Gigantic hole in Antarctic glacier signals rapid decay: NASA

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A team of scientists from the US space agency NASA has discovered a gigantic hole made from 14 billion tons of ice melt, particularly in the last three years, in a West Antarctica glacier. This indicates rapid decay of the ice sheet and acceleration in rising global sea levels due to climate change.

The size of the cavity, almost 300 metres tall, was discovered to be growing at the bottom of the Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica, where ocean water could flow in and melt the glacier from below. 

Importantly, most of that ice melted over the last three years, the findings showed.

"(The size of) a cavity under a glacier plays an important role in melting," said lead author Pietro Milillo of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California. 

"As more heat and water get under the glacier, it melts faster."

The cavity, reported in the Science Advances journal, was revealed by ice-penetrating radar in NASA's Operation IceBridge -- an airborne campaign that began in 2010 and which studies connections between the polar regions and the global climate. 

Thwaites Glacier is currently responsible for approximately 4 per cent of the global sea level rise. 

It holds enough ice to raise the world's oceans a little over 2 feet and backstops neighbouring glaciers that would raise sea levels to an additional 8 feet if all the ice were lost.

Thwaites is one of the hardest places to reach on Earth, but it is about to become better known than ever before. 

The huge cavity was under the main trunk of the glacier on its western side - the side farther from the West Antarctic Peninsula. 

In this region, as the tide rises and falls, the grounding line retreats and advances across a zone of about 3 km to 5 km. The glacier has been coming unstuck from a ridge in the bedrock at a steady rate of about 0.6 km to 0.8 km a year since 1992. 

Despite this stable rate of grounding-line retreat, the melting rate on this side of the glacier is extremely high.

These results highlighted that ice-ocean interactions were more complex than previously understood.

Only five water arsenic removal technologies reach WHO standard: Study

Only five of the 14 technologies designed to remove arsenic from groundwater -- a health threat to at least 140 million people in 50 countries -- tested also in India reached levels of the World Health Organization (WHO) standard, a United Nations University study said on Thursday.

But all the 14 technologies achieved removal efficiency levels ranging from 60 to 99 per cent, with 10 removing more than 90 per cent.

This fact came to light in a report, "Cost and Efficiency of Arsenic Removal from Groundwater: A Review", by United Nations University's Canada-based Institute for Water, Environment and Health.

It said technologies that demonstrate high removal efficiencies when treating moderately arsenic-contaminated water may not be as efficient when treating highly contaminated water.

Also, the lifetime of the removal agents is a significant factor in determining their efficiency.

The 14 technologies tested in the field -- at the household or community level -- are in Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Nicaragua, besides India.

It also studied 23 technologies independently tested in laboratory settings using groundwater from nine countries -- Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Guatemala, India, Thailand, the US and Vietnam -- and demonstrated efficiencies ranging from 50 to 100 per cent, with a majority reaching above 90 per cent.

About half of these technologies achieved the WHO standard of 10 Aug/L (micrograms per litre).

The study compares for the first time the effectiveness and costs of many different technologies designed to remove arsenic from groundwater.

It draws on 31 peer-reviewed, comparable research papers published between 1996 and 2018, each describing new technologies tested in laboratories and or in field studies.

And while no single technology offers a universal solution, the research helps point to remedies likely to prove most economical and efficient given the many variables present in different locations worldwide.

Serious health, social and economic losses are caused worldwide by arsenic-contaminated water and a wide range of technologies exists to remove it but "their widespread application remains limited", said the report.

From 2014 to 2018, over 17,400 arsenic-related publications were published and "there is a myriad of reportedly alow-cost' technologies for treating arsenic-contaminated water.

"But the specific costs associated with these technologies are rarely documented," said Duminda Perera, a Senior Researcher at Institute for Water, Environment and Health and report co-author.

