Now, red wine to fight obesity

A glass of red wine a day not only helps keep the heart healthy, but as it turns out, it can also help battle obesity. And if you are a teetotaller who would rather stay away from spirits, don’t fret because just eating grapes will also have the same effect.

As it turns out, the thing responsible for this fat fighting phenomenon is resveratrol, a compound present in grapes and red wine, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany carried out a study to see whether past research of resveratrol protecting laboratory mice from the health problems of obesity, also applied to humans by changing the size or function of fat cells.

The German team used a strain of human fat cell precursors, called preadipocytes, which develop into mature fat cells. They found that resveratrol not only inhibited the pre-fat cells from increasing and prevented them from converting into mature fat cells, but that it also hindered fat storage.

What especially interested the boffins was that resveratrol reduced production of certain cytokines (interleukins 6 and 8), substances that may be linked to the development of obesity-related disorders, such as diabetes and clogged coronary arteries.

"Resveratrol has anti-obesity properties by exerting its effects directly on the fat cells. Thus, resveratrol might help to prevent development of obesity or might be suited to treating obesity," said the study’s lead author, Pamela Fischer-Posovszky, PhD, a pediatric endocrinology research fellow in the university’s Diabetes and Obesity Unit.

Top 10 annoying office habits!

Overbearing, obsessively rude, noisy, and opinionated – there are so many things that can be found annoying in that one person in office. So, what actually are some of the ‘universally’ bad behaviours for office work? Here’s a look at the top 10 annoying office habits...

1. Office drummers - There are lesser annoying office habits than the person who has to tap out a rhythm while waiting for their brain to submerge into the work they’re assigned.

2. Foghorn phone voice - The breed of office worker who raises their tone several decibels as soon as they pick up the phone.

3. Pod pong - Well, these are those people who marinate themselves in perfumes overnight.

4. Key smashers - All offices have at least one person who appears to think that to make the little symbols on their keyboard appear on the screen, they need to exert the force of an atomic bomb through the ends of their digits.

5. Paid for nothing - In this case, an employee gets paid for standing out in the sunshine chatting to wheezy and addicted mates while the fresh-lunged members of the workforce are indoors putting their mind to work.

6. Snot funny - What is it with people, who riddled with pleurisy, the bubonic plague or cancer of the entire body, still think it’s a good idea to come in to work? The world really won’t stop if that report doesn’t get finished and the boss more likely regards you as a mug than a martyr. Your work mates, of course, will shower you with love for ruining their plans for the weekend and keeping their kids out of school.

7. Lucifer’s lunch - Egg and mayonnaise sandwiches, tuna fishcakes, blue cheese with crackers, breakfast burritos with extra onion and chips with salt and vinegar – all food items which should be banned from the workplace, thanks to their smell.

8. Ringtone hell - This section includes all those people who play bits of their favourite heavy metal music collection from a speaker on their desk, via their mobile phone.

9. Space invaders - You distinctly remember hearing the boss bring your new work mate over to his or her work area and say, "This is your desk". The boss did not follow that up with the words, "but feel free to use your colleague’s desk for overspill if there’s not enough room for your inane gossip magazines and pictures of your 17 children".

10. Eau de underarm - There are fewer things more noxious than a damp-shirted male who, after working up a sweat running for the bus, is left to "mature" over a keyboard for eight hours.

Nifty market Find crucial support @ 4800

The Nifty is likely to consolidate between the range of 4600 to 4800 levels in coming trading session.Market is waiting for trendline breakout.On the higher side it may face resistance around 4800.Once it breaks upperside trendline next target 5000.On the downside 4600-4400levels is an immediate support

At 11:36 am, the Sensex was up 1 point at 15,697 and the Nifty up 9.45 points at 4,662. Market breadth is positive; 944 shares are advancing while 233 shares declining on the NSE.

