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http://www.research.bayer.com/en/homepage.aspx
The research magazine is published each year to make the research being done at Bayer Corporation for public use. Each issue is published as over-200 page report, in easy to understand type presentation. Past 5 year issues can be viewed under archive section. Each issue contains research done in the field of material science, crop science and health science.
About Bayer Corporation
Bayer is represented around the world by 316 companies. Global headquarters are in Leverkusen, Germany. On December 31, 2008, the Bayer Group had 108,600 employees worldwide. The group has 3 divisions: Bayer HealthCare, Bayer CropScience and Bayer MaterialScience.
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Highlights from Bayer's research and development programs – attractively and comprehensibly presented
Research, the Bayer Scientific Magazine, is an elaborately designed, approximately 100-page magazine containing articles on popular scientific topics concerning all aspects of research at Bayer. research is designed to appeal to all target groups with an interest in natural science, such as students and teachers but also scientists, lecturers, physicians, pharmacists, journalists and politicians.
The printed version, which is available in English, German and Spanish, has a total circulation of 350,000 copies.
This Internet version appears online as a supplement to the printed version of the Bayer Scientific Magazine, which is published once yearly. The reports from research are available in pdf format for downloading. As an additional service readers can subscribe to the e-mail newsletter, which contains up-to-the-minute news on every aspect of research at Bayer.
Since 1986, research has profiled contemporary topics from all areas of research and development at Bayer. The magazine presents highlights from Bayer’s innovative research pipeline. It gives not only an insight into Bayer’s laboratories but also portraits the people involved in Bayer’s research projects, Interviews and essays with scientists from Bayer and external institutions round off the publication.
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http://www.usatoday.com/news/usaedition/2009-11-24-obama-india_N.htm
Obama hails U.S.-India ties, plans visit in 2010
November 24, 2009
By Mimi Hall, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — President Obama committed Tuesday to implementing a Bush-era nuclear pact and vowed to share more anti-terrorism information with India as he welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to the White House.
"The relationship between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century," Obama said during a news conference with Singh.
The Indian prime minister is the first foreign leader to pay an official visit to the Obama White House complete with a state dinner. Singh and Obama met for two hours before taking questions.
The nuclear pact, first agreed to by Singh and President George W. Bush in 2005, ended a three-decade moratorium on the trading of civilian nuclear energy and technology between the countries.
Noting India's rise as a global economic powerhouse with one of the world's "fastest-growing economies," Obama said increasing trade ties between the two democracies will help create badly needed jobs. He said he has accepted Singh's invitation to visit India in 2010.
Obama also praised Singh for supporting the United States' push for nuclear non-proliferation and welcomed India's participation in a nuclear security summit he will host next year. "I look forward ... to India's participation as a full partner in our shared vision of a world without nuclear weapons," Obama said.
Singh also made reference to Obama's upcoming decision on whether to send more troops to Afghanistan. "It is important for the international community to sustain its engagement in Afghanistan, to help its emergence as a modern state," he said.
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Photo-Obama receives PM Manmohan Singh
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/photogallery/prime-minister-manmohan-singh-india-official-state-visit
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Video-President Obama Toasts Prime Minister Singh of India
President and Mrs. Obama host Prime Minister Singh of the Republic of India at a State Dinner on November 24, 2009.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/president-obama-toasts-prime-minister-singh-india
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Shilpa Shetty becomes Mrs. Raj Kundra
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Shilpa-Shetty-becomes-Mrs-Raj-Kundra-/articleshow/5259900.cms
(Shilpa Shetty weds Raj Kundra)
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AP 4 December 2009, 11:22am IST
Nepal's top politicians, strapped on oxygen tanks, on Friday held a Cabinet meeting amid the frigid, thin air of Mount Everest to highlight the danger of global warming ahead of next week's international climate change talks. (AP)
SYANGBOCHE (Nepal): Nepal's top politicians strapped on oxygen tanks on Friday and held a cabinet meeting amid the frigid, thin air of Mount Everest,
Nepal's top politicians, strapped on oxygen tanks, on Friday held a Cabinet meeting amid the frigid, thin air of Mount Everest to highlight the danger of global warming ahead of next week's international climate change talks. (Watch Video )
The government billed the event as the world's highest cabinet meeting, and getting the ministers to the mountain safely required extensive planning.
Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, his two deputy prime ministers and the 20 cabinet ministers were examined by doctors before boarding helicopters to Kalapathar, a flat area at an altitude of 17,192 feet (5,250 meters) next to Everest base camp, the jumping point for climbers seeking to scale the peak.