The report notes that "arsenic-removal technology should only be seen as efficient if it can bring the water to the WHO standard"

In 2010, WHO's recommended a drinking water limit of 10 Aug/L, but countries with resource constraints or certain environmental circumstances e.g. typically high arsenic concentrations in groundwater have much higher, easier-to-reach concentration targets.

"While this may help national policymakers report better results for their national arsenic reduction efforts, it may have the opposite effect on public health," the report said.

"Higher thresholds will not help solve this public health crisis. On the contrary, if a country has a feeling that the arsenic situation is coming under control, this may reduce the sense of urgency in policy circles to eradicate the problem, while the population continues to suffer from arsenic poisoning."

It is estimated that in Bangladesh, for example, where the nationally-acceptable arsenic limit in water is set to 50 Aug/L, more than 20 million people consume water with arsenic levels even higher than the national standard.

And globally, despite international efforts, millions of people globally continue to be exposed to concentrations reaching 100 Aug/L or more.

Leading authors Yina Shan and Praem Mehta noted that exposure to arsenic can lead to severe health, social and economic consequences, including arsenicosis e.g. muscular weakness and mild psychological effects), skin lesions and cancers -- lung, liver, kidney, bladder and skin.

Arsenic-related health complications and mortality also lead to significant economic losses due to lost productivity.

The economic burden in Bangladesh is projected to reach $13.8 billion by around 2030.

100 Indian students arrested in US over immigration fraud

At least 100 Indian students and eight student recruiters of Indian origin have been arrested and several others face arrest warrants after raids conducted by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency for alleged immigration rules violations, the American Telugu Association (ATA) said.

The ICE, under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), conducted the morning raids on Wednesday and arrested scores of Telugu students nationwide in a crackdown on foreign students staying in the US without proper authorization, the ATA said in a Facebook post.

The DHS said it set up a fake university with undercover agents as staff in Farmington Hills, Michigan, to target foreign students who were staying in the US without proper authorization, according to federal indictments unsealed in Detroit.

The ATA said that the news was brought to its attention by the affected students and their friends and that the association's legal and local teams in various cities swung into action for guidance and help. 

The association, according to Detroit Free Press, confirmed that about 100 students had been arrested and others were facing arrest warrants. It said it was trying to help the affected students and had met Indian consular officials in the US about the case. 

Eight student recruiters were charged with participating in a conspiracy to help at least 600 "foreign citizens to illegally remain, re-enter and work in the US and actively recruited them to enroll in a fraudulent school as part of a 'pay to stay' scheme", said the indictments. 

Six of them were arrested in Detroit and one each in Florida and Virginia. 

The recruiters were identified as Bharath Kakireddy from Florida, Aswanth Nune from Atlanta, Suresh Reddy Kandala from Virginia, Phanideep Karnati from Kentucky, Prem Kumar Rampeesa from North Carolina, Santosh Reddy Sama from California, Avinash Thakkallapally from Pennsylvania and Naveen Prathipati from Dallas.

The ATA urged the "students to be wary of fake agents who promise illegal ways to stay in US through admissions in unaccredited colleges and universities".

Rahul Reddy, an immigration attorney in Houston, said in a live-stream on YouTube that students who may have been enrolled at the university were detained in Houston, Atlanta, Charlotte and St. Louis. 

The government of Pakistan on Thursday said that Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman who has been cleared of all blasphemy charges after spending eight years on death row, was free to leave the country.

Pakistan's top court rejected an appeal against Bibi's acquittal on Tuesday, paving the way for her potential departure from the country.

"There is a Supreme Court verdict which everyone has. It is not something secret. The verdict of the Supreme Court will be implemented", Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal told reporters in Islamabad.

"To the best of my knowledge, Aasia Bibi is still in Pakistan. It's up to her if she wants to live in Pakistan and if (she) want(s) to go abroad," Faisal said, adding that Bibi was "a free Pakistani citizen" and that there were no restrictions on her movement.