Sugar stocks are trading sweetly. Buying seen in Bajaj Hind, Balrampur Chini, Dhampur Sugar, Dwarikesh Sugar, EID Parry, Oudh Sugar Mill, Rajshree Sugars, Sakthi Sugars, Shree Renuka and Upper Ganges

All you wanted to know about wines

India is no stranger to wine. Tracing the history of the drink, its origins can be found in old religious writings. During the Vedic period, wine was often referred to as ‘Somarasa’. Hindu Gods Indra and Varuna are believed to have tasted a mixture of wine and herbs as per the Yajurveda.

It’s no surprise that the drink is once again gaining popularity with Indians. Especially with rising incomes, people now have a reason to flaunt their affluence and there is no better way to do it than to be spotted swirling a glass of wine. Although the wine-growing culture in India is still in its nascent stage, its consumption is certainly witnessing a rapid growth.

However, for most of us, the names of wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais may be no more than tongue twisters, but if you want to know your drink, here’s a low-down...

The wine connection

There are a host of wine clubs to help people learn more about wines, host wine tasting sessions and dinners, arrange vineyard visits and other wine-centric events for its members. The Wine Society of India, one of the oldest of these organisations may be just a decade old but has managed to attract people interested in wines. The Delhi Wine Club is another such organisation that allows people to connect with other wine drinkers by hosting events.

Ravi Sachdev, a businessman and a member of the Delhi Wine Club says, “I was a whisky drinker and it was the urge to try out something new and socialise that prompted me to become a member of the club. The club hosts wine tasting events and dinners where I get to taste wines from all over the world. I also get a lot of information on pairing wines with food.”

And for people who are reluctant to join one of these ‘clubs’, there are other options to explore. The very appropriately named Tulleeho, for instance, is a beverage service provider open to everyone. But not everyone can become a member of these clubs. “We have a screening committee and prefer having only those people who are already wine drinkers,” says Subhash Arora, president of the Delhi Wine Club.

“The wine culture in India is growing steadily without a doubt and its future is very rosy, but there is still a woeful lack of knowledge. At present, wine consumption is mainly in the metros but no longer confined only to the affluent consumer. Once Indians begin to enjoy wine with food and we can shop for wine like we buy our general provisions, we will reach the next level in our unfolding wine culture,” says Reva Singh publisher and editor of Sommelier India, the country’s only magazine dedicated to wines.

“The most important factor contributing to its growth is that India is producing some really good wines. Many of these wines are making an appearance abroad and are becoming increasingly popular as a natural extension of Indian cuisine," she adds

Types of wines

• Still wines – These are made by fermentation of juice extracted from grapes and can be classified as red, white and rose.
White wines may be both dry and sweet. They are usually made from white grapes and do not require much aging. These can be served chilled and used for everyday drinking. Red wines are generally made to taste dry. While some of them can be drunk young, like white wines, others improve with aging.
• Sparkling wines – These are wines with significant levels of carbon dioxide that make it fizzy. Sparkling wines vary in quality and character. They are usually white or rose. Some examples are Italian Brachetto and Australian sparkling Shiraz.
• Fortified wines – These wines have a small per cent of alcohol added before fermentation, leaving them sweet as the extra wine stops fermentation and deactivates the yeast. Fortified wines have a wide range of tastes, from austerely dry to sweet. Wines can be sweet when young and then mature to dryness.
• Aromatised wines – These generally have a little alcohol added in the form of brandy after fermentation leaving it dry as a result of consumption of sugar by the yeast.

Among the easily available wines in India are Sula and Grovers. Among foreign wines, you may try Italian, French, Chilean, Australian and Californian wines. You can get a variety of Indian wines starting from Rs 450 to Rs 700 and foreign wines within the range of Rs 2500 to Rs 7000.

“New world wines are easier to drink as they are young and less expensive as compared to old world wines, which keeps them in high demand,” says Arora.

“There has been 30 per cent yearly growth in wine consumption in India. We also see a lot of women and youngsters developing a liking for wines these days. I see a bright future for wine culture in India,” he adds.

And it’s not just the type of wine you are drinking, but also the glass that matters. The shape of the glass regulates the flow of wine and enhances its quality. To extract the aroma of a wine you need to swirl it in the glass. So now you know why red wine glasses have a shorter stem unlike the white wine glasses.

