiding and will comply with the orders once they come to know about it. Once there is awareness about it, we will then take action. There is a provision to cancel licences and registrations, we may also file a case in civil court which may then lead to imprisonment of up to six months plus fine,” FDA commissioner Pallavi Darade said. In the last seven years, there’s been a decline in the use of tobacco in the state, according to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey Maharashtra shared in December last year. However, the usage among the 15-17 age group has increased from 2.9% in 2010 to 5.5% in 2017 – a relative increase of 90%. Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi from Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, said that 90% of tobacco users started smoking in their teenage and only less than 5% of them were able to quit. This is why this move by the Centre will ensure that children don’t get influenced by tobacco products and get addicted to them.
Mumbai is a potpurri of cultures, a real melting pot. The City of Dreams has many faces and personalities, crammed into its crowded spaces. Chal Rang De, an NGO in Mumbai, aims to transform the city, one mural at a time. Their artwork is transforming spaces, and changing perceptions—for example, they recently took up the task of beautifying a police station, so the public feels less inhibited about approaching the cops. Their Instagram page is a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours. From bright pastel hues, to warm natural tones, Chal Rang De, is undoubtedly infusing colour into Mumbai’s soul.
These colourful murals are impossible to miss.
Changing perspectives is key!
Learning how to think, not what to think, is vital.
Growth and change, both matter.
Mumbai is a cultural potpourri.
Waking up to colour is truly beautiful.
A unique colour for each emotion
It is a familiar sight, outside most examination halls. Students spilling out of rooms, huddling together, and discussing the paper. It always turns out that there were some tough questions, some easy ones, the dreaded ones, and finally, the ones which were out of the prescribed syllabus. Now, instead of just cribbing among themselves, CBSE students can send feedback to the board. CBSE examinees of Class X and Class XII, now have access to an observation system, which allows them to send feedback, in case they have any issues with their question paper. They can send in their comments and feedback, within 24 hours of the exam. The CBSE Board has issued a circular regarding this, and here is where you can find the copy, which mentions the guidelines, and everything else, the student needs to keep in mind. The move has been welcomed by students. Snigdha Rani Patra, a student of Class XII, said, “Earlier, there was no direct way of informing the board about any problem or mistake with the question paper. Through this method, one can directly reach the board, and I am hopeful that they will look into the matter during the evaluation, so that and students do not have to suffer.” The circular also outlines other important guidelines, concerning teachers and evaluation work. As per the circular, if a teacher selected for evaluation work doesn’t attend the process, there is a possibility of the school being disqualified. It looks like the CBSE is taking all steps to ensure that the students have a smooth journey, during their board exams!
The Goa Police has stepped up security around theatres in the state for the release of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's controversial film "Padmaavat". Goa's Director General of Police Muktesh Chandar on Thursday said heavy security has been deployed outside theatres for the screening of the film. The movie has been facing protests by the Karni Sena and other fringe groups over allegations that historical facts were distorted in it. "We are keeping a watch and have deployed heavy police force around theatres and multiplexes which are screening the film 'Padmaavat," the DGP said. "No violation of law and order would be tolerated. There are adequate arrangements in place," he said. Chandar said there were no signs of any protests or demonstrations against the movie today so far but the police was leaving no stone unturned to maintain strict security. Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier said the film would not be banned in the state if it is cleared by the Censor Board. He had also said that any attempt to disrupt law and order in the state would not be tolerated.
The film, starring Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, is based on the saga of the 13th century battle between Maharaja Ratan Singh of Mewar and Sultan Alauddin Khilji.The Supreme Court had paved the way for its nationwide release after some states issued notifications banning the film.
Karan Johar’s campus drama Student Of The Year was not only one of the most loved films of 2012 but it also became the launchpad for talent powerhouses Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra in Bollywood. Fans are therefore bound to have high expectations from the second installment of this Dharma Productions franchise. Unveiling a new poster of the much-anticipated film on Wednesday evening, Karan Johar also revealed that the Tiger Shroff starrer would hit the theaters on November 23. He tweeted, “SOTY 2 will release worldwide on the 23rd of NOVEMBER 2018! The two new leading ladies will be announced next month! The franchise forges ahead under the baton of director @punitdmalhotra …@foxstarhindi @apoorvamehta18 @iTIGERSHROFF.” Talking about the poster, Tiger is doing full justice to the spoilt-brat avatar with his rugged denim and chiselled abs look. Ever since its announcement, SOTY 2 has been making headlines particularly with regard to its female leads. And making fans even more impatient, Karan has revealed that the two new leading ladies will be announced next month. Rumour mills were earlier abuzz that Karan was in talks with the Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar for the film, but recently he denied the reports to indianexpress.com. Earlier, there were also reports that Chunky Panday’s daughter Ananya and Disha Patani were finalised to star in the film alongside Tiger. However, the makers have refused to comment on the same. Unlike the previous Karan Johar directorial, Student Of The Year 2 will be helmed by Punit Malhotra, who has previously delivered box office duds like Gori Tere Pyaar Mein and I Hate Luv Storys. Will Student of The Year 2 become his claim to fame? Only time will tell.