Ahead of the court ruling on Tuesday, Bibi's lawyer Saiful Malook told Efe news that she might join two of her daughters in Canada, but it was as yet unclear whether she would choose to leave her homeland.

Pakistan's blasphemy laws, which date from the period of British colonial rule, carry a potential death sentence for anyone who insults Islam and its figures.

Critics allege that the laws have been used to persecute minorities in the country of 200 million people - 95 to 98 per cent of whom are Muslims.

Bibi, a mother of five, was accused by two other women in 2009 of making offensive comments against the Prophet Muhammad, the most revered figure in Islam.

A court sentenced her to death in 2010 and she lost an appeal before the Lahore High Court four years later.

In October last year, the Supreme Court overturned her death sentence, triggering massive protests by far-right Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan that paralyzed the country for three days.

Bibi was released from prison on November 7 but was kept in a safe house and barred from leaving the country while the Supreme Court reviewed the appeal against her acquittal.

The government, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, reached an agreement with the Islamist group in November to end the protests, promising to allow them to request the judiciary to ban Bibi from moving abroad until the top court had issued its ruling.

At the end of November, the government arrested TLP leader Khadim Hussain Rizvi along with 3,000 of his followers for inciting the protests.

Mamata says never wanted to make living out of painting

 A day after challenging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prove that she took money selling her paintings, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday continued to join issue with the BJP and said she paints because she is passionate about the art form, but it was never her intention "to make a living out of it".

On Tuesday, BJP president Amit Shah claimed that her works were bought by chit fund owners for crores of rupees.

Speaking during the launch at the International Kolkata Book Fair of a calendar that contains a number of sketches done by her, Banerjee continued in an aggressive mode. "Some friends told me. Seeing the calendar, some people in Delhi may resort to some adverse comments. I told them I would send copies to them (her detractors)," she said.

Banerjee said despite being a seven-time Lok Sabha member, she does not take "even a farthing" as MP's pension. "I don't even take the MLA allowances. I paint because I am passionate about it. But I never intended to make a living out of it".

"My only source of earning is the royalty I get from my published books," she said.

On Wednesday, speaking at a public rally in Birbhum district's Rampurhat, Banerjee had dared Modi and Shah to prove that she has taken "even a single penny" by selling her paintings. She called the BJP leaders "uncivil" threatening that her party will soon file a defamation suit.

Shah on Tuesday accused the Bengal government of trying to protect the chit fund owners in the state as some of them bought Banerjee's paintings by paying big amounts.

New cocktail-inspired male birth control reversible, effective

Chinese researchers have developed an experiment cocktail-inspired male birth control method that is long-lasting, effective and reversible.

For decades, women have shouldered most of the burden of contraception. However, long-term use of female birth control pills could increase the risk for side-effects such as blood clots or breast cancer. 

Common forms of male contraception are either short-term (condoms) or long-term (vasectomy). However, condoms can fail and vasectomies, while effective, are not often reversible. 

Now, a team from the Nanchang University developed a new method that involves injecting four layers of materials into the vas deferens -- the duct in the male reproductive system that conveys sperm from the testicle to the urethra. 

The layers are injected sequentially, beginning from a hydrogel that forms a physical barrier to sperm; a gold nanoparticles, which heat up when irradiated with near-infrared light; an ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), a chemical that breaks down the hydrogel and also kills sperm; and finally, another layer of gold nanoparticles. 

The injected materials kept the rats from impregnating females for more than 2 months. 

However, when the researchers shone a near-infrared lamp on the rats for a few minutes, the layers mixed and dissolved, allowing the animals to produce offspring. 

"Inspired by cocktails, we designed a medium term (2-20 weeks) male contraceptive strategy. Through a sequential injection process of four reagents, physical clogging of the vas deferens and chemical inhibition of the sperm motility were realised simultaneously," said Xiaolei Wang from the University.

"The contraceptive period could be directly preset by adjusting the injection ratio of each reagent," Wang said.