Pairing wines with food

Pairing wines with food is important. The best combinations are where the character of wine matches the flavour of the food. So, it is important to know the character of the wine. “The notion of pairing red wines with red meat and white whines with fish may not be true always. It depends on the preparation. Pairing of wines with cheese is also quite popular,” says Sachdev.

Wine drunk by itself tastes different than wine with food. In fact, wines can enhance the flavour of food. So, it’s essential to consider how the food is prepared. You can then pair the wine with the sauce, seasoning or dominant flavour of the dish. For example, spicy food or hot curries often work best with sweet desert wines.

...and music!

Not just food, but music too can influence the taste of wine, says a recent study by psychologists at a British university, which suggests which songs go well with which type of wine. Heavy rock music or Rolling Stones can be a good accompaniment to a Cabernet Sauvignon, for example. Music stimulates different parts of the brain and lets us perceive tastes in a similar way.

Flaunt your vino!

It’s not just your collection of wines you can show off, equally exciting is storing and serving it in style. There are a wide range of products available in the market that can help you flaunt your vino. From bottle stoppers, corkscrews, wine buckets to innovative wine racks, you can use them all to pamper yourself and your guests. What’s more – you can get them all from Rs 450 to Rs 25,000 depending on your budget.

So, what are you waiting for? Go and grab your drink and enjoy it with music, food or accessories and don’t forget to swirl it with style!

Depressed? Binge a little

Next time when you are a bit low on energy or in a depressive mood and you feel like gorging on all the sin-ful foods; just give in to the ‘Hunger’ urge and you’d feel better.Recent studies have shown that a certain hunger hormone called ghrelin, when released can help fight anxiety and stress related depression.

Scientists’ findings support the idea that these hunger hormones coordinate entire behavioural response to stress and probably affect the mood, stress and energy levels.

The ghrelin hormone is produced in the gastrointestinal tract when the body is fasting and it then plays a role in sending hunger signals to the brain. A new study on mice has found that chronic stress causes ghrelin levels to go up and that behaviours associated with depression and anxiety decrease when ghrelin levels rise.

However, an unfortunate side effect is increased food intake and body weight. While blocking the body’s response to ghrelin signals might be one way to help control weight, but this may actually increase anxiety and depression, which would be bad. Our ancestors had just one common notion which was securing enough food to prevent starvation.

They needed to be as calm and collected as possible when it was time to venture out in search of food, or risk becoming dinner themselves. This is where it is guessed that the anti-anxiety effects of hunger-induced ghrelin may have provided a survival advantage. Researchers are now interested to see whether ghrelin treatment could help people with anorexia nervosa, with the idea being that in a certain population, calorie restriction and weight loss could have an anti-depressant effect and could be reinforcing for this illness.

Sex: The Stress Buster

According to a survey, revealed at an Indian Psychiatrists Society (IPS) seminar held recently, more and more couples are turning away from sex simply because they are too tired after work. This is especially true of young couples in metros who are too busy running the rat race to devote time in the bedroom. The keeping up with the Joneses syndrome has overtaken all desire for physical intimacy.

So, is it time to push the alarm button? Yes, say experts who feel that physical intimacy between couples is the key to a happy and stress-free relationship. Sex is much more than just a physical act and is very important for one’s physical and emotional health. Some recent studies claim that sex practiced in a cozy atmosphere works as an effective stress buster.

Because of deep breathing and touching involved in sexual activities, our body produces hormones called ‘endorphins’. These hormones are also known as ‘feel-good’ hormones, because of the moment of pleasure they bring along. Therefore, sex does not only bring in a feeling of well-being but a calming effect too.

Shriya Gupta, a homemaker opines, “Though it’s only for a short period but sex actually relives you from all your worries and you feel much better. Not only intercourse but foreplay also helps in decreasing the stress level to a certain extent. Sex is a way of expressing your feelings with your physical self involved in it. I think it is a very romantic way of relaxing with your spouse. Above all, it really helps you in burning so many calories.”

