Its Reverse Brain drain

In a clear case of a reverse brain-drain, a growing tide of people from Britain is now heading to India to take advantage of a booming economy. As many as 32,000 Britons of Indian origin have already returned to India to be part of a resurgent economy, The Times reported here on Saturday. “In a reversal of the economic migration of their parents, the younger generation are deserting Britain for new opportunities on the booming subcontinent,” the newspaper said citing cases of a few who have gone back to Delhi, Pune, Mumbai and other places and doing well. According to a recent report by the Institute of Public Policy Research, 2.7 million British nationals left Britain to live abroad between 1966 and 2005. Around 32,000 are now living in India, with industries across the professional spectrum experiencing an influx of Britons hoping to make their fortune in their parents’ homeland. The report said the rapid development of India’s hi-tech economy has created particularly attractive opportunities for second and third-generation Anglo-Indians, who are using their knowledge of both cultures to seize the chance to develop their careers, earn comparatively high salaries and enjoy a luxurious standard of living that they could not dream of in Britain. So the question is it a good sign or we are dealing with bunch of people who are always looking for a green patch of their life. only time will tell???????

Health-Pop some pepper to boost your sex life

Looking to spice up your sex? Forget the romantic dinner, champagne and chocolates and eat spicey food! Instead of popping the cork on a bottle of bubbly, pop a pepper!As with many aspects of health—including a healthy sex life—what you put in your body makes a big difference. What counts in sex is circuitry—as in nerves—and circulation—as in blood. And if you're overweight—loseit! .That's why researchers recommend food high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, salmon, wild salmon and chili peppers. "Omega-3 makes your nervous system function better,"says Barbara Bartlik, assistant professor of psychiatry and a sex therapist with the Human Sexuality Program at Weill Cornell Medical Centre. "Sex is really about circuitry." Multivitamins and minerals will help, too. Both improve neurological function, which contributes to good circulation. Improved circulation results in greater erectile response. To accomplish that, reach for food rich in L-Arginine, such as granola, oatmeal, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, dairy, green vegetables, root vegetables, garlic, ginseng, soybeans, chickpeas and seeds. Studies show that L-Arginine is helpful for improving sexual function in men. There haven't been studies done on women—but remember, erectile response is something both sexes share. "Women have erections too: in their clitoris and the tissue surrounding the vulva,"says Bartlik. John Mulhall, director of the Sexual Medicine Program at New York Presbyterian, agrees that what a man puts in his stomach is important, but the heart is the key that opens the door to sexual performance.

Health - Good marriages are the best stress-busters

A new study has found that all women need to lower their stress levels is a strong and happy marriage. A team of researchers led by James A. Coan, a University of Virginia neuroscientist has found that women under stress who hold their husbands' hands show signs of immediate relief, which can clearly be seen on their brain scans. Coan, an assistant professor in the U.Va. Neuroscience Graduate Program and the Department of Psychology, and his team conducted a study involving several couples who rated themselves as highly satisfied with their marriages. As a part of their study, the researchers designed a functional MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) study in which 16 married women were subjected to the threat of a very mild electric shock while they by turns held their husband's hand, the hand of a stranger (male) or no hand at all.They found that the MRI was able to show how these women's brains responded to this handholding while in a threatening situation. The researchers noted a large decrease in the brain response to threat as a function of spouse handholding, and a limited decrease in this response as a function of stranger handholding. Moreover, spouse handholding effects varied as a function of marital quality, with women in the very highest quality marriages benefiting from a very powerful decrease in threat-related brain activity, including a strong decrease in the emotional (affective) component of the brain's pain processing circuits. "This is the first study of the neurological reactions to human touch in a threatening situation, and the first study to measure how the brain facilitates the health-enhancing properties of close social relationships," said Dr. Coan. The study is published in the December 2006 issue of the journal Psychological Science.

Diet- Wholesome & fruity

All you people on a crash diet out there, take to fruits now. It is a great alternative to “juice fasting” and excellent for those who believe in fasting. Since a majority of fasts encourage eating fruit during fasting, an all-fruit diet ensures that your digestive system remains fully active.

Benefits: A fruit diet is lower in calories than juice fasting, resulting in a deeper detoxification. What you should eat: Melons and non-acid fruits should do the trick. Too much citrus fruit will increase detoxification, so be careful. Those who wish to change over to a fruit diet will experience occasional weakness. Fruits high in Vitamin C, as well as citric acid, act as powerful detoxifiers, but have citrus fruits in moderation. Lemons, grapefruits and oranges have the most beneficial and powerful effect on the detoxification process. Apples, pomegranates and pears are beneficial too. How to approach a fruit diet: All three meals should include fresh, ripe juicy fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, oranges, grapefruit, pineapple, peaches and melon. Bananas should be avoided. Plain water or unsweetened lemon water is fine. Fruits provide fruit sugars, calcium, iron, Vitamins A, B-complex and C. Eating fruits like apple, lemon, orange and pomegranate aid the proper functioning of the heart. Fruits like apple, date and mango have a direct action on the central nervous system. Fruits should be particularly eaten by patients of insomnia, those suffering from tension and high- and low-blood pressure. All berries, being extremely rich in iron, phosphorus and sodium, are highly beneficial for blood building and nerve strengthening. Lemon is a good source to tackle liver ailments and indigestion. Watermelons are kidney cleansers. Pineapple and pomegranates are helpful in chronic nasal and bronchial ailments. The common cold may be treated with grapefruit juice.