The Himalayan Rescue Association's Bikram Neupane said the politicians - bundled in thick jackets, windproof gear and woolen hats - all had adequate oxygen levels in their blood and they were in no immediate danger.
The cabinet met only briefly next to the mountain in an effort to prevent any of the ministers, unused to the heights of the Himalayas, from getting altitude sickness.
The ministers stayed overnight Thursday in the town of Lukla, about 9,180 feet (2,800 meters) high, to acclimatize to the higher elevation. They then traveled to Syangboche - 12,800 feet (3,900 meters) high - where they took the helicopter to the mountain.
They were expected to return to Syangboche later to hold a news conference.
The event came ahead of the international climate change conference next week in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was intended to draw attention to the effects of global warming on the region surrounding the world's highest peak.
Scientists say the Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate, creating lakes with walls that could burst and flood villages below. Melting ice and snow also make the routes for mountaineers less stable and more difficult to follow.
``The hills and mountains used to be covered with snow even during the summer. But now snow can be seen only on the higher peaks,'' said Ngyendon, 66, who like many in the region uses only one name.
Local residents welcomed their guests with cream-colored silk scarfs used for auspicious occasions.
``We are glad the government is taking initiatives before it is too late. Usually authorities tend to act only after accidents. We are now hopeful that something might be done,'' said Mingma, a 47-year-old inn keeper at Syangboche.
There are no climbers during the winter season and most climbing is done during the spring. Kalapathar is considered the best spot to view Everest.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091122/ap_on_sc/us_marine_census
AP – This undated photo released by Census of Marine Life and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution shows …
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Slideshow:Thousands of sea species discovered
By CAIN BURDEAU, Associated Press Writer Cain Burdeau, Associated Press Writer – Sun Nov 22, 3:51 pm ET
NEW ORLEANS – The creatures living in the depths of the ocean are as weird and outlandish as the creations in a Dr. Seuss book: tentacled transparent sea cucumbers, primitive "dumbos" that flap ear-like fins, and tubeworms that feed on oil deposits.
A report released Sunday recorded 17,650 species living below 656 feet, the point where sunlight ceases. The findings were the latest update on a 10-year census of marine life.
"Parts of the deep sea that we assumed were homogenous are actually quite complex," said Robert S. Carney, an oceanographer at Louisiana State University and a lead researcher on the deep seas.
Thousands of marine species eke out an existence in the ocean's pitch-black depths by feeding on the snowlike decaying matter that cascades down — even sunken whale bones. Oil and methane also are an energy source for the bottom-dwellers, the report said.
The researchers have found about 5,600 new species on top of the 230,000 known. They hope to add several thousand more by October 2010, when the census will be done.
The scientists say they could announce that a million or more species remain unknown. On land, biologists have catalogued about 1.5 million plants and animals.
They say they've found 5,722 species living in the extreme ocean depths, waters deeper than 3,280 feet.
"The deep sea was considered a desert until not so long ago; it's quite amazing to have documented close to 20,000 forms of life in a zone that was thought to be barren," said Jesse Ausubel with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a sponsor of the census. "The deep sea is the least explored environment on earth."
More than 40 new species of coral were documented on deep-sea mountains, along with cities of brittlestars and anemone gardens. Nearly 500 new species ranging from single-celled creatures to large squid were charted in the abyssal plains and basins.
Also of importance were the 170 new species that get their energy from chemicals spewing from ocean-bottom vents and seeps. Among them was a family of "yeti crabs," which have silky, hairlike filaments on the legs.
In the mid-Atlantic, researchers found 40 new species and 1,000 in all, said Odd Aksel Bergstad, an oceanographer with the University of Bergen in Norway who was reached by telephone in the Azores islands.
"It was a surprise to me to find such rich communities in the middle of the ocean," he said. "There were not even good maps for the area. Our understanding of the biodiversity there was very weak."
More than 2,000 scientists from 80 countries are working to catalog the oceans' species.
Researching the abyss has been costly and difficult because it involved deep-towed cameras, sonar and remotely operated vehicles that cost $50,000 a day to operate, Carney said.
Once the census is complete, the plan is to publish three books: a popular survey of sea life, a second book with chapters for each working group and a third focusing on biodiversity.
