Celina Jaitly - TICKLING THE FUNNY BONE

Celina Jaitly's comic act

       Celina Jaitly sees herself as some kind of comedy queen these days. And she doesn't mind being laughed at because she is getting paid to tickle the Janta's funny bone.

        After No Entry, where she was cast opposite Fardeen Khan. CJ says she got loads of praise for her comic act in Golmaal Returns too. Now, she has two new comedies -- Run Bhola Run and Thank You -- to look forward to. Sources say. "Celina is very excited about her next two releases as she simply loves doing comedy. Although she has done comedy before, she's confident that these two movies are very different and people will see her in different light." No laughing matter this.

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Jacqueline Fernandez - FRIENDLY VIBES

Moving on

       Talking about Ritesh Deshmukh, we can't help but point out that his newly-found friend Jacqueline Fernandez seems to have a lot of time for him. When Jacqueline was new to Mumbai, she used to hangout  with Vivek Oberoi. In fact, they were even spotted having many cups of coffee and conversations. Both looks like it's all a thing of the past, and both have found new friends. And now that Aladin and Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai have been released, we won't be surprised to see this new dosti in Bollywood losing its fizz.

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Saif Ali Khan - EXPERIMENTAL

SAIF LOVES RISKS

Saif Ali Khan, who has signed a romantic comedy with Kunal Kohli, is also said to be in talks with his favorite film-maker Vishal Bhardwaj for a realistic film.

         Saif knows that romantic comedies and racy thrillers will always work, but the actor likes to occasionally dabble with thought-provoking cinema, a genre that Vishal specialises in.

           Saif, who rocked in Vishal's Omkara, stealing the thunder from Ajay Devgn, Naseeruddin Shah, Vivek Oberoi and even girlfriend Kareena Kapoor, is keen to do one of those dark, brooding movies that will make people sit up and take notice. Now, whether Kareena teams up with Saif in the Vishal film is something one doesn't know. But Vishal's team of writers is said to have started work on the Saif project.

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Priyanka Chopra - ACTION

PC'S getting

adventurous

Priyanka Chopra has signed enough projects to last her until next year! Says she, "I'm listening to several scripts right now. The last film I signed was Don 2. I'll start shooting for it from October."

         In the flick, Priyanka, we hear, will perform many exotic stunts," she smiles, "But they are pretty cool. I was waiting for that one action flick as I like to try different things in each of my films. After Kaminey, I took on a light romantic film (Anjaana Anjaani). And now I'm doing a black comedy titled Saat Khoon Maaf." She isn't allowed to speak about her role in it, but she's willing to say this. "I'm playing only one character going through seven experiences. Changing my look for every phase would be gimmicky. I'm working with a brilliant team. I'm still trying to figure out the complexities of my character!"

        Quiz her about her Anjaana Anjaani co-star Ranbir, she says, "He is a film kid. And he knows a lot more about films than I do. He's a brilliant actor and fab co-star.Ranbir is amazing in the film; he kept me on my toes."

        About her recent support for hockey, Priyanka says, "I wanted to promote the national sport. I didn't have to go because India wasn't playing very well. But it was just to show support for the sport." Meanwhile, the latest is that Priyanka has ploans of singing professionally. "But not right away," she clarifies, "I don't want to do anything until I am fully ready."

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KHUSBHU: EVERYTHING GETS CLEARED, HOUSEFULL: SHRIYA Saran

VOLCANIC ASH CAUSES JITTERS IN

KOLLYWOOD!

...and several film shoots have come to a standstill

Millions of passengers across the world are stranded following the huge cloud of volcanic ash that has swept across European skies from Iceland, grounding thousands of flights.

             And, Kollywood seems to have been hit by the ash as well, Arya and Shriya Saran are currently stranded in London where they had gone for the shoot of a song for their film Chikku Bukku, directed by debutant Manikandan. Khusbhu, who is holidaying with her children in London, is hoping that airlines resume operations at the earliest. speaking from London, she says, "I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything gets cleared by the end of the week so that I can come back to my beloved Chennai, to be near my husband at a time when two of his films -- Vaada and Guru Sishiyan --are releasing." Prithviraj, along with the unit of his Malayalam film Pokkiri Raja, was planning to shoot a song in London as the movie's heroine Shriya was already there for Chikku Bukku. Says the production manager of the film, "We had planned to shoot a very romantic song with Prithvi and Shriya by the Thames. We chose London only because Shriya was already shooting there. Now, we have decided to drop the song, as the film is slotted for an April 30. release."