India : HIV cases are lower then the estimate

The number of people living with HIV in India could be lower than Government estimates, research published in a medical journal said, but the United Nations warned against drawing "hasty conclusions.”

Scientists who studied the prevalence of the virus that causes AIDS in a district in Andhra Pradesh, the state having the highest HIV rate in India, found that it has less than half the government's figure.Instead of 112,600 HIV cases in the district of Guntur, Lalit Dandona, of the Administrative Staff College of India, in Hyderabad estimates the number is about 45,900.

"The official method in India leads to a gross overestimation of the HIV burden in this district," Dandona said in a report published in the journal BMC Medicine."The potential major implications of these findings for the overall HIV estimate for India need to be examined," he said. The United Nations estimates India has the largest number of people living with HIV/AIDS at 5.7 million and its anti-AIDS agency warned against extrapolating conclusions about the spread of HIV in the country from the Guntur study.

India calculates the HIV caseload through surveillance in selected clinics and hospitals around the country.The sample size means the surveillance data from one particular district may not necessarily give an accurate picture of number of cases in the district itself. However, in aggregate UNAIDS believes the data from the whole country gives a fair estimate.

"Even if we could find there is an overestimation in Guntur, it is not acceptable to conclude this applies to the whole of India," UNAIDS India chief Denis Broun said. "One should not jump to conclusions too hastily," Broun said. Nevertheless Broun said that the Hyderabad staff college was highly respected by UNAIDS and other agencies.Andhra Pradesh has the highest incident of HIV-positive people in India with over two per cent of the population or nearly 1.5 million people living with the virus.

The researchers of the report, published in the BMC Medicine journal, tested blood samples from more than 12,000 men and women aged 15-49 from both urban and rural areas in Guntur who were representative for the study.The HIV prevalence rate they found was 1.72 per cent and rose to 1.79 per cent, or 45,900 cases, after they adjusted the number for high-risk groups.

Official figures based on data collected from antenatal clinics, sexual health clinics, high risk groups and referrals of HIV positive and suspected cases to public hospitals put the number of cases at 112,600. Dandona said that public hospitals have disproportionately high rates of HIV because they are used more by patients from lower socioeconomic groups who have a higher prevalence of HIV.

UNAIDS's Broun said that population survey results often gave different results from other methods such as surveillance site data, but added the global body would review its current estimates if needed.In the past, UNAIDS figures for HIV-positive people in East Africa, including Kenya, were found to be overestimated.

Why Cherry Red’s the Colour for You

And you thought the cherry was a pretty fruit. Recent studies suggest there’s more to the cherry’s biting red colour than just aesthetics. Cherry juice might not be a favourite yet but studies suggest it should be, especially with those on regular exercise. According to a study in the British Journal of Sports, cherry juice if taken regularly can reduce muscle pains and damages induced by gyming and other workout-related soreness and strength loss. And for those suffering from chronic pain of arthritis and gout, cherry juice can work wonders. The study says cherry juice has certain compounds called “anthocyanins” which are the pigments that give cherries their bright red colour and are believed to be the key to helping relieve inflammation. As an added bonus, these same anthocyanins can reduce the risk of colon cancer. Twenty cherries provide 25mg of anthocyanins which help shut down the enzymes that cause tissue inflammation so cherries can prevent and treat many kinds of pain. The anthocyanins may also protect artery walls from damage that leads to plaque build-up and heart diseases. Recent studies show that anthocyanins do a better job of protecting arteries than Vitamin C and E. “Cherries have been used as a folk remedy for arthritis for many years, presumably because of its anti-inflammatory effects, Belonging to the Rosaceae family, including almonds, peaches, plums and apricots, cherries can prove valuable in tackling free radicals. During normal metabolism, oxygen can create damaging by-products called free radicals. If left unchecked, these may cause heart damage or cancer besides weakening the immune system. Anti-oxidants counteract free radicals by binding with them before they can cause damage, transforming them into harmless compounds. Antioxidants also help maintain cell integrity. Ongoing research by the Cherry Marketing Institute (CMI) has shown that cherries contain at least 17 different compounds with anti-oxidant properties. Naturally occurring compounds in fruits and vegetables, anti-oxidants are in abundance in the deep red of cherry. “Cherry juice has many anti-oxidants which are considered more potent than vitamins C, E and A.It is an excellent natural pain killer too. The other anti-oxidant in cherry juice, melatonin, helps improve the body’s natural sleep patterns. Being high in potassium, it relieves severe headaches, high blood pressure and constant fatigue. herry juice also has some components of ellagic acid which helps slow the ageing process. The ornamental cherry blossom, known as sakura in Japan, is seen as a symbol of feminine beauty and sexuality.

Toshiba, Sony and NEC unveil technology to make 45-nm chip

Japanese electronic gadget majors, Toshiba Corp, Sony Corp and NEC Electronics Corp on Thursday said they have jointly developed technology to mass-produce next-generation system large-scale integrated circuits with the precision of 45 nanometer.

This in effect has established the manufacturing technology needed to ensure the kind of high performance required in next-generation system chips. The partners intend to perfect the energy-saving function of the devices by early next year, the three major electronics makers said in a statement.

The latest achievements of the three-way partnership were presented at the International Electron Devices Meeting, an academic conference of semiconductor developers, in San Francisco in the US on Wednesday.Advanced system chips are increasingly in demand for use in a wide array of equipment such as digital consumer electronics gadget and mobile telecommunications equipment that are becoming even smaller and consume less electricity.