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On the Net:
Census of Marine Life: http://www.coml.org/
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PTI 6 December 2009, 10:09am IST
MUMBAI: India became the number one team in Test rankings after they spanked Sri Lanka by an innings and 24 runs in the third and final Test, on Sunday, to clinch the three-match series by a 2-0 margin.
Needing just four wickets to record an emphatic victory, the hosts took just about 40 minutes to polish off the visiting team's tail to record their second consecutive innings victory.
Resuming at 274/6, the Sri Lankans lost their heroic captain Kumar Sangakkara (137) in the very first over and were bundled out for 309 with Zaheer Khan being the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 5/72.
The Sunday crowd at the Brabourne Stadium, hosting a Test match after a gap of 36 years, witnessed a historic moment as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his men crowned themselves the number one team.
The crowd erupted into a frenzy as Muttiah Muralitharan edged a flighted delivery from Harbhajan Singh to Dhoni to bring down the curtains on the Lankan innings.
The Indian players hugged each other and a beaming coach Gary Kirsten greeted them as they returned to the pavilion.
The victory has given India three points in the ICC rankings, taking their overall tally to 122 and leaving them ahead of South Africa and Sri Lanka in the ICC table.
The teams will now gear up for two Twenty20 matches in Nagpur and Mohali followed by a five-match One-day series which begins at Rajkot from December 15.
The match would be best remembered for the blazing 293-run knock that Virender Sehwag played. The right-hander, however, missed out on becoming the first batsman in the game's history to score three triple tons.
Such was India's dominance that Dhoni's men completed the comprehensive victory in just 7.4 overs this morning.
Zaheer hastened Lanka to their doom by claiming three of the last four wickets to finish with his eighth five-wicket innings haul.
The 31-year-old pacer's figures in the morning sessions read an astonishing 4-1-21-3. Sri Lanka needed 59 more runs to make India bat again but with just four wickets in hand to start the day, only a miracle could have saved the match for them.
After having brought down the visitors to their knees last evening, India dismissed Sangakkara off the third ball to start their victory march.
Zaheer swung the ball a bit away and Sangakkara, who struck his 20th four off his previous ball, was drawn to it like a magnet but only managed to edge it to counterpart Dhoni.
He could add only four runs to his overnight score and fell for 137 in 349 minutes after having prevented the hosts from sweeping to victory last evening.
Zaheer then dismissed Rangana Herath in his third over, caught by a diving Pragyan Ojha at short mid-wicket while attempting a pull.
Muthiah Muralitharan then used the long handle against Zaheer by carting the bowler for three fours in one over before the left-arm pacer sent back overnight unbeaten batsman Nuwan Kulasekara.
Kulasekara, resuming at 9, could not negotiate a rising ball from Zaheer and edged it to second slip fielder VVS Laxman. He added 10 more runs including two boundary hits to his individual score.
Harbhajan then brought down curtains on the match by having Muralitharan caught behind as he tried an almighty heave to give Dhoni his sixth catch in the match.
Spinners Harbhajan, who looked unimpressive for the major part, and Pragyan Ojha finished with two wickets apiece for 80 and 84 runs respectively while S Sreesanth bagged 1 for 36.
It was the second successive innings victory for India following their resounding win by an innings and 144 runs in the second Test at Kanpur. The first Test at Ahmedabad was drawn.
It was also India's 101st Test win and their fifth at this venue in 18 matches.
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091127/ap_on_bi_ge/dubai_debt_fallout
By STEVENSON JACOBS, AP Business Writer Stevenson Jacobs, Ap Business Writer – Fri Nov 27, 6:55 pm ET
NEW YORK – Dubai's debt crisis rattled world financial markets Friday, raising concerns that some banks could further tighten lending and stall the global economic recovery.
The possible spillover effects centered on fears that international banks could suffer big losses if Dubai's investment arm defaulted on its $60 billion debt. Stock and commodity markets tumbled in New York, London and Asia as investors flocked to the U.S. dollar as a safe haven.
But earlier concerns that the crisis might trigger another financial meltdown seemed to ease after some analysts downplayed the risks for U.S. banks, which are thought to have little exposure to the Middle Eastern city-state.
U.S. stocks fell sharply but rebounded from their lows as investors concluded that the damage might be contained. The Dow Jones industrial average lost about 155 points, or roughly 1.5 percent, in a shortened trading day, and other stock averages also sank. Oil prices plunged as much as 7 percent before recovering some ground later in the day.
"I don't think the collateral damage is going to be that great," said Jeffrey Saut, chief investment strategist at Raymond James. "People will dig into this over the weekend, but I think balance sheets have healed enough to withstand a shock like this."