Many individuals believe that because of their healthy sex life, they feel more emotionally involved with their partner. However, we cannot forget that only pleasurable sex can increase the sense of attachment between couples.

Noted psychiatrist Dr Sameer Parikh says, “There is a very scientific way to look at it as merely sex will not help much. If you consider sex as one of the daily chores then you will not get any satisfaction out of it. Sex demands your physical as well as mental involvement. I think it is an extension of a relationship which strengthens the bond between two individuals.”

Model Amanpreet Wahi, who is all set to tie the knot shares, “I know a lot of couples who have a healthy sex life and it does translates into great chemistry between them. It is a beautiful thing that binds two people together. Sex is also one of the ways of loving each other as saying ‘I love you’ is not enough sometimes. I know a couple, both of them are approaching 50 but they still have sex regularly as they think it enhances their bond.”

Unfortunately, in the quest of attaining a stress-free life, sex is taking a back seat. The desire for material pleasures is killing the basic desire of pleasuring each other.

Kunal Sharma, software professional admits, “After a close encounter with my wife I feel relieved and sleep well at night. However, many a times, my mind is so occupied with several other things that I can’t concentrate on sex. If I push myself for sex, I don’t enjoy it and it becomes tough to keep myself involved.”

Sex is a dimension of love and experts believe that ignoring yours and your partners’ sexual desires can be hazardous for a relationship.

Dr Rachna Singh, holistic medicine and lifestyle management expert says, “With today’s fast paced life, pressure on relationships has increased. With demanding professional lives, most of us end up ignoring our personal needs. Not having a good sex life can result into dissatisfaction between couples. ”

Priyanka Tiwari says, “My husband and I work with a BPO. Our timings are completely different and we hardly get time for each other. Most of the time, we end up fighting or yelling at each other over petty issues. We hardly have any sex life now. Whenever I want to make love, he says he is too tired and when he pursues me, I think of my early morning shift and prefer to sleep. ”

The fast pace of life today is leaving us with no time for basic and simple pleasures. With our busy schedules, it is quite easy to forget about your partner’s needs. Experts feel that couples should set themselves extra time for those special moments – after all, there is no simpler and effective stress buster than some action between the sheets.

Ramneek Panatal, model thinks, “If you don’t get time on weekdays you can always plan out something special for weekends like a small vacation, a long drive or simply a romantic dinner. Sometimes you have to go out of your way to please your partner but it’s worth it.”

RBI relaxes lending norms for housing loans

Making it easier for urban cooperative banks to extend housing loans, Reserve Bank of India has relaxed the risk provisioning norm for purchase of residential properties up to Rs 30 lakh. The central bank issued notification on Monday in pursuance of the annual credit policy announcement made by the Reserve Bank of India Governor Y V Reddy on April 29.

Earlier on May 15, the central bank had relaxed the risk provisioning norms for housing advances by the commercial banks.

"It has been decided to enhance the limit of Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in respect of bank loans for housing in terms of applicability of risk weights for capital adequacy purposes. Accordingly, such loans will carry a risk weight of 50 per cent," Reddy had said.

The move would provide the urban cooperative banks additional capital for lending more to housing sector.

For banks, the amount of capital they are required to set aside for each loan is decided by minimum capital adequacy ratio prescribed by the central bank. Capital adequacy ratio is the ratio of a bank’s net worth to its risk-weighted credit.

According to the analysts, the RBI has modified the provisioning limit for housing loan to take care of the growing property rates mainly in the urban centres.

The risk provisioning earlier was 75 per cent of the loan value between Rs 20-30 lakh.

For loans exceeding Rs 30 lakh for purchase of residential property, the banks would have to make a risk provision on 75 per cent of the loan amount.

Indian couple moves SA court against racism

A young Indian couple, allegedly targeted with racial slurs for six months by their African neighbours who called them "coolies" and told them to "go back to India", have moved the Equality Court in the South African city of Durban.