The method, reported in the journal ACS Nano, was inspired from cocktails, such as the Galaxy, that bartenders make by layering colourful liquids in a glass. 

If the beverage is stirred or heated, the layers combine into a uniform liquid. 

Similarly, applying heat would cause the injected layers of materials to mix, breaking them down and "unplugging the pipeline", Wang noted.

While previous attempts to create a male pill have resulted in side effects such as liver damage or low sex drive, the researchers say that this pilot experiment is promising. However, more research is needed to verify the safety of the materials.

WhatsApp announces 'Startup India-Grand Challenge'

In an effort to encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses in India, Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp on Thursday announced the "Startup India-WhatsApp Grand Challenge".

The top five start-ups will receive a total grant of $250,000, the company said in a statement. 

"Ideas and business models capable of making a large-scale socio-economic impact and solve day-to-day problems have been invited to apply for the challenge by March 10," said WhatsApp.

The messaging app, with 1.3 billion global users and over 200 million users in India, has been working closely on its business platform for a year now.

Nearly one year after debuting the WhatsApp Business application, the app is now used by more than 5 million businesses monthly.

In India, 84 per cent of small and midsize business (SMBs) think that WhatsApp helps them communicate with customers, and 80 per cent of SMBs think that WhatsApp helps them grow their business.

Kerala allocates Rs 150 cr for NRK schemes

Various schemes to the tune of Rs 150 crore to benefit the diaspora community of the state were announced in the Kerala Budget 2019-20 here on Thursday.

Presenting the budget in the Assembly Finance Minister Thomas Isaac said the biggest allocation of Rs 81 crore was for the various programmes of the Loka Kerala Sabha (LKS) .

He said that starting in the new fiscal, the bodies of Keralites who die in various Middle East countries will be brought free to their homes.

The LKS was formed in 2018 by the Pinarayi Vijayan government when 351 members, including 141 legislators, parliament members from the state and some 130 selected representatives of Kerala-based organisations from within and outside the country, got under one roof to discuss the issues of the Kerala diaspora.

"Rs 25 crore has been set aside for the Santhwanam Scheme wherein the returned diaspora member who earn less than a lakh annually will be given assistance in case of emergencies. 

"Rs 15 crore has been set aside to provide for interest and capital subsidies to be given to those returned diaspora members who begin independent ventures. 

"Rs 5 crore has been set aside to meet the expenses of various diaspora festivals to be held outside India," said Isaac in his speech.

The Minister announced a 'Pravasi Dividend Pension Scheme' that will provide a regular monthly pension of Rs 2,000 to all Non-Resident Keralites (NRK) on a onetime payment of Rs 5 lakh.

The monthly pension payment will begin after five years of joining the scheme and those who wish to avail a higher pension could pay in multiples of Rs five lakhs.

Issac also set aside Rs 15 crore for rehabilitation programmes of returned diaspora and another Rs 9 crore for the NRK Welfare Fund.

According to a study there are 2.1 million migrants from Kerala across the world whose estimated total annual remittances to the state have been found to be Rs 85,092 crore.

Of these close to 90 per cent are in various Middle East countries.

It has also been estimated that there are around one million NRK who have returned to the state.

Sensex jumps over 500 points as US Fed keeps rate unchanged

Sensex and Nifty logged strong gains during the afternoon session of the trade on Thursday amid a surge in global markets as the US Federal Reserve decided to keep the interest rates unchanged.

Shares of IT companies led the gains as BSE IT index rose close to 2 per cent. Key sectors banking, finance as well as oil and gas stocks also surged over 1 per cent.

"US Fed's decision to keep the interest rates unchanged is good for the emerging markets. Investors are also upbeat owing to the healthy Q3 results by large caps," Rusmik Oza, Head-Fundamental Research, Kotak Securities, told IANS.

"...also the short covering ahead of the F&O expiry due later in the day gave a push to the markets."

