Month: July 2014

After the controversial ’emotional contagion’ study by Facebook on its users, popular dating site OkCupid has now revealed that it also performed experiments on its users and manipulated their perceptions to test its matching algorithm.

In a blog post, the company’s founder Christian Rudder, admitted that in recent experiments on romantic compatibility, they told people who were bad matches (30 percent) that they actually had a compatibility score of 90 percent.

Researchers have identified the mechanism in the brain that is key to sensing glucose levels in the blood, linking it to both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

It could lead to new treatment and even prevention of diabetes.

“We have discovered that the prolyl endopeptidase enzyme — located in a part of the hypothalamus known as the ventromedial nucleus — sets a series of steps in motion that control glucose levels in the blood,” said lead author Sabrina Diano, a professor at Yale School of Medicine in the US.

Wrestler Sushil Kumar’s family once again had a proud moment after the two-time Olympic medallist bagged a gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth games.

Sushil’s father said, “I am happy for him. This gold medal is for the entire country. We expected the medal. He will be welcome by the country.”

His uncle Kishan Kumar also said, “I am happy for his achievements. I saw his all three matches. We were confident he would win.”

Sonu, a friend of Sushil’s said that they knew Sushil would win and now when he will come, the entire country will welcome him.

Nigerian gold medallist Chika Amalaha failed a drug test and has been provisionally suspended from the Commonwealth Games ongoing in Glasgow for the same.

The 16-year-old claimed a gold medal in weightlifting with a combined total of 196kg in the women’s 53kg category.

Her ‘A’ sample was found to contain amiloride and hydrochlorothiazide, which are both prohibited as diuretics and masking agents, The BBC reported.

Amalaha will have a ‘B’ sample tested on Wednesday.

England bowlers put the hosts side in the driving seat as they reduced India to 323-8, 246 runs behind England’s total of 569-7 declared and 47 short of avoiding the follow-on, after three days of the third Test in Southampton.

The hosts bowlers backed up their side’s batting skills in the first innings, with Stuart Broad claiming three wickets, James Anderson adding two to the one he took on day two and Moeen Ali taking two of his own.

Do you work for long hours? Check your smoking habits. New research has revealed that people who work longer smoke more.

People who work long hours find it harder to quit smoking and those who have given up are more at risk of starting again, according to the researchers from the Loughborough University in Britain.

On this World Hepatitis Day, there’s good news for patients, particularly from India, for those suffering from hepatitis C.

Two new pill-only antiviral drug regimens could provide shorter, more effective treatment options with fewer side effects for the majority of patients infected with hepatitis C, even those most difficult to treat, according to the results of two new studies.

Both studies focused on hepatitis C genotype 1, one of the most difficult to treat.

A research has found that drugs widely used to treat lung diseases like asthma or pneumonia work better with the body clock.

Once the ancient rhythm of our body clock is disturbed owing to artificial light, shift work and jet lag, medication to treat asthma and pneumonia can become ineffective, scientists said.

The research led by professors David Ray and Andrew Loudon from University of Manchester found that cells lining the lung airways have their own body clock which is the time-keeper for lung inflammation — both conditions cause swelling in the lungs.

Obese women who use oral contraceptives to prevent pregnancy can now heave a sigh of relief as researchers have identified ways to make birth control pills more effective.

Making birth control pills work as well in obese women as in women of a normal body mass index has long been a challenge as obesity affects how a woman’s body clears contraceptive hormones.

Either a slight increase in the pill dose, from a very low dose to a low dose pill; or using the pill continuously without a “period week” off, appeared to counteract the changes that obesity causes, the findings showed.

German luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz on Monday reported a 25 percent growth in its sales for the first half of 2014 in India at 4,717 units.

Significant contributor to this growth has been the flagship S-Class sedan and the ML-Class SUV and the NGC (new generation cars) portfolio comprising the A-Class and B-Class, the company said in a statement.

Drug firm Ranbaxy Laboratories on Tuesday reported consolidated net loss of Rs 185.92 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2014.

The company had posted a net loss of Rs 524.24 crore for the corresponding period of the previous fiscal, Ranbaxy Laboratories said in a statement.

Consolidated net sales of the company stood at Rs 2,372.24 crore for the quarter under consideration as against Rs 2,583.94 crore for the same period year ago.

Vedanta Resources on Tuesday attempted to play down the Cairn India USD 1.25 billion loan issue, saying the move is a win-win for both the firms and was done following existing rules and regulations.

Creating concern among investors, Cairn India loaned out USD 1.25 billion to parent Vedanta Resources and has already disbursed USD 800 million at an interest rate of three percent above LIBOR for a period of two years.

The European Union (EU) has agreed a package of “significant” additional restrictive measures targeting sectoral cooperation and exchanges with Russia, the European Council said in a statement Tuesday.

These decisions will limit access to EU capital markets for Russian state-owned financial institutions, impose an embargo on trade in arms, establish an export ban for dual-use goods for military end users, reported Xinhua citing the statement.

The decisions will also curtail Russian access to sensitive technologies particularly in the field of the oil sector.

