Missing the Gorilla: People Prone to 'Inattention Blindness' Have a Lower Working Memory Capacity

The answer: People who fail to see something right in front of them while they are focusing on something else have lower "working memory capacity" -- a measure of "attentional control," or the ability to focus attention when and where needed, and on more than one thing at a time. "Because people are different in how well they can focus their attention, this may influence whether you'll see something you're not expecting, in this case, a person in a gorilla suit walking across the computer screen," says the study's first author, Janelle Seegmiller, a psychology doctoral student. The study -- explaining why some people are susceptible to inattention...

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New Pollutants: Flame Retardants Detected in Peregrine Falcon Eggs

"The presence of 'dechlorane plus' and other related, chlorinated compounds used as flame retardants have been detected for the first time in the European biota (flora and fauna of the region)," explains Ethel Eljarrat, co-author of the study and scientist at the Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Studies (IDAEA-CSIC, Spain). The researchers have found these substances in peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus) eggs in both Spain and Canada. The flame retardants are often added to textiles, electronic circuits and other products to inhibit or resist the spread of fire, but can be transferred to the environment. In nature these compounds...

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Office 365 goes into public beta

According to the company, it is next-generation cloud productivity service for businesses of all sizes. What that means is that Microsoft has brought, Microsoft Office, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online and Lync Online to a constantly updating cloud service. The public beta will allow users in 38 markets and 17 languages to try out the software for the first time. The seems like the service will be mostly geared toward small businesses, since 70 percent of the people who signed up for the limited beta were small businesses. Office 365 has its own app store, allowing user to add to the functionality as they see fit. This app store, called...

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Why RIM leaned on Google in its war with Apple

There are some 400,000 apps for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch lines. By comparison, there are just 25,000 for RIM’s BlackBerry. By designing the PlayBook to handle Android apps, RIM has just added 200,000 more to its mobile ecosystem. The question is: At what cost? The strategy – which marks a significant departure from RIM’s traditional “quality over quantity” approach to mobile apps – could have several-longer term implications, both positive and negative, for the company. In the near term, the Android strategy is aimed at making the PlayBook a more appealing option compared to Apple’s iPad, which currently leads the industry, and...

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India Bans Nokia E-mail Services

Nokia's new push e-mail services have been banned in India, as the country moves its sights beyond BlackBerry maker Research in Motion in its quest to monitor telecommunications. The Finnish phone maker's new push e-mail services are now barred by India's mobile operators, by orders of the government, which is waiting for a new monitoring system to be put in place. India's Ministry of Home Affairs have ordered “Telecom Service Providers not to launch Nokia's proposed pushmail and powermail service without putting in place monitoring facilities." Nokia's messaging services, which include push e-mail for companies and consumers, allows mobile...

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Anaphylaxis- A Life Threatening Allergy

Anaphylaxis is a life threatening allergy. It can develop in response to any allergen. It develops due to the systematic allergic reactions that are caused by an antibody known as immunoglobulin (IgE). Immunoglobulin is the allergen that attacks the body and as a result the histamines are released. Anaphylaxis is the most dangerous type of allergy and it is not very common. Causes of Anaphylaxis Basically anaphylaxis is caused due to any allergen. Human body has an amazing defensive system against dangerous bacteria and viruses. The immune system of some people is so sensitive that when they are open to the elements like animal dander, dust,...

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What is Coagulation? Or Clotting of Blood

Coagulation is process by which blood is clot and then heals a cut and stops the bleeding. It is also a complicated part of Hemostasis. It stops blood loss from damaged blood vessels. In Hemostasis a damaged blood vessel is blocked by a Platelet and clot of fibrin stops the bleeding and the damage is repaired. Coagulation consists of Platelets and the Protein components. When a lining of the blood vessel is damaged, Platelets form a membrane at the place of injury and proteins in the Blood Plasma chemically reacts to form fibrin that forms the Platelet covering. There are two types of Hemostasis: 1. Primary Hemostasis 2. Secondary Hemostasis Primary...

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Use of Strawberries can Prevent Esophageal Cancer

This research was conducted by Tong Chen, MD, PhD, an Assistant Professor of medicine at Ohio State University, Cancer Center, Columbus. The financial support for this research was given by California Strawberry Commission. The professor evaluated the use of freeze Strawberries in 36 males and females who had precancerous stage of Esophagus. Prevention of Esophageal Cancer The average age of patients was about 54 years. All had high risk of Esophagus cancer where Esophagus is a pipe that connects the throat with the stomach which allows the food to enter in stomach for the digestion process. According to the study of American Cancer Society...

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Bala the change in Kollywood

At a time when actors in Tamil cinema consider it is unsafe to do multi-starrers, Arya and Vishal has chosen to do otherwise. They have come together for Avan Ivan and even after the shooting is completed, they remain good friends. Says Arya, ' what's wrong in doing a multi-starrer? My comfort level with Bala is good and we enjoyed working in the project. Bala guided both of us well.' Echoing the same, Vishal says, ' we are friendly and did what Bala told us to do'. Interestingly after Pithamagan which brought Vikram and Suriya together comes Avan Ivan with Arya and Vishal in the cast. Expectations are running high for the movie that would...

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Aamir Khan avoids the clash of the Khans

Aamir Khan has resorted to being peaceful when it comes to release of his films. It seems that he doesn't want any clashes at the box office this time. He ensured that his movie which was due for release on December 25 along with SRK's Don is released when the Don fever dies. He postponed the dates for Reema Kagti's yet untitled film which will now be released in 20...