Still, the crisis in Dubai pointed to the vulnerability of the global economy despite signs of recovery. Last year's credit debacle left major banks with billions in losses, forcing them to reduce lending to consumers and businesses.
Access to credit has improved in recent months, but analysts said Dubai's woes could make some banks more cautious. That could further squeeze lending and weaken the recovery after the deepest recession in decades.
"What we need for the economic momentum to continue is for banks to feel confident about lending, and clearly what has happened in the last 48 hours is not a step in the right direction," said David Williams, banking analyst at Fox-Pitt Kelton in London.
Dubai's troubles caught investors by surprise. A year after the global slump derailed the city-state's dizzying growth, its main investment arm, Dubai World, revealed this week it was seeking at least a six-month delay on repaying its $60 billion debt. Credit agencies responded by slashing debt ratings on Dubai's state companies, saying they might consider the plan a default.
In recent years, Dubai has expanded with ambitious, eye-catching projects like the Gulf's palm-shaped islands and the world's tallest skyscraper in hopes of becoming a tourist-friendly Middle Eastern metropolis. In the process, though, the state-backed networks nicknamed Dubai Inc. have racked up $80 billion in red ink. The emirate may now need another bailout from its oil-rich neighbor Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
In Europe, stock markets rebounded after Wall Street fell less than feared. Earlier, stock indexes in Hong Kong and South Korea tumbled 5 percent in response to the previous day's Dubai-related losses in Europe.
The Dubai crisis caused the dollar to spike higher against the euro and pound but slump against the yen, another traditional safe haven. Speculation that the Bank of Japan might intervene by buying dollars or selling yen to aid Japanese exports helped the dollar recover after it had fallen to a 14-year low against the yen.
European banks appeared to be at most risk if Dubai World can't pay its bills. London-based lenders HSBC Holdings and Standard Chartered could face losses of $611 million and $177 million respectively, according to early estimates from analysts at Goldman Sachs. Both have substantial Middle East operations.
South Korea estimated the country's financial institutions have just $88 million in exposure. Construction firms from Japan, Australia and South Korea behind Dubai's recent development boom also might be on the hook.
Among U.S. banks, Citigroup Inc. had $1.9 billion in exposure to the United Arab Emirates as of 2008, according to a JPMorgan research note. But it's unclear how much of that was related to Dubai. Citigroup declined to comment.
In the U.S., Dubai World owns at least eight office buildings and hotels, including the Mandarin Oriental and W Union Square hotels in New York and the Fontainebleau in Miami Beach, according to data supplied by Real Capital Analytics. Its projects also include Dubai World's and casino operator MGM Mirage's deal to build the CityCenter project on the Las Vegas Strip.
Between October 2005 and April 2008, Dubai World bought 10 U.S. properties for about $9.7 billion, the Real Capital Analytics data showed. Two of those properties, both office buildings in New York, were sold in November 2007 for a combined $2.4 billion.
But Dubai World's problems likely won't have a major effect on the U.S. commercial real estate market, said Dan Fasulo, managing director of Real Capital Analytics.
"They didn't acquire enough," Fasulo said. "They have only been active for a few years."
But the effect on the banking system could eventually touch businesses and consumers. Even if most banks could absorb any Dubai-related losses, the emirate's troubles could lead them to reevaluate and scale back lending. That would make it harder for companies to borrow and to help sustain the global recovery, analysts said.
Others expressed concern that Dubai's woes could stall the buying behind asset booms in emerging markets in Asia and Latin America, which have attracted enormous capital amid investor enthusiasm for regions with rapid economic growth.
"I think it will make investors realize they need to be more discriminating about emerging markets," said Arjuna Mahendran, head of Asian investment strategy at HSBC Private Bank in Singapore.
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AP Researcher Bonnie Cao in Beijing and AP Business Writers Jeremiah Marquez in Hong Kong, Tim Paradis and Stephen Bernard in New York, Adrian Sainz in Miami, Kelly Olsen in Seoul and Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSTRE5AT02420091130
"Trailblazing" website reveals 350 years of science
Kate Kelland
Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:52am EST
LONDON (Reuters Life!) - A gruesome account of a 1666 blood transfusion and amusing notes about how an 8-year-old Mozart responded to tests of his genius were published on Monday as part of an online history of scientific endeavor.
The "Trailblazing" website was created by Britain's influential science academy the Royal Society, and includes handwritten papers on some of the most important scientific discoveries of the past three and a half centuries.