Gopaul Mohun and his wife, Radhika, residents Amanzimtoti, south of Durban, told the court that they had been insulted by their neighbours, Msizi Joel Mosondo, and his family for the past six months.

"They said we were cane cutters and that is all we are fit for," Mohun said in the papers filed in the court.

"Mr Masondo said he was oppressed and that he fought for this country and that Indians only benefited from his hard work. Masondo’s wife said :’You coolie, go back to India where you belong," the Indian alleged.

"The family uses derogatory racial words and phrases and tells neighbours about ’these Indians’."

Mohun told the court that he had twice tried to serve warning notices on the Masondo family but they had refused to accept it.

"He and his family continue to make violent threats...on me and my family despite my attempt to bring peace. The police told me that Masondo’s wife had refused to allow her husband to accept the notices and said that she doesn’t care about me because I am nuisance to them," he said But Masondo, in a brief affidavit, replied that Mohun was the "trouble maker".

"Therefore, while the cases and investigation are going I’m not responding to anybody like Mr Gopaul who brews trouble now and again and talks too much", said Masondo.

The hearing has been set for June 25. South Africa has recently witnessed heightened racial tensions with renewed xenophobic attacks that has left more than 63 people being killed and displaced over 70 000.

Hindu Marriages Act breaking more homes than uniting: SC

Expressing concern over an increasing number of divorce cases flooding the courts, the Supreme Court on Tuesday observed that the Hindu Marriages Act had done more harm to the family system in the country than strengthening it. "The Hindu Marriages Act has broken more homes than uniting," a vacation Bench of Justices Arijit Pasayat and G S Singhvi observed.

The apex court regretted that the growing number of divorce cases in the country was having a disastrous effect on children of families which get broken in such a manner.

Enacted in 1955, the Hindu Marriages Act which had undergone several amendments till 2003 contains various provisions for validity of a Hindu marriage, restitution of conjugal rights and divorce, the latter being a concept evolved from the English law.

"Even at the time of marriages, anticipatory divorce petitions are being filed," the Bench remarked sarcastically.

The apex court passed the observation while dealing with a petition filed by a divorcee for seeking his child’s custody.

"Ego should get dissolved for the sake of the child," the Bench remarked even as the separated parents tried to air their views.

The apex court told the separated couple that it was more concerned with the welfare of the child, rather than the mutual recrimination between the two.

"Ultimately the child suffers. If it is a girl the trauma is more, particularly at the time of the marriage of such children," Justice Pasayat speaking for the Bench observed.

The apex court lamented that the provisions provided in the Hindu Marriages Act for granting divorce on the grounds of spouses suffering from diseases like leprosy, mental illness were being misused by some couples.

"In those days our forefathers never had such problems," the apex court observed while stating that marital disputes during the olden days were sorted out within the four walls of the house.

In this case, Gaurav Nagpal through counsel Manik Karanjawala had sought custody of his 11-year old son.

Nagpal had filed the appeal after the trial court and the Delhi High Court had both granted the custody of the boy to his estranged wife Sumedha Nagpal.

There was high drama during the hearing of the case when Gaurav asked his wife to give him an hour time to sort out certain differences between.

But even before the court could give its views on the plea, Sumedha bluntly rejected the idea.

"It’s just an eyewash your Lordship. He has been beating me and my father," Sumedha told the Bench, which however, said that it would not go into the merits of the case at this juncture.

Instead, the Bench said it would personally talk to the couple in chamber during the afternoon.

The matter was also listed for further hearing on Wednesday.

Oil extends fall, more convinced on Saudi output

Oil fell for a fourth day on Wednesday, as more investors appeared convinced that top exporter Saudi Arabia’s plan to boost supply could tame prices.U.S. crude futures for July fell 66 cents to $133.35 a barrel by 0225 GMT, taking four-day losses to over $3.30 a barrel or 2.4 percent. The contract briefly hit a record of nearly $140 on Monday.

London Brent crude slipped 72 cents to $133.00.