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Police Story

Dum Maaro Dum is Rohan Sippy's third film in 10 years after Kuch Na Kaho and Bluffmaster. Just one of those signs of a man in no hurry to prove himself. At the end of a long day on the road promoting the film in Jaipur, he settles down for a telephonic interview. “It's not been a conscious thing to take my own time. I was also caught up producing Taxi 9211 and Chandni Chowk to China between that and looking for the right story. Shridhar Raghavan wrote the story two years back and from then on, we have been working on the production.” Does the pressure of being the son of Ramesh Sippy, the man who made Sholay, have anything to do with it? The...

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Aditya Birla Group buys Swedish pulp maker

The Aditya Birla Group has acquired Domsjo Fabriker, a leading Swedish speciality pulp and bio-refinery company, through its global companies Thai Rayon Public Company (Thailand) and Indo Bharat Rayon (Indonesia) for a consideration of $340 million from a Swedish consortium of six individuals. The acquisition will be 70 per cent debt-financed and 30 per cent coming from internal accruals. The enterprise value of the business is $340 million and $180 million will be raised on the two group companies while $160 million will be as debt in a yet-to-be named special purpose vehicle (SPV). Domsjo's capacity expansion currently under way amounts...

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Repositioning Infosys

Infosys Technologies, the IT industry bellwether, is now going through the pangs of change, some self-inflicted and some caused by factors well beyond its own control. The question whether the company is on the cusp of a fundamental transformation has been repeatedly raised since Friday when the company announced its financial results for 2010-11. The recent media conference called by the company was unprecedented in that the announcement of the financial results was completely overshadowed by the resignations of two of its long-serving board members — T.V. Mohandas Pai, Head, Human Resource Development and Education and Research; and company...

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Supreme Court stays telecom tribunal order; raises rates for DTH operators

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the order of the broadcast tribunal TDSAT setting aside TRAI's notification fixing 35 per cent of the rates paid by cable operators for TV channels and raised the same to 42 per cent. A Bench comprising Mr Justice R.V. Raveendran and Mr Justice A.K. Patnaik stayed the order of the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), which had set aside TRAI's notification of July 21, fixing the price. Passing an order on December 16, 2010, TDSAT had set aside sectoral regulator TRAI's notification mandating that broadcasters charge from DTH and IPTV providers only up to 35 per cent of...

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Syrian Activists Begin Sit-In For Assad Ouster

Beirut : More than 5,000 anti-government protesters in Syria took over the main square of the country's third-largest city Monday, vowing to occupy the site until President Bashar Assad is ousted and defying authorities who warn they will not be forced into reforms. The government, however, blamed the weeks of anti-government unrest in the country on ultraconservative Muslims seeking to establish a fundamentalist state and terrorize the people, in the latest official effort to portray the reform movement as populated by extremists. The Egypt-style standoff in the central city of Homs followed funeral processions by more than 10,000 mourners...

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China Objects to Tibetan Minister In Nepal Cabinet

Kathmandu : A diplomatic row has erupted between China and Nepal as Beijing expressed dissatisfaction over the appointment of a minister of Tibetan ethnic origin by the communist party-led government of Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal. Chinese embassy officials in Kathmandu have expressed dissatisfaction over the appointment Lharkyal Lama as State Minister for Finance who is allegedly connected with the 'free Tibet movement,' a CPN-UML party source said. China is miffed with appointment of Lama who alleged holds two passports - Nepali and Indian - and also an identity card of Tibetan refugee, the CPN-UML party source was quoted as saying...

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Gaddafi's Son Claims, Forces Have Not Committed Excesses

Washington : Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi’s son Saif has hit out at Western nations for air raiding his country on a premise he termed as false as Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction, while insisting that his regime did not commit any crime against its people. The world had gone to war with Libya based on nothing more than rumour and propaganda, the 38-year-old Saif-al-Islam Gaddafi, the second son of Gaddafi, said in an interview to the Washington Post. He claimed the UN Security Council resolution for establishing a no-fly zone over Libya was based on claims that Libyan air force was bombing Tajoura and Fashloom districts in Tripoli...

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Pandher Hospitalized After He Fell Unconscious In Jail

Ghaziabad : Moninder Singh Pandher, accused in the Nithari serial killings, tonight became unconscious and fell down in his cell in Dasna jail, where he is lodged, jail sources said here. Pandher, in his 50s, is a diabetic patient and fell unconscious around 8 PM. He was taken to MMG district hospital where he was put on life-saving equipment, jail superintendent Viresh Raj Sharma told PTI. According to hospital sources, Pandher's sugar-level descended drastically which made him lose consciousness. Pandher was awarded capital punishment in 2009 alongwith his domestic help Surinder Singh Koli but the Allahabad High Court acquitted him later...

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Ill-Fated Rajdhani Passengers Recount Horror Tales

New Delhi : “It was a horror I would never forget. I and my family jumped out of the burning train amid leaping flames and thickening smoke,” said Satya Vir Singh, a passenger of Delh-bound Rajdhani Express train whose four coaches caught fire today. Singh, along with his wife and two children were in B-7 coach, one of the coaches of the Mumbai-Delhi train which were gutted between Alot and Thuriya stations in Ratlam district, scampered out of the burning bogey in the dead of the night. Singh, whose four luggages were burnt, said “collecting luggages was not our priority that time. I alerted my wife and children who were sleeping and asked...

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Backtracking on his yesterday’s statement

New Delhi : Backtracking on his yesterday’s statement, Anna Hazare today stuck to his August 15 deadline for passage of the Lokpal Bill failing which he will resort to agitation. “The joint drafting committee has a mandate to produce a strong Jan Lokpal bill which will be sent to Parliament. We hope that all political parties will vote as per the wishes of the people, which is overwhelmingly in favour of a strong Bill. “Parties that vote against the Bill will be eventually hurting their popularity and exposing their mala fide intentions. In such an event, we will again take to streets,” Hazare said in a statement here. At an interaction...

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