 Meanwhile, at least two big Tamil film's songs sequences are being planned in Europe. Says Nachiappan, Kollywood's leading travel planner, "I'm sure the volcanic ash problem will be sorted out and commercial air traffic will resume in a few days. The unit of Ilangian, which has been scripted by Kalignar Karunanidhi, is planning a song sequence that will be shoot in Holland, Switzerland and Italy at the end of the month. The artistes and crew members have already got their visas and there is suspense over when the volcanic ash will drift away." Like them, a top Kollywood hero -- who had planned his annual holiday in Londan -- too is keeping his fingers crossed.

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IPL CRICKET 2010 - Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Mumbai Indians

IPL CRICKET 2010

Knights Have A Ball Against Rag-Tag MI

Ganguly's Boys Finish Sixth After Easy Win

Kolkata: Mumbai Indians helped Kolkata Knight Riders hand their loyal fans and enthusiastic owner Shah Rukh Khan a perfect parting gift as the league phase of IPL-3 drew to a close on Monday night.

          Flying into the city Monday afternoon without five havy weight performers -- Sachin Tendulkar, Azheer Khan, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga and Kieron Pollard - the table toppers (10 wins) looked a rag-tag outfit in every department. Huffing and puffing their way to 133 for 8-easily their lowest score this season -- after stand-in  captain Dwayne Bravo had opted for first strike, the Mumbai Indians were just as toothless with the ball as the Knights coasted to 135 for a 9-wicket victory with 14 balls to spare.

          Their first-ever win over Mumbai Indians in six attempts was nothing more than a consolation for KKR, as they had already done irreparable damage to their semifinal aspirations by achieving a lowly net run-rate of -0.46 after 13 games. Pushing that figure past Royal Challengers Bangalore's NRR of +0.219 to snatch the fourth semis spot was beyond the realms of practicality.

        KKR did finish with 14 points -- their best tally in three editions - and an NRR of -0.34, but couldn't even topple Delhe Daredevils' NRR of +0.210 and had to sttle for sixth place.

        Sourav Ganguly and Brendon McCullum went about the moderate task calmly, scoring at seven an over without any trouble. The skipper swung left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza for six off the innings' third ball to announce that he was serious out Dilhara Fernando for special treatment as well, making room to hoist him on the offside for a four and a six.

        A leading edge ended his tournament, which went rather well for him on a personal front -- an aggregate of 493 runs and a clutch of stupendous catches, including one on Monday to dismiss Stuart Binny.

        But it wasn't enough to take his team into marquee territory and Dada will have to come back next year in an effort to engineer KKR's maiden semifinal appearance. McCullum came good in his fifth innings with an unbeaten 57, but it was too late.

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IPL CRICKET 2010 - How they stand Semi...

HOW THEY STAND SEMI FINAL

Mumbai Indians        14   10   4   20   +1.084

                                                                           

Deccan Chargers       14   8   6   16   -0.297  

                                                                         

Chennai super Kings 14   7   7   14   +0.274

Royal Challengers     14   7   7   14   +0.219

                                                                      

Delhi Daredevil         14   7   7   14   +0.066

                                                                          

Kolkata Knight         14   7   7   14   -0.341 

Riders  
Rajasthan Royals      14   6   8   12   -0.514

Kings XI Punjab       14   4   10   8   -0.478 

• Teams which are in Contention for Champions League Berth 

• Updated after Kolkata Knight riders Vs Mumbai Indians Match

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WOMEN, BLACKS MOST AFFECTED - Obesity epidemic

Obesity epidemic may cut life

spans of young adults: Study

Washington: Because Americans are getting heavier at an earlier age and failing to lose the extra pounds for longer, researchers now believe that chronic illness and life expectancy will be worse than previously estimated.

              The study authors report that one in five people born between 1966 and 1985 became obese when they were between 20 and 29 years ole, By contrast, those who were born from 1946 to 1955 didn't reach the level of obesity until they were in their 30s. Those who were born between 1936 and 1945 didn't get to that weight category until their 40s. according to a report.

         "Many people have heard that Americans are getting heavier.But it's very important to understand who the obesity epidemic is affecting," said study lead author Dr Joyce Lee, a pediatric endocrinologist at the a university of Michigan Mott Children's Hospital. "Our research indicated that higher numbers of young and middle-age American adults are becoming obese at younger and younger ages." The researchers found that blacks and women are especially hit by obesity.

 

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HEALTH ISSUE - Abnormal Heart

Abnormal heart rhythm linked to Alzheimer's

People with atrial fibrillation, a form of abnormal heart rhythm, are more likely than others to develop dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, a new study finds.

        The presence of atrial fibrillation also predicted higher death rates in dementia patients, especially among younger patients in the group studied, meaning under the age of 70.