Oil traders initially gave a muted response to news that Saudi Arabia was poised to pump oil at its fastest rate in decades next month, but analysts said increasing evidence of more crude is gradually shifting sentiment.

"I’m surprised prices didn’t fall further ... if the Saudis discount their oil significantly, I think U.S. refiners will really start to buy and start building inventories," said Robert Nunan, a risk manager at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo.

U.S. crude oil stock data due later in the day is expected to fall by 1.5 million barrels last week, a fifth consecutive draw, a Reuters survey showed.

Analysts are expecting a rise of 800,000 barrels for gasoline and 1.8 million barrels for distillates.

While many analysts questioned whether the Saudis would find willing buyers for its oil at current prices, India’s Reliance Industries said on Tuesday it was already committed to buy 30 percent of the additional Saudi crude in July, after lifting the same proportion of extra supplies this month.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon said over the weekend that Saudi Arabia was set to raise its oil output to 9.7 million barrels per day in July, up 550,000 bpd from May, a move whose rationale and effect has been questioned by some OPEC members.

Eyes are now on the Saudi-called emergency meeting between oil producing and consumer nations on June 22 to address the sky-high prices, which have led to protests against high fuel costs across the world.

Oil prices have jumped nearly seven-fold since 2002 as strong demand from emerging economies such as China stretches global production. A surge in speculative buying by investors hedging against inflation and the weak dollar has accelerated the rally this year, pushing prices nearly 40 percent higher since January.

While Saudi moves to dampen markets by pumping more oil, U.S. and British regulators unveiled a plan to slap position limits on U.S. crude contracts on the London-based ICE exchange to rein in speculators.

The combined effort among Saudi Arabia, the United States and Britain could rattle some investors and bring down prices, analysts said.

But billionaire oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens played down the role of investors in crude markets on Tuesday, arguing prices were rising as world oil production peaks.

Oil’s fall was cushioned by the softening dollar, which slipped on Tuesday as U.S. housing starts fell to a 17-year low, casting more doubts over how much the U.S. Fed might boost interest rates in coming months.

The dollar has since steadied against the yen on Wednesday.

Sun rising in Indian power sector!

With the power bill hitting the roof, Indian homes are looking for alternative energy sources in a big way. This is evident from the increase in sale of Solar photovoltaics (PV), which convert sunlight into electrical power, in the country and across the world.Soaring oil prices have also added to the race for solar power now. If you visit Kerala nowadays, you can see every newly-built house in the state has a solar panel, which is used to heat water and for other purposes. This was not the case in Kerala a few years ago.

Come to Gujarat, the state is using solar energy in a big way. Industries are also depending on solar energy now so that they can earn carbon credits.

In a recent solar industry trade fair in Munich, there was growing confidence that the “grid parity” — whereby electricity from the sun can be produced as cheaply as it can be bought from the grid — is now just a few years away.

Solar photovoltaics (PV) have long been dismissed as too expensive to make a meaningful contribution to the battle against climate change.

But costs are falling as PV production booms, and with electricity prices rising rapidly in line with soaring oil and gas prices, demand for solar panels is increasing sharply.

Germany, the world leader in PV thanks to its “feed-in tariff” support, installed 1.1 gigawatts of capacity last year — the equivalent of a large power station. It now has nearly half a million houses fitted with PV panels. The feed-in tariff pays people with solar panels above-market rates for selling power back to the grid.

In India, the ministry of new and renewable energy has launched new schemes to encourage large scale use of solar energy in the country during the 11th Plan period.

The new schemes include ‘Development of Solar Cities’ and ‘Demonstration Programme on MW size Grid Solar Power Generation’

Around Rs 600 crore has been tentatively allocated for research, design and development in the energy sector for the 11th Plan. During the last Five Year Plan period, Rs 72.65 crore was spent for the same activities. The ministry has financially sported about 600 RD&D Projects particularly in Solar Energy Sector.

New schemes have been launched by the ministry in addition to implementation of ongoing schemes to encourage large-scale use of solar energy in the country during the 11th Plan period. The new schemes include ‘Development of Solar Cities’ and ‘Demonstration Programme on MW size Grid Solar Power Generation’.