Oza said the upcoming interim Budget may not have a material impact on the markets because "it would just be announcements. Investors will focus on the July budget, which will be of much greater importance."

At 2.15 p.m., the BSE Sensex rose 507.67 points or 1.43 per cent at 36,098.92 while the Nifty of the NSE jumped 132.95 points to trade at 10,784.75.

Stock-wise, Infosys gained the most, up 3.43 per cent among the 30 stock Sensex followed by Kotak Mahindra Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank and HDFC.

The only laggards were Yes Bank, down 2.08 per cent followed by HCL Tech, Hero MotoCorp, Bajaj Finance and ICICI Bank.

3.5 million mobile phones produced in Andhra every month: Governor

One in every 5 mobile handsets produced in India is now Made in Andhra and over 3-3.5 million phones are produced every month in the state today, Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan said on Wednesday.

Addressing both Houses of the state Legislature on the first day of the Budget session, he highlighted the rapid strides made by the state in the industrial sector.

He said that Andhra Pradesh was proud to have attracted one of the single largest FDIs in a greenfield project in India in recent times. 

"Indonesian pulp and paper giant, Asia Pulp & Paper Group (APP), is setting up not only India's but perhaps the largest paper mill in a single site in the world at Ramayapatnam in Prakasam district with an investment of Rs 24,500 crore."

The state government recently entered into an MoU with the Adani Group to set up a renewable powered 5GW Data Centre in Visakhapatnam with a proposed investment of Rs 70,000 crore, he said.

The Governor claimed that Andhra Pradesh made achievements on all fronts during the last four and a half years despite no support from the Centre.

He said had the Centre been supportive, the magnitude of achievement would have been much more.

While the state re-organization had put tremendous stress on the financial and other resources, the government's irrevocable commitment diligently spearheaded by the leadership has helped overcome the difficulties.

With the Budget session likely to be the last session before simultaneous elections to the state Assembly and Lok Sabha, the Governor's address focussed on the performance and also targeted the Centre for not fulfilling the commitments made in the AP Re-organization Act, 2014 and other assurances made by the then Prime Minister.

"The State's growth performance averaging at 10.66% (compared to all India growth rate of 7.3%), the highest in the country during this period, only points to the spectacular performance cutting across sectors, despite non-cooperation and lack of support from the Centre," he said.

He pointed out that agriculture and allied sectors have recorded a 11 per cent growth rate, the highest in the country, compared to national average growth rate of 2.4 per cent.

"Countless requests made by the state to the Union government for financial and infrastructural handholding to bring our infant state to a level playing field with its neighbouring states have literally fallen on deaf ears. 

"While the state bifurcation was imposed on us and we have inherited several problems, the apathetic attitude of the Centre proved even more agonizing."

Narasimhan said the shocking decision of the Union government to take back the funds of Rs 350 crore credited to the State exchequer for taking up developmental works in the seven backward districts not only disturbs the continuity of works but also destroys the credibility of the Centre.

"On top of all, the Union government's decision not to heed to our legitimate demand of according Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh citing incorrect and incoherent reasons is a major setback for the State in its development pursuit."

He said the government was now moving ahead with a saturation approach. It has achieved saturation in areas of benefit transfer, basic infrastructure and service provisioning.

The growth of industry and manufacturing sectors in Andhra Pradesh has outpaced industrial growth in India over the past three years. 

In 2017-18, growth rates of industrial sector were 4.40 percent for India and 8.49 percent for Andhra Pradesh.

The Governor said the state government was tracking 2,633 large and mega projects with committed investment of Rs 15.77 lakh crore with an employment potential of 33.30 lakh envisaged through the MoUs during partnership summits.

Priyanka Chopra to play Ma Anand Sheela in her next

Actress Priyanka Chopra will be essaying the role of spiritual leader and Oshos disciple Ma Anand Sheela in her next project.

The actress opened up about her project, which she is also producing, during an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show". 