Benjamin Franklin's studies on flying a kite in an electrical storm from 1752 show the first time anyone had proposed that lightning is electricity and not a supernatural force.
And Edward Stone's 1763 notes on the success of willow bark in treating fever document the beginnings of the discovery of salicylic acid and the production of aspirin -- now one of the world's most used medicines.
The creators of Trailblazing say it is a "go-at-your-own-pace" virtual journey through science which the Royal Society hopes will inspire members of the public to see science as part of everyday life and culture.
Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society, said the papers showed "a ceaseless quest by scientists over the centuries...to test and build on our knowledge of humankind and the universe."
"They represent those thrilling moments when science allows us to understand better and to see further," he added.
The papers, taken from past issues of the oldest scientific journal in the English-speaking world, Philosophical Transactions, also include documents from 1776 on how Captain James Cook saved his sailors from scurvy with pickled cabbage, lemons and malt -- long before ideas about nutrition developed.
They also include Stephen Hawking's early writing on black holes and Isaac Newton's 1672 landmark work on the nature of light and color and 1940 papers on the discovery of penicillin.
Daines Barrington, a skeptical scientist who wanted to test the claim that Mozart was a genius when he visited London in 1770 at the age of eight, notes the musician was as distracted and playful as any normal boy, but showed remarkable talent.
"The score was no sooner put upon his desk, than he began to play the symphony in a most masterly manner," he wrote.
And a 1755 edition has an account of early vaccinations, with Hans Sloane writing that is "performed by making a very slight incision in the skin of the arm" and putting into it "a dossil dipped in the ripe matter of a favorable kind of small-pox" to protect against later severe natural infection.
Sloane goes on to describes how the procedure was first tested on "six condemned criminals" and then on "half a dozen charity children."
To see the website, go to trailblazing.royalsociety.org
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TNN 10 December 2009, 12:44am IST
NEW DELHI/HYDERABAD: Eleven days after TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao began an indefinite fast for Telangana, the Centre on Wednesday announced that the process of formation of a separate state was being set into motion and that a resolution to this effect would be moved in the Andhra Pradesh assembly shortly. Though he did not specify the timing, there is speculation that it may be tabled as early as Thursday. ( Watch Video )
(P. Chidambaram making announcement)
Life has thus come full circle: the state of Andhra Pradesh was carved out of the erstwhile Madras Principality in 1953 following a fast-unto-death of Potti Sreeramulu in 1952, another fast that has endangered the life of KCR is set to result in the state being split up.
Emerging after a late-night meeting at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s residence, Union home minister P Chidambaram made the announcement, adding that the Centre had requested Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah to withdraw cases against leaders, students and those associated with the separate Telangana agitation. He also appealed to KCR to call off his fast.
There was no announcement on what would happen to Hyderabad, but KCR’s son, K T Rama Rao, told Times Now that Telangana without Hyderabad was unimaginable. However, he said that KCR would end his fast shortly.
Earlier, the deteriorating health condition of the TRS chief as well as the worsening law and order situation in Andhra Pradesh mounted pressure on Congress president Sonia Gandhi and PM Manmohan Singh. A Congress core group that reviewed the situation claimed Maoists and those keen on dislodging the Rosaiah government may be fanning the movement.
The Congress was also vertically split on the issue, with those opposed to the division of Andhra Pradesh stepping up their resistance. Sources said 24 Congress MPs from coastal and Rayalaseema regions wrote to Sonia for a "united Andhra". But ultimately, it was decided that the decades-old movement should not be ignored any longer.
Telangana region accounts for 119 of the 294 assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh and 17 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats.
TRS, which was formed in 2001 on the plank of a separate Telangana by Rao after he quit TDP, was part of the UPA after the 2004 elections. It parted ways with the Congress in 2006, saying the UPA was doing nothing on its demand.
While in the 2004 elections his party won 5 Lok Sabha seats, in 2009 it managed only two seats and suffered severe erosion in the Assembly elections too.
The decision came on a day when in Lok Sabha leaders cutting across party lines expressed concern over the health of Rao and urged for immediate intervention by the Centre.
With the fast entering 11th day, 55-year-old Chandrasekhara Rao's health developed protein malfunction after he refused even intravenous fluids. But in the afternoon doctors said there was a "marginal improvement" in his condition after he agreed to have intravenous fluids and to be put on saline drips.