       "This leaves us with the finding that atrial fibrillation, independent of everything else, is a risk factor (for dementia)," said Dr Gary Kennedy, director of geriatric psychiatry at Monterfiore Medical Center in New York Medical Center in New York City. "This is adding one more brick in the road toward understanding that cardiovascular disease is a major risk factor for dementia."

          "Alzheimer's disease, in particular, is one where we don't quite understand the risk factors and what causes it, so studies that try to investigate the causative effect will help us understand that and ultimately design therapies and approaches to prevent or minimise disease," added Dr Jared Bunch, lead author of a study.

           This study, however, was not specifically set up to establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship. The authors looked at 37,025 patients without atrial fibrillation or dementia, aged 60 to 90, over a five-year period. Individuals who developed atrial fibrillation had a higher risk of all types of dementia, even when other risk factors were taken into account. Alzheimer's disease is by far the most common form of dementia.

          More surprising was that those in the younger group -- under age 70--who had atrial fi9brillation had the highest risk of developing dementia, even though dementia is normally associated with aging. People in this group were also at a 38% higher risk of dying.

        Among the 764 patients who developed both conditions, diagnosis of atrial fibrillation usually happened first, followed by a diagnosis of dementia. Sometimes the diagnoses occurred simultaneously, the researchers noted.

        The authors hypothesised that both atrial fibrillation and dementia may arise from the same risk factors, such as hypertension. Another possibility is that atrial fibrillation increases inflammation, and dementia has been shown to be higher  in people with signs of systemic inflammation. Investigating whether treatment of hypertension and/or inflammation in AF patients might help curb the risk of dementia is an area of future study, the researchers added.

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HEALTH MATTERS: Obese women face higher risks for blood pressure disorders

Weight-reduction

surgery may ease

risks of childbirth

Undergoing weight-loss surgery before having a baby greatly lowers the risk that obese women will develop major health problems during pregnancy, a new study reports.
         Obese women, particularly those who are extremely so, face higher risks for blood pressure disorders such as preeclampsia during pregnancy. These types of disorders, also called hypertensive disorders, can cause complications and may result in infant death. Tehy occur in about 7 percent of pregnancies in the United States.
        In the study, Wendy L Bennet and her colleagues at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Balti more analyzed the medical records of 585 obese females, 16 to 45 years ole, who underwent weight-loss surgery either before delivering a child (269 women) or after delivery (316 women) between 2002 and 2006.
        "Women who delivered after surgery had a 75 percent lower odds of a diagnosis of a hypertensive disorder in pregnancy than women who had a delivery before surgery ," the study authors wrote in their report, published online in BMJ.
Respiratory
infections killing kids

        As many as 2,00,000 children under age 5 die worldwide  each year because of acute lower-respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a new study finds. The researchers called for new study finds. The researchers called for new prevention and treatment strategies to reduce this major cause of death in young children. the Scottish ream analysed available data and concluded that in 2005 there were 33.8 million new episodes of RSV-associated acute lower-respiratory tract infections  among children under age 5. At least 3.4 million of the cases among those children were severe and required hospital admission, and an estimated 66,000 to 1,9,000 of the children died.

          The findings held true even after the researchers took into account such factors as pre existing diabetes and mother's age at time of delivery.

         Weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, should be considered for obese women of childbearing age who may wish to start a family, the study authors noted in a news release from the journal.

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Health - CANCER WATCH

New stem cell therapy to

help women regrow breasts

Melbourne: A new stem cell therapy developed by scientists in Melbourne could help women regrow their breasts after cancer surgery.

         Doctors at the Bernard O'Brien Institute of Microsurgery are starting the trial for a new technique called Neopec. The method uses a woman's regenerative capacity to grow fat tissue in breasts. The world-first trial will involve five women who have ahd tissue removed during surgery to remove cancer, and the first results could be reported by the end of the year.

       Neopec involves implanting a breast-shaped biodegradable chamber into the chest before surgeons redirect blood vessels into the chamber with the patient's own fat cells. A gel is inserted to help the cells multiply over six months, and the chamber dissolves when the new breast is fully formed. According to lead researcher Wayne Morison, after successfully trialling the procedure on pigs, he was about 50 per cent sure it would work in humans.

        "If it works it will be great, but we can't be sure that it will yet." the Age quoted Professor Morrison as saying.