"I am developing a feature with Barry Levinson. He is an iconic American director. We are developing it (from the perspective of) Sheela who is this guru who originated from India," Priyanka said in a video clip, which surfaced on the Internet on Wednesday.

"She was his right hand woman and she was devious. She created a whole cult in America. He was called Osho. I don't know if you've heard of him. It was amazing. I am developing that next for me to star in and produce," she added. 

The story of Ma Anand Sheela gained popularity after the success of the documentary "Wild Wild Country" - which charted the growth of Osho's community from India to setting up a cult in Oregon in the US. It highlighted the role that Sheela played in the growth of the community, and its downfall. 

She appeared on the talk show to promote her Hollywood movie "Isn't It Romantic", which also stars Liam Hemsworth, Adam DeVine and Rebel Wilson. 

FSSAI bans staple pins in tea bags from June 30

Food regulator FSSAI on Wednesday issued a notification seeking a ban on the use of pins in tea bags by the food business operators (FBOs) by June 30.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has asked the FBOs to discontinue manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of stapled tea bags by June 30. 

Last year, it had decided to ban the stapler pins in tea bags from January 2019 as it poses potential hazard to consumers since any loose staple pin consumed inadvertently with tea may cause a serious health hazard.

Earlier, FBOs had raised the issue of cost involved in changing over staple-less machines and presence of a few manufacturers of such machines globally.

The FSSAI ruled out the possibility of "blanket extension".

However, it said extension may be given on a case-to-case basis depending on firm commitment from the FBOs with proper proof to change over within a specified time.

The food authority has also directed the tea bag manufacturing units to submit their plan to switch to new system by procuring the new machines or modifying the existing machines. 

Warming oceans can increase frequency of extreme rain storms

Rapid climate change, that is causing warming of the tropical oceans, could lead to a substantial increase in the frequency of extreme rain storms by the end of the century, say scientists from NASA.

The study team, led by Hartmut Aumann of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, found that extreme storms -- those producing at least 3 millimetres of rain per hour over a 25-kilometre area -- formed when the sea surface temperature was higher than about 28 degrees Celsius.

They also found that 21 per cent more storms form for every 1 degree Celsius that ocean surface temperatures rise.

Currently accepted climate models project that with a steady increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (1 per cent per year), tropical ocean surface temperatures may rise by as much as 2.7 degrees Celsius by the end of the century. 

If this were to happen, we could expect the frequency of extreme storms to increase by as much as 60 per cent by that time, the researchers explained.

Although climate models are not perfect, results like these can serve as a guideline for those looking to prepare for the potential effects a changing climate may have.

"Our results quantify and give a more visual meaning to the consequences of the predicted warming of the oceans," Aumann said. 

"More storms mean more flooding, more structure damage, more crop damage and so on, unless mitigating measures are implemented."

For the study, published in the the Geophysical Research Letters journal, the team combed through 15 years of data acquired by NASA's Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument over the tropical oceans to determine the relationship between the average sea surface temperature and the onset of severe storms.

20 genes that can predict severity of dengue identified

Researchers, including one of an Indian-origin, have identified 20 genes that can predict an individual's likelihood of developing a severe form of dengue fever with about 80 per cent accuracy.

The team from Standford University in the US, identified a gene-expression pattern that predicts which people infected with dengue -- a mosquito-borne virus that can cause fever and joint pain, among other symptoms -- are at highest risk for developing a severe form of the illness.

Every year, between 200 million and 400 million people in tropical and subtropical regions of the world contract dengue fever, and about 500,000 of those cases are fatal. 

For the most part, people with the disease recover after receiving some fluids and a few days' rest, said Purvesh Khatri, Associate Professor at the varsity. 

"But there's a smaller subset of patients who get severe dengue, and right now we don't know how to tell the difference," Khatri said.

Anywhere from 5 to 20 per cent of dengue cases will advance to severe. 