The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy promoted deployment of nine Solar Energy Plants during 2007-08 in six states of the country. Out of this, Maharashtra tops the list with three plants whereas Jammu & Kashmir got two such plants. Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Orissa and West Bengal each got one power plant during this period. The total capacity sanctioned for these plants is less than 2000 kwp. The capacity under implementation is more than 800 kwp

Good lifestyle can transform genes

Comprehensive lifestyle changes including a better diet and more exercise can lead not only to a better physique, but also to swift and dramatic changes at the genetic level, US researchers said. In a small study, the researchers tracked 30 men with low-risk prostate cancer who decided against conventional medical treatment such as surgery and radiation or hormone therapy.

The men underwent three months of major lifestyle changes, including eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and soy products, moderate exercise such as walking for half an hour a day, and an hour of daily stress management methods such as meditation.

As expected, they lost weight, lowered their blood pressure and saw other health improvements. But the researchers found more profound changes when they compared prostate biopsies taken before and after the lifestyle changes.

After three months, the men had changes in activity in about 500 genes - including 48 that were turned on and 453 genes that were turned off. The activity of disease-preventing genes increased while a number of disease-promoting genes, including those involved in prostate cancer and breast cancer, shut down, according to the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research was led by Dr Dean Ornish, head of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and a well-known author advocating lifestyle changes to improve health.

"It’s an exciting finding because so often people say, ’Oh, it’s all in my genes, what can I do?’ Well, it turns out you may be able to do a lot," Ornish, who is also affiliated with the University of California, San Francisco, said. "’In just three months, I can change hundreds of my genes simply by changing what I eat and how I live?’

That’s pretty exciting," Ornish said. "The implications of our study are not limited to men with prostate cancer."

Ornish said the men avoided conventional medical treatment for prostate cancer for reasons separate from the study. But in making that decision, they allowed the researchers to look at biopsies in people with cancer before and after lifestyle changes.

Chimps calm each other with hugs

For most folks, a nice hug and some sympathy can help a bit after we get pushed around. Turns out, chimpanzees use hugs and kisses the same way. And it works. Researchers studying people’s closest genetic relatives found that stress was reduced in chimps that were victims of aggression if a third chimp stepped in to offer consolation.

"Consolation usually took the form of a kiss or embrace," said Orlaith Fraser of the Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Paleoecology at Liverpool John Moores University in England. "This is particularly interesting," she said, because this behaviour is rarely seen other than after a conflict.

"If a kiss was used, the consoler would press his or her open mouth against the recipient’s body, usually on the top of the head or their back. An embrace consisted of the consoler wrapping one or both arms around the recipient."

The result was a reduction of stress behaviour such as scratching or self-grooming by the victim of aggression, Fraser and colleagues report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Frans de Waal of the Yerkes Primate Centre at Emory University in Atlanta said the study is important because it shows the relationship between consolation and stress reduction. Previous researchers have claimed that consolation had no effect on stress, said de Waal, who was not part of Fraser’s research team.

"This study removes doubt that consolation really does what the term suggests: provide relief to distressed parties after conflict. The evidence is compelling and makes it likely that consolation behaviour is an expression of empathy," de Waal said. De Waal suggested that this evidence of empathy in apes is "perhaps equivalent to what in human children is called ’sympathetic concern’."

That behaviour in children includes touching and hugging of distressed family members and "is in fact identical to that of apes, and so the comparison is not far-fetched", he said. While chimps show this empathy, monkeys do not, he added.

There is also suggestive evidence of such behaviour in large-brained birds and dogs, said Fraser, but it has not yet been shown that it reduces stress levels in those animals.

Jet denies talking to Rel Ind for stake sale

Country’s largest private carrier Jet Airways on Tuesday denied media reports that the company is talking to Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries for selling stake in the airline. In a filing with the Bombay Stock Exchange, Jet Airways said that media report concerning sale of stake to Reliance Industries was “not correct”.