Tension mounted in the state capital and Telangana region ahead of the "march to Hyderabad" which resembled a fortress as additional police forces were deployed and hundreds of activists were rounded up to prevent any protests.
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Map of Telangana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telangana
Telangana region marked in white within the state of Andhra Pradesh.
Related Links:
a) State(s) of the nation
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/States-of-the-nation-/articleshow/5329710.cms
Ronojoy Sen, TOI Crest 12 December 2009, 11:45am IST
If Vallabhbhai Patel was largely responsible for the present boundaries of India by his masterful integration of the 500-odd princely states into the newly independent nation, it was a former railway employee and Gandhian from Madras who was the catalyst for a redrawing of the country's map. On October 19, 1952, Potti Sriramulu began a fast in the heart of Madras city demanding that a separate state be carved out of Madras province for Telugu-speaking people. In a repeat of history, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) leader K Chandrasekhara Rao's 11-day fast has forced the Centre to announce a separate Telangana state consisting mainly of what was earlier the Hyderabad state.
Much before Independence, the Congress had understood that the British administrative units would not be practical in free India. Many provincial Congress committees were based on linguistic zones and not the administrative divisions of British India. Shortly after Independence, Mahatma Gandhi himself wrote that the government "should hurry up with the re-organisation of linguistic provinces" .
Jawaharlal Nehru was, however, not convinced. In the aftermath of Partition, he felt that any further division of India could undermine the stability of the country. In this Patel supported him. But the Congress's position could not prevent the movements for linguistic autonomy from gathering momentum. Kannada, Marathi, Malayalam and Gujarati speakers were all demanding separate states. The Vishala Andhra movement by Telugu speakers was by far the most vigorous.
Nehru, who had felt the ire of Telugu protesters during the election campaign for the 1952 elections, told Parliament on May 22: "Even though the formation of linguistic provinces may be desirable in some cases, this would obviously be the wrong time." It was in this backdrop that Sriramulu began his fast. When Nehru heard of Sriramulu's fast, he decided to ignore it. After keeping off food for 56 days, Sriramulu died.
All hell broke loose. Large numbers took to the streets and many were killed or injured in police firing. Several legislators resigned their seats in protest. In December 1952, Nehru was forced to concede the protesters' demands and announced the formation of a separate Andhra sate. This would lead to the setting up of the States Reorganisation Commission in 1953. On the basis of its report and under the States Reorganisation Act, 14 states - including Andhra Pradesh, which was a merger of the Andhra and Hyderabad states - and six union territories were created in 1956.
Language would continue to be the basis for formation of new states since 1956. In 1960, Bombay was split into Maharashtra and Gujarat. In this period, ethnicity, a close cousin of language, became a criterion with Nagaland being carved out of Assam. Soon administrative concerns crept in with a three-way split of Punjab into Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in 1966. There were additions to the map and changes in borders in subsequent years with statehood for Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura in 1972 and former UTs, Mizoram, Goa and Arunachal Pradesh, being elevated to states in 1987.
The next real watershed was 2000 when three states came into being - Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal. The first two were the culmination of long-standing demands by tribals for a separate state while Uttaranchal was dictated more by geography with the hilly areas of Uttar Pradesh being carved out to form a separate entity.
The process is not yet complete. The promise of Telangana has been a red rag for those agitating for Gorkhaland, which represents a potent combination of ethnicity and geography. There are other smaller agitations waiting to jump out of the woodwork. In many ways, Sriramulu was the man who lit the fire. Thus Ramachandra Guha points out, "If Jawaharlal Nehru was the maker of modern India, then perhaps Potti Sriramulu should be named its Mercator."
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b) Telangana creation: Protests turn violent, 117 MLAs quit
c) Mayawati for trifurcation of Uttar Pradesh
IANS 11 December 2009, 06:15pm IST
LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh
Chief Minister Mayawati on Friday said she is for creation of independent states of Bundelkhand and Harit Pradesh out of an "unmanageable Uttar Pradesh". (Watch Video )
(Mayawati)
"I have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to give us clearance for creating independent states of Budelkhand and Harit Pradesh out of a giant-sized and unmanageable Uttar Pradesh," Mayawati told a hurriedly convened press conference here Friday evening.
She said her move follows the central government's nod for carving the state of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh.
She said: "I was always in favour of smaller states as they are much simpler to govern."
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NOVEMBER 23, 2009
By AMOL SHARMA in New Delhi and JAY SOLOMON in Washington
India and the U.S. are pushing to tie up vital details of a nuclear-energy cooperation agreement approved by their legislatures last year, ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to the White House Tuesday, said officials from both countries.