Currently, to diagnose severe dengue the doctors wait to observe specific symptoms and results of laboratory tests that typically emerge in the late stages of the disease. 

"These practices are not nearly sensitive or accurate enough, and some patients end up admitted to the hospital unnecessarily, while others are discharged prematurely," said Shirit Einav, Associate Professor.

The new set of genes, reported in the Cell Reports journal, can help identify predictive biomarkers that can help doctors reliably gauge the likelihood of severe dengue in patients who are newly symptomatic and use that information to provide more accurate care to help guide therapeutic clinical studies and, in the future, to guide treatment decisions.

The genes could serve as a basis for a targeted therapy for dengue, Einav said - but that's far on the horizon. 

E-cigs no safer alternative than traditional smoking: Study

If you are an e-cigarette smoker and claim it to be 'safer' than combustible cigarettes, then take note. A new study warns that vapers are at risk of having heart attacks, strokes, and coronary heart diseases.

The study, conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA), found that heart attacks are nearly 60 per cent more common among vapers. 

In addition, people who vape are twice as likely to also smoke traditional cigarettes as are those who do not vape. 

"It's obviously quite concerning. This is a potential chip of the spear, of a wave of cardio-vascular disease, that may be coming in the future, especially since this has been so attractive to young users," Larry Goldstein, chairman of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, US was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. 

E-cigarettes were often originally advertised as a cessation aid for smokers.

However, with increased research, it has become clear that 'safer' does not mean safe and that they are more likely to be an addition to, rather than substitute for, combustible cigarettes. 

For the study, the team recruited 400,000 people among which 66,795 respondents who vaped had a 71 per cent higher risk of stroke. 

The same group was at a 59 per cent higher risk of having a heart attack or angina.

Angina is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. 

In addition, they were at 40 per cent greater risk of developing heart disease. 

The researchers could not, however, conclude that vaping kills. 

Importantly, rates of e-cigarette use are highest among the young people suggesting that only 4.2 per cent of adults vape, as compared to 11.3 per cent of high school students, reported Daily Mail. 

The public health officials must continue to push for a ban on sweet flavoured e-liquids that are so enticing to younger users, Goldstein suggested. 

"It's hard to know what contribution this has to that, but it doesn't appear to be safer, or safe right now from the data that's available," Goldstein noted.

E-cigs no safer alternative than traditional smoking: Study

If you are an e-cigarette smoker and claim it to be 'safer' than combustible cigarettes, then take note. A new study warns that vapers are at risk of having heart attacks, strokes, and coronary heart diseases.

The study, conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA), found that heart attacks are nearly 60 per cent more common among vapers. 

In addition, people who vape are twice as likely to also smoke traditional cigarettes as are those who do not vape. 

"It's obviously quite concerning. This is a potential chip of the spear, of a wave of cardio-vascular disease, that may be coming in the future, especially since this has been so attractive to young users," Larry Goldstein, chairman of the Kentucky Neuroscience Institute, US was quoted as saying by Daily Mail. 

E-cigarettes were often originally advertised as a cessation aid for smokers.

However, with increased research, it has become clear that 'safer' does not mean safe and that they are more likely to be an addition to, rather than substitute for, combustible cigarettes. 

For the study, the team recruited 400,000 people among which 66,795 respondents who vaped had a 71 per cent higher risk of stroke. 

The same group was at a 59 per cent higher risk of having a heart attack or angina.

Angina is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. 

In addition, they were at 40 per cent greater risk of developing heart disease. 

The researchers could not, however, conclude that vaping kills. 

Importantly, rates of e-cigarette use are highest among the young people suggesting that only 4.2 per cent of adults vape, as compared to 11.3 per cent of high school students, reported Daily Mail. 

The public health officials must continue to push for a ban on sweet flavoured e-liquids that are so enticing to younger users, Goldstein suggested. 