        The new chief executive of the operation, Dr Peter Mountford, said if the trial was successful, by 2013 he would offer the procedure to women in Australia, Europe and south-east Asia who had a partial mastectomy, defects of previous reconstructions or congenital deformities. and the cosmetic market would come next. "By 2015, Neopec will be able to provide full breast reconstruction and by 2020, in conjunction with a global partner, it will provide a natural alternative to women."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

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How Keep Hackers out of Medical Devices

Scientists work to keep hackers

out of implanted medical devices

Nathanael Paul likes the convenience of insulin pump that regulates his diabetes. It communicates with other gadgets wirelessly and adjusts his blood sugar levels automatically.
           But, a few years ago, the computer scientist started to worry about the security of this setup.What if someone hacked into that system and sent his blood sugar levels plummeting? Or skyrocketing? Those scenarios could be fatal.
         "If your computer fails, no one dies,"he said. "If your insulin pump fails, you have problems." As sci-fi as it sounds, Paul's fears are founded in reality. Researchers say it is possible for hackers to access and remotely control medical devices like insulin pumps, pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators, all of which emit wireless signals.
         In 2008, a coalition of researchers from the University of Washington, Harvard Medical School and the Univesity of Massachusetts at Amherst wrote that they remotely accessed a common cardiac defibrillator using easy-to-find radio and computer equipment. In a lab, the researchers used their wireless access to steal personal information from the device and to induce fatal heart rhythms by taking control of the system. in the two years since that finding, some computer scientists have been on a quest for security fixes for these potentially life saving devices. Paul, a research scientist with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, is among them.He's mocking up a design for a more secure insulin pump that cuts some of the wireless connections between parts of the system.
        Others are looking for security solutions for pacemakers and cardiac defibrillators, which are embedded inside a patient and can adjust his heart rhythms.

       

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Paralysis Cure - SEA SOLUTION

Lobsters may

hold key to 

paralysis cure

Sugar in Shells Treats Injuries

When the sugar, mixed with sterile
water is injected into bloodstream, it 
migrates to the spinal cord injury
and plugs holed in the coating of the 
nerve cells

London: Scientists have claimed that lobsters could hold the cure to paralysis and brain injury, after they discovered that a simple sugar found in crustacean shells has been able to repair damaged spinal chords.

          A team at the Centre for Paralysis Research in Indiana is now working on a possible treatment, based on the shells of the sea creatures.

        Richard Borgens, the centre's director, was quoted by the Sunday Express as saying, "This is the most exciting development for spinal cord and brain injury since World War I am very exceted.

         "Using chemicals to repair the damaged nervous system is a completely new way to treat people with these terrible injuries. It's amazing that one of these special chemicals would turn out to be a sugar."

          The sugar, mixed with sterile water, is injected into the bloodstream and then migrates to the spinal cord injury where it plugs holes in the coating of the nerve cells.

         Borgens said: "Science has moved in a rew direction. Previously we have been looking at drugs which would potentially reduce damage. Now we are looking at complete repair."

        Borgens and his team have a well-respected track record of developing therapies for treating nerve damage. They discovered another spinal repair therapy called polyethylene glycol currently undergoing human trials.

         This has also been shown to seal and repair damaged spinal cord nerve cells. However the breakdown products of this drug are potentially toxiec and are not broken down by the body.    

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IPL CRICKET 2010 - Chennai Super Kings Vs Kings XI Punjab

IPL CRICKET 2010

KING OF KINGS

Nothing is impossible for Mahi

Dharamsala: Even the rain gods stopped to witness the Dhoni show at the HPCA on Sunday evening. Just after the CSK skipper hit two successive sixes in the final over to take his team to the semifinals, it started to rain, as if to celebrate the super effort by the skipper.

         Everyone has seen the brute power of MS Dhoni's batting. It was once again on view at the beautiful venue in front of a full house. It sent the crowd, which was supposed to back KXIP, into raptures as the CSK skipper struck two mighty sixes to help his team overhaul a stiff target.

         When he came in  to bat, his team was in deep trouble, knowing well a defeat would send them crashing out, But the skipper has been in such situations many times, and instead of allowing the pressure to get the better of him, it brought the best out of him, "It was indeed an emotional moment for me... We shouldn't have left it till so late," a relieved Dhoni said after the heart-stopping win.

       On his own innings, he said, "It is a well-known fact that I rely more on power as I am not a technically refined batsman. So I used my strength on a small ground to clinch the issue."

        Even as KXIP bowlers were getting the thrashing of their lives, the supposed home crowd chanted "Dhoni, Dhoni" encouraging him to take his team across the line. For them, it was the Indian captain and not the CSK skipper who was fighting against all odds. Even Dalai Lama looked a happy man seeing such a scrip unfold in front of his eyes. In fact, the Nobel Peace Prize winner looked like another fan as he clapped hard to celebrate the masterly effort.

      Dhoni, too, seemed to soak in the moment -- the beautiful environs, the immense satisfaction of winning a "This is a beautiful venue with a fast outfield and a good wicket. Due to the altitude, the ball also flies far and wide in this small ground. So I told my boys we had a chance, even if the target was steep," Captain Cool said.

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