Tata group will invest USD 35 billion in the next three years as part of its vision 2025 by when it expects to achieve market capitalisation comparable to the world’s top 25 companies.

Addressing the Tata group’s Annual Leadership Conference in Mumbai this evening, Tata group Chairman Cyrus Mistry laid out the road map for the diversified conglomerate, which saw its total revenue crossing the USD 100 billion mark again in 2013-14.

Forget high-tech credit-card like hotel keys. By the end of 2015, guests at Hilton hotels across the world will be able to access rooms with their smartphones. (10:04)

The idea moves around the ability to use a mobile device to check in and choose a specific room based on a hotel’s digital floor plan.

This will also help guests who may lose key cards or leave them in the room.

Over a dozen people were injured in a Meerut village of Uttar Pradesh when clashes erupted between two sects of Muslims over offering Eid prayers, police said Wednesday.

The violence broke out Tuesday in Allipur area of Kharkhauda village when the Sheikhs and Qureshis in the area got into an altercation over who will first offer prayers at the Chappar Wali Maszid.

Elders tried to pacify youths from both sides, but they did not listen and hurled stones and fired gun shots at each other.

A benchmark index of Indian equities markets Wednesday was trading 56.49 points or 0.22 percent down as capital goods stocks plunged.

Selling pressure was seen in capital goods, metal and healthcare sectors, while marginal good buying was observed in fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.

The 30-scrip Sensitive Index (Sensex) of the S&P Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), which opened at 26,005.14 points, was trading at 25,934.74 points (at 09.16 a.m.) in the early session, down 56.49 points or 0.22 percent from the previous day’s close at 25,991.23 points.

The city police have registered a case of extortion against a couple for allegedly trying to extort money from the local Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik.

Senior Police Inspector N S Bangale of Vartak Nagar police station here said that the complaint has been filed by
Sarnaik’s son Purvesh, who is the secretary of Yuva Sena, the youth wing of Shiv Sena.

According to Purvesh, a woman who identified herself as Mary Louis, a resident of Australia, befriended him on the
Facebook and expressed desire to work for Yuva Sena.

Deviating from an established norm not to prosecute senior leaders, China’s ruling Communist Party today announced that it was probing former security czar Zhou Yongkang on charges of corruption and abuse of power,signalling President Xi Jinping’s firm resolve to fight graft.

Zhou, 71, who retired from the country’s all-powerful Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) in 2012, is under
investigation for “serious disciplinary violation,” state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The term “serious disciplinary violation” in Communist Party of China (CPC) parlance refers to corruption and abuse

Pope Francis would visit Sri Lanka in January next year, 19 years after Pope John Paul II’s visited the island nation, a local church announced today.

The Pope’s Sri Lanka visit dates have been confirmed today. His Holiness will visit the country between January
and 15″, Rev Father Cyril Gamini, a spokesman for the local Catholic church said quoting the Vatican authorities.

This will mark his second trip to Asia.

The 77-year-old pontif will visit Sri Lanka from January 13-15, before heading to the Philippines– Asia’s largest
Catholic country– until January 19.

Israeli strikes carried out overnight Tuesday killed 13 more Palestinians following the artillery shelling on Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip, medics said.

The Palestinians, including a paramedic, were killed in intensive Israeli artillery shelling on residents’ houses in Jabalia town in northern Gaza Strip, Xinhua quoted Gaza Health Ministry spokesperson Ashraf al-Qedra as saying, adding 40 people were also injured.

Curfew was today clamped at Silgain village in Ranchi after one person was killed and at least 20 others, including policemen, were injured in a clash between two groups, police said.

As many as 45 people were arrested following the clash at Silgain village in Chanho block of Ranchi district, Deputy
Inspector General of Police (Ranchi Range) Praveen Kumar Singh told PTI.

Stating that one person were killed and several others, including policemen, were wounded in the clash, he
said curfew was clamped around 2.30 pm at Silgain village and in areas within its one-km radius.

The chief US negotiator in Iran nuclear talks Tuesday cited “significant and steady” progress over the past six months, but would not say whether the negotiations would be further extended.

“I cannot tell you today that our diplomacy will succeed because I am not sure that it will,” Xinhua quoted Wendy Sherman, undersecretary of state for political affairs, as telling senators at a hearing.

Delhi Police today raided a village in Gaya district of Bihar and arrested a man who had stolen 1 kg gold from a jewellery shop in New Delhi.

The gold was also recovered from the arrested person. Gaya Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nishant
Kumar Tiwary said the raid by Delhi Police was conducted with the help of Bihar Police at Dhongila village.

The SSP said that the arrested person, one Anil Kumar had stolen the gold from Subham Jewellers in New Delhi on July
24 and fled from there.

“Subham Jewellers’ owner Anil Verma knew the culprit.

As many as 12 people were killed when a boat carrying 60 people capsized in Indonesia Tuesday.

The accident took place when the boat was about to depart from a village in Kapuas river in Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan province Tuesday morning, Xinhua reported citing Wasino, head of Central Kalimantan Search and Rescue Office as saying.

Some 42 boat passengers have been rescued so far.

“Twelve corpses have been found and the other six remain missing,” Wasino said.