Google Earth
India has 17 nuclear-power plants -- including Kakrapar, above, in the western state of Gujarat -- and is building six more to meet growing energy demand.
The nuclear deal was a breakthrough in relations for two nations that were ideologically opposed during the Cold War, and Mr. Singh staked his political reputation to get it approved by a reluctant Indian Parliament.
But American companies haven't yet been able to begin selling their technology and services because of remaining regulatory roadblocks.
"We have made tremendous progress" on the nuclear talks, Timothy Roemer, U.S. ambassador to India, said in New Delhi this week. "We are pushing hard to see a successful conclusion to these issues."
Negotiators from the two nations were due to meet in Washington on Saturday as part of an effort to formalize the pact. The negotiators will focus on an agreement to make sure low-enriched uranium sold by U.S. companies to Indian companies for use in their reactors doesn't end up reprocessed as weapons-grade fuel.
The Obama administration is also seeking greater safeguards for the handling of enriched uranium, and needs a guarantee from India, a nuclear-armed nation, that the fuel won't be used for military purposes, according to officials briefed on the talks.
Washington is also awaiting official assurances from New Delhi -- which refuses to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty -- that it won't pass on its nuclear know-how.
Also delaying the conclusion of the nuclear deal is the passage of an Indian law providing U.S. companies with liability protection in the case of nuclear accidents. Companies such as General Electric Co. say the law is a prerequisite for entering the Indian market. India plans a major expansion of nuclear production by 2020 as part of a broader plan to meet rising energy demand.
Senior Indian officials have told U.S. counterparts that they plan to introduce the liability legislation in the coming session of Parliament.
The Obama administration calls its ties with India one of Washington's most important strategic partnerships. U.S. officials said President Obama and Mr. Singh will announce a string of joint projects focused on education, clean energy and defense, following their Tuesday morning meeting at the White House.
On Monday, Mr. Singh will be hosted at a lunch by Vice President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Mr. Obama will host a state dinner for him on Tuesday night.
"We are putting in place now a wide range of bilateral cooperation to really reflect the new level of engagement." Assistant Secretary of State Robert Blake said this week in Washington.
Mr. Singh's visit comes almost a year after gunmen from Pakistan led an assault on Mumbai, India's financial hub, which left at least 170 people dead. The U.S. and India have since stepped up intelligence-sharing and counterterrorism cooperation, and are moving to formalize those arrangements, said Indian and U.S. officials.
Despite growing ties, the U.S. and India are still working through a number of contentious issues, said South Asia experts.
Discussions about the nuclear pact dominated Mr. Singh's trip to Washington in 2005, when former President George W. Bush's administration was pushing aggressively for the deal. Mr. Obama came into office pledging to develop a "regional" solution to South and Central Asia's instability, and specifically cited the need to resolve India's conflict with Pakistan over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
The White House initially envisioned its special envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, playing a direct role in mediating the Kashmir issue, according to U.S. officials. But New Delhi pushed backed against any direct American role.
The Obama administration also continues to debate India's growing economic and diplomatic role inside Afghanistan. U.S. officials have publicly praised New Delhi's developmental assistance to Kabul. But privately, officials in Washington say New Delhi's involvement could be driving Pakistan to support the Taliban out of fears of being encircled by India's presence in Afghanistan.
India also remains wary of Washington's regional relationship with China. Indian officials voiced dismay this week after Mr. Obama signed a communiqué with his Chinese counterpart pledging to jointly cooperate to promote stability in South Asia.
New Delhi viewed the statement as the U.S. allowing Beijing to police the countries to its south and west.
"We don't want to be subordinated to China in South Asia," said C. Raja Mohan, an influential Indian strategic analyst, at a Washington policy forum this week.
—Paul Beckett contributed to this article.
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http://www.usaweekend.com/09_issues/091213/091213healthsmart-diabetes.html
Issue Date: December 13, 2009
A blood glucose monitor just might save your life.
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If trends continue, Americans will face a costly and unhealthy future because of diabetes. According to 2007 estimates from the National Institutes of Health, more than 23 million Americans -- almost 8% of the population -- have the disease, and a recent study projects that number will double in the next 25 years. The NIH also estimates that an additional 57 million adults have impaired fasting glucose (IFG), a type of "pre-diabetes," so the potential impact of the disease on our population is dramatic.