"It's hard to know what contribution this has to that, but it doesn't appear to be safer, or safe right now from the data that's available," Goldstein noted.

Vitamin D intake could lower diabetes risk: Study

While Vitamin D helps in promoting bone health, a new study suggests that it may also promote greater insulin sensitivity, thus lowering glucose levels and the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes.

The study, conducted only on women, showed that vitamin D supplementation was found to be negatively associated with high glucose levels. 

In addition, habitual exposure to the sun also provided the same association, demonstrating that vitamin D deficiencies are associated with high blood glucose levels, said the study, published in Menopause: The journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS).

"Although a causal relationship has not been proven, low levels of vitamin D may play a significant role in Type-2 diabetes mellitus. Vitamin D supplementation may help improve blood sugar control, but intervention studies are still needed," said JoAnn Pinkerton, Executive Director at the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). 

Furthermore, a previous study has also found that vitamin D supplements can reduce the risk of potentially fatal lung attacks in some patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

For the study, the team from NAMS involved 680 women aged 35 to 74 years among which 24 (3.5 per cent) reported using vitamin D supplements. 

New ingestible, expanding pill to track ulcers, stomach cancer

MIT engineers have designed an ingestible pill that upon reaching the stomach quickly swells to the size of a soft, squishy ping-pong ball and could potentially track ulcers, cancers, and other intestinal conditions.

The inflatable pill is embedded with a sensor that continuously tracks the stomach's temperature for up to 30 days. 

The pill may safely deliver a number of different sensors to the stomach to monitor, for instance, pH levels, or signs of certain bacteria or viruses. 

"The dream is to have a Jell-O-like smart pill, that once swallowed stays in the stomach and monitors the patient's health for a long time such as a month," said Xuanhe Zhao, Associate Professor at MIT.

"With our design, you wouldn't need to go through a painful process to implant a rigid balloon. 

"Maybe you can take a few of these pills instead, to help fill out your stomach, and lose weight. We see many possibilities for this hydrogel device," Zhao said.

If the pill needs to be removed from the stomach, a patient can drink a solution of calcium that triggers the pill to quickly shrink to its original size and pass safely out of the body.

The new pill, detailed in Nature Communications journal, is made from two types of hydrogels -- mixtures of polymers and water that resemble the consistency of Jell-O. 

The combination enables the pill to quickly swell in the stomach while remaining impervious to the stomach's churning acidic environment.

In the lab, the researchers dunked the pill in various solutions of water and fluid resembling gastric juices, and found the pill inflated to 100 times its original size in about 15 minutes - much faster than existing swellable hydrogels. 

Once inflated, Zhao noted that the pill is about the softness of tofu or Jell-O, yet surprisingly strong.

Note ban brought down land prices, helped youth buy cheap houses: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said that the demonetization exercise helped bring down prices of houses and made them affordable for the youth.

He said he was being asked about the gains from the 2016 note ban but the question should be put to the youth who gained from it. 

"I am asked about the benefits of the note ban decision. You should address this to the youth, who could buy residential homes at affordable rates after the decision," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said: "Black money used to be parked in real estate sector. But with decisions like note ban, we put a check on it."

Modi was speaking after laying the foundation stone of the extension of the terminal building at Surat Airport.

He said the UDAAN scheme of the Civil Aviation Ministry was the result of his dream that the common man should also be able to undertake air travel.

"Today I am happy to say that the scheme has catapulted our country among the world's fastest-growing aviation markets," Modi said.

Referring to the housing sector, Modi said that his government built 1.30 crore houses during the last four years of the NDA rule while the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) built 25 lakh houses over a decade.

Praising his own governance, Modi said the previous governments would have taken more than 25 years to do the work that he had done in the last four years.

The Prime Minister called upon the people to vote a single-party majority government at the Centre.

"For the last 30 years, the country had a 'hung Parliament' and this had affected development. Four years ago, people voted a government with a full majority after which the country is progressing rapidly."