A leading newspaper has reported that Reliance Industries was in talks with the management of Jet Airways for picking up 6-7 per cent stake in the airline.

The crude oil soap opera from Saudi Arabia

Is Saudi Arabia these days ruling the world? If the crude oil gyrations and the global oil-talks are of any indications, the lives of most people on earth, especially those oil-addicted Western countries, are dependent on Saudi Arabia.It was just a few weeks ago that the Saudis had raised oil production by 300,000 barrels per day. Now the oil kingdowm is going to pump more oil to satiate the oil-hungry, inflation-hit nations.

That means the Saudi Kingdom’s total daily oil output is going to be around 10 million barrels.

But there lies the catch. According to Justice Litle, Editorial Director, Taipan Publishing Group, the whole world is going through the crude oil soap opera from Saudi Arabia

Read below a wonderful article written by Litle on the new oil game that Saudi Arabia is playing:

"The Saudis are playing a new game. In exchange for giving in to the pleas of fuel-addicted Western countries, they could be bringing some new demands to the table... like demanding a lowering of gas taxes to ease the cost of fuel.

This is an odd twist. Why would the supplier want to start dictating end-use terms to the buyer? It might not go over too well for the Saudis to start acting like the IMF, tying their favors to stern advice and policy prescriptions.

Western pols are used to bossing third-world countries around before deciding whether to give them money. They are decidedly not used to being bossed around themselves before getting more oil. If the Saudis do start pushing policy buttons, the move could backfire. It smells a little desperate, and suggests it’s not just the West that is sweating. The sheiks are in a tight spot, too.

The polite way to put it is that the Saudis, if not all of OPEC, are concerned about the health and well-being of its best customers. The impolite thing would be to compare the Kingdom to the leaders of a drug cartel. (Not an unprecedented analogy, as President Bush has openly spoke of America’s “addiction” to oil.)

It’s fitting, too, to note what happens when drug dealers don’t have enough high-quality product to meet demand. They have to sell a lower-quality product to meet the shortfall, or otherwise cut the “good stuff” with some low-cost agent to make it stretch further.

The junkies might complain about the drop-off in quality, but they still pay... after all, they have a habit to feed and no place else to go.

The comparison here is to the quality of oil that the Saudis will be putting forth. That extra few hundred thousand barrels -- if they are truly able to pump it -- will not be the light, sweet stuff that goes down so smoothly.

It is far more likely to be the heavy, sour stuff that takes a lot more work to process. When it comes to serving up the “good stuff,” even the Kingdom is maxed out.

Along with the other finger pointers, the Saudis are quick to lay blame at the feet of traders for the sky-high oil price. They repeat the same lines over and over like a mantra. “There is no shortage of oil. There will be no shortage of oil. This is just temporary.”

The motives for this reassuring talk are not hard to figure out. The Kingdom wants to keep its best customers happy and complacent in the short term... and as addicted as possible in the long term.

The worst nightmare for Saudi Arabia, and for all of OPEC really, would be for the Western world to suddenly get deadly serious about breaking its oil addiction. For this reason, high energy prices are a boon to OPEC but also a danger. The longer the oil price stays high, the ever greater buildup of Western political will occurs to actually do something about the problem.

The main reason oil prices are high, of course, is because the supply just isn’t there. Demand at the margins has overtaken regular supply.

We’re seeing a pattern of “demand destruction” now, in which Western consumers are finally cutting back due to pain at the pump, but that doesn’t cancel out the basic equation. The rise of China, India and the developing world has changed everything."

In poker terms, the Saudis are very close to shoving all-in on a bluff. They are still raking in the chips, but they know lady luck has left them. Over time, we can expect the “we’ve got plenty” rhetoric to look more and more detached from reality. That reality being that the Saudis are maxed out... and much closer to being tapped out than they or their customers want to admit.

The reality of “Twilight in the Desert,” as peak-oil expert Matt Simmons calls it in his eye-opening book of the same name, is hard to deny given the shape of things.

That means countless billions in profits for the major oil exporters today... but a whole new world tomorrow."