We spend about $174 billion each year on direct and indirect costs related to diabetes. That means that the medical expenditures for a person with diabetes are about 2.3 times higher than they would be for someone without the disease.
Many folks think of diabetes as a "sugar" issue, but diabetes is actually a complex medical condition affecting the body's production and use of insulin, a hormone that the pancreas produces. It's important to keep this in mind because the risks it poses to a person's health are numerous, dangerous and often undetected until the damage is irreversible. That's why it's so important to find out where you stand.
The good news is that your health can be improved by making simple, consistent lifestyle changes. |
Here's the problem: You can feel "normal" but have abnormal blood sugar levels, so you need to get tested, particularly if you have risk factors for diabetes (obesity, sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, family history). If you're reluctant to visit your doctor for a blood glucose test, one alternative is to test yourself. To do that, go to your pharmacy and buy a blood glucose monitor. Fast overnight (don't eat anything for at least eight hours), then check your blood sugar in the morning.
If your result is less than 100, that's normal -- which is great. If your blood glucose is 100 to 125, then you have IFG. And if your reading is higher than 125, you may have diabetes.
If you have a fasting blood glucose reading above 100, it's important to visit your doctor. Denying the problem can lead to damage to the blood vessels, the nervous system, and organs such as the eyes, heart and kidneys. Fortunately, your health can be improved by making simple, consistent changes to your lifestyle. Coupling regular exercise with a healthful diet is an outstanding way to make your body start burning sugar more effectively. For people with higher blood sugar readings, medication may be necessary as part of the plan.
Address the problem head-on. Ignorance is definitely not bliss when it comes to diabetes.
Contributing Editor Tedd Mitchell, M.D., is the president and CEO of Dallas' Cooper Clinic.
He writes HealthSmart every week.
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NORBERT REGO27 November 2009, 12:59pm IST
There is mounting evidence that there’s a strong link between stress and gum disease.
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Researchers have found a connection between gum disease and stress and related psychological symptoms like anxiety, depression, and loneliness. Although it’s difficult to pinpoint the negative effects of stress on your gums, the studies suggest that elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol may be involved. In addition, stress may make people more lax about their oral health habits.
According to Harvard University research, if you get angry, your gums will suffer. Stress can lead to bruxism (gnashing of teeth), dry mouth, burning mouth syndrome and lichen planus (skin disorder). “Individuals with high stress levels tend to increase their bad habits, which can be harmful to periodontal health. They are less attentive to their oral hygiene and may increase their use of nicotine, alcohol or drugs.” Patients should seek healthy ways to relieve stress through exercise, balanced eating, plenty of sleep and maintaining a positive mental attitude. Patients who minimise stress may be at less risk for periodontal diseases.
If untreated, stress-related gum disease can lead to loss of teeth as well as bone in the jaw. Symptoms include bleeding gums, swollen gums, bad breath, and loose teeth.
Stress-related gum disease falls in the list of diseases caused by stress, along with a million other disorders. This is because, according to research, stress makes it more difficult for the body to fight infection.
Self-diagnosis tips
• Persistent bad breath
• Swollen gums
• Bleeding, tender gum tissue
• Painful chewing
• Loose teeth
• Sensitive teeth
Prevention tips
* Brush twice a day for at least three minutes each time and floss daily. If you're not sure whether you're brushing or flossing properly, your dentist or dental hygienist can show you the best techniques.
* Always brush with toothpaste that contains fluoride.
* Use a toothbrush with soft, polished bristles, as these are less likely to irritate or injure gum tissue. Be sure to replace your toothbrush at least every three to four months -- a worn-out toothbrush can injure your gums. (Some toothbrush brands contain colour indicators on the bristles to remind you to replace them when they become worn.)
* Eat a healthy diet. Avoid snacks and junk foods packed with sugar that plaque-causing bacteria love to feed on.
* Don't smoke! Cigarettes and chewing tobacco cause mouth irritation and are very unhealthy for gums and teeth.
* Regular dental care is extremely important in helping to keep your mouth healthy. Visit your dentist for routine care, especially cleaning, at least twice a year. Your dentist can remove hardened plaque and tartar.
* Rinse thoroughly after every meal.
Try these healthy snacks
* Celery and carrot snacks with hommous or avocado dip
* Vegemite crackers with cheese
* Plain yoghurt, fresh fruit and nuts
(Inputs from Dr Shantanu Jaradi, Mumbai-based aesthetic dentist)
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Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP