Veterinary Painkiller Diclofenac Drastically Reducing Vulture Population

Veterinary Painkiller Diclofenac Drastically Reducing Vulture Population

Submitted by Tim Mayr on Tue, 04/15/2014 - 08:39

There is no doubt that advancement of technology has improved lives of hundreds and thousands of people, but is should also be noted that many species have been threatened too because of the same. Here we are talking about diclofenac, the veterinary painkiller, which has led to the drastic decline in the number of vulture species, like Red-headed and Egyptian Vulture.

Indian subcontinent is the worst hit region. The population of the Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus) and the Red-headed Vulture (Sarcogyps calvus) had witnessed a huge decline by 80% and 90% respectively. Concerns have been raised since the mid-1990 when the drug was first noticed to have deadly impacts on vulture species. The Slender-billed Vulture, White-rumped Vulture and the Long-billed Vulture were the other species that were earlier affected by the painkiller.

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and the Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB) has showed a drastic fall in the number of vultures by more than 98%. BNHS Director Asad Rahmani said in a statement, "The partial recovery of vulture numbers after the ban shows that strong research and advocacy go a long way in effective conservation. Further research should also focus on the current status of Red-headed and Egyptian vultures."".

BNHS and RSPB are making joint efforts to set up Vulture Safe Zones (VSZ) across the country. They will also ensure captive breeding of vultures so as to prevent them from reaching extinction.

According to avian specialists, vultures on the IUCN list of critically endangered birds are elusive and slow breeding creatures. It is beyond the realms of possibility to figure out their exact numbers as the only way to predict their population is through sightings.

The research has revealed that a ban on the drug has played a significant role in reduction of the declining numbers of all vulture species.

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Coming, ATMs that retaliate when they are attacked

IANS | Apr 12, 2014, 08.40 PM IST

ATMs would soon be armed with a mechanism that would spray hot foam in the face of the attacker if he tries to force it open. (Getty Images photo)

LONDON: Fancy an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) that punches the burglar in the nose if he tries to break it open? 

Well, not a punch exactly, but ATMs would soon be armed with a mechanism that would spray hot foam in the face of the attacker if he tries to force it open. 

Researchers at ETH University in Zurich have developed a special film that triggers an intense reaction when destroyed. 

"This could be used anywhere you find things that shouldn't be touched," said Wendelin Jan Stark, a professor at ETH's department of chemistry and applied biosciences. 

Stark and his team developed a self-defending surface composed of several sandwich-like layers of plastic. If the surface is damaged, hot foam is sprayed in the face of the attacker. 

The researchers used plastic films with a honeycomb structure for their self-defending surface. The hollow spaces are separately filled with two chemicals: hydrogen peroxide or manganese dioxide. 

The two separate films are then stuck on top of each another. A layer of clear lacquer separates the two films filled with the different chemicals. When subjected to an impact, the interlayer is destroyed, causing the hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide to mix. 

This triggers a violent reaction that produces water vapour, oxygen and heat. The temperature of the foam reaches 80 degrees. 

The newly developed film may be particularly well suited to protecting ATMs or cash transports, said the researchers. 

The number of attacks on ATMs has increased in recent years. 

While protective devices that can spray robbers and banknotes already exist, these are mechanical systems, explained Stark. "A small motor is set in motion when triggered by a signal from a sensor. This requires electricity, is prone to malfunctions and is expensive," he said 

The objective of his research group is to replace complicated control systems with cleverly designed materials. 

The researchers added a dye along with DNA enveloped in nanoparticles. If the film is destroyed, both the foam and the dye are released, thereby rendering the cash useless. 

The DNA nanoparticles that are also released mark the banknotes so that their path can be traced.

The findings of the study have been published in Journal of Materials Chemistry.

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Photographer has a bad experience on the sets of Ranbir's Bombay Velvet

April 15, 2014 Bolly-Freak 4144 reads 13 comments

The team of Bombay Velvet wrapped up their movie shoot today. However, it did end on a controversial note when a media photographer was reported to have been thrashed by the film's security guards.

Apparently, the photog was trying to get a click of Ranbir Kapoor's look, which the makers have been trying hard to keep under wraps. However, on spotting this intrusion by the media, the makers had the security guards 'manhandle' the photog, as per the 'victim's' Police complaint.

However, the BV team has a different story to tell. Mid-day reported Anurag Kashyap as saying, "It's a lie. The photographer slapped the production person. He was taken to police station and he pulled out a dalit card and counter accused. Ranbir was not even there when the incident happened."

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Why Sonam Kapoor makes for a good politician

Tuesday, 15 April 2014 - 5:00pm IST | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA Webdesk

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  Vishal Manve

Bollywood's fashionista Sonam Kapoor who shocked everyone with her intellect on 'Koffee with Karan' by taking digs at contemporaries also spoke about being a politician in the future.

Apparently, she is serious about politics and wants to pursue it. We think she'd make the perfect politician, here's why: 

1. The power of vague words:

Why: You know what I mean?...You know what I mean?... That's Bull***t! These statements by Sonam Kapoor on Koffee with Karan explain it all. Ever wondered how our politicians jump the gun and drop answering uncomfortable questions? 

2. She's got the chuptzah:

Sonam Kapoor knows how to dress and apparently that's very important in today's age of politics. Even Narendra Modi accepted his penchant for dressing well in a television interview. He said, "I have a good sense of colour combination and like dressing well." Sonam could style other politicians like Arvind Kejriwal too as she keeps taking digs at people with bad fashion sense. 

3. The 'Kapoor factor'- dynasty politics? 

The Kapoor clan is akin to Gandhi clan in size. while Gandhi clan has Rahul, Priyanka and Varun Gandhi, the Kapoors too are a big dynasty in the Bollywood world.

So, can Sonam start a Kapoor tryst with politics? Our guess is as good as yours. 

4. No one can stop her. Nor critics nor you! 

Sonam openly stated on Koffee with Karan that the only reason she survived in Bollywood was because of her acting credentials. Mind it, no one can ever stop her!

5. She's a torch-bearer 

While we support LGBT rights and were glad that Sonam came out in support of the cause. Her statements were vague, "I came out of the closet." Later, these translated to her support for the community. Only if Sonam would be a bit more precise with her words.

6. Repetitive speeches. You know what we mean? 

Sonam has a penchant for repeating whatever she says till you want to hold the next person and cry out of frustration. This would be a great tool in politics as our leaders keep repeating whatever they say till the elections get over. She is a born winner! 

7. Knows how to beat competition! Seriously?

While people like Deepika Padukone and Vidya Balan believe in working hard and letting their final performance talk for itself, Sonam believes in taking potshots. On KWK, she has taken potshots at Vidya Balan (fashion sense), Deepika Padukone (Fashion, character and what not!), Parineeti, Ranbir and a dozen others. So, we aren't complaining.

Read: Top 10 bloopers by Sonam Kapoor on Koffee with Karan; Twitter users react with sarcasm

8. Role model

No matter what, Sonam is a role-model of sorts. But, we let you decide if you want to believe it or not after reading this statement. "Just because you are not good looking and are loud, doesn't mean you are a good actor. Hello! that's rubbish." 

9. Reservation bill

Sonam has taken a day off for Mumbai elections to cast her vote (We like) and also supports various causes. So, she could join politics and work for women rights and other causes and stay away from reserving roles in films. 

10. Finally, she is acting in a political film, 'Battle for Bittora'

Sonam and her sister Rhea have purchased the rights for a book and are adapting it into film screenplay. In this film, Sonam will play a politician. Even in her last release with Dhanush, she was a founding member of political group from JNU. 

You can add your points below or tweet at @dna and tell us more reasons! 

Meanwhile, check out this: Sonam Kapoor gets spoofed: New viral song hits YouTube

Watch: 

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Study: Samsung phone durable, but iPhone has edge

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By Associated Press, 

NEW YORK — Samsung’s new Galaxy S5 smartphone is more durable than last year’s model and other leading Android phones, but the iPhone 5s outperformed all of them in part because of its smaller size, a new study finds.

The S5 scored well given its water resistance and a sturdy back panel made of plastic, according to SquareTrade, a provider of extended protection plans. The iPhone 5s won points for being just 4 inches diagonally, compared with about 5 inches for the Android phones. That makes the iPhone easier to grip and thus less likely to slip out of one’s hands.

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Nonetheless, all the smartphones tested had a medium risk of breakage, and differences between the various phones weren’t major.

SquareTrade evaluated the phones based on such criteria as size, weight, grip and the quality of the front and back panels. The company measured how far the phones slide when pushed across a table on their backs and how well they withstand drops from 4 feet and being dunked in water for 10 seconds. Robots were used to ensure consistency.

SquareTrade provided The Associated Press with the results ahead of Monday afternoon’s announcement.

The S5 scored a 6 on a 10-point durability scale, with 10 having the highest risk. The new HTC One phone scored a 6.5, while Google’s Nexus 5 had a 7. The iPhone 5s was at 5.5.

None of those phones is as durable as last year’s Moto X from Motorola. It had a 4.5 rating, thanks to a rounded back molded to the shape of a user’s hand, making it easier to grip. Last year’s HTC One model also had a 4.5.

Last year’s Samsung Galaxy S4, meanwhile, had a score of 7.

The S5, the new HTC One, the Nexus and the iPhone all had strong front panels, despite being made of mostly glass. SquareTrade considered both the materials used and design factors such as button placement to gauge how likely a user would drop the phone while using it. The back panels on the One and the iPhone were moderate, while those on the S5 and the Nexus performed well.

The S5 and the One were the hardest to grip, while the One and the Nexus had poor marks for water resistance — the phones still worked, but had no sound. Both the S5 and the iPhone survived the dunk test, even though only the S5 is officially marketed as water resistant — for up to 30 minutes.

Only the Nexus 5 passed the slide test, but it was the only of the four to fail the drop test.

The Nexus slid 1.7 feet when pushed by a robot, compared with 2.5 feet or more for the others. The more a phone slides, the greater its chance of falling off the edge of a table. After getting dropped, the Nexus was shattered, while the others had only superficial damage.

SquareTrade said the S5’s performance on the drop test was noteworthy, because the S4 had done poorly.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Debenhams is shopping around: Department store wants to sell Sport Direct products

DEBENHAMS is talking to Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct about selling his products as part of an overhaul of the department store chain’s business.

Published: Wed, April 16, 2014

Debenhams' spring/summer collection[DEBENHAMS]

Sports Direct, which has a stake in Debenhams and owns brands including Slazenger and Lonsdale, is among 12 suppliers it is negotiating with to increase sales of branded products.

It is part of a shake-up by Debenhams following a tough Christmas which saw pre-tax profit in the 26 weeks to March fall by a quarter to £85.2million.

The results matched a revised profits warning and sent the shares 3óp higher to 81p.

The group is reducing promotions and rejigging space in 40 of its 158 UK shops to fi t in more products from popular brands such as Patrick Grant and Henry Holland.

It also plans to fit cafés or restaurants in 23 stores.

Chief executive Michael Sharp insisted that introducing more brands or concessions was not a U-turn on its policy of increasing Designers at Debenhams exclusive ranges.

“It’s not a change of strategy,” he said. 

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Agm season heralds showdowns with company shareholders

Barclays Bank faces bonus backlash while Tesco reports second year of decline

Barclays headquarters in Canary Wharf, London. The bank can expect a rough ride at its meeting next week after paying out £2.4 billion in bonuses last year. Photograph: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Fiona Walsh

• Topics:
• Business
• Financial Services
• Banking

Wed, Apr 16, 2014, 01:00

First published:Wed, Apr 16, 2014, 01:00

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The agm season is upon us and companies are scrambling to get their houses in order before engaging in their annual showdown with shareholders.

That’s easier for some companies than others. Barclays, for example, can expect a rough ride on pay at its meeting next week after shelling out £2.4 billion (€2.9 billion) in bonuses last year. This was despite a fall in profits of more than 30 per cent.

Barclays boss Antony Jenkins has defended the payments, insisting they were vital if the bank was to avoid what he called a “death spiral”, as high-earning employees defected to more generous rival banks.

It’s not the first time Barclays has faced a pay protest – in 2012 more than a third of investors failed to back its remuneration report amid anger over the then chief executive Bob Diamond’s £2.7 billion bonus.

And last year, investors attending the meeting at London’s Royal Festival Hall were greeted by some colourful demonstrations outside the concert venue, including a protester in a bath, waving wads of cash.

In an attempt to head off this year’s threatened revolt, the Barclays board has moved to replace the head of its remuneration committee, Sir John Sunderland, who has been on the board for 10 years. The new man is Crawford Gillies, a City veteran who serves on the boards of Standard Life and Mitie Group.

Gillies joins the Barclays board on May 1st, and so will escape the pay protests at the bank’s agm a week tomorrow. But Barclays is likely to be disappointed if it thinks the new appointment will allow it to escape a row over pay.

Institutional anger
The shareholder advisory group Pirc had already advised shareholders to block Sunderland’s re-election as head of the remuneration committee. That won’t be an issue now, as Barclays has made clear he will be vacating that position, and most likely resigning from the board too, later in the year. Gillies will take over as head of the pay committee once a smooth transition can be assured, the bank said yesterday.

Institutional anger on bonuses at Barclays has been stoked by the fact that, at £2.4 billion, they are almost three times the amount shareholders are receiving in dividends. Let’s not forget, those same shareholders were asked to stump up £6 billion in a cash call last year, after regulators demanded the bank plug a shortfall in its capital.

There is anger too at the new “role-based allowances” which the banks – not just Barclays – are using to circumvent new EU rules restricting bonuses to 100 per cent of pay, or 200 per cent with shareholder approval. Jenkins is in line to receive a role-based allowance of almost £1 million on top of his salary and various share awards.

Will investors be able to expect a tougher line on pay from Gillies when he takes over? That’s far from clear – a look at his track record on such matters shows that, as head of Standard Life’s remuneration committee, he approved £10 million of bonuses for three of the financial services group’s directors last year.

There was, however, a big difference between the Standard Life bonuses and the Barclays payments – Standard Life met its performance targets and its chief executive was not forced to apologise to shareholders for a series of misdeeds that have cost the business billions.

Tesco declineIf he wants to keep his job as head of Britain’s biggest retailer, Phil Clarke had better have some glimmers of hope for shareholders today as he report’s Tesco’s second consecutive year of decline.

The supermarket group is expected to turn in profits of £3.2 billion, a 6 per cent fall on the previous year, when profits tumbled by 13 per cent. Tesco shares have fallen to a 10-year lows as it struggles to stem the decline in its core UK operation.

Ahead of the results, Tesco announced it was making a return to the US just months after offloading its disastrous Fresh & Easy grocery chain. This time, it is pinning its hopes across the Atlantic on its F&F clothing business, and is planning to open seven stores on the east coast in conjunction with an American franchise partner.

F&F already operates in almost two dozen countries around the world and is a very different proposition from grocery stores. But the announcement of a return to the States so soon after the Fresh & Easy debacle has unsettled some Tesco followers, who would far rather Clarke and his team concentrate their full attention on turning round the UK. They will be hoping for some signs of that from the Tesco chief today.

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Fruit, vegetable prices push March retail inflation to 8.31 per cent

Press Trust of India
Apr 15, 2014 at 06:45pm IST

Retail inflation in March inched up to 8.31 per cent from 8.03 in February, mainly on account of a rise in fruit and vegetable prices.

"Provisional annual inflation rate based on all India general Consumer Price Index (Combined) for March 2014 on point to point basis (over March 2013) is 8.31 per cent as compared to 8.03 per cent for February 2014," the Central Statistics Office (CSO) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The corresponding provisional inflation rates for rural and urban areas for March were 8.89 per cent and 7.51 per cent, respectively. Inflation rates (final) for rural and urban areas for February were 8.43 per cent and 7.55 per cent, respectively.

Fruit, vegetable prices push March retail inflation to 8.31 per cent

Overall inflation in the food basket, including beverages, increased to 9.1 per cent in March from 8.57 per cent in the previous month, according to Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the CSO on Tuesday. Vegetable prices increased 16.8 per cent in March as against a 14.04 per cent rise in February.

The prices of fruits rose 17.19 per cent compared with a 15.79 per cent increase in February. Retail or consumer inflation in protein-rich items such as eggs, fish and meat eased to 9.54 per cent in March from 9.69 per cent in February.

The rate of price rise for cereals and related products slowed to 9.61 per cent in March from 9.93 per cent. However, the price of milk and its products increased 11.02 per cent in March compared with 10.37 per cent in the previous month.

Prices of condiments and spices rose 8.87 per cent from 8.48 per cent in February. Retail inflation has been easing for three months since December 2013.

Government data earlier today showed inflation as measured by the wholesale price index rose to a three-month high of 5.7 per cent in March, mainly due to a spurt in prices of food items such as potato, onion and fruits.

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Oscar Pistorius trial: Reeva Steenkamp told athlete she 'loved him' in Valentine's Day letter

Prosecution ends cross-examination of Oscar Pistorius after five days

MARIA TADEO 

 

 

Tuesday 15 April 2014

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Reeva Steenkamp told Oscar Pistorius she was in love with him in a letter celebrating their first Valentine's Day as a couple just hours before she was shot dead, his murder trial heard.

Returning to the witness box for re-examination from his defence counsel, Pistorius read out Ms Steenkamp's letter, in which she wrote: "Roses are red, violets are blue...I think today is a good day to tell you that I love you".

She signed the letter with her name, smiley faces and kisses. The envelope had the athlete's name 'Ozzie' written on it with two hearts and a squiggle.

Pistorius told the court he opened Ms Steenkamp's posthumous Valentine's gift on her 30th birthday in August last year.

"Reeva told me I'm not allowed to open it until the next day, so I didn't open it, " he continued. "On her birthday, I opened it. It was a photo frame that she got made with four photos of her and I."

The athlete's defence team, led by Barry Roux, used the card to highlight the couple were in a loving relationship.

Yesterday, the prosecution claimed the couple got into an argument on 14 February and Ms Steenkamp "wanted to leave" the athlete's house after the chief prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, said that her jeans were found on the floor and her overnight bag was neatly packed with clothes.

In cross-examination last week, the state painted a picture of a man who was often possessive, jealous and self-centered using text message exchanges between the couple, noting Ms Steenkamp only wrote the words "I love you" to her mother, not Pistorius.

Earlier in his evidence, the athlete, who is accused of murdering his girlfriend, told Pretoria's High Court he cried "Baby, please hold on" and "Jesus, please help me" after shooting his girlfriend dead through a locked toilet door.

He told the court he found Ms Steenkamp "seated on her right buttock with her right arm on top of the toilet bowl" and her head resting on her shoulder. She was shot in the arm, hip and head.

The card Reeva Steenkamp gave to Oscar Pistorius the day before she died"I crouched over her and I put my left arm underneath her right arm and I checked to see if she was breathing or she had a pulse," he continued. "I heard her breathing so I tried to get her up and out of the toilet. I wasn't able to so I scuttled round on my legs, which is probably how I kicked the magazine rack."

An emotional Pistorius told his murder trial he managed to bring Ms Steenkamp downstairs and was met by Silver Woods Estate manager Johan Stander outside his home who told him to "put her down" because an ambulance was on its way.

 

Mr Nel ended his five-day cross-examination of the athlete with a summary of how the state claims he  shot his girlfriend, insisting he opened fire knowing she was inside the toilet with intention to kill her after they couple got into an argument in the early hours on 14 February.

"You fired four shots through the door whilst knowing that she was standing behind the door. She was locked into the bathroom and you armed yourself with the sole purpose of shooting and killing her," Mr Nel said.

Pistorius's story has come under intense scrutiny from the chief prosecutor who accused the athlete of lying and tailoring his version of events after five dramatic days of cross-examination, in which the athlete has cried, retched and sobbed prompting judge Masipa to call an adjournment three times on Monday.

The state argues the 29-year old model and law graduate "ran screaming" to the bathroom after the couple had an "argument" before the athlete shot her three times. Pistorius, according to the prosecution, then made up a story about mistakenly shooting her thinking she was an intruder.

Pistorius denies murdering Ms Steenkamp, claiming he shot and killed her thinking she was a burglar after he heard the noise of a "window sliding open" and a door slamming followed by the sound of "wood" from the toilet cubicle, which convinced him someone had entered his gated community mansion in Pretoria.

The case continues.

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